The Ascension Trial Read online

  The Ascension Trial

  CJ Embers

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  The Ascension Trial copyright © 2021 by CJ Embers

  Cover and The Ascension Trial pictures copyright © 2021 by CJ Embers

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and articles.

  To me.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Author’s Note

  More by the Author

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  T he blood-curdling screams of the broken made my very soul shudder. In my two decades of being alive, this was the first time I had seen a woman become shunned.

  As she was dragged away by guards, my eyes were constantly drawn back to the three men who had given the order. They were clothed in crimson robes and held their chins high despite the wailing piercing the air.

  They were the face of the patriarchy, the one whose leadership told me my life had no purpose outside of serving them and the country, and if I refused… I would end up just like the woman being dragged away from her family.

  As the crowd dispersed, sickened expressions writ across their faces, I remained. I wanted the woman’s face seared into my memory, never to be forgotten. Her name was Syida, and I wanted to remember her.

  The Tehji turned on their heels and left, the hem of their red robes lightly brushing the cobblestone. The guards disappeared down a different street, and the woman’s screams became muffled as the distance between us grew.

  My pulse pounded beneath my jaw, thick and hazy, making my chest burn. The fury I felt as I stood helplessly watching the situation unfold made my skin crawl, and the cries of her family only fed the anger.

  But like everyone else, I eventually left, too. There was nothing I could do to help her family; how could you comfort a mother who had just had her child ripped away, or siblings who might now be traumatized for the rest of their lives as they watched their sister being dragged from their arms?

  I jogged out of the village and immersed into the forest. There was only one thing that could help get the image out of my mind. I got to a clearing and went for a tree. Reaching inside its rotted remains, I pulled out a makeshift wooden sparring sword.

  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and let the air return from my lungs as I transferred my anger into the weapon. When I opened my eyes and turned around, a man stood in front of me.

  A golden blade whizzed past me with a hiss and sunk into the tree trunk. Without hesitation, I swung my sword and hit my enemy across the face, sending him down in a cloud of dust.

  Another appeared, brandishing his sword as he rushed towards me. A battle cry escaped his lips, but it was cut short as a swing of my weapon struck his hand. He gasped in pain and the blade dropped, landing quietly in the lush grass.

  Tightening my grip around the hilt, I jabbed it at the man’s stomach. He keeled over, clutching his gut in pain. With a snarl, I raised my weapon.

  The crack of a twig halted my arms. I straightened and the man before me disappeared along with his fallen comrades. I finished stowing my sword just as a woman my age appeared from around a tree. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and green eyes.

  When she saw me, she shook her head, eyes sparkling with a mixture of warmth and vague annoyance. “Were you sparring, Kena?”

  “No.”

  Enari chuckled. “I see the sweat upon your brow; don’t lie. Why do you insist on continuing this foolishness? You know what the Tehji will do if it’s they who catch you and not me.”

  I let out a cold snort. “Yes, they’ll do to me what they did to Syida… I’m sure you’ve heard by now?”

  Enari dropped her gaze.

  “I know you weren’t there to see it, because I was. I watched the Tehji give the order to take her away. I saw the agony and the heartbreak and the horror. Such fine leaders, to shun a woman for daring to want more than being an incubator…”

  My friend sighed and shook her head, looking disappointed. “We’re not incubators, Kena. Bearing children for Karua is the greatest and most honourable thing we can do. It’s not purposeless.”

  “Yeah, you’ve said that many times.”

  With a dirty glance shot at her, I stalked off back to the village. What did the men get to do while the women were being shackled down? They got to fight in battles, live their lives, and have a voice. And for some reason, Enari and everyone else in Shekri was completely okay with it.

  When I got to my village, one of the guards grasped my arm as I walked past and pulled me back. The veins in his biceps bulged from his taut muscles, and my heart fluttered for a moment before I yanked myself away with a disgusted growl.

  Even after witnessing the first shunning in my life, my weakness for men was clearly still alive and well, and I despised myself for it. I hated men and I wanted the patriarchy to crumble more than anything, but one look at a man, shirtless and sweaty with muscles carved from stone could make me weak in the knees.

  The guard’s fingers tightened and his eyes bore into mine. “Where have you been, Kena?” he questioned, his voice low.

  “I went for a walk. Is that a problem?”

  “It’s late; you shouldn’t be out alo—”

  He fell silent as he looked up. I glanced behind me to see Enari.

  “She was with me, Rei,” my friend said. “Come on, Kena, let’s go.”

  When we were out of earshot of the guards, I glanced at Enari. “You disapprove of my choices, yet still continue to lie for me after all these years.”

  “Better for me to give a white lie now and then than for the Tehji to shun you.” Her voice dropped low and she whispered, “Or turn you into an Iuni.”

  I scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

  “You never know… Besides, I see how you look at men, Kena. Would it really be so bad to just accept the Tehji’s rules?”

  “Just because I drool over men doesn’t mean I want my life ruled by them, Enari. I want to be able to live my life my way.”

  We were getting too close to the main part of the village, so we dropped the topic. The sun was setting now, so I told my friend I had to get back home. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.

  As soon as I walked through the door, my mother admonished me for staying out late. Her round belly protruded from underneath her shirt and she looked exhausted.

  I sighed and apologized, leaning down to pick up my cat Mazi.

  “You’re going to have to help take care of your sibling once he or she is born, so you need to start being more responsible.”

  I gave her a sharp look as my cat pawed at my face. “Mom, I—”

  She held out a hand to stop me. “That’s the way it has to be until you start contributin
g. When that time comes, the Tehji will find you a suitable man, and you will—”

  “Be given my own place,” I interrupted. “I know. To simply become another drop in the storm.”

  She gave me a disapproving look, and I added, “I don’t want to have this talk again. Besides, you don’t know for sure that they will find me suitable to contribute, so…”

  “They will, and we will keep having this talk until you start being more responsible. But tonight, I’m too tired to be awake any longer. Let’s go to bed.”

  Not wanting to say more and prompt another round of arguments, I said goodnight and went to my room. Setting Mazi on the bed, I slipped under the furs and fell asleep thinking of the way the guard’s fingers around my arm made my skin tingle.

  When morning came, I was eating breakfast with my mother and daydreaming while she talked. When she mentioned a certain word, my attention was brought back into focus.

  “Can you repeat that?”

  “The next Ascension Trial is happening in a few months.”

  While my mother continued talking, I zoned out again.

  The Ascension Trial. The thing I looked the most forward to every year. It was a time when men chosen by the Tehji underwent a series of tests held by our god, Helis, and if they passed, became Adepti. They were of the highest rank in Karua’s fighters, granted a mark that bestowed upon them heightened abilities such as strength and agility. Our country was known to not be trifled with because of the Adepti.

  While the capital held the biggest Ascension Ceremony, many smaller settlements in Karua held their own as well. Mine was one of them. Sometimes many warriors across the country would Ascend, and other times, only a couple did. Rarely, even none did.

  Although women were never chosen to be given a chance to become Adepti, it was still my favourite part of the year. Watching those who won the Trial ascend to greatness always filled me with awe.

  After breakfast, I went outside and made a beeline straight for the forest again. On the way, Enari spotted me, and I groaned as she pulled me aside.

  “You better not be going out there again!” she said, pointedly referring to my training sessions.

  “I was not,” I scoffed, clearly being sarcastic.

  “Come on,” she said, and began pulling me.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To the stable. We’re going for a ride.”

  I sighed. I didn’t want to go for a ride this early. “Only if we can steal some wine so it’s a little less boring.”

  My friend admonished me for the idea, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.

  At the stable, I saw Kasiya, a man a few years older than me mucking out stalls. The sweat slicking his tanned skin made me drool. When we locked eyes, he gave me a smile.

  Enari pulled me over to a stall before I could react. Giving me a disapproving look, she motioned for me to take a horse out.

  “What, like you’ve never allowed yourself to feast your eyes upon beautiful men?” I questioned, quiet enough so the man wouldn’t be able to hear me.

  She scoffed, then hesitated. A moment later, she admitted, “Occasionally.”

  My eyebrows raised and I shot her an ‘Ah ha!’ expression.

  “But I’m not that obvious,” she continued. “If the Tehji or anyone else catches you doing that, there would surely be consequences, Kena.”

  I rolled my eyes and grumbled. “I’m not breaking any rules. I’m looking, not touching.”

  “They would see it as being on the path to destruction, and you know that. They would take measures to ensure you didn’t continue down that path.”

  Sighing, I asked, “Can we drop the topic? You’re already dragging me out on a ride; I don’t want my morning ruined even further by you nagging me.”

  “Geez, going riding with me is such torture, eh?” she questioned with a chuckle.

  I stuck my tongue out at her. After finishing brushing down the horse, I tacked up. When we were both done, we led our mounts outside and got settled in the saddles.

  As we left, I glanced behind me, hoping to get one last look of Kasiya. To my surprise, he had already been looking at me and he shot me another smile.

  I returned a small one and faced forward again, swallowing a sigh. Even if he was like me, someone who disliked the Tehji’s laws, nothing would ever come of it. It would be way too dangerous for me to ask him, because if I was wrong, he would let the leaders know and they would punish me.

  Outside the village, Enari and I submersed into the forest. As we rode down the trail, the grouchiness from earlier began washing away. The warm breeze, ladened with the scents of nature, lightened my spirits.

  It was silent for a while, and I was glad my friend wasn’t trying to spark conversation. Sometimes when I looked at her, I couldn’t help but wonder how we were friends.

  Enari was a stark contrast to me in nearly every way. She had no qualms about the Tehji’s laws, and she excitedly awaited the day when she could start contributing.

  About an hour later, we stopped by a stream and dismounted to rest and let the horses drink. I settled down by the riverbank and a moment later, Enari joined me with two glass bottles filled with dark red liquid, and something wrapped in cloth.

  “Oh so you did bring wine!”

  “Pfft, you wish,” she laughed. “Raspberry juice.”

  “Ugh, my favourite.”

  “I know, that’s why I chose it,” she smirked.

  She unwrapped the item in the fabric, and when I saw it was two sandwiches, I nearly drooled. My friend made the best sandwiches.

  “We’ve got fresh-baked bread, lettuce and tomato straight from the garden, cheese from the dairy shop, and some of that delicious, shredded ham from the butcher’s.”

  Grabbing mine, I said, “Eat yours quick, otherwise I might steal it once I inhale mine.”

  Enari laughed and snatched up her sandwich.

  We spent a while by the creek, enjoying each other’s company and the peacefulness of the forest. My mind kept wandering despite my best efforts to keep it reined in.

  “What are you thinking of?” Enari asked, noticing I had been zoning out.

  “Running away,” I answered, realizing too late that I had said it out loud.

  My friend gaped at me. “You are not!”

  “I’m just kidding, obviously,” I lied.

  “You better be. If you ever left me, I’d die.”

  “That’s a bit morbid,” I commented.

  “Well it was maybe a bit hyperbole, but if anything happened to our friendship, I wouldn’t take it well,” she said, her face darkening with sadness.

  Not wanting to ruin the mood any more than I already had, I said, “I’m not going anywhere, okay? Don’t worry. I was just joking around about running away.”

  I held out my bottle of juice and she chuckled, clinking her own against it.

  Back at home, after putting away the horses and saying goodbye to Enari, I went back home and hid away in my room. Mazi was keeping me company, and her purrs were comforting despite the tumultuous thoughts in my mind.

  The conversation with my friend earlier had fanned the flames of my dissention. Would it really be so bad if I left? Enari made it seem like it would be the end of her world, but surely it wouldn’t be that bad for her?

  She was a wonderful person and could make friends easily thanks to her easygoing and friendly nature and her agreeance with the Tehji’s laws.

  My mother would probably take it hard, too, but I was sure she would get over it eventually as well. She would forget about me as soon as her new child was born, and even if she wouldn’t, the baby would soothe her grief.

  I kissed the top of Mazi’s head, and she looked up and rubbed her cheek on my nose before I pulled away with a chuckle. “I’d take you with me, don’t you worry. Unlike humans, you wouldn’t have the capacity to understand why I left, you’d just know that I left, and I couldn’t do that to you. You and I would live out in the wild. Kind of lik
e the Iunis in those stories, but by choice.”

  The idea sounded appealing. Iunis were female outcasts whose crimes were too great to be absolved by shunning, and based on the legends, usually went crazy from the isolation. But with Mazi, that wouldn’t happen to me. We could live in the middle of nowhere in a little hut together, not having to worry about the misogynistic rules of Karua.

  When I realized casting myself out would mean I would never be able to experience a man, I immediately shrank from the idea. I didn’t want to experience a man through the Tehji’s twisted rules, but by my own choice and someone of my own choosing. Whether that would ever happen, I didn’t know; but if I did run away, that was a surefire way for it to never happen.

  I groaned and rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. My weakness frustrated me so often. I wished I could just snap my fingers and make the desires go away.

  Mazi crawled up me and lay on my stomach, her purrs reverberating through my belly.

  “Is it too much to hope the Tehji have a change of heart, or for some mysterious stranger to come and liberate us?” I asked her, rubbing her little chin with a finger. I let out a huff and rolled my eyes. “Shouldn’t say that too loud, otherwise I’ll be thrown in jail or something.”

  My mind drifted to Kasiya. The idea of him possibly holding the same opinions as I did made me excited. I knew I would never be able to ask him outright, but maybe I could talk to him and see what kind of vibe he gave off.

  Gently moving Mazi off me, I got up, booped her forehead, and left the house. I had no idea if the man would still be there, but I wanted to go look anyway.

  Walking down the streets of my quaint little village, I felt jittery, but I didn’t know why. Maybe because of the possibility that Kasiya was like me, or maybe because I was worried I would get caught.

  But just talking to men isn’t a problem most of the time. I don’t need to worry about that.

  The stable came into view, and my pulse quickened. Stepping inside the building, I looked down the center aisle to find it empty. Shaking off my nerves, I continued on, figuring he had finished work and left.

  I passed stall after stall, looking in each one. When Kasiya came into view in one of the ones near the end, I twitched in surprise.