《Ashborn Primordial》
Chapter (Arc 1) 1: The End Of Your World. The Beginning Of Mine
Chapter (Arc 1) 1: The End Of Your World. The Beginning Of Mine
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The Ashen Realm. Year 3744 of the Age of Realms.
Primordial Ekanai would live again.
They called him the Reaper, but as he crossed the gate between realms, Ekanai feared it was his own lifethat would be reaped in this world of volcanoes and ash. Not in the warmth of his home, surrounded by family and fellow warriors, but alone, in a rocky wastnd of jagged peaks and barren ins smothered by soot.
Crowning this blightedndscape stood a jungle of dark and sinister towers that pierced the sky, disappearing into distant lightning clouds that raged eternally.
The ruined city of the gods.
Fabled, rumored, but never seen. Those whoid eyes on it never returned to tell the tale.
Fate had not been kind to the city of spires. For millennia, it remained abandoneda mausoleum of an era long forgotten.
The Reaper was beginning to understand why.
Prana, the energy of life, was thick in this realm. It grew heavier the deeper he went, corrupting his body like ink bleeding through paper, suffocating him with each step. Whatever tragedy had befallen the gods had also corrupted the very air, rendering it toxic to life.
Even so, Ekanai had not wasted lifetimes seeking this ce only to turn back now. He persisted doggedly on, edging closer and closer to deaths door.
And then there were the wolves.
Pure ck and with mes of prana that burned off their hides, their minds had broken long ago. No longer capable of intelligent thought, they swarmed Ekanai, driven only by instinct and addled hatred.
Not just one, or even a dozen. Hundreds. Each powerful enough to end a warrior in an instant.
To a Primordial, they were merely insects.
Ekanai silenced the pain that ravaged his body and channeled his prana to the eight-spoked tattoo on his chest. The white symbol of the Akh Nara red to life, powering his spell.
The Ash Wolves swarmed... and Bncer of Scales activated.
An invisible force pressed, crushing every living being within thirty paces of Ekanai. With their weight amplified a hundredfold, the wolves'' assault ended before it even began. Where there were once mythical beasts nowy a ring of corpses.
The stragglers paid their fallen brethren no mind.
Ekanai''s tattoo glowed with prana once again, and rity gave Ekanai a glimpse into the next few secondstwo Ash Wolves approaching from behind.
He dodged, but his boots caught in the shin-deep ash. The Reaper allowed himself to fall and avoided a razor-sharp paw that couldve decapitated him. Dance of the Shadow Demon activated, and instead of crashing into the ground, he sunk into the depths of his own shadow.
An instantter, his katar''s dagger de gleamed as Ekanai materialized from beneath the wolf, piercing its heart as cleanly as splitting water.
The other Ash Wolf fared no better. A razor-sharp throwing disk between its eyes ended the beast even before its body hit the ground.
He ced his soot-ckened boot on the corpses tough hide, eyeing the beasts that circled him. His calloused, leathery fingers grasped his throwing disk, and with a firm tug, dislodged his trusty friend.
Then the poisonous prana finally took effect.
The Reaper may have earned his title, but time was unrelenting. As his heart seized and his knees buckled and agony ripped through his body, Ekanai was no different from any mortal at the end of their life.
With a vain hope, Ekanais fingers grazed the symbol on his chest, which now glowed with the healing power of Yumas Embrace. But even his most powerful healing magic failed against such extensive damage. Unable to endure the onught of magical pressure, his blood vessels ruptured, poisoned by pitch ck prana.
The pain had distracted him; Ekanai failed to notice a nearby beast before its ded limb slipped through his back and out of his chest. His vision blurred But pain was nothing to him. He thrived in pain. He consumed it.
The Primordial forced himself to his feet. A slice of his prana-empowered de bisected the beast that had injured him. The same prana density that was killing him supercharged Yumas Embrace, healing his stab wound in moments.
Step after step, he inched closer to the lost city through sheer force of will. He was so frustratingly close. Closer than any prior incarnation had evere. But the Ash refused to be ovee.
He fell to his knees, his body no longer obeying him. For the first time in decades, he felt the icy grip of fear.
The Reaper had wriggled free from the bony fingers of death too many times to worry about his own life. But there were other, darker terrors he feared more. Hed seen the spatial ruptures himselfhad seen them corrupt the very fabric of reality.
There was nothing he could do against it. To do so was to defy Fate itself, and only the symbol on his chest possessed such might. But it was iplete.
The tattoo yearned for the almighty power thaty deep within the city, buried under rubble and time. Power that made Ekanai''s abilities look like child''s y, outstripping his current abilities a hundredfold.
Ekanai pressed his fingers against the tattoo. With each rebirth, the Primordials existence faded. His sense of purpose, once thick like blood, had diluted to water. If his sessor failed to unlock the full potential of the tattoo, then that would be the true end.
Not just for him, but for all.
Primordial Ekanai would live again. But his next incarnation would be thest.
Human Realm. Hiranya Kingdom.Five Hundred Years Later...
Vir tiptoed across the rickety wooden floorboards of his log cabins kitchen in the predawn darkness. With a single candle for illumination, he picked out a small log from a firewood bin, then reached into the cooler.
It wasnt just the chill of the Magic Cold orb that sent shivers up his spine as he rummaged around for a banana; today was his fifteenth birthdaythest possible day for him to manifest a magical affinity. Today, hed learn whether he was destined for greatness or doomed to mediocrity.
He knew the chances were beyond slimnot after a lifetime without a drop of magicbut hope was a difficult me to douse.
Tiptoeing back to the kitchen, Vir slipped the log into their y stove. The oat porridge bubbled shortly thereafter, reminding him to give it a few stirs.
He gave the porridge a quick taste. That oughta do it, he whispered, careful not to wake his father. But Rudviks loud snores told him there was little risk of that; the big man slept as hard as he worked.
Transferring the sweet-smelling meal to a wooden bowl, he ced it on the dining table alongside the banana, leaving the stoves door open to radiate heat back into the cabin.
Vir basked in its warmth, but only for a moment. Grabbing his rucksack, he pinched off the me, then felt his way to the door. Even from here, he could feel the bone-chilling draft from outside.
He carefully donned his shoes, ensuring he didnt erge the holes that riddled the worn fabric.
Have a great day at work, father, Vir whispered under his breath. There would be no breakfast for himthe recent famine hadn''t been easy on the vige, and Rudvik needed the food more than he did.
The biting cold hit the young man with the weight of a woodchoppers ax, and his worn shirt and frayed pants did little to protect him. He scarcely noticed, all thoughts upied with his uing magic aptitude test.
Neel! he whispered to his canine friend. Time to go, boy!
The droopy-eared brown-and-white bandy stepped out of its warm wooden kennel and nuzzled him. Neel''s beady eyes, squat snout and pudgy legs didn''t paint a picture of agility, but the animal was deceivingly quick on its four paws.
Bandies were loyal canines, and Neel had been part of the family for years.
Atta boy. Weve got a big day today, so lets hop to it! Vir had long ago learned that the best way to get warm was to get moving, so he did exactly that.
Brij was ratherrge for a vige, almost the size of a small town, and Virs home sat on its outskirts. The vige itself was nothing to look at, but the Godshollow? Now that was a different story. The vast ancient forest felt like another realm to Vir, full of wonder and danger.
A solid ten minutes of walking past farms on a muddy dirt road put him onto the central vige streets with its many spiderweb-like alleyways. The square y buildings grew taller and more dense as he approached the viges center where his destinationthe templewas located.
You ready, boy? He said, turning over the hourss in his pocket. A makeshift thing that was always on the verge of falling apart.
Neel barked and wagged his tail.
He took a deep breath and sped up. Sweat flew from Virs brow as he bounded from crate to barrel to pole, leaping his way through the narrow alleys with deft footwork beyond his fifteen years of age.
Dawn was less than an hour away, and the sky had brightened with a beautiful blue glow. The vige of Brij couldnt afford Magic Lamp streetlights, but the asional Magic Candle orb illuminated the path well enough; his night vision had always been better than the vige kids. Especially useful for avoiding the many piles of Ashva dung that littered the alleyway. Or running away from Camas and hisckeys.
Vir avoided the problem entirelystreets were too risky. He could do better.
This was the best part of his morning routine. Each day, hed time himself through the obstacle course hed fashioned along his route, always trying to push his limits. With every attempt, he iterated, refined, and optimized his handholds and his speed, ever in pursuit of that next morsel of time. In pursuit of safety from those who sought to do him harm.
For Vir, this wasnt a hobby, or something he did out of boredom. It was a survival skill.
He jumped onto a barrel and leaped off, grabbing onto a horizontal pole that jutted out above the alley. Using his momentum, he swung up onto the roof of a nearby trellis and sprinted over the narrow wooden beams with perfect bnce.
From here, he had a few options. He could either hop across the balconies on the second floor of the alley, or he could push even higher to the rooftops. The rooftops were easier, but the balconies were shorter. Of course, he chose thetter.
Each balcony had a small railing that served as his bncing beam. He jumped from one to the other, then across the alley to the other side, then back again. With his heart pumping full st, all thoughts of the morning chill were forgotten.
He leaped for the final rod and came up short.
The cool nighttime breeze had encouraged him to push just a little harder than usual, but his frail, malnourished body could only give so much. His leg buckled under the strain of his acrobatics, sending him tumbling onto hard y.
Vir tried to roll to carry his momentum, but his body just wouldnt listen. He hit the ground hard,nding on his shoulder.
A quick check showed he was thankfully only bruised, and not broken. The throbbing pain, while distracting, would soon subside.
So much for breaking my record, he thought angrily, heaving from the exertion. As skilled as he was, the bullies were better fed and had numbers on their side. He simply couldnt afford these mistakes.
Vir squeezed his eyes shut and touched the eight-spoked tattoo on his chest while he caught his breathan unconscious habit hed developed at an early age. Hed been born with the white tattoo, but hed never known what it signified.
He treasured it nheless. The symbol was beautiful in the way that only geometric iconography could manageeight spokes, eight white dots perfectly positioned between, and in the center, three ovepping circles, all joined by a triangle. It was one of the few bodily traits he was proud of.
Neel, not finding his master, turned and barked from up ahead before running back. His droopy-eared friend barked at him in frustration.
Oh, cmon. Dont look at me like that, boy!
Neel sat on his haunches, eyeing his master with expectation. Nope. No treats for beating me, he said, narrowing his eyes. The bandy drooped its muzzle and whimpered, but Vir knew better than to give in to Neels well-honed begging.
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I know, I know! Cant bete. Not today.
With his energy mustered, the young man set out once again. But just as hed gained some speed, a shadow sprung from the darkness, moving swiftly into the alley.
Halt! The ck-robed figure said, extending its arms.
Neel barked incessantly, intent on protecting his master.
Down, boy, Virmanded, grabbing the bandys cor as he backed away from the stranger. Whore you?
A name? This one needs no name, said the mysterious man. He flung back his ck hood, revealing a wrinkled, bald scalp and a scrawny face that just screamed bandit.
Having determined that the man was obviously not right in the head, Vir turned tail, but the mans hand shot forth and clutched his arm in a death grip.
Be calm, young one. I am not the one you should fear. He is out there, the man said as his eyes rolled in their sockets.
Creep, Vir thought, eyeing the filthy, emaciated man in ck.Gotta get out of here!
But even with Neel biting the mans patchwork robe, he seemed utterly unfazed.
What might a young one like you be doing up and about at this hour, hmm? I wonder if you are up to no good?
Real rich,ing from someone as suspicious as you.
To free himself, hed need an edge. The only way hed find one was with a cool head on his shoulders.
Deep breaths, Vir, he told himself. In through the nose, out through the mouth.
With his mind working again, he did what he did bestthink and analyze. The stranger had a firm grip on his arm. He wasnt going to break it without a lot of force, and the man was bigger than him, so hed need to get creative. There were a few options avable to him, but for now, he decided to stall for time. Easy enough, thanks to the mans ramblings.
Tell me, have you seen him, child?
The heck are you talking about? Who are you? I dont recognize your face.
Oh, be still, child. For I too am a child, like you. A Child of the Ash.
Vir went very still. Head priest Apramor had warned of these cultists, the Children of Ash, long ago. You worship the Ashen Realm, he whispered.
No! the cultist yelled, sending spittle flying onto his face. The Ash merely contains the One. His voice dropped to a whisper. The one we worshiplurks within its hallowed depths. Consuming. Growing. With each passing moment, it bes a more perfect god. We dare not speak its name.
Someone had to have heard Neels barking. Just a little longer and somebody would show up, he was sure of it. He just had to keep stalling the cultist.
Vir tried again to pull away from the cultists grip and to his surprise, he seeded. It was as if the man had forgotten about his existence, which was perfectly fine by him. But just as soon as hed broken free, the man reestablished his grip on Virs arm.
Have you seen him, child? Not bothering to wait for his answer, the cultist continued, Have youe across the Primordial? Answer me!
I dont even know who that is, you grakking chal!
Vir had hoped that Neels incessant barking wouldve woken up the neighborhood, but no help was forting. It was as if theyd shuttered their doors and pretended like nothing was happening. He realized itd be up to him to get free.
Luckily, he had a few tricks up his sleeve.
You. Yes~! Those red eyes. Yes! You are an odd one!
Youre one to talk!
The Child of Ash continued rambling. The Primordial will bring the End of Realms! Find him. Purge him! Burn him to Ash! If you see him, you must let us know!
The moment the man uttered those words, something changed within Vir.
His chest tattoo throbbed with power, and while he couldn''t ce his finger on what happened, he felt it. A myriad of new voices and feelings erupted within him. Like the whispers he heard in the forest, but different in a way he couldn''t exin.
The sudden event made him dizzy, but Vir shook himself out of it. Whatever it was, it would have to wait until he was free from the cultist''s clutches.
He finally found the opening he needed.
Join us! I shall bring you to the Blessed Chosen. Together we shall join with the Prana Swarm, the one true god!
No thanks! Vir lowered himself, but slowly. He didnt want to attract the cultists attention.
Yes Yes! Red Eyes, you belong with us!
Uh, nooope. I really, really dont.
And my name is Ekavir!
Vir crouched down and jumped, kicking off of the cultists chest to propel himself into a perfect backflip. What hed needed was leverage to overpower the stronger mans grip. If his muscles couldnt do that, then hed use his weight instead.
His years of leaping and jumping paid off. Vir tore free of the mans grip, and this time, he didnt hesitate. He ducked and sprinted past the man.
Neel ceased his barking and caught up. Together, the pair blitzed through the alley faster than ever before. Fear and the will to survive kept Vir running when hed normally have copsed from exhaustion. He took every turn he could to throw off his pursuer, doing everything he could to quieten his footsteps.
Oh grak, he muttered, finally realizing his mistake. In his desperation, hed forgotten about his greatest advantage. Shaking his head, he jumped onto a box and reached for a horizontal pole.
For the second time that morning, he missed, but this time he managed to break his fall with a roll. Unfortunately, he rolled right into a y urn, shattering it.
The sound felt like it carried through the entire vige, and Vir froze, listening.
ck ck ck. The cultists footsteps grew louder and louder.
Neel barked again, jolting Vir out of his freeze.
He tried again, this time throwing all he had into his legs. He caught the bar, then vaulted himself up onto a balcony and climbed up to a t rooftop.
Lets see if he can follow us here.
Vir didnt stick around to find out. He leaped from rooftop to rooftop, gaining as much distance as he could, ignoring the new feelings that assaulted his thoughts. He stopped only when his body could go no further.
Neel took a slightly different route, but caught up with his master in no time. Years of apanying its master had taught the animal to climb up thingsa feat that went unmatched by the other bandies.
Heaving on all fours against the rooftop, he took deep breaths to calm his beating heart. No matter how much he worked out, no matter how much effort he put in, his body remained frail, his stamina weak. Over the years, hed realized that there was something wrong with his body Like his energy was being somehow drained, and it wasnt just the single meal he ate each day.
Neel sat on his haunches, gloating, with his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
Vir thought about descending and trying the heavy doors to the temple, but he knew they would be locked. Hed never wished for the security of the holy ces sturdy walls more than he did at that moment.
Stay sharp, Neel. The mans still out there, Vir said to the bandy. He wasted his breathnot like Neel could understand him.
Virs fingers grazed the white tattoo on his chest as he strained to listen to the echoes of the cultists footsteps.
What happened back there? He wondered. These new voices inside his head made no sense to him, but he knew they must mean something. It was as if they were telling him something, just that he hadn''t learned thenguage yet. But why now, of all times? Had the cultist done something to him?
No, this feeling came from my tattoo.
The cultist''s footsteps broke him out of his thoughts. Every time they grew louder, he readied himself to flee.
Neel continued to gloat.
Sure, mustve been easy for you, he said, frowning at the droopy-looking bandy. Youre not the one who cant run thirty paces without keeling over. But see if the other kids can backflip like I can.
Neel whimpered.
Uh, huh. Thought so.
Despite how hard he had to push himself, escaping from the cultist had felt good. Maybe it was the thrill of the danger. Or maybe it was that wless backflip hed executed to free himself. He rarely ever got to experience that much action in their remote vige. There was something else, too. Breaking free of the cultist''s clutches had felt easier than it ought to have. As if he''d been guided to the right pressure points in the man''s body. The only thing that had changed were the nonsensical voices in his head.
Is it somehow aiding me?
As his heartbeat slowed and the fear wore off, Vir realized hed been in more danger than he thought. Who knew what the cultist wouldve done to him if he hadnt broken free? Where would he have taken him? Would anyone have found him? The sweat on his back picked up the cool breeze, chilling him to his core.
If only I could get inside the temple, he thought. But the magic orb sealing those doors denied him entry. No amount of wishing and hoping would get him through. Only prana would solve that problem, and he had none of that Yet.
Minutes passed in tense silence, where each second felt like an hour. As a precaution, Vir never stayed on the same rooftop for long. While the cultist didnt seem able to climb onto rooftops, the man had an uncanny knack for following Vir around the vige. His footsteps never fully faded, despite Virs actions.
It was only after Vir had lobbed a rock as a decoy that the cultists footsteps finally died away. Vir waited several more minutes before he mustered the courage to drop back down to the street, warily sneaking over to the temple.
He regretted not waiting longer on the rooftops. Time passed with agonizing slowness, every rustle setting him on edge.
Finally, a familiar voice hailed him. Ho, Vir! Youre here early this morning! Tis only to be expected, I suppose, what with it being your big day and all.
Head priest Apramor arrived with his tall, redheaded wife, Lady Aliscia.
Good morning, sir, said Vir to the slender figure in priestly robes. Relief washed over him. But Apramors words made the knot in his stomach tighten again; hed almost forgotten about the magic test.
Lady Aliscia spoke up. Good morning, Vir. I hope you havent been waiting too long? You look tired.
Actually I, er, had an encounter with someone on the way here a Child of Ash. He chased me through the alleys, but I got away I think, he said, staring at the dark alley in the distance. Vir neglected to mention the new voices in his head. No reason to rm them until he knew exactly what he was dealing with.
Both Aliscia and Apramor, who had been unlocking the temple door, froze.
Apramor turned and stared him in the eye, all joviality missing from his expression. Tell us everything.
Vir summarized his story, mentioning how he met the cultist, the tussle he got into, and his escape. Hedmuted to the temple thousands of times in the past. He knew every rooftop, every back alley. Every ledge he could use to vault but now, his vige suddenly felt a little less familiar than it had when hed woken up this morning.
Ill inform the guards. I am truly impressed that you escaped unscathed. The Children are a powerful order. They are not to be trifled with. I promise you we will deal with this man immediately.
Thank you, sir, Vir said with a satisfied smile. Despite his abysmal stamina, hed prevailed over the fearsome cultist. Rudvik would be so proud when he told him.
Wheres Maiya? he asked, trying to distract himself from the creepy cultist.
Apramor chuckled. Where else? In herfortable bed, of course.
Virs expression fell. His best friend was never up at this hour, but hed hoped she could manage it just for today.
The head priest sped his hands together in prayer and gazed up at the starry night, his face etched in a perfect picture of devotion. Only Lord Janak himself could raise her at this hour. Ooh Janak! Ooh Adinat! Would you pleaseOuch!
Aliscia delivered a swift kick to her husbands shin, sending him hopping in pain. Dear, thats hardly fair to our daughter, she said, giving Vir a sidelong nce.
Vir took the hint. Ah, that was my fault, sir. Maiya was upte helping me with the writing lessons Aliscia aunty assigned me.
Aliscia held out her hand. Youpleted them, yes? And how many times do I have to tell you not to call me aunty?
Vir smirked. Though she said that, she couldnt hide the joy in her eyes, as usual. Sure did. Got some of the next lesson done, too.
Of course you did, she said. I cant recall a single time where you failed to finish your assignments. Keep it up and you might even have a life outside of this vige of ours.
Dont really want to leave, though, Vir said with a frown. Just want to help Rudvik out as much as I can.
I tell you, that man is blessed to have a son like you, Apramor said, having recovered from his shin injury. My daughter, on the other hand? Head in the clouds! All she ever talks about is big city this, famous mejai that! She could learn a thing or two from you.
Vir looked away and coughed.
Apramor went to unlock the temple door. Morning congregation begins in an hour. Vir, I apologize for asking you to do this on your big day, but would you mind sweeping the ce for me?
Of course, sir!
The priest nodded and stepped through the door, which closed shut with a click.
Ah Vir said, reaching a hand out in vain. He eyed the door lock, then nced at Aliscia. Would you mind
Aliscia looked at him, then at the door. That man! How forgetful can he be? Im so sorry, Vir.
She touched the Magic Lock orb on the door, making it glow with prana. Here you go.
He thanked her before bursting inside. The thick scent of incense and age hit him the moment he stepped foot into the temple. Vir wasnt much of a believer, but even he could sense the aura that filled the holy ce.
He found antern on a shelf and began the process of lighting it. Magic Candle was far simpler and easier to use, but Vir didnt have that option.
Virs hands trembled with excitement as he went to light the tinderbox full of char cloth. He almost dropped his fire steel on the ancient hardwood flooring, but caught it just before it hit the ground. Once it ignited, he gingerly transferred the small me to the candle within thentern.
This was it! Hed waited years for his magic to manifest. This was thest chance he would ever have. Without magic, he had no future. But even a minor elemental affinity would unlock endless possibilities.
With sweaty palms and bated breath, Vir approached a piece of covered furniture on a raised dais. After a quick nce to ensure that no one was looking, he pulled the cloth off the apparatus. A translucent crystal as big as his head mirrored his reflection right back at him.
Vir reached out and touched the device.
He stared at his reflection, hoping against hope that the magic testing apparatus woulde to life. He prayed to Adinat. To Janak. To Haymi, and even to Ch. But no matter how much he swore hed honor the gods, their blessings never came. The orb remained cruelly silent.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. Aliscia aunty, by her light touch. So thats it, then, he said.
There may still be time, Vir. Some dont manifest an affinity until well, Ive heard that in rare cases, it can take until their mid teens. Especially out here where prana is scarce.
Vir shook with anger. He knew she was just trying to cheer him up, but her words had the opposite effect.
If that was true, Id at least be able to use basic utility orbs to open doors and heat water, wouldnt I? Im prana scorned, he said, touching the tattoo on his chest. He was doomed to be magic-less
But even as he said those words, he refused to ept it. A voice stirred from deep within him. One that rejected this reality.
Was this really okay? Could he truly ept this oue?
He didnt even need to think about it.
Vir clenched his fists.
No badrakking way.
Chapter 2: Death Of A Dream
Chapter 2: Death Of A Dream
Aliscia grasped Virs shoulders and stared at him with her hazel eyes. Even if you are prana scorned, what of it? I dont have any affinities myself and I manage just fine, dont I? There are many paths through life, even for those who arent good at magic, she said with the warm smile of a mother.
Well sure, but magic makes things easier. Magic gets you respect. Dont you wish you had an affinity, Aliscia aunty?
Wishes do not make dreamse true. But you know what does? Hard work, she said, handing him his broom. Chin up, now. And be sure to see Maiyater. She has a surprise nned for you, Aliscia said with a wink.
A surprise? Vir thought. He was already growing excited thinking about Maiyas gift, despite himself.
Vir resolved to ovee this setback. He had no idea how, but he would. He just somehow knew. Perhaps these new voices in his head would help him. He itched to find out more about them, but it would have to wait until he''d finished with his duties for the day. What he did notice was that the voices grew louder around certain items. Especially powered utility magic orbs.
And for the millionth time, Im not your aunt! Aliscia huffed as she stood up to leave.
Yes, aunty,said Vir with a sly smile.
The Magic Clock on the wall pinged again. Only forty-five more minutes until congregation. He waste, and he had a lot of work to do.
First came the lighting. He picked up hisntern and went around lighting the candles ced all around the temple, the ancient wooden floorboards creaking underfoot.
Magic Lamps were safer, of course, but Apramor always said that there was a quality to real fire that magic could never rece. Vir liked the thought, even if he knew the priest was just being considerate.
Ping! The clock indicated only a half hour left.
Vir finished lighting the incense sticks in front of the tarnished altars of the gods, filling the temple with the soothing smell of sandalwood. He put fresh flower gands on the icons of the gods, then swept the floor clean with practiced efficiency. Ten minutes.
Last came the faded cushions, which he ced all around the room on the floor. The temple was devoid of any chairs, but Vir found these lounging cushions morefortable, anyway. He finished the task with five minutes to spare.
Apramor appeared from his private room just as Vir was finishing up with the cushions and rested a hand on his shoulder.
I heard
Vir had finally distracted himself from the results of his magic test, but now his mood came crashing down once again.
I shall offer you no words offort, for I know they will not help you, the priest said. Instead, I hope you listen carefully to todays sermon. It may very well contain the answer to your plight.
Yes, sir, he replied. I doubt it.
The priest took a moment to gaze at his handiwork.
Fine job, as always, Vir. I appreciate your help.
Of course, sir. Its my pleasure.
Tis your pleasure, is it? I see that my daughters been rubbing off on you, Apramor chuckled. Now, settle in. I think you will enjoy this, he said. Vir was sure he saw a glint in the priests eyes.
Vigers had already filtered in, and the silent temple filled with hushed chatter. Some greeted Apramor. Others took their seats and prayed. All looked away the moment they saw Vir, which reminded him to flip up the hood on his cloak.
Apramor, why do you continue to employ that Ashborn child? a viger said.
Mr. Akros. Always nosy. Always angry. This wasnt the first time the irate viger had voiced his concerns, and Vir was sure it wouldnt be thest time either.
Its its unholy! Akros whispered. My son is far more suitable. I can have him start on the morrow. Just say the word. Please!
Vir ignored the man and climbed up a wooden post near the back, using footholds hed made years ago. This was his spot, where the musky scent of incense wafted up to, satisfying his nose. A birds nest, of sorts.
From here, he saw the copper idols of the gods. He saw Apramors lectern, and moreover, he was above the crowd. From up here, no eyes judged him. For these precious few moments, he felt ordinary. He felt like he belonged.
And would your boy show up as regrly as the suns cycles? Apramor said with priestly patience. Would he arrive an hour before dawn to help me day after day, week after week? Hmm?
Akros scratched his neck and looked off into the distance, breaking eye contact with the priest. W-Well, hes just a boy, after all. He may miss a day or two, but I assure you hes as devout as anyone in Brij! Certainly more than the Ashborn. That boys not even a believer!
You will never find religion in a perfectly clean soul, Akros. You would know that, wouldnt you
Silence. Vir thought he saw a trace of guilt sh across the man''s face, but he knew better. Akros would never feel bad about demeaning him. Right?
Please take your seat, Apramor continued, And know that I do not seek devotion in my assistants. I require only dedication. Vir has not missed a single day in all the years hes served me. He is one of us, and he is irreceable. That is my final say on this matter.
Virs chest filled with warm pride at Apramors words. He only wished he couldve preserved Akros expression at that moment. It gave him great joy to see the mean man knocked down a peg. That it happened in public only made it taste even sweeter.
One of us... Akros murmured to himself, though Vir knew not why.
Apramor turned his back to the man and strode up the wooden dais where his lectern was located, in front of the idols of the gods. The hushed murmurs quietened, leaving the ancient temple in silence for a good half minute. Then he spoke.
Today, I narrate the tale of Janak the Wise. Though he may not be as renowned as the likes of Adinat or Haymi, I find his story nheless profound.
Vir wasnt expecting this. Hed long ago memorized Apramors adventures of the gods that took them to wonderful ces Vir could scarcely even imagine. He often put himself in their shoes, pretending it was him going on those adventures.
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But he could never truly rte. Every god of legend was celebrated and loved by all. Even the antagonists. Vir was anything but.
Though he hadnt yet heard Janaks story. Would this tale be any different from all the others? Vir leaned forward on the edge of the rafter he perched upon, hoping to absorb every word.
The legends often portray Janak as a wise philosopher king, and this is true. Having ascended past worldly desires, he thought only of his adopted daughter, Siya. But few know the trials and tribtions he faced in his early years, before he became a god. When he was called Janak the Desperate.
Hushed whispers broke out through the temple. Janak the Desperate!? Ive never heard of this! Wasnt he always a god?
Janak began as a mortal man. An ordinary man, and a wed one at that. He grew up weak and frail, but moreover, hecked even a morsel of ambition. He lost himself in worldly pleasures, shirking his duties as the son of a king, Apramors voice filled every cobwebbed nook of the holy ce. His father the king, growing angry, banished him from their pce. ''Fend for yourself. Perhaps then, you will be enlightened,'' his father said.
For years, Janak roamed thends. He lived in poverty, experiencing abuse at the hands of others. He witnessed the plight of the masses. Finally, he grew angry. His heart wept at the injustice of the world. He sought desperately to improve himself, so that he might one day lead his people. He strove to learn as much as he could, eschewing worldly desires, and eventually became known as one who sought to understand the workings of our world. Slowly, his ideas spread to all corners of the world. His innovations promised to transform society, but here he ran into his second crisis. His people deemed his efforts frivolous and wasteful. Why question Adinats gifts? they said. Why not be content with what we have?
The priestmanded every gaze within the temple at that moment.
At his wits end, Janak grew desperate. Though his people never epted his social reformations, he persisted doggedly on. It was a path foreign to his people. His ideas went against their beliefs. But he knew that to be content was to stagnate. And Janak wanted only progress, for himself, and for society. Through time and toil, his unrelenting effort swayed their opinions.
Apramors voice grew louder and more vigorous as he spoke.
Time and time again, Lord Janak proved his worth to all! The philosopher king''s ideas blossomed through thend and ushered a golden age upon humanity. And, upon his deathbed, surrounded by thousands of his weeping citizens, Adinat himself descended from the heavens to award Janak the honor of godhood!
He paused to look up at Vir, and, if he wasnt mistaken, nodded ever so slightly at him.
This is the true story of Janak. The story of one who knew failure. Who endured to find his own path through the darkness. Who, in the end, shone light upon his people and was loved by all
Vir understood. Sure, Janak may have been born with a silver spoon, but he threw everything away to pursue his own path. Vir wondered how Janak had mustered the courage to take his first step.
When the priest spoke again, his voice thundered through the temple.
The gods have chosen our destiny, but the responsibility is ours to pursue it through its many twists and turns. We will stumble. We will fall. There will be those who mock us when we inevitably fail.
Apramor locked eyes with Vir again. The intensity of the priests expression sent shivers down the young mans back.
But know this! There is no effort without failure. Know that it is not the critic who counts!
Only those who try and fail, again and again
Who pick themselves back up after they fall
Who persist, despite their ws and many shorings
It is they who shall remain when all others abandon the path! It is they who attain the towering heights unimaginable by themon man!
So that their ce shall never be among those cold and timid souls, who know neither victory, nor defeat.
The temple had gone so silent that Vir wondered whether the audience had asphyxiated. Because Vir almost had. Apramors every word felt like it carried the overwhelming weight of centuries of experience. It resonated with his very soul.
Prana scorned? So what? Hed find a way around it. Ashborn? Good. Hed use that to his advantage, too. He would persist. He would endure. And in enduring, he would grow strong.
Apramor let out a deep breath, as if clearing the heavy air that weighed down the halls of the temple.
In closing, let us give praise to the gods who bless us so. To Adinat, for creating this world we enjoy. And of course, to Yuma, for giving her lifeblood to our precious forest.
Mights well pray to Badrak too! Someone quipped, breaking the tension and prompting a round of chuckles from the vigers.
Truth. Wouldnt mind a bit o luck with all this talk of Kinjals and war and whatnot.
Here heere!
After ast prayer to the gods, Apramor dismissed the congregation, and the vigers filtered out one by one. Vir waited until most of them had left, then sneaked down and began putting away the cushions. Apramor watched on in silence until Vir finished.
Did you find todays congregation useful, Vir? the priest asked with a knowing look.
I know why you chose today to tell Janaks story, Vir said. I dunno how you knew, but I needed this. Thank you.
I am relieved, Apramor replied, his deep-set eyes twinkling. Celebrate this day, Vir. You onlye of age once, after all.
Maybe. Father doesnt really like making a scene, though.
Apramors gentle expression melted into a frown. Hold your head high, Vir. Ignore the others. Your eyes and yourplexion do not make you any less than the rest of us. Like Janak, you merely have your own path to follow. You need only to find it!
Thank you, sir, Vir replied, but he knew that being epted by the vige would take a monumental feat. It wouldnt happen soon, that was for sure. Not unless something cataclysmic happened first.
The priest rummaged through his robe. That reminds me, I almost forgot to
Moooooorning. The priest was interrupted by a girl with flowing red hair whod tottered into the temple. She rubbed her eyes with one hand and precariously bnced a small brown box in the other.
You look like you just got out of bed! Virughed.
Scuz I did, she replied with a yawn. Here. For you. Maiya thrust the box toward Vir.
He reached out and grabbed the package before it could fall. Whats this? He asked, hefting the weighty item.
Your birthday cake! Was up all night baking it for you, she said with another enormous yawn.
What! You baked me a cake!? he said with a cracked voice. I mean, I couldnt haveI Maiya, Ive never even had a cake for my birthday. With the famine going on, this is
The girl cut off his words with a hug, leaving Vir awkwardly bncing the cake while she embraced him.
Happy Birthday, Vir. I know it isnt much, but feel better?
How did you Is it that obvious? Hed never understood how his best friend could read him so well.
Maiya didnt respond. She just hugged him tighter.
Maiya Thank you so much, he managed. Something wet rolled down his cheek. He hid his face, embarrassed.
With the famine, food costs had gone through the roof. Not even Apramor had this kind of coin to spare. It truly was an extravagant gift.
Why dont you two run along and enjoy that cake? Ill wrap up here, Apramor said. Oh, and as I was saying before my daughter so rudely interrupted, here you are. This weeks payment.
Vir took the bag of Imperium coppers from Apramor. Heavy, he thought. This is too much, sir.
My birthday gift to you. Youre officially an adult now, Vir. You have earned this.
Maiya grabbed Virs hand, all traces of her sleepiness gone. Lets go! Youre helping your old man in the woods today, arent you? Ill tag along! And I wanna know how the cake is. No lying and saying its good when its not, you hear?
Vir nodded, smiling. Of course, he lied. Hed never say it was bad, even if it was.
No matter how much the others disliked him, he could always rely on Maiya and her family to wee him. And Rudvik and Neel. That was enough.
Maiya rushed out of the temple, dragging Vir behind her as he gingerly bnced the cake box.
And theyre off, Aliscia said, having emerged from the back room.
You shouldnt encourage him, Lisci, said Apramor.
His wife tilted her head. Meaning?
That boy will never know magic, the priest said. I only pray the dayes when he realizes he doesnt need it.
Aliscia shook her head. What he needs now is hope, Apra. If you squash his dreams, I fear you will rob him of something precious. Something irreceable.
Apramor gazed at Virs back, his lips taut. Im afraid Ive seen dreams die far too many times to ce my faith in hope.
Chapter 3: The Village Life Of An Ashborn Primordial
Chapter 3: The Vige Life Of An Ashborn Primordial
You sure you wanna be here? Vir asked as he walked through the ancient Godshollow with Maiya and Neel.
Their boots crunched on the dry leaves that nketed the forest floor. Thousand-year-old trees the width of Virs home towered over them, disappearing into the sky. He breathed it all inthe musky scent of fallen leaves, the smell of ancient bark, and the sweet morning dew. The forest never failed to fill him with inner peace.
Maiya, on the other hand, was not at peace. Not at all.
She currently had both arms wrapped around his left bicep, clinging to him like a lost puppy. Though she was carrying his gear, so maybe not exactly like a lost puppy. A lost Ashva, then, he thought, snickering. His personal beast of burden. Vir shook the thought. That was incredibly mean of him.
W-well, youve heard the stories about the Ghost of Godshollow, she whispered, peering into the surrounding woods.
Just a myth, Vir lied, ducking beneath a branch that had fallen decades before he was even born. If there really was a white ghost, father and the other lumberjacks wouldve seen it by now, dont you think?
Hed heard demonic voices in these woods for as long as he could remember. asional whispers, nonsensical words, and sometimes even cries of panic. Hed learned to keep this information to himself. Thest thing he needed was to give the vigers more reasons tobel him a weirdo.
And now, the new voices in his head whispered on top of the old ones. Reinforcing them, augmenting them somehow. The voices were greatest near the mighty Godhollows. As hed seen in the temple, theyd grown louder in his head when he approached Magic Candle and other powered utility orbs. Unpowered orbs didnt have the same effect. Notably, the nature of the voices were different between the orbs and the Godhollows. As if they were saying different words.
Maiya narrowed her eyes. Maybe the ghost doesnt want to be found. Did you ever think about that? Did you? Bet you didnt.
Neel barked, as if he agreed with her.
Vir rolled his eyes. This wasnt the first time Maiya had apanied him into the Godshollow, despite her fear of the fabled ghost. He realized years ago that she actually enjoyed the sense of danger. And how could he me her? Thrills were few in a backwater like Brij. That suited Vir just fine, but his friend craved a bit more excitement.
Ive been here more times than I can count, Maiya. The worst thing that ever happened to me was a broken ankle. Nothings going to happen. Dont worry, he repeated for the tenth time.
They soon arrived at a clearing in the forest where his father and a handful of other lumberjacks were currently working. Ashva and wagons dotted the work site, and suddenly, Maiyas fears seemed to melt away.
She really was born a city girl, thought Vir.
Ah, Vir! Good timing, boy, a great bear of a man in dirty overalls shouted, hailing him with an arm the size of a tree trunk. Come help me out here, will ya? Oh? Your friends ere too, eh?
Ho there, uncle! Maiya said, running up to therge, bearded man who beamed at her words.
Not yer uncle! he grumbled, but his smile betrayed him. Here to do some lumberjackin, Crimson? he said, using the monicker hed given her many years ago.
If you want me to, sure! Maiya said, flexing her bicep. I was just gonna watch you two work.
Ha! I make you work n Alisciall have my head! Rudvik replied. By the way Did you, uh Did ya, yknow?
Virs expression told him everything he needed to know about the results of his magic test.
Ah. I see. Still time, Vir. Still time yet, Rudvik replied.
Its okay, father. Its fine. Really, Vir said, setting his pack down. He got straight to work, setting Weaken Object Utility orbs all around the tree trunk that Rudvik was working on, positioning and repositioning them in ordance with the others. While the orbs werent nearly as valuable as abat orb, theyd cost Rudvik most of what he had, purchased back when Vir was born. Theycked the strength to fell a Godhollow, but there were plenty of smaller trees that grew in the space between the great giants.
Here again, the voices spoke something to him about Weak Object. Once again different from the other voices. Vir felt like he was slowly piecing together a puzzle. A puzzle that, once finished, might give him the answer to his path to magic. It was a fools hope, of course. But hope was a tough me to quench.
Do you really have to be that fussy about their cement? Maiya asked with curiosity.
Vir nodded. You gotta get the orbs just right to get the tree to fall in just the right way.
But as ya can see, we need a whole bucket full of em, bein as weak as they are, Rudvik said.
The lumberjack had spent a small fortune on the orbs, but they were necessary in his line of work. Hed never be able to make a living if he took the time to chop each tree by hand.
Figures, I suppose, Maiya said, tapping her index finger against her chin. D Grade Utility orbs can only do so much. But can you imagine how powerful theyd be if you could weaken a tree like that with a single orb!?
Then theyd bebat orbs, wouldn''t they? Vir said with a smirk. He could always count on magic talk to fix Maiyas mood or get her to forget her fears.
When the task was finally done, Maiya and Vir stepped away to allow Rudvik to power the orbs. He swung his ax into the trunk a few times to score it, then touched each orb in turn, powering them.
Once finished, he then walked over to Vir and Maiya, who stood near a spot with the fewest orbs; the tree would fall away from that spot if all went well.
Neel ran around excitedly, upying everyones attention as they waited.
Vir took the opportunity to inform Rudvik about his encounter with the Child of Ash. The lumberjack was so infuriated that his face turned red.
Uneptable! Im gonna hunt down this mongrel with Apramor. Cant have their ilk in our vige, he shouted, startling the teens.
Uh, thanks father, but I think the guardsmen are handling it, he said, but he was secretly happy at Rudviks words. His father was one of the few people who ever got angry for Virs sake.
Crack!
The tree trunk protested as the orbs slowly drained away its load bearing capacity. The tree paused for a breath, then began to fall. Slowly at first, then faster as it leaned more and more, finally impacting the earth with a great crash.
Rudvik pped his gloved hands. Welp, that be one. Lets get these chopped and loaded. Then ye can head back home with yer friend, he said with a wink.
Understood, father and thanks!
Well ocourse! Cant keep you on yer big day now, can I? Also, I, er well, consider it my gift. Not much o a gift, I know the big man said, looking away as he scratched the back of his head.
Vir shook his head. Oh no, this is plenty. Thanks, father!
Rudvik was visibly relieved at his words, and Vir echoed his fathers relief. Money was always tight. Hed been worried sick that Rudvik might do something reckless, like buying him an expensive present.
Vir ced the Weaken Object orbs on the felled tree, allowing Rudvik to saw through it with ease. Once done, it was just a matter of setting Lighten Load orbs onto the chopped logs to load them onto the wagon Rudvik had nearby.
That oughta be everythin, he said once they were done. Have fun on yer day off! And be safe!
We will, father!
See yater, uncle!
The two friends jumped onto the wagon and he grabbed the reins, giving B and Garga the signal to start. Their muscr, four legged Ashva beasts of burden had been a part of the household for as long as Vir could remember. With smooth and shiny gray fur, pointy ears, andrge pink snouts, they were docilebut powerfulcreatures. And, Vir thought, kinda cute as well.
The two Ashva began plodding along the forest path back to Brij. It wasnt all that far, but with the load they pulled, they werent exactly fast, either.
Vir retrieved a sack of pebbles and began throwing them at random objects beside the road. Rocks, nts, tree trunks. Every subsequent throw was faster than thest, striking smaller and farther targets, until Vir was hitting rocks as small as eyeballs.
He only missed a handful.
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Is that fun? Maiya asked with an abundance of skepticism.
Neel, on the other hand, eyed each pebble with rapt enthusiasm.
More fun than being kicked around or mugged.
That was inconsiderate. I''m sorry
Its fine. The bullies know how far they can go. They dont like prey that has teeth. Not one bit. These days, they just sic their bandies on me, but it turns out bandies dont like rocks in their eyes, either. And yknow? If you get good at it, you can even make a song, of sorts. Its kinda nice.
He threw pebble after pebble with precision, creating a percussive melody as they went. The beasts of burden neighed once he really started getting into it.
See? Even the Ashva like it!
Mmm lemme try! Maiya said, grabbing a pebble and throwing it.
Her pebble missed its intended tree by several paces, prompting a smirk from Vir. Maiya grumbled and picked up another one, but that also went wide. This is so hard! How the heck are you so good at this?
Virughed. Practice. Hours upon hours of practice
They arrived at Brij a half hourter. Vir groaned when he spied a bunch of vige kids loitering on the road. Akros son, Camas, and his goons.
His home was on the edge of the vige, which could mean only one thingthey were here for him. Vir flipped up his robes hood, but it was toote.
Oi, look! Its Red Eyes! Fancy seein you around here! Camas shouted.
I live here, Vir said with a sigh, preparing his pebbles. The bullies shirked back instinctively.
R-Really? I dont see no home for an Ashborn. Do you? The hooligan looked at hisckeys, who pretended to search their surroundings. Dont see nuthin here!
Before Vir could react, Maiya had already taken the reins, urging the Ashva to continue.
Camas stepped up to the wagon and tried to grab Maiyas arm, but she kicked him off, sending the boy tumbling onto the dirt. Then she yanked the reins, pulling the Ashva hard to the rightdirectly on an intercept course with Camas.
The bully nched. W-What are you trying to pull? You gonna run us over or what?
Huh? Oh! My bad! Dont see nuthin here. Mustve mistaken you for Ashva dung, she deadpanned as the Ashva barreled towards Camasckeys. Do try to dress yourselves up a bit more next time. Youll be more visible. Then again Maybe not.
The boys dove out of the way to avoid being run over by the massive beasts. Some actuallynded in piles of dung.
Vir burst outughing, which only made them redder.
You think youll get away with this!?
Sure do! Maiya said, sticking her tongue out.
Why do you even hang out with that chal, anyway? Camas shouted after the wagon as it left them behind. Your times better spent with us!
Ah right, hes got a crush on Maiya these days. How predictable, Vir thought, shing his friend a nce. How lucky.
He wondered whether hed fit in with their group, even if they didnt hate his guts. They might have been an immature and somewhat droll bunch, but at least they had a circle of friends. He Well, he had Maiya.
Maiya shook her head and sat back down, ignoring them. Sorry about that. Youd think theyd get bored with bullying you, but I suppose chals never learn.
Vir chuckled. Theyre all bark and no bite. They think Ill reap their souls or something. And me being prana scorned means they can say whatever they want and get away with it. But, well, its nice not having to deal with them for once. Thanks Maiya.
Maiya shook her head, but he knew she was secretly happy.
Vir tied the Ashva up at the modest stable next to his house while Maiya fed them some grass. But when the two approached his home, they found a hooded stranger loitering around the front door. The man was very well dressed, and clearly not from around here.
Thats two strange faces in one day
Expectingpany? Maiya asked.
Vir shook his head, immediately on guard.
Oh? Good day to you! Good day, the stranger replied in a terse voice.
Maiya sidled up to Vir and whispered, Is this the Child of Ash you ran into earlier?
Vir shook his head. Can I ask what youre doing here?
Ah, nothing, nothing. Ill be on my way, the stranger said, leaving in a hurry.
Wonder what that was all about, Maiya said. Maybe someone here for your father?
Doubt it. Ive never seen that man before. Have you?
Encountering two unfamiliar faces in one day was an incredibly rare urrence in Brij. Visitors were few and far between.
Never, Maiya replied immediately.
So many strange goings on, Vir muttered. I dont like this one bit.
Vir fished for the key in his pocket and inserted it into the door. The door had a magical lock, but Rudvik had installed a separate mechanical one to make things more convenient for Vir. Once inside, he washed his hands with water from a bucket. Here again, Magic Tap was the norm in most homes, but Rudvik had prepared water beforehand for his use.
Oh,e on! Its exciting, isnt it? Maiya said, walking in behind him. Nothing fun ever happens around here.
I dunno, I rather like it when things are simple, he said, longingly eyeing the brown rice and lentil soup on the table. Rudvik must have made it for him before hed left for the woods, but it didnt seem like Maiya wanted to wait.
Its cake time! She said, Rabbit Hills the perfect spot, dont you think? Been a while since we went there, too, Maiya said, fidgeting.
Yeah, its been, what? Three whole days? Vir said.
Maiya rolled her eyes and held up the pic basket shed been carrying this entire time. Ill race you!
Vir rolled his eyes back at her. You know youll win have I ever won a race against you?
His friend stuck out her tongue, but Vir held her back before she could take off.
Lets uh... lets use the hole, instead.
Huh? Why? Maiya asked, wrinkling her nose at his suggestion. The homes foundation had rotted right through at the corner of their bedroom. It was worse than that; oversized prana gophers had burrowed a tunnel through. A rather wide tunnel.
Rudvik had taken care of the infestation, but hadnt yet plugged the tunnel, leaving a gaping hole in their room. While hed never fit through it, Vir and Maiya barely did. It led thirty paces away, so they sometimes used it a secret entrance.
In case that guys watching... Vir whispered.
Hmm. Dads gonna be angry about my dirty clothes, but fine. You still wont beat me that way, yknow? she said, crawling into the tunnel with her basket. Vir followed right behind her. While she struggled through the tight confines, he swum through it with ease. Neel followed right behind them.
He was hot on her heels until they exited, at which point Maiya broke into a sprint.
Vir panicked, but breathed a sigh of relief when he didnt see the stranger from earlier anywhere in sight.
Neel looked at his master, then at Maiya, then back to Vir, before bounding after her.
Vir wasnt in the habit of fighting unwinnable battles, so he didnt even bother to match their pace. His constitution simply wasnt good enough to exert himself for long, and hed pushed himself this morning getting to the temple. Hed already begun feeling lightheaded from those earlier exertions.
Ten minutester, Vir arrived at their spota small knoll with arge tree just outside the vige. A pic cloth had been spread out on the green grass, with rocks ced at each end.
Maiya was busy getting the tes out of her basket, while Neel watched her with rapt attention.
You did all this for me? Vir asked.
Maiya looked at him with an expression that said, who else?
It really isnt much, Vir, she said with a sad smile. I truly wish these things were normal for you. Its normal for most kids, you know?
Vir took off his sandals and sat down on the pic cloth. I dont think Ill ever be normal in the way that you mean, but I really appreciate this, Maiya. Thank you.
Maiya shook her head, all smiles.
He began salivating as soon as Maiya unboxed the cake. It was covered in the same white frosting the baker used on his confections. Hed always wanted to know what those tasted like and now he would.
I had no idea you were this good at baking, Vir said, eyeing the work of art.
Well, Ive been practicing, Maiya said, cutting off a small piece and spearing it with a fork. Say ahhhh, she said, bringing the piece dangerously close to Virs mouth.
Oh gods, no way! Id die of embarrassment, he said. To Maiyas chagrin, he carefully took the fork from her and stuck it in his mouth.
Shock rippled through his body as he relished the explosion of sweetness.
Um, isis it good? asked his friend, squirming anxiously. I couldnt exactly taste it
Its the most delicious thing Ive ever had. This is incredible!
Thats nice of you to say, but Im still a beginner at this stuff, Maiya said, her face continuing to redden. She looked away, twiddling her thumbs.
Vir helped himself to several more mouthfuls, swearing to himself that each bite he took would be hisst, but the temptation was simply overwhelming. Maiya helped herself to a few bites, but was content to look on as Vir devoured her cake. He didnt know how she managed such self-control.
Vir finally contained himself, saving half the cake forter.
Whats up? Youre awfully quiet.
Just been thinking, is all, she said, gazing off into the distance.
Let me guess. Youre thinking of Daha again? The capital?
Maiya looked him in the eye. I mean, , Vir. This vige is so boring! Can you imagine growing up just to be like your parents? Having kids who do exactly the same thing you do? Isnt that depressing? Isnt that scary?
Being the head priest doesnt seem that bad though Vir began, but Maiyas stare made him reconsider. To be honest, hed love to have Apramors job. It was probably the best job in the entire vige. Apramor had respect and authority and the entire vige loved him. But that wasnt what she wanted to hear.
Vir chose his words carefully. This wasnt the first time theyd had this conversation, and he didnt want it to end in an argument like it always did. Especially not today. I can see the appeal, Maiya. But Id rather just help Rudvik out in the forest. He works himself to the bone to put food on the table for both of us. I want to contribute. I just want I want people to treat me like everyone else.
You want to use magic, Maiyapleted, giving him a knowing look.
Well, that too. A little would be nice. Just enough to open doors and light candles. Itd make life a heckuva lot easier. Say, dyou know anything about sensing magic? Like, do you know how the mejai do it? Do they do it? Do they hear voices in their head or anything like that?
Maiya shook her head. Hmm, I dunno. But I swear Ill find out one day. Im going to be a mejai, Vir! A fire mejai. Someone famous.
Uh, huh. You dont even have a lesser affinity for fire magic. How do you figure thats going to happen?
Maiya stared out into the distance, her chin held high. Itll manifest. Im still growing. And we dont know that for sure, right? I mean, dad hasnt let me test my magic for a whole year! I could have an affinity and we wouldnt even know. Just have a good feeling about it, yknow?
Right Vir was pretty sure that wasnt how affinities worked. Children were either born with it, or manifested it by age fifteen at thetest. He himself hadnt developed an affinity. And Maiya was one year his senior
I hope you get what you want, Maiya. I truly do. Even if you only want fire magic to match your red hair, he teased.
Thats not why! She huffed as she walked up to the leafless tree that dominated the knoll.
Vir was pretty sure that was why, but he didnt argue.
His mind drifted back to the monumental hurdle he needed to ovee. Vir didnt even know where his confidence came from. How was he going to obtain magic? He simply didnt have enough knowledge about the subject. He needed a mentor, someone who knew the ins and outs of prana. Apramor was the closest Brij had to a mejai, but even his knowledge fell short.
Maiya, wait! Thats dangerous, he said, noticing his friend climbing clumsily up the tree. You remember thest time you fell from there? I had to carry you all the way back to your father.
Ill be fiiine, his friend said, right as her leg slipped off. She barely caught herself in time. Maiya was many things, but an expert climber she was not.
Dont worrwait She said, staring off into the distance.
What? What is it?
Vir! Come up here. Hurry!
He grasped a limb and vaulted himself up. When it came to acrobatics, few could hold a candle to him Just that he couldnt maintain the exertion for long.
There! To the west by the Godshollow!
He followed Maiyas gaze and peered into the distance. When he saw what she saw, his eyes widened. The haze of the midday sun made them somewhat difficult to discern, but there was no mistaking those silhouettes. Hiranyan cavalry?
Looks like theres almost twenty of them! Maiya said.
Some wore full te armor, while others wore brigandine over a ck gambeson. All carried polearms and swords, riding their armored Ashva.
We should head back. Ive got a bad feeling about this.
Agreed, Vir replied. Hiranyan soldiers had never once been to their vige.Why now?
A chill ran down his back. What if theyre here for me?
Chapter 4: Those That Hunt. Those That Hide.
Chapter 4: Those That Hunt. Those That Hide.
The vigers of Brij always enjoyed a spectacle, and for good reason. Drama was usually limited to gossip about this years crop yield, or at the very worst, someones husband looking the wrong way at someone elses wife. That could be called a rare event.
Something like the arrival of mounted soldiers? Now that was gossip material for years toe. Vir was sure many Brijers were looking forward to whatever was about to happen, despite their anxious expressions. Maiya was one of them.
Ugh! Cant hear a thing, Maiya said. We need to get closer.
Vir let Maiya lead him through the crowd that had gathered at the viges main za. She always took charge whenever she was worried. He didnt mind. In fact, he was d to have such a reliable friend. Whenever she was around, he always got fewer looks from the vigers. And no one could push their way through a crowd like Maiya could.
As they got closer to the soldiers, Vir began hearing bits and pieces of the conversation.
I assure you, ser, weve nothing to hide! A familiar-sounding voice said.
Thats dad hes speaking to! Maiya whispered.
Then youve nothing to fear, head priest, the soldier said from atop his armored Ashva. Shining te armor adorned the beastthe kind Vir had only heard of and never seen.
The soldier himself was no less adorned, d head to toe in pristine steel with a cape dyed in the Hiranyan emerald-and-gold. His glistening breastte looked like it spent more time getting polished than actually being used. On his back was a recurve shortbowdecorated in gold, of coursebut what caught Virs eye was the glimmering talwar at the soldiers hip.
His curved sword boasted too much gold for Virs liking, but the de itself was mesmerizing, with a gorgeous two-tone pattern embedded in the steel. Vir stared at the de for a long moment before he realized what it was. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Impossible! He thought, his heartbeat quickening. Seric steel!?
It was the metal present in all the godly myths. The steel that was said to cut through regr steel like paper. He didnt know if those rumors were true, but he had heard that those des could cost as much as a house
Vir appraised the other soldiers, but to his disappointment, none of them had any seric weapons. On the spot, he decided he would own one someday. He didnt know what hed do with it, and who knew how hed afford it, but none of that mattered; he wanted one anyway.
This is a routine inspection, nothing more, the soldier said through his full te helm, his voice muffled and boomy.
Apramor frowned. This is the first time weve had soldiers inspect our vige
Knights, priest. Knights, not soldiers. And I am the knighted captain of this detachment, Tejas Vastav. You would do well to remember that name.
So theyre not just soldiers theyre knights? Vir thought, panicking. That exined their opulent gear.
My apologies, Knight Captain Vastav, Apramor said with a bowed head. Surely honorable knights such as yourselves wouldnt waste your time with such a small vige like ours?
Tisnt your ce to question how we spend our time, priest, the knight said. Our orderse straight from the newly appointed royal priest. He is somewhat particr about these matters, you see. Your superior wishes to show our citizens that we are here, ready to serve and to protect. The winds are changing, Apramor. We need to maintain vignce during these dark times.
The Knight Captains vague exnation did nothing to lessen the knot tightening in Virs stomach.
The Captain turned and addressed the crowd. Hear me, vigers of Brij. We, the third detachment of the Royal Hiranyan Knight Corps, have ridden hard from Daha. As citizens of our glorious kingdom, I expect your full cooperation during our inspections! Know that there is nothing to fear! We are protectors of the people. Our duty is to ensure your safety. However, our mission here may take some days. We require lodging. I hope we may impose upon you? He said, giving Apramor a sidelong nce.
Of course, Knight Captain! The vigers of Brij would be happy to host you, Apramor replied.
We are most appreciative, Captain Vastav said, with a small bow of his head. Vir wasnt expecting to see such politeness from someone like him. My knights will introduce themselves to each of you in turn. Until then, please disperse. All of you!
Lets go, Vir said, dragging Maiya away from the knights with his left hand before anyone could see him. Itd be bad if the knights got a glimpse of him. His right hand clutched his hood, desperately trying to hide as much of his face as possible.
Fate wasnt so kind.
The two walked along the dirt road for less than a minute before a multitude of barks, yips, and howls pierced the air. Four bandies rounded a corner, whipped by their owners into a frenzy.
With all the vigers cloistered at the central square, there was no one to stop the bullies.
Guess I shouldnt have pissed them off, Maiya said, shirking back.
Thats right, Maiya! Be scared, Akros son, Camas, taunted. You really thought we were just gonna let let that what are you doing!?
Vir bolted the instant he saw the bandies, making them chase after him instead of Maiya. He jumped upon a crate, leaped through the air, and grabbed a pole. But hed learned from his mistake in the alley that morning. This time, he forced enough power into his legs, leveraging his momentum to throw himself onto the t roof of a single-story house.
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Yes! Not only had he found safety, hed figured out a way to ovee his earlier failure, and that felt good.
The bandies all rushed to the base of the wall he stood atop of, snarling at him. But thanks to Virs advantageous position, the beasts were all bark and no bite. Vir calmly lobbed one pebble after another at their vulnerable muzzles, though hitting moving targets was a more difficult proposition than hitting stones as hed always done. He timed his shots, predicting where the bandies might end up, but he missed more often than he connected. Luckily, he had plenty of pebbles. He kept attacking, honing his aim with every throw, growing slightly better as the encounter dragged on.
Vir was sure of it now; something was different from before. He missed a lot, but his aim had somehow improved. As if he intuitively understood where he ought to throw his pebbles for maximum damage. No, that wasnt quite correct. He aimed as normal. But then, those voices in his head whispered, nudging him to alter his target ever so slightly. The words were nonsense, but they seemed to carry information within them.
The bandies finally routed, tails between their legs.
Camas hurled insults the entire time, ming him for the famine, calling him Harvest Scorned, Red Eyes, and all sorts of other things, but little did he know that hed just contributed to Vir growing his throwing skills. He almost couldnt keep the smile off of his face; that was some good practice.
Come up with something original next time, Vir taunted. Ive grown bored of your old ones. Havent you?
Losing no time, he jumped down and rejoined Maiya. Though Camas didnt pursue, they ran the rest of the way regardless. Bandies scared easily, but would eventually return.
Several times, Vir felt like he was about to ck out from the exertion, but he pushed through, arriving heaving and panting at his home on the outskirts.
Secret entrance, Maiya whispered. In case theyre watching.
She wriggled through their secret entrance, and Vir followed right behind her. The moment he emerged through the hole into their room, he fell onto all fours, panting.
Maiya, he said between breaths, I think theyre here for me.
Huh? You may be a bit special, but I dont think the king would send out his knights just to find a boy in some backwater vige.
You heard him talk about how theres a new religious advisor, didnt you? And you know what the religious texts say about Ashborn. And theres never been an inspection like this before! Your dad even said so.
Thats true, but
I dont know why everyones so scared of Ashborn, but I am different. They make that abundantly clear, Vir said, touching the eight-spoked geometric tattoo on his chest.
Maiya fell silent. I its not like I dont understand, but I still think youre overreacting. Lets just lie low for now. Why dont you stay inside your house until all of this blows over? I can bring you whatever you need, alrig!?
A series of loud, hard knocks startled them.
Open up in there! This is a knightly inspection. Nothing to fear. Open the door!
Hide! Ill answer the door, Maiya whispered.
No! He whispered back. Wont it be suspicious if they find the daughter of the head priest alone in my house?
Oh right. T-Then what should we do?
Just pretend were not here!
Oi! Anybody home? I said open up. I must warn you that the penalty for impeding a knightly investigation is dire!
The rapping stopped. Then came the sound of footsteps.
Who are you? Name yourself! the knightmanded.
Just a nobody, ser knight.
Vir cracked the curtain to find old man Akros outside.
Just wanted to say that this be Rudviks ce. Hes off in the woods with his son today, ser.
Why him? Vir thought frantically. Why did it have to be Akros?
A pause.
Is that so? the knight said in a quieter, more respectful tone. Thank you, citizen. By the way, you wouldnt have heard about an Ashborn living in this vige, would you?
Vir went pale.
I, er. I wouldnt know anything about that, ser.
Are you sure?
Q-quite. If I can help your highness in any way, please do let me know.
Virs ears had to have failed him. Did Akros just stick up for me!?Why would he do that?
The soldier grumbled. Not your highness. Just a ser. And no. We need nothing further from you. Run along now.
Vir exchanged a tense nce with Maiya. Then there were more footsteps outside.
Well, what do you think? One soldier asked. Their voices hushed, making it hard to hear.
Vir desperately tried to still his raging heart. He couldve sworn it was so loud that the knights could hear every beat.
Yet another Brijer denying the Ashborns presence, one knight said.
Well, our spy already confirmed the Ashborns presence here, didnt he? What use is it asking the locals? Red eyed, pale skinned. Lumberjacks son. Couldnt possibly be anyone else.
Well, true, but tisnt bad to lend an ear to the locals now and then. They tend to know the ins and outs.
Maybe. But isnt all this very unusual? Who would protect an Ashborn?
Vir concurred. This was out of character for Akros. Or maybe the irate man wasnt as bad as Vir had thought? He found that somewhat hard to believe
The other knight chuckled. Well, you and I wouldnt understand it, but these vigers have a level of cohesion that is sometimes difficult to understand. Ive heard theyll even harbor criminals if theyre one of their own.
The sound of someone spitting. Backwater bumpkins Cant fathom how we got assigned to this miserable post. Oy! You two,e rece us. Guard the back door too, just in case.
Sounds of boots shuffling. Two more guards had taken their ce at Virs home, and now they had guards at both doors.
The soldiers finally walked away, their voices dying out. But the pair that guarded his home remained. One in front, another at the back. These knights werent taking any chances.
Well, itll all be over soon One viger to talk justification locals on our side delicate situations.
... doesnt take long.
Shouldnt just vigers all.
Vir finally let out the breath hed been holding. He realized hed been shivering. When did it get so cold?
I dont believe this, Maiya whispered. You were right!? How? I mean, why? Whyd theye after you? Youre harmless. Ashborn are harmless!
They clearly dont think so!
What should we do?
Vir sat down and sank into thought, the ancient floorboards creaking under his weight.
The answer was obvious. Ill leave the vige. I cant risk father and everyone else getting caught up in this.
Thats noble of you and all, but wont that raise even more suspicion? If you just up and disappeared, everyone will me Rudvik, wont they?
She had a point.
I cant believe Akros didnt snitch on you, but I feel like its only a matter of time before someone does.
I dunno what he was thinking. Hes the most religious person in town, and everyone knows he hates my guts, Vir said. And then theres Apramor.
Dad would never betray you. Never! Maiya said, raising her voice, before putting her hands over her mouth. The two went silent, but luckily, the guards hadnt heard.
I like your dad too, but if the knights threaten you or your mum, what do you think hed do?
Hed, IArgh! his friend whispered, grabbing her long, ming hair. What should we do? Think. Think! Maiya! Think!
Well, calm down, Vir whispered back, surprising himself. He felt like he was the one who needed to calm down, but seeing Maiya panic somehow made him less nervous.
He took a deep breath. Lets Lets just wait for my father to get back from the woods, okay?
Mmm yeah. Good idea. Yeah. Im uh. Ill go find dad. Hell know what to do. Stay here until I get back.
Right. Lets leave this to the adults. Lets not do anything rash, okay?
Maiya nodded vigorously, as if she was trying to convince herself. Right, she said, peeking outside. Okay. Theyre not looking anywhere near the tunnels exit.
She walked over and gave him a deep hug. Im sorry you have to deal with this. I just I wish
Smiling awkwardly, he broke her embrace. T-Thanks.
Maiya squeezed his shoulder, then crawled into the hole and slipped out.
All I have to do now is wait, I guess.
Vir had lost count of the number of times hed been alone in the house but today? Today, the prospect of spending several hours by himself chilled him to his very bones.
Cmon father. Hurry
Chapter 5: Into Darkness
Chapter 5: Into Darkness
Vir never knew that three hours could feel like such an eternity. After agonizing alone in silence, Maiya finally returned, skirting around the guards and entering through the hole.
Dad says to pack your things, she whispered, careful not to alert the guards outside. Were to meet him in the old storehouse. Your homes no longer safe. And he wants you to bring as much as you can, just in case you cant return.
Vir worked quickly to pack whatever he had into his rucksack. It didnt take long; he didnt have much. He followed Maiya out through the hole, and after ensuring theyd slipped the guards, she led him to a storehouse where Rudvik and Apramor waited, some distance away.
Now they all huddled over a crate in the storeroom.
Well? Whyre all these knights really here? I dont buy this routine inspection grakkery theyre spouting, Rudvik said. Fat reason to post guards outside my home!
Hmm, why indeed Apramor paused, giving Vir a worried nce. I fear theyre here for your son, Rudvik.
Huh? What do dey want with my boy? Unless Rudviks eyes went wide.
Apramor shook his head. No, no. Not that. It appears that theyre hunting for Ashborn.
Why, though? Are Ashborn dangerous or something? Maiya shouted.
Apramor held his finger up to his lips. Quiet, Mai! These knights are everywhere. Maiya mped her hands over her mouth and voicelessly mouthed sorry.
But to answer your question, its unknown. Not much is known about Ashborn, but I have heard rumors among my priestly circles.
Apramor had every eye on the room on himeven Neels. The small storehouse was more silent than the viges grave.
The new religious advisor to King Rayid may be colluding with the Pagan Order. These are just rumors, mind you, but it seems they are rounding up Ashborn to be brought to the capital.
Makes no badrakking sense, said Rudvik. Pagan Order hunts demons. Whyre they targeting Ashborn now alluva sudden, hmm?
I do not know, Rudvik. They im they are bringing the Ashborn in for protection, but I am skeptical.
Youre grakkin right! Protection, Rudvik scoffed. Whyd they bring so many soldiers, then?
Apramor nodded. Indeed. Whatever their reasons, it does not change the fact that we must act. And fast.
Any way to convince those tinheads Vir aint Ashborn?
Apramor shook his head. Im afraid not. His appearance matches the Ashborn in scripture to a T. Even if they cant prove it, I fear they will still take him in the name of holy duty. Janak only knows what they will do to him.
The room fell into a long silence. Vir was the one to break it. Ill flee to the Godshollow. Alone.
Rudvik grunted. Yer outta yer mind if ye think Ill let ye go alone, boy. Aint nobody knows the woods better n I do. If you go, I go. Id like to see those knights just try to find us there.
And where would you go from there? Apramor asked.
Viridian Coast, Rudvik said. Ive a bit of coin saved up. Plenty oships bound for Saran or Zorin that put in near the coast. Figure we work sumfin out.
Zorin would be your better bet, even if it is Pagan Order, the priest replied. Best to escape Hiranya entirely. Though fleeing would be an admission of guilt, Rudvik. You realize this, yes?
Guilty of what!? The lumberjack roared, his face flushing red. Refusing to hand my son over to some highborn chals from Daha?
Logic does not work on the government, Rudvik. Itd be seen as an obstruction of knightly affairs. The punishment will be severe He paused, Rudvik, you dont have to do this. You have fulfilled your end of the bargain. If that four armed giant ever returns, he can have no qualms about how youve raised Vir. And that is a big if.
What? Vir asked. What four-armed giant? Father, whats he talking about?
Not now, Vir, Rudvik said, waving him away. I promise Ill tell ya, but nows not the time.
Rudvik looked the priest in the eye, his rugged expression etched with conviction.
He''s my son. What father abandons their child in his time of need? He said.
Vir had never seen Rudvik speak so strongly before, and if he was honest, he was more than a bit happy to see his father sticking up for him like that.
But to leave the vige was something he could scarcely even imagine. Was this truly the right decision? Hed be leaving behind everything. Hed be walking away from his dreams of fitting in and helping Rudvik. Would he even be able to survive in the outside world?
I say let eme! Rudvik continued, if thats what it takes ta ensure Virs safety, den count me in. But if we do dis, wed best be quick. Not liken we got much time now, do we?
I suspect the knights will make their move by tomorrow at thetest, Apramor said. Im afraid its only a matter of time before the vigers confirm their suspicions. The only reason they havent acted already is because they do not want to foster ill will with the locals.
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Well then, lets hop to it! Rudvik said, pping his knees.
The priest hesitated. I think we should let the boy have a say in this matter, dont you?
Ye. He should.
Vir? Apramor said, turning to him. What would you like to do? Will you stay? Or will you flee?
Vir hadnt gotten a word in this entire time, but that was because hed had few objections. He wasnt about to let some strangers from the capital dictate his future. Well flee. Tonight.
Apramor gave him an appraising look while Rudvik set his jaw and nodded.
That is I admire your determination, the priest said, but you do understand what this means, yes? You may not be able toe back to the vige. Perhaps not even after the knights leave.
Vir nodded. I get it. It does scare me, you know. It scares me so much its taking everything I have not to shiver right now. But Id rather take my chances in the Godshollow than with these knights.
One look at how the Knight Captain had treated Apramor told him all he needed to know about those people. There would be no happiness in his future if he followed them. Only misery, and Vir suspected that even the vige bullies wouldnt hold a candle to what the knights would do to an Ashborn freak.
Neel sidled up to him, whining. Vir smiled. Well take you too, boy. Dont worry.
If that is your decision, then we shall support you, Maiyas dad said with a sigh. Rudvik and Vir will flee the vige tonight. Meanwhile, I shall stall the knights for as long as I can.
Rudvik grunted. Godshollow aint no ce ta be after dark, but well, he smacked his chest, youve got the best badrakkin lumberjack in these woods right ere! Well do alright.
Vir was already moving to retrieve the rucksack hed packed earlier.
Come on, Mai. Lets go home, Apramor said.
But Maiya shrugged him off and stepped away. Im going with them.
No challin way ya aint, Crimson! Rudvik roared.
Vir had to agree. I think thats a terrible idea, Maiya. Youd be hunted just like me if youe with us.
Rudvik nodded vigorously. You tell her straight, Apramor!
Hmm, the priest said, deep in thought. He kneeled down and looked deeply into Maiyas hazel eyes. Are you sure about this, Mai?
Maiya nodded vigorously. What kind of friend would I be if I abandoned Vir now?
Apramor, ya outta yer mind? Tell her straight! Tell her she cante with us! Its far too dangerous!
The priest turned his gaze to the lumberjack. You understand, dont you? You know why I wish for her to go with you, yes?
WhaI Rudviks words caught in his mouth. Spose I do, he said atst, his expression grim.
What do you mean? Maiya said. What does he mean, dad?
Maiyas father spoke with a sad smile. Youll understand, someday. But not today. Go with your friend. Support him when he falls. Protect him in this dark hour. Be his anchor in the sea.
Maiya nodded slowly. I will.
Rudvik, my daughter will meet you and Vir at the forests edge as soon as shes retrieved her things. We shall now take our leave. May Adinat favor you.
Apramor and Maiya left shortly thereafter. So much had happened in the past half hour that Virs mind still hadnt caught up.
Im really leaving he finally realized. It hadnt really sunk in yet. Yesterday, he thought hed live out his entire life here. But now? Now he might not spend another cycle in his house ever again.
His thoughts drifted to the modest log house. It wasnt much, but it was home. When he realized he may never see it again, he suddenly appreciated its coziness. He felt its warmth and the sense of security it had always given him. Why had he never noticed those things until now?
Rudvik rested his giant hand on Virs slender shoulders. Every child leaves da nest some day. Jes yer daysin a bit earlier than expected, eh? Sides, seein the worlds not a bad thing. Havent seen much of it meself, but it oughta be a whole wagonload more exciting n this boring vige life, eh?
Vir smiled, but his heart wasnt in it. Rudvik pped his back. Dont worry, boy. Ill be right here. Not goin anywhere now, am I?
A mncholic fifteen minutester, Rudvik, Vir, and Neel stood at the edge of the Godshollow. The forest was spooky enough during the day, but the voices only grew louder at night. Vir was having a hard time staying calm, and the bizarre sounds only he could hear just added to his worries.
Where are they? he asked, pacing around as he searched for Maiya.
Rx, Rudvik said, dropping a heavy bundle ofshed firewood. We only just got ere. Maiyas got ta pack her things n thene all the way back. Sit tight.
Sitting tight was thest thing Vir wanted to do at that moment.
So instead, he focused on the new voices in his head, as hed done in his spare time since his encounter with the cultist. Slowly, he was beginning to identify the patterns in the voices.
One thing was obvious; they were consistent. They whispered the same gibberish for the same objects. Utility orbs all sounded simr, while the Godhollows resembled other trees, but were far louder in his head. At his home, Vir felt little, other than the faintest whisper that was always present.
Just a bit more, and I feel like Ill have it!
A whole half hour passed in nervous silence before Maiya and Apramor finally arrived. Neel noticed them first, perking up the instant he caught a whiff of their scent.
This is it, then, Apramor said as he hugged his daughter. They stood that way for a good minute before he broke the embrace. Be well, Mai. Be strong. I love you, dear.
Maiya looked away. Not like its set in stone that well nevere back, yeah? Whyre you acting like this?
Apramorughed, wiping away his tears. Youre right, Mai. Youre quite right.
He turned to Vir. Remember what I told you at the temple. Hold your head high. Protect those close to you, and never feel ashamed about who you are. You bow to no one, Vir.
Vir gulped. He nodded. Yes, sir.
And finally, to you, Rudvik, I bid goodbye and godspeed. May Janak watch over you, he said as the two sped arms.
Rudvik whispered something to Apramor, but Vir couldnt hear it. The priest smiled sadly. Im afraid nothing will change that now, old friend, he said, leaving Vir and Maiya scratching their heads.
Apramor watched his daughter and the boy who he treated as his own son disappear into the darkness of the Godshollow before returning. The priest had many thoughts during his long walk back to the vige.
He contemted his life. He remembered his daughter and his beautiful wife. He gazed up at the stars and thanked Adinat for all that he had been given in life. And he prayed. For Rudviks sess in evading the knights. And for his daughters safety.
But he did not pray for himself. Not even when the steady cking of hooves grew louder and louder,ing to a stop right in front of him.
Priest! Odd for you to be out and about at this hour, Knight Captain Vastav said from atop his steed. Where were you?
Just taking a stroll. Lovely night, wouldnt you agree, Knight Captain?
A lie. We know about Ekavir. You helped him escape, didnt you? The captain didnt wait for a response. This is a grave crime, Apramor. A grave crime. Dont think for a moment that your station protects you from thew. I just wish the knight said with a sigh, shaking his head. We already know that theyve escaped to the woods. Your actions have amounted to naught.
You do not know those woods like Rudvik does, Knight Captain. You have no hope of catching them now, Apramor said. He kept his tone even, but panic welled up inside him. Something wasnt right. Why would the captain casually reveal his ns? Unless
Oh, I am quite sure youre right, priest. But you see, few men can outrun our hunting bandies, let alone a child. The forest may be vast, but their noses will find them, mark my words.
Hunting bandies? Apramors eyes widened. He''d heard stories of the royal attack canines'' capabilities. They were animals to be feared.
You have bought them a few days at most, priest. They will not get far.
Apramor looked up at the sky with a deep sadness. You are ying with fire, Knight Captain. That boy isrger than methan even you. Vir is more special than you could possibly imagine. Cease your pursuit before you get burned. Let sleeping Wyrms lie.
Burned! Us!? Vastav scoffed. Well just have to see about that, wont we?
Apramor smiled grimly. I suppose we shall.
Rudvik, Vir, Mai My prayers are with you.
Chapter 6: Ekavir—Of Godshollow
Chapter 6: Ekavir¡ªOf Godshollow
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
Vir had spent so many cycles in the Godshollow that he could almost navigate it blindfolded during the day. At night? That was a whole different story.
As he plodded through the inky darkness, boots crunching twigs and leaves underfoot, Vir felt like he was inpletely foreign surroundings. Majestic trees that shouldve signposted his way stood sinister and foreboding, the feeble light of hisntern making them seem even taller and grander than they really were.
Forget Maiyawhose jitters made herntern shake and trembleeven he was getting goosebumps, and that was with Rudvik leading the way alongside Neel. Even the bandy stuck closer to the group than usual, warily eyeing the pitch-ck wilderness as they walked.
And the voices! The din of the forests chatter genuinely spooked Vir. There was a power in these woods. Something ancient and very deep. It was all he could do to put one foot in front of the other, slowly prating the oppressive ckness. He wondered whether hed made a terrible mistake.
Alright, we make camp ere, Rudvik said, breaking the oppressive silence.
Here? Maiya squeaked at the thought of stopping in such a foreboding location, but Vir was secretly relieved. Hed hit the limit of his meager stamina a long time ago. If Rudvik hadnt called for a break soon, Vir wouldvewell, hed just have walked until he copsed of exhaustion.
Rudvik bellowed augh that echoed through the silent woods, making both Maiya and Vir flinch and look into the darkness. Their gazes were returned only by silence.
Sonly gonna get darker and scarier the deeper we go, Crimson. This heres a fine spot. As good as any, he said, throwing down his bundle of logs and cracking his shoulder.
Maiya only just noticed the heavy wood Rudvik had been carrying all along. Whyd you bring firewood when theres wood all around us? She asked.
Gatherin firewoods no simple task,ss. Hard nuff during the day. Downright dangerous at night. Not ta mention all the sweat youll shed.
Maiya wrinkled her nose. Whys that bad?
Vir spoke up. When your sweat cools off, you get cold. Really cold. And theres no easy way to recover from that.
Weve all grown used to our utility magic, so most people never even realize it, Rudvik said with a nod. Wed be up for hours gatherin n choppin wood. Aint that right, Vir?
Vir nodded vigorously. People always underestimate how much fuel you need for a fire. Its a lot of work. A lot, he said, thinking back to all the times hed helped Rudvik prepare firewood for the vigers.
Rudvik cleared the area of vegetation and set rocks around the fires periphery, while Vir got to work shaving the fire logs. Their loyal brown-and-white bandy did his part too, circling the campsite, proudly iming his ownership of the area.
Maiya stood with a nk look for a moment before pping her face. That seemed to break her out of her trance, and she helped Vir with the fire preparations.
I may not be a lumberjack, but I know how to start a fire. Well, with magic, at least, she added.
Thanks to Rudviks D Grade Magic Heat orb, they had a fire going in no time. Vir always carried flint and steel with him, but lighting a fire from a spark was not a straightforward task. In fact, itd taken him a solid month of practice to learn how to get a fire going with that method. Most people would find it impossible, even with bone dry tinder.
Magic Heat made the task trivial. Once activated, the orb grew slowly hotter until the tinderbusted automatically. It took almost no skill at all apart from powering the orb with prana, of course.
Awwright! Maiya shouted the moment the fire had stabilized.
It always amazed Vir just how much peace of mind a roaring fire brought with it. Nevermind the heat it gave off; there was something mesmerizing about Adinats gift to the world.
In the past, hed gotten so absorbed by the endless dance of the mes that tens of minutes would pass by without him noticing. And of course, fire had a myriad of uses as well. It kept predators at bay, could be used to cook food and boil water, and provided a far superior source of light than their meagernterns. Though in the Godshollow, the fires bright light only seemed to make the shadows longer, the darkness deeper
How long do we have, do you reckon? Vir asked.
Rudvik stroked his beard. His eyes glowed with the reflection of the mes, giving him a menacing appearance. Well, Apramors gonna give us a diversion. Oughta give us a few days least. Even then, not like those tinheads know their way round this forest. A stranger cant jes waltz right in n find us. No matter how well trained they be.
Vir found his fathers confidenceforting. Others mightve called him overconfident, but Vir knew better. He was sure that his father could track and navigate through these woods better than any Hiranyanknight or not.
But where are we gonna go? Asked Maiya. Were not nning on staying in the forest very long, right?
Viridian Coast, Rudvik grunted. Safest options ta leave Hiranya for a country that uh, thats less devout.
Less devout, Maiya contemted, tapping her chin. Well, Sai to the north is pretty religious, so, Rani, then?
Indeed, Rudvik said, giving her an appraising look while stirring a pot over the campfire. Camp food always tasted better to Vir, though he never knew why. Maybe it was thepany
I dont follow, said Vir.
Rani Queendoms to the south. Mom hasnt taught you geography yet, so I guess you wouldnt know although you really should, Maiya said.
She was right. Virs knowledge of geography was sorelycking, but that was because he never thought hed need it. Most Brij folk hadnt even gone as far as the Godshollow, so what use was there learning about far-off kingdoms and empires?
The Rani Queendoms known for its pacifism and thriving trade industry. Unlike our kingdom, theyre considered extremely wealthy.
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Huh Vir said, thinking it over. Something didnt fit right, though. Howre they able to be peaceful in a world like ours? Everyones always talking about war. Youd think theyd just be overrun by another country, right?
Maiya nodded smugly. Exactly. Its intriguing, isnt it? Vir knew what wasing. Maiya never failed to educate him when she knew more about something.
Sure enough, what followed was a clear and concise exnation. You see, Ranis built tradeworks that span the world. They single-handedly hold up the economies of several countries, including Kinjal, whod be their biggest threat. There are rumors that they even have rtions with the Pagan Order, but thats a little hard to believe. Nobody in their right mind would ever deal with those zealots.
Hmm Vir said. He was honestly not very interested in this topic, but he didnt have the heart to tell his friend that.
Luckily, Rudvik spared him from having to y along. Roll me in dirt n call me an Ashva, Crimson! Your old mans taught you well! Thas even more n I know!
Maiya predictably turned crimson. Shed always been weak againstpliments.
I-its nothing. Its not that impressive, really! Aha! Ha! Ha! she said awkwardly. Vir rolled his eyes. Hed lost count of the number of times this exact sequence had yed out.
Theres a small dock on the Viridian Coast west o da Godshollow. Merchants berth there sometimes. Ever seen foreignerse to the vige through de forest? That be sailing merchants lookin to trade. Pray to Yuma that a ship bound fer Zorin picks us up afore those knights find us.
Vir and Maiya exchanged a look. So many things had to go right for that to happen.
How far is it to Zorin? Vir asked.
Weeks journey by boat. A few days less with a pranasail, though I dont reckon well happen across onea those, Rudvik said, passing around wooden bowls for Vir and Maiya.
Dinner was a simple affair; reheated lentil soup with a side of wheat bread. Vir relished the meal, tearing into the hard bread after dipping it into the soup. Neel, whod grown bored of the fire, immediately perked up when he realized it was dinnertime. Rudvik threw the bandy some dried meat, which Neel immediately pounced on.
Maiya reached for a log to feed the fire, but Rudvik held her off. Fires a great thing for stayin warm n keeping predators at bay. But youd be amazed at how far a fires light travels, even ere in these woods. Wed best keep the fire as small spossible.
Why take the risk at all, then? Maiya asked.
Rudvik pointed to the dozen smooth rocks hed ced near the fire. Without heat, wed freeze to death overnight. Dont have much of a choice, really. Magic Heats good for startin fires, but a single orb aint enough ta keep all o us warm. The hot rocks will keep the heat. Well bury them under de tent for the night. With dat, the three of us all oughta keep the tent nice n toasty, eh?
The lumberjack visibly calmed the nervous Maiya, but to Vir, it felt like his father had suddenly be a little nervous. It wasnt obvious enough for most people to pick up, but Vir had spent more time with him than anyone in the vige. He could tell.
Crimson, sorry ta ask a favor of ya, but would you mind pitchin the tent? Think you know how
Maiya nced at Rudvik, then at Vir, quickly grasping the situation. She set down her empty bowl and stood up, dusting off her pants. Leave it to me! Cmon Neel. Lets get to it.
The bandy barked and wagged his long tail.
As Maiya rummaged through their packs several paces away, Rudvik sidled up to Vir.
Whats going on? Youre never like this, Vir said with narrowed eyes.
Rudvikughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. Then he fell silent. Vir grew even more suspicious.
I gotta tell ya somethin. Its Sometimes a man has regrets so deep he buries them. Tries ta forget bout em. But then it alles boilin up n overflows the pot.
Wheres thising from?
Ahv neer treated ya like my own son, Vir. I regret that, yknow? Truly do.
Huh? What in Chals name are you talking about? Youve done so much, taking me in. Even when
Even when Ahm dirt poor? Rudvik said with a grimace.
No! I mean, I know it was hard on you. I just wanted to help you. To pitch in, yknow? But now I dont even know where were going. I never nned for this.
Rudvik chuckled. Neer nned on Hiranyan Knights huntin ya down, did ya?
Vir realized how ridiculous his words sounded. Just yesterday, his entire world was the vige. His greatest problem was how he couldnt use magic, and how the vige kids never included him in their clique. Everything was different, now. Now, hed give anything to have those problems back.
Anyway, Rudvik continued, Not makin excuses or nuthin, but I just Every time I think about this, Vir, I think back to the day I found ya, right here in these woods.
Rudvik had, of course, shared this story with Vir before. You found me in a basket, right? With a name card?
Rudvik took a deep breath. Not exactly
Vir waited for him to continue, but the lumberjack fell silent. Just when the silence grew awkward, the man continued.
I well, grak it, Ill juste out n say it. I was deep in the Godshollow that day. Just me n the Ashva. Then I hear this thunderin. A deep rumbling in the woods. The beast, or whatever it was, was makin no attempt to be quiet. Could hear it a mile away, felt like. For a brief moment, I thought it was the Ghost of Godshollow
Vir leaned forward, eager to hear every word.
An outta the woods hees a great red skinned giant of a man. Im pretty tall meself, and I only came up to his chest.
A giant? Vir began to wonder whether this father was pulling his leg. This was the right setting for a campfire horror story after all
Theres more. This giant, he had four arms.
Four arms Vir deadpanned.
Ye. Four great trunks. In two, he held a vicious lookin greatsword. In another, a tower shield. And in thest you. Thought I was done for, I really did. Stormed right up to me. Looked me up n down, like a predator eyein its next meal.
Vir gulped. If Rudviks story was trueand he never knew the lumberjack to spread tall talesthen hed been lucky to get away alive.
The giant bares his teeth at me. The words he spoke nextve haunted my dreams ever since. I burned them inta my head, I did, Rudvik said, tapping his head. Human. Be honored, for I have chosen you. Raise this boy as your own. Nurture him. Ensure he achieves his great potential. Protect him, even at the cost of your own life. One day, I shall return to retrieve him. If I find that he is weak and powerless, I will burn your vige to the ground. Then I will cut off your head and ce it on a pike for the world to see.
Rudvik paused. Damn near pissed my pants.
Vir found it interesting that this giant only cared that he was raised strong, rather than with love or anything else. Does that mean I''m weaker than I ought to be? Can I grow stronger? But how?
What did you say to him? He asked.
Nuthin. Just nodded as hard as I could. Dropped to my knees n prostrated.
You did what!? Vir couldnt imagine his father bowing to anyone, let alone prostrating. Did he control your mind or something?
Rudvik shook his head. No. Me thoughts were me own. But Vir, ya dont understand. That giant That being was not of this realm. It was a fearsome thing. Had a kind of aura. Merely bein in its presence, I could hardly stand. Like me weight had grown thrice over. It he he felt like a livin god. Like Janak or Adinat. He was all covered in strange tattoos that glowed. He paused again. I did the only thing a sane man would do.
What was his name?
Didnt say. Didnt say yer name either. Just handed ya ta me n took off. Like he was bein chased. But what could possibly hunt such a being? I dont know. Dont wanna know. Took ya n hightailed it out of da woods. Didnt venture in for a good long month. Sides, was a bit preupied with you n all.
Then, Vir whispered, my name is
Make no mistake, Vir. Threat or no, I wouldnta left ya there, even if hed abandoned ya. You Ya were a blessing. Th-the child I never had. As ya know, yer mum died during childbirth. The child was Stillborn, the midwife called it. Was the darkest day of me life
Vir never knew.
Rudvik cleared his throat. But wed already named the child ysee. He was gonna be the best darned kid Brij had ever seen. The Bravest of the Brave. The Undaunted. Ekavir.
Chapter 7: The Four-Armed Giant
Chapter 7: The Four-Armed Giant
Virs reply caught in his throat. Worse, tears started to roll down his face. I didnt know, he managed.
He was named after Rudviks stillborn child. Had Rudvik pinned the same hopes on him as he had his stillborn son? What kind of torture had Rudvik been through following the death of his wife and child?
Ye, well, not ta kind of story that oughta be told. That oughta ever be told, he added.
Father and son spent several moments in silence until Maiya returned to report that the tent was up, then ducked back into the tent. She had likely finished some time back. Vir wouldnt have been surprised if shed heard everything.
Thank you, father. For everything.
Ya dont hate me? Rudvik asked, looking like a sinner confessing his crimes.
For what? For giving me a home? For not hating me like the other vigers do? Yes, father. Shame on you
Not like dat. I mean, I neer told ya. I hid it all from ya. Like a coward.
I mean, itd have been nice if youd told me. But I understand. And now I know. I know it couldnt have been easy.
Rudvik chuckled. Ya got no idea how long Ive wanted to tell ya all this. Feels like I jus felled a mighty Godhollow, lemme tell ya.
The lumberjack kneeled before Vir, grasped his shoulders, and looked him in the eye. Your fatheryour real fatheris gonnae after ya one day.
Vir wondered about that. Was this giant really his father? Vir was of a smallish, lean build. He had two arms, like any normal person. Sure, his skin was a bit ashen, but that just made him resemble this mythical giant even less. Who was that giant? Would he ever find out?
Thoughts raged in his head like a maelstrom, and a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He feared it wouldnt go away anytime soon.
A bein like that gets what he wants, Vir, mark my words, Rudvik whispered. Be ready, son. Be vignt. Im no warrior, but I do have this ax. Ill do everythin I can to protect ya, that I can promise. Still, I felt you oughta be warned.
Virs eyes narrowed. Warned? Of what?
I could tell he cares deeply for ya, Vir. But there was a madness to his devotion. The way he looked at ya when he handed you over to me Well, Id seen that look before. Reminded me o a zealot worshiping his god.
Virs mind went nk. Worship me!? The thought was so absurd that he wanted tough. Forget worship. Noone had even treated him well, apart from Rudvik and Maiyas family. Hed been ridiculed, spat at, and ignored. Theyd even thrown rocks at him.
Rudviks revtion filled him with a cold fury. He didnt know why.
I need some time to think about all this, he said. Doesnt really feel real, yknow?
Rudvik pped his shoulder. Ill bet. Tell ya what? Why dont you n yer friend take first watch for the night? Ill cover the rest.
Realizing that they had finished their conversation, Maiya stepped out of the tent. You sure, uncle Rudvik? Vir and I could take two shifts.
The lumberjack wasnt having any of it. Chs Knees, girl! Yer just babes. What kinda parent would I be if I let ya take two shifts? Id bring shame to all de fathers out there! Outta the question.
Maiya quickly realized that there was no convincing the stubborn lumberjack. Maiya took a seat beside Vir and watched as Rudvik eased the hot rocks under the tent for the night.
Well then. Holler if ya hear anything, alright? he said before closing the tent p.
Silence descended upon the camp. The fire had burned down to embers by now, its glowing red coals barely emitting enough heat to keep them warm. Maiya sidled up to Vir, shivering despite the Magic Heat utility orb she clutched against her chest.
Vir didnt even have the benefit of magical heat, but hed always been able to tough out the elements better than the other vigers.
So Maiya said, desperate to break the oppressive silence.
So Her friend echoed. I suppose you heard everything?
Sorry! I finished with the tent and the forests just so quiet, I couldnt help but overhear you two.
Its alright, he said, smiling. Hed probably have told her at some point, anyway. There werent many secrets between them. It had been that way ever since he could remember.
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Maiya cleared her throat. So, do you think what he said waswait! she said, startled. W-What was that!?
Vir looked out into the darkness. Even with his superior nightvision, he couldnt make anything out. The forest was truly pitch ck without an ounce of starlight.
I dont see anything. Probably nothing. Anything we need to worry about would make a bigger thumping sound.
You sure? Maiya said, unconvinced.
All sorts of prana beasts in the Godshollow. Plenty of animals that could put you out, but they fear us more than we fear them. Theyll be long gone before you ever realize they were there.
Oh. II see. Well, thats good, Maiya said.
Hey, Maiya?
Mmm?
If I told you... uh. Okay, this is going to sound really weird. But y''know that run in I had with the cultist?
Scary grakkin'' stuff.
Yeah, but the thing is, I''ve been hearing these voices in my head since then. Different from the old ones. Or rather, louder, and more coherent.
Are you alright? Maiya asked, frowning with concern.
I think so? Like, I think these voices are trying to tell me something. I just can''t figure it out yet.
What do they say? she asked.
It''s gibberish. I don''t even know if they''re real words. But they''re consistent. As if they''re trying to teach me something about the world. Something hidden, that can''t be seen with the naked eye. You have any idea what it could be?
I dunno, Maiya said with concern. I... I really hope it is what you think it is. And not something bad.
Right. Yeah. Well, nevermind. Don''t tell Rudvik, okay? I don''t want him thinking I''ve been possessed by some evil god or something.
Maiya patted his back and shed him a thumbs-up. Your secret''s safe with me.
Vir returned to scanning the darkness, but Maiya was determined not to allow the silence to prevail. So, about what your dad said You believe him?
I do, yeah. Why? You think hed make something like that up?
He could feel Maiya shaking her head. No But still. Ive never even heard of a four armed anything, not even in the scriptures. Its kinda hard to imagine.
Vir chuckled. Yeah, and that monsters supposed to be my father? Or at least someone close to me? If you told me yesterday that Im rted to a mythical giant, Id haveughed in your face.
Maiya snorted. Me too. But, hey! I think its amazing. Means youre not like the rest of us.
Well, that was obvious, Vir said.
Not like that! I mean that youre someone important. Youre somebody. Maybe you dont know it yet, but you are. Me? Im just a vige girl. No mythological rtives or anything
You really want to make a name for yourself, dont you? Vir asked. He almost felt like theyd both be happier if their situations were reversedwith him being an ordinary viger and her the one with a mysterious rtive.
I do, Maiya said. I really, really do. But I dunno how thats ever gonna happen.
You think this is your chance, dont you? You think that by joining us, you might visit a big city one day
Maiya leaned her back against his, and looked up to the sky. Cmon. You know thats not why I joined you.
Vir frowned. I know... I take that back.
But well, yeah. If we do make it to a big city, that would be amazing. But even if we dont, Ill be happy if I can protect you.
Vir tried to imagine Maiya slinging fireballs at vicious animals He startedughing.
Whats so funny about that? she huffed.
Nothing! Nothing. Thanks. I appreciate it. He really meant it, too. Everything in his life had be suddenly strange, so it wasforting to have as many familiar faces as possible.
You think well make it out alright? She asked.
Think so. Especially if your father leads the knights astray like he said. But
But what? Maiya asked.
Nah, its nothing.
Maiya turned to face him, though he could barely make out her face in the darkness. Tell me!
Vir sighed. Well, what do you thinks gonna happen to your father if hes caught helping us?
W-what do you mean?
I mean, those are Hiranyan knights! Your fathers ying a very dangerous game, feeding them misinformation. If they ever find out
I have to go back, she said, panicking.
Dont be ridiculous. What could you possibly do if you went back?
I
Why do you think he let youe with us in the first ce? Vir interrupted. He continued when she didnt reply. Its because he felt youd be safer here, with us, than with him.
Maiya fell silent, and Vir immediately realized his mistake. This wasnt what she needed to hear right now.
Hell be fine, he said. Your fathers the only one in the vige who can usebat orbs. Hes Br Ranked, right?
Br Rank Five, but thats not much. Those knights are probably Br Ten or higher.
Hes a smart man. Hell be alright, Vir said.
The minutes turned into hours, but Maiya didnt speak another word. Vir knew she was brooding over her family, he just didnt know how to make her feel any better. He regretted his words for the rest of the night.
Luckily, their biggest threat ended up being arge lizard curious enough to venture into their camp. Maiya startled at the sound, but Vir drove it off without issues.
The hours passed quickly for Vir. The forest, while certainly strange, wasn''t silent to him in the way it was for his friend. Ever since he was a child, hed heard its voices. He liked to think it was the voices of the nts and the animals but he eventually realized it wasnt. It felt like the collective voice of the Forest itself, though he knew such a thing was impossible. Or at least, hed thought it impossible, until tonight. If four armed giants really existed, then who was to say that living forests didnt?
Maiyas thoughts lingered over her family, but Vir turned to his past.
Who was he? Would he ever find out? As the time went on, the answer became increasingly obvious; if he wanted answers, he had to find this giant. But he had no clue where to even start. Such a being would be famous across the world, yet he hadnt heard a single myth, not a single word of gossip. But perhaps perhaps if they made it to a big city, maybe he could ask around there.
Rudviks snoring abruptly halted, causing both of them to startle.
Looks like our shifts over, Maiya said with a giant yawn.
Looks like it, Vir replied.
Searching for the four-armed demon in a big city was all well and good, but first, he had to make it out of the Godshollow.
Virs sleep was fitful and restless that night. He dreamed of tattooed giants and stillborn children.
Chapter 8: Rudvik—Of Brij
Chapter 8: Rudvik¡ªOf Brij
The day started with a rustle and a chill.
After having spent much of the night on guard duty, Rudvik entered the tent as quietly as he could managewhich was to say, not quietly at allto cook up some breakfast.
Neither Vir nor Maiya had gotten much sleep, so they were already up when he handed them bowls of hot soup through the tents door. Vir had so many thoughts on his mind that falling asleep had been impossible, even ignoring the cold. Maiya just wasnt used to sleeping on the bare forest floor; shed been tossing, turning, and shivering all night. They ate in silence inside the tent, just happy to be putting something warm into their bellies.
Vir left the tent first. The soup had filled him with an inner warmth, but the morning chill still nipped at his fingers and his toes.
Wed best move quick. Deeper we get inta the Godshollow, the better, Rudvik said, staring off into the distance. Even now, hardly any light prated through the thick canopy, leaving the forest floor a ce of perpetual darkness.
The forest grew denser and darker the deeper they went, so pathfinding wasnt too difficultassuming all you wanted to do was go deeper.
When theyd packed up camp, Rudvik kicked dirt over the campfire and swept leaves and sticks over the entire site. Dont wanna give those knights any ideas, if ya catch my drift. Mights well make it hard to follow our trail.
What if they have hunting bandies, though? Maiya asked.
Well then, nothin we can do bout that, can we? Rudvik said, hoisting his heavy pack. Now lets be off. Got a full day of hikin ahead of us.
They set out at a slow, even pace, with Rudvik taking the lead. Of them all, Maiya was the least suited to navigating the wilderness, so she was in the middle. They didnt want to risk getting separated if she startedgging behind. Vir brought up the rear.
I dont think those knightsll be able to bring their cavalry in here, Maiya said while they walked. Hard enough just to even walk here.
Right you are, Crimson. Oughta slow em even further. Were makin pretty good time. Strangers to the Godshollow wouldnt be able to cut through like we have. That said if were ever found, whatever ya do, dont resist. Those men are highly trained warriors. Neither of yad stand a chance.
Vir wanted to argue, but he really couldnt. He didnt have an ounce ofbat training, and while Vir was good at throwing pebbles, he somehow doubted hed win a battle with a professional knight with his lobbing skills alone. The only weapons they carried were their bushcrafting knives and Rudviks tree ax. Against swords and spears, only Rudvik would stand a chance.
Conversation petered out as they prated into the Godshollows depths. Vir soon began to pant and sweat, but he toughed it out. Hed grow cold more easily on ount of all the sweat, but he absolutely refused to slow the group down.
Lunch couldnte soon enough. It was a wee respitea quick affair of stale bread and oranges. They barely stopped for a half hour before picking back up, but it was enough for Vir to recover his energy. Not long enough for Vir to go hypothermic from all the cooling sweat, thankfully.
He felt safer the deeper they got, though Maiyas fright only continued to mount. She scanned their surroundings every few seconds. No doubt looking for the Ghost of the Godshollow, Vir smirked.
Did you hear that? Maiya whispered, halting.
Vir strained his ears, but all he heard were the eerie voices, the same as usual. He started walking, then noticed that Rudvik hadnt budged. The mans gaze was fixed on a certain spot, behind them and to the left.
Uncle Rudvik?
Somethins out there, Rudvik said.
Virs blood went cold. He forced himself to calm down. This was a forest, after all. A lush, vibrant forest. There were all manner of animals around. He couldnt just assume it was a knight.
Who? Maiya asked. Or, what?
Vir could hear them now. Multiple sounds in the distance. Moving slowly. Cautiously. Prana beasts? Or something worse?
Bandies, Rudvik dered. Several o em.
But Ive never heard of Bandies in this forest! Maiya whispered.
Scuz there aint, Crimson. Were bein followed.
How!? Vir couldnt understand how someone couldve found them so quickly. With Apramor leading the knights astray, they shouldve had days, not hours! Theyde across no signs of the knights this entire time, either. Both Rudvik and Vir were pretty good at finding footprints and signs of trampled foliage: theyd seen none. It was almost as if as if theyd been here all along.
The lumberjack nced at Vir, then at Maiya. Come close, ya two. Ready yer knives.
Vir already had his out. It wasnt muchjust simple ironbut it was his trustypanion of many years. The rust only gave it more character.
Maiya removed her much nicer knife from its sheath, but Vir was afraid shed drop it with how much her hands trembled. Then again, it wasnt like hed ever used his knife on a live animal before, either. He doubted hed fare much better.
I reckon theres about six of em. Sound right ta yer ears, Vir?
An entire pack, Vir affirmed. They were close now. Rudvik had been right not to flee. Neither Vir nor Maiya were cut out for sprinting through the forest. The only question now was just who they were up against. A knight? Or perhaps some other party that just happened to be in the woods with their bandies?
The Ghost of Godshollow, Maiya whispered. Vir was now genuinely worried about her knife.
Youre going to hurt yourself. Get a hold of yourself! He warned.
Maiya took a deep breath and calmed her jitters, but she was clearly spooked. So was he
Looking up, Vir scanned the great trunks of the Godhollows, soaring hundreds of paces in the air. Their enormous boughs offered the promise of safety, but only for him.
What about Neel? What about Maiya and Rudvik? They couldnt climb like he could, and he doubted even his bandy could scale such enormous heights. He refused to abandon everyone to save himself.
Neel started barking incessantly. The voices of the forest went silent.
Here theye! Rudvik roared, swinging his ax. Several forms blurred out of the forest, barking and yipping.
Rudviks ax smashed into the leading bandys stomach, throwing the animal against a nearby tree where it fell, limp.
Vir began lobbing rocks one after another. His encounter with Camas'' bandies the other day had honed his throwing skills against moving targets. Or rather, the voices in his head had guided him somehow. Just as they guided him now.
One of his projectiles hit a bandy right in the eye, forcing it to abort its attack. But these animals behaved differently from the ones in the vige. They were tougher, more organized. Even when hit on their snouts, they barely noticed, pressing relentlessly on.
The animals were close nowmany of his strikes missed, forcing him to dive away as two bandies beset him and Maiya. All thoughts of throwing any more pebbles disappeared the moment he saw their lithe forms leaping through the air, a mere pace away.
Flight instinct took over, and both he and Maiya dodged the Bandies vicious paws by a hair. Maiya hit the dirt hard while Vir broke his fall with a roll. Hed already begun heaving from the exertion.
Barely even fifteen seconds had passed.
Neel was embroiled in a fierce grapple with another Bandy, and both of them bled from w shes.
Rudvik roared again, attracting the beasts attention, giving Vir a moment to look around.
Maiya had fended off a bandy all on her own, inflicting a wound on the animals leg.
Three bandies circled several paces away, calmly looking for opportunities to engage. Their discipline and coordination proved that these werent mere hunting Bandies These were highly trained attack animals. Specially bred for hunting people. And there was only one organization who bred bandies for war.
The military.
Vir leaped and narrowly avoided another attack. His desperation continued to mount At this rate, it was only a matter of time before someone got injured. Rudvik apparently felt the same.
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You two! Were running.
It was a poor option, but it was clear to Vir that staying here was worse.
Rudvik sent another bandy flying with a great swing of his ax, then the three of them took off.
Neel! Vir yelled as he started running. The Bandy didnt hear him. Neel! He yelled again. This time, it noticed. Neel barked once and threw off his opponent. Vir wasnt worried; he had every faith that his bandy would catch up. It was himself he was more concerned about.
Cough!
Vir could barely breathe. He realized that if he was going to make it, he''d have to do something differently. He focused on his breathing, taking deep breaths to calm his heart. He chose every step he took with care, trying to minimize the amount of effort he expended.
It worked, for a while. Vir''s breaths grew less ragged, but only by a hair. As he ran, he realized that even with his optimizations, his body simply couldn''t keep up. His heart threatened to burst, and he fell behind the others. Neel barked, concerned.
I know! He looked back to see five bandies in hot pursuit, all intending to sink their fangs into him.
Badraks Balls, grak it! Maiya, Vir! To me! The lumberjack ordered. With his trunk of a left arm, he scooped up the fleeing Maiya, eliciting a shriek from the girl.
When Vir registered what was happening, he was already in the lumberjacks arms, being carried like a barrel. The lumberjack barreled through the Godshollow far faster than before.
Vir could scarcely believe what was happening. Rudviks carrying us both!?
He didnt know how much strength it took to carry two young adults, but he could scarcely lift Maiya himself And she wasnt a big girl, not even close.
You really can do anything, cant you? Vir muttered. It''d be handy to be that strong.
But as strong as Rudvik was, Vir knew he couldnt keep this up forever. He would eventually tire. Bandies could run all day long. It was clear who would win.
Theyre catching up! Maiya warned. She had her knife extended, her face set with determination. But rather than look gant, she just came across as ridiculous, being carried by Rudvik.
You cant keep this up, father! Put us down!
What kinda father Rudvik gasped between breaths, cant defend his own children?
A frantic minuteter, they broke out into a small grove where the trees were less dense. The sun broke through the canopy, high above, painting the forest floor with gorgeous shafts of light.
For a tiny moment, Vir forgot all about his fear, stunned speechless at the beauty of this ce.
Then a bandy pounced upon them. Then two.
From his awkward position, Vir tried to lob pebbles at them, but it was hard to hit things when you were being jostled around.
One took a bite out of Rudviks shoulder, while the other shed a paw across his face.
Gaaahhh!! The lumberjack went down, but somehow managed to protect both Vir and Maiya from being crushed by his weight.
Neel valiantly jumped into the fray, upying the two bandies long enough for Rudvik to recover.
If the man was in pain, he didnt show it.
Listen! We can do this! Rudvik shouted as he righted himself. Only five of em left. Ill handle the ones thate from the front. You two guard my sides. Keep yer backs together. Ya hear? We got this!
Vir and Maiya nodded as the five bandies surrounded them. The beasts circled the three, eyeing them with both indignation and fear.
Well cmon! Get on with it! Rudvik shouted.
Not a single one responded to his provocations.
p. p. p.
All eyes turned to the stranger who emerged from the woods, pping slowly.
Well, well, well! And what do we have here?
Vir felt they had a fighting chance against the bandies. It wouldnt have been an easy fight, and he might have gotten injured, but they had a chance. The man''s presence was worrisome, but perhaps not a death sentence.
When Vir saw the emerald and gold of the mans armor, all hope left him. Hiranyan military.
It would seem that our dear priest has led us astray, after all. Captain Vastav was right to suspect him.
Whore you?
A scout for the Third Knight Legion. You are Rudvik, I presume? The lumberjack? And this must be Apramors daughter, eh? ming red hair, rebellious attitude And of course, our infamous Ashborn. Do you have any idea how much trouble youve caused us, young man?
Vir backed away instinctively. This knight was dangerous. He didn''t need the loud whispers in his head to tell him that.
It wasnt just his vicious-looking poleax or his battered-and-mended brigandine armor. The man had a look that spoke volumes about the many battles hed seen. Vir could tell. This man had killed before. Many, many times. Vir could practically smell the stench of blood oozing off of him.
He backed up another step.
Wed been getting reports of an Ashborn in this area for ages, you know? the knight continued. No one really cared until now. Only, our new high priest is adamant that we bring you in, er, for protection.
If youre trying to protect me, why would you sic your bandies on us?
Ya call yerself a knight in the employ of Hiranya, and yet ye point yer de at children? Rudvik shouted, pointing his axe at the man as he eyed the bandies encircling them.
The knight responded with a sad smile. Friend, I hear you. Believe you me, I take no pleasure in such actions. It is, he cut himself off with a sigh. Orders are orders, Im afraid. It wouldnt be the first time Ive had to carry out distasteful acts in the name of the greater good. I reckon it shall not be thest, either.
Neel, who had been growling at the soldier ever since he appeared, finally acted. He pounced upon the soldier, who calmly flicked a chakram at the bandy without even flinching.
Neel! No! Maiya shrieked, diving to protect the animal. Neel startled at the sound of his name. The flying disk missed by a hairs breadth,ing to rest deep within a nearby log..
Maiya grabbed Neels cor and red at the soldier. Youre despicable.
Girl, I granted you a mercy by approaching you like this. I had hoped you would be reasonable. As I said, I do not enjoy this task. But as scout of the Third Knight Legion, I am under orders to use any means necessary to bring the Ashborn back alive. The lumberjack is hereby sentenced to death for obstruction of knightly affairs. The priests daughter will be brought to Daha and shall serve the kingdom for the rest of her life as penance for her parents actions.
Maiya nched. What did you just say?
I do not enjoy this, girl. My duty is to protect our citizens, not to hunt them. As for you, I truly do not wish to harm you. Pleasee quietly. However, he said, locking eyes with Vir, traitors to humanity must be eliminated at all cost.
Virs fright evaporated in an instant, reced by an icy anger. Their talk of protecting Ashborn had all been a lie. They meant to murder him. His anger blossomed into fury.
Rudvik stepped forward. I will not allow it.
The knight appraised Rudvik with a bemused expression. You!? Dont embarrass yourself, lumberjack. Whatbat training have you had? Have you ever even taken the life of another man? Will you behead me with that ungainly tree ax of yours?
Ye know grakkin well Ill do whateer it takes!
Sic! the knight yelled. At once, all the enemy bandies leaped at Rudvik.
The lumberjack was ready. He ducked low, barely avoiding the snapping jaw of a bandy, while he brought his ax to bear on another, gouging deep into its belly. But his weapon was not an agile one. Built for hacking at trees, its weight was ill suited forbat. While Rudvik worked to dislodge the de from the bandys body, two others ripped into his arms.
Father! Vir screamed. He desperately thrust his knife into the closest bandys hide, but a paw swipe disarmed him, flinging the weapon aside and making his fingers bleed. The bandy hadnt even bothered to look at him
Rudvik whirled, throwing the bandies off one by one, but not before they took a chunk of his flesh with them. Blood poured from several wounds, staining his overalls crimson.
Run! He bellowed. Ill hold em off!
You think wed abandon you? Vir said in indignation, picking his knife back up and charging a bandy with reckless abandon.
Distasteful, the knight said with an exaggerated sigh, taking two steps forward in the blink of an eye. With a casulmost boredmotion, he thrust his poleaxe forward.
There was no time to dodge. No one had even seen iting, despite the weapons massive size.
The speartip met with Rudviks chest, and like a de through water, passed through unimpeded.
Right through his chest, grazing his heart.
Maiya and Vir froze, their eyes glued to the de as it prated all the way through Rudviks back, stained red.
WhaHngh! Rudvik looked down in disbelief. Pinned by the weapon, he couldnt move an inch. Most men wouldve crumpled right away, debilitated by the pain.
Not Rudvik. He grabbed the polearm with his left hand, preventing the knight from escaping. He swung his ax with his right.
He hit nothing but airhis reach simply wasnt enough to hit the knight at the other end of his long weapon.
Rudvik grunted. He repositioned his grip on the ax, and with thest remaining bit of his strength, hurled it at the knight, forcing the enemy to let go of his weapon to dodge. The ax sailed just past his neck, nicking it, and embedding itself into a nearby tree.
Vera curse you, backwater chal! The knight roared and jumped away, hastily drawing his talwar.
The lumberjack finally crumpled to the ground, but not before locking the knights abandoned weapon in a death grip.
Not a momentter, the four remaining bandies set upon him, tearing into his flesh.
Rudvik locked eyes with Vir, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Run He whispered. His eyes zed over, hands still holding his opponents weapon.
Unable to even shed a tear, Vir stared nkly at his father, transfixed.
The knight sheathed his sword and tried to yank his primary weapon from the lumberjack, one hand pressed against the wound on his neck.
Vir stared right up to the moment Rudvik shed hisst tear and passed from this world to the next.
Then he screamed. His vision turned red as primal fury overcame him. Blinded by thoughts of revenge, his body moved on its own, charging the knight.
The knight looked up in surprise, still trying to dislodge his weapon.
Then an unseen force held Vir back. Unyielding. Like a wall.
Someone shouted at him. Heknewthat voice. Maiya?
Vir jolted back to his senses to find Maiya desperately clutching his clothes, knees on the ground, doing everything she could to stop him.
What are you going to do!? she wailed, tears flowing out of her eyes. Y-you want uncles sacrifice to be in vain!? Get a grip!
Hot shame coursed through Virs veins. Hed lost control of himself at the most crucial moment, nearly getting both of them killed.
He red at the chal whod killed his fatherstill fussing over the weapon clutched within Rudviks handsand burned the mans face into his memory. Then he took a great breath and locked his emotions away, somewhere deep within him.
Now was not the time for guilt. Or grief. Or remorse.
To survive, he would have to act. And so he did.
Vir grabbed Maiyas wrist. We run.
Chapter 9: The Ghost Of Godshollow
Chapter 9: The Ghost Of Godshollow
Terror fueled Virs breaths. Blood surged through his legs.
Together with Maiya, he tore through the Godshollow faster than he ever had. Gone were any thoughts of exhaustion. What remained was a deep-seated desire to live. To survive.
Barking, Neel leaped to intercept the bandy that had pounced upon his master. Vir didnt even have the luxury to turn around and stop. He just ran. Vir had no idea where he was going, or even what direction he was headed, but that didnt matter. He just had to gain as much distance from that knight as possible.
Vir. Vir! Maiya yelled.
He finally looked back. Five bandies had beset Neel. He was fighting for his life.
Virs heart clenched. He hesitated. To turn back meant throwing himself into danger. To flee meant abandoning his precious friend.
The answer was obvious. He turned back. What use was surviving if he couldnt live with himself after?
Neel upied the bandies attention, giving Vir and Maiya the element of surprise.
Hold on, Neel. Wereing!
Vir grasped his knife with both hands and ran, intending to plunge the de into the unprotected back of one of the bandies.
But the beast had sharp instincts. The bandy turned away at thest moment and Virs de grazed the beast, drawing blood but doing no actual damage.
Arooo! An enemy bandy whimpered. Maiyas de had struck true, sinking into her target.
With the attacking bandies temporarily distracted, Neel leaped through their encirclement, taking his spot beside Vir and Maiya. The blood-soaked bandy did not look well. sh marks covered the beast and one of his eyelids was glued shut. The poor animal whimpered, gasping for breath.
Vir took stock of the situation. The bandy Maiya had hit was down, but not out. The other four were in top condition. And not far behind was the real threat: the knight. If he fled now, the bandies would just catch up again. He couldnt risk Neel anymore than he already had.
The only option was to put the four bandies out ofmission, then flee with Maiya. That might give them a chance to avoid the knight. Or they could hunker down and wait for him to leave. But all routes to sess hinged on eliminating the bandies.
His thoughts were cut short by two bandies who leaped at him simultaneously. Vir ducked and guarded with his left arm, while he stabbed the iing bandy with his right.
This time, guided by the gibberish voices in his head, his knife pierced the animals soft underbelly, scoring a deep wound. But hed taken a hit in return. The left bandy gouged his guarding arm, blinding him with pain. The right bandy crashed into him, disarming him and sending him tumbling to the ground. His back collided with a rock and the world went ck.
When Vir came to, his body throbbed all over and it was suddenly hard to move.
This is bad, he thought hazily, noticing that his hands had been bound.
Slowly, he pieced together what might have happened. Maiya was missing, along with the bandies. He was alone in the woods.
Did the knight tie me up, then chase after Maiya while I was out!?
Maiya! He yelled. No response.
Vir searched around and located his knife, hidden under some leaves. He''d never have found it if he hadn''t seen where it fell. Shimmying over to it, he propped it up with his feet and worked as fast as he could manage, sawing the rope against the rusted de. Slowly, agonizingly, the fibers broke one by one. The entire time, scenes of Maiya being skewered by the knight yed out in his head.
Finally freeing himself, he retrieved the knife and made his way through the forest, shouting Maiyas name despite the danger. The knight was surely nearby. Announcing his position like this was a terrible idea. He knew that. But he could barely walk straight, let alone track Maiyas trail. He had no choice. Getting separated was the worst thing that couldve happened to them.
Everyone who was dear to him was being plucked away by the goddess of death, one by one. Hed been unable to save Rudvik. Would Maiya and Neel perish, too?
Finally, he heard barking. Neel!
Looking toward the source of the sound, he saw a sh of red, nearby. Red hair. Maiya, hiding under an enormous Godhollow root.
She was well concealed, but the hunting bandies had found her.
Thank Yuma, he breathed. Maiya was ten paces away, fighting off several bandies, and the knight was nowhere in sight.
The knight must''ve set out looking for her after he tied me up!
Vir tried to piece together the chain of events. It must have taken the knight some time to tie him up. Neel must have distracted the bandies, giving Maiya a chance to escape and hide. The knight must be nearby, searching for her; he would not be far behind.
His relief was short-lived. When he saw what Maiya was up against, the blood in his face drained.
Theyre going to kill her!
Maiya raised her knife in defense. A pair of bandies leaped into the air, their hungry eyes locked onto her throat.
Vir sprinted. But he was too far. He wasnt going to make it.
No. NO! I refuse to ept that! Maiya!!
Something. He needed something. His skills were insufficient. He needed to improve hisbat skills, but not gradually. Now!
In desperation, Vir reached out with his will. With his soul. Begging for the means to save his dearest friend.
And something answered.
The world faded away. The trees disappeared, and the bandies barks muted. He was no longer in the Godshollow. He now stood in a blighted realm where ash fell eternally. His arms were gangly long things, and sickly gray.
He was no longer Ekavir. Random memories flooded into him. A vast underground city. Scenes of battle. His anger red: The gall of those Gargans. Invading Jak Kallol on the eve of my coronation!? The Iksana will not stand for this! Only death awaits those who defy the Akh Nara.
Vir didnt recognize the names. The memories made no sense to him.
Along with the memories came a torrent of emotions: the smug satisfaction of conquering ones foes. The overwhelming confidence of one who had fought a thousand battles and won them all.
He was no longer Ekavir. He was Ekanai. The Reaper.
The white tattoo on his chest pulsed. The voices in Vir''s head disappeared, as if reaped. In exchange, Virs vision burst with a myriad of colors hed never seen. Strange motes of light swirled and coursed through the bandies who sprung for Maiya.
A transformation came upon Vir. He moved without effort or thought, his injuries forgotten. He knew exactly where the bandies would be. As if executing the steps of a well-rehearsed dance, he lunged at the attackers, twirling through the air with his knife.
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A slice, a twist, a thrust. Within his enemies bodies, he saw lines of glowing light, and each of his strikes prated precisely where those lights shone brightest. Throat, chest, eyes.
Hended softly on his toes. The two bandies crashed in front of Maiyadead. They never even saw what had hit them.
Maiya stood stock still. V-Vir? She whispered in disbelief.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, hatred flowed through Vir when he looked at Maiya.
Dead weight. A weakness the Fates will undoubtedly exploit. Weakness we cannot afford. I am sorry. She is a hindrance to our mission. End her now, before she bes a problem.
Vir slowly approached Maiya, one part of him dead set on killing her, and another part desperately fighting against it. It was as if his mind had broken in two.
His steps slowed and slowed, until he stopped himself.
She will only bring us pain and suffering, the voice said, confused.
She''s... My Friend! Vir growled through clenched teeth.
He stumbled, finally returning to his senses, blessedly alone within his head once again. Then he retched into the dirt, clutching his tattoo, which felt like it had burned a hole through his chest.
What was that? He thought, trembling. Hed experienced nothing like it. It was as if
As if I was possessed, he whispered.
Vir never believed the tales of demons and possession, but now he wondered if hed been wrong to dismiss them. Was it possession, though? That feeling of overwhelming, absolute confidence The power!
Wasnt this exactly the strength hed longed for so badly? With it, Rudvik would still be alive. With that kind of power, he could protect Maiya.
Protect Maiya?
Vir shivered. The voice wanted to kill her! Guilt wracked his body, and he found himself unable to look his friend in the eye.
I almost hurt her! The thought sent him puking once again. How could he have even thought that? It was shameful. It was despicable! What use was power if he lost himself in the process?
Awooooo!
There was no time for introspectionenemies were still out there.
The two remaining bandies howled at Neel, whod leaped into the fray. Two-on-one wasnt great odds for his friend, but Maiya had already stepped in to help, evening the fight. She swung her knife wildly, only grazing the bandies, but her actions were enough to keep them distracted while Neel attacked.
Vir found his feet again before immediately stumbling. The voices in his head were gonereced by strange colors.
Not reced... shifted? He felt it was the same information, just conveyed differently. Not through hearing, but sight.
Even so, he couldn''t make anything of it. The world looked so alien to his eyes that he could hardly walk. Even worsehis usual strength had left him. His legs felt like they would give out at any moment.
C''mon, you''re better than this! he thought, forcing himself to muster his strength.
Vir! Maiya shrieked.
He froze, thinking that the bandies had gotten to her.
The reality was much, much worse.
The knight had arrived. And his polearms ax head was pressed against Maiyas neck.
Move, and you die, the scout said, recalling his bandies to his side.
Neel stood by Maiya, growling at the new threat despite his many injuries. He needed immediate medical attention.
Y-youre a mejai? Maiya said bravely, despite the de on her throat.
The knight held up a fiery red orb that glowed with power. Dont have to be a mejai to use a precharged orb, do I? If you resist, Ill just burn your friend with this Ember spell. Though I hope you dont. C Grade magic is wasted on the likes of you.
He turned to address Vir. Now, Ashborn. It seems your fathers death wasnt enough to cow you. My orders are to bring you in alive, but the others are expendable. Obey me, and she lives. Will you cooperate? Or will you really make me kill your girlfriend here? It is your decision, Ashborn.
Vir ground his teeth. Think!What can you do?
Scenarios raced through his mind. What if he grabbed Maiya and fled? What if he threw his knife as a distraction? But he was merely deluding himself. There was nothing he could do. He could barely even stand, let alone run. Unless
What are you doing? Run! Maiya shouted. Vir couldnt understand how she was so brave when she was but a hairs breadth from death.
He had run once, and hed lost Rudvik. He wasnt about to lose Maiya, too. Falling to his knees, Vir discreetly rummaged for a pebble.
Ille, he said. But only if you swear you wont harm Maiya. And that youll heal Neel.
The knight chuckled. You are in no position to make demands, Ashborn. Come with me or she dies. Thats the long and the short of it.
No! Stop!
Maiya, its the only way! IIm sorry, he said, avoiding her gaze.
Vir took a few hesitant steps toward the knight. To his relief, the knight removed his poleax from Maiyas throat.
Now, put down that knife and let me bind you, the knight said, producing a stretch of rope.
Vir crouched as if toply.
He mustered everyst ounce of strength he had, and lunged for the nearest bandy, aiming for the spot that zed brightest in his new vision. It was the only trick he had left.
The Bandy jerked away at thatst instant, but failed to dodge entirely. Virs knife sunk deep into its shoulder. The animals survival instinct kicked in, and it bolted away before he could retrieve his knife.
Without missing a beat, Vir whirled and flung his pebble at the mans helm. The lingering nausea degraded his uracy, but his endless hours of practice prevailed; the pebble nged against the knights eye slit, startling him for a brief moment.
Vir spun and grabbed Maiyas arm. But as he turned to flee, the knight discharged his orb. He may have been targeting the ground, or Maiya, but Vir''s strike threw off the knights aim.
Ember leaped out of the orb and barreled towards Vir, smashing into his back.
AAAAAAGH! He screamed, crumpling to the ground. Hed never felt pain like this in his entire life. It was all-consuming, as if melting his very soul.
He rolled in a desperate attempt to douse the mes, but the magic fire spread, setting the ground aze.
Vir!! Maiya screamed, fumbling around for anything to help put out the fire.
Neel bravely seized the opportunity to attack the knight, but was sent flying by his poleaxs hammer. The bandy crashed into a tree and slumped to the ground, unmoving.
No! Cant let it end like this, Vir thought through the veil of his fading consciousness.
The knight readied his weapon for another swing. Vir didnt need to be an expert to know that the man intended to decapitate Maiya. She wasnt even aware, her attention too fixed on Vir.
Not like this
Vir didnt even have the strength left to warn his friend.
He watched as the gleaming ax head picked up speed, approaching Maiyas neck with the promise of death. Virs mind went into overdrive.
Think! What can you do!? How can you ovee this?
Yet no matter what ns he came up with, his body simply refused to obey hismands. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch his dearest friend meet her end.
ng!
The sound of the impact wasnt what he expected. It was the sound of metal on metal. Virs eyes shot open. He fought through the haze that gued his mind and pieced together what he was seeing.
A seric talwar had stopped the devastating poleax in its tracks. The beautiful curved de was gripped by a tall, broad figure d in pure white, resisting the knights massive weapon with his left arm.
The Ghost of Godshollow, Vir whispered. Why? How? So Maiya was right. He was real, after all.
The knight aborted his swing and thrust his polearm at the stranger in white, but the Ghost blurred and vanished entirely.
Vir blinked. Were his eyes failing him? Or did the Ghost actually disappear?
But no, he saw true. The new stranger closed the distance in an instant, leaving no time for the knight to react. The warrior lunged and tackled the armored scout, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.
What followed was a frantic ground grapple that Vir could barely follow, with the Ghost of Godshollow eventually gaining the upper hand. The powerfully built man mounted the knight and pinned him down. Vir could feel the knights desperation as he wriggled uselessly under his opponents immense weight.
The man in white casually drew a seric knife out of his robe and slid it into the gap between the knights helm and breastte. He stopped squirming soon after.
The Ghost of Godshollows actions were so elegant and effortless that Virs mind took some time to process what had transpired.
The man who had trivially murdered his father had himself been easily dispatched by someone even more powerful.
What kinds of monsters existed in this world?
Maiya kneeled beside Vir and held his head, her tears falling onto his face. Vir. Dont die. Please
Her efforts had doused the mes on his back, but that still left him badly burned and dying. The only positive was that the searing pain had faded away to blissful numbness, easing his suffering.
The broad-shouldered, ck bearded stranger fixed an eagle-like gaze upon him. Vir felt as if the towering man was peering into the depths of his soul, evaluating him. Judging him.
Struggle. Endure, the Ghost of Godshollow bellowed in a rich baritone, In enduring, grow strong
Tell me, Ashborn. Do you desire strength?
Virs lips moved, but they carried no sound. Having spent thest of his strength, Vir slipped into darkness.
Chapter (Arc 2) 10: New Beginnings
Chapter (Arc 2) 10: New Beginnings
Vir awoke to dark and earthen surroundings. The only light in the room filtered in through small openings high above, with the Godshollow nowhere in sight.
He shifted and realized he was on a small bed inside what looked like a dome of y. He sat up, but immediately regretted it.
Ugh Pain shot through his body, and the slightest movement aggravated it.
But pain he could deal with. What was worse were the bizarre colors that polluted his vision. Significantly dimmer than before, but still very much present. The dark surroundings only highlighted his distorted eyesight.
No, not distorted he couldnt quite make out what it was. He saw everything he usually saw, but now he saw more . Glowing motes of various colors swam through the air, through the bed under him, and even through his very body. It was in almost everything. Vague and dim, entirely unlike before.
Also gone were the voices in his head. The voices that had spoken to him since the cultist encounter were now silenced. As if exchanged for this new sight.
The sight had shown him the bandies weak points, so he was sure there was more to this than met the eye. Ill have to experiment with it, he thought in an attempt to distract himself.
He failed, and broke down sobbing. Father...
Rudvik. His invincible hero had been cut down by a knight out for Vir. Guilt crushed him. His heart threatened to burst. My fault. It was my fault! How can I ever!?
Then Neel jumped onto the bed and began licking his face.
Oh, Neel, Vir said, crying into his fur. The poor bandy was covered in bandages, but he didnt seem to limp at least.
A weight lifted off his shoulders now that he knew his faithfulpanion was alive and well. He didnt even want to think about losing Neel. You fought so hard, didnt you, boy?
Vir? Maiya asked, bolting upright. Hedpletely missed her sleeping form on the floor next to the bed.
Vir!! She tackled him with a hug. I was so worried, Vir. I thought I thought youd she stammered, sobbing against his chest.
They cried together for several minutes before running out of tears. They sat there, embracing each other for who-knew-how-long. He''s really gone, Vir whispered.
Y-yeah.
But I''m alive, Vir whispered, looking Maiya in the eye. Why?
IVir, Rudvik gave his life for you. For us. You think he''d want you talking like this? You think he''d rather he lived and you died!? she shrieked.
I... Vir had noeback. She was right. Rudvik had protected them both. If given the choice, he''d do it again. But hearing that didn''t make it any easier. Thanks, Maiya. I guess I owe you my life, too, huh? For bringing me here?
Maiya shook her head. I did nothing. It was all Riyan.
Riyan? Vir echoed.
The girl broke her embrace and looked him in the eyes.
Hes the one who killed the knight. Hes, uh hes the Ghost of Godshollow, she said, scratching her nose in embarrassment. Cant believe I actually believed he was a spirit. Turned out he was just a normal old man all along. Said hes been to the Godshollow several times, and that he wasnt surprised backwater vigers concocted such droll nonsense.
The memories came rushing back to Vir. The knight. His ax, about to strike Maiya. And the figure in white whod shown up at the end.
So I didnt just imagine that. How long have I been out? Vir asked, thankful for the distraction.
A couple of days. Riyan said youd have died if he hadnt treated your burns immediately. Same with Neel. Luckily, he seems to know his way around Life Affinity magic. He used hot water, some medicinal herbs Id never seen before, and his Life orbs on both of you. Said youd both make a full recovery. He brought us back here on his Ashva.
Huh. Didnt think wed be rescued by the Ghost of Godshollow, of all people.
Theyd all thought the knights would never find them in the forest. Hed chided Maiya for believing in ghost stories. Hed been wrong on both ounts. Fate seemed to have its own sense of irony.
He lives here? Vir asked. Where is he?
Yeah, this is his ce. Hes out doing something right now. Didnt say what. Its kind of an unusual home, but its way nicer than any house in the vige, she said with eyes glinting. Cant wait to show you around when youre well enough to walk.
Maiya, I almost got us killed! He blurted, his voice hoarse and broken. He found himself unable to meet her gaze.
Huh? What in Veras name are you talking about, Vir? You fought and ran so far, even though runnings hard for you. I could hardly believe my eyes. That, and
And what? he asked.
Vir, howd you move like that? You slit those two bandies throats like it was nothing. Like youd killed a hundred bandies before. But Ive never even seen you train with knives before, Vir. And Im pretty sure you havent killed a single thing in your whole life. Have you been secretly training or something? She said with a searching gaze.
I
What had happened back then? His memories were still hazy. The young man looked at his hands. Had these hands really felled two bandies? They certainly hadnt felt like his hands when hed done the deed.
I dont know, Maiya. Honestly dont have a clue. One minute, I was me, and the next I wasnt. And now my eyes are all messed up.
Messed up? What do you mean?
Its hard to exin, but I see things now that I hadnt before. And its driving me crazy, if Im honest. Makes no grakkin sense.
Words like Primordial, Garga, Iksana, and rity filled his head, but he couldnt figure out what these words all meant. The one thing he remembered clearly was Ekanai.
The voice that wanted me to kill Maiya
He averted his gaze.
Whats wrong, Vir? Are you in pain?
How could I have even thought that?
Vir shook his head. It wasnt him. It was Ekanai. Ekavir didnt want to hurt Maiya. He wanted to protect her. His best, only, and dearest friend in the entire realm. Of course, he couldn''t even manage that. Rudvik was gone, and without Ekanai, Maiya would be as well.
He had to ensure such a thing never happened again. If Ekanai ever possessed him in the future, hed have to make sure it was he who won, and not the Reaper.
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A small voice at the back of his head told him that next time, he wouldnt win. That he was going up against powers he couldnt possibly fathom.
Vir squelched that voice with the weight of an anvil.
Grasping for anything to distract himself, he turned his mind to Ekanais memory. When hed fought, Ekanais presence had felt so vivid. Almost as if hed transformed into that gangly gray warrior himself. But now, he could hardly remember anything. The memories felt so distant. Like something hed once known, but had long ago forgotten.
Was that why the knights were hunting him? Because he was possessed? For all he knew, he very well might be. Ekanai was strong. Did the knights know something he didnt? Did Riyan know something?
Vir shook away those thoughts. He needed to figure out his immediate situation first.
What happened to the knights? Are they still looking for me? he asked.
No, Riyan says theyll be heading back to the capital soon. Especially after losing one of their own.
Virs eyes narrowed. His mind was foggy and all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and forget everything. But he couldn''t do that. To do so was to avoid reality. He forced himself to converse with Maiya, though his heart wasn''t in it. How do you figure? Theyll know we killed him when they find his body, wont they? Thatll just give them more reason toe after me.
No. Riyan, he, uh he mangled the knights corpse, Vir. I couldnt bear to watch. Said that this way, itll look like the knight lost control of his bandies and sumbed to them.
Does that actually happen? Vir asked.
Maiya shrugged. He says the other knightsll believe it. And he said that youre not worth risking losing any more of their number she paused. We, er we brought Rudvik back as well. But weve been waiting to perform hisst rites. I I insisted that youd want to be present.
Just like that, all of his efforts to stop thinking about his father fell apart.
Rudvik Tears welled up in his eyes again. Fathers really gone.
The man hed always looked up to, whod never once fallen sick or been injured. Dead. Just like that.
Vir mmed up. The walls closed in on him and the earthen dome felt like it was copsing on his head. He began to hyperventte. He couldn''t stay here.
Panicking, he jumped to his feet, nearly losing consciousness from the pain.
He needed out. Right now. He pushed through the difort.
Vir, no! Youre not well. You need to rest!
Neel barked, as if agreeing with her.
Vir ignored them and hobbled to the door. Every inch of his body throbbed with pain, but his back was the worst. Even now, it felt like it was still burning, smoldering under the bandages, even though he knew that couldnt possibly be true. He didnt even want to know how horrible his back must look.
He finally made it to the door and reached for the knob. Locked.
Were prisoners, then? I shouldve expected this, he thought, his panic rising. He needed another way out. There had to be another way out.
Maiya sighed and made her way to the door. She rested her hand on the knob, which clicked and turned effortlessly. Magic Lock, Vir.
Oh right.
Were not prisoners. Riyan said were free to leave if we want.
Vir walked into amon area with a much taller roof than the bedroom. This room also had a dome of y, justrger. Silk rugs with intricate patterns decorated the hard earthen floor, while leather sofas, wooden tables, carved bookshelves, and various knickknacks furnished therge space. The rich scents of spices, incense, and sandalwood all mingled together and tickled his nose, reminding him of Apramors temple.
Whoever Riyan was, he had refinedand expensivetastes. And he was organized. Not a single thing was out of ce.
Vir wandered the home in awe, his panic overridden by curiosity. Each room connected to each other throughrge open archways, giving the space an airy feel, despite itsck of windows.
Maiya followed him silently, staying close in case he copsed or needed help.
Were underground? he asked. All the skylights and windows were high above, and the entire home gave off a subterranean feel. Though it somehow felt cozy and warm at the same time. Maybe because of the Magic Lamps embedded in alcoves on the wall and which hung from the ceiling, filling the room with their soft amber glow.
Yep. The entire homes built into a hill. Its practically invisible unless you know its there. I didnt even realize wed arrived until we were less than ten paces away.
This is incredible, Virmented. Most of the rooms and halls had hard y floors, while some had sand, making them feel wild and exotic at the same time. In these rooms, sunlight from the skylights reflected off the sand, casting a warm glow on the earthen walls.
I know, right? Maiya said excitedly. I wouldnt mind living here
Are we in a desert? Vir asked, itching his bandages.
His friend nodded. A few hours Ashva ride from Brij. Im pretty sure were somewhere north of Brij, but Riyan took a lot of turns to get here so its hard to know for sure. Said it was a precaution against any pursuers.
Most of the rooms of the home were open and connected by broad, tall archways. Despite the open floor n, Vir couldnt find the exit. Hed gotten lost within minutes.
Youve got no clue where youre going, do you? Maiya said with a giggle. Here, lemme show you the way out.
How can I help it? I feel like half the vige could fit in here!
She took his hand and led him through another couple of rooms before activating the orb lock on a door, leading them through.
Vir btedly realized he actually was trapped in this home, since he couldnt open any of the locks. If Maiya wasnt here to help, hed be in big trouble.
He stepped out onto hot sand, with the golden hues of a sun setting against a sea of dunes for as far as he could see.
Where are we? he asked. Vir hadnt known of any deserts very close to Brij. But that wasnt saying much. Maiya would be the first person to tell him he sucked at geography.
Somewhere between Brij and Saran, in the central desert. No idea where exactly, though.
Vir looked at her expectantly.
Its a Hiranyan port town, she said, rolling her eyes. Merchants bound for Saran sometimes passed through our vige. You really oughta know this, Vir.
Y-yeah. So, were still in Hiranya, huh? That didnt bode well for Vir, knights and all.
I wouldnt worry about it too much, Maiya said. No ones gonna find us here.
Yeah? What makes you so sure?
Maiya pointed a thumb back at the house. Vir turned and gaped in shock.
This this is pure seric! Vir eximed.
He could hardly believe there was a home behind him. Apart from a couple of windows here and there, the house waspletely invisible. From a hundred paces away, itd be undetectable. A sense of security settled over him like a warm nket.
So were really not prisoners, huh?
At least, it doesnt seem like it? Riyans not the friendliest guy around, but hes interested in us. Well, no. I think hes interested in you.
Why me, though?
Whats your read on Riyan? Vir said. Youve met him. Think we can trust him?
I I dunno, Maiya replied. We oughta be careful. I cant just ept that hed take us in out of his own goodwill. Theres gotta be something more to it.
Vir nodded. Right. Hes after something. I mean, who exactly is he? I mean, what kind of person has a secret hideout like this? He simply couldnt imagine what a pair of vige teens could offer a man with the wealth Riyan possessed.
He didnt say. Just that hes experienced inbat. I mean, thats obvious. He took down that knight as easily as Maiya stopped suddenly, but Vir knew what shed meant to say.
As easily as the knight killed my father, hepleted. Hes gone. Isnt he, Maiya? Rudviks really gone
Maiya didnt respond.
He told me he wasnt a good father. But yknow? Rudvik was always nice to me. He never hurt me or shouted at me. And he treated me like I was normal. Like an equal.
Vir turned to look Maiya in the eyes, tears now flowing freely down his face. Why did he have to die, Maiya?
Maiya frowned. We couldnt have done anything about it, Vir. You cant me yourself.
No, Maiya. Thats not right. We couldnt do anything because we were weak. Too weak to resist. I hate this, Maiya. I hate being powerless.
Vir thought back to Riyans words right before he lost consciousness.
Do you desire strength?
He realized he did. He craved it so badly that hed do anything to have it. Because with strength
No one will ever have to sacrifice themselves for me again.
The two sat upon the sandy hill, watching the sun set in silence. As thest rays of light fell, a lone figure suddenly appeared beside them. Neither had heard his approach.
Vir gulped. The Ghost of Godshollow had arrived.
Next time: 11 - Riyan Savar
Chapter 11: Riyan Savar
Chapter 11: Riyan Savar
You are still here, Riyan said, walking up to the two friends sitting at the front door of his abode. He was tall, and built like an Ashva, with no trace of excess fat anywhere. Imend you for not running off. Of course, you couldnt have, even if you had tried.
So you were going to stop us, Maiya said.
The broad-shouldered man shook his head. No. You would have perished if you had left the safety of my home. I am pleased you didnt. Dealing with your corpses would leave a sour taste in my mouth.
Tch.
Vir echoed his friends reaction.
Riyan turned, causing his white cloak to re. Come. Ride with me.
Where are we going? Maiya asked as the two mounted his Ashva. Riyan held the reins from up front while Maiya sat behind him. Vir was at the back, almost falling off of the creatures bum.
Riyan ignored her.
The three traveled through the desert in silence for a good half hour. Vir couldnt guess what was going on inside the mans head, or even where he was taking them. The surroundings were all foreign to him, forcing him to realize just how dependent they were on this stranger. The feeling irked him, like insects under his skin.
As thest vestiges of day gave way to night, Vir saw ita great pile of sticks and logs, arranged neatly in the middle of the desert.
Father!
Vir jumped off of Riyans Ashva before itd even stopped, running to the pyre and damn the pain!
The guilt hed held back came flooding out in a torrent. Vir fell to his knees. If only I were stronger. If only I knew magic. Or even how to fight.
Maiya ced a hand on his shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks as well.
Riyan lit a torch with Magic Heat, shoving a clear reminder of Virs failings into his face, before holding it out to him. The man said nothing.
Vir reached out, then hesitated. Lighting the pyre made Rudviks death real. Some part of him still clung to the hope that his father would open his eyes and bellow a great bigugh like he always did. A part of him wanted to deny the facts, to ignore the past and pretend it never happened.
But to do so would be to deny Rudviks sacrifice. He took the torch from Riyans hands and plodded to the pyre, legs as heavy as stone.
As he took hisst step to the tform of wood, his delusions died. What remained was a cold eptance of the harsh reality; his father was gone. Now and forever.
He threw the torch into the pyre. Oil ignited, erupting in a tongue of heat and me. Soon, the entire pyre was aze.
You were wrong, Rudvik, Vir murmured, fists clenched in front of the inferno, You said youd been a poor father, but that was wrong. You were the best a son could ever have. You were a hero to me. I promise you. No, I swear to you, I will not let you down. I swear it to the gods. Ill be a man who can make you proud. So watch over me, father. Watch over me until your soul returns to the great cycle, and may your next life be long and full of happiness.
May your next life be long and full of happiness, Riyan and Maiya echoed.
Vir shed no more tears. Hed said his piece and Rudvik had heard him.
And hed spoken true. Rudvik was a hero, more so than any mythical character of legend. His father had sacrificed his life for him. For himan adopted child! A prana scorned Ashborn!
How could Vir possibly repay him now that he was gone? What could he do to rid himself of the guilt that burned so hotly within his chest?
You will never truly heal, Riyan said, his deep voice carrying over the crackle of the pyre. There will be days where you wish for times long past. Days when you yearn for thepany of dearly departed friends, or the tender smile of a loved one, cruelly taken.
Vir continued to stare at the fire. Then, how How do you live with yourself?
Time mends all wounds, Riyan said. Though the scars remain forever.
So youve lost someone, too
The three stood in front of the pyre for some time. A long, long time. The stars seemed oddly bright when they finally turned back and headed for homeas if the gods themselves were weing his father into their fold.
Then, finally, Riyan approached Vir and handed him a small pouch. Coin that was on your fathers body. It isnt much, but by right, it is yours.
Vir held the twenty coppers in both hands like it was seric, and nodded slowly.
He returned to Riyans home feeling years older, and not in a good way. Vir was weary and spent, but their benefactor wasnt done with them for the night.
Riyan ushered them to a sofa in the living room. The powerfully built man took a seat on the couch opposite them, upying nearly half of it by himself.
Neel jumped up beside Vir and made himselffortable on the soft leather. Magic Lamps illuminated the domed room with warmth that made Vir long for home.
Ive already confirmed that the knights have moved away, Riyan said, crossing his legs and stretching his arms across the sofas backrest. You are safe here, for now. I am sure you have many questions. Ask.
Maiya went first. Howd you know where to find us in the Godshollow?
That had bothered Vir as well; Riyans timing was a bit too perfect to chalk up to mere coincidence.
I have monitored these knights ever since they left Daha. I witnessed that fight of yours, if you could call it that, he said, staring at Vir. Terrible form. Stupid decisions. But You move well, and you show some promise with thrown weapons. With magic, you could be a formidable force one day.
Vir felt like the man had stabbed him in the gut by mentioning magic.
I am quite skilled at remaining undetected, Riyan continued. This should be of great value to you.
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Why, though? Maiya asked. Why would someone of your wealth be hiding all the way out here?
Riyans death stare wouldve silenced even a Child of Ash. Maiya felt like a mouse whod just caught an eagles attention. The wrong kind of attention.
Maiya! Vir hissed. I''m sorry, sir, she didn''t mean that. Just that we''ve been through a lottely. I hope you can understand our caution.
I''ve nothing to hide, the man spat, and that is all I will say about this matter. Suffice it to say, I am proficient in staying hidden when I want to. The world is arge ce. You will need this skill if you are to survive.
Vir couldnt deny that. Why did you save us? Actually, how''d you even find us?
Riyan regarded them for a long moment. You are right to suspect my motivations. I have been tracking the knights'' movements for my own reasons. Make no mistake, I did note to your rescue out of some sense of misced charity. I will house you, feed you, and keep you hidden. I will teach you how to fight and how to survive. The girl, if she has talent, will learn as well. If not, then she will assist you. But know that my time is more valuable than you can imagine. I require something of equal value from you in return.
What could we possibly offer that you dont already have? Vir said, looking around the opulent room.
Riyan leaned forward. Guidance for a favor. You must each do one task that I ask of you in the future. Do this, and I will consider your debts fulfilled.
Can you tell us what you want of us? Maiya asked.
Not until the time is right. All I can say is that your tasks will likely separate you for their duration. You should prepare yourselves for this.
Vir didn''t like the sound of that at all.
May we refuse? she asked, throwing Vir a concerned nce.
Riyan bellowed a deepugh that rang through the halls of his home. You owe me a great debt, child. Even if that were not the case, how long do you think you can remain undetected out there? He said, gesturing with his chin. How long do you think you can survivein a world that wants to hunt you down?
I-I think we could survive, Maiya replied.
If you truly believe that, then you are more nave than you look. If you run, I will simply leak information on your whereabouts to the kingdom. You will be captured in no time at all. Gods help your poor souls when that happens. Death would be a kindness.
Vir interjected before Maiya started shouting at Riyan. May we discuss this in private?
Riyan gestured to the kitchen. Go right ahead. But do not make the mistake of believing that you have a choice in this matter. Either survive with me, or die miserably on the sands.
Maiya touched the Magic Lock on the kitchens door once theyd entered, locking them inside.
Vir heaved a great sigh. This is all too much for one day, he said, suddenly realizing his throat was horribly parched. He couldnt even remember thest time hed taken a drink.
You got that right, Maiya said, following him. What a load of ash! Yknow, when we left the vige, I never thought wed end up in the middle of a desert. This isnt even a city, for Chals sake!
Vir cracked a smile as he walked to the sink. His poor friend. All shed ever wanted was to end up in a big city, but she somehow wound up somewhere even more remote than the vige theyd grown up in. With a cranky old man, no less.
To his chagrin, the tap required magic to operate. He never understood why taps needed to be magical. They were so simple!
His thoughtful friend noticed his plight and had already retrieved a ss for him. She touched the orb and filled the ss, handing it to Vir.
Thanks, he said, relishing the feeling of cool water down his throat. Amazing how such a small thing could make him feel alive again.
Sorry that you have to do these things for me.
Not your fault. Well get Riyan to install non-magical utilities if we end up staying here.
Riyan didnt strike him as the most patient person, so he sat down at the small dining table and got to the heart of the matter.
About that. You think hell keep up his end of the bargain when he learns Im prana scorned? I feel like hed be happy to toss me to the wolves when he realizes what I am.
He wont! Maiya said. Youre more acrobatic than anyone I''ve ever known! And youre clever. Even without magic, Im sure we can convince him well be useful.
Vir wondered whether Riyan would be that considerate. That said, they really didnt have any options. As much as it infuriated him, Riyan was right. Theyd die without him.
So, are we staying? Maiya asked. Ill be honest. I dont like him. We cant trust him. Hes clearly a criminal of some sort, and I don''t like the idea of us getting separated. Doesn''t sit right.
I agree, Vir said. But I actually think we can trust him to an extent. He wants something from us. As long as we give him that, hell provide us with the things we need to survive. It doesnt sound like a terrible deal. Assuming I can live up to his expectations, of course.
Itd be a gamble to see if he could convince Riyan that he was worth keeping around despite being prana scorned. The man would not be happy to learn Vir couldn''t use even the most basic utility magic, or that he could only run thirty paces before keeling over.
I have a bad feeling about those favors. I dont think its going to be anything good. What if he asks us to do something... something bad?
I know. Here''s what I''m thinking. If he''s reasonable about it, we can uphold our end of the bargain. But if he''s not... then we''ll resist. If were strong enough to help him out on whatever he needs, well be more than strong enough to challenge him. Maybe we can change his mind about what favors he wants us to do.
Maiya thought it over for a moment. Fine. But if we can''t manage that... we''ll leave. Alright?
Vir nodded.
They returned to the living room and took their original seats.
Well stay, Vir said. But if were mistreated in any way, the deals off.
And we''d like to ask you for some conditions, Maiya said, trying and failing to meet Riyans intense gaze.
Conditions? Do you think youre in any position to impose conditions? On me!? Riyan roared, half angry, half amused.
Maiya gulped. Once again, they felt like prey in the eyes of an all-powerful predator.
Y-yes? Maiya stammered. Vir didnt know how she mustered the courage to respond. And his friend didnt stop there. We''d like our privacy. And youre not toy your hands on me or Vir or Neel! And you can''t hurt Vir during his training.
Riyan scoffed. Please You insult me. I have no interest in abusing children. And no harm will befall your bandy, so long as you keep it under control.
Neels the most well behaved bandy youll ever see. Right Neel? she said. Neel barked in agreement.
As for the boys training, it will be what it will be. I can make no promises that he wont get hurt. He will likely experience pain and suffering. But he is of no use to me crippled.
Maiya threw Vir a look, but he shook his head. Riyan would not budge on this point, and he didnt want to anger the man any further if nothing was to be gained.
J-just one more thing! Maiya squeaked.
Theres more? Riyan rasped. You have backbone, girl. I will give you that. But you strain the limits of my patience.
Yep, not a patient man at all, Vir noted.
Maiya gulped. I''d like to visit Brij, if possible. I want to tell my parents Im alright, she said.
Denied, came Riyans immediate response. Returning to your vige would be the height of stupidity. I have gone to great lengths to throw those knights off your trail. If you return, you will lead them right back to you. Or worse, back to me. No.
Maiya bit her lip, falling silent.
What if we wait a while? Vir said. Maybe once weve learned how to defend ourselves? And if you could teach us anything about how to stay hidden, wed be able to go back undetected.
Maiya mouthed a wordless thanks.
Riyan cocked a brow. Very well. In due time, if both of you devote yourselves to your training and if you disy adequate skills, I may permit you to visit your vige. Though you may not like what you find.
What do you mean? Maiya asked.
You will see. Or perhaps you wont. He turned to Vir. You are injured and have strained yourself today. Rest now. Tomorrow, we will discuss your training, he said with a sadistic grin. Enjoy yourst days of peace on this earth. Do try not to die.
Vir and Maiya exchanged looks of horror.
D-die!?
Are we really going to survive this?
Next time: 12 - Man of Many ''Talents''
Chapter 12: Man of Many Talents
Chapter 12: Man of Many ''Talents''
Vir? Vir, wake up! Maiya said, shaking her friend.
He awoke with a jolt, drenched in sweat.
You were sleep talking Maiya murmured. Sounded like a nightmare.
Vir peered up to see morning light filtering in through the skylight. The burns on his back still throbbed, but they hurt slightly less than the day before. Riyans salves and healing orbs were working, albeit slowly.
Its alright now. Youre safe, Maiya said, squeezing his arm. Riyan wants us to get ready. Said were going out today.
Vir blinked away the cobwebs and got out of bed, almost tripping over Neel, who bounded excitedly around the room. He stared at the overactive bandy with envy. If only he had that kind of energy.
Some timeter, Vir, Maiya, and Neel assembled in the kitchen. Riyan had cooked up some oat porridge, which, while somewhat nd, at least filled him up. Maiya was less impressed. Vir figured Maiya would take charge of the cooking from now on, judging by how much she grumbled while eating.
Riyan took his meal in the living room and returned after he was done.
Allow me to reintroduce myself as your instructor. I am Riyan, and I have knownbat for most of my life. I have lived through more battles than most men would in several lifetimes. I am well versed in battlefield strategy, tactics, and the arts of war.
So whats your Br Rank? Maiya asked, thinking herself smart. All warriors worth their salt have a Br Rank, dont they?
One Hundred and Fifty.
Vir and Maiyas jaws hit the floor.
You cant be serious Maiya whispered.
It is no lie, but words are cheap. The best way to convince you is to show you, and that is the purpose of todays lesson. Vir is still in no shape to train, so instead, I shall demonstrate the heights one can achieve as a warrior.
I didnt even know the ranking went that high Maiya said.
Riyan gave her a puzzled look. What do you mean? There is no upper limit Itgirl, do you even understand what the Br Scale is?
II know its a way of gauging strength, she squeaked. I thought it went from one to one hundred?
Riyan groaned. Gods above. I hadnt expected vigers to be familiar with the intricacies, but to think you dont even know this much? Please tell me you know of the Kinjal Empire, at least?
Maiya nodded vigorously. Theyre the most powerful nation in the Known World, right?
Hmm. What about you, boy? What do you know of the Kinjal?
Vir looked away. This was all new to him. Like Maiya, he didnt really understand what the Br Scale meant. Just what my father told me, he said. That theyre a nation of warmongers.
He wasnt wrong, but neither of you are entirely correct. The Kinjal Empire is a vast, prosperous nation. They possess thergest military in the Known World, yes, but it is the Altani who are unequivocally the most powerful.
The Altani? Vir asked.
A country of mejai to the north, Riyan said with a sigh, they possess the strongest magic in the Known World, and while their military may notpare in size to Kinjals, they are far superior. Thankfully, they have no interest in expanding their borders, but the Ashs blight encroaches upon theirnds with each day. They may soon have no choice.
The man cleared his throat. The Kinjals invented the Br Scale Ranking system to gaugebat power. It considers martial skills, magic power, knowledge of battlefield tactics, strategy, and cunning. It attempts to capture a warriors capabilities as holistically as possible.
Vir and Maiya listened with rapt interest. It wasnt every day they learned from someone so knowledgeable.
There is no upper limit to the scale, Riyan continued. A Br Rank of One means that a warrior is as capable as one soldier in the Kinjal Brian Infantry Corps.
So being Br One Hundred fifty means youre as strong as a hundred fifty soldiers? Vir found that a little hard to believe. That was a tenth of Brijs poption! How could one person possibly be that powerful?
Not just any soldiers, Brian Warriors, Riyan corrected. Kinjals Brian infantry are highly trained. They are easily among the best in the world.
If that was true, it made Maiyas father even more formidable than hed thought. Apramor had never once shown off hisbat power, iming that magic should be used for good and healing, and never for destruction. Incidentally, he had a single lesser affinity for fire magic. Maiyas obsession with magic came in part from there, with how much she idolized her dad.
Riyan swept his eagles gaze across them both. How much do you know of our kingdom?
Maiya spoke up. I know Hiranya used to be one of the great powers of the Known World, but times have been harsh, and our distance from the Ash Boundary means Hiranyannd isnt fertile. So the countrys suffered.
Riyan nodded. At least you know this much. But what about you, boy?
Vir looked away. I dont know too much.
Then you will learn. King Rayid rules our kingdoma mediocre monarch at best. But these times do not allow for mediocrity. He has shown weakness against the Kinjals time and time again, and Imperator Andros Kinjal IV has expertly exploited it. Corruption and partisanship fracture King Rayids court, leaving him powerless to prevent the slow decay of his kingdom. Truly a sad state for the mighty Hiranyan legacy.
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Vir wondered how Riyan came across this information. He doubted even citizens of Daha had ess to this level of detail. There was a depth here that couldnt havee from merely being knowledgeable.
Youre well informed, Maiya said, echoing his thoughts.
I had to be, Riyan said, but neglected to borate. First Prince Sanobar is a capable heir to the throne. He needs to seed Rayid if this kingdom is to have any future. Unfortunately, that day may nevere to pass. His youngest sister, Mina, Riyan practically spat her name, his disgust obvious, may very well have him removed. The girl is a blight.
Riyan took a deep breath. Your training willprise bothbat and education about matters of state. As they say, knowledge is power. To be ignorant is to be yed a fool. Come, let us depart.
A half hours ride on Riyans ufortable Ashvathe beast seemed intent on inflicting pain upon their bums at every stepput them on rolling, grassy hills that gave way to sandy shores. Theyd left Neel behind at the home; Riyans Ashva could barely handle the three as it was.
Is this the Viridian Coast? Maiya asked. Vir perked up; the coast had been their original destination before their fateful encounter with the knight.
No. The Viridian Coast lies west of Brij. This is the Hansa Sea, north of there. Follow the coastline north, and youll end up at Saran Bay, and the port city of Saran.
This will do, Riyan said, surveying the surroundings.
The three hopped off on top of a grassy hill a few hundred paces away from the Hansa Sea. The breeze that blew in made the weather feel pleasantly cool. Both friends stood transfixed at the endless expanse of water.
What? First time seeing the sea?
Yes! Vir and Maiya replied in unison.
I dont understand how? Maiya said in awe. How can it be so big?
Riyan muttered under his breath. He did that a lot.
Vir ignored him. He was just as stunned as his friend, but he saw more than Maiya did. He found an abundance of blue and white colorationing from the endless expanse of water. The colors still made no sense to him, but he made a note of those colors.
There was another color too: Green, carried by the wind. The colors werent really blue, white, or green, just that they were the closest match to the colors he was familiar with. It was easier to see at night, and some ces had more of it than others, but he didnt yet have enough information to piece the puzzle together.
We are not here to ogle at the sea, Riyan barked. Stand back. Observe. And learn.
The Ghost of Godshollow strode thirty paces away from the two and took up abat stance.
Whats he going to do? Maiya asked.
Vir shook his head. No clue.
The sea was an enormous distraction. Through sheer force of will, he focused on Riyan and not the impossiblyrge body of water.
The colorsing from Riyan helped with that. Riyan was filled with a significant amount of brownish and white, to a far lesser extent, from what Vir could tellhis new sense had dimmed. Itd been that way ever since the Godshollow.
Maiya was mostly Transparent, with a bit of Green and a smattering of a bunch of other colors. As for Vir himself, he saw nothingness within him. Not empty, just that his color was as ck as midnight. It felt like he was staring into a deep abyss. He hadnt seen that color anywhere else.
Riyan jumped and Maiya and Vir gasped.
His jump could have reached the rooftops of most buildings in Brij, Vir thought with awe. But that wasnt all. When Riyan had jumped, Vir couldve sworn he saw something move inside the mans body. The brown color that filled him seemed to re for a brief instant. But his sight was too dim and muddled to make out anything more.
The Ghost of Godshollow didnt stop there. He touched the ground with a cats grace before disappearing in front of their very eyes. A momentter, Vir found him, fifteen paces away.
Riyan roared and swung his talwar. Its force was such that it blew away the sand near Riyan, kicking up a mini sandstorm.
Vir blinked, and Riyan had reappeared next to them, his sword already back in its sheath.
Maiya fell onto her bum. Vir somehow maintained his bnce.
These were not the acts of a human. They were
The Ghost of Godshollow Maiya breathed.
What are you? Vir asked in awe.
Riyan dusted off his clothing. Merely human. But I wield the power of Talents.
Talents? Vir asked. Is that a sort of magic?
Not magic. Martial prowess. Not every warrior can learn them, and even the ones who can often spend years mastering these abilities. But those who learn its secrets can stand toe to toe with even a Mejai of Realms. Talents can be used anywhere, so long as the warriors boots touch earth.
A-are there many warriors who can do what you just did? Vir asked, hoping the man would say no. He didnt know if his mind could take it if there were monsters like him running around the world.
There are, he said, dashing Virs hopes. Talents are notmon, but neither are they rare. What I have shown you are merely the weakest, most widely found Talents. With a sweep of my Talent-empowered de, I can kill ten soldiers. But others can project their des, bisecting entire trees in one slice. I can jump and fall from heights that would end most men. I can cover a dozen paces in a single instant. And yet,pared to some out there, I am nothing. There are genuine forces of nature in this world, boy. Beings that transcend reason. And if you believe the tales, demons rule the top of that pyramid.
Demons!? Vir asked, remembering the four armed giant.
They exist, though they are rare. You certainly wont see any walking around. They are usually used asborers in mines on ount of their strength. And yet, the strongest recorded warrior in this realm is a humanAndros Kinjal IV, the Imperator of Kinjal, with a Br Rank of 650.
Maiya gulped. Then who wields the strongest magic?
Riyan thought for a moment. Most probably the Prime Mejai of the Order of Mejai Sorcarthe headmaster of the Altani Magical Academy. He has never shown the true extent of his power, but some suspect his Br Rank is well over a thousand. Altani cities are full of such monsters.
Vir thought it best not to dwell on his own insignificance. You said that not all warriors could learn Talents, right? Whys that?
No one knows for certain. Perhaps it is ack of dedication. Perhaps some justck the blessing of the gods, if you believe those tales.
Perfect, Vir thought bitterly. From everything hed seen, he was likely the least blessed person in the entire world.
Two hooded figures observed the man and the two teens with spysses from a dune some distance away. Theyy prone upon the sand, their tan robes camouging them.
Never thought tailing that monster would be so simple one of them said.
Keep your guard up. The moment you underestimate that man is the moment you die. Ive seen him ughter entire squads without even blinking.
I believe it. The mans reputation precedes him. I can scarcely believe the Butcher would take in two teens, though. Did he get bored, or what? And a prana scorned Ashborn, of all things.
Indeed. Curious, though not our ce to question. I believe weve aplished all we can here. Lingering would only put us in jeopardy. Her Highness will surely find this development entertaining.
Next time: 13 - Prana Scorned
Chapter 13: Prana Scorned
Chapter 13: Prana Scorned
The two friends fell silent on the ride home after Riyansbat demonstration. Maiya brooded over magic, while Vir couldnt keep his mind off of the Talents Riyan had shown him. Was this his path to power? Or would he find hecked aptitude for Talents as well? He wasnt overly optimistic, given his prior luck.
We will begin by testing your potential, Riyan said as he maneuvered the Ashva into its hidden stable, tucked into a cave carved into the hill beside the abode. In magic, as well as the physical arts. Ashborn are supposed to be superior in both. Today, we see whether the rumors are true.
Superior? That didn''t describe him at all, and he was sure Riyan could tell, with that piercing stare of his. It was as if the man saw every dark secret he kept.
What exactly are Ashborn? Vir asked.
Other than their strength, their sickly pale skin, and red eyes, no one truly knows, Riyan replied, to his disappointment. He was hoping the man would know more.
Vir braced himself for what was toe.
You cant ask Vir to fight before he''s healed! Maiya said.
Indeed, with his sorry state, a test of physical ability would be ill advised. Instead, we shall test both of your magical aptitudes today. Combat cer. Follow me.
The two friends exchanged a nce. Vir knew how this would go. He knew hed fail the magic test. What would Riyan do once he found out? Would he abandon Vir for being defective?
Vir followed the big man into the house with heavy steps, his mind spinning through scenarios. His burn wounds were still tightly bandaged. The pain had lessened significantly, but he was in no position to survive alone, let alone out on a desert. If Riyan decided he was worthless and kicked him out, Maiya would undoubtedly leave too. But Riyan could simply threaten her with Virs life to force her to stay.
This is bad. Extremely bad.
He swore under his breath. He should have taken more precautions. Maybe he couldve stolen Riyans Ashva with Maiya What was he thinking, believing he could convince Riyan that hed be useful even without magic?
But now it was toote. There was nothing he could do. His steps turned heavy as their instructor led them to his magic testing apparatus.
His friend squeezed his arm. Rx, she whispered. We talked about this, remember? Whatever it is, Im sure he has a n, even if you cant do magic.
Neel came running up to them the moment they entered the house, tail wagging excitedly.
Maiya looked happy as she bent down and ruffled the bandys fur. Happier than usual. Of course she was. Why wouldnt she be giddy with excitement? Her father had an affinity, as did her grandfather. She had reasons to hope for an affinity, even if it was a bitte to manifest. Looking at her made Vir feel better. Maybe something good woulde out of this.
Apramor had never once allowed his daughter to test her magic after shed reached a certain age. The priest had once told Vir that the kingdom scooped up all high affinity children, that no one ever saw them again. He feared that.
No doubt Apramor would be thrilled if Maiya never manifested an affinity. And with the priests family history of magic proficiency, he had good reason to be scared.
After what felt like an eternity to them both, they finally arrived at the door of a dusty storeroom.
I can hardly remember thest time I used this. I only hope it still works, Riyan muttered as he rummaged around the room.
After retrieving the orb, Riyan led them to the dining room, where he set the device on the table.
Like Apramors testing apparatus, this one also resembled a transparent crystal the size of Virs head.
The man insisted that Neel remain outside. With the looks the bandy was giving the orb, it was probably the right call. Vir couldnt imagine what would happen if Neel pounced on the priceless thing and broke it. Vir led his four-legged friend into the bedroom andtched the door shut before hurrying back, cursing how heavily his heart pounded in his chest, even from this slight exertion.
Riyan dusted off the orb and grasped it with both hands. Within seconds, it emitted a moderately bright light, the color of the sun. It was very much not the same color that was inside Riyan.
I possess a Greater affinity for Life magic. Useless forbat, of course. Many consider Life to be less desirable than the other five, but I have lost count of the number of times this magic has saved my life. What use isbat power if youre dead? Somehow, the Kinjals do not understand this.
Vir gazed at the device with intense concentration. He could see something! Something flowed out of Riyans body, into the device. And the same-colored something was sucked out of the air into the device as well. The prana was white.
C-can I go first? Maiya asked.
Riyan gestured to the crystal. As you wish.
Maiyas expression resembled Virs when hed first tested years ago; her eyes danced with all-consuming wonder. Her anticipation was palpable, and that made Vir feel bad for her. What if she didnt manifest an affinity after all?
He was always amazed that Maiya had never disobeyed her father and sneaked in to test herself. Shed firmly refused his repeated invitations to go behind Apramors back, despite her curiosity. Vir wished he had that kind of self discipline.
Maiya touched the crystal. There was no pause or dy; the instant her fingers came into contact with the crystal, it glowed brightly. In fact, it glowed even more brilliantly than when Riyan had touched it.
Maiya shrieked and pumped her fist in joy. Is thatdoes this mean I have an Apex affinity? She asked Riyan, who stroked his beard thoughtfully.
A surprising result. Truthfully, I thought you would merely be the boys essory, supporting him as he trains. But with your talent, it would be a shame to leave your skills undeveloped. You will learn the ways of magic.
Vir had never seen a more beautiful smile on Maiyas face. She looked downright saintly at that moment. It was almost enough to erase his jealousy. Almost.
To answer your question, no. I do not believe that you possess an Apex affinity. I have seen those that do. The testing device glows so brightly that one can hardly stand to gaze at it. Yours I wonder if you have two affinities. You certainly possess a Greater affinity for one of the six, but it is likely that you also possess a second lesser affinity. Greater affinities are rare, girl. You will definitely be a Mejai Sorcar, but with adequate training, you may very well be a Mejai of Ash someday.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
A mejai what? Maiya said.
Riyan did his best not to scowl. It is a rank bestowed by the Order of the Mejai Sorcar. The rank of Mejai Sorcar carries the name of the Order itself and represents the second rank on their scale. They start at Pranikat the beginning of magical proficiencyto Mejai Sorcar, Mejai of Ash, Mejai of Realms, and finally, Prime Mejai, but only the leader of the Order carries that rank. To be Mejai Sorcar is to be respected and feared. Incidentally, I am a mere Pranik myself despite my affinity, Ive only scratched the mysteries of prana. Ive always focused more on mybat skills.
Hmmm thats nice, I suppose. Maiya didnt seem to care much about the ranks. Vir had to agree; they all sounded like gibberish to him.
So what elements do I have? she asked. Vir could tell that she was barely containing her excitement. If Riyan wasnt present, he was sure shed have done a victory dance around the room by now.
Riyan shook his head. Unfortunately, these devices can only determine whether you possess an affinity. They cannot identify which element the affinity belongs to.
Then how
Youck manners, girl, Riyan said with his predators stare, you would do well to learn some.
Maiya shut her mouth.
Riyan handed Maiya a white-tinted orb. Try to power this orb the same way you power D Grade utility orbs. This is the C Grade Stitch Skin spell of the Life element, he said. I suspect you will fail.
Maiya held the palm-sized orb and concentrated as hard as she couldto the point where she started to sweat.
Its not working!
Riyansughter boomed through the abode. I dont believe Ive seen anyone try that hard to power an orb before. Here, give it back.
What does this mean? Maiya asked, reluctantly handing the orb over.
It means one of two things: Either youck an affinity for Life magic, or you simply do not understand how to charge orbs. Thetter is a fact, but I suspect that the former is true as well. Life is a rare element, after all.
Can you teach me? She asked.
No. I never underwent formal training in the art of magic. I simply happened upon it. Thus, magic has never been my area of expertise. Im afraid my instruction would confuse you more than it would help.
Maiya looked crestfallen.
The warrior noticed her reaction. What I can tell you is that the first step to learning magic begins with detecting prana. This process is difficult and can sometimes take years. I never mastered it myself.
Virs breath caught. Sorry, but what do you mean? Isnt seeing prana a simple thing to do?
Riyan shook his head. Not in the least. And nobody sees prana, boy. Not even the Prime Mejai himself can see it, though Ive heard more talented mejai are more sensitive to prana than their lower ranked peers.
That means After seeing Maiya, he was sure now. He saw two colors flow from Maiyas body into the crystal. The orb then drew from the air the same two colors that coursed within her body!Transparent and Green.
I can see affinities, he realized. Elemental affinities. I can see prana itself!?
Virs vision swirled, and he lost his bnce, falling to his knees. How could he possibly be prana scorned if he could see affinities? And there again, he saw them more clearly than even the most powerful mejai in the entire realm? As Riyan had just said, prana was supposed to be invisible. Ephemeral.
He was onto something here. Vir felt it in his very bones. He had to explore this newfound ability of his. Had to master it to the fullest extent. For it may very well hold the secrets to unlocking magic.
For the first time in his entire life, he had evidence. Actual evidence that his aspirations for magic werent pinned on mere hopes and dreams.
Girl, this merely means that we need to find you a suitable instructor. That is my duty. For now, you will practicebat alongside the boy. That is your duty, he said, turning to Vir. Your turn, boy.
The moment Vir dreaded had finally arrived, but he was also struggling to contain his excitement.
Vir! Maiya shouted, darting over to help him up.
He waved her away, rising to his feet on his own. Im fine. Just got lightheaded for a moment.
Vir braced himself and walked up to the crystal. Riyan watched like a hawk.
Maybe this time will be different, he deluded. Maybe Apramors device was broken.
It wasnt. He ced his hands upon the crystal, and nothing happened. Nothing flew out of his body. Nothing was sucked out of the air.
Riyan was not pleased. No affinities? Disappointing. Most disappointing.
What will you do with me now?
Riyan massaged the bridge of his nose. This is a setback. We will have to make up for it with your physicalbat training.
Maiya breathed a sigh of relief. Vir kept his hands on the crystal.
Hed survived. But was this alright? If he kept the fact that he was prana scorned from Riyanas Maiya had helped him do until nowwhat would happen when Riyan inevitably uncovered the truth?
Vir knew what it meant to lie. Rudvik hated liars. And Vir would die before he betrayed his fathers memory. If he wanted to train with Riyan, hed have to be honest. Both to himself, and to his instructor.
Its not just that, Riyan, Vir said.
Vir looked Riyan in the eye. Forget affinities. I cant even use basic utility orbs like everyone else.
Maiyas eyes bulged. What do you think youre
What do you mean? Riyan asked, cutting her off. I have nevere across a person who cant use utility magic.
From the day I was born, Ive been Im prana scorned.
Maybe he wasnt. For the first time ever, he hoped he wasnt.
I gotta tell Maiya!
But what about Riyan? The fact remained; as of this moment, he simply couldnt use magic. At all.
Vir contemted telling Riyan that he could see prana, but he doubted the man would believe him. He, himself wasn''t even sure if he was right. Thest thing he needed was Riyan using him of lying, breaking whatever little trust he had. And even if Vir could see prana, he couldn''t use orbs. It wasn''t like Riyan would shower him with praises for that.
Riyan held Virs gaze for a long moment. I see.
What will you do with me now? Vir asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper.
Divulging this information was not in your best interest, the Ghost of Godshollow said. You feared that if I knew, I would throw you out, correct?
Vir nodded.
But you felt that keeping the secret would be worse, Riyan continued. And you were right to think so. Be at ease. In recognition of your honesty, I will not banish you yet. Prove to me that the physical prowess you disyed in the forest was no fluke. If you impress me sufficiently, I shall allow you to stay.
Vir felt the weight of a mountaine off his shoulders. He wasnt out of the woods yethed have to prove himselfbut he could manage that. He was sure of it.
Still, I have never met someone incapable of using basic utility magic, Riyan said, stroking his long beard. He sure liked to do that.
Maiya timidly raised her hand. Could we install utilities around the home that dont require magic? Like locks and taps and such? Things have been awfully inconvenient for Vir. Hes essentially trapped unless someone opens the doors for him
Vir knew that the one who was most inconvenienced by hisck of prana was Maiya herself. But his friend would never admit that. He silently thanked her for bringing up the topic.
That will require some doing. If the boy can prove hisbat potential to me once he recovers, then I may consider it. If not
He left his sentence unfinished, the implication obvious.
Now tell me, Riyan said. How much do you two know about the workings of prana?
Maiya grinned, and Vir found himself doing the same. Finally. Finally, they were going to get a glimpse into the secrets of the mejai!
Next time: 14 - The Energy Of Life
Chapter 14: The Energy Of Life
Chapter 14: The Energy Of Life
Wait here, Riyanmanded, leaving Vir and Maiya in the hallway as he disappeared into his bedroom. Neither of them had seen the inside of his room.
What do you think he hides in there? Maiya asked.
Why do you think hes hiding something? Vir held plenty of suspicion for the man, but the contents of Riyans bedroom wasnt one of them.
I mean, why else would he be so paranoid about us going inside?
Maybe he just values his privacy? Would you like it if he barged into our room?
Mmm, I dunno. Feels fishy to me. Just like that other room we cant go into.
Vir wondered about that. There was only one other door that was restricted to them. Judging by the doors size, it led into arge space of some sort.
Maybe well find out one day, he said. But Im not going to break in and risk Riyan throwing us out in anger.
Maiya nodded several times. Agreed. So, what do you think hes doing in there?
Probably something rted to magic, dont you think?
Vir could scarcely contain his excitement about what Riyan was going to teach them, and he knew Maiya was in the same boat. No one at the vige really knew how to use magic aside from Apramor, but since he never had formal training, he couldnt clearly articte how it worked.
I never thought powering a C grade orb would be so different from using utility magic, Maiya said.
What does it feel like? To power a utility orb? he asked, despite already having asked her in the past. Vir had always enjoyed fantasizing about great magic spells that brought forth meteors from the sky. And now that he could see prana, these concepts bore far more importance for him.
This was probably the twentieth time shed humored him, but Maiya didnt mind repeating herself for her friends sake. You just kinda will the orb to activate, and you can feel a bit of your energy being drained away. Not much though. Just for an instant at the beginning. Then the orb just does its thing and fills up.
The door to Riyans bedroom swung open and out walked the man with a slim wooden box. Its rich red grains and gold iy gave it a refined, expensive appearance.
The man led the two to one of the living roomsthe one where ornate rugs covered a floor of bare sand. He ced the box on a coffee table and took a seat on a cushioned fabric stool nearby. Vir and Maiya took their seats on simr stools opposite him.
He opened the two goldtches, revealing four white orbs. Some were small enough to be held between two fingers, while one was palm sized.
I must confess that I am no expert on magic. I cannot teach you the ways of the mejai, girl, but I can share some basics. But first, tell me what you know of prana.
Maiya thought for a moment before replying. Its the stuff that fuels orbs. And orbs power magical spells. And I know thatbat orbs use the prana inside our bodies to work. Thats why people need affinities to usebat orbs, right?
Wrong, Riyan said with his head in his hands. Being ignorant is one thing, but being taught outright lies is Infuriating. Your instructor should be ashamed.
Maiya opened her mouth to argue, but Riyan cut her off.
It is true that prana exists within us, but only in trace amounts. Nowhere near enough to power an orb. Not even a utility orb.
Riyans words countered everything Vir had been told about prana. Granted, the vigers of Brij were no mejai, but still Vir couldnt help but feel a little let down.
Prana exists within all living beings. After all, prana is the energy of life itself. It also, Riyan held up a finger, exists in the air.
So thats why crops grow better in prana rich areas, Maiya said, catching on. Its because they breathe the prana in the air, isnt it? How does that work, though? The airs not alive is it?
Riyan shook his head. I do not know. As I said, I am no mejai. However, this is a fact. Without prana, orbs would not function. Orbs function by consuming the prana in the air around the mejai.
Vir glimpsed a ray of hope. If that was true, then it didnt matter if he had prana in his body or not. It meant that something else was blocking him from using the magic in the air. He just had to find out what.
But Maiya was left unsatisfied with their instructors exnation. If thats true, then why do you even need an affinity to use magic? What are affinities?
I do not know! Riyan barked. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Apologies, it is unbing to lose my temper. Some mejai say that they seek the permission of the gods to use magic. That an affinity is a blessing, and that through their blessing, theymune with the gods.
Is that really true? Vir asked.
Who can say? Riyan said. I lost my faith in the gods many years ago. He held up a white orb that glowed with his magic. As you can see, I can still use magic without issue.
The whole blessing idea concerned Vir, but there was something else that sounded off about Riyans exnation. He realized what it was.
If orbs gain their power from their surroundings, wouldnt that mean magic is more effective the closer you are to the Ash? Versus somece like Brij, where pranas scarce? Its the same as how crops grow better, isnt it?
Riyan cocked a brow. An astute observation, boy. You are indeed correct. Have you ever asked yourself why the most prosperous nations border the Ashen Realm, despite the endless hordes of monsters they have to repel daily?
Their instructor paused, apparently realizing something. Of course you havent! You do not even know the names of these kingdoms, do you? I will only say this once, so be sure to listen. The most powerful countries in the Known World are the Altani and the Kinjal Empire. Both have long borders with the Ash. They have constructed enormous walls to keep away the Ash Beasts that breach the Ash Boundary. As you can imagine, these walls require immense manpower to keep staffed. It is a significant drain upon their resources, and yet, they remain the most powerful nations. Why is this?
Maiya hazarded a guess. Its because prana makes their magic more powerful, doesnt it?
Yes, and no. People who grow up close to the Ash boast stronger, sturdier bodies. They manifest affinities more often and at an earlier age. They are healthier, can fight longer, and hit harder. And in addition to these advantages,bat magic deployed near the Ash is far stronger.
With that many cards stacked in their favor, Vir found it hard to imagine a country not being incredibly powerful.
In fact, Riyan continued, standard military strategy forrge scale engagements call for immediate deployment of high ranked magic spells, followed by archers, and finally footsoldier and cavalry engagement. Do you know why?
Maiya shook her head, but Vir thought it over. Since they had been on the topic of prana density, it made sense that this also had something to do with that. Vir had a thought, but it was too ridiculous to be possible.
Though the more he mulled it over, the more it made sense. There was only a finite amount of prana in the air. He doubted a lone mejai could do anything to affect that but what about a hundred? Or a thousand?
Its to deplete the prana in the air, isnt it? That way, they could prevent the enemy from using magic.
Riyan looked at him with surprise. Have you had any training in military tactics, boy?
Vir shook his head. He himself didnt know how he came to that conclusion It simply felt like the right answer. As if hed fought in a hundred battles and knew that this was well understood.
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That is indeed the reason. Armies expect the enemy to deplete prana, and so, the side that gets more of their spells out before depletion gains an advantage. After all, more spells generally mean more damage to the enemy.
Hard to imagine mejai being strong enough to actually pull that off, though, Maiya said.
That is because high rank spells consume a significant amount of prana. With enough mejai, it is possible to consume so much prana from the air such thatrge-scale magic bes impossible. Lower rank magics will, of course, continue to function, but strategic level spellsthe spells that can decide the oue of a battle in momentswill no longer be in y.
Riyan paused, looking at them appraisingly. This strategy is not viable in only one area of the world. Do you know where?
Maiya spoke up. ces where magic doesnt work at all?
Correct. The Voided Lands. Barren, pranaless regions on the western coast of the Known World. Thend of the Pagan Order, a country that exists exclusively within the Voided Lands. Few live there by choice. Those that do are savages, living more like animals than civilized people.
He then gestured to the box before them. Now, let us return to the lesson I had nned for today. These orbs all belong to the Life Affinity. The small ones are grade C. Therge one is grade A, and it cost me more than your entire vige earns in a whole month, so do not touch it.
The two friends eyed the orbs like it was a divine treasure.
Who made these? Theyre beautiful! Maiya said, her eyes gleaming.
A thaumaturge out of Daha. Thaumaturges are rare magical craftsmen who etch these orbs with the inscriptions required to power various spells.
How does that work? Vir asked. If he could understand the workings of orbs, then perhaps he could learn more about why he couldnt use magic.
No one knows, Riyan replied. Every thaumaturge in the world merely copies inscriptions passed down for millennia. As far as we know, every inscription we have todayes from the Age of Gods. They are gifts from the gods themselves. If someone tells you otherwise, they are either lying, or theyre Altani. Though I doubt even Altani thaumaturges have cracked the secret, or wed be seeing new designs flood the market.
Vir deted, crestfallen. If no one knew how they worked, he stood little chance of unlocking their secrets himself. Not that itll stop me from trying
Their instructor continued. The orbs you are familiar with are only Grade D. Utility orbs. They can provide heat for cooking, cool the temperature of a small space to preserve food, lock doors, and have myriad other applications. In short, they are the pirs of our very society. Everyone, without exception, can use Utility Magic, he said, eyeing Vir.
We suspect that utility magic was invented by the gods for theyman. Their uses vary, but they all share one trait: they are universally weak. By design. Orbs of D grade consume one hundred times less prana than orbs of Grade C, which is wherebat and affinity orbs begin. B Grade orbs consume ten times the prana of C. A Grade orbs consume ten times that of B.
Is that the highest grade? Maiya asked.
For you? Yes. Few people ever eveny eyes on an A grade orb. They are expensive and rare, and those who can wield them are even fewer still. But there is in fact one grade higher. Technically, two.
Vir had heard rumors of A grade orbs that could create blizzards or summon down storms of lightning. His mind had a hard time imagining anything more powerful than that.
S rank orbs belong to the domain of myth and legend. I have seen morebat than most men would in several lifetimes, yet I have never once seen S rank magic in use. Though I have read reports of tornadoes that can crumble Kinjali walls and meteors raining from the sky with the power to wipe out entire viges.
Vir gulped. Hed always thought of his meteor-summoning fantasy as just that: fantasy. To think a real spell existed that did exactly this He wasnt sure whether to jump for joy or to cower in terror. Probably thetter.
And, Maiya whispered. Theres more?
Artifacts, Riyan stated. Lost magic from the Age of Gods, if you believe the stories. Each one is supposed to be unique, and apparently none of them have powers that even remotely resemble those of orbs. I say apparently because they are objects of myth. I have never seen one in person.
He paused and swept his gaze over his disciples.
The Order of the Mejai Sorcar ranks its mejai ording to how many orbs of a particr rank they can charge simultaneously. The more one can charge, and the higher the orb tier they can charge, the higher their title. And now, we havee to the limit of what I understand of prana. This is all I can impart to you about magic.
But then, how am I gonna learn? Maiyained.
I may not have the skills to train you, but I know of someone who can, he said, getting up to leave. Now, I have work to do. Your time is your own, but do not exert yourselves. The boy has yet to recover from his wounds.
The Ghost of Godshollow packed up his precious orbs and retreated to his room, leaving Vir and Maiya alone in his opulent living room.
Phew! Maiya said. That was a lot. I mean, it was all super interesting, but I can almost see the steaming out of my head, yknow? Maiya said, grabbing Virs hand. Cmon! I found a spot nearby. Think youre gonna like it. Oh, but lets grab Neel first. Hed be sad if he missed out.
I doubt hes that smart, Vir thought, but he felt bad for the droopy eared bandy nevertheless.
She retrieved Neel from their bedroom and led them out of the abode and up to the summit of the hill that hid the house. On it was a lone, branchless tree, its many limbs gangly and gnarled.
It isnt as impressive as Rabbit Hill, and the trees not even big enough to climb, but the views pretty great, right? Maiya said.
Neel predictably began running circles round the tree, as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
It sure is, Vir replied. From here, they had a three hundred sixty degree view of the surrounding hills and sand dunes. Vir suspected this spot was directly on top of their bedroom, idly wondering if there was a hidden trapdoor that led up here.
Maiyay down and stared at the beautiful orange hues of the sky. Looks like we just missed sunset. Wont be long now before night falls.
Virs burns hadnt quite healed yet;rge movements still caused him a great deal of difort. So he sat down beside her, trying to stay as still as possible. Neel joined them, resting his belly on the warm,fortable sand.
So much has changedtely, Maiya said, gazing up at the sky, Everythings different now. Thought we could use a spot that felt a little familiar, yknow?
Tell me about it. This is a wonderful find, Maiya. I like it here. We should definitely visit more often.
I honestly cant believe that just a week ago, my biggest worry was baking your birthday cake.
Virughed.
Maiya propped herself on an elbow. And now Im living with some stranger. And I cant even go back to mom and dad.
You can. Someday. Ill never see Rudvik again.
Neel sat up, expectantly searching for his old master upon hearing his name.
Im sorry, Vir, I didnt mean to
Its fine, Maiya. Ive made my peace with it, Vir said, dismissing her concerns. Im gonna live my life the best way I can. Thats the only way I can do justice to father. Actually
Yeah?
Maiya?
Yeah, Vir?
I have something to tell you.
You know you can tell me anything, right?
I I think I can see prana.
Maiya bolted upright. What!? she shouted, causing Neel to startle and bark.
Virs mouth went into overdrive, startled at her reaction. Ever since our encounter in the Godshollow, Ive been seeing these colors. Except, theyre not really colors, but I dont know how else to describe them. Anyway, theyve been incredibly distracting. Sometimes I can barely even stand without falling over. But Ive been noticing patterns to them, Maiya. Like, the colors inside Riyans body? Brown and White. And Life Affinity orbs are white!
Thats then whats the brown? Life orbs are white, Lightnings gold, Winds green, Waters blue, Fires red, and Ice is well, it looks like ice. Transparent. Theres no brown in there, Vir.
Vir was puzzled by that too. I know. I can see brown in rocks and things like that. Dunno what it means, exactly, but think about it. I see green and transparent within you. And transparent is brighter. Maiya, I think you might have affinities for Ice and Wind!
No. No way. One of my affinities has to be Fire, she said, panicking. Im sorry, but I dont think youre seeing what you think youre seeing. Like, dont you think itd be a big deal if people could see others prana? You could tell immediately what affinities they had! Thatd give you a huge advantage in a fight. Mejai all over the world would kill to have that kind of ability, Vir. Everybody would know about it!
Hmm Yeah, maybe youre right.
She had a point. There werent any orbs of the brown element. Not to mention the abyssal ck inside his own body. What in Chs name was that?
Vir didnt press the point. He needed more information before he could mount apelling argument.
They fell silent after that, watching the colors of the sky give way to the stars that shined proudly. There was never much light in the sky at night, but from his vantage, with the sandy hills reflecting the starlight, he felt like he could see all the way to the horizon.
Vir contemted revealing the details of how he''d been possessed in the Godshollow to Maiya, but found himself unable to say the words. He still hadn''t gotten over how Ekanai had wanted to harm her. He doubted he''d be able to divulge that secret until he had a way of fighting against Ekanai''s influence.
The two friendsy atop the sandy hill well after the nights chill settled in, admiring the gorgeous nights sky with Neel, whod promptly nodded off. An hour passed before the cold finally got to them, forcing them to head back inside.
As they walked home, Vir made up his mind.
Tomorrow, hed discover what these unknown colors he was seeing were really about.
Next time: 15 - Prana Vision
Chapter 15: Prana Vision
Chapter 15: Prana Vision
Vir sat cross-legged under the leafless tree that had quickly be his and Maiyas spot. His friend was off doing who-knew-what, leaving him alone under the searing heat of the midday sun with his trusty four leggedpanion. The bare tree did little to protect either of them. Beads of sweat dribbled down Virs forehead.
Life had be such a flurry of activity after arriving at Riyans ce that hed hardly even had time to reflect upon the events of that fateful day at the Godshollow. The day Rudvik had died The day hed been possessed. He recalled only bits and pieces of those moments, but he did remember a name: Reaper Ekanai.
The one whod tried to kill Maiya. Whod spoken of some mission that Vir had no inkling about.
The warrior from his vision had been fierce and mighty. Invincible. Though Ekanai was clearly deranged, the sense of total confidence that filled Vir at that moment had been intoxicating. Hed felt nothing like it before Or ever since.
The most tangible effect hed carried forth from that ordeal was his altered eyesight. At first, hed worried that his eyes had been somehow corrupted. As time went on, he realized that wasnt the case at all. He saw more now. More than he ever had in his entire life.
And now he knew that what he had was special. Riyan had confirmed it himselfnot even the worlds strongest mejai could see prana. For the first time in his life, he possessed a powerful secret. Something no one other than Maiya knew about. Now, he had to learn how to leverage it.
But something had been worrying him about the ability. The dazzling intensity of the colors he saw during the vision had dimmed significantly. He struggled to see the colors that had almost nauseated him in the forest.
So instead, Vir shut his eyes and fell into his memory of the events back then.
Hed been separated from Maiya. He had run desperately to find her, finding her beset by two of the knights bandies.
Vir recalled the dread hed felt at that moment. Hed been too far to help her. Then then time had seemed to slow.
It rained that day. ck clouds.
No! He realized that wasnt true. Reaper Ekanais memories had bled into his own. There was no rain in the Godshollow, but it was raining in Ekanais memories. Vir focused on the image of rainfall. He soon realized that the rain in Ekanais memory wasnt rain at allit was falling ash.
Ash that fell eternally in a blighted realm.
Then he saw the lightning. So much lightning! A lightning storm, the likes of which hed never seen. Vir had only ever heard of those; Brij never saw that kind of weather. The crack of lightning striking nearby startled Vir. He forced his eyes open, finding only Neel staring at him quizzically.
He took a moment to let the feeling pass over him.
Youre not in a lightning storm. Youre sitting here on a dune under a tree.
There wasnt a cloud in sight.
He repeated this mantra in his head several times and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes once more.
The lightning from Ekanais memory felt like it was everywhere, scorching the soot-covered earth wherever the Reaper had looked. Everything was so golden. No! Not gold, but one of the new colors that had bled into his vision afterwards. The gold color appeared only when lightning struck, and dissipated soon after.
Gold for Lightning.
Despite Maiyas rejection of his theory, Vir still suspected that his newly gained sight allowed him to see prana. As hed learned from her yesterday, Lightning affinity orbs were golden. Hed initially thought that orbs of the various affinities were dyed in different hues to help people differentiate them. But now he wondered whether they simply took on the color of the affinitys prana itself.
Vir shook his head. It was too early toe to that conclusion. He opened his eyes.
He stared at the ground beneath him. There was a color there, but it was so dim, he couldnt make it out. The problem he currently faced was that his new sight, whatever it really was, had faded significantly.
Vir had hoped that rekindling his memory of the events in the Godshollow would help restore his vision, but it was not to be. At a dead end, he did the only thing he couldtest the other affinities.
If Lightning strikes contained golden prana, and Riyans Life magic was white, then it stood to reason that the other affinities prana should show up in their respective elements. The simplest thing Vir could think of was water.
Vir walked back to the homestead and dropped Neel off inside before retrieving Riyans Ashva from its stable. He hopped on, not paying a single thought as to whether Riyan was okay with himmandeering his animals, and rode the beast a half hour southwest.
The abode was on the southern edge of the central desert. Near to there, thend turned from rolling sand dunes to ins with rivers that eventually led to the Godshollow.
Vir dismounted the Ashva on the ins and walked up to a freshwater stream. He sat beside it and stared and saw nothing.
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Odd
But Vir was not one to give up so easily. For minutes, he sat and gazed at the flowing water. Minutes turned into tens of minutes, and he began nodding off. As his neck lolled, he startled awake, worried that some predator had snuck up on him. His heart pounded within his chest, but as he looked around, he realized it was just Riyans Ashva. The beasts loud grunt mustve scared him awake.
Then he noticed he could see the colors again. The effect died off within moments, but it was enough for him to glimpse Blue within the flowing water.
Vir pumped his fists. Yesss!
Another element whose color matched the color of its orb.
Now, if I could figure out a way of seeing the colors without having to nod off, first
Despite that inconvenience, he was d that his enhanced vision hadnt faded away forever.
But why would it only manifest after I wake up? Unless Could that be it?
An idea struck him. He stripped off his clothing and plunged into the stream.
The ice cold water sent a shock through his entire body, and sure enough, the colors came zing back in all of their glory. This time, the effectsted far longer, lingering until hed dried himself off and done several jumping jacks to warm up.
Thats when the pieces of the puzzle fit together; the jumping jacks had also boosted the colors in his vision.
Its rted to exertion!? Or wait, no. My heart?
Back when hed had the vision in the forest, his heart had been pumping madly, and blood coursed through his body. Ever since then, hed been taking things easy to recuperate from his burns, so hed never really gotten his heart rate up.
Itd exin why hed regained the vision when he startled awake, and also when hed done those jumping jacks. Everything fit.
Sight being rted to blood flow was something that intrigued Vir. He didnt know why this would be the case, but it was something to make a note of.
Vir returned to the Ashva and rummaged through a leather satchel strapped to its side. After searching for a moment, he retrieved a tinder bundle of dried leaves, along with some flint and steel. Rudvik had taught him never to venture into the wild without the means to start a fire, and hed taken that lesson to heart.
He spent several moments scrounging the area for dry wood. Ordinarily, hed choose standing deadwood, but there was none of that here, so he made do with twigs he found on the ground. The blistering sun had dried them well enough to use, and he wasnt going for a big fire. Even a small me would suffice.
Vir arranged his twigs and built a base for his fire. He struck the flint and steel, causing it to spark. After a dozen tries, the spark finally took to the tinder bundle. He dropped the flint, picked up the bundle, and blew on it. Cautiously at first, then with more force as the me spread to the driedbustible material.
Once the tinder bundle was aze, he quicklyid it down under the twig teepee hed constructed. It took a few minutes for the fire to fully establish, allowing Vir to do some jumping jacks in the meantime, keeping a close eye on the nascent fire.
Sweating and heaving, he crouched and stared deeply into the mes.
There was no mistaking ithe saw Red in its dancing tongues. An odd color that contrasted the yellow mes to create something that looked supernatural.
Vir pumped his fists with joy. The only elements left untested were ice and wind. He wasnt sure where hed find ice out here, but if he just waited long enough
Whoosh!
As if the gods had heard his thoughts, a gentle breeze blew past, ruffling his hair and threatening to put out his little fire.
Vir didnt care, because he saw it! Green in the air that rushed past him.
He spent the next several hours alternating between exhaustion and giddiness as he repeated his jumping jacks. During that time, he noticed something. The colors had actually be brighter. Now they were almost as bright as when hed been back in the Godshollow. Almost, but not quite.
The new colors overwhelmed his vision, but he was much more familiar with them now. He didnt lose his bnce or feel nauseous. Instead, he appreciated the world in a way he never could before.
The way the colors danced through the air, the way they swirled through rivers and coursed through the trunks of trees It was all so delightfully elegant. Like hed stepped into a fabled realm of the gods.
Vir cast his gaze on a hare that ran across the ins. In it were traces of blue, green, white, and brown. Several elements were there, but the quantities were so tiny that hed never noticed them before.
Then he looked down at the earth and instantly regretted it. A wave of nausea overcame him, making him fall onto his butt. A vast ocean of prana lurked beneath his feet, all of it a single color: Brown. It was both bright and vast to his senses. So vast that he felt it dwarfed all the other affinitiesbined.
Groundno! Earth Affinity? But thats impossible!
There was no earth affinity. If there were, there would be orbs of that color. Itd be well known and used across the world. But it wasnt. Hed never heard of such an affinity.
Then he recalled Riyan. Hadnt he seen the very same affinity in Riyans own body?
What does this mean?
Then he looked at his arm and saw the prana that coursed through his body. There wasnt a trace of any affinity within his body. Not even a single mote. It was a barren void, with only a slight trickle of a deep, inky ck from the marrow of his bones.
Yet despite its paltry quantity, the depth with which that ck prana shone was far beyond any of the other affinities hed seen. It wasnt even remotelyparable. But what was it?
Vir felt a sudden prick of pain from his back; his exertion had taken its toll on his mending injuries. Hed have to see if there were better ways of activating his color vision, but for now, he could at least do jumping jacks, or jog, assuming he wasnt injured. The pain from the burn wound had lessened so much that hed almost forgotten about his burns. Thanks to Riyans orbs, he was almost back to normal again.
Thinking about his recovery made him remember Riyans condition for him staying, which soured his mood somewhat. He still needed to prove hisbat prowess if he wanted to stay. Virs stamina was always a problem for him, and hed had no training in thebat arts.
If he wanted to prove to Riyan that he was worth keeping around, hed need something more. Something like this new ability hed gained. Something like Prana Vision.
Once again, Vir contemted telling the man about Prana Vision. He might be able to prove to the man he could see prana, but wanted to reserve that as ast resort. If he failed his physical test, he''d tell him. Otherwise, it would be in his best interest to hide it; he still didn''t know how much he could trust the man.
Vir! Vir, are you there? From far away, he heard Maiyas panicked voice.
Boy! You will pay for this! How dare you take my Ashva without permission!
It was Riyans thundering voice. And he sounded pissed.
Oh no. Badraks Balls! Nonono! Virs blood ran cold.
I never told them I was going out.
Next time: 16 - Rite Of Passage
Chapter 16: Rite Of Passage
Chapter 16: Rite Of Passage
Vir struggled and strained. For the first time since the Godshollow, he feared he wouldnt survive. Perhaps perhaps he had finally met his match.
Scrubbing away for hours on the kitchen countertop, mopping its floors, and polishing the myriad of sses withinVir was no stranger to chores, but Maiya? Less so. Her baleful stares had made these ordinary tasks downright torturous.
Vir nced at his best friend. He could feel the anger oozing off of her like ashen me. He regretted everything.
Ever since hed taken Riyans Ashva a week ago, his life had be a living hell. Both his and Maiyas chores had tripled. He was positive that such intense manualbor was bad for his wound, but Riyans healing magic kept him frustratingly on the mend In fact, hed made aplete recovery. This only worsened his situation, since he could no longer use his condition as an excuse.
Thanks to his actions, they now had to sign out on a roster every time they wanted to leave the abode. They wrote down where they were going, how long theyd be gone, and all outings longer than one hour required Riyans explicit permission. This was all in addition to the aforementioned tripling of their housework, which was by far the worst part.
Maiya still hadnt forgiven him. If he could rewind time, hed have told them where he was going but hed still have gone. His discovery about the rtionship between Prana Vision, as hed named it,and blood flow had absolutely been worth it. Now, he sought every opportunity to exert himself. If there was a single silver lining about all of this, it was that the increased blood flow from his hardbor had helped him hone Prana Vision.
The previously faint colors now dominated his vision. So much so that he had to develop ways of ignoring them, slowly getting used to this new normal whenever his heart beat quickly.
Hed made some discoveries. Afterparing Maiyas prana signature with Riyans, he was now almost sure that Maiya had a Greater affinity for Ice magic and a Lesser affinity for wind.
As for Riyan, Vir had concluded that he possessed the Earth Affinity. It was a color that shouldnt exist at all, but he saw it everywhere. It was the affinity that dominated the ground, and was found in rocks of all sorts, and to a lesser extent in trees.
Vir himself was the biggest mystery. The tiny trickle of prana inside him was all inky ck, and even after a week of using his ability, not a single thing in nature seemed to share his affinity. And he wasnt even sure if it was an affinity. It looked different to Prana Vision, in a way he neither understood nor could exin. Like it was denser, somehow. More profound. More ancient.
As hed expected, neither Riyan nor Maiya had heard of ck-colored orbs, forcing him to conclude that they simply didnt exist. Or maybe the Altani knew and hoarded it as a trade secret, but Vir felt that unlikely.
Maiya stretched her back after an hour of mopping the packed y floor, heaving an overly exaggerated sigh. I swear, its just like you to do something like this. Whenever something gets into your head, its like the rest of the world doesnt even exist anymore.
Vir smirked; she was more on point than she realized. After all, he could see an entirely new world now. He almost pitied her for not being able to experience sight in the same way he could.
Not funny, Vir.
Sorry, Maiya.
Riyan walked into the kitchen, an evil grin on his face. If nothing else, youll gain some muscle from this. Your scrawny bodies could use a bit of meat on those bones.
Easy for you to say, Vir thought. Riyan never had to worry about putting food on the table. The famine wasnt easy for anyone. Getting a solid two meals a day had been a challenge for Vir and Rudvik. And the lumberjack needed more food than Vir did, which often left him with a half empty belly. Vir suspected that hed be far more muscr if hed simply had more to eat growing up.
The time hase to assess yourbat potential, boy, he said, sweeping his gaze across both Vir and Maiya. Follow me.
The broad-shouldered man turned and strode out, not bothering to wait.
Vir hastily put away his cleaning rag while Maiya stowed her mop, both scrambling to wipe their hands clean before darting after their instructor. Neel joined up with them, smelling a spicy event about to happen. The bandy possessed a deceptively keen nose for this kind of thing.
As they walked, Vir realized where their instructor was leading them.
The locked door.
Aside from Riyans bedroom, there was only one room in the earthen abode that had remained barred to them.
Were finally going to see whats inside! He thought, his heart beating faster in his chest.
Therge reinforced wooden doors hinted that the room beyond was not a small one.
When Riyan pushed open the doors, Vir was proven correct but hed never imagined just how massive the space was.
Vir stepped into the enormous dome and looked up. Its roof soared to at least five stories in height. Skylights and mirror arrays embedded in the ceiling provided a bit of light, but most of the illumination came from the warm glow of Magic Lamps set into alcoves at regr intervals, spiraling all the way up. Deep, golden sand filled the entire floor of the circr space.
What is this ce? Maiya asked in wonderment as Neel bounded through the sand, tail wagging in glee.
Riyan gestured to the racks that ringed the circr space. I originally built this as a ce of training and meditation. On these racks, you will find nearly every weapon in the Known World.
He wasnt joking. Vir perused the myriad of steel and wooden weapons that lined the walls. Several of which he couldnt even recognize.
From polearms like the one the knight had wielded, to talwars and shamshirs, arming swords, greatswords, maces, and even spiked ils; all of them looked worn and abused, and none were of high quality. But then again, training weapons didnt need to be. A separate rack contained wooden versions of most of the steel weapons.
Craning his neck up at the roof, it dawned on him just how deep underground they actually were. He could hardly believe this room had existed the entire time.
If you pass my test, this is where you will spend most of your days ahead. Training. Improving. Growing.
A mask of determination covered Virs face. He couldnt afford to fail here. What a chance this was! His golden opportunity to gain the strength hed so badly sought. No matter what, he had to seed.
Maiya regarded Riyan with suspicion. Who are you, really? No average person has anything like this. Youre Sawai, arent you? An aristocrat?
One must always practice their craft, Riyan said, ignoring herst question, or the de dulls. Like many structures, we built this one with the help of magic, and that is all you need to know. Now, we shall test the boys potential.
Vir didnt care who Riyan was or what he wanted from him, so long as the man could train him. After witnessing Riyansbat skills, and after seeing this room, there was no longer any doubt in his mind.
What do you want me to do?
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Remove your shoes, Riyanmanded, doing the same himself. First, unarmedbat. You will duel against me. Fight for your life, boy, because I shall show you no mercy.
The massive warrior strode to the center of the dome and adopted a low, wide stance. Bending his knees, he held his arms forward, like a great tiger ready to lunge onto its prey.
Vir faced off against him, ten paces away, a shrew inparison. His bare feet sunk into the deep sand and scraped against his soles. He needed twice the energy into every step just to walk straight.
Begin, the Ghost of Godshollow ordered.
Vir lunged with every ounce of strength he could muster. The fight for his future had begun.
Maiya and Neel sat watching the twobatants from the perimeter of the dome. From the moment they faced off, Maiya knew how this would turn out.
On one side was a battle hardened warrior who lived and breathedbat. Who wielded superhuman Talents, and whod no doubt trained endlessly for years on end.
On the other side was Vir. Poor, scrawny little Vir. Barely a man. No martial arts training whatsoever. And who could barely run thirty paces without keeling over.
Hang in there, Vir, Maiya thought, idly stroking Neels back. The bandy whimpered in delight, oblivious to the stakes of the duel taking ce.
Maiya began regretting how shed treated Vir this past week. Hed deserved her ire, but even so
Vir lunged at the big man. Maybe he was trying to take Riyan by surprise? Vir certainly moved faster than Riyan did, which surprised her.
Maiya saw a faint glimmer of hope for her friend. Hes exploiting his advantages!
Not that he had many of those, but being smaller and more agile meant he could move around faster than Riyan And shed witnessed his agility time and time again. It was at a level where most adults couldnt even hope to match him until he grew tired, that was.
At least, that was what should have happened. But then Riyan up and disappeared. When Maiya caught sight of him again, hed already delivered a devastating punch to Virs stomach, sending him tumbling across the sand.
Thats so unfair He could at least refrain from using his Talents! She thought. Not like he needs those to win, anyway.
Vir retched upon the sand, trying desperately to regain his breath.
Hes suffocating! Maiya shrieked, ready to rush over to defend her friend. But a gesture of Riyans hand stopped her in her tracks.
He said nothing. The man merely watched as Vir vomited, retched, and gasped.
Maiya saw her friend look up at Riyan with hateno, not hate. Determination. Slowly, agonizingly, he picked himself back up and stabilized his breathing.
Hes smiling at him!? She could hardly believe Virs tenacity.
Is that all you got!?
Too slow.
Riyan Leaped to Vir, delivering a catastrophic hook to his ribs. Maiya heard something crack, and Vir went tumbling once again.
Agh! Vir screamed, eating mouthfuls of sand.
And yet, hed scarcelye to a stop in a sprawling heap before he picked himself up again.
Riyan once again charged in Except this time, the man received a fistful of sand in his eyes. Vir used the distraction to lunge to the side, narrowly dodging his attack.
Yess!!! Maiya cheered. Using sands a stroke of brilliance!
Vir continued to bob, weave, duck, and roll around Riyan, narrowly avoiding his attacks, throwing sand whenever it seemed like he was in danger.
Riyans movements werent as fast, but even to Maiyas untrained eyes, they showed an elegance she couldnt quite ce. Like flowing water, he was graceful, whereas Vir was erratic.
How?
Her friend had reached the limits of his stamina long ago. His ribs were cracked. He must have been in extreme pain. Hows he able to move like that? He looked so bright to her eyes, shining like the brightest star.
Vir wasnt a prodigy. But ever since they were little, hed been the hardest worker in the entire vige. Riyan didnt know about his diligent acrobatic practice, or the hours he spent perfecting the art of pebble throwing. Vir learned quickly, and he worked hard. How could she possiblypete with someone like that?
And yet, despite his efforts, he still couldnt hold a candle to Riyan.
Vir finally slowed, unable to maintain his exertion. Riyan took the opportunity to kick him halfway across the dome. Vir tumbled and tumbled and this time, he didnt get back up.
Your technique would make a warrior weep. Your stamina is worse than a childs, the Ghost of Godshollow said, stroking his beard.
But you move well. You instinctively understand your strengths and your weaknesses, and you exploit them. Riyan held up a finger, Most importantly, you show the soul of a warrior. When the warrior loses, he grows. When he is beaten to the brink of death, he stares the Reaper in the eyes and says No. The warrior is relentless. The warrior does not give up. Ever. Until he is dead.
Vir huffed and heaved, spreadeagle on the sand. Maiya wasnt sure whether hed heard the mans oddly poetic speech.
Now pick a weapon. Let us see how you fare in armedbat.
Maiya could no longer keep quiet. Virs never held anything other than a knife his whole life! You cant possibly ask him to fight you like that. Just look at the state hes in! Hes proven his worth, hasnt he? Leave him be!
Maiya fully expected her plea to go ignored.
Life is never so kind, girl. The moment you believe youve seeded, when you think youve finally grown strong, life will be there to p you in the face. Those who have tasted sess know that the path is long and full of suffering. The boy must struggle. He must endure the pain. He must fail. Only then will his growth have meaning. Only then will he have the strength to survive.
Maiya wondered what kind of Ash-forsaken life Riyan must have led to have such a sad outlook. She didnt wait, and hurried out to the grotto to procure a bucket of water and cloth. Vir wouldnt stand a chance in the uing fight, and though she couldnt heal him with magic, she could at least ease his suffering.
She returned just in time to see Vir rise like a corpse rising from its grave, wing himself to his feet. Without uttering a single word, he shambled over to the line of weapons arranged against the wall, only half alive.
Maiya waited with bated breath. She had to admit, as much as she wanted him to stop, she was a little curious what weapon hed choose. It had to be a knife or a dagger, since that was what Vir was most familiar with. She only hoped he didnt pick a Talwar; shed seen the way hed eyed the seric sword Knight Captain Vastav had carried. But he had no training in swordy. The duel would be a disaster.
Vir stood in front of a smallish weapon, eying it for several seconds, and Maiya breathed a sigh of relief when he picked it up. She didnt know what it was, but at least it suited Virs size.
A katar, Riyan remarked. A punch dagger. An interesting choice. Katars offer less maneuverability than a traditional dagger, but their thrusting and shing force is unparalleled, making them effective against even lighter armor. They are also quite easy to conceal. Not a terrible choice, given yourpact frame. Ive not fought a katar wielder in ages. I hope you will give me a good show, boy.
Riyan cracked his neck as he walked over to the weapons rack and picked up a wooden talwar. Virs de was made of real steel, so Maiya felt relieved that he wasnt going to use a steel-ded weapon himself.
Giant faced off against mouse, and this time, Riyan was the first to move. He began with a diagonal upward sh that barely missed Virs face. Her friend had wrenched his body back at thest possible moment.
Forced to take a step back, Vir ducked low, anticipating Riyans next attack.
His forethought once again saved him, as Riyans next strike sailed high.
Vir took the opening, leveraging his position to lunge in, shing his katar at Riyans torso. But Virs attack hit nothing but air.
The Ghost of Godshollow had jumped Except he jumped far higher than any human ever could. Vir looked around, confused about where hed gone.
Look up! Maiya shrieked. Vir saw the falling man and dodged just in the nick of time, rolling away to safety.
Impressive, Riyan said as his Talwar sank into the sand.
Both Vir and Maiya paled. If that had hit him
Riyan fired off a flurry of attacks at Vir, who desperately tried to parry, but soon realized that was hopeless. He took hit after hit, but was at least able to take the hits on his arms and legs, shielding his vitals.
Most impressive.
Raaaaah! Vir roared, finally deciding to go on the offensive. He attacked Riyan with everything he had,unching haphazard slices and thrusts at his opponent.
Even ayman like Maiya could tell that his form was gods-awful. But she could also tell that in the course of their short duel, Vir had already begun to improve. His movements grew slightly more fluid, his attacks a bit more coherent. She could hardly believe the pace of his development.
Apparently Riyan felt simrly as he blocked Virs attacks.
Good. Good! Show me more! Show me your potential, boy!
Tragically, that was when Virs luck ran out. He took Riyans talwar to the shoulder, sending him reeling in pain. Riyans barrage continued, battering and bruising Vir until her dear friend finally dropped his katar and fell to his knees. His eyes rolled up, and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Maiya was at his side in seconds with the bucket of water and cloth shed retrieved earlier.
Neel followed, standing his ground in front of Riyan, growling fiercely.
Maiya wetted the cloth and dabbed it against his bruises, gently washing away the kernels of sand thaty embedded within his torn skin. But there was only so much she could do without magic.
She stared at Riyan with pure undisguised hatred. Heal him. Now!
The man smirked. Fear not. Your friend has earned the right to stay. Though I am quite certain he wille to regret it.
Chapter 17: Art Of The Gods
Chapter 17: Art Of The Gods
Vir startled awake, drenched in something cold. Shivering, he looked around to regain his bearings. Neel licked his face, staring at him with those big beady eyes of his.
What happened? He thought, pushing the bandy back. Badraks Balls! The duel!
Panicking, he sat up, katar in hand, ready to defend against Riyans impending attack.
Instead, he found Maiya, holding a half-empty bucket of water, looking at him with a forlorn expression.
Its over, Vir. You lost, she said. Riyan knocked you unconscious. Im so sorry.
Virs panic turned into dread. What? No NO!
Maiya emptied the rest of the bucket on his head. Its okay, Vir. Its all over now for better or worse.
Thats cold, Maiya! The heck are you doing!?
Oh, sorry. Reacted before I thought. Ha!
Vir stripped off his shirt. If hed lost, then then that meant hed failed, hadnt he!? Hed be banished from Riyans abode! What would happen to Maiya?
It cant be!
Just when hed found a golden opportunity to learn how to fight, hed lost it?
I refuse to ept that. Ill fight again. I-Ill fight him as many times as I have to!
Unable to contain herself, Maiya burst outughing. You lost the duel. But Riyans happy with your performance. You passed his test, Vir!
Vir looked around and, to his immense surprise, found the bearded man on his knees right behind him, holding his case full of healing orbs.
Riyan returned his gaze.
I never said I was happy. But it will suffice.
The tension flowed out of Virs body as Maiya embraced him in a deep hug. Congrattions! And sorry for teasing you. Consider it payback for all the chores you brought upon me this past week.
Vir chuckled, hugging her back. I suppose I deserved that. And, yknow, the bucket of water. We even?
Even, she said with a nod.
Maiya turned and looked Riyan in the eye. I hope you dont expect me to pick up a sword as well?
Riyan grinned. Would you like to?
No, thanks! Maiya replied.
Too bad. You will train alongside the boy. At the very least, you will learn the basics ofbat.
Maiya took Virs katar, then threw it on the sand. I surrender, she announced with her hands on her hips.
Riyan blinked at her for a moment before bursting into uproariousughter. I was not going to test you, girl! I have no interest in bullying a child. Not when there is nothing to be gained from it.
O-oh, Maiya said, looking down at the sand, her cheeks flushing red, w-well, thats good, then. But why do I need to learn how to fight when I have magic? Not like Im ever gonna venture off to the Voinds or something.
Truly? Can you guarantee you will always find yourself in situations where magic functions? What if your enemy has an Artifact that drains the prana out of the very air?
Virs eyes bulged. Those exist?
Indeed, they do. Riyan said as he circled them. And what will you do when your body is saturated with prana, preventing you from casting even a single spell?
Prana saturation? That was new to Vir. He wanted to ask Riyan to rify, but interrupting the man would only anger him. He made a mental note to follow up on thatter.
Each and every mejai of the Order of Mejai Sorcar is a battlemejai, trained in both magic and the art of physicalbat. The Mejai Sorcar fully understand that magic is not all-powerful. It is merely a tool. And cing all of your faith on a single tool ces you at risk when it inevitably breaks.
Maiya and Vir both fell silent in thought as they sat on the domes sandy floor. Riyans words made senseit was dangerous to rely on only one strength, especially if it only worked in certain parts of the world.
If Vir had a choice, hed love to learn every imaginable form ofbat to maximize his options. The knowledge might very well save his life one day. Or the life of someone I care about, he thought, locking eyes with Maiya. Maybe she felt the same way, because she argued no further.
There are manybat art forms in this world. The Kinjal Brian Arts are famous for their brutal efficiency, while the Saian martial arts are tuned for the unique requirements of cold weather mountain warfare. The Matali style is exquisite and refined, but ill suited against fighting multiple opponents.
So, which one are we gonna learn? Maiya asked, staring up at their instructor, who loomed over them like a giant.
The art form I practice is said to hail from the Age of Godsfrom a time when the gods walked upon this realm. I speak of the sacred Kri, an art that epasses both unarmed and armedbat. It is effective both against lone opponents and entire hordes of enemies. Few have heard of it, and even fewer are proficient enough to teach it. You should both rejoice at your luck. Master these arts, and you will have no equal in this world.
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That sounded good to Vir. In fact, that sounded perfect. It was as if Janak himself had intervened in Virs life. Maybe all those years of being spited by the gods had rued some debt on his behalf
You will train with each other. You will support each other when one of you falters. And together, you will grow.
Vir couldnt wipe the grin that crept onto his face. Hede so close to being cast aside, but hed endured. Hed proven his worth, and now he would reap the benefits.
Riyan met Virs gaze. As for you, boy, you show potential, yes, Riyan said, but that is all. Potential is nothing if it goes untapped, though it is good that you havent had any prior training.
Isnt that a bad thing? Vir asked, gingerly standing up. Surprisingly, most of the pain hed endured from the battle was gone. His ribs still hurt, but not nearly as much as before.
Do not move overly much for the next day or two, said his healer and instructor. My Set Bone and Mend Flesh orbs are only of B grade. They have undone the worst of the damage, but your body will still need time to recover.
Riyan spun on his heel and loped across the sand to the weapon racks at the edge of the room. Vir slowly followed, stowing his katar in its proper ce.
When hed picked from the myriad of weapons for the duel, not a single sword had called out to him until hede across the katar. His gaze had lingered over the weapon, as if sucked towards it. The moment he touched the dagger, he felt something. A connection to the weapon, though Vir was sure hed never held one before.
It had been the right decision. Hed felt an instant familiarity with the katar during the duel. His movements flowed better than they shouldve, his thrusts quicker and more natural. It felt satisfying.
Vir idly wondered if this was how it felt to possess an elemental affinity.
Riyan leaned against a weapon rack, and thanks to the rays of the setting sun filtered through the skylights high above, he looked like he was glowing. To answer your earlier question, you are like a nk te. Untrained and ready to be imprinted with my teachings.
The Ghost of Godshollow gave Vir one of his prating gazes. You will specialize in stealth. Subterfuge and infiltration. Learning how to conceal your identity will benefit you greatly as an Ashborn.
I dont think a hoods gonna cover up his eyes and skin, Maiya said. Vir always wore a hood in the vige, but everyone still knew who he was.
When I speak of stealth, whates to your mind? Riyan said, shaking his head.
Vir thought for a moment before replying. I mean, hiding, right? Someone who wears a hood and skulks around at night so no one can see them?
Girl. What say you?
Thats what I thought of as well, Maiya replied.
Wrong. If such a person were spotted, would it not be immediately obvious that they were up to no good? Wouldnt you be on guard against such a suspicious person?
Neither Vir nor Maiya could argue with that.
So what is stealth, then? Vir asked.
The art of being present, yet invisible. The ability to walk up to your worst adversaries, and walk right past them without arousing suspicion. It is the ability to stride into King Rayids pce, steal as you wish, and leave with an invitation to return again tomorrow.
I dont understand, Vir said. Thats impossible.
Not impossible. Through makeup, one can change their appearance. Proper clothing can turn amoner into a noblemans son. By changing the way you carry yourself, by altering your mannerisms and the way you speak, you could even change your gender. A true master of subterfuge does not merely imitate an appearance. They be the person they wish to be.
Virs jaw was agape. If that was true, itd fundamentally change the way he lived his life. Hed be treated like everyone else. Respected. Loved. Maybe even have friends
And why would you want someone who specializes in stealth? Maiya asked, hoping to probe his intentions.
The uses are many. In the boys case, he can pass off as a normal human. Need I even mention how useful it would be to hide his status as an Ashborn? Besides, mastering this skill would allow you ess to normally restricted ces. It would allow you to perform all manner of deeds without anyone being the wiser.
Like a thief, thought Vir.
Like an assassin, thought Maiya.
Vir had to agree that this was a brilliant solution for him. Not only would he be able to hide that he was an Ashborn, but if he pulled this off well, he could even avoidbat entirely. His stamina was his greatest weakness, and he doubted that would change much, even with Riyans training.
Hed always be at a disadvantage, but if there were other ways of protecting ones self and those dear to him? Hed be a fool not to learn it. If he passed off as a Sawaias aristocracynobody would dare harm anyone close to him.
Of course, there are times that call for invisibility. Times where none must ever notice you. There are Talents that support such actions as well.
I thought you said Talents were rare in warriors? Vir asked.
Only umon, not rare. Though, no one can know whether they will manifest a Talent. Talents do not use magic, and thus they cannot be tested for aptitude. They can, however, be used anywhere in the world without issue. Even a prana scorned Ashborn might have a chance, Riyan said.
Until now, Vir had never really believed he might be able to wield Talents. The mere possibility made him swoon with excitement.
Hmm, said Maiya. What about my magic training? When do I get to start that?
Patience, girl. I have located someone suitable, but it will take some time to convince her. Tanya can be somewhat stubborn.
Could I learn magic with Maiya, too? Vir asked. Even if I cant use magic, itd still be useful to know how it works, right?
Riyan crossed his arms and shook his head. No. Time wasted learning magic could be spent developing your Kri arts. I will not squander resources teaching someone something they can never use.
But
This is my final say on the matter.
Vir ground his teeth. You think thats gonna stop me?
He briefly considered divulging Prana Vision to Riyan before rejecting it. He''d have to prove to the man that he wasn''t lying, and even if he did, there were no guarantees Riyan would acquiesceVir still couldn''t use orbs, after all. Plus, there was a benefit to hiding his abilities. If he and Maiya greatly exceeded their instructor''s expectations, there was a possibility the man would ask for an evenrger favor when the time arrived.
Vir''s eyes zed with unquenchable determination. This would be a setback, but nothing more. It wasnt like Riyan could stop him from sneaking up on Maiya while she trained. Especially if he mastered the art of stealth like Riyan wanted.
A taut smile crept upon Virs face.
Nothing in this realm or the next could prevent him from learning the secrets of magic. Not Riyan. Not the fates. Nothing.
Chapter 18: Kalaripayattu
Chapter 18: Kripayattu
No! Riyan scolded, grasping Virs arm and fixing his form. Not like that. Like this!
The fresh rays of the morning sun filtered through the skylights in the training domes ceiling high above as Vir worked through his moves on the sand far below.
He threw another uppercut, for what must have been the millionth time. Any more, and he felt like his arms would fall off. To make matters worse, his feet were red from spending hours on the sand.
For the past two weeks, Vir and Maiya had risen at dawn every day. For the subsequent five hours, they would train without a single break. Riyan would then dismiss them for lunch, after which they would reconvene for their afternoon sessions. Unlike the morning round, which had a fixed duration, their second daily sessionsted until they copsed from exhaustion. They lived and breathed training.
The moment Vir had recovered from his duel with Riyan, both he and Maiya had been subjected to this endless training.
Vir found it a little surprising that Riyan didnt have them do pushups or any other strength building exercise. They focused only on either stretching exercises orbat practice. Their instructor said that alone would give them all the strength training theyd ever need.
The worst part was as their endurance grew from their training, the days only grew longer and longer. Vir still keeled over every few minutes from the exertion, but he could now rest for a few minutes and go again. And he could keep up the exertion for a few more seconds before reaching his limits now.
Of course, that was still nowhere even close to Maiyas development. Herstamina had improved much quicker than his had, which widened her lead over him.
To the posts! Riyan suddenly shouted.
They both ceased their punching practice and sprinted over to the wooden log posts that had been erected at the center of the training dome. The bncing posts were two or three paces tall and were just barely wide enough to stand on with one foot.
Vir climbed up onto a post and extended a leg onto an adjacent one, falling into a stretch. The posts served as tforms to practice stretches while also improving their bnce.
Riyan was big on efficiency like that.
The reason theyd sprinted over was because their draconian instructor was only too happy to assign them penalties if they failed to meet his absurdly high standards. Even a dy of a second or two was enough to earn them extra chores or an extra hour of training.
But Vir noticed that Riyan never once restricted their diet. In fact, theyd been eating like kings ever since theyd arrived, and Virs scrawny body was already beginning to flesh out slightly.
From a myriad of fruits and vegetables hed never even seen, to various lentils, spices, and exotic brown riceshed never eaten this well in his life, and so hed hoped for a bit more growth. But it was not to be. Perhaps eating less than his fill for most of his life had already ruined his body. He prayed to his dead father it wasnt true.
It was, of course, always himself and Maiya who did the cooking. Vir didnt mind; he enjoyed experimenting with the myriad of expensive spices and ingredients with his one and only friend. It was one of the few pastimes avable to them.
The Kri arts demand supreme flexibility, Riyan lectured as he circled around his training-absorbed students. Yourmand over your own body may very well mean the difference between life and death in a fight. A hairs breadth may be all that separates a sessful dodge from a deadly wound. Between a severed throat and safety.
Ah ah aaaaaah!!! Maiya shrieked before falling off of her post, facenting on the sand. Vir pitied her at first, but now he could only shake his head. If there was one thing Maiya would never surpass him at, it was bnce and dexterity. Vir was a natural. Maiya was not.
His friend sat back up, looking depressed, her face dimpled and red with grains of sand.
Up! Again, Riyan mercilesslymanded. Maiya was back on top of her bncing post in a sh.
Now, bend over backward and put your hands on the posts behind you.
Thats impossible! Maiya said.
Virs brow furrowed. It did sound hard. Really hard. Of course, that only made him want to try it even more.
He gave it a go. The most difficult part was assuming the position in the first ce; he knew hed be able to maintain the stretch once he was in it.
Craning his neck backwards, he located the two posts Riyan wanted him to touch. They looked a lot farther than hed initially thought.
After attempting to reach out a few times, he realized that the only way hed make this work was with an explosive movement. Hed have to crouch and leap as if he were jumping only hed be jumping horizontally. It was an incredibly awkward movement, and if he missed his posts, or if he put too much or too little power into his legs, hed fall onto the sand below.
Vir stared at the posts, burning their position into his mind. Then he took a deep breath and went for it. He bent over backward and, as he began to fall, he crouched. Then he lunged forth
And touched the posts. His right hand slipped off, threatening to destabilize him, but Vir clenched his abs and forced his body rigid. That bought him a precious extra second to get his palm back onto the post.
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Hed done it! Barely. And as hed suspected, maintaining the position wasnt nearly as hard as actually getting into it.
Good. Few can seed with this exercise on their first attempt, Riyan said, giving him a rarepliment. Without its foundation, a building crumbles. So it is with your training. Build your foundations strong, and they will serve you well. Now, girl, it is your turn. The boy will hold the position for two minutes, but you hesitated. You watched your friend instead of taking initiative. You will hold it for four.
Virs best friend ground her teeth in frustration. She kept quiet; they both knew the consequences of talking back to Riyan.
Maiya wallowed in indecision for several more seconds before biting her lip and going for it.
Maybe now that shes seen me donoope!
The moment she lunged, Vir knew she wouldnt make it. Sure enough, both her aim and her power proved insufficient, and she ended up doing a half-backflip, facenting right into the sand. Again.
Vir sighed. Poor Maiya.
She finally got it on her third attempt. By that time, Vir had already finished his two minutes and was resting. She actually held the position for four whole minutes.
Their instructor led them through a series of further stretches when she was done, correcting their forms when they deviated.
Now that I have shown you these exercises, I expect you to practice them after each training session. And when you have mastered this set, we shall progress to the next. Now, we break for meditation.
Again!? Maiya said. What do we gain from that? It has nothing to do with fighting! Right Vir?
Vir didnt hear her. Hed already adopted the cross-legged sitting position and sunk deep into meditation, turning his prana vision inward to monitor the pathetically tiny amount of inky ck prana that trickled through his body.
For some reason, watching the prana course through his body soothed him. And he was now confident that it was prana. It behaved exactly the same as the stuff that was in Maiya and Riyan.
Just that his affinity was nowhere to be found in nature, nor did anyone seem to even know of its existence. But he had all the proof he needed, right here in his own body. No other exnation made sense, and simple exnations tended to be right.
Good, Riyan boomed, startling Vir. You have taken your first step, boy. Continue practicing your meditation and you will grow as a warrior.
Their teacher then dismissed them until the afternoon session.
If you are wanting for things to do, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with our surroundings. Awareness of ones surroundings is a useful skill that everyone should know. Sadly, precious few ever bother to learn it.
Cant we just use a map? Maiya asked.
Riyan smiled, as if hoping shed ask that question. I have no maps to give you. Consider it training. What will you do when you find yourself in a new ce,cking a map? Will youin about how the gods are unfair to you? Or will you use your mind, he said, tapping his head, to build a mental one?
Vir, feeling emboldened by his recent string of sesses, asked Riyan a question that had been on his mindtely. What would you say my Br Rank is, Riyan?
The Ghost of Godshollow snorted. Zero.
Then he turned and left, leaving the deted Vir alone with his friend.
Well, you shouldve expected that, Maiya said, offering her hand to Vir, which he took.
I just figured wed both improved so muchtely. It was worth asking, he said, rising to his feet. Lets go get cleaned up.
Along with cooking with Maiya, Riyans hygienic facilities were the only other luxury afforded to them.
Well, that and waking up to his furred friends face every day. Neel followed the two, his tail wagging with excitement.
Virs cabin didnt have a bath. In fact, the only family in the entire vige that did was Maiyas. It wasnt so much a matter of heating the waterMagic Heat could do that, and while not cheap, wasnt beyond the means of some vigersit was more a matter of keeping the water clean and sanitary without having to flush it out every time.
C Grade Water magic orbs could conjure water from thin air, but not a single person in the vige could use C grade magic, besides which those orbs cost one hundred times what D grades did. Rainwater catches and the vige well were the only proper sources of water, unless one felt like venturing into the Godshollow to find a watering hole. No one ever did.
Drawing water from the vige well was tedious, and each viger had a quota so that the well wouldnt run dry. Flushing water for a bath twice a week was out of the question.
Riyans ce had a solution to that. There was some sort of water source deep underground that fed the entire abode, and from what Vir had seen, there was no chance of ever running it dry. And Riyan had D Grade Magic Heat orbs aplenty, which even Maiya could use.
So, you wanna check out the area like Riyan suggested? Or do you just want to soak today? Maiya asked.
I think we should check out the area, in case we ever need to escape. Or if we get lost. Its a good thing to know.
Yeah, I think so too. Lets shower off and see how far we can get. I saw something like an oasis in the distance when I went searching for you that day. I think we should go back and check that ce out.
Sounds like a n, Vir said as he stepped into the bathing room. The very thought of an oasis got his blood pumping. There was something about ponds in the middle of deserts that were just in cool.
The bathing facilities were in the deepest part of Riyans home and differed from every other room in one crucial way. All the other rooms were built with hard-packed y, shaped like domes. This room was also shaped like a small dome, but it was carved into the bedrock of the hill into which the abode had been built.
Small alcoves in the walls contained Magic Candle orbs, which dyed the space with a cozy red hue. The humidity here was far higher than every other room in the home, causing moss, vines, and other ntlife to grow abundantly within. Vir always felt like he was walking into another world when he entered.
Its key feature was the spring-fed soaking grotto in the very center that dominated the room. Steam vapor rose from its surface, and the shallow waves it cast reflected onto the ck rock, painting a scene of serenity and peace.
Vir gave it a longing look before turning aside. As much as hed have loved to soak in the grotto, they simply didnt have the time.
Vir went left while Maiya went right, to their respective stalls several paces away from the pool. Riyan had a way of flowing hot water through a pipe that eventually dumped out on top of ones head. Vir had never heard of anything like this until he arrived. It was like being drenched in hot rain.
That sounded ufortable, but was in fact pure bliss. The feeling of the hot water droplets tingled Virs scalp in a way that both soothed and energized him. Riyan had actually limited his usage of the shower after hed spent an hour standing under it.
To Virs delight, their instructor had installed a regr tap for his convenience.
He opened the tap and let all of his problems melt away.
Chapter 19: Desert Cartographers
Chapter 19: Desert Cartographers
Vir rummaged through the bedroom for supplies.
Riyans not even giving us ink, so well have to do this the old-fashioned way, said Maiya, casting a grim gaze at the small y firece built into the far wall of the room.
The abode was well insted owing to being underground, but they both appreciated the coziness of a fire, especially when staying upte into the night, chatting. A rarity these days, given how exhausted they usually were after a hard day of training.
Probably because he expects us to mess it up and waste it, Vir replied. He rolled up his sleeves and rummaged around the coals, making his fingertips ck with ash. He selected a few suitable pieces of charcoal and dropped them into his rucksack. "At least he gave us parchment to write on."
Lets see Maiya said, looking around the room. Water. Well want plenty of water if were venturing out into the desert. Ill fill up our waterskins in the kitchen. Dyou think we need nkets?
Were taking Bumpy, right? Vir asked. Bumpy was the name Maiya had bestowed upon one of Riyans two Ashvas, for its terrible ride. Despite that, Bumpy was the one she always picked if she had a choice. Shed dubbed the other one Grumpy. Grumpy didnt like her very much.
As far as either of them knew, Riyan had never bothered to name the poor beasts.
I dont think its a bad idea, in case we get lost. But uh, lets tell Riyan exactly where were going? I really dont want a repeat ofst time, Vir said with a shiver, recalling how much pain hed caused them both when hed snuck away.
Maiya nodded vigorously.
With their bags packed and loaded onto Bumpy, they signed out on Riyans roster, leaving Neel behind to guard the abode.
If you are looking for the oasis, you will want to head due south, their instructor said as they left.
Do we at least get apass? Maiya asked.
Riyans shrug said it all: youre on your own.
Its like he wants us to get lost, Maiya whispered.
Vir thanked Janak that the man failed to hear her.
Maiya yielded the reins to Virwho was more familiar with Ashva riding than she wasand sat behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist for stability.
Vir already had a generaly of thend, so he at least knew which direction led west to the coast. From there, he calcted approximately where south was by cross-referencing the position of the sun in the sky.
Bearing set, they headed out.
Minutes after they left, they came across their firstndmarka series of caves embedded into the hills. Vir brought the Ashva closer for a better look. Some caves were tiny, only a few paces deep. Others looked as if they stretched on forever.
Wanna go explore some? Maiya asked with excitement.
Wed better not, Vir said, Riyan warned us about them, remember? Said it was easy to get lost in there.
Mmm but still! I wanna find that secret supply stash he keeps in there, Maiya said, staring into the darkness of the cave. Not like theres much else to do around here Would it have killed him to live a bit closer to a big city?
Vir nodded. Its off the beaten path, thats for sure. Im guessing thats why he picked it in the first ce. Wonder how long hes lived here?
Maiya tapped her chin. Hmm. Maybe a few years? Everything feels new-ish, but not brand new, if you know what I mean?
Right. Like it feels lived in, but not old. Really wonder who he is, to have ess to so much wealth. And that training dome? No normal person has something like that in their house.
I know, right? I bet hes someone super famous, Maiya said. Definitely a Sawai noble of some sort.
Vir urged the Ashva onward, leaving the caves behind them and continuing south. A half hours ride had the sand dunes giving way to the endless ins that hed visited on his solo outing weeks ago.
Lets stop here, he said, dismounting and retrieving a piece of charcoal from the pannier on Bumpys rump.
So, lets put Riyans home at the very center of the map, he said, cing the map on the ground and drawing a small dome to represent the house. Its surrounded by a desert on all sides, so we can add that. And then we have the caves and the transition to the ins to the south.
Maiya watched as he worked. Youre actually pretty good at this, she said, sounding both irked and impressed at the same time. Ah! Lets add the coast to the west. Riyan said the coastline runs north-south, and that youd run into the port city of Saran if you kept going north.
Okay. I think the coast was about a half hours ride to the west? So about the same distance as the ins, then.
That came as a bit of a surprise to Vir. The ride to the coast had felt like it had been far longer. But everything was new to him back then, and he hadnt really paid much attention to his surroundings.
And you said wed eventually run into the Godshollow if we keep going south? Maiya asked.
Vir frowned. Not quite. Id gone southwest, which means the ins wrap around the desert, maybe in a circle. And I didnt get anywhere close to the Godshollow. Just that the terrain where I was at felt simr to thend around the forest. And I think wed hit the northern border of the forest, rather than the eastern border next to Brij, he said, scribbling in the rough outline of the forest and their vige.
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Riyan had mentioned that his home was several hours from the Godshollow, so Vir tried to show that on the map. He also knew that the Godshollow extended all the way to the Viridian Coast to the west, which had been Rudviks initial destination, so he drew that in as well.
Wow, this is reallying together, huh? Maiya said. Not bad for a few minutes of effort.
She was right. Theyd solidified their picture of the surroundings, but of course, there were still several empty spots.
We know nothing about what lies east or north of Riyans ce, but I guess we can look for thatter. How about we go find this oasis you saw?
Maiya looked around. Hmm. You said youd ended up southwest of Riyans ce before, right? And I saw the oasis in the distance on my left when we came to search for you. So that means it should be around here
Actually, I think weve gone too far, Vir replied, shaking his head, Were already at the edge of the desert.
Oh, right. Okay, lets backtrack then.
Vir stowed the map before mounting Bumpy. This time, he turned them around and headed slightly northwest.
But even after another half hour of searching, they werent any closer to finding the elusive oasis.
I think we should call it for today, Vir said. We need to get back in time for our afternoon lessons.
Maiya remained silent, hoping that shedy eyes on the oasis. But things were never so convenient. Searching for something so small in such arge desert was bound to be an arduous task. Theyd have to try again some other ti
Found it! Maiya announced, pointing to the right. Vir squinted, and sure enough, saw trees through the haze of the desert heat.
Hiya! He turned Bumpy toward the patch of green in the ocean of sand and ordered him to speed up.
The oasis was on the smaller side. It took Bumpy only ten minutes to circle the entire thing. Tall coconut trees ringed the area, while small shrubs covered the ground all the way to the pond at its center. Small animals darted here and there, scurrying away as they approached.
Weird for a pond to be all the way out here, dont you think? Maiya said.
Actually, I wonder if this pond is fed by the same source that gives us water at Riyans ce?
Could be! Doubt theres much in the way of water sources in this area, Maiya said, jumping off Bumpy. I think this is a perfect spot for lunch, dont you?
She retrieved a pic cloth and a banana leaf that had been folded around a package.
Lunch! she said, holding it up. Nothing special. Just some sandwiches I threw together, but it should fill us up.
Thanks Maiya! Vir replied. Hed been thinking of quickly wolfing something down once they got back. This was so much better.
Vir picked a spot near the pond under the shade of a coconut tree and stomped around for a few minutes to tten the location. Maiya then ced the cloth, securing its corners with some pebbles.
Not an unpleasant view, Vir said as he kicked off his shoes and sat down beside Maiya, marveling at the amazing scenery.
He opened up his banana leaf and munched on his lunch, the leaf doubling as a convenient te. The tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, capers, peppers, and salt all exploded with taste, making for a delightfully refreshing meal. All procured from Riyans pantry.
Watching Vir devour her sandwiches made a smug smile creep up on Maiyas face. So, she said, this is working out pretty well for us, huh? I mean, no one likes being constantly sore, but I can feel myself growing stronger by the day, yknow?
Same, her friend replied between mouthfuls. My endurance still sucks, but staying with Riyan was the right call. I cant wait to get to some of the more advanced stuff hes gonna teach us.
Only question is when hes gonna ask us for those favors. Seems like itll be awhile, though. I cant imagine wed be of any use to him as we are now.
Right, Vir replied. I think our infiltration skills will be important for whatever he has nned, and he hasnt even started teaching that to us.
Maiya went silent for a moment. I just... I wanna visit home, Vir. My parents must be worried sick about me. And I miss them. A lot.
I do too, Maiya. The faster we progress, the faster he''ll let us visit Brij.
Just hope he gets around to teaching me magic soon, Maiya said, twiddling her toes in the sand. Id be a lot more useful if I could cast fireballs.
Vir smirked but remained silent. He could picture her horror when she discovered shed be an ice mage. Fate had such a cruel sense of irony.
He broke out the map after hed finished eating and added the oasis, putting it due south of Riyans home. Now, all that remained was to chart out the east and the north, and theyd have a pretty clear picture of the area.
Lets head back, he said once hed finished. Wouldnt want to miss our second round of torture now, would we?
Oh no. Anything but that! Maiya said, cing the back of her hand on her forehead.
The truth was that Vir actually couldnt wait to return to his training. Every moment spent in that sandy dome felt like it inched him closer to understanding some fundamental secret about his own body. He couldnt shake the feeling that the prana inside him was powerful. He yearned for the day he could see it in action.
Vir touched the eight pronged tattoo on his chest.
If only I could unlock it somehow
Just then, something caught his attention. It took him a moment to realize what it was, but when he did, he looked up at the coconut tree that shaded them from the heat of the desert sun. Its powerful shadow seemed darker than usual, and Vir was thankful for it But there was something else there, too.
In its shadow?
Vir suddenly stood up, startling Maiya.
Whats up, Vir?
Im going for a jog.
Uh, what? Maiya asked, but Vir was already gone, leaving his friend staring after him like hed gone crazy.
Maybe he had gone crazy, but he had to be sure.
With the temperature being what it was, a singlep around the small pond was enough to get his blood pumpingand in so doing, his prana vision intensified. He was now immensely thankful for the very heat hedined about moments earlier.
Vir returned to Maiya, drenched in sweat. He peered at the shadow of the coconut tree.
He hadnt imagined it! There really was something there. Something gray, moving ever-so-slightly. Unlike the other prana affinities that coursed through their respective elements, this affinity barely budged at all, which was why hed never noticed. That, and it was the same color as the shadow itself.
Shadow affinity prana!?
Vir instinctively looked at the prana in his arm. But no, this was not the same. This was clearly different. Another new affinity.
Hed now discovered three affinities that werent supposed to exist. Rather than exciting him, he started to doubt the validity of his thesis.
Were these truly new, undiscovered affinities?
Or was something else going on? Vir only wished he had the answers.
Sooo, uhh Feel like telling me why you randomly took a jog around the pond? In a desert? Under the sun? Maiya asked.
Happy to, but I feel like you''re just gonna be as confused as I am once I do, came his deted response.
Next time: 20 - Maiya vs Vir
Chapter 20: Maiya vs Vir
Chapter 20: Maiya vs Vir
Weeks of training had finally led to this moment: the first official duel between Maiya and Vir.
Official, because the two had been training together daily, so this duel wasnt the first time they''d fought each other, but it was their first match where Riyan would act more as a judge than an instructor. And if Vir knew anything about his best friend, it was that she hated to lose.
The uing battle would not be easy.
They stood ten paces apart in the training dome, with the rays of the early morning light filtering in. Riyan stood in the middle. He wore a ck robe today instead of the usual white, as if hed dressed for the asion.
For your first duel, you will fight unarmed, their instructor exined. The victor does not matter. Rather, I shall bear witness to the fruits of your efforts over these past three weeks. Give it your all and show me what you have learned.
Ready? He looked at each of them in turn, receiving nods from both. And fight!Riyanmanded, swinging his arm down like an ax. He then Leaped out of the way, leaving the two contestants to do battle.
Maiya charged at Vir the instant Riyan announced the start of the match.
Unusual, thought Vir. This wasnt like her.
Theyd quickly discovered that both of them thought simrly; they both liked to n and think through each step of the battle. While Virs instincts were far superior to Maiyas, she usually nned further ahead than he did. Which meant that Maiyas opening move must have been driven by a strategy of some sort.
Vir yed it cautiously. Hed secretly scooped up two fistfuls of sand before the fight, which he threw at his opponent, forcing her to close her eyes and look away.
Maiya hated it when he used that tactic, but if it worked, it worked. And Vir wasnt the type to forgo an advantage.
He ducked low and threw a straight punch at her stomach, hoping to leverage her own momentum to knock the wind out of her lungs.
But Maiya knew all of his tricks. Shed seen him fight a hundred times. The girl wrenched her body at thest minute and fell intentionally, pping the ground before rolling away, preventing Vir fromunching a follow up attack.
Their fights almost always went a certain way. If Maiya was feeling good that day, theyd engage in an honest duel, where Vir would swiftly win. But if she was grumpy, shed draw the fight out, forcing Vir to exert himself. It only took a few minutes of that before he could no longer keep up, and Maiya would always win in that case.
This duel seemed like itd be thetter. Vir had no hope of winning once shed exhausted himstamina was always his most preciousmodity. He had to ration it like a desert traveler.
As a result, the efficiency of his movements had improved by leaps and bounds. Hed practiced tirelessly to eliminate any wasted actions that might sap his stamina, and he tried to use his opponents weight and momentum against them.
Vir decided this was one of those times where spending his stamina would be worth it. He spun around and sprinted after Maiya before she could recover.
The problem with rolling was that it deprived one of their situational awareness. Maiya would first have to regain her bearings before making any further moves. That would cost her a precious few seconds. A few seconds she didnt have.
But what am I missing? Vir thought. He felt like hed already lost Like he was walking into one of her traps. It cant be this easy
Vir had little choice; he was alreadymitted. He threw himself into a slide, tucking his rear leg and extending the other. His leg smashed into Maiyas shin just as shed righted herself, sending her falling on her butt.
This time, Vir was in the perfect position to capitalize on his advantage.
Mimicking what Riyan had done to the knight scout in the Godshollow, Vir attempted to pin Maiya under him, but she locked her legs around his back instead. He was now in a disadvantageous grappling position, with Maiya having leverage over him.
Maiya pulled him closer with her legs.
He knew how this would go. If he did nothing, shed reach up and choke him out. But thanks to their endless practice, hed figured out how to get out of this position.
Vir threw his weight forward to create some ck, then ducked, and pulled back, freeing himself from Maiyas leg hold. He then grasped her ankles to restrict her movement before throwing his body on top of her.
Maiya grunted under the strain of his weight.
Now he had the dominant position.
Theyd only just begun to learn ground fighting and grappling from Riyan, but Vir found he had a natural aptitude for it. Thanks to all the years he spent mastering his parkour, he simply understood his body better than the average person.
He held the advantage, but even so, he didnt let his guard down, suspecting that Maiya would try something. He immediately locked her legs and pinned her hands, and with his entire body weight on top of her, prevented her from moving even an inch.
Vir then sped her neck and applied pressure on her carotid arteries to choke her.
II yield, Maiya whispered as Vir ramped up the pressure.
Uh, what?
I said I yield you brute! Stop choking me!
Vir was so surprised that hedpletely forgotten to relieve the pressure on her neck. Oh, shoot. Sorry. I just didnt you have something nned, Maiya? Isnt that why you charged in?
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Um, mind getting off of me first, Vir? Youre kinda heavy.
Oh, right, Vir said, standing back up.
Good, boomed Riyans voice. You are both as clumsy as newborn babies, but at least the boy remained calm and used tactics. But you, girl. What were you thinking? I have never seen you use that tactic before.
Maiya dusted herself off. I tried something new. Just didnt work. Thats all, she huffed, blushing slightly.
So she panicked and charged in without a n. Wasnt expecting that, Vir thought.
So you panicked and charged in without a n, Riyan said, startling Vir. Could the man read his mind!?
I did not! Maiya said, unable to meet his eyes, Just that nevermind. You dont want to hear my excuses. Whats next?
Riyan smirked, clearly happy that shed swallowed her words. The Maiya of a month ago wouldveined endlessly.
Again. But this time, with katars.
The two friends both groaned, but for different reasons. Vir was hoping Riyan would end things with a single round. The longer this went on, the worse the situation became for him. And Maiya didnt appreciate being forced to use a katar when her weapon of choice was a spear.
Neither of themined. Theyd learned long ago that whining only led to punishment. Often cruel and unusual punishment, like triple chores.
Maiya picked up a wooden katar from the racks on the wall and handed another to Vir. Theyd begun training with the weapons only a few days ago, so both were still clumsy. But even in his limited time with the weapon, Vir had steadily grown more proficient.
He had a shot at winning, if he ended things quickly.
Vir and Maiya again faced off at the center of the training dome, ten paces apart.
Begin! Riyan said, and this time it was Vir who charged Maiya.
He was lucky in that his motions from unarmedbat tranted well to katar-basedbat. The weapons design made it act like an extension of his arm, allowing him to carry over some of his existing skills, rather than learning them from scratch.
Vir swiped at Maiyas legs, but she jumped and shed at his face, forcing him to retreat. From then on, both sides exchanged a flurry of thrusts, shes, and blocks in quick session.
One benefit of katars was that they could block as well as attack, thanks to the handguards, which protected everything up to their forearms.
Both Vir and Maiya extensively used this feature, blocking and deflecting strikes that wouldve otherwise ended the fight.
That didnt mean their attacks were graceful. Even Vir could tell that their exchange was amateurish and awkward, but that didnt stop him from pressing on, pressuring Maiya with a relentless series of attacks.
She couldnt keep defending forevershed eventually make a mistake, one that Vir could exploit. The only question was whether his stamina would run out first.
He was reluctant to leave the oue of the battle to chance, and so he yed his old trick againthrowing sand into Maiyas eyes.
Argh! Maiya shrieked, instinctively raising her katar to shield herself from the sand.
That was a mistake. Vir closed the distance in an instant andunched an uppercut. He stopped the de right as it touched her chin.
The boy wins, Riyan said, signaling the end of the fight.
Maiya stared at Vir with the same fury her mother had, forcing Vir to look away.
Sorry, Maiya, he said. Couldnt let you prolong the fight.
Really, Vir? Sand? Again? How many times are you going to use that stupid trick?
Riyan walked up to them, his arms crossed and his face stern. Stupid trick or not, the boys tactics were effective. Actual battles are never forgiving enough for concepts like honor and dignity. Actual fights are brutal, dirty, and quick. You must use every advantage you can get. Failing to do so may well cost you your life.
A superior warrior understands his advantages as well as he understands his enemy. He understands that his surroundings can be made to work both for, or against, him. The boy recognizes that his stamina is his weakness, and so he took measures to counter it. That is all.
I guess. Its just frustrating, she then muttered something under her breath. Im stronger than he is. I should be able to win. Just wait until I get my magic
What was that, Maiya? Vir said, even though hed heard every word.
Oh, nothing. Good fight, Vir, she replied with a tight smile. Vir couldnt keep the smirk off of his face.
That said, the boy''s stamina is a problem. Malnourishment... should not cause this. Not with the diet you are both now eating. Could this be a ramification of your inability to use prana, I wonder? The man said, stroking his beard in thought. He seemed more puzzled, rather than angry.
I think it''s likely that, Vir said. I''ve always had issues with my stamina, but I won''t let that hinder me. I''ll work around it if I have to.
Hmm. Yes, you certainly have been, thus far. You are both making good progress, the Ghost of Godshollow said, prompting Vir and Maiya to do a double take. Their instructor had never and magic together? That would be downright unstoppable. That would almost be cheating.
Boy, I want you to practice with these, Riyan said, handing Vir a set of ded disks. Some were the diameter of a bracelet, while therger ones were about three times that.
The big ones are called Chakrams, he exined. The smaller ones are Chakris. They are ancient throwing weapons said to hail from the Age of Gods.
These are real? Vir asked, eyeing the deadly disks deadly metal edges.
Indeed. They are quite sharp, so take care not to cut yourself. Use these for now, he said, handing Vir a pair of half finger leather gloves. They will help to reduce injuries while you learn, though you wille to learn how to use the weapons without protection.
Vir took the weapons and was surprised by their weight. These disks were made of solid steel. Most warriors Ive heard of either specialize in short or long rangebat. Youre telling me to do both? he asked.
Riyan scoffed. Most warriors are part of an army. They have archer support. They have mejai support. You have none of these things. And even if you did, every warrior should know how to defend themselves against more distant threats. Practice with these until you can slice an apple at a hundred paces. Reliably.
What!? Thats impossible! No way I could throw these that far! Vir replied. A hundred paces was almost the entire width of the training dome. He had a hard time imagining these heavy disks flying that far, let alone being able to hit anything with them urately.
Riyan took one of therger onesa Chakramand threw it at the far wall of the dome. The disk sailed through the air, almost as if it was flying, and cut the wick perfectly off of a candle set into an alcove, dousing it.
Badraks Balls! Maiya and Vir cried out in unison. Virs eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Riyan turned toward Vir, his ck cape fluttering proudly. Nothing is impossible.
Next time: 21 - The Lost Chakram Arts
Chapter 21: The Lost Chakram Arts
Chapter 21: The Lost Chakram Arts
Vir itched to test out his new weapons, but the training dome wasnt exactly an ideal environment for an amateur to learn, Riyan insisted. His instructor forced him to practice outside, iming that hed mar his beautiful room with chakram dents. In fact, the man had barred the room off entirely, doing something inside, but neither Vir nor Maiya had any idea what.
With great reluctance, Vir left the cool home to practice in the zing midmorning heat.
The only target nearby was the tree above Riyans abode, at the spot. It was that, or a half hours journey to Maiyas oasis, which was far less convenient.
Vir worried that the ded disks would damage the tree, but Riyan had given him a blunted training set. It made him wonder why Riyan had sent him outside in the first ce; the bncing posts in the training dome wouldve been plenty durable. He figured that Riyan just wanted everyone out so he could work in peace.
He obviously wants us to suffer, Maiya said. Shed been grumpy ever since shed lost their duel, and the fact that Riyan had given the chakrams to Vir and not Maiya only soured her mood further.
Vir? Ohhh Viiiir? Maiya said after several minutes. The heat was no fun for her, either. Why do I even bother? Youre always like this. When something gets your interest, its like the rest of the realm doesnt even exist. Im going back inside. Buuut you probably didnt hear a word I said anyway, so why am I even talking to myself?
Maiya stood up and picked up one of Virs chakris, throwing it at the tree. It missed by several paces,nding with a soft thud in the sand.
Sorry, what? Vir said, finally realizing shed been talking to him. What did you say?
Maiya rolled her eyes. Nothing at all. So? Feeling good about your progress?
I mean, I still suck, but can you imagine how strong Ill be when I master this? Look at Riyan! I could lop off
Yes, yes. Very impressive, Vir. Youll be a master assassin, able to lop people''s heads off with a flick of your wrist, she said, pping slowly.
Maiya, cmon. Dont be like that.
She heaved a great sigh. I know. Im happy for you, Vir. I really am. I just feel so antsy about all of this. I want to learn magic! I just I want to be better than you at something!
You mean, like how you can run ten times the distance I can without keeling over? Or how you have a greater and a lesser elemental affinity while I cant even use the most basic utility orbs?
Thats Im sorry, Vir. I didnt mean it like that, she said, looking at her feet.
Vir chuckled. No problem, Maiya. Youve got a ton of things Id kill to have. I just feel youd be happier if you valued that more.
Maiya let out an enormous sigh. Youre right. Youre totally right. Anyway, she said. Im heading inside. Weve still got to give each other massages today, so dont burn yourself out training, alright?
Vir hesitated, then nodded. Hed forgotten all about that. Riyan had forced the unusual task upon them, iming that it was an integral part of the Kri arts.
Ill cook up some dinner, so dont worry about that, she said as she walked away.
Thanks, Maiya. Hed be sure to give her an extra nice massage, then.
Both of them found the massage sessions incredibly awkward at first, but now they could hardly live without it. The soothing therapy loosened their muscles and undid much of the strain of the days activities. Before, theyd wake up sore and stiff, and merely making it through the day was a chore.
The days were still long, but at least the massages limbered them up and helped them start the day fresh and ready. Plus, though neither of them would ever admit it, they felt so good even if it hurt. A lot.
The inner edge of the disk was rounded to allow the wielder to grasp without being cut, but even so, his palm still touched the ded side, which was why he currently wore the faded half-finger leather gloves Riyan had given him. Though this set had been blunted somewhat, they still had enough of an edge to make them ufortable to his bare hands.
Vir continued to practice with the thrown weapons after Maiya left. The smaller chakris didnt fly as far and were harder to aim, but as Riyan had pointed out, they were incredibly easy to hide; he could wear the weapons as bracelets and no one would bat an eye. The chakrams were less conceble, but they made for fine jewelry around his neck so long as he didnt mind being stared at. But the chakrams were incredibly stable in flight and could fly much farther, making them indispensable inbat.
Hed been experimenting with various grips, and noticed that when he held the chakrams in a vertical orientation like a wheel, they didnt fly nearly as far, having a tendency to drift off to the left or to the right. On the other hand, he could generate a scary amount of force when throwing them that way. He pitied whoever was at the receiving end of an attack like that. Even if the de didnt cut them, the impact would surely hurt.
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A horizontal grip yielded vastly different results. He couldnt quite put as much force into his swing, but the chakrams flew much farther.
Wondering why, he inspected the chakram closely. He traced a finger over the gleaming steel disk to discover that the bottom of the chakram was t. After running his hand over the topside several times, he was sure of itthe top of the de had a very slight curvature from the thin edge to the inner ring.
Like the wings of a bird Hed had plenty of opportunities to inspect avian corpses when hed plucked their feathers for Rudvik; hed grown quite familiar with their structure.
While he didnt really understand how that made the chakrams fly better, it made sense that the disks mimicked a birds wing shape.
Out of curiosity, Vir pulled out his old bushcraft knife, took careful aim, and threw it at the tree. The knife hit the trunk, but bounced off.
I see He muttered. Hed just discovered the crippling w with throwing a knife. A knife was dangerous only on one side. If he wanted to do damage with it, hed have to judge his distance and adjust the number of rotations such that the de would strike the enemy. That sounded incredibly difficult.
Chakrams and chakris, however, were ded on all sides, eliminating that requirement. Plus, he could throw them with far less forcepared to the knife. Vir had to wonder why more people didnt use these amazing weapons.
The hours sped by, a blur of thrown disks.
While Vir had to rest constantly to regain his breath, hed made steady progress, inch by inch. He threw the weapons while ducking and jumping. Heunched assault after assault at the tree while spinning and diving.
All of his shy attacks missed, but his throwing technique had already improved noticeably.
If he stood still and concentrated on his form, he could now reliably hit the tree at fifteen paces away with chakris, and twenty-five paces with chakrams. Not bad for a few hours of practice.
His years of lobbing pebbles in the vige were paying off. The muscle memory tranted almost perfectly to the chakram arts.
The thought of him reliably striking targets while parkouring and vaulting made him so giddy, he could hardly contain himself. By the time hed stopped, the suns rays had grown long in the sky, and the temperature was dropping precipitously.
I feel like Im forgetting something here He thought as he returned to the abode.
It struck him the moment he entered inside. Chs Knees, the massage!
He returned to his bedroom to find an irate Maiya and a droopy-eyed Neel.
About time! You fall over with exhaustion a minute into our duels, but somehow, you manage topractice for hours out there in the searing heat, huh?
Vir looked away sheepishly. Sorry, Maiya. Lemme wash off with a quick shower. Ill be right back.
He picked out some clean clothesRiyan had procured several sets of sturdy, simple pants and shirts for them since theyd arrived dressed in ragsand rushed over to the shower.
Foods in the kitchen! She called as he fled the bedroom.
It took every shred of his willpower to wrench himself away from the soothing heat of the shower, especially after a hard days effort.
He managed it. Somehow.
After cleaning off, he raided the kitchen and wolfed down the lentil soup and olive bread that Maiya had rustled up. Though hed been learning, he still couldntpete with her incredible culinary skills. With ess to Riyans ingredients, shed made some of the best dishes hed eaten in this whole life.
The Kri massage technique Riyan had taught them was bizarre, to say the least. Fabric tassels hung from the roof of their bedroom, and a thick rugy out on the floor. Maiya had already stripped down to her underwear and was lying on her stomach, waiting.
Vir began by applying eucalyptus oil to her back, arms, and legs, being sure to work the liquid into her muscles. The oils fresh scent filled the room, creating an aura of peace and tranquility.
He could never get enough of that pungent smell. There wasnt anything quite like it back in the vige. Probably owing to their obscene cost; he didnt even want to guess how much the oils had set Riyan back.
The next phase of the massage involved the fabric tassels. Carefully stepping onto Maiyas back, he gripped the tassels for bnce and began driving his heel into her muscles, working his way up and down her body.
It was actually a decent amount of work on his part. Not only did he have to bnce himself, but he had to apply just the right amount of force in exactly the right ces to loosen her muscles. Too little force and the treatment would be ineffective. Too much, and Maiya would strangle him to death for hurting her. Theyd both been subjected to some pretty torturous massages when they first began. Thankfully, their skills had improved in recent weeks.
For his own sanity, Vir had learned long ago to ignore the pained groans that left Maiyas lips during each massage. He felt genuinely bad for hurting her, but the feeling that came after the massage was pure bliss.
Whoever had to massage second always drew the short end of the stickthe massages were so effective that it often sent them right to sleep. Staying up after a massage was a monumental challenge in its own right.
Alright, Maiya, Im done, he whispered, wrapping up with the massage.
She didnt hear him. Her soft snores told him everything he needed to know. Yet again, shed nodded off before massaging him.
He gently scooped her up and lifted her onto his bed. Maiya wasnt exactly heavy for a girl, but the exertion still caused him to burst with sweat, forcing him to go back to the shower to towel off.
Vir knew that the prudent thing to do would be to lie down in his warm, soft bed, and drift off to sleep like Maiya and Neel already had.
But then he eyed his chakrams, reflecting the light of the dim Magic Candles. He knew at that moment that any choice he had in the matter was gone.
Vir picked up his disks and headed out.
The night was young, and there was training to be done.
What he didnt notice were the two pairs of eyes on a nearby dune. Tracking his every movement.
The same pair that had spied his arrival at Riyans abode watched him even now. Whenever he stepped out onto the sand, and every time he returned, the two figures in white robes logged his actions, diligently reporting back to their master.
Patiently, they watched And they waited.
Next time: 22 - The Akh Nara Sends His Regards
Chapter 22: The Akh Nara Sends His Regards
Chapter 22: The Akh Nara Sends His Regards
Under the starlight of a chilly desert night, Vir threw his chakrams and his chakris at the tree above Riyans abode.
He hit, he missed, and then he collected them all to throw again.
The biting cold served as excellent motivation to keep him activethe moment he stopped, his cooling sweat made him shiver and freeze. The metal chakrams didnt help, sucking the heat out of his hands at an astounding rate. Without Riyans half finger gloves, Virs hands would have frozen hours ago.
But even with the gloves, his fingers still touched the disks, forcing him to stop and stick his hands in his armpits to warm up. Of course, when he did, the rest of his body cooled off, forcing him to walk a tightrope between exertion and rest.
The effort had been worth it. Just a day after receiving the chakrams from Riyan, hed be proficient enough to hit his targets at thirty-five paces away... Most of the time.
It wasnt enough. Vir craved more.
He imagined himself surrounded by bandits. He saw himself sailing through the air,unching chakrams at multiple enemies, midair, upside down. In his delusional fantasy, the opponents ringing him had all copsed by the time hednded.
Reality was not so kind. Whenever he attempted to do anything even remotely shy, he either met with injury, or made a fool of himself. Thankfully, nobody was watching.
Or so hed thought, until a pair of blue eyes stared at him from the darkness, just fifteen paces away. A wolf, and where there was one, there were always more.
Vir froze. Fear flooded his body, triggering his fight-or-flight response. His heartbeat quickened, enhancing Prana Vision.
He quickly scanned the hill, but found nothing. No prana signatures. It really seemed to be just this one animal, all by its lonesome.
Then he noticed the beasts protruding ribcage. The animal barely had an ounce of fat; it was starving.
That made him a little sad, but any sympathy he had for the animal evaporated when the wolf howled and charged him. Vir could almost feel its hunger as saliva flew from its maw.
There was no way Vir could flee. It was a hundred paces to Riyans front door, and the wolf was too fast. Itd be on him before hed even gotten halfway to it.
Luckily, he had several lethal flying weapons in his hands. And eyes that told him exactly where the wolfs hearty.
Without a moments hesitation, heunched a chakram at the beast.
The wolf saw the iing disk and swerved, but even if it hadnt, Vir didnt anticipate the wolfs trajectory well enoughit wouldve missed either way.
He threw his other chakram, but that one also missed.
Grak it! He shouted. The wolf continued to close the distance.
Now he only had a single chakram and three chakris remaining.
Whats wrong with me? He thought. Hed hit the tree just fine. Why couldnt he hit the wolf?
Vir began lobbing the smaller chakris. The first missed. As did the second. The third made contact, but bounced off, its blunt training edge barely nicking the beasts hide.
Badrakking thing! Vir cursed. Was hisst remaining chakram even sharp enough to be effective? He had his doubts, but now the wolf was upon him.
Time had run out.
Vir adopted abat stance, forced to use his chakram as a ded melee weapon.
The wolf leaped into the air, aiming for his throat... but Virs Kri training hadnt been for naught.
He crouched and twisted, just enough to avoid the wolfs open jaw. He sliced upward with his chakram, aiming for an artery that flowed through the beasts belly.
The wolf yipped as Virs chakram met flesh. He was just as shocked as the beast; he hadnt expected the ded disk to prate its hide.
His surprise made him hesitate. Vir clucked his tongue as the wolf darted away, eyeing him warily, its blood dripping onto the sand.
Hed lost the opportunity to press his advantage, all for a minor injury. The chakram hadnt prated the artery hed been aiming for. In fact, all it did was make the starving animal angrier. It growled and shuddered and red at him.
In close quarters, the wolf had every advantage. Its powerful jaw could rip through Virs neck, and its ws could easily mangle his limbs. How many times would he have to injure the wolf before it gave up and ran away? How many more encounters could he survive without being injured himself?
Not once did he think about actually killing the beast. He simply wasnt good enough to pull that offtrying for a lethal strike may very well result in his own death.
The wolf leaped at him, and once again Vir adopted a defensive Kri stance, his legs spread wide with his weight on his rear leg.
But this time, his enemy was smarter.
Just as Vir swung to intercept its attack, it changed directions, zigzagging the final few paces to throw him off.
The tactic worked. The wolf had bypassed his attack entirely. He was defenseless now, and there was no time to do anything other than guard his face and neck.
The wolf took a vicious swipe, tearing through the skin on Virs forearms.
GAAAAAH! Vir screamed.
Searing heat shot through his arms, threatening to double him over in pain. Tears welled in his eyes, but he blinked them back. He couldnt allow his vision to bepromised in the middle of a battle.
Its just pain. You can handle this. Its just pain! Nothing more... He told himself.
The wolf mounted him, pinning him underneath. But unlike when Vir had performed the same move on Maiya earlier today, the wolf simply didnt have the weight to keep him down. Vir shed his chakram at the beasts soft underbelly and rolled to the side, throwing the animal off.
But not before the wolf took several more swipes to his face and shoulder, rending his skin open in several ces. Rivulets of blood traced red lines down his face and arms, soaking his hands red.
The moment he stood up, the beast was on him again, unrelenting in its ferocity. It gnawed his pants, sending him crashing back to the ground.
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As he fell, the beast locked eyes with him, its hunger palpable. Then it lunged For his throat.
Vir saw every little detail of the wolfs maw. The razor-sharp, yellowed teeth. Its oozing saliva. Its tongue that sought the taste of fresh meat.
I cant get away! Being caught mid-fall, he could not evade.
This is bad. Really grakking bad...
Bile rose in his throat. An existential dread paralyzed himthe primal fear of being eaten alive. Vir felt something warm and wet dribble down his pants.
Pathetic, he thought. Just pathetic. Im gonna die here? Pissing my pants like this?
His thoughts drifted to Maiya and to Rudvik, and the world seemed to fade from his eyes.
Then something else took control, robbing him of the sanctity of his own body. Something primordial.
Ekavir of Godshollow was gone. Reaper Ekanai had arrived.
Prana Vision intensified.
With a single-minded focus, The Reaper tucked his legs mid-fall, his boot striking the lunging wolfs face, sending him spinning. Ekanai turned the momentum into an aerial somersault, touching lightly off the ground with his hands before executing a perfect flip that took him back to the tree.
Vir watched on in horror, no longer in control of his body. Once again, the being whod treated Maiya as useless dead weightas an enemy to be killedhad taken over.
Without even breaking his flip, Ekanai picked up a chakram embedded into the trunk andunched it at the wolf. That would have been impressive on its own... But he threw it upside down, in midair, before his hands touched the ground!
Then he did it again, lobbing another chakram.
This was the finesse Vir had dreamed about!
One chakram mmed into the wolfs face between its eyes, stunning the beast before bouncing off. The second tore into its foreleg.
He wasnt done yet. Ekanai righted himself and twirled the deadly disk around his index finger, spinning it faster and faster, until it whirred an inch from his face, threatening to cut his cheek open.
But there was no danger here. Not for the Reaper. After all, hed practiced with these weapons for decades. Hed felled thousands upon thousands of Ash Wolves in the blighted ins of the Ashen Realm.
The Reaper had earned his title.
Heunched the chakram, and it tore through the air with more force than anything Vir had ever thrown before. Despite its blunted edge, despite its many chips and shoddy construction, the training chakram sliced through the wolfs hide like a de cutting water. It carried such force that the wolf lost its bnce and staggered.
The chakram hadnt bisected the beast, but it certainly had dealt it a mortal wound. Ekanai strolled up to the beast, lobbing chakris as casually as one might throw a pebble into a pond.
Every disk hit the exact same spot, expanding the wound caused by the earlier chakram.
The Reaper arrived just in time to see the light fade from the wolfs eyes.
He kneeled and stared at the dying beast. The Akh Nara sends his regards, he said in a voice that was several octaves lower than his own. A voice that spoke of power and experience.
You can run, Ekavir. You can hide.
The Reaper turned Virs body toward the abode. Horror seized Virs mind when he realized what the demon was about to do.
But you cannot avoid Fate. You cannot shirk your destiny. Time is running out.
Ekanai opened the door to the house, silently stepping in.
No! Nonononono!! Vir thought in panic.
Our journey is one of strife and regret. Cease this nonsense. Thisnd is starved of pranayou will not grow strong here. Seek the lost city of the gods. Seek Mahdi! Be the one you were born to be.
The door to Virs bedroom swung open, revealing a blissfully sleeping Maiya, her soft snores the only sound within the room.
If you cannot cast aside these shackles that bind you, then I shall reap from you your most precious possessions.
The Reaper ced the de of Virs katar against Maiyas throat. Still asleep, she frowned.
Dont! Dont do it! Vir thought frantically, fighting back with every shred of willpower he could muster.
One by one. Until you BREAK.
I. Wont. Let. You!
Vir wrenched his body from the Reaper and stumbled back. Without thinking, he bolted out the room, through the hallway, and out the door, sprinting as fast as he could. Before hed realized it, he was back at the wolf. Heaving, he copsed to his knees and threw up.
What in all the realms!?
Ekanai had almost killed Maiya. Last time hed been possessed, the demon had made a threat. This time, hed proven without a shred of a doubt that it was no mere threat. If Vir let him, the demon would kill Maiya.
It was exactly the same as the Godshollow. The demon had once again taken total control of his body... And it took everything Vir had to control it.
His head swum, consumed by an unending torrent of emotions. The idea of having his body wrested from his control scared him in a way hed never known. Who else lived inside his head beside him? Would Ekanai one day decide he wanted to take over forever, exiling Vir from his own body?
And yet
Vir sat down and crossed his legs, forcing himself into meditation. His wounds burned and would need Riyans medical treatment to prevent infection but that would have to wait.
Soon, his breathing calmed, and his thoughts cleared. He forced himself to identify the pattern, and it was obvious.
The Reaper only possessed him when his life was in danger. Ekanai didn''t strike Vir as the type to leave anything to chance. If he could have possessed him continuously, he would have.
The revtion hit him like a falling Godhollow. This was simple. Simpler than he was making it out to be. If he didnt want that demon possessing him, he simply had to stay out of danger. Or at least, he just needed to avoid life-threatening situations, which suited him just fine. He didnt have a death wish, after all.
It wasn''t ideal, but it was the only countermeasure he coulde up with against someone as strong as Ekanai. The only other alternative was fleeing on his own. But that would also put Maiya''s life in jeopardy. what if Riyan punished Maiya for his desertion?
I can manage this. I just need to prevent myself from getting into life threatening situations.
Yet, even when armed with this knowledge, he found himself entirely unable to get back up and go inside. Unable to face Maiya, whom hed almost harmed just moments earlier.
So instead, he curled up into a ball and sat there. Alone.
When the heat of exertion had left his body and the icy grip of the summer night once again chilled him to his core, he finally opened his eyes and stood up.
There were no more answers to be had tonight. Fretting over it would get him nowhere, but there was something he could do to calm his nerves. Something that would at least allow him to gain from this terrible situation he was in. If he wanted to avoid life threatening situations, one way was to grow stronger.
Approaching the dead wolf, he gingerly retrieved the weapons lodged within its hidea task that took far more effort than hed expected.
Vir hesitantly twirled a chakram around his index finger. He twirled it faster and faster.
He lunged forth andunched the chakram. The disk ripped through the air, embedding itself deep within the nearby trees trunk.
No way...
With growing excitement, Vir picked up several more chakrams and chakris, lobbing them all at the tree using different techniques. He twirled some, heunched some horizontally, and others vertically, like wheels. Each and every one hit its mark.
It was as if his muscle memory had been imprinted with someone whod perfected the art. Reaper Ekanai. His skill had bled into Vir.
Bet you didnt expect that to happen, did you?
It was a cosmic irony that the more Ekanai controlled his body, the stronger Vir grew. And yet, doing so came at a cost of endangering those he cherished and loved.
Vir immediately attempted an aerial flip, trying to replicate the incredible acrobatic feat hed executed perfectly only moments before.
Instead, he facented onto the sand and copsed in a sprawling heap.
Guess not everything transferred.
So maybe he hadnt received all of Ekanais skills. And maybe it was like how hed obtained Prana Vision in the Godshollow. Maybe it took a lot of practice to get right. He didnt care.
Hed just gained a powerful new ability. One that had cost him sovereignty of his own body, but one that also promised to make him a master of the chakram arts, if only he put in the effort. Just like in the forest, his memories of Ekanais superhuman feats had already begun to fade.
Except this time, he knew exactly what he had to do to keep those memories. He should have returned to Riyan and reported everything. He should have sought medical treatment for his wounds. He did neither.
Instead, Vir tore his shirt and bandaged his wounds. Then he picked up his weapons. He didnt know how to stop these demons from possessing his body But he did know that there was power to be gained here. Great power. And at least focusing on that helped take his mind off of Ekanai.
The night was still young. There was training to be done...
Next time: 23 - Riyan''s Dome of Horrors
Chapter 23: Riyans Dome Of Horrors
Chapter 23: Riyan''s Dome Of Horrors
To both Vir and Maiya, the past week had felt like an idyllic dream. With Riyan holed up in the training dome, they had the vast abode to themselves, and Vir enjoyed the experience far more than hed expected.
Hed never felt that way when Rudvik had left him alone to go on lumberjacking expeditions into the Godshollow for days at a time Maybe it had to do with the size and opulence of Riyans home.
Plus, there was just something undeniably special about hidden underground homes.
Riyan had patched up Vir''s wounds with his Life magic before disposing the wolf corpse. Both of them found it odd that a lone wolf would venture all the way out here. Given its emaciated state, it must have been separated from its pack and then wandered for days. Even if it hadn''t fought Vir, the wolf would have died of dehydration soon after.
Their instructor had locked himself within the training dome, sawing, hammering, and doing who-knew-what all day, every day. At night, hed retreat straight to his room. The two went entire days without spotting him, and they wondered whether the man even ate, since they never saw him in the kitchen either.
But that didnt mean they cked off on their training. They knew full well what would happen if Riyan discovered that theyd taken things easy, so they had practiced diligently under the heat of the desert sun outside, each and every day. When the stifling heat became unbearable, they retreated to the living roomthe one with the sandy floorshuffling sofas around to give them enough space to duel.
Neel had initially watched each fight with rapt enthusiasm, but hed eventually grown bored with the spectacle. The bandy now napped happily on a sofa nearby.
Their duels followed a pattern, where Maiya won less and less often these days. Her rate of progress simply couldntpare to Virs. Realizing that stamina was his weakness, Vir had developed several tactics to bring their duels to a close quickly.
When hed started winning consistently, Maiya became dejected, putting less and less effort into each fight. Which, of course, only made Virs victories even easier. At one point, their battles had devolved into entirely one-sided affairs.
Easy fights were of no use to Vir or Maiya, so Vir had agreed to use handicaps: the duel had tost five minutes or itd be Virs loss, or Vir would use only his left hand. The list went on. Vir found it exhrating, and Maiya won often enough to keep her morale high, so their battles once again became ferocious andpetitive.
My win, Maiya proudly proimed as she stood above Vir in Riyans sandy living room, her foot on his chest, katar aimed at his throat. Theirtest fight had some pretty brutal restrictions for Vir. With his right hand tied behind his back and the duels minimum time set to ten minutes, it was little wonder hed lost.
Your win, Maiya, Vir echoed, gasping for air. The beautiful sunset bathed the earthen room with a gorgeous orange light. That was great, Maiya. Nice work. Now lets go get washed off.
The best part of the day was always the hot showers and grotto pool soaks that followed their intense battles. But the massages afterwards came a close second, in Virs mind.
Who said you were done? Your day is not yet over, Riyan proimed with arms crossed, his hands ckened and dirty.
His thundering voice startled Vir and Maiyaneither had noticed the mans approach.
How long have you been standing there? Maiya said.
The tall man cracked a grin. Since the start of yourst duel. I see that these fights have be too easy for you. Good. I have something that will challenge you both.
Their instructor looked as fierce as usual, but Vir thought he spied a bit of pride as well.
Come with me, he said, walking away at his usual brisk pace.
Vir exchanged a nce with Maiya. Whats he up to?
They followed. Curiosity spurred them as much as their fear of punishment did.
Virs excitement grew when he realized Riyan was leading them to the training dome. Maiya shed him a smile; shede to the same realization.
Were finally gonna see what hes been up to!
Riyan stopped in front of the training domes doors before throwing them open and stepping inside.
Vir followed immediately, and the first thing he noticed upon entering was theck of light. Or rather, the light from the myriad of Magic Candles was being luded and reflected by something. Something utterly massive.
Virs jaw hit the floor at the same time as Maiyas did.
What is this? He said in awe.
The wooden structure Riyan had built spanned almost the entire width of the dome and reached up to its very ceiling. It stood over five stories tall. Vir still couldnt make out what its purpose was.
This is your new training room. From now on, you will spend your days navigating this obstacle course. You must cross the bncing beams and brave the rotating poles. You must dodge the swinging scythes and jump across the great gaps. This course is specifically designed to foster Talents. Apply yourselves diligently, and if you are capable of learning Talents, this course will help you manifest them.
Vir grew excited, but his instructors next words killed any anticipation he had.
Should you fall, ensure that you fall early in the course, while you are still close to the ground, Riyan said, gazing up at the tallest part of the obstacle course, because I cannot guarantee your lives if you break your neck falling from the roof.
This is barbaric! Maiya objected. No way. No way youre subjecting Vir to this. Wed rather leave than go through this torture. Youre going to kill him!
Riyan nced across his shoulder at Maiya. Oho? And what makes you think this is just for the boy? You think I spent my effort building this contraption to benefit only him? No. You will also take part.
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Color drained from Maiyas face.
Vir knew exactly how she felt, because he felt the same way. This was a death trap.
The array of swinging scytheswhile made of woodwould surely hurt them. The posts with the rapidly rotating wooden swords would be disastrous to get through. He couldnt even see a safe path through them from down here, let alone chart a route through. And then there was the height. The floor of the dome may have been deep sand, but a fall from five stories above?
Vir gulped, craning his neck to stare up at the tallest parts of the structure. He grew dizzy merely looking at the thing.
Were gonna die here. Were so gonna die.
He looked to Maiya, whocked his dexterity and acrobatic prowess. If he was dreading this, then what hope did his clumsy friend have?
It seemed that she had arrived at the same conclusion herself.
Riyan observed them with a bemused expression. There is a saying from the Age of Gods. A wise saying, and one that you would do well to remember. Failure is the best teacher. Fail, and learn. But do try not to die. I have spent many resources putting all of this together for you. It would be the least you could do to thank me.
How could you possibly build all of this in a few days? Maiya said, changing the topic, determined to quell her unease. Vir somehow doubted her tactic would do what she hoped it would.
I merely reassembled what already once was. Magic helped, of course, he said, tossing a utility orb in the air. None of this would be possible without Lighten Load, Sharpen Edge, and several others.
Sharpen Edge? Vir thought, taking another look at the rotating swords and the swinging scythes. All of a sudden, those seemingly benign wooden contraptions looked far more lethal to his eyes.
Do not worry about keeping the orbs charged. I shall graciously handle that for you, their instructor said with an evil smile. You will attempt this course every day until you can clear it blindfolded.
Blindfolded!? Vir did a double take. Impossible. Utterly impossible. Suicidal. For the first time since hed started training under Riyan, he felt terror. True, abject terror.
He nced at Maiya, who looked off into the distance with eyes zed over, her fists tightly clenched.
Ah, Vir thought. So shes already resigned herself.
But I am not unreasonable. I would not blindfold you or rece the des with real ones before you can sessfully navigate it, he said, walking toward the exit. We can discuss course modifications after that.
Uh, Maiya? Did he just say rece the des with real ones? He did, didnt he?
What, Vir? Came Maiyas weak reply. Sorry, I was busy imagining all the ways Id die. Its been a good life, yknow?
Vir ignored his suddenly nihilistic friend.
Wait! He shouted to his instructor, Youre not going to show us how its done?
Riyan dismissed his fear. Failure is the best teacher.
Any tips? Maiya asked, now fuming with anger.
Riyan turned and grinned. I meant what I said. Dont die. It truly took a great deal of effort to build. And I encourage you both to try all the different weapons in this room when engaging the course. While specializing in one weapon is useful, it is prudent to be familiar with them all. After all, one can never know when their enemys weapons will be their own.
With those enigmatic words, their instructor left the room, leaving the two friends alone with his death contraption.
Well, Maiya said, at least its sandy. It shouldnt be too bad if we fall she looked up at the highest level of the course, Yeah, no. Were gonna die.
Vir stared at his dear friend, who had lost her mind. Thanks, Maiya. Very encouraging.
Maiya failed to hear him. How do you think these things move, anyway? She asked, pointing to the rotating swords.
Riyan said magic helped, right?
But I dunno if you can use magic to do these things. You see the little puffs of steaming from the posts with the swords? I think some of this stuff is actually mechanical! she said with fascination.
Does it really matter, Maiya? Not like that makes it any less lethal.
No, Maiya said,ing back to reality. No, I suppose it doesnt.
Vir retrieved a wooden katar and a small round dhal shield made of iron from the racks and equipped them.
Well, here goes nothing.
He ascended the five stairs to the first tform. The test wasposed of three bncing beamsid out in a row end to end, each five paces long and half a foot-width across. They were each suspended by long ropes that were connected at each ends and tied to a horizontal log ten paces above. That log served as part of the second level of the obstacle course, but Vir ignored that for now. One thing at a time.
Bnce and acrobatics were his forte, so he held a bit of confidence for this first test.
Vir grasped the rope suspending the first beam and attempted to step onto it, but immediately discovered what made this test difficult. By holding the rope, hed twisted the narrow beam. Stepping onto it further magnified the torque, causing the beam to sway. When Vir finally let go of the rope to try and bnce, his bare foot slipped off and he fell to the sand below,nding on his toes.
Maiya pped slowly from the sidelines. Bravo, Vir! Bravo! At this rate, youll finish in no time at all!
Dont act like this doesnt affect you! Vir said.
I know, I know, she said with an exaggerated sigh. Im gonna make an even bigger fool of myself, Im sure. That doesnt mean watching you fall isnt funny As long as you dont hurt yourself, of course.
Vir shook his head and tried again. This time, he gently touched the rope suspending the beam, careful not to rely on it overly much.
It worked. He gingerly ced a foot on the beam, swaying slightly. Then another. Then he let go of the rope and extended his arms to the sides for bnce. The beam threatened to sway and slip out from under him with every tiny motion, but he was pretty good at bncing on things. He took another step. Then another.
He finally made it to the other end of the beam and grabbed the rope on this side.
Nowes the hard part, he muttered. He had to transition to the next suspended beam, the second of three.
Vir paused, then carefully ced a foot on the next beam. He was now straddling both of them, putting him in a precarious situation as each beam moved separately. To keep his bnce, he continuously worked the muscles in his legs, and they were quickly growing fatigued.
Wasting no time, he grasped the rope suspending the second beam and lifted his foot from the first one.
But he put slightly too much of his weight on the second beams rope, causing the beam to twist out from under him. Vir desperately tried to muscle himself upright, but he was simply too fatigued. His legs gave out and he once again hit the sand below, this time less gracefully. He hit shoulder first, and his head soon followed, sending crunchy grains into his mouth.
Vir spent the next several minutes attempting to spit the sand out of his mouth while Maiya triedand failedto contain herughter.
You think youre hot stuff, huh? he said. Your turn.
Maiya stoppedughing. She heaved another great sigh and plodded over to the stairs as if she was walking to her execution. She stood atop the tform and carefully ced her foot on the first beam.
Dont put too much weight on the rope, Vir said.
Maiya promptly ignored his advice and grabbed the rope with both hands, clinging to it for dear life. When she finally let go of the rope to cross the beam, it swayed violently.
She fell,ically facenting into the sand.
Vir could only shake his head as she desperately tried to rid her mouth of sand.
He stared up at the death trap that his training dome had tragically mutated into. It was now a true dome of horrors.
What have we gotten ourselves into?
Next time: 24 - To Steal From a Reaper
Chapter 24: To Steal From The Reaper
Chapter 24: To Steal From The Reaper
Do we really need to go so far for this? I feel like youre being a little paranoid, said Maiya, shivering against the cool deserts chill. The sun had set minutes ago, painting the sky with a bright blue hue, and already, the temperature had plummeted.
Vir held her hand and pulled her along. Itll all make sense soon. Were almost there.
The two had journeyed a half hour on Bumpy to the small oasis south of Riyans abode.
While Maiya hadnt been back here since shed mapped the ce with Vir, hed visited the desert pond each night over the past week without fail.
Hed of course checked out on the rosterno need to repeat the tragedy of when hed first snuck out of the abode. Riyan, for his part, didnt seem to care so long as the two diligently challenged his draconian course from dawn until dusk Or until they suffered an injury, which happened with rming frequency these days.
Their endless hours in Riyans dome of horrors and subsequent massages left them both sore and exhausted, but Virs days never ended there.
For that was when his real training began. Each night, he trained for hours at their spot on top of the abode, though hed upgraded his half finger gloves for thicker wool ones that kept his fingers warm, courtesy of Riyan.
Because of this intense regimen, he resembled a walking corpse. His only luxury was soaking in Riyans grotto pool in the wee hours of the morning, after hed returned from his nighttime practice sessions.
He did all of this alone, of course. Maiya had been keeping a reasonable schedule, as usual.
Shed peppered him with questions about what he was doing, but when that didnt work, she even tried to tail him in secret. Unfortunately for her, Maiyas stealth skills were downright abysmal. Vir always caught on andusually after a long argumentsent her back, huffing.
It wasnt long after hed begun dealing noticeable damage to the tree that hed taken his training elsewhere. The nearest treesy at the oasisnow dubbed Maiyas Oasisand he needed trees for his training. Lots of them, ideally.
The oasis was perfect. Except that Maiya would be sad if she ever discovered how hed desecrated the trees at her spot.
Unfortunately for her, the only other ce he knew with trees was the Godshollow, and that was simply too far away to be practical.
The trees had at least served him well. He progressed rapidly with his chakram arts, channeling his memory of when Reaper Ekanai had possessed his body. His journey had not been an easy one. Hed expected to inherit Ekanais skills after that fight against the wolf, but reality had been far harsher.
Hed remained exactly as he was. Only now, he knew what the correct form looked like. But even a few short hours after hed been possessed, his memory of the moves Ekanai had made grew muddled, leaving him to introspect and analyze each and every movement the Reaper had done.
It was more akin to copying a grandmaster after watching a move performed a single time. Not an easy task, but at least Vir had a goal and an understanding of what separated right technique from wrong.
Vir brought Maiya to an area of the oasis where the coconut trees had several hundred cuts a piece. It looked like some terrible Ash Beast had waged a minor war with the palm trees.
What in all the realms!? What kind of beast did this? Maiya asked, aghast.
Her friendughed sheepishly. Not exactly a beast Watch this.
Vir removed the chakris that hed worn as bracelets, as well as the chakrams around his neck.
Taking a great breath, he lunged into motion, throwing the ded disks in all directions.
He jumped andunched a chakri from between his legs. He dove into a roll and threw two chakrams in quick sessionmid-roll. He lunged into the air and hurled chakris in opposite directions at trees on his left and right. Thatst one had taken him extra effort to master.
Vir came to a stop in front of Maiya, his hands on his hips. He wore a smug smile.
And why wouldnt he? Every single disk heunched found its target. Every chakram and chakri was lodged within a tree trunk.
H-how!? Maiya choked out, forgetting to be angry with him. Its only been a week since Riyan gave you those? How is this possible?
You know how Ive been tired all these days? Its because of this, Vir said, gesturing to the trees. Ive beening out here to practice. Every single night until I cant stand anymore.
Thats well, I guess I suspected something like that. But even then! You cant get this good in just a week! It took Riyan years to master his arts. And he probably had Sawai nobility tutoring him. This should be impossible! Like, impossible impossible! What in Veras name did you do!?
Uh If youre shocked at that, hold on to your pants, he said, pointing to the nearest chakri lodged in the palm trees trunk.
What? Maiya asked, confused.
Walk up to that chakram for me, would you? He said, desperately trying to keep the smirk off of his face.
Maiya huffed, failing to understand what he was getting at, but sheplied anyway. She walked right up to the chakram and stood under it.
Happy? She said with her hands on her hips.
Okay, now walk up to the chakri on the next tree.
She did so and slowly began to understand. She walked to the third, and then the fourth disk.
This is incredible! No, it''s impossible.
Every single disk was embedded at exactly the same height. Maiyas height.
For the first time ever, Vir saw her look at him in a way that shed never done before. With fear.
Shame ripped through his body.
Im sorry, Maiya. Didnt mean to frighten you! Just thought Id show off, is all.
Vir? She asked meekly, staying several steps away from him.
Im me! I promise. Youre overreacting!
Okay, maybe she wasnt overreacting. He had just shown her skills he shouldnt rightly have. It made sense that his friend remained skeptical.
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Okay, look. Ill admit Ive been keeping some secrets from you. So I think its time I came clean, he said, sitting down next to the oasis pond, patting the dirt next to him. I promise I wont bite!
Maiya hesitated for a moment before sitting next to him, huddling her knees together for warmth.
Vir began with the strange things hed experienced in the Godshollow. He exined how Reaper Ekanai had possessed him back then, and how his eyesight had changed. She knew about his theory that he could see prana, of course, but he hadnt said a word about his investigation into its secrets after shed dismissed his idea as nonsense.
He reiterated his idea that he could see prana, and that hed all but confirmed it at this point. He told her about the ck prana within him, and how it didnt exist anywhere else.
Thats I dunno what to say, Vir. I knew something took over in the Godshollow, but wow. This is beyond amazing. It''s... I don''t even have words for it, she said with genuine excitement. Id never seen you move like that. I''m so happy for you, Vir! Maybe one day you''ll be able to get over your stamina issues too!
Wouldn''t that be something? Vir said, trying not to get his hopes up prematurely.
What you said about prana, though, it goes against everything I know, Maiya said, tapping her chin. But I''m not doubting your words or anything. If you say you can see prana, then Ill believe you.
I can. I just cant exin these extra affinities that nobody seems to know about. Its almost as if the mejai dont want people to know about these three other ones.
Shadow, Earth, and ck, right? Maiya said. Earth, I can understand. It is a bit weird that we dont have Earth affinity orbs, given that theres Wind, Water, and Ice. Itd make sense for it to exist.
Right. The other two are aplete mystery to me, though.
You said that the Shadow affinity only shows up inside shadows, right?
Vir nodded. Yeah. Its a little weird, since shadows arent really a real thing. But the weirdest one is the one thats in my body, he said, looking at his hand.
I think you should be happy, Vir. Even if its different, this means that you do have an affinity after all!
I guess, Vir said. But if there arent any orbs for this affinity, it might as well be useless, right? And its not like I can use utility orbs, either. So somethings different about it.
Have you thought about telling Riyan? Maiya asked with obvious hesitation.
I have, but I dunno if I should. I dont think we should tell anyone about this, at least not until I know a lot more about how this works. No ones gonna believe me without a bunch of proof, either. I feel like this is a big deal, Maiya. At least, thats my hunch. I just need to keep experimenting to see if I can find some use for this affinity thats in me.
Maiya leaned against his shoulder. Im sure you will. Thanks. For telling me all of this, I mean. I know it couldn''t have been easy.
S-sure, Vir said. But uh, to be honest, I thought youd be peeved about your trees.
Honestly? Im so shocked, I dont think I have any room left to be angry. What youve aplished is phenomenal she said, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
U-uh, theres one more thing, he said, dreading what wasing next.
He finally told her about the encounter hed had with the wolf that night.
I dont believe this. You almost died and you never even told me!? Maiya shrieked, bolting upright.
I mean, I got Riyan to treat my wounds. Wasnt like I was in any real danger, especially with Ekanais help. I didnt want you to worry, is all, he said, immediately regretting his words.
And you thought Id be happy if you told me a weekter!? What if you hadnt been possessed by that spirit thing? What if the wolf tore your throat open? I get why you wouldn''t tell me about your posession. But this? I''m hurt. You know I tell you everything, right? Anything and everything!
I... shouldvee clean, he said, averting his eyes. Just that I wanted to surprise you, is all. I wanted to see the look on your face. Didnt expect youd be scared of me.
Maiya reached over and grasped his hand. Sorry. That wasI shouldnt have said that. Youve put in all of this hard work And I had no idea what youd been through. But still, I wish youd told me. I care about you Vir. A lot. Isn''t that what it means to be best friends?
I know. Definitely my fault, Im sorry, he said, but he was unable to meet her gaze. He hadnt told her about how Ekanai had almost killed her. How could he possibly tell her that? Oh by the way, youre in serious danger whenever this guy possesses me?
He knew he ought to tell her. To warn her, for her safety. But the mere thought of him hurting her made him want to puke. To speak of it would be to admit hed been overpowered by Ekanai, and he stubbornly refused to give in to the Reaper.
The words he ought to say to her just didnte and he hated himself for it. Vir made up his mind. Hed tell her. But only after hed conquered Ekanai. Then hed be able to look her in the eyes, and confidently tell her that the problem had been solved.
So, how does it work? How do you learn these things? Maiya asked.
Believe it or not, Im still nowhere as good as he was, Vir replied. My memories are more like a set of instructions. I have to practice a lot to get even close to what the Reaper could do. And if I dont practice the skills immediately, my memories fade. Thats what happened back at the Godshollow. Its like Im always fighting through this haze that gets thicker if I dont give everything I have to push it back.
Hmmm. But, possession? Thats heavy, she said. You think this has anything to do with the four armed giant? You think this is why he was protecting you?
Wish I knew, he said, nervously touching the tattoo on his chest. When Reaper Ekanai took over, he said something to the wolf. The Akh Nara sends his regards. Have you ever heard of anything like that?
Maiya frowned. Akh Nara Akh Nara, she muttered. No. Never heard of anything like that. But it sounds old. Like something youd hear in my dads tales from the Age of Gods.
He also said something about a city of the gods.
I mean, the gods built a lot of cities. Thats not especially surprising.
Hmm. True. I wish someone had some answers, Vir said. Just feels like everything I learn only makes me more confused.
Maiya held his hand, but remained silent. There was little she could say that would console him, and she hated saying empty words.
You think Rudvik would be proud of my skills? If he could see me right now, I mean.
Maiya leaned over and hugged him. Im sure of it. Absolutely badrakkin sure.
The two sat there for another half hour, admiring the stars reflections in the pond before they both grew cold.
We should head back, Maiya said quietly.
Vir nodded. Think you could keep all this a secret from Riyan?
Maiya tilted her head. Sure, but why? Isnt he going to find out the next time you fight?
The thing is, Ive asked him several more times about what kind of favor he wants from us, but hes said nothing. All we know is that well be going our separate ways to do them. I dont know. I want to do right by him, but I feel like if we do need to escape from him, its better to have some surprises up our sleeves. I want every advantage I can get against that man, in case the worst happens.
Maiya nodded, catching on. The more we hide our abilities, the more cards well have to y. I just hope it doesnte to that. He really has done a lot for us, Vir. But do you really think we can win against him in a fight?
Vir frowned. Maybe not today. But after weve mastered what he has to teach us? Possibly. I hate even thinking about it. Goes against everything Rudvik taught me. Without Riyan, Id be locked up in a Hiranyan jail, or worse. Just wish hed tell us what he wants out of us.
Well, first we gotta survive that obstacle course of his, Maiya quipped, turning to him with a pained expression. Vir, Im worried about this. That course hes set up is really really dangerous. I dunno if we should stay.
Vir squeezed her hand. I dont think he expects you toplete the course. And Ill guide you through the hard parts. Youll be fine. I promise.
And what about you? She said, tears welling up in her hazel eyes. Whos going to protect you? I wish youd think about yourself a little more. I couldnt bear it if you got injured, or worse.
Thanks, he said with a smile, thinking about how nice it felt to have someone care for him as much as Maiya did. Ill be careful, I promise. Not like I enjoy getting hurt, yknow? Well take it slow and steady. Doesnt matter if Riyanins about our slow progress. Its better than losing an arm or something.
Okay. Good, Maiya said as she tried to blink back her tears.
And Maiya?
Mmm?
Thanks. For everything.
With great reluctance, the two returned to Bumpy and headed back to their home. Neither knew how to feel about the ce anymore. On the one hand, it was warm and secure, and the hot spring grotto felt like a marvel from the Age of Gods.
But Riyans Dome of Horrors negated all of those benefits. Vir really didnt know how long theydst before one of them met with a grievous injury. Maiya was right to fear.
He only hoped Riyans life orbs were up to the task
Chapter 25: A Tale Of Ice And Wind
Chapter 25: A Tale Of Ice And Wind
Maiya sat on the edge of the training dome, shivering as she watched Vir trade blows with Riyan in the early morning chill. She felt cold, but she was sure neither of thebatants felt the same. In fact, it was the perfect dueling temperature.
Most of the domes sandy floor was covered by Riyans monstrous obstacle course, but there was still enough room around it for a duel to take ce.
Both Vir and Maiya had grown by leaps and bounds over the past several weeks, but the gap between herself and Vir only continued to widen. Even with a half dozen handicaps, Vir would beat her with ease, while it felt like she still struggled with even the most basic moves.
The situation was the same on the obstacle courseif she was honest, it was even worse. Her friend had always possessed a knack for moving his body gracefully. His bnce and flexibility were far superior to hers, and that gap had also widened.
He leaped dauntlessly into swinging scythes and rotating swords while she tiptoed in his footsteps. And that too, only thanks to his endless instruction and advice. Dont step there, transfer your weight gently, dont put too much weight on that rope!
She knew she shouldnt feel badher progress had been immensebut she was always reminded of that saying: Even an aristocrat feels poor when in thepany of royalty.
With only Vir and Riyan topare againstboth monstersit was hard not to feel inferior.
ng! Ping!sh!
Maiya could barely even follow Virs duel with Riyan as they traded blows. She was sure shed missed at least half of Riyans attacksall of which Vir had blocked. To her eyes, they both looked superhuman. Vir was formidable, but Riyan was in another realm again. He was Br 150 for a reason, a fact that still boggled her mind. But at the same time, he was only Br 150. There were warriors and mejai out there who boasted ranks several times that.
She clenched her fists. What role could she y now? Shed always looked out for Vir. Shed warded off the vige bullies and supported him whenever she could. Now She wanted to protect her friend, but it was more likely that hed be the one protecting her. Thanks to Kri and his chakram arts, hed be a force to be reckoned with.
Maiya hade to realize that she would never beat Vir if she yed to his strengths. It was ironic her friend still couldnt hold a candle to her in endurance, but it almost didnt matter anymore. Hed devised so many ways of ending fights quickly that she could never even begin exploiting that weakness of his.
If she wanted topete, shed have to y to her strengths. That meant magic. Well, magic and that other thing Riyan was teaching her on the side, but she had to master magic at all cost. Yet no matter how much she pestered the man, he always had the same answer: Patience. Arrangements are being made.
Though, there had been some progress on that front. After pestering Riyan for the hundredth time, hed revealed a date. Two more weeks until Tanya arrived. Then her mejai training would begin in earnest.
Only two more weeks!
Maiya snapped out of her thoughts when Vir was sent tumbling, crashing heavily into a wooden post. She used to panic whenever that happened, but she soon stopped worrying. Her friend was a lot more resilient than she gave him credit for. Or at least, his pain threshold was far higher than hers, and Riyans Life orbs always patched him up afterward.
Vir slowly rose to his feet, testing his arms and legs to ensure he hadnt sustained any major injury. Then he was running again, rushing right back at Riyan to continue the fight.
But instead of engaging, their instructor held up his palm. Take these, he said, tossing some chakrams and chakris at Virs feet.
Vir crouched and picked them up, a confused look on his face. These are steel weapons. I cant use these on you.
Riyan snorted. The day when I need you to worry about me is the day I die. You pose no threat to me, boy. Come at me with everything you have. Show me the fruits of your training.
Vir faced off against the big man, whose only protection was his talwar. Maiya could see the suspicion in Virs eyes, as if he was trying to guess Riyans intent behind this duel.
Maiyas heart pumped faster. She desperately wanted to see him go all out, if only to wipe that arrogant smirk off of Riyans face. But she knew he wouldnt. Itd be stupid to reveal the full extent of his power here She held a small hope nheless.
Not attacking? Then I shall! the Ghost of Godshollow said, Leaping to Vir in an instant. Her friend threw himself aside, barely avoiding Riyans wooden sword. Two chakris flew toward the man even before Vir hadnded. Both flew true, but Riyan casually avoided one and blocked the other with his talwar. The small disk embedded itself into the wooden weapon.
Maiya realized shed been wrong all along. Vir didnt have the luxury of hiding his power from Riyan. Hed have to throw everything he had at the man just to avoid being battered and broken.
Virunched a chakram and immediately followed up with his katar. Riyan was forced to defend, but he managed to sessfully counter both.
Maiya had never seen the big man pressured like this before. Will he actually lose!?
It seemed like such an absurd thought, but as Vir relentlessly attacked Riyan, forcing him to step back again and again, Maiyas hope grew.
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Down to hisst chakram, Vir grasped it with his left hand and sliced at Riyan, but the man used Light Step to gracefully jump away. Vir''s final chakri missed.
And that was when Maiya realized Riyan had been going easy on Vir all along. The man rushed Vir and smashed his stomach with the pommel of his talwar. Her friend was literally sent tumbling.
He rolled to a stop, unconscious. Maiya cried out and ran to his side, turning him over.
Good, said Riyan.
How is this good!? Maiya shrieked. Heal him!
He merely fainted. I ensured he suffered no actual damage. Tend to him. And let him know that I am pleased. He is progressing well. Quite well. His chakram skills are truly something else. I wish I could say the same for you.
Maiya stared him down, refusing to buckle under the mans withering gaze. You know what I need.
"Two weeks," Riyan said as he turned and left, leaving her alone with Vir.
Maiya took a deep breath and tended to Vir as best she could.
He came to in a few minutes, his head resting on herp. I feel like I just got impaled by an Ashva.
Not too far off, actually, Maiya said with a wry smirk. Cmon, lets get you to the bedroom. Ill give you a massage.
Vir frowned. I dont think Ill be able to give you one after, though. Not today, Maiya.
No worries. Its my treat, she said with an angelic smile, which, of course, put Vir on high alert.
What do you want? he asked. His voice dripped with suspicion.
Why would you think I want something? Havent I done stuff for you before? She said, but she knew full well that Vir wouldnt fall for her tactics.
This is different. Youre up to something, Maiya, he said as she got under his shoulder, helping him limp to the edge of the training dome. Riyan had really done a number on him. But knowing her friend, one massage and a grotto soakter, and hed be as good as new.
She brought Vir to the shower, where they each went their separate ways to clean off. No grotto today. A quick rinse would have to suffice.
They met back up again in the bedroom a few minutester, where shed prepared sandwiches for them.
Thanks Maiya! Vir said, munching on his sandwich while she had hers. It always made her happy seeing him enjoy her cooking that much.
d you like it, Vir. But were honestly running low on ingredients. Someones gonna need to make a supply run soon. And you and I both know its not gonna be Riyan. Bet you anything hell have us go and do it.
You might be right about that, Vir said between mouthfuls. I dont even know how far wed have to go. Whats the nearest city?
Probably Saran Which is not close. At all. But I hear it''s a pretty big city. I''m actually kinda hoping he asks us to go. Anyway, get down on the ground when youre done.
Viry down on the floor mat while she stepped onto his back, grasping the fabric tassels suspended from the ceiling for bnce as she massaged him with her feet.
S-So? Vir asked, doing his best not to blush. He still hadn''t entirely gotten used to these massages. What did you want to talk about?
Hmm? Whyd you think I wanted to talk about something? she asked with a yful smirk. Lying face down as he was, Vir couldnt see it.
Cmon, MaiyOw!
Shed stepped on an especially tight knot on his back. It must have been painful.
My bad! she lied.
They fell silent for a few moments before she cut to the chase.
I think its about time I got serious about this magic stuff, she said. I cant train without a mentor, but itd be stupid to ignore your ability to see prana. I wanna know everything you can see about me. I want to know my strengths and weaknesses, anything that can give me an edge.
Vir grunted through the pain of the massage. Doesnt work like that, Maiya. All I can see is the prana in your body. That doesnt mean I can see your weaknesses or anything like that. But I can tell you what affinities you have. In fact, I already did.
Oh. Right. Uh, what were my affinities again? She asked with great hesitation. Shed erased that earlier conversation from her memory as soon as hed said she didnt have an affinity for fire.
You really want to know? Vir said. You know its not fire, right?
Maiya bit her lip. Yes. Tell me.
Alright. I think you have a greater Ice affinity and a lesser affinity for Wind. Doesnt look like you have an affinity for anything elseOw!
Maiya drove her heel into his shoulder.
Chs Knees, Maiya! Youre the one who asked me to tell you! Dont take your anger out on me, Vir said, turning over to stare her in the eyes.
Im sorry, Vir. This time, she meant it. She honestly hadnt meant to hurt him.
Vir sighed and returned to his face-down position. Whatever. I just hope you believe me.
I do, she said. As much as I dont want to, avoiding the facts isnt going to change anything. And besides, maybe I can develop a fire affinityter somehow.
Ice and wind are pretty great, if you ask me, Vir said.
Hmm. Ice is good for slowing and stopping opponents, and its got some really powerful spells at the higher tiers. But its slow. Only fireballs are slower than ice spells, and ice doesnt have the sheer destructive power or range that fire does.
What about wind? he asked.
Winds not bad. Wind spells tend to be fast. Actually, I think only Lightnings faster. And their range is decent. I dont really know what most of the Wind affinity spells look like, actually.
Vir spoke up. I overheard some traveling merchants at the vige a long time ago. They were talking about all sorts of magic. I think one of them knew a mejai who could shoot des of wind. That always sounded pretty dang seric to me.
Hmm. What did they say about ice?
Vir thought for a moment, struggling to recall. They mentioned Ice Prison as one spell, if I remember right. It sounded incredibly powerful.
That does sound nice, Maiya said. Hmm. Maybe this isnt so horrible after all. You think you could share what you learn about magic with me? I dunno if it''ll help me, but at least I''ll feel like I''m doing something until Tanya arrives.
Happy to, Maiya, Vir said, rolling his eyes. And you do realize youre talking to someone who has zero magical potential, right? Id kill to have an affinity. Any affinity!
He might have had a point a month or two ago, but now, Maiya had little sympathy for her friend. You dont need magic, Vir. With how fast youre learning Riyans techniques, youll be a skilled assassin in no time.
Vir fell silent. You really think hes gonna ask me to kill someone?
I dont know, Vir. I truly hope not. For both of our sakes
The more they trained, the more anxious Maiya grew. She knew theyd be forced apart to do Riyan''s taskthe man had said as much. But for how long?
She shook her head, clearing away the dark thoughts that threatened to crush her.
Nothing would separate her from Vir. Not Riyan. Not even Fate itself.
Next time: 26 - Cloaks & Daggers
Chapter 26: Cloaks & Daggers
Chapter 26: Cloaks & Daggers
Vir carefully stepped onto the first suspended bncing beam, pausing only slightly to jump onto the next beam, and finally the third.
Both Vir and Maiya had braved Riyans dome of horrors every day, and while there had been broken bones and torn flesh, neither had taken grievous injuries Yet.
But that was only because the truly dangerous parts of the course cameter on. Each tform housed a different obstacle, and of the twelve total tforms, Vir had only ever gotten as far as the third. It was forgiving in that waythe course started somewhat benign and became progressively more vicious the higher up you went. And of course, the higher you went, the worse your fall would be.
The first obstaclethe three bncing beams suspended by ropes on either endwas the only one Vir cleared with ease; the beams posed no issue to him anymore. But the second obstaclea series of rotating cylindrical posts with wooden des embedded into it at varying heightshad left him bruised, battered, and broken, and that was after he''d convinced Riyan to disable the Sharpen Edge orbs on the des. Apparently, even their mentor had realized that was too much for him at this point.
After painstakingly analyzing the course from the ground, Vir now had a general understanding of itsyout. There were more rotating posts in store for him higher up, but unlike those, this one was more benign. It had fewer des, rotated slower, and had more gaps between the posts, making it easier to navigate. At least, thats what it looked like to Vir; there was only so much he could see from the ground.
But even if it was easier than theter challenges, that didnt mean it was easy. Blindly rushing in was just begging to be hurt. Vir had determined that there was only one safe route through, and it only opened up for a split second.
Itd taken him hours of staring at the dang posts to realize that the des werent evenly distributed around each post as they rotated. There were more des on one side, and fewer on another. There were several such posts, so hed had to learn the characteristics of each.
The safe path relied on timing. He had to enter the gauntlet at the right time, and he had to maintain the correct pace through the posts. Too fast or too slow, and hed lose the timing and smash against the wooden des before being thrown out.
The hardest part about this was that he had to contort his body in just the right motions, besides matching the timing.
Vir lunged into the gauntlet, ducking a de that grazed his head, sweeping through his hair.
He wrenched his body through the gap between two rotating posts before jumping, bringing his knees to his chest to avoid two more des. He didntnd on both legs, thoughthat would lead to him taking a sword in his left shin. Instead, Vir hopped on his right leg, narrowly dodging another de.
Too slow!
After enduring this gauntlet endless times, Vir had developed an innate sense of the correct pace. He knew he wasgging. If he didnt want to be mulched by the wooden des, he needed to do something, now.
His muscles protested as he forced his body to hasten, injecting more power into his lunges, dodges, and jumps. Through sheer willpower, he managed to regain the timing Barely.
Vir wasnt out of the woods yet. The final hurdle of this obstacley before him: a series of three more posts. Two on the right, and one on the left. The timing of thisst hurdle was especially brutal.
Itd taken Vir innumerable repetitions and hours of staring at the posts to realize the trick: the timing changed every four rotations. Which meant that there was no safe path through half the time. He called them pattern A and pattern B.
This course told him more about the inner workings of Riyans mind than anything else the man had ever said or doneonly a sadist woulde up with such a convoluted contraption.
The worst part was how he had to enter the previous set of rotating posts based on the timing of the final set. If he started the course during pattern B, he was doomed to fail no matter how perfectly he executed his moves.
After endless attempts, hed learned. Painfully and brutally, he had mastered the timing. And even then, his breakthrough only came thanks to Prana Vision. The prana coursing through the inscriptions on the cylinders changed slightly an instant before the pattern shifted, giving Vir a precious indicator to watch for.
Vir ducked and jumped, clearing the obstacle andnding on adder that led to the next tform. Hed hoped he could rest on thedder, but it was within the range of the rotating posts. There would be no rest here.
He scrambled up it as fast he could manage. It wasnt enough. One de nicked his Achilles tendon, making him wince with pain.
He gingerly stood atop the highest tform hed ever gotten to.
The third challenge that awaited him was a series of enormous, swinging wooden scythes suspended from a horizontal log above.
But ordinary scythes would be too easy. No, these scythes motions were erratic and unpredictable. They didnt swing in arcs. They sped up, slowed down, stopped, jerked, and reversed.
This, too, was a trial of memorization, and Vir felt like he was finally beginning to grasp the feel of it.
The moment he stepped off thedder, he was already in the path of the first scythe. Vir ignored the pain from his foot and jumped into its arc, knowing it would stop midair.
It did, for a split-second, which was all the opportunity he needed to leap past it. The issue with this obstacle, like the one before it, was that the moment he passed the first hazard, he was immediately thrust upon the next one. There were no breaks, no opportunities to pause and re-evaluate the situation.
Every self-preservation instinct he had screamed for him to move! To get out of the way of the scythe that swung for his head. But he resisted. The scythe would stop in its tracks and turn back around. He had to trust his analysis, because if he moved now, hed walk right into the next scythe in line.
The scythe stopped as predicted, and Vir let out a deep breath.
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But instead of turning around like it had when hed observed it from the ground, it continued its arc, crashing into his ribs and sending him flying off the tform.
Vir screamed as he sailed through the air and tumbled onto the sand below.
His instincts took over, and he automatically threw himself into a roll to soften the impact, but the third obstacle was higher than the rest. Even with the deep sand, the impact hurt.
Grah! He roared, punching the sand.
He was sick of this. Sick of being clubbed by wooden weapons. Sick of the scrapes when he fell onto the sand.
Vir took one look at the obstacle course and immediately abandoned any thought of attempting it again that day. He was done.
There had to be something he could do to give him an edge. He sat and closed his eyes, focusing on his prana despite the pain that throbbed from his stomach.
These meditation sessions were all that had kept him from suffocating under the immense pressure of their training regimen. The only thing that kept him sane. And it was while meditating that hed had a breakthrough.
He knew that ck prana coursed through his body. After hours of meditation, Vir had begun to feel the circting prana, to an extent. It was an incredibly subtle sensation, which was why hed never noticed it before. With practice, this sense had grown stronger and stronger. And with it came a realization.
Hed initially thought Prana Vision required his blood to operate.
That was wrong; it powered off of his prana, not his blood.
Though obvious in hindsight, the realization was subtle, yet profound. As far as he could tell, prana flow was synonymous with blood flow. Rather, it appeared as if his blood actually carried his prana. He confirmed this by observing the flow of prana within Maiya and Riyan. Both behaved identically to his own body.
Which meant two things. First, his bodys prana flow functioned the same as everyone elses, just that his particr affinity was unknown to everyone and wasnt present anywhere in nature. Secondlyand this was what made him giddy with excitementit meant that whatever affinity he had was powering Prana Vision.
It meant he could use magic! In fact, hed been using magic all this time. But that only gave him more questions. Magic required orbs to use. Everyone knew that. Riyan himself said that the amount of prana within the body was insignificantthat mejai channeled prana from the surrounding air to fuel their orbs. Yet Vir could somehow use magic without using orbs at all. And the prana within his body seemed sufficient to power his Prana Vision
There was something else, too. Hed missed it earlier, but now that Prana Vision had be more sensitive, he realized that the prana in his body continuously leaked out into the air and ground.
This happened at all times, regardless of what he was doing, but it leaked faster when he exerted himself. Just to be sure, he confirmed that the same phenomenon never happened to Maiya or Riyan, so it was unique to him.
He didnt quite know what to make of that yet. The biggest question mark in his mind was whether his prana was only good for Prana Vision, or whether it could be made to serve other purposes. He truly hoped it could, but thus far, hed been unsessful in manifesting any other powers.
So? How far didja get this time? Maiya asked, walking into the training dome.
Vir heard her stop on the edge of the sand, several paces away. He kept his eyes closed, concentrating on his meditation.
Second scythe. Same asst time.
Still, I cant believe youve gotten this good this fast, Maiya said. She herself hadnt been able to make it past the bncing beamsthe easiest obstacle of them all.
Vir shook his head with his eyes still closed. I wish. But I guess all those years of jumping through Brijs alleys helps out. Anyway, I think I know whats going on now. The scythes behavior changes depending on whether theres a person in the course or not.
What!? Thats ridiculous! Doesnt that make analyzing the course pointless?
Something was off about her voice, though Vir couldnt quite pinpoint what.
Yknow, she said, I cant help but think this all has a military feel to it. Isnt this how soldiers train?
Giving up on meditation, Vir finally opened his eyes and stared up at the obstacle course.
I dunno about that. You really think they go through something like this? Vir knew nothing about how soldiers practiced, but if that was true, he pitied every single soldier who had to endure this Ash-damned training.
Maiya approached him from behind and offered a towel, which he graciously epted, wiping the sweat and sand off of his face.
Mmm who knows, Vir? But I do know that hurting yourself like this cant be good for you. Even with Riyans Life orbs, I dont think its healthy for your development.
Not much I can do about it, right? Besides, how can I just take things easy when Rudvik sacrificed his life for me? Working myself to the bone is the least I can do to honor him.
Maiya squeezed his shoulder. You are, Vir. You are.
Vir finally turned and looked up at her. Thanks Maiw-w-whawho!? he cried, scampering back on all fours.
The ck-haired boy facing Vir burst outughing. Took you long enough, you dolt! Said the boy, with Maiyas voice.
Whats going on? IsIs that you, Maiya? Vir said. Not only had her gender changed, but she didnt look anything like the Maiya he knew. This boy wore a small cap, a id shirt, and corduroy pants.
You look like a merchants son or something, Vir said, circling around her while she bowed. This is incredible. Did Riyan do this?
Maiya nodded. I guess he relented after seeing my cial progress on the obstacle course. Hes been teaching me the art of makeup and disguise.
Something clicked in Virs head. Is that where youve been,tely? I thought
Maiyaughed. You thought I got depressed, didnt you?
W-well, yeah, he said sheepishly, averting his gaze. She hadnt been joining him on the course at alltely. He figured she just needed some alone time, so hed avoided the topic whenever he saw her. It made for some awkward conversations between them.
Well, youre not wrong. I was feeling pretty down for a while. But then Riyan started teaching me this stuff. He says I actually have a knack for it!
Virs eyes bulged. He you?
It was rare for that man to say nice things. He wondered whether the world was ending. It was either that, or Maiya really did have some serious talent for it. One look at her told him it was thetter.
Im honestly shocked, Maiya. Even your eyes are a different color. No one would ever guess who you are.
Maiya giggled. If I fooled you, I guess it works pretty well! Its honestly still kinda awkward for me. Riyans been teaching me how to lower my voice, too, but I still gotta work on that.
So, is this just practice, or is there a reason youre in disguise? Vir asked, taking awkward nces at his transformed best friend.
Maiya tossed him a piece of parchment, which he caught and unfurled. Whats this? A list of supplies? Does this mean what I think it means?
Uh, huh. Riyan wants us to journey north to Saran to buy supplies for the next three months. We''re finally gonna visit a proper city! she eximed.
A trip!? He agreed with Maiya; the thought of some new scenery made Virs heart pump, even if they were just doing the mans menial work for him.
But first, Maiya said, holding up a small brush, we gotta do your makeup.
Uh, Maiya? Why are you grinning at me like that?
Vir had a bad feeling about this.
Next time: 27 -The Northward Bound
Chapter 27: The Northward Bound
Chapter 27: The Northward Bound
Sit still, Vir! How am I supposed to work with you fidgeting around like that?
Maiya, this is awkward. Like, really really awkward, he replied, sitting on a stool in a storeroom that Maiya and Riyan had converted into a makeup studio. Shed forced him to sit there for hours as she worked, applying foundation, coloring, bronzers, and other nonsense words she clearly just made up.
And done! Maiya announced, puffing out her chest.
Skeptical, Vir took the mirror from her and gasped. His ashenplexion was entirely gone, reced by the healthy tones and fair skin of a merchants son. Except
Vir reached up to his head and promptly removed the wig shed put on.
Hey! What do you think youre doing? said his indignant makeup artist.
Maiya, I dont need a wig. My hairs already ck. Whats even the point?
Maiya blushed.
Had she not realized it was unnecessary?
ItsI mean, I have other colors too? she squeaked.
Thanks, Maiya, but I dont think I need it. I love the rest of the makeup, though. The disguise works just fine, even without a wig, yeah?
R-right. Here Maiya said, holding up a leather case with a handle.
Whats that? Vir asked, but when she opened the box, revealing two thin lenses with ck pupils, it became obvious. This is how you changed your eye color, isnt it?
Maiya nodded. Its a thin film that goes over your eyes. Riyan said theyre incredibly expensive and rare, so we have to take good care of them. They require daily maintenance, and theyre a little hard to get used to, but they work pretty well.
Vir worked with Maiya to learn how to apply them. It took him a few tries, but he eventually slipped them in. She was right; they were ufortable. He blinked rapidly, since that was his bodys natural response, but doing so only made the irritation worse.
He wished he could do without them, but there was little choice in the matter. Only Ashborn had red eyes like he did. If he had to choose between being ostracized or having watery eyes, hed go with thetter ten times out of ten.
Here, your clothes, Maiya said, handing Vir his merchants loose pants and white-cored shirt. They were nicer than anything Vir ever wore, so he took them withoutint.
Were supposed to be two sons of a merchant family operating out of Daha, apparently, Maiya said. Riyans written down all the supplies were to buy at Saran along with their quantities, and hes given us a list of shops he wants us to visit to buy them.
Thats surprisingly detailed of him, Vir remarked. I feel like his instructions are always vague and frustrating.
I think he just doesnt want to leave anything to chance, Maiya said with a smirk. He left this morning. Didnt say where he was going, or when hed be back.
Vir took the parchment with the list of supplies from Maiya. Saran, huh? Thats the coastal town to the north, isnt it? Thought it was pretty far.
It is, she said, taking out the rough map theyd drawn together on their cartography trips. Riyan mentioned it was a little over two hundred miles as the Acira flies. So, maybe two hundred fifty, realistically?
Thats incredibly far! Is that really the nearest town? Vir asked. If it was really that far, this wouldnt be a day trip.
I mean, Brij is closer, said Maiya, but thats off limits, for now. Anyway, he wants us to stay off of the roads until we get closer to Saran, where its safer. Said we should hug the coastline so we dont get lost. And were to avoid anything that looks even remotely dangerous. Especially bandits. Seems they patrol the Saran-Daha highway. Oh, and he wants us to leave Neel behind. Said that Bumpy couldnt handle the weight of all three of us and the supplies.
Hmm. So how long is this gonna take us? Vir had done some calctions of his own, but he wanted to see if Maiyas numbers matched up.
Well, Ashva can gallop at thirty miles an hour on t ground, so I think it should take about two days to get there? Maiya said, tapping her chin in thought, Riyan said the coastlines pretty navigable, so Bumpy should be able to gallop at near his full pace.
Vir winced, already imagining how ufortable that ride was gonna be. He could only hope the sandy coastline cushioned their bums.
Two days is about what Id figured as well, he replied. He couldnt imagine how long itd have taken if they had to go on foot. He doubted even Riyan would be that cruel. Actually, I can see him doing exactly that, he thought. Vir figured theyd be best served by leaving before the man got back from his outing, in case he changed his mind.
Riyan says this will be a good opportunity for us to learn about subterfuge, but I dunno. I dont really feel like Im ready yet, Maiya said.
You dont feel ready? What about me!? He hasnt given me any training in this stuff! At least you know how to apply makeup and change your voice.
Vir was sure that the mans cruel ways were bound to cause him no end of suffering.
You dont need to alter your voice, though, Vir. You dont even need to change your personality. Your appearance is enough. I think Riyan realized that, which is why he taught me first. Well, that, and I think he realized the obstacle course was too much for me, she said, looking away.
Vir couldnt imagine how much Riyans decision had vexed her. Maiya hated to lose.
Im sure youll manage. I have faith in your acting skills, Vir said as he looked over the supply list. Vegetables, rice, grains, flour, fruits, nuts, seeds, and some household items. Theyd be buying enough supplies tost the household for the next month or two.
Did Riyan give us money for buying all this stuff, though? And Saran isnt exactly close. Well need enough food and water to get there. Can we raid Riyans food stores for our provisions during the trip?
Maiya held up a small, sturdy looking metal box and pressed her palm against the Magic Lock on it, revealing the treasure trove within. He sure did. Eight Imperium silvers and two hundred coppers! I counted them myself. Dont think Ive ever held this much money before. It feels so good, she said with a greedy smile.
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Virs eyes popped. Thats wow. Thats incredible.
Hed never even seen that much wealth in his entire life. An Imperium silver was worth a hundred coppers, and a seric coin was a hundred silvers. Forget sericshed only spied a silver on a handful of asions. A hearty meal cost about five Imperium coppers, so this was enough to buy two hundred meals Or to buy the supplies to make far more.
Virs expression darkened. Yknow, Riyans gone. With this kind of money, we could escape and hed never find us. We could even go to Saran like he wants, and then charter a ship to some other country. Im stronger now. Much stronger. And so are you.
Maiya bit her lip and frowned. Thats true, she replied, falling silent, I I dunno, Vir. Riyan says that my magic trainings gonna start soon, but then again, we dont get many opportunities like this, she said, tapping her chin.
Vir gave her an appraising nce. Well, we dont need to decide now. We have until we get to Saran. Think it over.
He wanted her toe to her own decision without his own thoughts weighing on her Because hed already made up his mind. The decision shed make at Saran would decide whether they stayed together or went their separate ways.
Of course, there was the matter of leaving Neel behind, but Vir had a n for that contingency if it came to that.
Alright, he said, then I think were about ready. Day schedule or night schedule?
Maiya thought it over for a second. Well be near the coast, which should cool things down, but I still think the night schedules better. Well be harder to spot if there are any bandits around.
I was thinking the same, Vir said. When traveling through a desert, it wasmon to sleep during the day, when the scorching sunpounded your physical exertion to make for a truly miserable experience. By resting during the hottest hoursusually under a white tarp to keep the sun at baytheyd preserve water and burn less energy.
The strategy paid dividends at night, when the opposite was true. Their physical exertion would help to offset the icy chill of the desert night. Though in this case, theyd be riding Bumpy, so really theyd just be making the Ashvas life easier by traveling at night.
Vir hoped the animal appreciated everything they did for it.
Lets go get some supplies for the trip, and then we can be off. We should set out enough food and water for Neel, too. I dont trust Riyan to feed him, even if hees back soon.
Hearing his name, Neel bounded into the makeup studio, excitedly wagging his tail with his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
Maiya kneeled and ruffled his fur. Wouldnt he just gobble up everything we set out for him?
Neel tilted his head and whimpered.
Neels a good boy. He knows not to eat more than his share. Dont you, Neel?
The bandy barked, as if agreeing.
Yknow, sometimes I wonder if he can actually understand you, Maiya said, but Virughed her off.
Hes a smart bandy, but not that smart. Though he does perk right up the second anyone mentions food.
In confirmation, Neel gazed at him with expectation. The bandy had long ago perfected the art of begging-by-being-adorable. Vir wondered whether the bandy would truly be alright with an entire weeks worth of food and water.
Vir followed Maiya into Riyans pantry, which was essed via a door at the corner of the kitchen. The small cer was a flight of stairs down, putting it even further underground than the rest of the home. As a result, the room remained cool and humid. Riyan augmented the effect with Magic Cold. The room actually had two sections: a cool area, and a separate cold container enclosed by a wooden hatch.
Maiyas family had a simr setup, but Rudvik could scarcely afford a single Magic Cold orb, so Vir had never experienced the luxury of freezing food before. It wouldve made for far morefortable winters.
He didnt know why, but visiting the storeroom always gave him great joy. Maybe it was the way everything was organized, and Riyan was nothing if not organized.
Each and every provision wasbeled and neatly arranged. Sacks of rice sat stacked on top of each other on the floor, while fruits and vegetables sat meticulously arranged in neat rows on y racks within alcoves on the walls, though most of those had run out. They still had enough nonperishables tost another few weeks, but Riyan wasnt one to procrastinate with this stuff.
They helped themselves to a weeks worth of supplies, adding some spices for good measure. Vir knew hed eat well with Maiyas cooking, but he liked to help the chef out as much as he could. He packed two vegetable knives, a wooden cutting board, and bowls and sporks for them both.
Once theyd loaded everything into leather panniers and strapped those onto Bumpy, all that remained was to pack their individual rucksacks. Riyan had provided each two pairs of clothes, as befitting the sons of a wealthy merchant. Maiya had all of her makeup equipment, and Vir packed about twenty liters of water, which would be enough tost them several days in the heat.
If there was one item Vir would never skimp, it was water. In the desert, water was life. He didnt need Riyans stern warnings to know that. The one nice thing about Bumpy was that he was a strong Ashva. With just the two of them, weight would not be an issue, allowing them to pack on extra supplies.
Thest piece of kit he packed was arge white fabric that served as a desert tent. Unlike an A-frame or a lean-to, this fabric was rectangr, and was reinforced at the corners, where posts could beshed to suspend the material horizontally, a couple of paces in the air. Vir and Maiya would then rest under it on the bare sand, using their rucksacks as makeshift pillows. Riyan insisted they take it with them whenever they went out on their own.
They still had a few hours to kill before sunset, and with everything packed and Neels sustenance seen to, there was little else to prepare. So Vir did what he always did with his free time these dayscloistered himself in the training dome, sat cross-legged on the sand, closed his eyes, and meditated.
The inky ck prana inside him moved in a mesmerizing way, rapidly circting throughout his body. Unfortunately, the quantity was so tiny that he needed Prana Vision at its strongest to even see it. In fear of smearing his makeup, he left the ability dormant for this session.
If prana was bound to blood as hed suspected, then what he was seeing was actually his blood pumping through his body. Hed never known how intricate its path was, nor how quickly it flowed. It took less than a minute to make a full circuit around his body.
Vir had been focusing on understanding his Prana Visiontely, since hed run into a brick wall trying to unlock new abilities with his prana. The biggest issue with Prana Vision was that it was functionally useless unless he exerted himself physically. The harder his heart pumped, the more vivid his eyesight became. Which tended to work out in high-stress situations, but made it an absolute pain to train with.
Itd be a lot more convenient if I could activate it on demand.
With that thought, he focused on the ability. He focused on the vivid colors he saw when Prana Vision was operating at full capacity. He willed those colors to appear.
And of course, nothing happened. If it was that easy, hed have unlocked its secrets long ago. He didnt even know if what he was trying to do was possible, which made things even harder.
Vir envied Maiya. At least she would soon have a mejai who could train her. But even if Vir somehow got her instructor to teach him, he doubted shed be able to help. It was bing increasingly obvious that Virs magic functioned differently from orb-based magic, even if they both leveraged the same underlying concepts.
With a sigh, Vir got up and dusted the sand off of him. The beautiful orange glow filtering through the training domes skylights signaled sunset.
As if on cue, Maiya walked in, carrying her rucksack. You ready?
Vir cracked his neck. Lets do this.
After having been cooped up for so long, he itched for adventure.
So, the little birds have flown the nest, a figure in a white robe said as hey prone atop a sand dune, his spyss extended. How do we want to take advantage of this opportunity?
His partneralso dressed in white and lying prone beside himresponded. Her highness is intrigued by the boy and the girl. She wishes for us to test the waters, to see what these children mean to him.
Tis odd for a man like General Savar to take anyone under his wing, let alone a couple of runts. How shall we do this, then?
His partner stood up, retracting his spyss. Ill go. You stay here and continue monitoring the generals estate. Ill tail these two and see if I cant rustle things up a bit.
Very well. I neednt say this, but do notpromise your cover.
Just who do you think I am? Messing with two children is, well, its childs y, he said with a sinister smile.
Chapter 28: A Bumpy Ride
Chapter 28: A ''Bumpy'' Ride
Starlight reflected off of the crashing waves to the left as Vir and Maiya traveled north on Bumpys back. With only the dim stars for illumination, nighttime travel was usually treacherous, but Virs excellent nightvision offset some of that risk. And thanks to Prana Visionwhich was always active to some degree, even while dormanthis eyesight had be even better.
None of that helped with his current predicament.
Adventuresoverrated, he thought for the hundredth time as his bones creaked and his skull rattled.
The trip had started out well enough. Theyd traveled west from Riyans abode to the coastline that ran north-south, bordering the Hansa Sea. Vir sat in front, handling Bumpys reins while Maiya sat behind him with her arms wrapped around his stomach for support. Theyd even caught thest rays of the setting sun as theyd crested the final grassy hill that led down to the rocky coast.
From there theyd traveled north, keeping the coast visible, but that was when Virs ns started going awry. Hed initially thought they could ride Bumpy on the sandy shore, but that proved too much of a burden for the beast.
Even with two D Grade Lighten Load orbs, Bumpy struggled to plod on the soft sand. At one point, hede to aplete stop, refusing to travel any further.
Neither carrots nor hay had convinced the beast, so Vir finally relented, coaxing the stubborn Ashva over to the harder ground of the hills that bordered the coast.
The problem was that these were not simply rolling hills. Rocks, boulders, and pebbles covered them over, making the going both slow and arduous. Bumpy was never the smoothest-riding Ashva, but with the terrain they were currently on, the ride was downright torturous.
Vir wasnt the only one being battered by the ungainly beast.
I dont understand how anyone goes on long journeys, Maiyained, her teeth rattling both from the jostling and the cold. I thought the added cushions would help. I honestly did.
I think most people take the highways. And most people dont have Bumpy, Vir said, wishing for his old Ashvas back at Brij, though he sympathized with Bumpys plight.
After examining the beast, hed found that one of his hind legs had terrible scars on it. Likely the result of some fierce engagement, long ago. The wound had not healed well, making that leg slightly shorter than the others. It was the reason behind the animals ungainly gait.
Vir patted the hardworking animal. It must hurt you too, he murmured.
The only silver lining was that the constant jostling took their minds off the biting nighttime chill. Traveling on a night schedule made life easier for Bumpy, but as riders, Vir and Maiya werent exerting themselves. Which meant that the offshore breeze nipped at their faces continuously, and while their clothes did an adequate job of protecting them, the going was still arduous.
With nothing else to do, Virs thoughts drifted to the ck prana within his body. Even now, it steadily trickled out of him, which irked him for some reason. It meant his body was actually generating the prana somehow. He suspected this was the case for Maiya and Riyan as well.
It brought up the question of what exactly prana was, and how it was made. Life was strengthened by it, but even inanimate objects had it. Did they generate prana as well? Or was that restricted only to lifeforms? Why was there such a vast ocean of earth prana in the ground? Where did it alle from?
Many questions, few answers. For now. Vir couldnt wait to unravel its mysteries, and that all started with finding a way to activate Prana Vision at will. He felt like a pioneer, delving into arcane secrets.
The long hours passed with neither talking much, but Vir knew that wouldntst long. Maiya tired of unfamiliar sights far faster than he did, and when she was bored, she talked.
Vir, she said. You remember what Riyan taught us about Hiranyan royalty?
Here ites, he thought. With her sitting behind him, she never saw the wry smile that crept onto his face. I dunno, Maiya. Why dont you give me a refresher?
She sighed. Ugh, I know. Its tedious. Riyan keeps harping about how knowledge is power and so on and so on.
Does that mean hes okay with you abandoning the obstacle course? Vir asked. Hed been worrying about that for a while, but figured it was a sensitive topic for her.
To be honest, I dont really know. He isnt forcing me to go, at least. But I dunno if hes just teaching me other things as a break from training or what. Anyway, hes been drilling the names of various kings and queens and countries into my head all this time.
Oh, yeah? Vir said, ying along. He wasnt really interested, but the silence was even more boring than listening to Maiya go on about this stuff. He could really use the distraction from guiding Bumpy for hours.
The beast wasnt exactly temperamental, but it had its idiosyncrasies that Vir had to constantly watch out for. Guiding the beast for a half hour was one thing, but the effort steadily wore on him as the night progressed.
Right, Maiya said, so our kingdom, Hiranya, is a monarchy. That means theres a king and a queen, and sometimes the queens have as much power as the kings, but thats not the case for Hiranya. King Rayid Hiranyas the current ruler, and he has been for decades. Theres talk about his eventual session, but apparently thats a hot topic amongst the Sawai.
Whys that? Are the princes fighting over the throne?
Both the princes and the princess, actually. Seems the eldest son, First Prince Sanobar, is in line for the throne. Hes like the perfect prince. He helps his father out and works for the good of the nation. The second prince is somewhat of a scheming snitch. People think hes gonna do something to Sanobar to snatch the throne from him.
Do something Like, you mean hes going to have him killed? Isnt that really bad?
Maiya nodded, forgetting that Vir couldnt see her from behind him. Probably, yeah. Thats if his sister doesnt do something first. Third Princess Minas all Riyan ever talks about. I feel like hes teaching me her entire history for some reason. He I dunno, Maiya said, trailing off.
Huh? He said as he guided Bumpy over a hazardous group of rocks. What, Maiya? What were you gonna say?
I feel like hes obsessed with her, Vir. Like, in an unhealthy way. He doesnt say it, but I honestly think something happened between them.
Vir didnt know why, but a sudden image shed into his mind, prompting him to sink deep into thought.
Whats up, Vir?
Hmm? Oh, no. Just thinking, is all. You remember the night we cremated Rudvik?
Maiya tightened her arms around his waist.
Its fine, Maiya. Thanks, but Ive made my peace with it now, he said, squeezing her hand. What I meant was that Riyan said something to me back then. Words that Ive never forgotten. He said that my wounds would never heal. That time mends all wounds, but that the scars remain forever.
I remember that, Maiya said softly.
I just felt like hed spoken from personal experience, is all. I dunno why, but Im wondering if it had anything to do with what you just said. You think he has some tussle with Hiranyan royalty?
Hmm. I dunno. Riyan definitelyes across as a Sawai aristocrat, or maybe ex-Sawai. But even they dont really have ess to the royal family unless theyre super high up. And besides, what would a princess be able to do to that man? Its Riyan were talking about, after all. I cant imagine anyone wronging him and living. Not even a princess, she said with a giggle.
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Vir had to agree. The thought was ridiculous. But if true, what did it mean for him? What did it mean for Maiya? Nevermind, then. Actually, Ive been wondering about this, but is theirst name always the name of the kingdom? Or is that just a Hiranyan thing?
Yeah, seems to be the convention for every kingdom Riyans told me about so far. Well, except for the Altani and the Pagan Order, which I gotta tell you about. Theyre so much more
Hang on, Maiya, Vir said, eying a small brook up ahead that fed into the ocean. Lets take a quick break. I dunno if my bum can take much more of this. Hours of riding over the rock hills that bordered the ocean had left him numb.
Maiyas face lit up. Yesss! Thought youd never stop!
It was as if their bones had fused together. Every movement was awkward and stiff, and Vir could barely even dismount from the sted steed.
Maiya immediately threw herself into stretching exercises on the rocky scree while Vir went to feed the Ashva. For all his gripes with the beast, it was carrying them on its back. He patted its snout. Thanks, Bumpy. Youre not perfect, but we still love you, anyway.
We do? Maiya asked from a few paces away.
We do, Vir said with a nod. The Ashva grunted, likely in response to the hay it was being fed and not his words, but it felt nice to pretend otherwise.
Vir was just finishing up undoing Bumpys reins to make him morefortable when he felt a sudden warmth on the small of his back.
He startled, only to feel Maiya behind him.
Magic Heat? He asked.
Maiya nodded, leaning against him and pressing the orb against his back. I feel bad hogging it all this time.
Dont be. I couldnt hold an orb while handling Bumpys reins now, could I? And besides, I can deal with the chill better than you can.
She held up a package bundled in a banana tree leaf. Sandwich?
Vir began salivating the moment he smelled the delectable spices. Maiyas cooking had always been good, but itd grown even more delicioustely thanks to the amount of practice they got. Riyans vast array of ingredients certainly didnt hurt.
Thanks, Maiya! Youre the best, he said between bites. This was exactly what I needed.
Watching Vir wolf down her sandwich filled Maiyas chest with a pleasantly warm sensation, and she beamed with pride.
Anyway, lets not linger too long, she said, looking around at their rocky surroundings. I just wanna get to Saran. To a nice, warm bed.
I doubt well make Saran by the end of the day. Were probably looking at sleeping at least one day in the sun, Maiya.
She sighed. I know. Its fine, Ill live.
Vir fell into stretches of his own, which did wonders for his blood cirction. His bottom still hurt, but there wasnt much he could do about that. He followed it up with some shadowboxing, which made Maiyaugh. He''d hoped to trigger Prana Vision, but a few kicks and punches weren''t enough to get it to a useful level, and they needed to get going.
I think I interrupted you before we stopped. What were you talking about? Vir said when they mounted Bumpy several minutester.
Vir had initially dreaded hearing Maiya go on about the various kingdoms, but he was warming up the topic, especially since it might rte to Riyan.
Hmm, where was I? She said, tapping her chin.
I think you were about to talk about the Altani and the Pagan Order.
Oh, right! Right, so, the Altani. Riyan was very clear about them. If you evere across an Altani mage, never ever make them angry, Vir. Hes told me things about them. Scary things.
Yeah? Like what?
So you know how the Kinjal Empires always saying how theyre the strongest power in the Known World?
Right, Vir lied, Of course. Everyone knows that. He had no clue.
So, it turns out they tried attacking the Altani. This wouldve been a hundred years ago or more.
I noticed you said they tried attacking, Virmented. What happened?
They failed. Spectacrly. The Kinjal amassed an army a hundred thousand strong And they lost in a single day. Its called Banshis Folly. Banshi was apparently the Kinjalmander at the time.
One day!? How does an army that size lose in a single day? Vir said in shock. He couldnt even imagine ten thousand people in one ce, let alone a hundred thousand. The sheer size bent his mind. A force thatrge should be unstoppable.
I know, right? It gets worse. They routed. Kinjal Brian warriors routed, can you believe that? They had superior numbers, but the Altani had better technology. Like, way way better. Seems they unveiled a new type of pranic skyship. Fast attack skyships. Even today, theyre said to be the only country in the world who can build and fly something like that.
So theyre fast, I take it? Vir said.
Yep. Fast and deadly. Seems they fly even faster than an Acira does. With their magical power, the Altani just bombed the Brian warriors from above, and the Kinjals didnt have a single thing that could stop them. They decimated the Kinjals in just a few hours, forcing them back.
Vir listened to her while guiding Bumpy down toward the sand. The terrain had changed, and the ground near the beach had be harder and tter. It looked like the going would be easier and smoother for the time being.
As he coaxed the Ashva closer to the shore, he idly wondered if the Altani knew about the affinities hed discovered. The affinities that seemed like they were a secret to the rest of the world couldnt possibly be unknown to the most powerful mejai, could they?
Yeah, so most people consider the Altani to be the most powerful nation in the known world. Seems like they inherited a bunch of Lost Magic from the Age of Gods. Some even say that their capital, Alt Ashani, was actually built by the gods themselves. They say its the prettiest city in the world, with half the city floating in midair.
Vir didnt need to see Maiyas face to know that shed been smitten by that story.
Maybe youll get to visit one day, he said. It was what she wanted to hear.
Can you imagine, Vir!? Life in a city like that? I could die happy.
Hed only mentioned visiting, but of course, her overactive mind had immediately jumped all the way to living there. Vir smiled, hoping his dear friend never lost that enthusiasm of hers.
What about the Pagan Order? I heard they hunted demons and maybe also Ashborn? The Pagan Order worried him a lot more than the Altani.
Pagan Orders in the Voinds, way off to the southwest of the Known World. Theres no prana there. Like, at all. So they cant use magic for anything. They cant even heat or cool their food with magic.
Vir had wondered about that ever since hed heard of the Voinds. Its not just heating and cooling, right? he remarked. They dont have magic to heal wounds or prevent infections from spreading. I wonder how theyve managed until now. And their military must lookpletely different, too.
If only they didnt hunt Ashborn, life in the Voinds might actually have suited him perfectly.
Right, Maiya replied. The Pagan Orders ruled by Lord Reth. Hes a fanatical demon hater. Seems the Orders kinda a thorn in every countrys side. They apparently kidnap people from other countries and bring them back to the Voinds.
People? Or demons? Vir asked. Truthfully, he had no idea what demons looked like, or even where they came from, but the four armed giant popped into his head. If anything screamed demon, that was it.
Demons, Maiya confirmed. But Ive never actually seen a demon, so I dunno what they do. Maybe they kidnap ordinary people and im that theyre demons? Anyway, they say they do it to make sure theyre purged correctly. Sounds like a bad way to go, if you ask me.
Vir gulped. And now theyre after Ashborn too
Well, the good news is theyre a small nation. The only reason the others havent put an end to them is because theyre so out of the way. Sending in an expedition to wipe them out isnt worth the cost. At least, thats what Riyan thinks.
Whatever it was, Vir made a mental note to stay as far away as humanly possible from those lunatics. Hed be happy if he lived out his entire life without ever seeing them. Having dealt with one cultist already, he had no desire to meet another.
They continued on for the next several hours, chatting about kingdoms and queendoms and princes and princesses. Virs eyes zed over at one point there were just so many names, he couldnt possibly hope to remember them all.
Vir wondered exactly why Riyan was spending so much effort teaching Maiya these things. The man was not one to indulge in frivolity, which meant she''d likely need this knowledge down the line. Vir wondered if whatever favor the man wanted from Maiya required this kind of knowledge. But even knowing that, he found it hard to guess what Riyan had in store for her.
Their conversation passed the time, and a few hourster, the rays of dawn broke above the sea. Vir would ordinarily stare at the sunrise on end whenever he caught it, but today, all he could think about was sleep. He longed to pitch the tarp and get some shuteye.
But the moment the suns rays illuminated dark masts and sinister ck sails in the distance, all thoughts of rest vanished.
And when he saw the skulls and crossbones on those ck sails, his fear ballooned into full-blown panic.
Bumpy growled as Vir jerked his reins, forcing the beast to a halt.
Vir? Whats wrong? Maiya said, looking around. Then she saw it as well. Oh, no
Pirates, Vir said, his throat dry and cracked.
And not just one or two. Dozens of them, milling about on the shore. Several dinghiesy beached nearby.
It got worse.
Weve been spotted, he said with a scowl. Who would have guessed that their idyllic bumpy ride would end with a battle for their lives?
Chapter 29: The Taste Of Progress
Chapter 29: The Taste Of Progress
The coast was safe, he said! Travel by night, he said! Im going to wring Riyans throat when we get back! Maiya shouted from behind Vir as they fled from the pirates.
What rotten luck, Vir thought. Theyd avoided the road. Theyd traveled by night. They took every precaution possible. Who couldve predicted pirates showing up on the beach?
Weve got two Ashva on our tail! Maiya cried, spotting two ck silhouettes against the rays of the rising sun.
Comining wouldeter.
The pirates had forced them to flee into the desert, where the endless dunes slowed Bumpy down. The sand would impede their pursuers too, but Vir knew Bumpy grew tired quickly. He didnt know how resilient the enemys beasts were, but he doubted theyd be any worse than their own.
Vir pulled out every trick he knew. He led them behind sand dunes before turning abruptly, hoping to throw them off. He made it look like he was headed one direction to get them to intercept him, only to change directions.
Theyre gaining on us! Maiya shouted. Sure enough, the enemy was closing the distance despite Virs efforts.
We cant keep this up for much longer! he said. His ignoble steed bucked and snorted, unused to being pushed this hard.
Bumpys breaths were much more audible now. The beast panted hard, and its gait became even more ungainly than usual. Hed already slowed down. Vir felt bad for pushing the Ashva, given its injury. The beast was no doubt in great pain. He had to act fast.
Vir racked his brain for ideas, but came up empty. There was simply no way they could outrun their pursuers, and engaging them inbat was a death sentence. These were no doubt hardened criminals, and while Vir had concealed his katar, he didnt think he could go up against two or three experienced fighters and win, even with Maiyas help.
Gods forbid if they carried bows or crossbows with them.
Think! What can you do?
Vir! Maiya shrieked.
Vir snapped to his senses to see a boulder protruding from the sand just ten paces away, and they were headed right for it. Bumpy was so exhausted that the beast hadnt even noticed it.
He did exactly what he shouldnt havehe panicked. The boulder loomed closer and closer, filling his entire field of view.
Theyd be doomed if they crashed into that! The shock of the impact was one thing, but theyd be easy pickings for the pirates in hot pursuit if they fell off Bumpy, and Ash''vacked the self preservation instincts to avoid obstacles like this.
Vir''s body threatened to freeze up on him. He summoned up every drop of willpower he could muster and yanked on Bumpys reins. The Ashva turned at thest second, clearing the boulder with less than a single paces width to spare.
They were still on Bumpy, but the close call had cost them their lead.
The pirates were now so close, Vir could make out the scars that marred their faces. And when he stared into the whites of their eyes, he saw only bloodlust. Their hooting and yelling sent shivers up his spine.
He couldnt do this. He couldnt control Bumpy and think about warding the pirates off at the same time.
Maiya, take the reins, he said, handing her the leather controls.
O-okay, she said meekly, not having recovered from the shock of their close encounter. She shook it off and grasped the reins confidently. Shed been learning Ashva riding from Vir, and this was her chance to show off her progress. You have something in mind?
Vir didnt answer; he was a little preupied in turning in his seat. Now, he faced backward, towards Maiya. Toward their pursuers.
Decorating each of his wrists were three chakris. On his neck, two chakrams. But he could not use them. If he threw them, he doubted hed ever find them in the sand again, even if they did double back to search the areater. He doubted theyd have that luxury.
To use them was to lose them. And he loathed losing his only ranged weapons so early in their trip.
We havent even made it to Saran, for Veras sake!
Vir hesitated. That the pirates hadnt struck with bows yet could only mean one thing: they werent carrying any. And now that the sun was higher in the sky, he confirmed that fact visually as well. Perhaps they hadnt had the time to equip bows, or maybe they simply didnt have them.
It was a mistake on their part that Vir could exploit. He reached into a pannier and came away with a handful of stones.
Youre gonna throw pebbles at them!? Thats your n?
Vir scowled at her. Let me know if you have any better ideas! And they''re stones, not pebbles!
I do! Use those chakrams of yours! You crazy?
Maybe he was crazy. But these werent just any stones. Vir had learned from his experience in the Godshollow. Hed handpicked the most angr of rocks. Then hed chiseled them on Riyans grinding wheel to sharpen their edges. They wouldnt kill a man, but getting hit by one of these would give anyone a bad day.
Assuming he hit them, of course, but hed never once ceased practicing his technique, not even aftering to Riyans ce.
Vir began hurling the stones. But with both Bumpy and their pursuers on the move, hitting his target was no simple task. He couldnt really predict how the enemy would move. Not to a sufficient degree to anticipate andpensate for in his throw. The first one went wide. The second and third shots came close, but then the pursuers moved and the fourth and fifth went long.
Yet, with each shot, Vir learned something new. How to brace himself against Bumpy to stabilize his aim. How to guess the movements of the Ashva, and what tactics its riders might use to throw him off.
Taking each of these factors into consideration,Virs sixth pebble made contact, slicing across the nearest Ashva riders face.
He may as well have sshed the pirate with waterthe man barely even reacted.
Grak it! Vir only had a couple of stones left. Im gonna have to do it
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Hed been intentionally avoiding the pirates Ashva, but unarmored as they were, they made for a far easier target. Ashva were no bandies; their soft pink snouts were especially sensitive, so that was where he aimed.
The next throw connected, causing the animal to suddenly buck, throwing its rider off.
The pirate tumbled end over end on the sand. He didnt get back up.
One down. One to go. Maybe I wont have to waste my chakrams after all
The other Ashva was now only ten paces away. But the closer the enemy got, the more urate Virs throws became.
Vir threw his final pebble, but this pirate was far more experienced. The man kicked his beast, causing it to veer to the side at thest moment.
The pirate then reached down to his boot and retrieved a knife. Vir could tell by his grip that he was nning on throwing it. And with Maiya sitting at the back, shed be the one to take the hit.
No Badrakking way, Vir thought. The mere thought of Maiya getting injured made him all sorts of upset.
The chakram was in his hand before hed even realized it, the de of the disk biting into the leather palm of his half-finger gloves.
Training chakrams though they may be, Vir had sharpened their rusted edges against Riyans grinding wheel. Maybe they werent seric, but theyd suffice. He hoped.
The pirate took aim. So did Vir.
Slowing! Maiya announced right before she had Bumpy reduce his speed.
In doing so, she threw off the pirates aim, forcing him to reacquire his target. Vir, having the benefit of forewarning, threw first.
The chakram sailed through the air, its razor edge glinting with the promise of destruction.
It mmed into the mans forehead, gouging a terrible cut before bouncing off andnding in the sand.
Yessss! Nice going, Vir! Maiya shouted, pumping her fists. Now why couldnt you have done that sooner!?
The mans eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he fell off his Ashva, causing the beast to careen off wildly.
Did-did you kill him!? Maiya asked.
Nah. Looks like he just fell unconscious. Uh, maybe? You think hes dead?
Vir took the reins back from Maiya and turned around, so he was facing forward again. He slowed Bumpy down to a fast trot, but he didnt dare take a break until theyd prated many miles into the desert. As much as he wanted to go back and collect his weapon, there could be more pirates on their tail.
I dunno, Vir, you tell me.
Sweat broke out on his forehead as he considered the implication.
Even if the man was dead, hed gotten what wasing to him. Right?
It wasnt like Vir was going to grieve for a pirate whod tried to kill him. Even so, he found his hands trembling, and an odd chill seeped through his bones despite the desert heat.
He ruminated over that thought for the next half hour in silence. Both Vir and Maiya continuously scanned the horizon behind them for any signs of further pursuers, but thankfully, there were none.
Vir brought the animal to a halt at the bottom of arge dune. He dismounted, only to realize that his arms were still shaking.
Maiya held his hands in hers before embracing him. Its okay now, Vir. You saved us.
Vir finally let out the breath hed been holding. His legs buckled under him, but Maiya held him up.
Thats that was the first time I actually fought someone. Like, for real, he rambled. I mean, I couldnt do anything against the knight in the Godshollow. I just
I know, Vir. I know, Maiya said softly. You were amazing, Vir.
Tears welled up in his eyes, but he blinked them back. Hed die of shame if he actually cried in front of Maiya.
He didnt even know why he was crying. It was like a dam had been burst, unleashing a torrent of emotion that swept him away.
Yet above all that, he felt pride. Pride over the progress hed made. Just a few months ago, hed have frozen up against those pirates. Forgeting up with a n to fight themhe doubted he could even have run away as he was back then!
Back in the Godshollow, the knight had forced him to flee like prey. Hed basically done the same thing today, but there was a difference. Hed risen to the asion. Hed saved his friend from a knife in her back. Because of his actions, no harm had befallen Maiya or Bumpy.
Virs mind drifted back to Apramors speech on the day of his fifteenth birthday. It felt like an age and a half ago, but he could recall every word. Hed etched the entire sermon into his mind.
Before he realized it, hed started whispering Apramors words that day.
So that their ce shall never be among those cold and timid souls, who know neither victory, nor defeat.
Maiya suddenly broke her embrace and stared him in the eye.
So Im not the only one about to cry, he thought.
My fathers speech, she said. He spent an entire monthing up with that, yknow? Teardrops began streaking down her face. He was worried sick about how youd feel after you learned the truth about your magic. He didnt want you to feel bad, yknow?
Vir hugged her tightly. This is so dumb, he whispered. It was just a couple of pirates. Its nothing to get so emotional about.
Maiyaughed. Right? So dumb.
And yet, the tears continued toe. The two friends remained silent for several minutes before Vir finally let go.
Wiping his tears, his face flushed with embarrassment, Vir cleared his throat. So, erm, we should probably set up camp.
Yeah. Right. And Im gonna have to reapply this makeup now that youve gone and ruined it.
Vir cocked a brow. Me? What about you?
She poked her tongue out at him. No point doing it now, though. Well just mess it up again.
Maiya paused. Wait, she said, retrieving the tent fabric from a pannier. Gotta do something first. You stay here and rx. Ill handle this.
Vir watched as she mounted Bumpy and retraced their path, disappearing off into the distance, leaving Vir alone on the dune.
She didnt even say where she was going
She returned several minutester, walking behind Bumpy, dragging the fabric behind her.
Youre hiding our tracks! Vir eximed. Thats a great idea, Maiya!
I shouldve thought of that, he btedly realized. The stress of the pursuit had his mind all rattled.
His friend beamed at the praise. Just figured there hadnt really been any wind. Didnt want our tracks to lead those pirates right to us. Theyre gonna have a hard time doing that now, though. I made sure I did a good job.
I have no doubt, Vir said, letting out an enormous yawn, which triggered the same from Maiya. The exhaustion of the day was finally catching up to him.
The long journey had left them both exhausted, and the pursuit afterward hadpletely drained whatever energy they had left.
Lets get some rest, he said, taking the tent from Maiya.
Unlike the tents Vir was familiar with, this one was merely arge, square piece of fabric, stretched out and raised a few paces in the air, allowing Vir and Maiya to crawl in underneath from any side. It did nothing to protect against the wind, but it did shield them against the heat of the zing sun somewhat. It wasnt perfect, but it was far better than nothing.
Vir began erecting the structure by first retrieving four rounded stones from his rucksack. He inserted one into a corner of the fabric, twisting the surrounding cloth before tying a knot to capture the pebble within it. He thenshed that to a wooden spike theyd brought along, driving the pointy end into the sand.
After repeating this process three more times, he finished constructing the rectangr desert shelter.
Bumpy folded his legs and rested next to the tent. The Ashva had nodded off before theyd even removed the panniers off of his back.
Vir moved as many of their supplies as possible under the protection of the tent, then crawled in next to Maiya, who was gulping down mouthfuls of water. She wiped her mouth and passed him the leather waterskin, and he followed suit, relishing the delightfully cool water.
Guess were sleeping in the wild after all, she said, scrunching her face.
Its really not that bad, is it? Consider it a novel experience. And tonight? Tonight, were gonna sleep on a nice,fy bed at Saran.
The delight on Maiyas face almost washed away Virs fatigue. Almost.
Next time: 30 - The Road to Saran
Chapter 30: The Road To Saran
Chapter 30: The Road To Saran
Vir was out the moment his head touched sand, and for the first few hours, he slept like a log. Then, as the sun rose, and the temperature went from pleasantly warm to unbearably hot, he began to toss and turn, as did Maiya.
It was the sweat that dripped into his eyes that forced him to wake up. His armpits had turned into a river, and his back was just as soaked. Thankfully, hed removed his shirt prior to falling asleep, but that just meant granules of sand now stuck to his wet back.
AAAAAH!! GET IT OFF GET IT OFFFF!!
Vir jolted upright to Maiyas screams. He immediately reached for his katar, ready to do battle with pirates.
How did they findoh! Nevermind. With a sigh, he slowly put his weapon back down.
Maiya, its just a little scorpion.
Its icky and gross noooo!
Uh, oh. Shes crying now. Better do something
Maiya clutched at her hair, desperately trying to rid herself of the small creature that was undoubtedly panicking as much as she was.
Just hold still, Vir said, gently pulling the scorpion out of her hair and setting it down on the sand outside the tent. You almost broke our tent, Maiya.
What was I supposed to do? Just lie still and hope it went away? Maiya said, sitting with her knees drawn up to her face.
Vir rolled his eyes. These scorpions cant hurt you, Maiya. At worst, theyll sting you, but their venom is useless against humans.
This wasnt the first time this kind of thing had happened. He was sure it wouldnt be thest.
Youre such a mess, she said,menting on his makeup.
Thats rich,ing from you. Have you taken a look at yourself? Vir countered. Maiya hadnt taken off her top for obvious reasons, leaving her shirt sticky and soiled. Good thing Riyan gave us another set of clothes.
Ugh, was Maiyas reply. Vir was used to being dirty. Maiya? Not so much.
Bet you wish you had a Water affinity right about now! He teased. At least you wouldnt have to worry about keeping clean.
His friend frowned. I guess It sure would be nice to conjure water whenever I felt like it. Apex Fire and Greater Water would be nice. Rarebination, too. Yep, thatd be nice. Water affinitys supposed to be rare, though.
True, Vir replied. There were no utility orbs that could conjure water out of thin air, after all. Water was one of those unique affinities that had applications both in and out ofbat.
Vir wondered whether ice affinity magic could conjure drinking water, but he didnt know what spells that school of magic possessed. He supposed Maiya would find out soon enough once she began her mejai training.
Peeking outside, he saw the sun still high in the sky. He made a fist and sneaked an arm outside the tent, then held it straight out. Four fist widths from the horizon to the sun.
Looks like four hours of daylight left, he said. See if you can get some more sleep. Ill get food going.
Maiya responded by flopping back onto the sand.
Vir crawled out of the tent, leaving its shaded protection. The sun red down on his skin, but thanks to the makeup on his face and arms, he managed alright.
In this scorching heat, thest thing he wanted to do was to build a fire. But food had to be cooked, and he didnt want to dip into their nonperishables just yet. Vir resigned himself to his fate and unstrapped the small bundle of firewood theyd strapped onto Bumpy.
To hide the mes, he dug a small ditch in the sand. Even during the day, the light of a fire was visible from afar. Thankfully, it was a lot easier digging into sand than dirt. But because of the heat, Vir soon found himself heaving from exertion, anyway.
The one area that had improved the least was his stamina. Vir was forced to sit down to recover his energy, and as he analyzed his ck prana with Prana Vision, he suspected why.
Hed noticed before that his ck prana was a tiny tricklepared to the prana inside Riyan or Maiya. Finally, he understood why: it leaked, continuously. The more effort he spent and the faster his blood pumped, the more it leaked. Both into the air, and through his feet into the ground.
He didnt really understand what effects prana depletion had, but Riyan had said that it was the energy of life, so he doubted it was a good sign.
Its almost like Im being sucked dry, he thought. But why?
No matter how much he wracked his brain, he couldnt exin why only his prana leaked out. Was his body generating more prana all the time, only for it to be sapped away? The same leakage never once happened with Riyan or Maiya. And if prana really did support life, he wondered how the people in the Voinds survived at all.
Did they also feel weak all the time? he wondered as he got the fire going. Since the man himself wasnt around to say no, theyd borrowed one of Riyans luxury itemsa magnifying ss.
Vir lifted the heavy lens and held it above the tinder pieces hed arranged at the bottom of the pit hed dug, creating a tiny spot of incredibly bright light on the wood.
Hed never used anything like this before, though Rudvik had told him stories about how they operated. All he really had to do was hold the lens long enough to heat the wood. Something about how it concentrated the suns light to fry whatever you pointed it at.
It sounded like magic to Vir when hed first heard about it, but as it so often turned out, reality disappointed. His arms grew heavy from hefting the heavy object when a small sizzle finally showed that the lens was working.
Now it was a race against time: would Virs arms give out first? Or would the smoking tinder catch fire?
Challenge epted.
Perspiration flowed down his face like a river, but Vir endured. And after a short but fierce battle of mind against muscle, his persistence prevailed. The tinder lithe had a fire, and meal prep was officially in progress.
Vir let the mes grow and then burn themselves out. Once theyd be embers, he ced some fresh vegetables directly on the bed of coals.
Led by her nose, Maiya crawled out of the tent, but immediately ducked back in as if shed suffered an attack.
How in Yumas name can you even cook out there? Its so dang hot!
Virughed. Just stay inside. Im almost done.
As the veggies roasted and mushrooms sizzled, Vir thought back to the pirate encounter earlier. He realized he shouldve kept a better watch on the coastline for ships. Maybe hed have seen them in time to avoid them entirely. If Riyan ever heard about this, he was sure the man would give them a long lecture about situational awareness.
But the bigger issue was his chakrams crippling w. Hed hesitated to use the disks because he knew that each one he threw would be lost forever. If he did eventually buy nicer steel chakrams, would he be able to just throw them away like that?
If only they returned to me
But s, they were merely disks of steel, not Artifacts from the Age of Gods. They might float through the air better than a thrown knife, but they possessed no mystical powers whatsoever. Even if they did, Vir guessed they would require magic to use.
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He shook his head. Thinking that way was dangerous and foolish. What was a piece of steel worthpared to his life, or the lives of his loved ones? Weapons were receable. Maiya was not.
Maybe I can get that guy to teach me archery instead
But Vir loved his chakrams. Everyone had bows, but nobody used chakrams. At least, not that hed heard of. They were rare, exotic weapons from the Age of Gods. He liked that about them.
Vir brought Maiya a bowl of the salted vegetable stir-fry, which they both gobbled up with relish.
I never realized I was this hungry, Maiya said between mouthfuls. Vir hardly heard herhe was too busy shoveling food into his mouth.
Once theyd wrapped up, Maiya dabbed away her marred makeup and reapplied it, then did the same for Vir.
What do you think? She asked once they had finished.
Its good But maybe not as good as when youd first applied it? Vir said.
Well, obviously. Im not going to get the same results with a travel kit and a small mirror. But it should be good enough. I hope, she said with a frown. Anyway, what do you want to do now? Stay on a night schedule? Or should we push forward to Saran?
Vir knew without a doubt which option Maiya preferred. Saran, he said. I think were somewhat close to the Saran-Daha highway, and were close enough now that we shouldnt encounter too many bandits. Not like zing our own path did us much good, anyway.
Maiyas eyes lit up at his words. Oh, I cant wait to sleep in a proper bed tonight! Maybe theyll even have a bath!
I wouldnt get your hopes up, said Vir. We cant really splurge on amodations, or we wont have enough for all the supplies Riyan wants us to bring back.
Just a littles okay, right? Its just one night! Right?
Virughed. Well see, Maiya. No promises though!
The two worked quickly to break up camp. Vir shoveled sand back over the fire, erasing any trace that it was there, while Maiya disassembled the tent and swept the sand to erase their tracks.
Shed found an innovative solution to her sunburn problemshed darkened her skin a bit with makeup this time around, and so she just applied the same makeup to her forearms and hands, which had the benefit of matching her facial skin tone and protecting her from the sun at the same time.
Yknow, we make a good team, Maiya remarked as they mounted Bumpy once again. We packed that stuff up in record time!
It was true. Theyd taken only half an hour to get things packed away and ready for travel.
We can probably do it even faster next time, Vir said, scanning the horizon.
He led Bumpy in a vaguely easterly direction, using the suns position and his own mental map to guide him, while Maiya used some charcoal to scribble down additions to their papyrus map as they rode.
There it is! Vir said, spotting a snaking pathway through the desert in the distance. Guess I was right. We werent far from the highway, after all.
The cobblestone path that led from Saran to the Hiranyan capital of Daha was a delight to travel upon. Even though the stones were as hard as the rocks that had given them sore bottomsst night, the road was perfectly smooth and t, making for a much smoother ride and a faster pace.
We shouldve just taken the road in the first ce, Maiya said, grumbling.
For the first time during their journey, they saw other travelers, and they encountered more and more as they neared Saran. All rode Ashvas, without exception. Some were hitched to wagons or carriages towed by the beasts, but there wasnt a single person on foot. Only a fool would cross a desert without a pack animal.
They seem pretty friendly, huh? Maiya said, nodding to another traveler.
Seems like it. But keep your guard up. Never know what kinds of people you might run into here.
Ho there, travelers! A tall man called out. He had short cropped ck hair and was dressed in the flowing white robes of most of the desert travelers they encountered, apart from some gold and silver ents here and there. But the mans most distinct feature was his enormous ck handlebar mustache that looked like it was more wax than hair.
Unusual to see two children on the road alone, the man said, trotting his Ashva up next to theirs. Are you in need of assistance?
Noahem, Maiya said, remembering to lower her voice, were bound for Saran. Thank you for the offer.
The stranger chuckled. If youre headed this direction, you can only be bound for the port city. But are you alone?
Maiya nced at Vir, who responded. Were the sons of a merchant based out of Daha. Weve made this trip several times. Thank you for your concern, but we do not require any aid at this time.
Vir was surprised by his own confidence. The pirate encounter had left both of them rattled, so he wasnt sure if he could pull it off.
Were on a trade run to buy Ranian textiles from Saran, Maiya said, riffing off of Virs statement. Better deals at the port, you see.
Oho? the man said, twisting the ends of his absurd mustache. He leaned over and stared for an ufortable amount of time.
Do you have any business with us? Vir said, growing anxious.
Has he seen through our disguise?
Not at all, young ones. I apologize for my intrusion. I pray to Adinat that your mission is profitable. Good day.
He kicked his Ashva and sped forward.
They both let out a breath. Thought wed been made! Maiya said.
Same. That was weird, Vir replied, watching the man disappear into the distance, his beasts hooves cking against the cobblestone road.
And how the heck is his Ashva so fast!? He said, gaping at the animals speed. It moved twice as fast as Bumpy did when he ran all out.
Some Ashva are bred for speed, Maiya replied, but they cant travel as far. Of course, top tier animals can do both, but they cost a lot more.
Did Riyan teach you that too?
She shook her head. Nope, dad did. So anyway, what do you think that was about?
Wish I knew.
Yet something nagged at his mind as they rode on, like an itch he couldnt quite scratch. Minutester, it finally clicked. Say, he said. Wasnt that man going the other way when he bumped into us? Wasnt he leaving Saran?
Maiya tapped her chin. Now that you mention it Yeah. Yeah, he was. Wait, she said, the color draining from her face. You think
I hope not, Vir said, but he had a bad feeling about this. Stay sharp, Maiya.
City walls appeared on the horizon just as the sun set, painting the sky with its brilliant hues.
For Vir and Maiya, whod never onceid eyes on a proper city before, the walls stood imposingly tall. Soldiers walked along its ramparts, and its many crions and arrow slits cued up tales of fantasy and myth in their minds.
Had they looked closer, theyd have noticed cracks in its foundation, gaps in the security patrols, and a myriad of other signs that told a different story entirely.
Time to put our acting skills to the test, I guess, Vir mumbled, seeing the line of wagons and carriages waiting to enter Saran. The guards were stopping everyone before allowing them to enter.
Dont worry, I got this, Maiya said. Let me do the talking. Riyan told me that businesses ordinarily need papers to get through, but Sawai dont. And apparently, its a big deal if amoner is rude to nobility, so well y that to our advantage. Plus, were arriving during the day. He said the security checks get worse at night, since thats when the shadier types try to get in.
Vir wondered whether that was true, or whether it was just the lesspetent brigands who arrived at night. If he wanted to enter illegally, hed do so during the day, just as they were doing now. He suspected others did the same, but since no one caught them, no one knew.
Virs nerves grew tauter and tauter as they crept closer to the gates. We couldve traveled another dozen miles in the time its taken for us to inch closer to the gate. This is so frustrating! he ranted.
After what felt like an eternity to Vir, their turn finally arrived. As theyd discussed, he let Maiya do the talking.
Papers, please, the guard said. The man wore a full length gray gambeson with the Hiranyan coat of arms embroidered on his chest. His only weapon was a talwar, which hung from his waist, but the other handful of guards that loitered nearby all wielded polearms.
The mere sight of that infernal weapon drummed up terrible memories inside Vir, forcing him to look away.
Maiya feigned a look of shock. You would ask a child of the Suvir family for their papers? Do you not see who I am, you fool?
Vir could scarcely believe the words pouring out of Maiyas mouth. Her swaggering, overconfident tone was unlike anything hed ever heard before.
The guard jolted back at Maiyas words. No, ser, no, of course not. Just doing my job, ser. May I ask your lordship what business brings you to our city?
Maiya gazed at her fingernails as if she were bored out of her mind and that being here was the worst thing in the world.
Oh, its all very droll, you see. Father wants us to buy some of those new Ranian textiles everyones been talking about in the capital. Honestly, can you believe that? He tasked us toe out here to the arse-end of nowhere to do a servants bidding! Maiya said, letting out a very long sigh. But I suppose that well peruse the wares, now that were here. You understand, dont you?
Oh yes, ser. Absolutely. Please dont let us keep you any longer. We hope you enjoy your stay in our city.
Oh, I am quite certain I wont, but I appreciate the gesture, Maiya said, tossing a small sack of Imperium coppers to the guard.
The man fumbled to catch the sack before hurriedly stuffing it into his gambeson. Vir wondered whether bribery was the norm here, or if it was something that fell under the dont ask, dont tell category. From the way the guard hid the coins, he suspected thetter.
Vir guided Bumpy past the checkpoint and took a deep breath. His heart quickened and his palms tightened around Bumpys reins.
After all, it wasnt every day that someone stepped foot into a city for the first time in their life.
Next time: 31 - Country Bumpkins
Chapter 31: Country Bumpkins
Chapter 31: Country Bumpkins
Guess the makeup worked pretty well after all, Vir admitted, guiding Bumpy through a set of double portcullis gates. The myriad of murder holes above them painted a grim picture for any poor soul that dared to enter uwfully. Cant believe we just fooled the guards in a major city.
I know, right? Maiya said, her voice breaking. I seriously thought my heart would pop out. It was beating so fast!
R-riight, Vir said, half-hearing what shed said. His eyes had grown to the size of orbs the moment theyd entered Saran.
An array of streemps ced at regr intervals lit up the street with a warm amber glow. People darted every which way, clogging the road, forcing Vir to carefully thread Bumpy through the traffic. Traffic! Now there was a word hed only ever heard and never experienced!
This is awful! He thought. Now he understood why everyoneined.
Women shouted. Men cursed. Children went around begging on the streets, whileughter erupted from a nearby building whose ss windows burst with magical light. The smell of liquor wafted out from a nearby tavern. He saw ady throw open a fourth-story window and yell down to someone on the street. Permeating it all was the briny scent of the cool oceans breeze, all bundled up with the pungency of urine and dung.
Virs senses overloaded as he tried to soak it all in while navigating Bumpywho was as flustered as he wasbut quickly discovered that unless he tuned everything out, hed run someone over.
Badraks Balls! Watch where yer going, boy! A man snarled, pping Bumpys snout. The beast sneezed and bucked, almost throwing Vir and Maiya off.
Woah! Woah there, Bumpy! Its okay, its okay. He fought to wrestle the beast back under control, barely hanging on as the Ashva juked and bucked.
What a grakking chal! Maiya eximed, hanging onto Vir for dear life. Who does he think he is, treating Bumpy like that?
Uh, Vir said sheepishly, I did almost run him over.
Oh. W-well, its okay, Vir. Look at how busy it is! Im sure everybody here runs over a person or two.
I seriously doubt that, Maiya
Virs eyes darted left and right, prowling for impending obstacles. This is too much, he said atst. I cant keep this up!
Despite the ordeal, he couldnt wipe the grin off of his face. They threaded through the main street, searching for the inn that Riyan had rmended to Maiya.
Found it! Maiya said momentster, pointing to a sign with arge rooster clutching a mug of ale.
Vir threaded Bumpy over to the inn. Not a moment after theyd arrived, a valet approached them, asking if hed like to allow the inn to tend to Bumpy.
Virs response was an immediate, Yes, please!
Maiya burst intoughter.
They should honestly require you to take a course or something to ride an Ashva in a ce like this, he grumbled, happily handing over the ten copper fee to the valet.
Um, ser?
Both Vir and the stablehand turned to look at a filthy young girl, barefoot and dressed in rags. She looked like she hadnt washed in a good while, and her ribs showed through her torn garment. Hed seen several others just like her on the way in.
Begone, you! The stablehand said, kicking the girl. She was too fastshe moved aside before he could hit her.
The valet was about to p her, but Vir grabbed his wrist. What are you doing?
Ser? He replied, confused. These urchins are a blight. Best be rid of them, or more of their ilk will inevitably show up.
Vir shook his head. He said nothing. He knew all too well the plight of the poor. The harsh winters, barely survived. The endless pangs of hunger.
Whats your name? He asked in a gentle voice.
A-Alda. Um, youre kinda weird, arent you?
What? Vir asked. That was hardly the reaction hed expected.
Nobody even talks to us. Even the ones that give us coin just do it so well leave, she said, looking down.
I know what its like to Before he could continue, Maiya kicked his shin. Vir suddenly came to his senses.
I nearly blew our cover! Vir thought, ncing at the valet, who looked awfully ufortable with this entire exchange.
I mean, Ive heard the stories. Here, he said, dropping ten coppers in her hands. I hope this helps pay for your next meal.
The girls eyes went as wide as an orb. She took the money and darted off, as if scared hed want the coins back.
Vir turned back to the valet. I trust you will show my steed the utmost respect?
Dont worry, ser, well take extra good care of your injured friend here.
Vir raised a brow. You could tell?
Oh, of course, sir. I understand that someone of your station would have several mounts, so I imagine you have an emotional attachment to this one.
It shocked Vir that the stablehand had caught onto Bumpys deformity so immediately. Itd taken him hours of grooming the animal to catch onto that.
City folk are just different, he muttered as they approached the main entrance of the inn.
Maiya wasnt supposed to hear that, but the girl had a knack for eavesdropping on anything even remotely rted to cities and magic.
See? She said, gloating.
Guess cities arent so bad after all, Vir admitted.
Theyd only just entered the inn, and he was already stunned silent. Dozens of Magic Lamps illuminated every nook and cranny. He couldnt even spot a single one of the cheaper Magic Candle orbs. Never in his life had he seen such a disy of wealth.
The building itself was no less impressive than the streets outside. Built of log construction and two stories tall, a great wooden chandelier adorned with Magic Lamps hung from the A-frame ceiling, while a staircase at the back led to the second floor, where the rooms were located.
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On the left was the check-in counter, and on the right looked to be a full bar and kitchen. Vir could hear the tter of tes and tware as patrons chatted andughed, sitting at the half dozen longtables that dominated the center of the space.
Somehow, it all felt a bit like home. Not Riyans cehis home in Brij, even though the only simrity they shared was their log construction. He felt warm here. Cozy. Weed.
But then reality came crashing down and he realized what a mistake theyd made. I told you we cant afford an expensive inn like this! He said, realizing what kind of establishment Maiya had led him to.
Uh, Vir? Maiya said, scratching her nose.
Yes, Maiya?
This is the ce Riyan rmended. Its one of the cheapest ces in the city thats actually safe.
Oh Wow. Okay.
For the first time in his life, Vir understood what it meant to be a viger in a big city.
Maiya kicked his shin. Try not to gawk so much? Were supposed to be aristocrats, Vir! Youre ruining our cover story!
Oh, right. Vir did his best to gawk with his mouth closed from that point on.
With Maiya handling things, the hotel check-in process went smoothly. Ten Imperium coppers were steep for an inn, considering hed already paid ten to berth Bumpy, but hed heard that cities were expensive. He should probably be thankful it wasnt a silver.
Okay, so theyre gonna bring all our stuff up to our room, Maiya said. We get one meal included with the stay, but there arent any baths in the room. Theres just amunal one we can use for another two coppers. I bought that for us, too.
Huh? Right, thanks, Vir said, ogling at a motley group of warriors who sat at the longtable in the center of the vast hall, each of themughing and pping their friends shoulders, beer gons in hand. Who do you think they are?
Hmm. I dunnooh! You see the badges on their armor?
Vir scrutinized their clothing. Most wore armor, but not one of them matched. One woman wore a fitted brigandine that was red and ck, and another man was clothed in a thick gambeson like the guard that admitted them into the city. A third man wore a thin chainmail hauberk. But they all had the same badge. A small triangr metal que adorned with a ck symbol that reminded Vir of a ghost.
I think theyre part of the Brotherhood? Maiya guessed.
Theyre cultists? Vir asked, immediately thinking of the Children of Ash.
No, no. The Brotherhood of Mercenaries. Theyre a reputable organization that issues contracts to warriors for coin. Riyan says they have branches throughout the Known World in every country, including the Pagan Order.
Huh Vir wasnt aware of such an organization existing. He was realizing that he didnt know very much at all. The words Country Bumpkin came to mind.
Maiya led him up the stairs, almost identally holding his hand as she usually did. Luckily, she stopped herself at thest minute. Vir resisted smirking at her, which prompted her to huff and stomp away. Vir followed quietly behind.
Maiya inserted a key with their room number on it into the door, then pressed her hand against the Magic Lock embedded next to it. The mechanism clicked softly and disengaged.
Inside, they found a modestly sized room with wooden floors, log walls, and a low log ceiling. Hung from the rafters were more Magic Lamps, which Vir assumed the staff kept continuously charged. Unlike the grandeur of the main hall, there werent a lot of adornments. Just a pair of small, clean beds, a wooden desk in a corner, and a simple chair.
Maiya threw open the ss windows on the far wall, allowing the hustle and bustle of the evening city traffic into the room.
Well, it isnt much, but I think its pretty nice! She said, kicking off her boots and jumping onto her bed. She squealed in delight as she stretched her arms and legs, melting into the soft down mattress. Most towns are like Brij. They dont even have inns, so were pretty lucky that Sarans big enough. Theyve got several.
This is pretty darn luxurious, if you ask me, Vir said. Beats sleeping on a sand dune, right?
Maiya red at him. Anything beats sleeping on a dune, Vir. Then she smiled, hugging the soft pillows to her chest.
Make sure you dont ruin your makeup again, Vir said.
Dont worry! Im not a chal. Mmm, well have to be careful when we take our baths, though. Best to gote at night, when no ones there.
Right, Vir said, yawning. Just hope I can keep my eyes open that long.
They hadnt slept very well in the desert, and the hard day of travel had taken its toll. He so badly wanted to explore the city, but that would have to wait until the morrow.
By the way, he said, looking at his blissfully smiling friend, the Suvir family were using for our cover story Who are they? Any risk of being called out using that name?
None, Maiya replied. Doesnt exist. Made it up.
Uh
Maiya rolled to her side and looked at Vir, propping her head up on her hand. Theres a bazillion Sawai families, Vir. Many of them are unknown, especially the low-ranking ones. Were not gonna get called out unless we run afoul of thew. So long as we dont, were good.
Okay. So whats the n for tomorrow?
Well, said Maiya, I think we can afford to spend a couple of days in the city. No reason we have to do all of our shopping tomorrow. I think we can take the morning to explore, and maybe buy some stuff in the afternoon?
Vir nodded. Sure, sounds good to me. Im itching to explore this ce, too.
Hehe, bet you are! Maiya said smugly. Did you know that Sarans got multiple districts? Riyan made me copy maps of the ce until I memorized them.
Wait a minute Hes got maps? Vir said. I distinctly remember him saying he didnt have maps.
Oh yeah, hes got loads of them. City maps, regional maps, the works.
Virs lips grew taut. That grakking chal. Of course he does.
So anyway, theres the trading district, the residential district, the temple, and the harbor. The harbors a bit of a way from the rest of the city, though. We dont really have much to do there, so I figure we can drop by when weve finished buying everything.
Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Definitely. The mere thought ofying eyes on a real, actual ship filled Vir with so much anticipation, he thought hed burst. He wanted to go visit right now, but after a fierce battle against temptation, his iron wind his tirednessprevailed.
Dinner was nd,pared to Maiyas usual cooking. The tbread was stale, and the brown rice curry simply didnt have the depth of vor that Vir was used to.
The two snuck downstairs right before the kitchen closed for the night, hoping to dodge the crowd. Even then, the hall was more than half full. Thankfully, they ate in peace; no one bothered them at their corner of the table.
After briefly returning to their room on the second floor, they headed to the baths, conveniently located just down the hall and around the corner.
Maiya breathed a sigh of relief to find the ce empty, but Vir was left disappointed. No soaking tub, huh?
Look at you, rich boy, Maiya said, spoiled by thep of luxury! Vir, did you forget you didnt even have bathing facilities in your old home?
Of course not, Vir said with a scowl. How could I possibly forget that? Just I thought this ce might, being a big city and all.
Maiya rolled her eyes. Maybe the top tier inns do. But only aristocrats have easy ess to bathing facilities, even in cities like these. And theyre expensive. Very expensive.
Did Riyan tell you that?
Nah, thats what dad would always say. Said we were incredibly privileged to have a bath in our house, and that I oughta be thankful.
The bathhouse had a Magic Tap that belched hot water. Buckets anddlesy positioned nearby, and an array of stalls with wooden doors lined the far wall.
Maiya activated the tap, filling buckets for both herself and Vir, before they went to their own stalls.
Rudvik wouldve found the stall cramped, but for someone of Virs stature, it was just perfect. He sat on the small wooden stool ced inside the stall and washed his makeup off, enjoying the soothing sensation of hot water running down his head and onto his back.
The soap bar thankfully didnt require magic to use, so hethered himself off, cleaned up, toweled off, and changed into his spare set of clothes. He emerged from the shower a new manclean, and blissfully sleepy.
Maiya had already finished and was waiting for him. After waiting for a man to pass through the hallway, they quickly darted to their rooms, ensuring that no one saw their faces.
Vir stumbled into the room and crashed onto his bed, not realizing that hed picked the wrong one. Maiya promptly fell onto him, also asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Neither cared enough to move.
They slept well, blissfully unaware that in just a few short hours, they would face the biggest crisis of their lives yet
Next Time: 32 - Until The End
Chapter 32: Until The End
Chapter 32: Until The End
You cant be serious! This is highway robbery, Maiya eximed. Ten coppers for these vegetables? You understand whatll happen if my father finds out about this, yes? Eight is the highest I will go. Not one copper more!
The flustered grocer bowed repeatedly, apologizing, but standing his ground. Young ser, I assure you that these are the freshest produce youll find in the city. If I sold these any lower, I wouldnt turn a profit. Please, I have to put food on the table for my children. Please understand!
Then I suppose I shall have to do business elsewhere, Maiya said, stowing her coin sack and turning her back to the man.
Vir quickly followed. This doesn''t sit right. We can afford those vegetables, cant we? It isnt right to take advantage of people like that.
Its all just an act, she replied quietly. Watch.
Young ser, I have reconsidered! The grocer said as they began walking away. Please, I ept your offer.
Maiya spun on her heel, smiling at the grocer. We have a deal.
Vir watched in horror as his friend haggled with vendor after vendor, buying far more than what he thought possible with the amount of money they had on hand.
They took a quick break to head to the citys post office. It was a tall wooden structure that was alive with people continuously entering and exiting. In fact, this was the busiest ce theyd seen in the city so far.
So? Why are we here? Vir asked once theyd arrived. He didnt mind exploring, but Maiya was insistent theye here.
Maiya bit her lip. Riyan wont let us go back to Brij, but I can at least let my parents know Im safe, right? Its been eating me this whole time. They must be worried sick.
Wait. You want to send a letter to them? I don''t think that''s a great idea. What if they trace it back to us?
Don''t worry, Vir. I''m not a chal. I''m nning on saying a Sawai family in Kin''jal took us in, and that we''ve sent this message via a merchant bound for Hiranya. That way, even if they do trace the letter back to Saran, they won''t have any reason to believe we''re anywhere close.
That... could actually work, Vir replied, thinking it over. If Hiranya believes we''re in Kin''jal, this could have them looking in entirely the wrong ce.
Exactly!
Maybe it was less risky not to send the letter at all, but the idea of thwarting Hiranya spoke to something deep within Vir. It wasn''t just the knights who were responsible for Rudvik''s death. It was the entire chain ofmand, going all the way up to the head priest. As he saw it, Hiranya had made him their enemy. Making them waste time searching for him in the wrong part of the world not only gave him security, it wasted their resources. It may only have been a single leaf in the forest, but it was something.
Do it.
Maiya splurged on some actual paper to write her note. She used her best handwriting possible, as would befit Sawai. Another trick to give the deception authenticity.
She sealed the envelope with some wax and paid the clerk five coppers for delivery. It seemed the cost of delivery varied depending on whether the delivery was domestic or international, with more estranged countries costing more to deliver to. Some, like Matali and the Pagan Order, were outright undeliverable. Brij was only a short hop away for a courier, so the fee was low.
After their visit to the post office, they returned to the merchant district to buy more supplies.
So? Whatdya think? Maiya said, smirking at Vir after bargaining another grocer down by 40%.
I still think this is wrong of you, Vir said honestly. What are you going to do with all this money? Spend it on some knick knack?
She threw him a scowl, but he wasnt done. These people make their living off of their sales. Im sure theyre marking up their wares, expecting to be haggled down, but I feel youre going too far. I know what its like, being poor.
His friend sighed. Its not like that, Vir. Theyre marking up their wares because were Sawai. They know we have the coin. Theyre all sharks, Vir. If you dont y hardball with them, theyll rip you to shreds.
How would you know? Not like youve been outside the vige.
Riyans drilled all of this stuff into me. Weve even had mock exchanges where he pretends to be a greedy shopkeeper and I have to haggle him down. Compared to Riyan, these guys are pushovers.
Vir thought over her words and realized she had a point. After all, what did he know about city dwellers? The shopkeepers in Brij all expected to be haggled down, but they were always friendly to fellow vigers. Some of them even treated Vir politely, giving him discounts Though many just ignored him as if he didnt exist.
The hours dragged on, and their rucksacks grew heavier and heavier from the weight of the supplies they bought, forcing the two to return to the inn to transfer their loads onto Bumpy. Most of it was grains, rice, flour, and other nonperishables. Theyd boughtparatively few fruits and fresh vegetables, since those would go bad in a matter of weeks.
Alright, that should be good for now. We can grab the rest of the groceries when we buy the cleaning supplies, like baking soda and stuff. Lets do that tomorrow, Maiya said, holding up the bag of coins. Look at how much we still have left!
Uh, huh, Vir said. And what are you going to do with all that money you swindled from your bargaining?
She grabbed his left hand and put the money box in his palm, closing his fingers around it. Keep it safe. Well need the money for when we run away from Riyan, wont we? She said with a wink.
Vir immediately regretted everything hed said about his friends questionable business practices.
That''s... amazing. He was prepared to argue at length to convince Maiya to save this money for the future, but hed misread her intentions; shed wanted the same all along.
You can say that again! Maiya said, beaming with smug satisfaction.
Speaking of Have you decided? Vir said, broaching the topic. Are we gonna make a run for it? We have some money left over, and a whole load of supplies.
Maiya looked away, fidgeting with her arms crossed. Then she looked Vir in the eyes, her face set with a grim expression.
Im not going, Vir. Not yet. This is my golden opportunity to learn magic, and even with ten silvers, we cant afford to hire a mejai to teach me. I cant leave yet.
Vir let out a breath. To be honest, Im d you feel that way. Im the same. Feels like I still have a lot more to learn. Actually, if youd left I wouldnt have joined you.
Maiya bonked his head. Silly, you think Id ever leave you alone with that man? Id never have gone my own way without you. Besides, there''s no way you''ve had just left Neel behind!
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Vir smiled. He shouldve guessed shed say that.
Still, he said, I think we oughta reevaluate our situation regrly. When we leave, it should be on our terms, not his.
His friend nodded. Totally agree.
Vir felt as though a great weight lifted off of his shoulders.
Lets go do some exploring! I want to check out those docks! He said, squeezing Maiyas arm and pulling her along.
Heck yeah!
They hadnt even taken ten paces toward the harbor before fate tore their n to shreds.
Guards rushed out onto the street from all directions. Traffic ground to a halt, trapping Vir and Maiya in an encirclement along with a dozen others.
What is the meaning of this? Maiya shouted, but her cries went unanswered.
Vir instinctively reached for his hood But came away empty. He wasnt wearing a hoodbad habit.
So he ducked behind Maiya instead, but she pushed him away.
Remember what Riyan taught us? Suspicious people act suspiciously, she whispered. Trust our disguise. Act casual.
Vir nodded, doing his best toe across as a bored rich kid. At least he didnt need to be discreet about looking at the guardseveryone was gawking at them already.
Theyre looking for someone, Maiya said.
I noticed. Theyre headed straight for us!
There was little either of them could do. With the cordon, there wasnt anywhere to run, nor could they hide. The guards were searching everyone.
Weve done nothing wrong, Maiya said to Vir. Ill handle this.
A guard dressed in gray gambeson armor strode up to them. Papers, please.
Maiya pulled her rich kid card, the same as shed done when theyd arrived at the gates. Im a son of the Suvir family. You dare ask for my papers?
Papers. Now, the guard said, holding an outstretched hand. Maiya clearly wasnt expecting this reaction. She paused, taken aback.
Itheyre at my inn.
Uh, huh. Nice try, boy.
Another guard approached. Thats them, alright. Two teens. Sons of a noble, he said, addressing Maiya. Your actions bring shame to your entire family. I hope you understand the gravity of your situation.
What is the meaning of this? Maiya fired back. Wevemitted no crimes! We arrived just yesterday!
And this morning, no less than four shops were robbed by a pair of ck-haired aristocrat teens.
Vir hadnt approved of Maiyas aggressive bargaining, but shed done nothing illegal. This had to be something else. Right?
We didnt do it! Maiya said. Someones framing us!
Its the word of two boys against four reputable shopkeepers. Who do ya think were gonna trust, boy?
Two sons of the Suvir family, Maiya retorted.
Aye, and if you are who you im to be and youre found innocent, we shall make appropriate reparations. In the meantime, youreing with us.
A quick nce of their surroundings painted a bleak picture. A half dozen guards in gambeson armor had encircled them, and their noose tightened with every passing moment, further limiting Virs options. It was inly obvious that the two of them stood little chance of winning a confrontation.
Not to mention the crowdinnocent bystanders would likely get caught up in the action, and he was sure that all the me would fall upon him and Maiya.
But Vir didnt need to win. Their disguises meant they could flee, then simply wipe off their makeup, and no one would ever find them. The vast benefits of the art of subterfuge were dawning on him.
W-what evidence do you have? Maiya shouted, her panic clear.
Vir took stock of his inventory. He had a single chakram draped around his neck, and a half dozen chakris worn as bracelets. Plus his katar, currently concealed inside his waistband.
Evidence? Boy, four shopkeepers have all lodgedints of grand theft against you. Seems you stole a great number of goods from them all. Give up ande quietly. If you are who you say you are, Im sure yer father will have you out after a night or two in the prison.
Vir sidled up to Maiya and discreetly whispered into her ear. On my mark, well make a break for it. See that road over there?
Maiya nodded subtly, eying the street that intersected the principal thoroughfare they were on. Were gonna run there. Make the guards think were giving up.
His friend looked down dejectedly, acting frustrated. Fine. It seems that my brother doesnt want to make a scene, she said. We shall cooperate.
Good. Saran may be nowhere near where youre from, but we take our security very seriously.
Yes, yes. Get on with it, then, Maiya said, feigning irritation.
The guards sidled up around them and led them away from the rest of the crowd, shooing onlookers away.
Thats one obstacle cleared, Vir thought. No need to worry about hurting bystanders anymore.
They shuffled closer to the street Vir wanted to take. Maiya gave him a furtive nce, and he nodded back.
In one smooth motion, he retrieved the chakram from his neck and hurled it at the guard in front of them. Virs hands never stopped moving, lobbing chakris from his forearm in every direction.
With how close the guards were, it was hard to miss. Most bounced harmlessly off the guards gambeson, but some bit into exposed hands and necks.
Maiya was his perfect partner, shoving guards that began to react to Vir, and swiping at others with her katar to distract them.
They bolted for the street the instant an opening presented itself, running as hard as they could.
After them! Capture them!
Vir couldnt believe how quickly the guards reacted, pursuing them into the alley.
They were probably anticipating wed try and pull something Vir thought, scanning the street for any alleys they could take. Behind him, he heard someone blow a whistle, whose sound echoed through the whole alley.
Left! Turn left!
Sheplied, leading them into a back alley. Vir followed on her heels, leaping over sacks of garbage and Ashva dung. Maiya was less dextrousthe terrain slowed her considerably.
Vir took the lead, hoping to scout the other end of the alley while Maiya caught up.
As he neared the end of the narrow passage, two guards entered, cutting off his escape. Both wielded round metal dhal shields and spears, their deadly tips pointed straight at Vir, daring him to take them on.
Vir wasnt an idiot. He had no intention of fighting battles he couldnt win.
Back! Double back! He shouted, running to his friend. Then he saw the other end of the alleywhere theyd enteredand despaired.
Two guards upied the entrance, pincering them in the alley. On both ends, their enemies moved in slowly, corralling them.
Think! What can we do?
Vir looked up. He saw balconies and poles jutting out horizontally into the alley. It took only half a second for him to chart a route up to the rooftops. Escape was possible For him.
Can you jump?
She looked up and nched. I-Im sorry. I dont think I can, she said, shaking her head. Listen to me. I want you to save yourself. Escape on your own. Okay?
Vir seized up. Only seconds remained before the guards were upon them. With a sigh, he retrieved his katar. It was an old, rusted thing, sharpened by his amateur skills on Riyans grinding wheel.
What are you doing?
He held up his weapon for the guards to see. Then he threw it on the ground. He removed his remaining two chakris and threw them down as well, sping his hands behind his head.
Weve lost, Maiya. We need to cooperate.
His friend stared at him nkly for a moment before biting her lip.
Gods, this is frustrating, she said. If only youd
Vir stared into her eyes, suddenly realizing what hed known all along, deep down. Come on, I''m not gonna abandon you.
She held his gaze for a long second, and nodded. She threw her own katar down as well.
Vir now understood how foolish hed been, thinking hed part ways with her if she wanted to leave Riyan. He couldnt. He wouldnt.
Even when the entire realm turns against you, Ill be there by your side. Fighting until the end. So dont tell me to leave you behind.
Vir! Maiya whispered.
Alright brat, said a guard, pointing his spear at them. We coulda done this the easy way. But nope. Youve gone and chosen the hard road. You chose pain. And it is pain that ye shall receive.
Vir moved in front of Maiya, shielding her. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the worst.
Bring it.
Next time: 33 - The Culprit
Chapter 33: The Culprit
Chapter 33: The Culprit
Vir!? Vir! Oh, gods!
Vir heard someones voice, but as his consciousness ebbed in and out, he found it hard to even walk.
Into yer cell, boy! Said the jailor.
A great force crashed into Virs back, sending him to his knees. His palms scraped against the rough stone floor, tearing his skin. His arms, unable to bear his weight, gave out, and his face hit the ground.
What did you do to him!? someone shrieked. Maiya.
As hey with his face touching the cool stone, colors flooded his sight.
Great, now Im hallucinating. That cant be good, he thought. It took him a while to realize that he was actually quite wrong.
Though his sight barely workedone of his eyes had swollen shutPrana Vision red at full capacity. In fact, hed never seen such vivid colors before. The browns of Earth prana shone like an infinite expanse of prana, and the grays of Shadow affinity prana were brighter than ever. Even the cks were visible, interspersed among the brown
Wait ck prana!? Was there supposed to be ck prana?
Something felt off about that in his mind, but he was simply too addled to think straight right now. Where even was he? Was Maiya alright? Virs thoughts came haphazard and jumbled through the pain.
He got what wasin to im. Lying about bein a ristos grounds for execution. But were merciful folk here at Saran, so yer both sentenced to hardbor instead. Ten years.
What!? Maiya screamed. You cant do this to us! You cant!
We need to get out of here, Vir thought. His entire body throbbed with pain, and it was all he could do to endure it without cking out.
We can do whatever we want ta nobodies like you. Speshully lyin nobodies, the jailor said with a snort, mming their cell door shut.
Vir heard his footsteps die away as a pair of soft, slender hands turned him around.
Oh, Vir, Maiya said, tearing off her sleeve to wipe the blood from his face.
Vir grinned, but as disfigured as he was, his expression had scared Maiya, making her flinch. He gave her a thumbs up. Im okay, Maiya. Bruised, is all.
Vir, what in Veras name happened!?What did they do to you?
Theyd been treated well enough, initially. Vir had taken a light p to the face for daring to escape from the guards, but at the time, theyd considered them sons of Sawai aristocracy. The guards couldnt do much beyond that.
Then theyd arrived at the city dungeon, and things went downhill pretty quickly. Vir had never anticipated that theyd have a literal booka registryfilled with aristocratic names, both Hiranyan and foreign. After cross checking the Suvir name, they quickly found that there was in fact no such family.
And the penalty for lying about ones status was severe, as he soon found out.
Didnt Cough, didnt take my makeup off, Vir said between hacking coughs. It boggled his mind how they hadnt discovered his disguise through all the beating and bruising. The makeup must have been severely marred. He thanked Yuma that hed refused to wear a wig. It would havee off, revealing his subterfuge.
Thats Vir, Im so, so sorry. If only Id jumped up to the roof, back in the alley If only I hadnt negotiated as hard with those merchants, this wouldnt ever have happened.
Vir shook his head, gingerly sitting up. Wasnt you. We were framed. I asked them. Said there were mass robberies. Goods outright stolen by the crate. You didnt steal a thing. Someone set us up.
We let our guard down. After their run in with the man outside Saran, Vir should have been more cautious. Maybe if he''d spotted the guards earlier, they could have escaped. At the very least, he should''ve had a contingency n in case they were ambushed. It was not a mistake he would ever make again.
You protected me, Vir. You shielded me from all this
Vir had taken charge the moment theyd entered the jail. He imed sole responsibility for his actions and actively provoked the guards to ensure that their attention rested squarely upon him.
He grinned. You really think Id let themy a hand on you?
Of course, that meant his actions had gotten him beaten to a bloody pulp the moment the guards realized he wasnt an aristocrat. Bruises covered his thighs and biceps. One of his fingers blinded him with pain when he tried to move it, and his left eye was swollen shut.
Doesnt look like they broke any bones at least, he said. I managed to deflect their attacks. Made for some good training.
You call this training!? Maiya said, tearing up.
Shed done everything in her power to clean up his wounds, but without a Life affinity orb, there was little else she could do apart from cradling Vir in her arms, soothing him with her words.
Several moments passed in silence as Vir ebbed in and out of consciousness. Then, once he''d gained some lucidity, he bolted up.
We need to get out of here, Vir said, trying, and failing, to stand. He sat down on the stone cot instead, resting his head on Maiyasp.
Believe me, Ive tried, Maiya replied. I dont think theres a way. I dont even think our katars would help if we still had them. I think I think we may have to wait until they take us away.
Vir shook his head. Theyll have us in chains. Wont be able to escape. Surprised were not chained up right now, actually.
Ill keep looking for a way, Maiya said, gently pushing on his chest. You lie down and get some rest, Vir. Please?
Sure, Maiya, he lied, closing his eyes. If they wanted to have any chance of breaking out of this prison, theyd need an edge. Any benefit they could get.
And the only thing Vir had a lead on was Prana Vision. It had aided him inbat several times before, and if he could activate it on demand, it may give them exactly what they needed. Even just being able to see prana signatures through walls would allow them to slip past guards far more safely than if they relied on just their eyes and ears.
Vir turned his vision inward, keenly observing his prana flow.
He already knew that prana flow was locked to his blood flow. What he saw now only confirmed that theoryhis blood moved in different ways now, in response to the shock of his injuries. There was actually less blood flowing to his extremitieshis fingers and his toes. But in return, hisrgest blood pathways had opened up further, pumping enormous amounts of blood around his bodyespecially to his heart, his lungs, and crucially, his head.
Specifically, his eyes.
So it really is all rted to blood flow, Vir reflected.
Hed already guessed as much, but here was irrefutable proof. The flow of his blood may have been different in response to fear versus pure exertion, but in the end, the concept was simple.
Namely, the more bloodand thus pranathat flowed to his eyes, the stronger Prana Vision became.
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That meant it was just a matter of controlling the prana within his body. If he could grab a hold of his prana and move it to his eyes, it should have the same effect. The only question was how exactly to do that.
The thought had urred to him before, but hed dismissed it as an impossibility. He was sure hed spend hours, or possibly even days, on this task. There was no way this would be so easy.
Vir took a deep breath and saw the prana going into his head, then reached out and, with every ounce of his willpower, forced it to stop.
The prana actually stopped! Virs eyes shot open, joy and surprise rushing through his body.
I did it!? I actually did it!! He could scarcely believe it! With this, hed unlocked several options.
I cant wait to tell!? Virs thoughts were cut short as pain erupted from his head.
Then he cked out.
Some unknown amount of timeter, Vir awoke to wracking pain.
What happened? he thought, cracking an eye open to find his head in Maiyasp. She had dozed off at some point.
She mustve thought Id nodded off, Vir thought, rubbing his aching head.
Vir righted himself, but immediately regretted it. Even the slightest movement made him want to puke.
As the cobwebs cleared from his mind, he thought back to what could possibly have happened, and quickly realized his mistake.
Hed reached out and stopped prana flow into his head. All the prana.
Since hed never even once seen prana flow independently from blood, that meant hed actually stopped his blood too.
Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid, you grakking chal! What was he even thinking? He could kill himself, fumbling around like this! He knew that cutting blood flow to his head would be a terrible idea all along.
Yet he knew why he did it anywayhe was confident it wouldnt work. He was sure hed fail. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect his first attempt to be a sess. It had worked! Just that itd worked too well.
He sat in silence for several minutes as his headache and nausea abated, reflecting about how hed have to exercise caution with his experiments from now on.
Psst. Hey! Hey you! Oh, cmon. Wake up! a voice whispered from somewhere nearby, interrupting his thoughts.
Maiya, weve gotpany. Vir nudged his friend awake, suspiciously eyeing the stranger outside their jail cell.
An emaciated girl with long, pasty ck hair stood barefoot at the entrance of their cell, skittishly ncing down the hall. Her wrists and legs were so thin, Vir felt like he could snap them without even trying. She looked to be a few years younger than Vir, and her dress was a stained patchwork of repaired fabric and holes.
I feel like I recognize her from somewhere
Vir exchanged nces with his friend. Whoever this neer was, they clearly didnt have permission to be here.
Who are you? Maiya whispered.
Someone who can help. I can get you out! the girl said, holding up an enormous keychain with dozens of keys on it. Lets see This one? No, this one.
She slotted the key into the lock, but didnt turn it.
I can help you escape. But
Vir narrowed his eyes. There was always a but.
The girl looked at him sheepishly, then rubbed her thumb against her fingers, in the universal gesture for money.
Of course. The girl looked like she was starving. If it was coin she wanted
How much? Vir asked.
Everything you have.
Maiya snorted. Thats hardly reasonable. We can give you a quarter of what we have.
Look, mister, Im only here because your friend over there was a lil nice to one of our own. Guess I read you wrong. Oh well, she said, pulling the key out of the lock.
For the first time, Maiya panicked. This negotiation wasnt going ording to her script. Vir stepped in to help her out.
Wait, he said. We need the rest to buy supplies. Please understand.
The girl held up two fingers, a sly grin stered over her face. Half.
Vir gave Maiya a small nod.
Maiya understood his message. Okay. Welle with you, she said. But we need answers first. And well need the gear we were carrying with us.
No way. No, no, no. Too dangerous! The girl said, shaking her head vigorously.
Look, you want our money? Its in our gear.
The girl looked at them incredulously. You dont hide your money near your privates!?
What!? Vir and Maiya said in unison.
Your privates! They never check down there. Nevermind. Alright! Fine. I think I know where they keep stuff theyve taken from prisoners, she said, unlocking the door, which thankfully swung open silently. Vir wondered why there was no magic lock on a door like this, but he realized the guards likely considered them harmless.
Thank Yuma! Maiya whispered, sping her hands together in prayer as she stepped out of the cell. So, where to? She asked the girl.
Their savior beckoned them to follow, and they did. Magic Lamps ced on the walls at regr intervals filled the dungeon hallway with plenty of light. Which only made sneaking around that much harder.
Riyan had once told them that true subterfuge meant being able to walk into a kings pce and walk out with no one being the wiser. Along those lines, the best disguise for a dungeon like this was a dungeon guards uniform. Not that theyd ever prepared anything like that. Vir wondered what Riyan would do in this situation.
Who am I kidding? Riyan wouldnt have allowed himself to be captured in the first ce, Vir thought to himself.
The hall ended in a T junction, beyond which voices could be heard. Sounds of grumbling and gossip came from somewhere on the left junction. Vir braced himself for a fight, but the girl turned to the right, away from the voices.
She then turned left, and left again, putting them at a wooden door.
Vir and Maiya both had the same thoughtthe girl was far too good at this. She moved with the confidence of someone whod infiltrated the prison several times in the past. Just who was she?
With practiced efficiency, the girl picked the doors lock, but this one had a magic lock on it as well.
How are you going tooh, Maiya said as the girl swung the door open effortlessly.
They didnt build these doors properly, she said. If you get past the lock in the right way, you dont need to worry about the magic one.
Smart Maiyamented.
Vir bolted inside the moment the door swung open and handed Maiya her rucksack. He opened his own pack and rummaged past the rice and other supplies theyd bought. He breathed a sigh of relief when he located the money box hed hidden within. Intact, locked, and just as full as before.
Alda held out her hand expectantly.
Now? Vir breathed. The girl didnt seem like shedpromise. Vir handed the box to Maiya, who unlocked it.
Show me everything in there, said the girl.
Maiya obeyed, showing the girl the contents of their coffersix silvers and ten coppersbefore handing her three silvers and five coppers. The girl took the coins, handling them with reverence, before depositing them into a leather sack shed pulled out from who-knew-where, giving it a satisfied pat.
Vir retrieved his katar, slipping it inside his waistband, hiding it under his shirt. Maiya did the same.
Lets go, he said, hurriedly donning his rucksack. Though theyd been fleeced, he still couldnt believe their luck. Which was why he knew it wouldntst. Ever since theyd left the cell, hed been on guard, ready to spring into action the moment they were spotted. Every time they approached a turn, he prepared himself to encounter a half dozen guards on the other side. Every sound they made, he was sure the guards heard.
Virs nerves continued to fray with each empty hall and silent corner they encountered, to the point where his heart felt like it would jump out of his chest. He contemted trying to activate Prana Vision, but decided against it. If he cked out again now, itd be disastrous.
Yet as time dragged on, and after they crawled through a hole in the prisons foundation, leading to an alley, Vir finally realized that theyd made it out. In secret, and with no issues at all.
Maybe the gods are real after all He couldnt imagine having escaped so easily without the blessing of at least a handful of deities.
No. He refused to growcent. Things never went this well. Theyd not only escaped ten years of hardbor, theyd escaped the very same day, with their supplies! It was too good to be true. Which probably meant that the girl was leading them into another trap.
Sarans city lights illuminated the streets against a darkening blue skythere were no windows inside the jail, so Vir had no idea how much time had passed. By the looks of things, itd been at least six hours, and dusk had just fallen.
Vir didnt know who this girl was or what her intentions were, and he wasnt going to find out. Theyd mistreated him, and he was angry. Angry enough to turn on the person whod helped them. Perhaps it was paranoia, but it was the cautious who survived.
He signaled to Maiya with his hands. Be ready. Biding his time, Vir waited for the right opportunity. The girl led them across a main road, then into another alley. It was perfect. Empty, dark, and with branching alleys that they could use to make their escape.
Well, you fleeced us, but thanks for the help anyway, he said, drawing his katar in one fluid motion. Were gonna go our own way now. Dont follow us. If you do, well retaliate.
Before the girl knew it, she was staring down the des of two katars, her back pressed against a stone wall. W-wait! Im not a bad person, I swear! I just We wanted to help you, she said, scratching the back of her head.
Why? Nobody risks their neck for strangers like that, Maiya said.
Its because, uh well. Ysee Im kinda the one who set you up?
Vir and Maiya''s des were at the girl''s throat before she''d even realized what happened.
Next time: 34 - A Sheen Tarnished
Chapter 34: A Sheen Tarnished
Chapter 34: A Sheen Tarnished
Wait wait wait! The girl hissed, her eyes wide with fear at the two katars that pressed against her throat. I can exin!
Then exin, Vir said. You have thirty seconds. Starting now.
Yeesh! So a man came to us yesterday. Said hed pay us good money, like real good, to dress up like a couple of risto boys and go around stealing for im. So we did. But then Uh, you dont recognize me, do you?
Vir studied her face. Youre Alda. Youre the one who approached us when we checked into our inn yesterday.
Alda nodded. We were gonna just leave you be, but, well its not everyday people are kind ta us, yknow? We felt bad. Didnt sit right. And sides, yer not even ristos after all
Not like you did it out of the kindness of your heart. Youre still profiting from this
Vir thought back to the stranger whod osted them on the road to Saran. Hed held suspicions about the man as soon as theyd met. Maybe hed seen an easy mark in them But that didnt exin why hed gone through all of this trouble to sabotage Vir and Maiya.
How do you know were not Sawai? Maiya asked.
The girl pointed to Vir. Theyd never rough up a risto like that. I mean, its a good thing yer not. Means youre, like, one of us!
Maiya pulled her de away, but Vir kept his firmly on her throat. You never thought to ask why this man was paying you to steal from these stores? He couldve just bought that stuff himself for less, right?
Money was good, man! Like, real good.
Vir stared at the girls deep, ck eyes, but all he saw was fear. He let out a long breath and pulled his katar away. Though he wasnt happy about it, he wasn''t about to off someone for doing what they could to survive. He fully understood how hard things were for those ostracized by society.
Even so, the anger within him refused to abate. He had to do something.
Youre just gonna forgive her? Maiya said, incredulously.
Vir shook his head. No. If she were an adult, Id have beaten her to the ground, but well I cant exactly beat up a kid, can I? Still, we need our money back, Vir said, approaching the scared girl.
Oh, really? No problem, Maiya said, stepping in front of Vir. With lightning speed, she punched Alda in the gut. Hard. Then again. And a third time.
The urchin didnt even see iting. Clutching her stomach, she copsed to her knees, whimpering.
Thats for hurting him. And this, Maiya said, taking Aldas coin sack from her, is for me. You do not mess with us and get away with it. Got it?
H-hey! You cant do that!
Oh? Cant I? Maiya said, bringing her katar to bear again.
G-geez. I just That''s all my money! That''s more than what I took from you.
Maybe you should''ve thought of that before setting us up. Prey can have sharp teeth sometimes. Cmon, Apramor, Vir said, using Maiyas alias, Lets go.
W-wait! the girl said, shakily finding her feet. W-Why dont yae with me instead? she said through gritted teeth, massaging her stomach.
And why in all the realms would we do that? Maiya asked. Even if we believe your story, theres nothing to be gained by following you. You could be leading us to danger for all we know.
The girl held out her hands in front of her and waved her hands. Definitely not! I wouldnt gain anything from that! I mean, I wouldnt do that! Not even after gettin punched. Y-You have an Ashva, right? Theyve taken that too, and I dont think you know where theyve taken it. And like, you have my coin I need that back.
Vir narrowed his eyes. He''s not at the inn? You know where Bumpy is?
Bumpy? Oh! Your Ashva, she said, pping a fist against her open palm. Hehe, cute name. Oh, but uh, yeah. They captured him too. We can help you get Bumpy back.
Vir mulled over her words. It made sense that the authorities incarcerated Bumpy. If they''d taken him to a holding facility, it''d be difficult to spring him, and that was assuming he knew where they''d taken him, which he didn''t. As much as it irked him, he needed information.
Alright, Vir said, flourishing his katar. Tell us where he is, then.
I... even if I did, it wouldn''t help. They''ve locked him down. You''ll need our help to spring him.
The girl had already backed away several steps, no doubt intending to flee if Vir made good on his threat. Thest thing he needed was for her to scream and alert the authorities.
Alright, Vir said with a scowl. You help us, and we might give you back some of your coin.
All of my coin!
Depends on how angry my friend over here is, Vir said, gesturing a thumb to Maiya, who red at Alda.
Yeesh! Alright! Okay, she said, beckoning them to follow, but then she stopped. Akshully, you know my name, but I dunno yours
Neel, Vir said, going with the name hed prepared with Maiya beforehand. And my brother heres Apramor.
Well, I think we got off on the wrong foot, but Im uh, pleased to meet ya? the girl said, uncertainly shing them a thumbs up.
Neither Vir nor Maiya replied, but they did sheathe their weapons, which helped calm the girl down.
They set off, following several paces behind Alda, in case they needed to make a quick escape.
As Alda led them through the alleys, the buildings grew denser, squatter, and more squalid.
Vir had expected as much, but even so, traveling through Sarans slums was not a pleasant experience. He smelled urine, rotting food, sewage, and both Vir and Maiya had to be very careful about where they ced their steps, lest they tread upon a pile of dung.
Then there was Alda, who walked barefoot through all of this, entirelyfortable.
She kept sneaking nces back at them as they walked. No, at him, specifically.
Something on my face? He said after shed turned back for the dozenth time.
Um, well akshully Yer makeups running, she said, looking away.
O-oh. Thanks, he replied awkwardly, ncing at Maiya.
His friend was already on top of things. Her rucksack was off, and shed retrieved her makeup kit before Vir could even ask.
Maiya spent a few minutes cleaning off the dried blood on Virs face, then restored his makeup as best she could under the dim light.
Not gonna fool a pro, but it should pass for now, she said.
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Woah, he said, inspecting her work with her travel mirror. This is amazing. Youre way too good at this. I really need to learn how to do that.
T-thanks, Maiya said, blushing. d those hours practicing came in handy.
Vir turned to Alda. Keep this to yourself, he said, half expecting her to ckmail him for coin.
The urchin nodded furiously. I get it. No worries, she replied, omitting any mention of money.
She led them to a smelly, dark wooden building that had seen far better days. Rotting wood had crumbled and given way to gaps from which the cool sea breeze entered. There wasnt really a door to the cemore of an oblong opening that used to be part of a wall.
Inside, Vir found piles of hay, even worse smells than the slum outside, and a dozen kids all huddled around a rusted iron barrel with a fire going inside. The barrel had several jagged holes on each side, possibly to radiate heat. Looking up, Vir saw stars through the many holes in the ceiling. He pitied anyone who used this ce for shelter during the seasonal rains.
When are we gonna get paid? Badrak it! I haven''t eaten in days, said a kid sitting around the fire.
Vir did a double takethe boy was his spitting image. Or rather, he wore the same clothes and had the same color hair and blue eyes. His face was unfamiliar, but Vir figured the boy would easily pass as his double.
Dunno, another kid said. Guy ghosted us. Alda cant find him, and if she cant
Hey everyone, Alda said. I brought em!
The gang of kids eyed the neers. Some passed their gaze over Vir and Maiya, a spark of hope in their eyes, while others looked as if theyd given up all hope. A handful stared at them in panic.
L-Look, Virs double said, standing up. Didnt mean anythin by it, ya hear? We got nuthin you can steal, so if youre here to pick a fight, you aint gonna get nuthin, okay?
Rx, Barid. Theyre not here to fight, Alda said. Uh, youre not, right?
I dunno, are we? Maiya said, squaring off in front of Vir.
Vir squeezed her shoulder and shook his head. Let''s cooperate for now, he whispered, before turning to the boy. Alda told us the story. Cant say Im happy about all this. Got beat up pretty bad thanks to you all, he said, meeting the gaze of every kid there. Most looked away in shame after seeing his sorry state.
Y-yeah? Well, wee to our life, Barid retorted. Barely a day goes by without one of us gettin banged up some way or anuther. Guess ya ristos dont know nuthin about that tho.
Actually, Alda said, throwing Vir a wink, rubbing her fingers behind her back. Neel and Apramor here are ristos, alright, but those stupid guards still beat em up. They got no idea whatsin to em.
Vir still didnt like her, but at least the girl was trying to help out. If they could keep up their aristocrat disguise, itd bring many benefits, and Alda knew it. After all, Vir and Maiya had entered the city without having to show their papers. People were just nicer to ristos.
Ydont know what life in da slums be like, Barid said, his voice lowered.
Vir was about to argue, but he realized the boy was right. Bullies had heckled Vir in Brij, and Rudvik never had much money, but hed never had to fend for himself like these kids did. Alone, and in a hostile city. He wanted to empathize, but found it hard after what they''d done to him.
But still Barid continued, we do feel bad, yknow? Speshully since ya were nice ta Alda. No ones ever nice ta us, yknow?
And you show your gratitude by framing us, is it? Just help us get our Ashva back, Vir said irritably. Maiya may have been more vocal about her anger, but it wasnt like he felt any differently. Just that his top priority was seeing them both home safely, and getting angry right now wouldnt help with that. Also, we need to buy some supplies as well. Help us out, and well call it even.
Sure, once you give me back my coin, Alda shot back.
Youll have your coin, Vir replied, after you help us. Better for you toe out of this with something, right? By the looks of things, you all could use it.
Barid nced at Alda and the others, then nodded. Deal. Alda, can you help im out? You know where the Ashva is, yeah?
Alda shook her head. Naw. But old man Bakura does.
She turned to Vir and Maiya. Might catch him at the docks if we hurry.
Give us a moment, Maiya said, pulling Vir away. Bet youre thinking the same thing I am.
Vir nodded. The man we ran into on the way to Saran. He''s gotta be the one who set all of this up. No telling what he might be up to if he discovers we escaped.
Why do you say that?
They hadnt been speaking loudly to begin with, but Vir brought his voice down to a whisper. I think he may know who we really are. Its the only thing that makes sense if you think about it. Hiring urchins to steal from a bunch of merchants? He had to have paid more for that than outright buying those things.
So he did it specifically to frame us? You think hes rted to the knights who came after you in the vige? Maiya whispered back.
That was the piece of the puzzle that didnt fit. If he was a knight, why go through such roundabout means? Why not simply arrest Vir? I dunno, Maiya. But I think we oughta fly this coop as fast as we can. And that means leaning on the urchins.
Right, Maiya replied. If the guards really moved Bumpy, wed be hard-pressed to find him. As for the supplies
We could just change our makeup and buy the rest, but if theyre helping
Yeah, Maiya said. Might as well take advantage of their help. Okay. Good. Sounds like we have a n.
Stay vignt, though. We can''t trust them too much, Vir said.
Youre telling me! I dont trust them as far as I can throw them. Not after what they did to you, Maiya whispered as they returned to Alda and the others.
You two done yet? We gotta move, the urchin said, clearing her throat.
One moment, Vir said. We need to buy some more supplies, but the shops are closed and we dont want to wait until morning if we can help it. Do you know where we can get these? He retrieved the parchment from his rucksack and handed it to her. Ive crossed off everything we already bought.
Um I cant read. H-Hey! she protested as Barid snatched the parchment out of her hands.
Lemme see His eyes popped. You tryin to feed an entire vige or sumthin?
You dont need to know, Vir replied.
Barid looked over the list. Snuthin on here hard toe by. But thatsa lot of stuff. Youll need some help.
Then you can help us after wee up with a n to free Bumpy, Vir said. He turned to Alda. Lets be off.
Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to sit down alone and meditate. Every shred of him craved to get Prana Vision pumping again so that he could confirm what hed seen in the dungeon. If his ck prana truly existed in nature Then that changed everything. It might very well be the key to unlocking other magic.
But now was neither the time nor the ce to experiment. He choked down his curiosity and followed Alda out. It helped that the streets had grown quiet and dark, allowing them to cover ground quickly with little fear of detection.
So, Vir said after a few minutes of awkward silence, What stuff did you steal? For the man who hired you to frame us, I mean.
Alda looked back at him. Promise you wont rat us out?
Vir nodded. Sure.
Well, a bunch of stuff. Couple of crates of food, some keys. Some papers, Alda said with a grin. Biggest heist weve ever pulled off! Got a huge payout for it. Like, were talkin silvers huge.
Vir felt a little sad at seeing the joy in her eyes. Money was such a preciousmodity to these kids, yet Riyan had given him ten silvers to buy supplies like it was nothing. It probably was nothing to a man whose wealth was likely beyond Virs imagination.
At least we were supposed to get paid. The guy who asked us to steal all that paid us half up front, but I aint seen a wisp of him ever since, she said with a downcast look.
That was still a lot, but Vir realized the money had to be split a dozen ways. Even a silver wouldnt go very far when spread so thin.
So, uh, how did you kids end up like this? Maiya asked awkwardly.
Eh, everyones got their own story, Alda said, her voice cool and casual. But it all boils down to kids parents either dying off or ditchin em. Some died in idents or illness. Others to bandits. Some got forced into the army n never came back. Nothing special.
Vir had known that the world could be a cruel cethat Hiranya was a poor countrybut hearing about something was entirely different from experiencing it firsthand. He knew his childhood friend felt the same.
Doesnt Saran have orphanages for kids without parents? Maiya asked.
Well sure, but theys all full. They only take in kids who can pay, nowadays. And its pricey. Cant afford that! And the kingdoms no help at all. No money to go round.
The dazzling sheen that Saran had when Vir first arrived was tarnishing. Sure, Brij never had much in the way of luxuries, but things werent bad. Not like here. He wondered if the situation was this dire in all the Hiranyan cities. He wondered if Daha, the capital, was any better.
And here we are! Alda proimed, happy to talk about something else.
The streets ended abruptly, giving way to a vast bay. The Bay of Saran.
Virs breath caught, and his jaw dropped. For the first time in his life, heid eyes upon a harbor. A real, honest to goodness harbor.
With ships. Dozens of gorgeous ships of all shapes and sizes, their silhouettes loomingrge against the darkness.
Maiya? Vir whispered, ensuring Alda didn''t overhear.
Yeah, Vir? She whispered back.
We gotta hitch a ride on one of those
Next time: 35 - Old Man Bakura
Chapter 35: Old Man Bakura
Chapter 35: Old Man Bakura
So, where are we headed, exactly? Vir asked Alda as his leather shoes soles cked on Sarans cobblestone harbor roads. Both Vir and Maiya had slightly altered their makeup and clothing. Nothing drastic, but enough to hide them from guards at a distance. Or so they hoped.
Magic Lamp street lights bathed the entire pier in amber light, setting a rather mncholic mood, and the bracky brine hit them full force, now that they were right next to the ocean. Vir didnt mind itthe many ships docked at the harbor captured all of his attentionbut Maiya wrinkled her nose and gagged at its pungency.
Alda thumbed at a nearby wooden building. It was a squat, unadorned structure that burst with light andughter.
West side pub. Old man Bakura always hangs out ere after work.
And you said this mans a sailor? Maiya said. Why would he know where Bumpy is?
Not a question o where he is. Hell be at the Merchant Guilds corral. Only ce in town''s got big enough stables for this kinda thing. Its just that getting him outs gonna be hard.
The merchants guild? Vir asked. Wouldnt they have taken him to a government stable?
The guilds like this with the uffishals, Alda said, crossing her fingers. Not strange at all. But uh, let''s hurry.
A guard patrol hurried past them right after they entered the tavern.
Guess our jailbreak''s been noticed, Vir muttered.
We''ll be fine, Maiya replied. Best ce to hide is in a crowd, and this ce is packed.
The pubs double wooden doors were propped wide open, and upon entering, they found a ce that had three times as many people as they designed it for. Some patrons packed in next to each other at the long tables while others stood, mugs of beer in their hands and gons peppering the tables, no doubt filled with alcohol.
There was an exception to the crowd, though. In the back corner, nestled by itself, was a round table that was nearly empty. It stuck out like a sore thumb in this hive of activity, but the person who pulled Virs eyes was the ck-bearded giant of a man who sat there, upying two and a half seats on a bench, straddling his arms around two beautiful women.
Vir had never seen such a glorious belly in his life. He must be rich to eat like that, he thought.
Old man Bakura! Alda said, waving as she strode up to the man, crushing Virs hope.
Bakuras eyes lit up in recognition and he raised a paw asrge as a bears. Well well well, if it aint little Alde! What brings yer scalliwaggin arse to my humble establishment? Cmere you! Take a seat.
His establishment!?Vir thought in rm. He owns this ce?
Course he does, she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She muscled past the woman next to him, giving her the stink eye, then plopped herself on the mansp.
Vir and Maiya awkwardly took their ce across from Bakura, but though the circr table was quiterge, the giant still loomed over them like a predator. A very rotund predator.
So anyway, she said, Need yer help, old man.
Oho? Do tell. Always happy to help... for a price! Bakura roared. The man had ignored Vir and Maiya until now, which suited them just fine.
Yeah, so. We need to break an Ashva outta the mercs guild.
Bakura spit out his beer, spraying Vir and Maiya. You WHAT!? Next, yer gonna tell me a Vimanas parked itself above Saran, aint ye! And why do I gotta do suchn thing, hmm? Who''s gonna pay me? You?
Alda continued, unperturbed. Maybe I could, if you were more generous, old man. But you''re gonna help anyway. Because you were a part of this, too. These two were jailed but theyve done nuthin wrong. Neel oer there even helped us out. Just tryin to make amends, yknow?
Bakura mmed his mug down on the table and went silent. It felt to Vir like the entire bar had gone silent, but that was merely his fear drowning out all other sounds.
So dat be how it like, eh? Bakura said, leaning back to spit on the ground. The bench groaned under his weight.
Vir finally mustered up the courage to speak. What do you mean?
Bakura scratched the back of his head and spoke in a lower voice. That badrakkin chal set me up. Promised me loads o coin n return fer some risto clothing. cept he never paid up. All I got was the advance. Im in the red on this one. Pittance o a payout, and now I got a risto family out for blood, dont I? he said, his eyes darting between Vir, Maiya, and the mug on the table.
So the clothes you used Maiya said.
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The old man gave em to us, yeah, Aldapleted. And get this, old man! Those jailors were rude as heck! Even pped Neel oer there. Can you believe that? A Suvir!
The man furrowed his brows. Suvir, huh? They famous or something?
Alda looked at Bakura like hed gone mad. You dont know of the Suvirs? Even I know em, old man! Theyre huge! Big time ristos in Daha! the girl said, winking at Vir.
Vir was thankful for her deception, and he wondered whether she really was trying to do right by them. If she really helped them with getting Bumpy out, he was willing to let bygones be bygones. But if she did betray them again he honestly didnt know if hed be able to keep his anger in check.
Bakura stroked his beard. Daha, ye say? Always good ta have some contacts in the capital. Hmm. Well, if ye were lying bout being ristos, youd have been beaten ck n blue. Not a scratch on ye, though.
Maiyas patchwork makeup job had done the trick. Vir shot his friend a thankful nce.
But heres what I dont understand, he said, eyeing Vir and Maiya. If they let ye go, whys yer Ashva still captive, eh?
Maiya spoke up for the first time. W-well, we werent exactly let go. We couldnt bear to remain another minute in those filthy cells, you see. When Alda offered to help us escape, we could hardly turn her down.
Uh, huh, Bakura responded. Offered you, for coin. I know this girl. Doesnt do nuthin for free!
Not like you do, either! Stingy old man! Alda shot back.
Not runnin'' a charity ''ere, Alde. It''s every man for himself. Same as you.
Such denominations are nothing for us, Maiya said, patting her coin bag, which was actually Aldas old coin bag. Her words earned her a pointed look from the urchin.
Reckon so. So, I help ya and ya go tell yer pappy bout Old Man Bakura, wont ya?
R-right, Maiya said. If you help us out, we can put in a good word with our father back in Daha.
Bakura pped his hands, then rubbed them together, all smiles. We got a deal, then! I aint even gonna charge ye on dis one. Havin a risto fam in me pockets worth seric.
So, youll help us break Bumpy out of wherever hes being kept, right? Maiya said. Well be leaving the city as soon as you can.
Bakura blinked at her. Boy, ye got no chance.
What? Vir said. Didnt you just say youd help us?
Im saying that one does not simply ride an Ashva out the city gates after breakin out from the Guild. Too big. Too noticeable. Guardsll be all over ya. Ye got no chance. They may already have closed the gates, for all ye know.
That seems likely, Vir thought, based on the guard activity outside.
Then what should we do? Maiya said, biting her lip.
If they couldnt ride out of the front gates, theyd simply have to find another entrance. Vir was sure there were others But were there other entrances that would allow an Ashva through? That, he didnt know.
Aight, so. Here what we do, Bakura said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. Me n me menll help ya break yer Ashva out. But you n yer brother rin with me.
With you Vir said nkly.
Sright. Aboard me ship.
Vir and Maiya exchanged a nce.
I dont know how I feel about this, Vir said. As much as sailing out into the open ocean filled him with excitement, it sounded really dangerous. Theyd be at Bakuras mercy on a ship. If the crew turned against him and Maiya there would be little they could do. Could they really trust him? There has to be another entrance to the city.
Then again, Riyan said disguises can provide protection as well. So long as Bakura believed they were Sawai, he couldnt touch them. If he did anything to a couple of Sawai kids, word would get out, and Bakura would be executed. The man knew that.
Bakura shook his thick neck, which jiggled. Thats what ye dont get, boy. Breakin an Ashva out aint like breaking out a person. Trust me. Yer safer aboard me ship. We be heading south, for Balindam.
Balindam? Maiya asked. Isnt that the capital of the Pagan Order?
Sright, boy. So we can let ye loose along the coast just south o town tomorrah. Ye can find yer own way back to de highway east from dere.
And youre doing all of this just to get into my familys good graces? Vir said.
Imma businessman, boy. Wont risk me crew n me business over nuthin. I be gainin aplenty from this lil deal of ours. Connections. Trading partners. New routes. Sides, not my first time doing something like this. I wouldnt be where I am if I couldnt sneak a person or two out from under de guards.
Vir looked to Alda. Is there any other way to get an Ashva out of the city?
The girl shrugged. Dunno. Dont think so.
Maiya turned pensive for a moment, then nodded to Vir. With that, hisst reason to refuse crumbled away.
Alright, Vir said with a sigh. If thats how it has to be, then were onboard.
As long as Bakura believed them to be Sawai aristocrats, thered be little danger to themselves. Maiya must havee to the same conclusion. That was a big if, however. Vir would have to ensure the man had no reason to doubt them. That acting was best left to Maiyashe had trained for this, and had a knack for it too.
Good. Gimme an hour or two ta get me men ready. Havent pulled a heist like this in a long time. De boys are gunna love it.
Something had bothered Vir this whole time. He thought back to Riyans words months ago. About how, with the proper disguise, they could walk into the kings pce and steal from under his very nose. It felt like they were going about this heist the wrong way.
The disguises had helped, yes, but they were still sneaking around like criminals. And if Vir had Maiya drastically alter his appearance now, the urchins and Bakura would ask questions.
Or would they? What if!
No, wait, Vir said, grinning as an idea dawned on him. Ive got a better n. Just grant us passage out of the city on your ship. Thats all we need.
Uh, you sure? Welp, suit yerself. Less work for me, ha! Ill be waiting by de docks. Best be quick about it.
So? Whats this idea of yours? Maiya whispered as Alda led Vir and Maiya back to the urchins base. Weaving through the back alleys and broken walls, the girl bypassed the main roads as if it were second nature to her. A good thing, because guards were now out in force, even in some of the alleys.
Oh, just wait, Vir replied. Youre gonna love this!
Next time: 36 - Bumpy the Brave
Chapter 36: Bumpy The Brave
Chapter 36: Bumpy The Brave
Yesser. Orders from de jail, ser. They be wanting the Ashva back tonight. Fresh developments, you see, a brown-haired boy proimed, handing the stablemastera man in his early twentiesa writ of actual paper.
Oh, uh, mmm. I see, the stablemaster said, looking over the document nervously. Yes. Mmm. Yes. Everything seems to be in order.
The stablemaster led the blonde-haired boy and the brown-haired boy into the merchant guild stables. Most of the animals had fallen asleep, snoring peacefully. But there was one in the corner that remained wide awake, whimpering, desperately searching for a familiar face.
The stablemaster opened the gate and tried to pull the beast out, but it resisted. Stubborn, this one, he said.
The blond boy immediately went up to the Ashva and began soothing it. There there, boy. Nothing to worry about. Youre safe now.
He beckoned for the brown-haired boy to let the Ashva sniff his hand, doing the same himself. The instant he did, the beast quieted down, ceasing its whimpering and nuzzling him.
Wow! The stablemaster said. Took everything we had just to get im into the corral. You work with Ashva, boy?
Just a bit, the blond-haired boy responded, leading the animal outside. The moment hed left the stable, he mounted the beast, and the brown-haired boy followed suit behind him. Well take it from here. Thank you for the help.
Anytime
They rode away into the darkness, leaving the stablehand holding the writ of paper.
Welp. Spose I better get this checked, he said, mounting his own Ashva. The text looked correct for an official writ, but hed have to give it to someone who could actually read to be sure.
He didnt suspect a thing! Maiya said,ughing her heart out, riding behind Vir on Bumpy. We just strolled right in and walked right out with Bumpy! Didnt we, Bumpy?
The Ashva grunted.
Thats my Bumpy, she said, reaching down and petting his hide. You were so brave, all alone like that. Bumpy the Brave!
Bumpy whinnied at hearing his name called. You hear that? He likes it, Vir!
Vir chucked. Bumpy the Brave, huh? Its a good name.
He had to admit; he was surprised the n went off so well. Even though hecked any training in the arts of subterfuge. Despite that, theyd pulled off a far better n than old man Bakuras gambit.
Great call, Vir, using our makeup to disguise ourselves!
Just felt like we werent using our makeup well, he replied, scratching his nose as he navigated Bumpy down the streets to the harbor, his hooves cking against cobblestone. I mean, the whole point of using makeup and changing our clothes was so we could be whoever we wanted to be. Not just two Sawai boys.
Maiya nodded.
But the problem was the suspicion wed attract if we just up and changed our appearances in front of the urchins and old man Bakura. We needed some kind of excuse.
And thats where me being an artist came from! Maiya said, smacking a fist against her palm.
Right. Aristocrats dabble in the arts. And makeups a kind of art, isnt it?
It surely is! she said. Im just thankful Riyan taught me. Can you imagine how much trouble wed be in if we werent in disguise? Wed never be able to return to Saran!
Im d they bought it. Otherwise, wed be dealing with a bunch of guards right now.
Speaking of, Maiya said, looking around. We could just make a run for it, right? Nobodys any the wiser.
But Vir shook his head. No All weve done is buy us some time. Old man Bakura mentioned it, right? The first thing that stablemasters gonna do is get the writ verified. And when he does, hell realize its a fake. I suspect we only have a few minutes, and the harbors much closer than the city gates. Besides, I''m pretty sure the guards locked the gates down the moment they learned of our jailbreak. We''d have a really tough time getting through with Bumpy.
Hmm. I suppose youre right. Wed be taking a risk either way.
Yep. Either we chance it with Bakura, or we risk it with the guards. This whole n only worked because the urchins knew the stablehand was illiterate. Im actually surprised he didnt force us to wait while he verified the writ, but I guess thats where your makeup skills really helped.
Vir gingerly touched his left eye. The swelling from his beat down earlier that day had decreased, but it still throbbed. Maiya had spent extra time with that area, ensuring the wound waspletely hidden under foundation andpound. The stablemaster wouldve been far more suspicious of them if Vir had shown up with a ck eye, after all.
They arrived at the harbor district momentster, and not a moment too soon. Vir parked Bumpy in an alley as a group of mounted guards tore across the street in the opposite direction.
Think the guards been alerted, he whispered, waiting for thew enforcement officials to pass them by.
Theres no way wed have made the gates in time, he thought as they waited for their would-be pursuers to pass.
What do we do about the rest of the supplies? Maiya asked when the sound of their Ashvas hooves had dissipated.
Vir had been mulling over that as well. Riyan would not be happy if they came back with only half a load. But with this many guards out, it''d be the height of folly to attempt to raid a shop. If they were caught, it''d give the authorities all the evidence they needed to lock them up forever. Or worse.
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No, they had to escape, even if it meant enduring triple chores. Vir brought Bumpy back out of the alley and trotted him down the pier to Bakuras awaiting ship.
The pier wasnt nearly as well lit as the rest of the harbor, and with the ocean looming nearby, Bumpy needed a bit of persuasion to make the final few steps. But with Maiyas coaxing, calling him Bumpy the Brave over and over, the crippled animal finally made it.
Even in the darkness, Bakuras enormous form was clearly visible. Looks like yer n worked after all! The loud man boomed, making Vir and Maiya cringe.
Yeah, so lets set sail as soon as we can!
No can do, m afraid. Waiting on onest shipment. Gotta wait till mornin.
What! Maiya cried. That wasnt our deal.
Ye, well, me bad, girl. I be a merchant, after all. Can say no to more profit.
And what if the guards search your ship and find us? Vir said. Youd be implicated too.
The man waved away his concern. Aint gonne happen. Dont worry.
Vir worried. He also understood how people like this worked. Hed seen the bargaining process too many times in Brij to be oblivious to these kinds of things.
How much is that shipment worth? Vir asked.
Mmm? Bakura said, as if he hadnt anticipated the question. Oh, expectin ta make bout two Imperium silvers off o it in Balindam. Pagan Orders thirsty for trinkets from all ova de world. They sell like hotcakes.
Understanding where Vir was going with this, Maiya spoke up. Trinkets? Doubt youll be able to sell them all. And then youll have inventory on your ship that youll have to either dump, or sell elsewhere. And that means less space for your other cargo. Which means lost profits.
Bakura perked a brow. Ye know yer business, boy, Ill give ya that.
Vir pulled out a silver from his coin bag. Ill pay you one silver to set sail right now.
Bakuras eyes glinted. The negotiation was on.
Not a chance, boy. I know I can turn that profit. But, well, yer brothers right. It aint without risk. Alright, Ill meet you middle. A silver n a half.
Vir sighed. Remember, you had a hand in putting us in this situation. We shouldnt have to pay for this at all.
Bakura waggled his index finger. Uh, uh, uh. I promised ahll give ye safe passage. Never said wed put out tonight. Thats a special service. A silver n forty coppers. Thas the lowest ah can go, boy. Dont like it, wait till the morning.
Vir flipped the man a single coin. One silver, and instead of just putting in a good word, Ill make sure my father gets in touch with you.
Bakura deftly caught the coin and stared at Vir. Thas a promise, ye?
Sawai honor, Vir lied coolly.
The sailor looked up at the stars. Youre lucky the stars re bright tonight. Not much cloud cover, else wed hafta wait until morning regardless.
He turned to his crew. Hear that, boys! Ready for sail!
Ready for sail! a motley of voices called back, springing into action aboard the ship. Magic Lamps flickered on, and sailors climbed rigging and yanked on various ropes.
When Vir turned back to the pier, he saw Alda and Barid, standing a handful of paces away.
Maiya, Vir said. Give me Aldas coin bag.
Youre gonna return it to them? Maiya said with a scowl. After all the trouble they caused us, I say we let them hang!
Im as angry as you are, Maiya. Maybe even more. But they helped us, in the end. Sure, I came up with the n to break out Bumpy, but even so, they hooked us up with Bakura and helped us with the rest of the supplies. Besides, Id feel a little bad leaving them like that. Theyll probably starve.
Fine, Maiya said, shoving the coin bag into Virs hand. But I dont like this.
Hey now, I didnt say Id be giving them back all the money, did I? Vir said with a grin as he fished out a silver, which he handed back to Maiya. Just returning what she had, plus a little extra.
What remained in the bag were thirty coppers and two silvers. For the urchins, it was still a windfall.
Vir took a few paces to Barid and Alda and tossed them the sack. Their initial happiness turned slightly bitter when they inspected its contents, but they nodded back nheless.
Oi! Cmere n help me with your beastie, Bakura said, calling Vir over.
The big man led Bumpy up the ramp onboard the ship and tied him off to the mainmast, and when Vir looked back, the kids had already disappeared into the night.
The two friends followed behind the Ashva.
Vir? Maiya said.
Yeah, Maiya?
I think when we get back, could you keep sparring with me? I want to get better at Kri. No. I need to.
Sure, but wheres thising from? Vir asked.
When they captured us, I couldnt do a thing. I slowed you down, since I couldnt jump up to the rooftops. Sure, I helped us haggle prices and I can do makeup alright, but its not enough. I dont want to go through anything like that again, Vir. Magic isnt enough. I need to get good at Kri. So, will you help me? I want to get good at your acrobatics stuff too. Im sick of being clumsy.
Vir turned and looked Maiya in the eyes. Of course, Ill help, Maiya! Id be happy to!
Maiya nodded, a look of determination stered on her face.
The moment Vir stepped foot onto the ship, he knew this was going to be an experience. The entire ship swayed rhythmically underfoot. He immediatelypensated, maintaining his bnce, but Maiya reached out and grabbed him to stabilize herself.
What? Bakura barked. Never been on a boat before?
Oh no, Vir said. We have. Several times. My brothers just not very good with ships.
Then yell be wanting to stay abovedecks. If ya need to barf, do it over the side. You might be ristos, but my crew aint cleaning up yer mess.
A dozen Lighten Load orbs embedded in the hull at regr intervals glowed with prana one by one as the sailors went around powering them.
No way! Vir eximed, entirely forgetting his disguise. A pranasail!?
If Bakura found it suspicious that Vir got so excited over such a small thing, he didnt show it. In fact, he beamed proudly. Not quite, boy. The orbs help, but we aint got no mejai aboard to power wind to our sails.
Vir expected the ship to lurch up out of the water, but no such thing happened, making him wonder if they werent working properly. But then, oars from belowdecks extended out the side, and the ship glided away from port faster than Vir thought possible.
The wind picked up once theyd made it out into Saran Bay. Sails unfurled, oars retracted, and the ship picked up even more speed, cutting through the waves as if it floated on the water.
Maiya spent the entire time grasping the railing, single-mindedly focused on breathing deeply, doing everything she could to keep from doing something unsightly.
Vir had no such issues. And even if he did, it was his first time aboard a ship! Nobody would stop him from exploring every nook and cranny, even in this darkness. Prana Vision had abated, so he had Maiya charge her Magic Candle orb, which he took with him. After walking around the entire deck, he finally found a wooden door that led below.
Descending a steep staircase, he raised his orb high and illuminated therge room hed just entered, for there was no other lighting down here.
Surprising, Vir thought. Hed expected to see the rowers down here. Maybe thats another deck?
But the moment his orb shone upon the room, Virs blood ran cold. Bile welled up in his throat, and he felt the need to puke. Not from seasickness, but from whaty within the ships hold.
From aft to stern, from port to starboard, metal jail cells filled the entire ship. All packed to the brim with people, squeezed so tight they could hardly even move. And every single one had an iron cor around their neck.
Theyd boarded a ving ship.
Next time: 37: Of Demons & Ashborn
Chapter 37: Of Demons & Ashborn
Chapter 37: Of Demons & Ashborn
Vir reeled as he walked deeper into the dark hold packed with sweat and ves. Some slept. Others wept. And others still eyed him with predatory gazes. Both men and women were present. All dressed in soiled rags.
The only sounds in the hold were soft groans, the shuffling of shackles, and the creaking of the old wooden hull against the sea. Awfully quiet for a room packed with prisoners.
How did they end up here? Vir wondered. Hed heard of ves, of course, but this was his first time seeing them. Some countries had ouwed the practice, but clearly, Hiranya wasnt one of them.
He didnt even want to guess what fatey in store for these poor souls.
Vir stayed as far as possible from the cells as he could manage, but the narrow corridor that ran between them did little for his peace of mind.
Arms reached out and tugged his clothing, but emaciated as they were, they simply didnt have the strength to do much to him. He swatted their arms and broke free of their hold.
Why am I even here? he asked himself. He shouldve turned back the moment he saw this room. But he didnt. There was something something about the room that called out to him.
And when he turned his Magic Candle upon the faces of the ves, he immediately understood.
Every ve here shared one trait inmonthey all had red skin.
D-Demons! He whispered under his breath, stumbling back. A demon ve reached through the bars and yanked his shirt, pulling Vir off his feet. His head hit the jail cell, but not with enough force to cause any damage.
Vir broke out of his stupor and whipped around, freeing himself, anding face to face with the red-skinned demon man whod pulled him. Also, this demon had a pair of horns. Horns!
Give us food! The tall, gaunt figure said, extending an open hand out.
S-stay back, demon! Vir cried, nursing the welt on his forehead.
The man growled, showing his teeth. Vir sized him up. Apart from his red skin, the manand everyone elselooked awfully human. Both the men and the women all had ck hair. Some had red eyes, others were ck, but all were devoid of life.
Their bodies were emaciated beyond belief. Vir had never seen someone so far gone before, not even in the depths of the famine when food was scarce. He wondered if they would survive this journey.
Please! Im begging you. I dont deserve this. My wife does not deserve this, he said, gesturing down to a demon woman in a fetal position on the floor. She was either sleeping, or unconscious. If you can spare anything, it could save her life. Nuts, fruit, anything! Please!
II dont have Vir stopped, realizing he did have food on him. A whole rucksacks load, in fact. He dropped his pack and fished out a small sack of nuts.
Discreetly! The man hissed, eyeing at the others. Vir immediately realized the problem.
He had never seen a shark, but everyone had heard of them. Of how they swarmed at the smallest drop of blood. Here, the ves were the sharks, and his food the blood.
The prisoners here might fight to the death over his bag of nuts. And it wasnt like hed picked the most needy prisoner to help itd been a random decision, spurred by fear and misced guilt.
Why am I even helping these people? For all he knew, theydmitted some horrible crime to be locked up like this. But somewhere in his head, he knew. He knew that couldnt possibly be the case. These people didnt look like hardened criminals. They looked like scared, average people.
All eyes watched as Vir slipped the bag to the demon, who immediately hid it under the rag he wore. If the others cared, they said nothing. Vir had misjudged themthey simplycked the energy to fight over it.
May Yuma bless you, friend, the demon whispered.
What are you? Vir asked, staring into his eyes. Youre a demon, right? What crimes did youmit?
The man nodded, looking at Vir appraisingly. The crime of existing, he spat. Same as everyone else here. You dont understand the
He stopped and stared.
Wh Vir began, but the demon interrupted, pointing a finger to Virs forehead.
Your skin. It is gray, isnt it?
Badraks Balls, the makeupse off again, Vir thought. Vir immediately fussed with his hair, ruffling it to cover up the top of his forehead.
The demon nodded. They wont notice now. I see, so youre one of us.
A chill flowed from Virs neck down his arms to his fingertips. W-what do you mean? Im not a demon. Im Im normal.
The demon shook his head, then nodded, as if hed had some revtion. Of course. I know not how you ended up on this ship, but youve done me a service, so allow me to give you some advice. Never let them find you, boy. Your makeupensure they never realize who,or what, you are. Dont end up like us. It it will cost you everything, he said, his eyes falling to his wife lying on the floor.
I An idea urred to Vir. Do you know anything about a four-armed giant? With red skin, just like yours.
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Four arms? No, Im sorry. I dont
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Virs neck whipped to the left. The stairwell glowed with the steady light of a Magic Lamp.
Someone wasing down the stairs, and he didnt need to see the enormous mans face to know who. The rotund man barely fit into the narrow passage, and Vir wondered how thedder hadnt copsed under his weight.
Tragic, iddnt it? Bakura said, effectively sealing the exit with his enormous body. In his right hand, he held antern, and in his left, a sack. Hardly anything that could be used forbat, but Vir didnt let down his guard.
Virs right hand hovered over his shirt, ready to pull it up and draw his katar at a moments notice. Hed expended his chakrams and chakris, but he doubted the big man was much of a fighter. In this confined space, Vir held the advantage with his slight frame.
Of course, even if he did somehow beat the man, he was on a ship. It wasnt like he could escape together with Maiya.
What should I do?
He wanted to help these ves. He wanted to do something for them. But short of a mutiny and taking over the entire ship, Vir didnt see other options. Could he pull something like that off?
As much as he wanted to deny it, as much as he wanted to delude himself, he knew the answer. No way.
Not without bloodshed, and possibly the loss of life. He couldnt risk that. His safety and Maiyas came first.
No, fighting would be a bad idea. Bakura still thought he was an aristocrat. Hed use that.
I didnt take you for a ver, Vir said, putting on an air of confidence. He only hoped the man wouldnt see his shaking legs in the dimly lit room.
Several vesthe ones who had any energy leftbrightened up at the sight of Bakura, slowly reaching their hands out, begging for food.
Vir expected the man to swat them aside, but instead, he reached into his bag and began handing out squat, circr things. Dried rice cakes. Vir recognized them immediatelythey were imported as treats back in the vige.
Boy, Imma businessman. And der aint no trade as profitable as the ve trade.
Rage welled up inside Vir. This is inhumane. How could you treat these people like this?
People? Bakura said, raising an eyebrow. They aint people, boy. Ye ever seen people with skin as red as the sunset? Dese be demons, boy. Demons!
They seem normal enough, he said. An idea struck him. I didnt realize demons were real. Arent they just Ashborn?
He didnt believe that himself, but figured it was a good way to probe for information without drawing attention to himself.
Real as rain, boy. As fer Ashborn, dunno much bout em. Neer met one, meself.
Well, it was worth a try, Vir thought. Well, even if they are demons, they seem like regr people to me, he said. Yet you treat them worse than livestock!
Bakura looked at Vir like hed gone crazy, and Vir could swear he saw fear in the mans eyes. Boy, yer a risto. Ye know full well what de scriptures say bout demons, eh? Ye trying to call down Adinats Wrath upon us, boy? Demons re evil! Simples dat.
Vir said nothing. He knew full well how the scriptures ostracized demons and Ashborn. Though Apramor tweaked his sermons out of consideration for Vir, there was no way to hide it. Demons were evil. Ashborn were outcasts.
He thought back to the red skinned four-armed giant. There was little doubt in his mind now that the giant whod handed his infant self to Rudvik was a demon.
But that only raised more questions than it answered. What even were Ashborn? And how were they rted to demons? Virs fingers subconsciously grazed the white symbol on his chest, hidden under his shirt.
None of these demons had tattoos like him. Their skin was red, while his was pale. The only thing they shared inmon was their eye colorred so deep that it seemed to glow.
Bakura went around giving cakes to the starving ves, who epted the food as if it came from Adinat himself. Vir saw no hatred in their eyes Only emptiness. It was tragic. This was no way for anyone to live.
I can see ye have a clean soul, boy, Bakura said, approaching Vir. If it makes ya feel any better, most o dese ves were either tortured or bound for execution. Ye could say I extended their lives by sellin em off ta de Pagan Order.
Vir gestured to the cages. How can you call this life? Death is better than this.
Ye, well, Pagan Orderll prob grant them that, anyway. Neer seen anyone hate on demons more n their ilk. Or who knows? Mebbe they be sentenced tobor? Mebbe deyll get ta live.
Fat chance of that, Vir thought as he squeezed past Bakura, sidling up against a jail cell to switch ces with him.
This was the moment of truth. Vir half expected the man to throw him into the cell, lest he get any ideas of ransoming Vir and Maiya off.
But as Vir shimmied past, the man did no such thing.
Iplease feed them better on their journey, at least, Vir said, tossing Bakura another silver. As a favor.
The sailor cocked a brow, but said nothing and nodded. Ya hear that ya louts? Double rations for everyone till we dock. Thank the young Sawai oer there!
Vir half wondered if the man had done all of this for show to fish for more coin, but he didnt care.
Im sorry, he thought. He couldnt risk breaking them out, and it wasnt like a bit more food would do anything for them in the long run. But at least it was something to ease his guilty soul.
Vir didnt intend to linger down here any longer. The ustrophobic surroundings, the squalor, and the ves had all left him short of breath, not to mention Bakura.
Ill be taking my leave now, Vir said, making eye contact with the jailed demon hed talked to. The man nodded slightly in return.
Grinding his teeth, Vir climbed up the steep stairs. There was absolutely nothing he could do for these peoplehe was utterly powerless.
That thought rested on his shoulders with the weight of a mountain as he returned to Maiya, whod obviously thrown up at some point. He felt like he wanted to do the same, but for different reasons entirely.
Whereve you been? his friend asked, her face pale and sickly.
Vir took a deep breath, then filled her in on his findings, leaving her even paler than before.
Are we in danger? She asked.
He shook his head. Dont think so. Thought Bakura would kill me for discovering his operation, but he didnt seem bothered by it. I think I think this is normal, Maiya. Trading ves.
Thats thats really sad, if it is, Vir.
He nodded. Say, Maiya?
Yeah, Vir? His friend replied, taking deep breaths to quell her nausea.
Is the Pagan Order really that bad? Do they really ughter demons like everyone says they do?
I I want to say no, Vir. I really do. But everything Ive heard about them is bad. None of the demons they kidnap are ever seen again. Theyre religious zealots who think its their holy mission to exterminate demons. Theyre so extreme about it, theyre not even allowed in most countries. I havent heard a single good thing about them. Riyan says they live like barbarians in the Voinds. He says that without prana, their level of advancement is centuries behind.
Vir could only ball his fists and stare off into the darkness of night. He had thought that with Riyan, hed found the key to power. He thought that by training diligently, hed grow strong enough to protect those he cared about. And that he wouldnt have to witness tragedies unfold before his very eyes, utterly incapable of averting them.
What will it take? He thought. What will it take to ess power like that?
He knew the answer. He had always known.
Prana. The ck affinity coursing through his body was the key to unlocking great power, he was sure of it.
Until now, hed been poking around the edges of the mysteries of his body. But it was high time he understood how it worked. Vir sat down on the deck, crossed his legs, and began to meditate.
Next time: 38 - To y With Prana & Blood
Chapter 38: To Play With Prana & Blood
Chapter 38: To y With Prana & Blood
You want me to break your arm? Said Maiya with a nk expression.
Well, dont break my arm, but just hit it hard enough to hurt really bad, Vir said.
Maiya wrenched her gaze from the wavesnow lit by the first rays of dawnand pushed through her seasickness to embrace Vir. I know weve been through a lottely, Vir. First we had the pirates, then we were set up and you got so badly injured, and now this ship full of ves. Just a little longer until were home, Vir, okay? Just a little longer.
Uh, Maiya? W-What are you doing?
Theres no need to resort to self violence, Vir. Just take deep breaths. Here, like this, she said, taking in one deep breath after another. Itll all be over soon, Vir.
Uhhh, Maiya I think youve got the wrong idea here. I havent gone crazy.
Maiya nodded knowingly. I understand, Vir. I can only imagine what youre going through.
Vir grasped her shoulders and wrenched himself away. For Veras sake, Maiya! Just listen to me! I am not insane. This has to do with Prana Vision. The thing I told you about? How I can see prana?
He simply couldnt wait any longer. Now that they were out of immediate danger, he wanted to try activating Prana Vision again. He was so close to a breakthrough! He just had to be a bit more cautious and it would all work out.
Huh? She said, confused.
Its too much to exin right now, but just believe me when I say Im trying to experiment with my abilities. Just trust me on this, okay?
Hmm. Youre sure?
Yes.
Really sure?
Yes.
Really really sure?
Maiya
Alright! I cant say Im okay with this, but Ill believe in you, Vir, she said, picking up a metal rod tucked in a corner nearby.
Vir wondered why she was being so overly dramatic about this. It wasnt like he was asking her to kill him or something.
Maiya nced around to ensure no one was looking, but most of the sailors were still asleep at this hour. Only a few lookouts remained abovedecks in the cold. Shed be sleeping too, if she didnt immediately puke when she closed her eyes or went belowdecks. Only a few hours remained until the ship would drop anchor near the coastline south of Saran, allowing them off.
Grasping the rod in both hands, she raised it high up in the air.
Vir braced his arm on the ships wooden railing and steeled himself.
Ay! Maiya squeaked, bringing the rod down, slowly, with one eye closed.
Maiya what are you doing? Vir asked as the rod lightly tapped his arm. Hed barely even felt it.
Ugh. Fine. Dont me me for this, okay? she said, bracing herself. It was as if she was nning on smacking her arm instead of his. Vir half expected the girl to repeat the same mistake this time.
Ow! He grimaced as Maiya mmed the rod into his arm with enough force to break something.
Oh grak! Did I break something? Maiya cried, dropping the rod. Just hang on, Ill grab one of the sailors. Theres gotta be someone with a Life affinity aboard, right?
Vir grabbed her arm with his right hand. His entire left arm throbbed painfully. Bruised, but not broken. Stop, he said through gritted teeth. Thatll defeat the purpose. Thanks Maiya. Im fine. Ill just sit down for a sec. Just watch over me, okay?
Crossing his legs, Vir turned his vision to the water beneath the boat. Prana Vision had already begun to re, and whats more, it was as bright as itd been when hed fought the wolf above Riyans abode. Not quite as vivid as when he had looked through Ekanais eyes back in the Godshollow, but he had a theory about that.
When he looked deep into the blue and white prana of the water, he saw a new color: ck.
So I was right! He thought, mentally pumping his fists.
He stopped mid-pump, peering deeper. Something was off about this ck prana, in a way that he found hard to wrap his mind around. It felt deeper. More profound, in a way he could only feel and not exin. One thing was for certain, though; the ambient ck prana was identical to the prana in his own body.
Which brought up the question of why his regr Prana Vision could detect the prana within his own body, but had such a hard time finding prana in the wildthough after casting his gaze far into the ocean, he realized why.
Boosted Prana Vision wasnt any different from the regr version. It simply had more granrity. It saw farther, and it saw a more detailed view of the world. The ck prana in his body wasnt dense, not by any means, but it was much closer than far off prana under the ground or in the ocean.
Which meant he needed far less detail to see it.
The ability was incredibly useful, but running around or getting badly injured remained the only surefire ways of turning it on. Though, as hed recently realized, the former method only partially activated the ability.
Back in the Godshollow, hed not only exerted himself, but hed also been driven by fear.
It was the same when hed fought the wolf above Riyans abode that nighthed been driven by fear. He was sure that hed have seen this new ck prana in both instances, if hed had the presence of mind to look. On both ounts, hed been rather preupied with staying alive.
And again when hed been roughed up by the Saran jailors. His heart had been pumping hard, and pain and fear drove the ability to new heights.
Im not crazy, after all!
After meditating on those experiences, he realized that he could recreate that sensation. Itd paid off!
The shock of having his arm smashed triggered something within his body that powered up Prana Vision beyond what mere exertion did.
Until now, hed sighted the ck prana that resided within his body only once in natureon the floor of Sarans jail. Now, he understood why. The affinity was scarce. To the point where it was almost nonexistent,pared to the other affinities that filled the water. If he wasnt actively searching for it, hed miss it, even with Prana Vision ring so brightly.
That was an interesting discovery, but it wasnt immediately useful. His true purpose in doing all of this was to address the problem hed been putting off for so long. Hed deluded himself into epting Prana Visions ring wnamely that it could only be activated by fear or exertion.
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If he wanted to delve deeper into the mysteries of his bodys prana, he needed to activate the ability on demand. But he needed to be more careful. With his prior failure in mind, Vir closed his eyes and tried again, this time with a different approach.
When hed attempted to control his prana in Sarans jail cell, hed taken hold of the prana in his neck and stopped it. In hindsight, that could only have ended up poorly. This time, instead of stopping the pranaand thus the flow of bloodhe would will it to continue upwards into his head. And into his eyes.
With a deep breath, Vir gave it a go. The prana obeyed, and he pushed it up. Through his neck and up his head.
Gently at first. He didn''t ck out... but nothing happened. So he tried pushing harder.
That was a mistake.
Searing pain wracked his body, and he realized hed done something horribly wrong again. Vir immediately aborted his experiment, allowing the blood to return to flow normally... but he was a moment toote.
Vir struggled through the cobwebs darkening his vision, but as the seconds wore on, he realized there was no winning this battle.
The world turned ck, and he lost consciousness. Again.
Vir awoke to a bright sky, the sun high overhead. Viuh, Neel! Oh thank the gods! he heard someone say.
He sat up, but immediately regretted it. A splitting headache threatened to crack his skull, and it was all he could do to remain conscious.
What happened? he asked after several moments had passed.
Maiyas hazel eyes looked deeply into his own, searching for any sign of trauma. You sat down and then you just kinda fell over. You didnt even say anything. When I looked back, I saw you on the floor, drooling. Nothing I did woke you up. Vir, I was so worried. What happened?
Uh, can you speak a little more quietly? he asked, flinching at her words. Everythings really loud right now.
Sorry, she said, reducing her volume to a murmur. Any better?
Vir nodded, but quickly stopped. Likest time, moving his head made him nauseous, and it wasnt seasickness.
Hed made the same mistake again. He thought hed been careful, but he wasnt careful enough. It seemed his body violently resisted any kind of alteration to the flow of his blood.
Worse, he''d given into temptation and experimented here, on Bakura''s ship. The man might have meant him no harm, but he should''ve held off until they were back home. He knew why he''d done it. It was guilt. It was his inability to help those ves that motivated him. Even so, it was a foolish decision.
This is gonna be tough, he thought. Blood and prana circted through his body ording to rules far moreplex than hed imagined.
Sorry, Maiya. Im fine now.
Promise me you wont do anything like that ever again.
Uh
Promise! Maiya said, her tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to mar her makeup.
I promise, not until I better understand what Im doing. I have no intention of making the same mistake three times. Rudvik would never forgive me.
Three times? Maiya asked. What do you mean?
Uh, n-nothing. Sorry. I misspoke, he lied. If she found out hed cked out for the same reason in the jail cell, shed wring his neck.
What are you even trying to do, though? Maiya asked.
Well, I discovered that pranas rted to blood flow, so Ive been trying to manipte the flow of my blood to activate Prana Vision.
Huh? Maiya said, furrowing her brow.
Vir spent the next half hour trying to exin what he was doing, but Maiya only ended up more confused than before. Whys prana bound to your blood? Whats blood got to do with magic?
In the end, he told her hed exin it all again once hed found out a bit more. As it was, he himself was stumbling around in the dark.
After their conversation petered outmainly on ount of Maiyas seasicknesshe sat and contemted as his mind slowly returned to normal.
This strategy of controlling his prana wasnt working. He knew he was onto something, but he wouldnt get there with this sort of brutish approach. Yet without guidance from someone who knew more, how would he ever progress?
As much as it vexed him, he decided to honor his words to Maiya and put his experimentation on hold. At least, until he could be reasonably sure that he wouldnt identallymit suicide or cripple himself permanently. He only hoped hede by that knowledge soon.
Maybe Tanya has the answers...
The sailors sprung into action when the ship neared shore, furling the sails, tending to the rigging, steering the ship to an appropriate anchoring spot, and dealing with a myriad of other tasks.
Maiya and Vir remained near Bumpy, trying to stay out of the way as best as they could.
When the crew finally dropped anchor, a good thousand paces away from shore, Maiya began to worry.
Uh, I hope they dont expect us to swim, she said. I cant swim. Wait. You cant swim either, can you, Vir?
Nope.
Vir wondered how this would work as well, but then remembered their encounter with the pirates the other day.
You remember how those pirates used a tiny boat to get to shore? I dont think theserge ships can get any closer, or they might run aground.
Sure enough, Bakura hailed them over. Right so, dis be where we part ways mfraid. My menll help ya load yer Ashva onto dat dinghy oer dere, he said, pointing to a wooden boat suspended by ropes over the side of the ship. Head straight east n yell get ta de Saran-Daha highway afore sundown. Ah done everythin ah can. Rests on you two.
When Vir had stumbled upon the ves, hed been certain the man would sp a cor on his neck and thrown him into the brig with the others, but Alda had been right, it seemed. Maybe the man wasnt a saint, but it seemed hed honor his word.
Thank you, Maiya said. Well be sure to put in a good word with our father.
Not jes a good word, yeah?
Right, Vir responded. Ill be sure he contacts you. And well send you amplepensation for your troubles here.
The man rubbed his hands together. Good. Gooood, he said, his eyes shining in anticipation of prospects that would never materialize. Vir wondered when the man would find out that hed been duped by a pair of nobodies. Probably the next time hes back at Saran
Vir didnt want to be anywhere near the city when that happened.
Bumpy had done surprisingly well with the rocking motions of the ship, and Vir coaxed him out onto the dinghyshed to the side of the ship without much difficulty. The sailors had braced the small boat with wooden spars, preventing it from rocking while they loaded onto it.
The four sailors aboard the dinghy guided Vir and Bumpy to the very center of the boat, where the beast''s prodigious weight wouldnt upset its bnce. After Bumpy was safely aboard and strapped down, Maiya handed Vir his rucksack, then hopped in herself.
The four crewmen cast off the spars, and with the help of the sailors aboard Bakuras ship, lowered the dinghy down.
Bumpy began whining the instant the boat touched water, and Vir couldnt me him. The dinghy bobbed and rocked in seas far more than therge ship. The motions reduced somewhat when the sailors began rowing, but it wasnt enough.
Maiya already had her face out over the water in case she needed to hurl. The ten minute ride to shore must have felt like ten hours to his poor friend.
Blessed. Blessed shores! Maiya cried, burying her hand into the sand. Shed jumped off the boat at the same time as the sailors, whod offered to beach it so she wouldnt have to get wet.
After puking a half dozen times, getting wet was low on her list of concerns.
The sailors bid them farewell, lingering a moment before heading back with disappointed faces. Vir btedly realized theyd been hoping for a tip.
Instead of heading east like Bakura had directed, Vir hugged the coastline and traveled south, back to Riyans abode. The ship had put them much farther south than anticipated, which worked to their favor. A hard day of riding would put them home before sunset.
Maiya recovered soon after on Bumpy, and the hours dragged on in silence. They had both had a long journey and neither had the energy for conversation.
The tricky eastward turn posed Vir no problems. Hed anticipated this exact problem on the way out, so hed memorized the arrangement of the rocky hills by the shore to avoid missing the turn.
Once Bumpy was back on the sand dunes, he let the beast guide itself home, allowing his mind to wander to the grotto and the blissful rest that was soon toe.
When they arrived at Riyans home after what felt like an eternity, Vir spied two Ashva stabled in the cave next to the abode. Riyan had two Ashva, and Vir was currently on one of them.
Which meant
Someones here
It is good to see you, Tanya, Riyan said, gesturing to the silver haired woman whod just entered his abode. You are one of the few mejai left I can trust.
Yes, sir, she said, her lips taut. Ive never known you to make requests, general.
Riyan chuckled. Indeed.
The woman wore her silver hair short in a bob cut,plementing her aggressive looks. Full ck leathers showed off her curvy figure, but it was her deep-set ck eyes that Riyan hade to remember her by. Many men had cowered before that stare. If gazes were des, then hers was pure seric. They were the eyes of a predator.
He gestured dismissively. I am no general. Not anymore. And be sure to call me Riyan in front of them. Do not ever mention my family name.
Yes, sir. I mean, Riyan. This... will take some getting used to.
Riyanughed. Ive no doubt youll prevail.
So, tell me more about this girl Is she as talented as you say?
Riyan cocked a brow as he turned towards the main door, a sly grin stered upon his face. Why dont you be the judge of that? They have returned.
Next time: 39: Homing
Chapter 39: Homecoming
Chapter 39: Homing
Thats a good boy, Vir said, patting Neel, whod bounded up to him the moment hed entered. The bandy was now furiously licking his face, ruining what was left of his makeup. Haha I missed you too, boy! Were you good? Did you behave? You mustve been so lonely!
Awoo!
Maiya got the same treatment soon after, though she somehow managed to avoid his licks.
Introductions are in order, Riyan said, gesturing to the woman behind him. They stood in one of the living rooms, now illuminated by the warm glow of Magic Lamps. Meet Tanya, my friend of many years. Maiya, from this day forth, Tanya will be your trainer. Follow her every direction as if it was my own. I trust her implicitly, as should you.
Virs first impression of the silver-haireddy was intense. And angry. Almost like he was looking at a female version of Riyan. Vir wondered whether all of the mans friends were equally grumpy.
Her ck leather vest, pants, and boots only solidified that look. It was almost like everything about her was cultivated to make her look intimidating. Her skin was fair and her body lithe and athletic, but she had the biggest biceps Vir had ever seen on ady.
And when she spoke, her voice was just as low and husky as hed expected. You promised me talent and I get this? Shes soft. Weak, Tanya said, squeezing Maiyas arms.
Maiya bit her tongue.
Vir knew she wanted nothing more than tosh back at the woman, and if this happened a week ago, she would have. But in Saran, something had changed. Her inability to escape from the guards hit her hard. She had changed.
I''m willing to do what it takes, Maiya said in a low voice, yanking her arm away from the woman. Im sick of being weak.
Good. But I expect action to back your words. Talk is cheap. Only results matter, Tanya said.
Yeesh, she really is just like him, Vir thought, d not to be the object of her criticism. In fact, she hadnt bothered to look his way even once. Almost as if she was ignoring him.
What are your affinities? Vir asked, hoping to break the ice.
The mejai continued sweeping her gaze around Maiya. And you say she possesses a greater affinity? Tanya said, addressing Riyan.
Scratch that. Definitely being ignored.
Indeed. Likely a greater primary and a lesser secondary, though you should verify my results, Riyan responded.
Sorry, but, Maiya said, Vir asked you about your affinities?
Vir? I see no one else in this room. Only you and a prana scorned.
Wow, what a chal Vir mentally chalked her up as another enemy. To his immense surprise, it wasnt Maiya who rebutted her, but Riyan.
The boy may be prana scorned, but he works diligently toward improving himself. He may be a force to be reckoned with one day, if he learns to manifest Talents.
Vir had to wonder if the gods hade and reced Riyan with an imposter. When had that man ever defended him like this? This was almost worse than Riyans earlier indifference. He could feel the weight of the mans expectations riding upon his shoulders.
Tanya scoffed. I will believe it when I see it. To answer your question, girl, she continued, I possess a greater Ice affinity, and a lesser affinity for water. I carry the rank of Lesser Mejai of Ash, and my Br Rank is 130.
Maiya and Vir fell immediately silent. She might have been irksome, but she clearly had the power to back up that attitude.
Riyan motioned for everyone to take a seat. Vir and Maiya sat on padded stools while Riyan and Tanya reclined on the leather couch on the other side of the coffee table. Neel stretched out on the ground beside his owner.
Now, tell me about your trip. I take it there were no issues?
Vir exchanged a nce with Maiya. Actually, there were. Lots of issues, he said.
Riyan gestured for him to continue, so heunched into a summary of the events.
Well, for starters, we ran into problems even before we got to Saran. Pirates had put in on the coast, a few hours ride north. They spotted us and gave chase we barely managed to escape.
Oho? I wouldnt imagine a few pirates would give you two any trouble with the Kri arts I have taught you, Riyan said, judging them, and I know I trained you better than to allow yourselves to be surrounded. Hmm. But they gave chase, did they? On Ashva, I presume? I see. I havent taught you mounted warfare.
Maiya nodded. Right. We got really lucky. We wouldve been dead meat if Vir hadnt had his throwing stones and chakrams. He managed to take down our two pursuers with those.
Stones? Riyan said, cocking a brow. Why in Veras name would youah. A foolhardy attempt to conserve your chakris, I presume? he said knowingly.
Vir nodded. We hadnt even made it to Saran. I didnt want to waste my ranged weapons there.
Understandable, Riyan said. And indeed, this is the fatal w of all thrown weapons. Chakrams are deadly, but disposable. And yet, failing to use them may very well have meant the deaths of you and your friend. A warrior knows when to use his tools.
Well, he did manage to take one of the pirates down with his stones, Maiya said. Hed even cut them so they were super sharp.
I see. You used the stones at range, and then switched to your chakrams when the enemy drew close. A good strategy, all things considered.
As always, the man could intuit the flow of an entire battle with just a few hints. But moreover, this was twice now that the man hadplimented Vir. He wondered whether Yuma had possessed Riyan, filling him with her tenderness. Whatever it was, he wasnt going toin.
Right. After the pirate encounter, things were pretty calm until we got to Saran, he said. We met a stranger on the highway into the city, but thats when things took a turn for the worse.
Exin, Riyanmanded.
Maiya picked up the narration. This guy said he was a merchant. Came from Saran. Eyed us up and down, asked us a bunch of questions. Who we were, what we were doing. And then he turned around and headed back to the city after chatting us up. Vir and I both thought it was suspicious, but we got into the city and checked into our inn just fine. So I kinda forgot about it.
Until the next day, Vir continued. We were out shopping for supplies when guards ambushed us. We fled into an alley, but couldnt get away.
My fault, Maiya said, looking down at her feet. I cant jump and vault up rooftops like Vir can, so I ended up holding us back. We we were captured and they abused Vir because of it. Tears began to well up in her eyes. I
They roughed me up, Vir interrupted, squeezing her hand, But it really wasnt that bad. I was more worried about what would happen once they realized we werent Sawai aristocrats.
Tanya scoffed. Youre both lucky to be alive. Perhaps they took pity upon you since you were minors. People have been executed for less. At best, you could look forward to a life of hardbor.
That seemed to be our fate, Vir said. Until one of the local urchins broke us out. I didnt know if we could trust them, but we didnt have much of a choice.
Turned out they felt bad about setting us up, Maiya said. Well, that and they wanted to leech us for all the coin we had.
You were framed? By the merchant? Exin, Riyanmanded, his hawkish features growing angry.
Exactly, Vir replied. Seems he hired the urchins to dress up like us and go steal from a bunch of shops. The guards were out for blood, and there arent many Sawai brothers matching our description, so they caught us.
What then? What came after you escaped with the urchins?
The problem was Bumpy, Maiya said. Theyd captured him too, so we had to break him out before we could escape. The urchins led us to a sailor, old man Bakura, who promised us safe passage if we put in a good word for him with our parents. Still cant believe he didnt catch on that we werent ristos. Bakura was adamant that wed get caught trying to escape the city gates with Bumpy.
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And right he was, Riyan said, stroking his beard. Sarans walls are manned at all hours. They would have closed the gate as soon as they learned of your jailbreak. He did you a service.
Vir had wondered about that. The city gates had seemed so tempting. If they couldve escaped there, they neednt have entrusted their lives to the ver. But it sounded like Bakura had been right after all.
Riyan didnt look happy at this news, which came as a surprise to Vir. I honestly thought this was another one of your tests. I thought youd sent someone after us to throw a log into our ns, he said. Was that not the case?
The big man slowly shook his head. No. No it was not. This is quite concerning. I do not believe this mysterious stranger was associated with the pirates you ran into. I doubt they wouldve concocted a n like this. Their approach is far more direct. Kill now, ask questionster. No this person knew who you were. They knew you were in disguise from the outset.
You think he saw through our makeup? Maiya asked. You think he saw an opportunity and took it?
Perhaps. Perhaps not. Tanya and I will investigate this matter on our own. Do not concern yourselves any further. Tell me what happened next.
W-well, we boarded his ship with Bumpy, Vir narrated. I had to bribe Bakura to set sail since the authorities were after us.
That got augh out of Riyan. You were yed, boy. If youd been captured, that man would have been in just as much trouble as you! He never intended to stay. He saw a chance to grab some coin from an easy mark, and he took it. Just like those urchins.
Vir had known that but his desperation had overridden his good senses at the time. Besides, we still made out with four silvers and change, he thought. But would Riyan buy that? That was the question.
Anyway, he said, eager to move past this embarrassing moment, We then set sail. I only found out a few hourster that we were riding onboard a ving ship. The hold was full of demons, bound for the Pagan Order.
Hed expected this to be a bombshell revtion, but neither Riyan nor Tanya reacted at all.
Isntarent you surprised? I freaked out so much. Thought we were going to be made into ves too.
How could that happen? Riyan said. To the captain, you were Sawai. If he did such a thing to nobility, death by execution would be a kindness. ve trade is not unusual in Hiranya. And demons are often used as such. It does not surprise me that the Pagan Order lunatics would pay to have ves ferried there, only to butcher them themselves.
In hindsight, Vir shouldve expected Riyans callousness. It irked him, but there was no point arguing the matter now. Anyway, thats about it. Bakura let us off at the coast as promised, and we made our way back from there.
And we managed to get all the supplies you asked for, despite all that happened, Maiya added.
I see, Riyan replied, It seems that you two handled yourselves appropriately. I hope that you have learned some valuable lessons from this ordeal. Now, about the money... I hope you won''t pretend that you spent it all? With the amount of supplies you brought back, even with your bribes, you should have a good deal left over. Three or four silvers, I think?
The Ghost of Godshollow''s stare bore down on them both.
Here goes, Vir thought, taking a deep breath.
Right. We ended up with three silvers and a few coppers. Maiya? Can you give him the money box?
His friend nodded, handing Riyan the metal container. The man opened it and stared for a long moment.
Does he know!?
But then the man nodded. Go, wash yourselves off and head to bed.
Youll need your rest, girl, Tanya said. Tomorrow, we begin your magic training.
Maiyas eyes predictably lit up at her words. She grabbed Virs hand and stood up. Cmon, Vir. Lets go get washed up.
Oh yes, one more thing, Riyan said as they left, Boy, from now on, carry katars in the obstacle course. I am increasing the difficulty, and you will need them.
What did you do? Vir asked, panicking.
The man shed him a grin. Youll see. Continue practicing diligently. You should see results soon.
Vir let Maiya guide him to the grotto, his mind fretting over Riyans words. But the sight of the grotto served as a great distraction; hed been looking forward to soaking in the hot spring pool for days. The feeling had only grown stronger on the ride home until it had nearly consumed his thoughts.
He did feel bad about sneaking away a whole silver and forty coppers from under his nose, which was tucked safely away at their cave stash to the south. It was Riyan''s money, and Vir hated the thought of stealing from anyone. But after much discussion, they''d agreed that an emergency fund would be useful, should they ever need it. If they didn''t, it''d all be returned to Riyan. And if they did have to use it, they''d pay him back some day. With interest.
They each split to rinse off the smeared makeup and salty brine theyd picked up on Bakuras ship, then reconvened after.
Maiya had a towel wrapped around her entire body, with another tightly wrapping her hair, while Vir just wore a single towel around his waist.
The moment they sunk into the water, all of their worldly concerns floated away.
I dunno how I lived without this, Maiya said dreamily.
Were so spoiled, Maiya, Vir replied in the same tone. How are we ever gonna survive once we move out of here?
The question went unanswered, floating above them like a dark cloud. The future was uncertain. Where would they go after they fulfilled their debt to Riyan? Vir feared the time would be upon them soon. Though, he figured that whatever favors Riyan wanted, hed wait until Maiya had mastered her magic. As for himself, Vir was positive he still had a long way to go.
What a trip, huh? Maiya said as shezily floated around the pool, on a slow collision course with Vir. He grabbed her ankle and gave her a gentle push, sending her away.
Surely was, Vir muttered, tryingand failingto avoid staring at her. Something hot welled up inside his chest.
He shook it off and forced himself to think of the man whod stirred up trouble for them at Saran, making what shouldve been an idyllic trip a harrowing one. What did the guy want? And did Vir need to be wary of them in the future? So many questions. No answers.
Im spent, Maiya continued, I I just wanna go home, yknow? To mom and dad. I miss them. I miss them a lot.
Yeah I do too, Maiya, he whispered. Maybe we can ask Riyan to let us visit Brij soon, now that were stronger.
You think hell let us? She asked, unconvinced.
Maybe not now, but hopefully soon. That was his promise to us, after all.
Maiya fell silent, no doubt thinking of her parents.
Vir reflected upon all that had happenedtely. It was hard to believe itd been less than a week since theyd left for Saran; it felt like a whole month had passed. But above all else, what weighed on him most was the encounter hed had in Bakuras ships hold.
For the very first time in his life, hed met a real demon. There was no doubt in his mind, now. The four armed giant whod entrusted his baby self to Rudvik was a demon. And the giant had been protecting him.
Which probably meant
Maiya?
Mmm?
What do you think about demons?
Vir heard ripples in the water. Maiya righted herself and walked over to him. Vir averted his eyes. Uh, Maiya your towel.
She looked down and gasped, quickly retying her towel around her, blushing madly. W-W-Whats on your mind, V-Vir? Is it the ves you saw on the ship?
He smoothly ignored her mishap and continued. I mean, just pretending of course, but what would you do if I was a demon?
She tilted her head, confused, beforeprehension finally dawned on her. She strode closer and enveloped Vir in a deep hug. Doesnt matter what you are, Vir. Prana scorned, Ashborn, demon. Youre you. My bestest friend. Thats never gonna change for me. No matter what.
Virs shoulders sagged. He felt like a chal. What was he even worried about in the first ce? That Maiya would suddenly think less of him? That shed abandon him?
Sorry, Maiya, he said, returning her hug. Shouldve known better than to ask.
She broke her embrace and shook her head. No secrets between us, yeah?
R-right, he said, unable to fully meet her gaze.
Do you You really think youre a demon?
I have to face the facts. I cant say for certain, but those demons in the hold matched Rudviks description of the giant, except for the four arms and, yknow, the giant aspect. I dont have any proof, of course. Just hunches.
There was one more detail here too. Something hed almost forgotten. When hed glimpsed into Ekanais memories, back in the Godshollow, hed seen the Reapers body. And it wasnt human. Ekanais arms were gangly, grayish, and far too long. Itd felt natural in the vision, since those were Ekanais memories, but now that he thought about it, it was definitely weird.
What am I? Who am I?
The boy and the girl are back. You have failed, a robed figure said to his partner, whod just entered the small cabin. The structure was a makeshift thing, hastily constructed and utilitarian. Built more for hiding its upants from prying eyes than forfort.
The n didnt work out as intended, the ck bearded man said, hanging up his cloak as he entered. Didnt expect the locals to interfere on their behalf.
That is because you hired poor help, his seated partner said, fingers rapping upon the small wooden tableone of the few pieces of furniture in the room, along with two beds and chairs. No matter. There will be other opportunities to ascertain what these two mean to the general. Theres been aplication on my end as well. I believe Commander Tanya has moved in with them.
So now there are four. Tanya, huh? Shell be a tough one to deal with.
His partner shook his head. Make no mistake, our mission is not to deal with the general. We are her highnesss eyes and ears, nothing more. There will be other opportunities. We have remained hidden from Riyan''s eyes until now thanks to Shadow Blend, but the Talent can only do so much. I fear our time is limited. Ensure you report your failure back to her highness, he said, handing him an oversized orb. And not just any orb.
The man took the priceless crystal and activated it. A moment of silence. Then two. His dread mounted. Then a low, husky feminine voice spoke. A voice that sent shivers down his back.
Yes? Report.
I I have failed, your highness. The boy and girlnded in jail, but managed to escape.
I see, came her curt reply. Eliminate them. Both the boy and the girl. Kill them at the earliest opportunity. Do whatever it takes. Your lives are expendable.
As you will, your high
Princess Mina Hiranya cut the call.
Next time: 40 - A Mejai''s First Lesson
Chapter 40: A Mejais First Lesson
Chapter 40: A Mejai''s First Lesson
And what do you think youre doing here? Tanya asked with arms crossed, shooting Vir a gaze that made him want to shrivel up and cry in some dark corner. The fully ck leather pants and matching vest she wore served to amplify her terrifying presence.
I he began. All the confidence hed mustered burned away, just like that.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to push through. The solution was simpleall he had to do was look away from Tanyas predatory re. Just want to learn by watching you train Maiya. I wont get in the way.
Absolutely not. Ill not suffer a talentless prana scorned leeching off of my student. What use does someone who can''t use even utility magic have of my lessons?
But Tanya cut him off by threatening him with a transparent orb, glowing with power.
Vir ground his teeth, shooting a look of pure hatred at Tanya. Hed refrained from revealing Prana Vision for so long, but if it meant he could learn magic
No, wait! Theres another way.
C''mon, thats not fair, he heard Maiya say.
Young woman, you are in no position to talk back. I was promised someone with strength. It is clear to me you have neglected your physical training. Will you neglect your magic, too? Tanya spat, eyeing Maiya up and down. Strength is everything in this world. Weakness is a crime. You will do as I say, and you will not argue. Understood? If you wish to have my respect, earn it first.
Maiya stared her instructor down. I''m sorry. I want to learn magic, I really do. But if you wont teach him, I refuse to
Vir cut her off. Its alright, Maiya.
Thest thing he wanted was for his friend to suffer on his ount.
But, Vir, this isnt right!
He cracked a smile. You think this is gonna stop me?
Comprehension dawned upon Maiya, and she mouthed an O that only he could see.
He threw Tanya a re packed with every ounce of hatred he could muster, then turned and strode out of the living room.
If she was going to be a grakking chal, hed be happy to return the favor. He doubted she possessed anything like Prana Vision, or any other way of detecting him if he was stealthy. And he had an idea about how to remain hiddenhed picked up a few tricks on the Saran trip.
Vir walked far enough down the hall to put himself out of eyesight, but not so far that he couldnt hear what they were saying. He took up a spot just inside the empty kitchen.
Let us move to my room, Tanya said. It wouldnt do for unwanted ears to eavesdrop upon us, now, would it?
Grak.So much for that n
Would it really be that bad if Vir listened in? Maiya asked as they walked past his hiding spot.
The doors that sealed off the bedrooms were solid wood and thick. Vir had learned long ago that sounds did not pass easily through them.
But the kitchen wasnt the only ce he could snoop from. Vir waited for the two to enter Tanyas bedroom, then ran to his own room and donned a white sun hoodie before stepping outside into the midmorning sun. He doubled back up the sand dune, counting the windows until he found Tanyas room.
None of the bedrooms hadrge windows. Instead, they all had small slits near the ceiling for venttion. And since they were built mainly for venttion, they were just small metal grates, only a handspan tall and a few handspans wide. The grate above Tanyas room was almostpletely invisible against the desert sand, but Vir found it soon enough.
He went prone, lying on his stomach, and stuck his ear right up to the metal grate.
Introduce myself, he overheard Tanya saying. Vir cracked a grin. Her voice came through loud and clear, almost as if he was in the room itself.
There was no chance of detectioneven if she looked straight up at the window, it was far too small to see anything through it. So long as he remained quiet, he could listen all he wanted.
Of course, he did have to deal with the searing desert heat, but that was a small price to pay for mejai knowledge. If Tanyas teachings were worthwhile, hed reveal Prana Vision to her and force her to teach him.
Shouldve brought some water, he btedly realized. Something to remember for next time.
Vir settled in and prepared himself to absorb every word the evil woman said.
I do not know how much Riyan has told you about me. Knowing him, likely little.
He hasnt said much, Maiya said.
He is a man of few words. But when he speaks, people listen. Few are as wise in the art ofbat as he, but I digress, she coughed. Suffice it to say that I have worked with the genwith Riyan several times over the years. The only information you need about me is that I carry the rank of Lesser Mejai of Ash. My Br Rank is 130. Greater Ice and Lesser Water affinities. Oh, and I have trained with the Altani.
Virs eyes lit up. The Altani knew more about the inner workings of prana than anyone else, if the rumors were to be believed. If anyone knew about the affinities only he could see, itd be them.
Riyan tells me you have aptitude. Prove it.
Vir heard Maiya yelp. Then came some shuffling sounds.
Oho? Tanya said. So he wasnt merely boasting. But that does not mean you will be able to realize your potential. This is done only through diligent training and proper instruction. I can provide thetter, but you must apply your body and soul to your training. Or else, youll remain a lowly Pranik all your life.
Vir could only guess at what had happened. Tanya must have given Maiya a magic testing orb, as Riyan had done months ago.
I wanna be a fire mejai! When can we check my affinity?
There is no test for it. Once you have learned to conduct prana, we will have to try orbs of various affinities to determine your affinity. I must warn you, however. Fire spells are difficult to wield. They may have the greatest range of all the offensive magic types, but fire affinity spells are slow and thus easily avoided. Whats more, they can burn the mejai and her allies if wielded improperly.
I dont care! Im sure Ill be good at it.
His friend was dead set on being a fire mejai as ever. He couldnt say it suited her, though.
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That remains to be seen, Tanya said. Beginning today, you will train in the mornings with me in the arts of magic. Riyan will continue training you in history and etiquette in the afternoons. And in your free time, you will hone yourbat skills. Is this understood?
Yes, maam. Maiya sounded meek, but Vir knew she mustve been bursting with excitement inside.
Now, for your first lesson, Tanya said.
Vir edged closer to the metal grade, desperate not to miss a word.
Magic hurts.
Magic hurts? Maiya said.
Vir had the exact same reaction. Whats she even talking about?
Yes. Especially at the start of a mejais journey. Understand that prana is the energy of life itself. Orbs channel this energy into useful effects. As mejai, we manipte prana to fill our orbs with sufficient energy, and supply a tiny bit more to trip the activation inscription. This process is an unnatural one, and thus, can be painful. Not every Pranik has the grit to persevere. I expect you will also fail, coddled as you were in your childhood. Be grateful that I am spending my precious time instructing you regardless.
This was news to Vir. Hed never thought that the official path to magic would be a painful one. Maybe his experiment yesterday hadnt been as crazy as hed initially thought?
First, Tanya continued, mejai must learn to detect the prana that surrounds us. Here in the Hiranya Kingdom, prana is a scarcemodity, which makes this task somewhat more difficult. Then again, it is this veryck of prana that will hone your sensitivity further than a Pranik in a prana-rich region.
Vir looked around. Even with Prana Vision in its dormant state, he could still see faint browns and whites around him. Sensing prana had never once posed a problem for him after the Godshollow. And though he called it Prana Vision, it wasnt like he needed his eyes open to see all that. He could simply sense the various affinities, which was what enabled him to look into his own bodys pathways. He couldnt imagine Maiya would have a tough time with it, given her magical aptitude.
So how exactly do you sense prana? Maiya asked.
Sit down. Cross your legs. Close your eyes.
Tanya waited for Maiya toply, then continued. Now, breathe deeply, and empty your mind of any thoughts.
Vir joined in. He sat up and closed his eyes, attempting to follow Tanyas instructions.
Now, Tanya said, once in this state, you must feel the prana circting around you, in the air. It is not a feeling that can be described. But you will know it when it works.
Interesting, Vir reflected. It sounded like mejai could sense prana, just perhaps not with the rity that he could.
Thats kinda vague, Maiyained. Got anything more I can work with?
Do not fool yourself, child. Even the most talented Praniks take months to develop this awareness. For most, it takes the better part of a year. Each morning and evening, you will sit and meditate, forcing yourself to attune to your surroundings.
A year!? Maiya shouted. Thats way too long!
Then strive to excel, Tanya said. Fear not, I shall aid you. I will precharge an ice affinity orb and set it in front you. Try to sense the pranaing from the orb.
She ced the orb down, and even with his dormant Prana Vision, Vir could sense it. The ball of transparent prana glowed like a sun to his senses. Just how powerful was the spell within it?
Once you are able to sense prana, the next step is to take hold of it.
Virs heart sped up, and it wasnt on ount of the hot sun. This was the missing piece he needed. He already knew how to sense prana, he just needed guidance on how to control it.
This is done via sheer willpower. With enough strength of will, a mejai can bend the prana in the air, wrestling it under their control.
Uh any specifics? Maiya asked. Vir echoed her sentiment. Everything Tanya had said thus far was incredibly vague. Was she doing it on purpose as part of the lesson? Or did she just not know? Vir sincerely hoped it was the former.
Each mejai must discover prana for themselves. I can only guide you. You must be the one to find it. For now, focus on sensing prana.
Wait, Maiya said. If you have to use your will to control prana, how do magic testing orbs work? I can activate those just fine, cant I?
Aptitude orbs provide their own will to test your innate capacity. They are specifically designed to test those whove yet to master prana control, after all. Regr orbs do not function this way.
Hmm. You said magic hurts, though, Maiya said. How exactly does it hurt? What should I expect?
In order to wield orbs, one must offer their limbs to the gods. If the gods deem you worthy, it will hurt. There is always a cost to power. But pain is a small price to pay for ess to the spells that mejai wield.
Riyan had said a simr thingthat magic was a blessing of the gods. But hed also made it clear that despite hisck of faith, he managed to wield magic just fine. Vir wondered what it all meant. Nothing hed encountered thus far seemed even remotely tied to the gods or religion.
What does it feel like? Maiya asked, anxiously. The pain, I mean
Maiya never did well with pain. This revtion must have shocked her more than it did Vir.
Tanya thought for a moment. First, the veins in your arm and hand be more visible. Your arm will turn slowly purple. There is a tingling sensation at first, then aching pain that grows stronger & stronger. Eventually, your limb bes numb. But no one maintains magic long enough to experience those effects. You would saturate well before then.
Saturate?
Prana oversaturation, Tanya exined. It happens when too much prana builds up within your body, preventing you from casting magic for some hours. It is a message from the gods, warning us not to abuse our privilege.
This saturation concept was new to Vir, but he couldnt help but feel a bit underwhelmed by all of this. He was hoping for a set of steps he could reproduce, or concepts he could unravel. Instead, Tanya spouted only vague descriptions and meaningless superstition. He could only imagine how frustrating it must be for Maiya, who couldnt even see prana.
Tanya continued. It will be years before you get to this stage, so I will just summarize the rest. Once a Pranik can sense and control prana, they undertake a series of mental strengthening exercises. A strong mind can muster more willpower, which in turn allows them to channel prana more effectively.
Sounds rough, Maiya said.
Indeed. Some believe that children with traumatic pasts tend to be excellent mejai for this reason. The final step is to actually channel prana into an orb. This is a skill in and of itself, and requires an understanding of the orbs inscriptions and an urate awareness of the rate at which prana needs to be channeled. Whats more, orbs crafted by different Thaumaturges all have their own unique prana flow idiosyncrasies that must be learned to wield them effectively.
Cmon Maiya, ask her whats unique about them!
What kinds of idiosyncrasies? Maiya asked, prompting Vir to pump his fist. Nice going, Maiya!
Some orbs require a trickle of prana to start, expanding into a river. Others require a more forceful approach, or the prana will simply dissipate. And of course, yourpatibility with a particr affinity makes a world of difference as well.
What exactly is an affinity, though? And when will I know what affinities I have? Maiya asked.
So many questions with you! Affinities determine the rate and ease with which you can charge orbs of that particr element. There are six affinities in this world: Wind, Water, Lightning, Ice, Fire, and Life. Every magical orb in existence belongs to one of these six elements.
Vir felt like hed just been hit by an armored Ashva. Six affinities!? He knew that wasnt true. Every shred of his being wanted to shout down from above and ask her why she was lying to Maiya.
There is no test that determines which affinity you possess. Only after you are able to sense and conduct prana will we know which affinities you have, by trial and error.
What about Maiya began, but Tanya cut her off.
Enough questions! Now, sit and meditate quietly.
Maiya grumbled, but reluctantly epted.
Vir was only half-listening. The entire conversation had lost its sheen, and there would be nothing further to gain by snooping. Vir slowly got up and made his way back inside.
As he walked, his mind reyed Tanyas words. Six affinities. Was she lying? Or did she simply not know? But shed trained with the Altani!
If they werent aware of Shadow, Earth, and ck, then did that mean all of humanity was wrong?
Or was he simply wrong about his theories? He began to concede that it might be his mistake after all.
The entire world couldnt possibly be wrong could they?
Next time: 41 - Beware of Gods Bearing Gifts
Chapter 41: Beware of Gods Bearing Gifts
Chapter 41: Beware of Gods Bearing Gifts
Vir was not happy.
Maiya was off training with Tanya, no doubt learning more secrets of the mejai.
He couldve been spying on them right now, absorbing the mejais teachingsknowledge that might help him unlock the secrets of his own prana. Instead, he was stuck here, forced to duel Riyan against his will.
Of all the times he couldve picked, why now!?
Bncing on one leg atop one of the dozens of vertical posts Riyan had installed in the training dome, he red at his instructor, eyes full of loathing. If he had to fight, he at least wanted to wipe that smirk off of the smug mans face.
The obstacle course had dominated the dome before, but it was downright bursting now with the addition of the posts, which ringed the base of the course. Each post was positioned a few paces apartnot quite close enough to step onto, but close enough to reach with a small jump.
The man stared back at Vir, smirking as he bnced on his own post with ease, thirty paces away.
You fall, you lose. Begin.
Vir sprang into motion, leaping aside. As always, this duel would have to be swift if he wanted any chance at victory, or his stamina would rear its ugly head.
The dozens of wooden posts were about five paces high, so a fall from this height wouldnt kill him, but it wouldnt be fun.
Months ago, Riyan had wiped the sand with him. But he wasnt the same as back then. Hed grown. This time, he didnt intend to lose.
Vir fired off a chakri that sailed past Riyan,nding harmlessly in the sand below.
Were you aiming at me? Or over there? The man said, pointing to the sand as he leisurely hopped from one post to another.
Vir didnt take the bait. He hurled another chakri, which went wide as well.
Apparently, Riyan had seen enough. Realizing that Vir was no threat from afar, the man jumped his way to Vir, often skipping posts with his leaping strides.
And he isnt even using Talents, Vir thought. The man had so many advantages; it wasnt even close to fair. But despite all that, Riyan had walked right into his trap.
Vir jumped, meeting Riyan head on. When the man was just ten paces away, he threw a chakram. This one sailed through the air, directly on an intercept course with his head.
Riyans speed worked against him, reducing the time he had to dodge the iing strike. Yet somehow, using reflexes that shouldnt be possible, the man brought his katar to bear and deflected the steel de with a ng.
What he didnt deflect was the chakri that followed immediately behind. The smaller de sliced a deep gouge into his cheek, leaving a trail of blood.
Vir hadnt idled. Immediately after throwing the disks, he charged, slicing down with his katar, but Riyan was there to meet him with his own.
Their des locked, and for a brief moment, their eyes met. Riyans bristled with confidence. Virs glowered with determination.
Riyan moved first.
Bncing on one leg made any kicking incredibly difficult, but the rules didnt seem to apply to the man, who swept his dangling leg at Vir, threatening to knock his support out from under him.
Vir didnt allow it. Seeing the attack, he jumped back,nding gracefully on the post behind him. Prana Vision gave him something akin to eyes in the back of his head when it was active. And right now, it was roaring at full steam.
He attacked once again, a flurry of motion and steel. What hecked in strength, he made up with speed,unching attack after attack at Riyan, forcing the man onto the defensive.
Except, Riyans defense was more than his match. Even after a dozen strikes, Vir hadntnded a single hit. Rather, it felt like Riyan was deflecting each of his attacks in a way that destabilized him.
The message was obvious. The man was saying he could knock Vir off his post without even having to attack.
Vir was never one to blindly bash his head against something. The moment he realized he had no chance of winning a frontal engagement, he backed off, attempting to put several posts in between him and Riyan.
He was toote. Riyans de came like a wraith, silent and deadly. Vir twisted, avoiding the savage strike, taking a gash to his forearm instead. Painful, but it didn''t hamper his ability to fight.
Unfortunately, Riyans attack had robbed Vir of his bnce, and he slipped off of his post.
At this rate, hed fall, and it would be his loss.
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No badrakking way!
Wrenching his core muscles with everything he had, he twisted and reach out a hand to stabilize himself. His left arm gripped a post while his right leg straddled another.
It worked, but it left his back exposed.
Riyan didnt hesitate to take advantage of this opening. He jumped, clearly intending to smash Virs back into the sand below.
But Vir wasnt without ideas. Hed spent months running scenarios in his head against Riyan. And hede up with several potential solutions. Untested, of course, but what better time to prove his tactics?
Vir threw a chakri, not bothering to check whether itd hit his opponent, then sheathed his katar and grasped the log post with both hands, allowing his legs to fall. Now, he was hugging the side of a single post with all four limbs.
Instinctively, he leaped out of the way onto another post before climbing back up, regaining his position. Riyans diving attack hit nothing but air.
Variation C, he thought, shifting his stance. If a storm of swords wouldnt work, hed have to rely on movement.
Vir bounded from post to post, circling Riyan like a vulture. The man merely observed, amused. But when he dove in, Riyans smirk shrank just a hair.
Another chakri flew at Riyan, and Vir was right behind it. If Riyan blocked the disk, hed be wide open for Virs iing attack. The proper move was to fall back to another post, but Vir knew the man had too much honor to do that.
Riyan moved slightly, allowing the chakri to graze his other cheek while bringing his katar up to deflect Virs thrust.
How can he even do that?
The man hadnt even blinked at the deadly chakri. Most people would flinch out of instinct, but if Riyan felt fear, he certainly never showed it.
With Riyan about to block his strike, Vir ducked low, attempting to swipe the man, but his opponent jumped up at thest moment, allowing the katar to pass harmlessly under.
Vir didnt even wait to see what his instructor retaliated with. The moment his strike missed, he was already jumping away to another postand not a moment too soon. Riyans de swiped at where his ankle had been just a split second ago.
The pattern repeated for several more exchanges. Vir would jump in, attempt an attack, only for Riyan to block or dodge, forcing Vir to escape within a hairs breadth.
The tides turned the instant he ran out of chakris.
Without his ranged weapons to distract the warrior, Vir lost his only chance, and his body was tiring out.
The battle paused for a moment as the two fighters locked eyes.
This next encounter would be thest; Vir had to end the fight now, or hed be forced to surrender. Prana Vision red as bright as ever, but his body could take no more. His heart threatened to burst and took everything he had not to retch.
Riyan made the first move. He sailed through the air, katar strike telegraphed from a mile away.
A feint? Vir thought. It had to be. There was no way a seasoned warrior like Riyan would attack with such an amateurish move.
Unless unless thats exactly what he wants me to think.
The prudent move would be to back away, but Vir was on a timer, and Riyan knew it.
Disobeying every instinct he had, Vir lunged with a thrust of his own.
Didnt see thising, did you?
The look of surprise on Riyans face filled Virs veins with catharsis.
Riyan aborted his attack, killing his momentum as he passed over a post. But Vir had alreadymitted. He dove through the air, straight for Riyan.
Realizing Vir was on a collision course with him, the man did the only thing he could. He cheated.
Riyan Leaped away, leaving Vir sailing straight at an empty post.
He couldve recovered. He might have thrown his katar away and grabbed the post. He might have twisted his body and somehow stepped onto it.
He did neither. He crashed spectacrly into the post, his arms doing little to protect him. Then he tumbled onto the sand.
Riyan loomed over him. What happened?
Vir looked up at him, cradling his wounded forearm. Do that again, he said. The Talent you just used. Do it again.
Riyan cocked a brow, clearly expecting a different reply. Leap? You have seen it before.
Humor me, Vir replied. Please?
The Ghost of Godshollow shrugged, then activated his Talent. To Virs eyes, it looked like hed simply disappeared and reappeared a short distance away, but the grains of sand that had Riyan kicked up told a different story. Hed moved really, really fast. Inhumanly fast.
But that wasnt what made Virs eyes pop.
Are we done here? he asked his mentor.
Riyan nodded, setting a Heal Skin orb against his forearm, repairing most of the damage from his earlier injury. You havee far, boy. But youre still green. We will duel twice a week from now on, and I expect you to grow and perform at a higher level with each consecutive fight. Do not disappoint me.
With those words, he left the training dome, leaving Vir alone to reflect on their duel. He wasnt angry or frustrated at his loss. Far from it.
Because hed just seen something. Something that couldnt possibly be, and yet clearly was. Something Riyan had outright denied, yet was true.
The man had said Talents didnt use magichad said it so confidently that Vir never even thought to question it. And yet, Prana Vision showed a steady stream of Earth Affinity prana leave the ground and enter his body through the soles of his sandals, ring brightly the moment Riyan Leaped.
The realization crashed upon him with the weight of a Godhollow.
Talents arent gifts from the gods! Vir whispered. Theyre magic. Earth affinity magic!
He looked down, deep into the earth which overflowed with prana. His blood cirction wasnt quite enough to show him the ck prana that lurked down there. But he knew it existed. Perhaps only in tiny quantities, but it was there.
And so it stood to reason he could tap into it, just the same as Riyan had.
Vir plopped down onto the sand, crossed his legs, and began to meditate.
Next time: 42 - Equilibrium
Chapter 42: Equilibrium
Chapter 42: Equilibrium
Only a few minutes remained before Virs heart stopped pounding in his chest, dulling the effects of Prana Vision. Settling down on the warm sand of the training dome, he got to work, determined to use every moment he had to its fullest.
He thought back to what hed just learned. When Riyan had activated the Talent Leap, Vir had clearly seen Earth affinity prana being sucked from the ground into his body. The prana had then pooled within his legs, ring brightly. And then Riyan had lunged forth with inhuman speed. When hed finished, the prana in his leg was nowhere to be seen.
It had all happened so fast, but Vir figured hed start slow. To start, he needed to get the prana into his body, and that was where he ran into his first hurdlethere was no prana. Or, there was, but there was so little that he couldnt even see it unless Prana Vision was at full capacity.
He couldnt currently see the ck prana, but he knew from prior experience that it only showed up underground, or in the ocean. There wasnt a shred to be seen in the air, so Vir reached out blindly with his will, attempting to seize motes of ck prana from the sand below in the same way hed done with the prana within his neck.
It didnt work. No matter how much he exerted his will, nothing happened. It couldve been because there simply wasnt any prana down there to begin with. Or perhaps he wasnt pulling from the right ce. Maybe he had to target the prana more uratelybut being unable to actually see the prana posed a problem. Or maybe his approach was doomed from the start.
Vir mulled over his options, staring idly at the ck prana that continued to leak out of his body into the air and into the ground as well.
Hang on a sec He didnt need to find prana underground! He had it within his own body, leaking steadily out. He could simply grab onto that and yank it back in. Of course, even if he did, itd be a tiny trickle of prana, whereas Riyan had sucked in a torrent to perform Leap.
Well, it was a start. And he could at least see these motes of prana as they left his body, though they disappeared from Prana Visions sight after theyd traveled a mere hand-span into the ground.
Vir aimed at one of those motes and pulled.
And pulled and pulled, and got nothing. He tried again, this time tugging at the prana before it left his body. It responded just fine. Yet the moment it left him, he lost control of it entirely.
Tanyas words echoed in his mind. Shed said it could take over a year to learn how to control prana. Time that Vir didnt have. Then again, she was talking about manipting prana in the air, while Vir was trying to pull it from the ground.
The woman hadnt even mentioned ground prana, though that made sense if he thought about it. She imed only six affinities existed. If she didnt know about Earth pranawhich, together with shadow and ck prana, were the only affinities within the groundthen she couldnt possibly be aware of prana existing underground.
Vir punched the sand. Another dead end. And supposing he did find a way to pull ck prana into his body, would it be enough? ck prana wasnt present in anywhere near the quantities of Earth prana. While it felt more potent to his senses, that was pure guesswork. For all he knew, it may not be enough to power Talents at all.
But this wasnt all a waste of time. Hed actually done something interesting, albeit inadvertently. Hed sessfully yanked ck prana back into him, essentially stopping the mote of prana from leaking out.
That was just a single mote, and thousands of motes left his body every second, but Virs curiosity was piqued. Which meant that there would be no stopping him until hed had his fill.
Thest two times hed taken control of his prana, hed cked out. But then again, he had stopped blood from flowing into his head, and then tried to force it where it didnt want to go. Not the brightest idea, in hindsight. This time around, he used a much lighter touch on a much less important limbthe tip of his fingergently nudging the mote of ck prana back into the blood from which it leaked.
The mote remained there, coursing through his body along with his blood. Vir tried it again and reproduced his earlier sess. It wasnt hard it just wasnt all that useful when literally thousands more motes leaked out continuously.
So he started shoving multiple motes of prana back into his body as they left, turning it into a kind of game. One where he tried to see how many he could put back before he lost them forever. He soon learned that this was not a game hed ever win. At best, he could stuff a handful of motes back at once, which was a drop in the ocean. And to do even that, he had to split his attention half a dozen different ways, all while juggling motes of prana at the same time. It did not scale well.
Vir experimented with different approaches. Instead of trying to grab hold of a single mote of prana, he clutched entire groups of them, forcing them back into his body. This worked better, and he spent several hours refining that solution, grabbingrger motes of prana, faster.
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But it still wasnt enough. It felt a bit like trying to plug a waterfall by frantically scooping up buckets full of water. It didnt matter if the bucket was a small one, or a massive one, it wouldnt make a smidge of difference. This was a dead end.
He needed a different approach. Ideally one that allowed him to concentrate on other tasks, too. After another hour of deliberation, he finally had an idea.
One thing that had struck him as inefficient about his solutions was that he was attempting to grab the motes of prana reactivelyafter theyd separated from his body.
Was there a better way? Could he actually restrain the prana and keep it flowing within his body without ever allowing it to leave? So far, all itd taken was an application of his will to control the leaking pranawhat if he applied that same will to his blood instead?
Well, he knew what would happen. He could very well stop the blood flow in his body, and hed already experienced what happened in that case.
So hed need some finesse. If he controlled the prana in his body just enough to prevent them from leaking out, but not enough to alter his blood flow, then maybe hed stand a chance.
There was no doubt about the danger here. He was ying with concepts beyond his understanding, and failure might very well mean death.
But to give up now meant stagnation, and that was worse. He took a deep breath and went for it.
Vir started smalljust a single finger, concentrating his will upon it. His enthusiasm got the better of him; hed applied a bit too much pressure, causing his digit to re with pain. He immediately aborted and waited for the throbbing to subside, praying to the gods that he hadnt messed himself up badly enough to seek Riyans aid.
The sharp pain dulled to a muted throb, though his pinky swelled up a bit.
Hed need to be even more careful. Vir chose the same finger on his other hand, and this time applied his will with the weight of a feather. Imperceptibly, gently coaxing his prana to stop leaking.
The result was immediate. The amount of prana that leaked from this finger abated significantly. And yet, his blood flow remained normal, without deviation.
He continued ramping up the intensity of his will until the pinky leaked no more. But that was when he ran into his next issuethe amount of willpower required to prevent any leakage of prana from his body caused his pinky to hurt. Not a lot, but he wasntfortable maintaining this over long periods of time.
So he backed off, and after some experimentation, settled at a point where only thirty percent of his prana leaked from his body. If he mped down any further, his finger would throb.
Vir needed to sustain this technique, ideally indefinitely. He had a theory about what was going on here. If he was right Well, itd have many interesting ramifications.
The theory was a simple one. After spending endless hours observing Maiya and Riyan, and after analyzing his own body, hed concluded that prana sought equilibrium. The density of ice and wind affinity prana in Maiyas body exactly matched the density of those affinities in the air.
Riyan was slightly different. The density of the life prana in his body matched the life prana affinity in the air, but the earth prana in his body matched the density of its underground counterpart instead. And interestingly, none of his earth prana leaked into the air. It was as if the air and the ground were mutually ipatible. At least, as far as Earth Affinity prana was concerned.
Regardless, this theory exined why Virs own prana continuously drained from his own bodybecause there was no ck prana in the air, and only trace amounts in the ground.
Vir spent the next hour expanding the area over which he exerted his will. From one finger to two, to all five, then to an entire hand. He eventually worked his way up to his arm, both arms, both legs, and finally, his entire body.
The effort became harder and harder the more he spread his will. It took a decent chunk of his mental faculties to prevent prana from leaking out of his body but it was doable if he concentrated hard enough.
It wasnt perfect, not by any means. Hed reduced the leakage to a third of what it was before, but a sizeable quantity still leaked out. He couldntpletely stem the leak without crippling his own body.
And yet, he already noticed a change. The prana in his body was denser than before. It was slight, but still noticeable. Which meant that his body was now producing more prana than was being sapped away by the air and the ground. Vir had some ideas about what that meant for him, but he didnt let himself get excited just yet. Not until hed verified his theory.
Of course, the issue with this was that he had to apply a significant amount of mental effort to keep the effect going. The instant he released the prana from his mental grasp, the dissipation rate tripled. This was not an automatic process yet. Vir had only been at this for a few hours. How would he have progressed by tomorrow? A week from now?
It didnt matter what it took. He had to turn this into a subconscious process. And if there was one thing Vir was good at, it was diligence. Hed practice this day in, day out, until he mastered it. Maybe then, hed be one step closer to manifesting a Talent. He couldnt know for surehe was in the dark, after all. Blindly messing with concepts he didnt understand.
But if no one would teach him, hed simply have to teach himself. Maybe hed mess up. Maybe hed injure himself. But in the end, hed prevail.
Vir gingerly stood up. Hed wanted to spend several more hours sitting there, practicing the ability alone, but the world didn''t wait for him. Maiya was due to have her afternoon lesson, and he had to be there.
The next best thing was preventing prana leakage while in motion, but he soon found that was harder than it seemed.
Good, he thought. Itll help me master this faster.
He stumbled to the doorway, stubbornly refusing to deactivate the technique, giddy with excitement. All he could think about was Tanya''s uingbat magic demonstration.
Next time: 43 - Whiteout
Chapter 43: Whiteout
Chapter 43: Whiteout
Maiya gazed at the transparent orb in her hands, which reflected the afternoon light in odd ways shed never seen before. Almost like it was cracked inside, but cracked in extremely regr patterns. Beautiful patterns. Nestled in between the cracks were a myriad of runic characters, arcing and crisscrossing insidelike a utility orb, but far, far moreplex.
And, buried deep within the palm sized sphere was a ck, straight lhe only straight line in the entire orb, ending in an arrow, pointing one direction.
Guessing this arrow means the same thing it does on a utility orb? she asked.
Tanya paced around her bedroom, arms crossed behind her back. Indeed. What you hold is the C grade Ice affinity spell, Icicle. When charged and activated, itunches a deadly icicle at the opponent in the direction pointed. Short ranged, but can engage at medium ranges in a pinch, though aiming bes a challenge at that distance.
Maiya scrunched her brow, holding the orb in her hand. Can you really hit anything more than a few paces away with this? Sounds really hard.
Tanya plucked the orb from Maiyas outstretched arm. You can, though it takes a good deal of practice, even with the use of a mejai aiming bracer, she said, retrieving a leather and metal contraption from a small wooden trunk near her bed.
The object had two leather straps that looked like it attached to someones forearm like a bracer. A thin iron te connected the two leather mounts, and on top of the te was a hollow metal ring, about half the width of a palm across. Within the ring were two tiny metal bars, each perpendicr to each other. One ran horizontally, the other vertically.
Maiya immediately recognized what it was. Shed seen these on the crossbows Brij guards carried with them. She didnt really understand how they worked, but knew that they helped with aiming.
There was one more part of the device that caught Maiyas eyea hinged extension to the metal te, which ended in a hemisphere that looked designed to slot an orb. She didnt quite know how that was used.
Tanya donned the contraption, tightening the leather straps and securing it to her forearm as Maiya had suspected.
Aligning the orb in your hand is key, she said. Veteran mejai instinctually develop a feel for how to properly aim their orbs, and some of the more powerful orbs affect an entire area at once, requiring less precision with their aiming. Simrly for mine spells.
Your spells? Maiya asked, confusion all over her face.
No, not my spells. Mine spells. Same spell, but designed to be ced as a trap for unsuspecting targets, triggered by proximity or time. Mostbat spells have a mine equivalent, for example. They fire diluted copies of the spell in multiple directions at once.
Huh She said, her mind wondering what applications such a thing might have. She was sure Vir would have a million ideas when she told him. He was going to be so jealous about everything she was learning. She couldnt wait to tell him.
Still, Tanya continued, even veterans benefit from an aiming bracer when firing directional spells at faraway opponents.
The woman slotted the Icicle orb into the device, carefully rotating the arrow within the orb until it matched up with the line etched onto the sight.
When it was all done, Tanyas right hand remained mobile, and in fact she could even let go of the orb without it falling off but the device held the orb pressed against her palm, so it wasnt like she could easily use her hands to do other things or so Maiya thought, but the woman managed to close andtch her trunk just fine, even with the orb and device hampering her dexterity.
The Mejai of Ash extended her arm and grasped the orb. This is called a reticle, she said, gesturing to the metal ring attached to the aiming bracerthe one with the cross inside it. With the bracer, the average mejai can reliably hit human sized targets up to fifty paces away.
And let me guess youre not an average mejai? Maiya asked.
Tanya scoffed. Of course not. I can hit targets at a hundred paces. Easily.
Of course Maiya had learned that the woman loved to boast about her own skills. Not the most humble of people, her instructor. Riyan was in goodpany, but he at least had the skills to back it. Tanya had never once disyed her skills.
When are you going to show me all this? Ive seenbat magic used exactly once and that was fire magic. Youre an ice mejai, yeah? Dont get me wrong, Im sure youre good, but an icicle doesnt sound all that strong next to a fireball, if you ask me.
Thankfully, the gods didnt see fit to consult with you, Tanya said with narrowed eyes.
Mind showing me? You said youd give me a demonstration, right?
Her instructor looked like she wanted to wrangle Maiyas neck, but Maiya had tested the womans limitsshe knew exactly how far she could heckle the mejai before sheshed out. Sometimes, insults seemed like the only way to get her to bend her will, even a little.
Fine. Follow me. I doubt Riyan would appreciate his abode destroyed by my magic.
Right dont think you need to worry about that,dy, Maiya thought, obediently following her mentor out of the bedroom. Once again, she was surprised that despite the device attached to her forearm, her dexterity didnt seem to bepromised much at all.
Say, whys that orb on your palm, anyway? she asked, walking slightly behind Tanya. Wouldnt it be more convenient if it was away from your hand somewhere?
Dont you have to hold a utility orb to activate it? her instructor retorted.
Maiya realized that was true. Some utility orbs kept functioning once activatedlike Magic Cold and Magic Heat, but all orbs had to be physically touched to turn on. And now that she recalled, the knight scout in the Godshollow had been holding his orb when hedunched his Ember spellat Vir.
So it is withbat orbs as well, Tanya continued. Mejai must physically hold their orbs to activate their magic. Those at the upper echelons are an exception, and other exceptions exist with blood rods and such, but for the most part, if you want to deploy an orb, you must hold it.
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Blood rods?
Some other time, Tanya said. You wont need to think about any of this until you can sense and control prana. Focus on that for now.
Maiya was actually somewhat relieved at Tanyas reply. As she was discovering, there was an entire world surrounding the mysteries of magic. She didnt know if her head could fit any more information right now.
The two made their way out to the Ashva stable next to the abode. Bumpy and Grumpythe other Ashva Riyan ownedwere there, along with Tanyas own beast.
Maiya hopped on behind her, and the two rode in silence for several minutes. The entire time, Maiya couldnt shake the feeling that they were being watched, but she couldnt see any trace of anyone. It was more of a hunch
She forgot all about that when Tanya interrupted her reverie. Your childish delusions lead you to idolize fire affinity magic above all else, but you will find that there are no affinities that are better or worse than any others. If this were so, the strongest mejai would all have the strongest affinity, would they not?
Maiya knew Tanya was leading her into a trap, wording it like that, but she was too curious to help it. They dont?
No. There are Mejai of Ash spanning all affinities of magic, all boasting impressive Br Ranks. Though, Life Affinity magic is unfortunately not well incorporated into the Br Ranking system. Those Kinjals are all warmongers, you see. Life affinity mejai do not score well on abat ranking scale, after all.
Even Maiya realized how stupid that was. Are they daft? Riyans magic brought Vir back from the brink of death!
Indeed, it is an unfortunate defect of their quaint system. Life affinity mejai can, and do, save the lives of entire squads regrly.
Wait, Maiya said,prehension dawning, wouldnt that mean Riyans powers are even greater than what he says? Since hes a Life mejai, and all?
Yes, of course. Though he does not consider himself a mejai, despite his vast talent.
Why doesnt
Were here, Tanya said, cutting her off. A half hour trot under the searing sun had put them at the oasis shed discovered with Vir months ago. They visited here whenever they felt a need to get away from their stern instructors which was pretty often.
Tanya brought them to the pond thaty at the center of the oasis. Maiya immediately noticed several new additions. Dozens of wooden posts had been erected upon the shore, with a handful more floating on the pond, straw dummies attached to each of them.
You asked to see the true extent of my magic, Tanya said, hopping off the Ashva. Watch. And learn.
Tanya crouched low and extended her right arm, pointing the prana aiming bracer at the nearest straw dummy. The C Grade Icicle orb lit up within the blink of an eye.
Maiya gulped. She hadnt even precharged the orb. That meant the woman could charge C grade spells faster than Maiya thought was even possible.
The spell sted forth silently, skewering the straw dummy with a cone-shaped icicle two handspans long. It skewered the poor dummys heart, lodging itself inside.
Icicle is fast for an Ice affinity spell, though it cant hold a candle to Lightning affinity spells in that department, she exined, calmly dispatching another straw man. And another, all within a few seconds. But what itcks in speed, it makes up for with physical mass. Icicle does well against most gambesons, but cannot prate te armor or chainmail. Even so, it can effectively stall armored enemies. As for unarmored ones?
She pointed a thumb at the dozen straw dummies, all with icicles buried within their chests. They dont stand a chance.
Maiyas heart pumped faster and faster. This is the power of a mejai? She whispered. With this kind of ability, Tanya couldunch icicles at dozens of opponents with impunity. The knight who had attacked them hadnt worn a full helmetif Maiya had Icicle, she couldve easily dispatched that knight in the Godshollow. And this was a C Rank spell!
Oh no, little girl. This is the power of a mere Pranik. I am a Mejai of Ash. A full two levels above. This, she said, retrieving an oversized orb from her satchel, This is my power.
Maiya realized shed been charging the spell while she spoke, but the orb wasnt nearly full yet. Maiya waited and waited. A full minuteter, the translucent sphere glowed with a brightness shed never seen from an orb before. The orb was an entire handspan across, many timesrger than the C grade Icicle.
Did you know, little girl? All powerful mejai have special names. Titles of recognition, given by other mejai, The woman grinned at Maiya. They call me Whiteout. And this is why.
The orb activated, sending a small shockwave rippling out. The light winked out from the orb and nothing happened. At first.
Then Maiya felt a slight breeze. An oddity here in the desert. Then the sky immediately overhead grew dark. As if an enormous shadow had ovee them. She looked up.
Clouds?When did those appear? she thought.
The wind picked up. The sky grew darker and darker. At some point, hard pieces of ice had begun to fall from the sky, bruising her face. The gentle breeze had morphed into a gale, and Maiya had to crouch low to avoid losing her bnce. Tanyas Ashva neighed in panic, and Maiya shielded her face from the sand being blown in all directions.
But most of all, she grew cold. Maiya never knew the weather could turn this cold. This was beyond the worst morning chill shed ever experienced in all of her years of life. She shouted to Tanya, but her voice was lost in the wind. She couldnt even see Tanya anymore, who stood just a few paces away.
Just as her panic set in, the phenomenon abated. The wind stopped. Sunlight returned, and the air grew warm again. The storm had passed as quickly as it had arrived.
But what it left behind was an alienndscape that made Maiyas breath catch.
For there was no longer an oasis in a desert. For a dozen paces in every direction, fresh snow covered the grounda bizarre oddity in the middle of a desert. But whats more, the pond had frozen solid, encasing every single straw dummy in the area in a prison of ice.
Maiya fell to her knees, her pants crunching against the snow. She looked up at her instructor, who stood like a goddess of ice, her silver hair echoing the chill that ran through Maiyas veins.
Tanya spoke just three words. Three words that would forever change Maiyas life. A Grade. Blizzard.
Maybe ice magic isnt so bad, after all, Maiya thought, admiring the woman in front of her for the very first time.
But no one was more shocked than the third pair of eyes that observed the spectacle. The pair of eyes that belonged to the one whod tailed them, all the way from Riyans abode.
What in the three realms was that!? Vir thought, half frozen from his vantage from the other side of the iced over pond.
He shivered uncontrobly. Not from the coldthat he could deal with. But from the realization that all of his efforts until now had been for naught. Leap?High Jump? What did those Talents matter in the face of such overwhelming power? How could he even hope to rival mejai with that?
It was so unfair he wanted tough. Hed thought that hed finally made a breakthrough. That hed finally ovee his abysmal stamina. But now? Now what?
Maybe the Lost Art Talents couldpete with Tanyas ice magic but what were the chances hed ever stumble upon those?
No. The truth was painfully clear. He needed Talents. There was no doubt about that. Yet Talents like Leap were not enough. It was time to take off the gloves. Until now, hed skirted around the secrets of his prana, poking at it from safety. After his failure on Bakura''s ship, he''d surmised as much; if he wanted true power, he would have to plunge in, risks and all.
He might very well die in the process but if he didnt try, hed be a nobody forever.
Vir turned his back on theke, his face set with newfound determination. He needed power. Real power.
Next time: 44 - The Prana Within
Chapter 44: The Prana Within
Chapter 44: The Prana Within
Vir flipped the hourss, setting it onto the obstacle courses first tform. Then heunched into action, sprinting over the first bncing beam, jumping onto the next beam in seconds with his katar in hand. The third beam came and went, and he was at the rotating metal sword posts. Riyan had reced the wooden ones with their iron counterpart, making the course truly deadly.
Yet after hed mastered the timing, these posed little challenge, and the obstacle blurred as he moved through it, each step perfectly ced and perfectly timed to avoid the hazards he could avoid, deflecting the ones he couldn''t with his katar. That said, no matter how proficient he became, there was an upper limit to how quickly he could clear this course, dictated by de timing.
Vir lunged for the wooden wall on the far side and bounded his way up onto the next tform.
The swinging axes that came next were slightly more interesting. Hed long agomitted the de timing to memory, but soon realized that there were more optimal ways through this course. Initially, hed stopped in between des wherever the gap wasrge enough. This allowed him to rest and recover his stamina but it ultimately meant he was wasting time.
Not today. Vir sheathed his de and dove into the axes headlong, seamlessly transitioning into a somersault as the massive iron des whooshed by just inches away.
From the somersault, he kicked off into another dive, and cleared the course. The entire obstacle hadnt even taken fifteen seconds. When hed started, it took him fifteen minutes.
Next up were the monkey bars. Nothing dangerous here, apart from the fall down to the sand, now a good ten paces below. Riyans dome of horrorsprised of multiple levels, usually with three different obstacles upying a single level, with stairs or adder up to the next higher level. The higher he went, the harder they got, and the danger of falls multiplied.
Vir didnt bother to grasp each monkey bartoo slow. Instead, he threw himself through the air, catching every other bar with preternatural grace.
The monkey bars led to a challenge that had stymied him for the longest time All until the past day or two. He lunged from the final monkey bar onto another horizontal bar. This course was brutal, but not in the same way as the previous coursesit required strength. Explosive strength. And stamina. All things Vir was terrible at. Or at least, had been terrible at.
The metal bar sat on V shaped holders at each end. Above him was another pair of V shaped holders, and another above that. This course was basically adder, only every rung had been removed, leaving only the supports for the rungs in ce. In order to ascend, he had to draw on every ounce of upper body strength he could muster, leaping upwards with the bar in his hands. He had to not only leap a full pace upward with the bar, but he had to ce it within the V holders. If he missed well, it was a long fall all the way back down to the sand.
Actually, his fall would be even worse. This obstacle sat directly above the spinning de poststhe second obstacle. So if he fell, hednd right into that death trap. He knew exactly how that felt hed learned it firsthand. Many, many times.
But things were different now. He wasnt the same person he was just a week ago. Hed changed.
Vir grasped the metal bar andunched himself upward. It was like doing a pullup, but with far more speed and power. As he flew upward, he quickly raised his hands as high as they could go.
ng!
The bar slotted cleanly into the next set of supports. Sess Now he just had to repeat the feat five more times.
Every rung became harder and harder as his muscles tired. But Vir was not going to fall into those ded posts. He drew upon every ounce of strength he could muster and threw himself up.
ng!
The left support caught. But his aim was off with the right one. It slipped out of its groove.
Vir saw the right side of the beam fall in slow motion. If he did nothing, the beam would slip off its other groove, and hed fall.
Not today!
Vir shifted his left hand further left on the bar and torqued it with every shred of power he could muster. The right end of the beam whipped up and fell into its V-shaped notch with a ng. Hed done it.
Vir straddled up to the next tform. In the past, hed be heaving and retching by this point, but now he merely wiped the sweat off his brow, calmed his breath, and prepared for the next hurdlethe tightrope arena.
Nine tightropes, each a few paces in length, all arranged in a grid, suspended high above the sand below. Three across, three long. And above them, over a hundred des of all sorts that randomly extended downward, mounted on a woodenttice framework.
His goal was at the other enda pole Riyan had installed that allowed Vir to descend back down to the first level. This wasnt the end of the course but it was the halfway point. He had to make it.
Vir hadnt yet memorized the timing of these des. In the past, hed sit for hours, plotting out strategies and paths through. But hed had a realization recently: life was not kind. It wouldnt let him prepare and n for every situation. Hed need to trust his instincts, and hed need to adapt.
He took a deep breath and bounded out onto the tightrope. Immediately, a de descended from above. If he dodged it, hed lose his bnce and fall. Vir immediately hopped over to the tightrope to the right, where the pattern repeated.
Virs bnce was perfect. He bounded from one rope to another. Sometimes he leaped backward to avoid des, his feet always finding bnce.
It wasnt just his endurance. Literally every physical capability he possessed had ballooned.
Jumping into the air, he executed a wless front flip tond on the next tightrope. Hed flipped over the sword that had dropped from above, bypassing the obstacle entirely.
Except this time, swords began dropping from the ceiling even before hednded on the next tightrope.
There was no hesitation in his movements. Vir deflected the first set of falling des with his katar before jumping onto the pommels of the swords, axes, and maces that had fallen from the ceiling. All suspended by ropes which made for excellent handholds.
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With a final front flip, Virnded on the opposite tform and jumped onto the smooth wooden pole, straddling it to control his descent back to the sand.
When he was five paces from the ground, he kicked off of the pole, somersaulted in midair, andnded on the tips of his toes, ring his arms for a picture-perfectnding.
How? Maiya said, aghast at his performance. How is this even possible? Youre cheating. You have to be cheating! Just when I finally start improving, you go and do this!
Virughed, wiping a trickle of sweat off his browhe wasnt even breathing hard. He walked over to the hourss. Two ticks. A whole minute faster thanst time.
I gotta say though, Maiya, your acrobatics really have gotten better. And your Kri too. Youre smarter about how you fight these days. You really have improved.
Youre just trying to rub this in my face, arent you? She said, pouting. With her hands on her hips, she looked more like an angry bandy puppy; the result just made her look cute.
Wasnt enough beating me in a sprint, was it? Then you had to go and beat me in our endurance race, too. And now this I deserve an exnation.
Vir put up his hands, conceding. Alright, alright. Just wanted to have a bit of fun with this, is all. Youre gonna be leaving me in the dust with your magic pretty soon. Figured this was thest chance I had to show off. And it wouldnt be much fun if I told you the trick right away, would it?
Shed witnessed his transformed capabilities several times, but hed held back his secret until now, much to her chagrin.
Tell me! Tell me how you did it. It was a trick after all, wasnt it? What, have you been faking your poor stamina all along? I find that hard to believe. Youre not that good of an actor, Vir.
He shook his head. No. Its got to do with prana, Maiya. There is prana inside my body. Its just different. And it was always leaking. Leaving me dry and empty inside. I just plugged that leak, and now my bodys full of it. Thats really all it took.
It was obvious in hindsightPrana was the energy of life. His body was constantly being sucked dry, so of course hed suffer for it. Hed just never realized that hisck of stamina was caused by prana starvation.
As his prana steadily filled up, his physical abilities had multiplied. And it didnt even end there. His muscles had already grownrger and more solid in this past week alone. He was still on the scrawnier side, but he certainly wouldnt be for very long if his body kept packing on muscle at this rate.
Vir wondered how much his physical development had been crippled by growing up in a prana dry environment. At least he could now undo all of that.
Thats really all it took, he says. Vir thats not possible. Tanya tells me that the prana inside your bodys always at the same level as your surroundings. And here, said Maiya, gesturing to the surroundings, there isnt much prana at all.
I even asked her about it. She said a lot of famous mejai have tried to boost their bodys prana to try and power orbs. But its useless. You simply cant control the prana in your body well enough to do that. Not even the strongest mejai and whats worse, youll end up saturated with prana, which apparently makes it impossible to use magic at all for a while.
Virs brows furrowed. It didnt surprise him that Tanya knew about equilibrium; he supposed it was a pretty basic concept. But being unable to control the leakage? That was surprising. Was he unique in that way?
He shook off the thought. Vir wasnt conceited enough to think he was especially smart. He was probably just messing with things expert mejai had tried and abandoned for good reason. But until and unless he found those reasons himself, hed persist. He had to.
Prana saturation was another interesting idea he wasnt familiar with. It didnt really make sense that mejai lost the ability to use magic when they saturated. Rather, wouldnt it be the opposite? Something to look intoter.
He took a seat on the sand and crossed his legs.
What are you up to now? Maiya asked.
Sorry, Maiya, but I need to concentrate for this. Id appreciate it if you could stick around though. It might be a little dangerous.
What arent you telling me?
Nothing. Dont worry about it.
Maiya huffed, but he ignored her. He knew his friend would watch over him as he did dumb things to his body, even if she disagreed.
And what he was about to attempt certainly was dumb, given thest time hed done it, hed cked out. But he was smarter now. Over the past week, hed refrained from experimenting with altering his blood flow. Itd taken every shred of discipline he could muster, but hed managed it.
Hed used the time to steadily refine his light touch prana control, as he called it. As the prana density built up within his body, it became harder to control as more and more of it wanted to escape his body into the air and ground. And that made for excellent training.
His finesse grew by leaps and bounds, as did his ability to influence smaller and smaller streams of prana, coaxing it to stay within his body with the gentlest of pressure. Before, he could only direct the main arteries within his body, but now even his digits were within his control.
The only time hed released his grip over the prana in his body was when he slept. That undid a good deal of the days buildup, making it a constantand losingbattle.
Thats why hed prioritized maintaining the ability subconsciously. It hadnt been as difficult as hed thought. When his thoughts were solely upied with preventing prana leakage at all waking hours of the day, his subconscious mind took the hint.
As the days wore on, he found that the ability quickly became ingrained in his muscle memory. He hadnt even realized when his subconscious mind had first taken over. Hed gotten distracted by something, breaking his active control over the technique. But instead of deactivating, the technique lingered on, continuing to prevent prana from dissipating.
After more practice, hed even kept the ability active in his sleep. Of course, subconscious Light Touch a Vir originalwasnt as effective as actively maintaining the technique, but the inflection point hade just a couple of days ago. Thanks to his relentless hours of practice, the amount of prana that leaked out had decreased steadily, and that applied to both the active and subconscious variants. Both versions now prevented enough prana from leaking out that his body could maintain a headway against the leakage.
Which was to say that his body was now always topped up on prana, even when he wasnt thinking about keeping the technique active. Though, he hadnt bothered to squash all the leakage just yet. Retaining that final twenty or thirty percent took vastly more effort, for lesser gain. He had bigger things to worry about.
Like mastering the ability to direct prana within his body.
Maiya sat opposite him, gazing at him, as if hoping to learn something. Without Prana Vision, he doubted itd do her any good, but if that made her happy, he wasnt about to tell her off.
Vir closed his eyes and looked inward. One downside to his newfound stamina was that his heart never seemed to pump as fast as it did before. Which, of course, hampered Prana Vision.
That would change now. Instead of gripping the prana in his neck with a death grip as hed done on Bakuras ship, he leveraged his newfound control to apply a far gentler touch, redirecting some of the blood bound for other areas of his body to flow through pathways that led to his head instead. He applied only the bare minimum of pressure, doing as little as he could to achieve the results he wanted.
And it worked. It worked so well, Vir could hardly believe it. He didnt feel pain. He didnt ck out. Instead, the prana obediently followed his intent, traveling up through his neck and into his eyes.
The effect was immediate; Prana Vision red brightly. Perhaps not the brightest itd ever beenhe wasnt seeing any ck prana in the groundbut there was always time for improvement. This was his first attempt, after all.
That couldeter. There was a higher priority item he wanted to work on: learning his first Talent.
And he had a pretty good idea of how to do exactly that.
Next time: 45 - Leaps Of Progress
Chapter 45: Leaps Of Progress
Chapter 45: Leaps Of Progress
The keyy in the concept of prana equilibrium. Prana wanted to stay at the same density everywhere. That was why his body leaked pranabecause his body had a surplus and his surroundings were empty, or nearly empty.
So then, what would happen if he created a pocketpletely empty of prana, within his own body? It stood to reason that whatever meager amount of ck prana there was in the ground would be drawn into him.
But doing something like this required even more control than what hed needed for activating Prana Vision. There, hed done the bare minimum necessary to alter his blood flow into his eyes. Here, hed have to do nearly the opposite. Hed have to go in with a heavy hand and evacuate all the prana from an area of his body which meant evacuating the blood as well. Which sounded incredibly dangerous.
Thankfully, he didnt have to do it for long. When Riyan had used Leap, prana had entered his body and powered the ability all within the blink of an eye. Not nearly long enough to do damage to his body.
Taking a deep breath, he looked over at Maiya, who peered at him intently. Alright, Im gonna give this a go, he said, standing up.
He got into an athletic stance, as if he was about to lunge forward. Then he took control of as much blood as he could in his left leg and tugged.
The blood obeyed hismand, with the majority leaving his leg. Vir sent a pulse of prana up to his eyes, causing Prana Vision to re up. He still couldnt see any ck prana outside of his body, but he did see motes of ck affinity prana enter his body through the soles of his feet and got stuck there. He felt nothing, but he could see it.
And to his surprise, there was more prana entering his foot than hed thought there would be. How far underground was he pulling prana from to get to this level?
He didnt know, and that wasnt all that relevant right now. Now that he had this surge of prana in his body, he expected something to happen but it didnt. Whats more, no matter how much he wanted the prana to go further into his body, it refused.
Vir immediately released the blood hed held hostage from his legs, allowing it to return to its normal path, and allowing fresh blood to refill his legs.
That was when he had his next sh of insightthe ck prana that had been stuck in his foot now rushed into his body.
Of course, he thought. His blood carried almost all the prana in his body And hed removed most of it from his leg for this experiment.
But that posed a conundrum. He needed blood to ferry ck prana to his leg, but in order to pull prana from the ground, he had to evacuate his leg of pranaand thus blood.
Hang on a moment Something didnt add up. His body was pretty full of prana to begin with. Despite this, the prana hed pulled from the ground had no issues entering his bloodstream.
Which meant his blood could handle even more prana Perhaps only for a short time, or maybe for some other reason, but he could oversaturate his blood with prana. He was sure this was what happened to Riyan as well when hed used the ability.
Luckily, the short duration hed evacuated his leg of blood hadnt seemed to do any damage. In fact, it hadnt really even hurt apart from a bit of difort.
Vir tried again. This time, he left a small amount of blood in his leg to carry the prana from the ground, and evacuated the rest.
As before, ck prana rushed into his foot, but this time, it immediately supersaturated the blood there. Vir lost no time and forced that blood directly into his leg muscle while crouching and kicking off.
Vir expected a small boost in his leaping ability. Instead, he crashed into a wooden post in the sand ten paces away. At high speed.
His face took the brunt of the impact, sending him reeling in pain.
Vir! Vir? What happened?
I think I just learned how to do Talents, he said, turning around. He wished he couldve frozen the look of shock on Maiyas face.
Chs knees, Vir! Y-youre bleeding! Oh, no. W-wait. Just hang tight, okay? Ill go get Riyan, well get you healed up!
Vir nodded, cupping his profusely bleeding nose. That was the second time his harebrained experiments had worked better than hed thought they would. He really had to be more careful. The amount of prana hed used was nowhere near what Riyan had consumed to power Leap.
He sat down on the ground. He just needed a few minutes to
Whys the world going dark?
As his vision faded, he had the realization that smashing his head into a wooden post was probably not great for his health.
Vir woke to pping and deep and richughter.
Riyan wasughing? No. Impossible. Riyan neverughed. This could mean only one thing.
The Ashen Realm had finally eclipsed the world, casting them all into oblivion. Or perhaps this was the afterlife. Vir wouldve preferred it if the man wasnt here was he doomed to endure the mans brutal training even in death?
Vir? Then a melodic voice sounded out. An angel?
Vir looked up. Nope. Not an angel. Just Maiya.
Thank Yuma, youre awake! Hes awake!
About time the boy woke, Riyan said, pping him on his back. That hurt. A lot.
Vir looked around to find himself in the living room, on a sofa with his head in Maiyasp.
What happened? He asked, gingerly touching his nose, only to find it mended and healthy. Had he imagined crashing headlong into a post?
You crashed into a wooden post, Vir. It was incredibly hrious. We were just chatting about it, said his wonderful friend.
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I only wish I was present to see it myself, Riyan said, wiping tears from his eyes.
Whys he in such a good mood? Vir thought as he sat up. Hed never seen the man this happy.
I mustmend you, Vir. Never in my wildest dreams did I think you would learn a Talent this quickly. Truly incredible. You may very well be a prodigy.
Ah. Thats why. The man was d that hed just be a more potent tool for him to wield.
Vir ground his teeth in frustration. If hed yed his cards well, Riyan would never have found out about his Talents. Now, the cat was out of the bag.
Maiya shed him a pained look that said I tried. Vir quickly understoodMaiya had lied on his behalf and had been found out.
Wait Vir!? Riyan had just referred to him by his name! Hed never done that before. Not even once. Hed always been boy. For some bizarre reason, he drew as much satisfaction from this as his new Talent.
Since the man seemed to be in a good mood, Vir figured hed y along and see what information he could glean from the man.
You said that Talents dont use magic, yeah? That means they dont use prana? He asked, massaging his head. Most of the pain of his encounter with the post had dissipated, but a headache still lingered.
Correct. This is why we Talent wielders can fight anywhere in the world with our abilities, the only restriction being that we cannot initiate Talents midair. No one understands why.
It made perfect sense to Vir. Earth affinity prana lived only in the ground, after all.
Rejoice, Vir, Riyan continued, for you have been blessed by the gods. What they took away from you in prana ability and stamina, they have given you with aptitude for Talents.
Oh, right. He still doesnt know that my staminas improved a lot.
He could use that. If he kept the true extent of his strength hidden from the man, it might very well give him an edge in the future.
Here, Vir, Maiya said, handing him a te full of brown rice and lentil soup, along with a tall ss of water. Its not much, but I figured youd wake up hungry.
Thanks Maiya, he said, right as his stomach grumbled.
Vir immediately dug into her delicious food.
So, he said between bites, What can you tell me about Talents? How do people usually learn them? What kinds of Talents are there? How powerful do they get?
Riyan remained silent for a moment, stroking his long beard in thought. Some Talents are well known, and the method to obtain them well understood. Others maye to people during times of extreme duress, or on ount of unique situations. For those that are known, they usually involve years of intense training and meditation, and even then, not all warriors can unlock even a single Talent. Though, those that do learn one Talent are likely to learn several more in their lifetime.
That made sense to Vir. Talents used prana. Specifically, Earth affinity prana, and also apparently ck affinity prana. Which meant that only people possessing these affinities could use Talents. Those with lesser affinitypatibility probably had to struggle far more to gain a Talent than those with Apexpatibility, and from what Vir guessed people were blindly learning these abilities, stumbling about until they happened by them through sheer luck.
Another thing Riyan said struck him. The man said he could use his Talents even in the Voinds, which meant that Earth affinity pranaand probably also ck affinityhad to exist everywhere, and in sufficient quantities to power arts. Very much unlike the other affinities, which existed only in the air.
Vir had really lucked out. There was no reason to believe his ck prana would behave the same way Earth prana did. Granted, they both lived inside the ground, so he had some reason to believe theyd be simr, but he was beyond ecstatic that things worked out this well. In fact, it seemed like he needed less prana to pull off Talents than what Riyan needed with his Earth affinity prana. Was ck affinity simply more potent?
But his excitement wasnt about his discovery of Leap, though that Talent was certainly useful. Hed learned something far more profound.
Hed learned the concept behind Talents. With his new knowledge, there were so many experiments he could run. So many ideas to explore. Hed bet an Imperium seric that hed be unlocking more Talents soon. Who knew? Maybe hed even invent new ones people had never seen before.
But above all of this, it proved to him once more that he wasnt in fact prana scorned. And that made him so happy he could almost die happy. Almost.
As for what Talents exist, there are many. Talents, like magic spells, are ranked on a scale. Common, Umon, Rare, Mythic, and Lost Arts, in order of increasing rarity and power.
What Talents do you have? Maiya asked.
It is rude to ask, came Riyans curt reply.
What rank is Leap? Vir asked, half guessing the answer.
Common. It is a basic Talent that almost every Talent wielder possesses.
Thought so The ability was pretty basic, after all.
I suggest focusing on Leap,High Jump, Empower, and de Projection. The first two are self exnatory. Empower increases the weight and speed of a strike, and de Projection is one of my favorites. As for rarer ones, Shadow Blend is highly coveted. It allows one to melt into the darkness, bing invisibleso long as they do not move.
Several sounded pretty understandable to Vir, and he had some ideas on how to aplish them all except for two. Shadow Blend sounded incredibly useful, though he had no clue how to even go about learning something like that.
de Projection? He asked. That one seemed more doable.
Some things are better shown than told, the man said, producing a shortsword from under his robe. Why did he carry a sword in his own home? Because he was Riyan, of course.
Their instructor took abat stance and swiped into the air, aiming for the side table next to the sofa.
Did you see it? He asked.
See what? Maiya said. All I saw was you slice at the airoh.
One of the ceramic cups on the table cracked in half, despite never having been struck by the edge of the de.
Vir narrowed his eyes. Hed sent blood to his eyes in anticipation, so Prana Vision had been active while the man performed his sh. He had seen something. A de of Earth Prana had extended past the edge of his de, striking the cup.
He knew not how to aplish such a thing. Riyans prana had clearly extended past the confines of his body to empower the de. Every time Vir had tried to grasp prana outside, hed failed. Clearly, Talents didnt quite follow the same rules as orb-based magic did. Tanya herself had said that mejai had to hold orbs to charge and trigger their spells, yet Talents broke that rule.
The big question now was whether he ought to reveal what he knew to everyone. With enough effort he felt confident he could convince Tanya that his ideas about Talents using magic had merit. Especially if he managed to learn new Talents in quick session.
But what would he gain from it? Past Riyan and Tanya, what ramifications would it have if this knowledge became widespread? Would he be revered? Or would he be hunted down? It could very well break the foundation of humanitys understanding.
No, best to keep this close to his heart for now. He''d tell Maiya of course, but since she couldnt use Earth or ck Affinity prana anyway, it likely wouldn''t help her much.
Vir realized hed have to think for himself from now on. He really couldnt take any existing knowledge as fact anymore.
Because if everyone was so wrong about there being only six affinities, and if they were wrong about Talents, he had to wonder What else were they wrong about?
Next time: 46 - Apex Predator?
Chapter 46: Apex Predator?
Chapter 46: Apex Predator?
Vir red at the enormous log about to smash into him. With a deep breath, he jumped into the air, sailing high above the ram and effortlessly bypassing the obstacle, albeit probably not in the way Riyan had nned.
His knees shuddered from the impact when hended on the other side.
High Jump was the second Talent hed learned, after Leap. It hade easily, as the ability was almost identical to Leap. After gathering prana within himthe hard partinstead of focusing his intent on darting forward, he merely positioned himself to jump up. Now, he could easily jump as high as most of the buildings in Brij.
In fact, the two Talents were so simr that Vir wondered why they even had different names. The underlying activation principle was identical, just that he shunted the prana into slightly different muscles, and crouched a bit differently. Apart from that, it was just a matter of willing himself to either move up or forward, and altering the amount of prana used.
The light of the sun had long given way to darkness, and the Magic Lamps embedded into the walls had flickered to life hours ago. With a long day of effort done, he hopped onto the wooden pole that led down to the beginning of the course,nding softly on the sand.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, he departed the training dome for the warm bliss of the grotto, grimacing as he showered off and slipped into the tub. Grimacing not only due to pain and soreness, but because hed been forced to use a Talent in the training dome.
While perfecting Leap, hed run into a terrible problem. Consecutive usage of his Talents depleted the prana in that area. His recently honed Prana Vision only confirmed what he felt; there was hardly any ck prana left within the dome, and from what he could tell, it did not return, at least not with any crity.
Which meant that Talents were far less reliable in the training dome now. Hed outright failed to activate Leap a few times on ount of that if the same happened when he needed High Jump to avoid a hazard, hed be in serious trouble.
Hed even tried to draw on the prana within his body to power Talents instead of relying on ground prana, but that had proven impossible. The issue was that activating the Talent meantmanding his pranaand thus his bloodto move away from his leg. He then had to allow prana toe back to the leg, without also letting his blood return, or there would be no supersaturation effect.
But the bond between blood and prana was not so easily broken. If he couldve managed that, it would at least allow him to precharge a Talent by consuming prana from his body.
As such, Vir had abandoned the use of Talents entirely while inside the dome. It hadnt been an easy decision since Leap made the obstacle course far safer and easier to navigate. He now relied on his Talents only for emergencies.
This did not bode well for himboth for the course, and in general; mejai rarely ever had to worry about depleting the prana of a region. Riyan had said it took entire armies to aplish that feat. And if he could ess any of themon affinities, that would be true for Vir as well.
Instead, he was stuck with a far more exotic and rarer affinity that he knew next to nothing about. Other than that it was nearly nonexistent.
Condensation gathered on the rock roof, forming droplets that plopped down onto the pool. It was the only sound in this serene slice of utopia.
Vir sunk deeper into the hot spring pool, allowing his worries to melt away. He couldnt do anything to change the worlds pranaposition, so there was little point in fretting over it. Hed simply have to adapt and ovee. That he could use magic at all shocked him even now; after spending his whole life without magic, he was grateful he could do at least that much.
And besides, his eyes had already turned to other Talents on the horizon. Light Step, de Projection, and Empower all called out to him.
Closing his eyes, he let his body float on the surface of the water and meditated. rity of mind came easily in the hot spring. Maybe it was the sense of weightlessness, or perhaps the soothing warmth.
Virs mind wandered to Riyan. The man imed his Br rank was 150, and while the Talents hed shown off were impressive, they seemed iparable to Tanyas Blizzard spell. And Tanya had several other spells in her arsenal as well. There was something else about the man that had to give him that kind of rank. Was he hiding his more powerful Talents? Or was it something else entirely?
s, it wasnt like the man would ever tell him, even if he asked. All he could do was concentrate on his own development.
With a bit of effort to send blood to his eyes, Prana Vision activated at its fullest. He turned his sight inward, trying to figure a way past his most recent dilemma. Talents that required anything to do with his legs came easily. He only wished Riyan had forewarned him about the bacsh; his body did not appreciate being flung at high speed like that. Whenever he used his Talents, he ended up sore and aching for the rest of the day.
It turned out his proficiency didnt trante to his upper body. Attempting to push the prana through his legs up into his arms failedthe supersaturated prana merely dissipated into his bloodstream as it traveled upward.
Hed soon learned that his blood had a level of saturation it liked to stay at. He could temporarily push more prana into his blood, supersaturating it, but it never wanted to stay at that level for long. And with the limited prana reserves in the ground, he had to be strategic about how much he practiced with it, and where.
Vir left the bath a full hourter, refreshed, but no closer to breaking through his issues regarding arm-based Talents. All he could think about now was his bed, fully ready for sleep to take him. After drying off and donning his nightgown, he snuck through the door of the bedroom he shared with Maiya, careful not to wake her at thiste hour.
His concern was unwarranted. His friend sat in a lotus position on the floor, eyes closed, her face scrunched in intense concentration as a glowing orb sat in front of her.
Such dedication, he thought. He couldnt recall a single time shed shown this much effort for anything before. Scratch that she stayed up all night baking me a cake.
It was after hed taken a seat opposite her that he noticed her breathing patternirregr, and downright weird. Shed inhale sharply through her nose, sucking in her stomach, then inhale again in quick session before exhaling and repeating the process.
It was especially interesting because whatever she was doing seemed to move the prana within her body in unusual ways. He couldnt quite ce what was different, only that her technique was doing something to her prana.
He continued to stare at her, mesmerized by the flow of her prana,pletely failing to notice her twitching eyebrows.
Vir, she said, keeping her eyes closed.
Hi Maiya.
What are you doing?
Watching you.
She exhaled and opened her eyes, staring at him. And do you seriously think I can concentrate like that?
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Consider it practice, he replied, unwilling to move away. The closer he was, the more details Prana Vision picked up.
But his friends expression told him he wasnt going to win this battle. Alright, fine. Ill give you a little space, he said, moving exactly one pace back.
She was not amused.
Look, if Riyan and Tanya refuse to teach me magic, Ill have to learn it on my own. I have to take every edge I can get.
Fine, she said, returning to her weird breathing exercises. Whatever it was she was doing, it didnt seem to work out for her, and Vir couldnt see what the point of it all was.
Is that fun? he asked, after a while.
Does this look fun? Maiya said, eyes fluttering open. I hate this. I hate it so much! Im supposed to be learning how to hurl fireballs, not sit here snorting!
Vir chuckled. She really did sound like a pig doing that.
Dontugh!
Sorry, sorry. Still hung up on fire magic, huh? Even after Tanyas demonstration? he said, expertly changing the topic.
I mean, I gotta admit Ice magics pretty darn impressive. I may have been, uh a bit premature, obsessing over fire like that. I dunno.
I think the word youre looking for is immature. Youd be a fool to pass up power like that.
Power he could only dream of, even with his newfound Talents.
If there arent any orbs made for ck prana, how will I ever rival that kind of magic? he thought as his fingers brushed unconsciously against his chest tattoo.
She sighed. Youre right. I oughta be happy with whatever affinities I end up with. But a girl can hope, cant she?
Maiya, you have a greater Ice affinity and a lesser Wind affinity. I told you before, didnt I?
You did. I know. I just I believe you Vir, I guess I just didnt want to ept it. Anyway, none of that matters until I can sense prana, and thats been going hopelessly.
Is that what you were trying to do with your breathing exercise?
She nodded. Tanya says its supposed to help me attune to prana more easily, whatever that means. Something to do with sucking in prana to get it to jingle.
Uh, Jingle? Vir asked.
Dont ask me! Thats what Tanya said!
So, youre trying to bring the outside prana into your body? Vir asked, thinking it mightve been simr to how he sucked prana through the ground.
No, thats impossible. Prana just passes through your body as you breathe in, but it goes right back out when you exhale. You cant control the prana inside you. But you can control the prana outside, in the air if youre good enough. This techniques just supposed to make it easier to sense, but I cant sense a thing.
So it was basically the opposite of Virs own situation. He found himself to have a great deal of control over the prana within his own body, but waspletely unable to affect the prana outside. Was it a quirk of the ck affinity prana?
His fingers grazed the tattoo on his chest. Perhaps it was something to do with his own body. Or or maybe mejai were wrong about this, too.
Id take whatever Tanya tells you with a grain of salt, Maiya.
Her eyes narrowed. What do you mean? You think shes lying to me?
No. Not lying, but okay, hear me out. I can see eight affinities. Possibly nine, depending on whether ck is actually an affinity or not.
Theres only supposed to be six.
I know! And thats what Im saying. Earth and Shadow affinity prana exist, Maiya. I can see it as clearly as I see all the others. And the craziest part is that Talents are just another application of magic! Earth magic.
Maiya waited, hoping for a punchline. Youre serious, arent you?
I am. I wish I could prove it to you Its how I picked up my Talents so quickly. I watched what Riyan did and copied him. Apparently, the ck prana in my body can do Talents too. You dont believe me, do you? he asked hesitantly.
Maiya held his gaze. I believe you. There wasnt a shred of hesitation in her voice.
You do? You dont think Im making this up?
You wouldnt lie to me about something like this. I know. I trust you.
T-thanks, he murmured, looking away. Wasnt expecting you to say that.
You do realize this kind of thing could change the world, right? If youre right I dont even know what itd mean. But itd mean the mejai are wrong. And Im pretty sure they dont like being wrong.
Right. I know. Which is why I havent told Riyan or Tanya. And Id appreciate it if you did the same. I see nothing gooding out of this if people learn about this.
Your secrets safe with me. I Ill need to give this more thought. But, well, I dont think this revtions gonna help me learn magic any faster, sadly.
Doubt it, Vir said. Theres definitely more here than meets the eye, but I dont know enough about all of this yet to say any more. Ill let you know when I learn more. And speaking of, time for you to share what youve learned from Tanya.
Hmm. Shes been teaching me about affinities andpatibility stufftely, and how all that affects orbs.
The higher your affinity, the faster you can cast magic, right? Vir said, recalling Riyans words months ago, but the man hadnt gone into any detail at the time.
Yep. The higher your affinity, the greater your potential to charge higher tier orbs. Doesnt mean youll live up to the potential though. The affinity ranks go from Scorned, to None, Lesser, Greater, and Apex. Only the strongest mejai in the world possess Apex affinities.
That was a lot of information to unpack. Scorned? He asked. Surprised to see that show up here.
Me too. Apparently some mejai physically cant use prana of particr affinities. No one really knows why. Anyway, it turns out the Order of Mejai Sorcar bases their mejai ranks on how quickly you can charge orbs. Praniks can charge between one to nine C grade orbs within one minute. Mejai Sorcars can do one to nine B grade orbs, and so on.
And I think Riyan said that B grades need ten times the amount of prana that C grades do, right?
Maiya nodded. Right. C grades use a hundred times the prana of D grade utility orbs, but from then on, its a tenfold increase between grades.
Wait. Hang on, Vir said. Something didnt add up. Doesnt that mean a Pranik who can charge a single C grade orb in a minute would only take ten minutes to charge a B grade of the same affinity?
Actually, no. I asked Tanya the same thing. Turns out each grade of orb has a minimum charging speed. If you cant meet that rate, you cant charge it at all. Which is why higher tier magics are so rare. I mean, if all you needed was time, youd see A Grade spells raining destruction everywhere.
Thats true. But wouldnt your surroundings make a difference, too? Like wouldnt a mejai be able to charge orbs quicker if the prana density in the regions greater?
Thats right. It takes longer to charge spells in prana deficient areas. Tanya says the Order of Mejai Sorcar has a way of taking the environment into ount when testing mejai for that very reason.
Vir soaked up every word she said. The secret to progressing his own magic may very well lie in one of the lessons Tanya had taught her.
Are you done, Vir? Can I go sleep now? She said with a yawn.
He smiled. Few things could separate his friend from her bed. Last thing. What about people with multiple affinities? Im guessing theyre stronger than single-affinity mejai?
Vir alwaysmented the fact that he only had a single affinity in his body. If hed had another, he wouldnt have been prana scorned. Which was why Maiyas answer came as a surprise to him.
Actually, no. The more affinities you have, the weaker each of your affinities are, apparently.
Hows that figure? Wouldnt more affinities mean you could cast more spells at once?
Each spell used prana of its own element, after all. Even if the air was depleted of one, itd still have the other.
You can cast more spells at once, yeah. But Tanya told me to think of it like a bucket full of water, with the water being your overall magic potential. Each affinity takes a scoop out of that bucket. So if you have a bunch of affinities, the scoops are all tiny. Thats why you never see four or five affinity mejaithe strength of each affinitys just too diluted to be useful.
The more Vir thought about it, the more it made sense. His own body possessed only a certain amount of prana. If he had to fit multiple affinities within him, naturally the amount of each would be less. But thats where his understanding broke down. Orbs consumed prana from the air, not the body, so what difference did the amount of prana in your body make? He was still missing somethinga piece to this puzzle that left a ring hole.
But he felt he was close. And he couldnt shake the sensation that when he found out, hed unlock the next step to his own mastery.
Besides, he suspected that he was scorned of every affinity because his body didnt have a single mote of any other affinity. But didnt that same logic also mean that he possessed Apex affinity for ck prana?
Tanya said it herself: Only the worlds strongest mejai possess an Apex affinity.
A grin sneaked up on his face.
Perhaps this prana-scorned would grow some fangs, after all
Next time: 47 - Of Gods And Magic
Chapter 47: Of Gods And Magic
Chapter 47: Of Gods And Magic
Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. That was what Maiyas life had be these daysa monotonous series of breathing exercises that had yielded not even an ounce of progress.
Is there anything else I can do? Maiya asked from where she sat on the floor of Tanyas bedroom. Both she and Vir had been on house arrest ever since they got back from Saran weeks ago, and it was honestly driving her crazy. Grotto soaks only did so much to cure cabin fever.
Her mejai mentor paced around her in circles, which of course, did absolutely nothing for her concentration.
Some Praniks naturally attune to the surrounding prana, Tanya lectured. Those who live in prana dense regions manifest affinities far more easily than vigers like you, growing up in gods-forsakennds.
Gee, thanks. Trust me, if I couldve gone back and chosen my ce of birth, Id have done it already. Anything I can actually do thatll help me out?
Keep practicing, Tanya said.
Maiya let out a sigh, returning to her breathing exercises. Pranayam, Tanya called it. If she really concentrated, she could just barely feel a hint of something as she breathed in and out. But then it was gone. Her progress felt agonizingly slow to her.
Unlike Vir.
The irony was not lost upon her. Someone who was supposed to be incapable of using prana was leaping past her, while shethe one with two affinitiegged. And one of those was a Greater affinity! Not to mention that she had a mejai teacher, while Vir was out figuring things on his own.
At a startling rate, too. How the heck had he picked up not just one, but two Talents in a single week? She knew the answer, of course. Prana Vision was far more precious than her friend probably realized. If only he knew how much she struggled to sense even the tiniest bit of prana. To be able to see it? That felt like cheating to her.
Maiya shook her head, ashamed of those thoughts. She couldnt possiblyin. Vir had been ridiculed and ostracized for most of his life. His inability to use orbs hobbled him daily, making his everyday life a chore.
Riyan had called him a prodigy, but that wasnt true. He just worked hard. Absurdly hard. On every single thing he did. What right did she have to mope when she hadnt even given magic a fraction of the effort? She practically had a seric spoon.
Itd just be nice if I had some progress to show for my efforts. Is that really too much to ask, you stingy gods and goddesses?
But s, fate was not so kind. She needed a distraction.
Clearing her throat, she spoke up. So, can people ever improve their affinities?
Distracting me with questions will not speed up your mastery over magic, girl.
Look, Im still doing my breathing exercises, arent I? Not like itll kill you to humor me.
The woman red at her for a moment before answering. You can, though it is difficult. Quite difficult. Refining ones affinity to Apex is a requirement to progress from Mejai of Ash to Mejai of Realms. A chalIenge I will have to ovee someday.
Maiya burned Tanyas response into her memory. Okay, then what about arrows? Do people enchant arrows? she asked, firing off her next question without pause.
Tanya narrowed her eyes. These are very peculiar questions. How are youing up with these?
I, uh, I just thought itd be useful. Yknow, if I ever run into a situation that needs this stuff? As a mejai, of course, she stammered.
The truth was that Vir had given her a list of questions to ask Tanya. He knew the mejai would never answer him directly, so Maiya was the go-between. She didnt mind. His questions always intrigued her as well.
Arrows cannot be enchanted with magic, no. The runes and patterns that have been handed down from the gods only function on a very specific type of crystal, mostly found and mined within Saiannds. All attempts to copy these onto other materialsincluding wood or metalhave proven impossible.
What about the arrowhead? Maiya asked.
It has been tried. The crystal is simply too fragile to serve as an arrowhead. Some Altani mages found sess embedding the crystal within the arrow shaft, but that proved to be unfeasible. As with many things, it is a question of cost. Not even the Altani are wealthy enough to dispose of crystals by the thousands for use in arrows. Whats worse, any crystals left intact after striking their target could be appropriated by the enemy.
Vir had been especially excited about that one. Maiya figured he wasnt going to like that response.
That said, enchanted bows are rtivelymon. Both recurve bows and crossbows benefit from orb enhancement. They arerge enough to fit blood rods, which helps justify the cost expenditure.
Blood rods? Maiya asked. That sounded ominous.
A tool that allows a mejai to power orbs without being in direct contact with them. You will learn of thister, once you can actually channel prana, Tanya said, dismissing her question.
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That was incredibly interesting to Maiya. She was sure Vir could use this knowledge somehow. Acting as his spy made her feel slightly less useless, so it served as a nice morale boost for her.
Sorry, onest question! What exactly are Artifacts? Maiya blurted. She knew she was pushing her luck here, but Tanya didnt quite seem to be on the breaking point yet.
When Tanya fell silent, Maiya popped open an eye to see what she was up to, only to find her instructor gazing somewhere far away, lost in thought.
Tell me, Tanya said, how much do you know of the Age of Gods?
Uh, not a whole lot. My dad used to preach about the stories from that era, but I never really thought any of that actually happened.
Myths abound. Some likely have a kernel of truth, but tales of men ascending to immortality are likely overblown. What is true, however, is that something existed back then. An empire the likes of which we can scarcelyprehend. Few know its name. Only that it existed. The Altani keep this information close to their hearts, but I learned a few things in my time at their capital, Alt Ashani.
What were they called? Maiya asked, her voice low and reverential. She got the distinct impression that what Tanya was about to tell her was not Mahdi.
Mahdi Maiya whispered. Even to her uninformed ears, it sounded ancient. And powerful.
What records we do have speak of an incredibly powerful civilization that spanned across several realms. Creators of magical technology beyondprehension. Beings that wielded the power to end worlds. The Age of Gods was a time when they roamed thends over four millennia ago. Artifacts are said to hail from that era.
Youre saying the Artifacts they made four thousand years ago still work!? Maiya gasped. Tools broke down in months, and maybe sometimes years. It was rare for anything to function for decades. Not even magic orbs had that kind of lifespan.
Imperium machinations transcendprehension. Every single Artifact ever discovered has functioned, and continues to function to this very day. They are impossible to destroy or damage. Each Artifact is unique, and the ones I have heard of sound obscenely powerful.
Youve never seen one? Maiya asked.
Im afraid not. I know only of two. The Pagan Order is suspected to have an Artifact of immense power, but little is known about it. Some suspect it to be the reason the Voided Lands are so starved of Prana.
A device that could suck up all that prana? Maiya shuddered to imagine just how powerful such a thing could be. She sincerely hoped Tanya was wrong. A superweapon in the hands of those maniacs could only be a bad thing for the world.
The one Artifact that is well documented belongs to the Matali Kingdom. It boosts the prana density of its surroundings, allowing Matali crops to grow in breathtaking abundance. As a result, they have had an overwhelming monopoly on agriculture over their neighbors for centuries now. Though that is all ending now.
Whys that? Something happen?
Yes. The Ash happened. Each year, the Ashen Realm continues to expand, slowly encroaching upon theirnd, forcing them farther and farther west.
Which means less arablend for them to grow crops on, Maiya said. Makes sense. They must have it rough.
Indeed. And that is quite enough chit chat. Now, focus on your training. I have affairs to attend to and will returnter.
Tanya strode to the door and left the room, leaving Maiya alone. But if given the choice between studiously practicing her useless technique, or tailing Tanya to see what she was up to, her course was obvious.
Maiya got up and sneaked out of the room after her. Luckily, Tanya was not a difficult woman to follow. Unlike Riyan, who somehow moved as quietly as a snake despite his size, Tanya didnt even try to hide her presence. Almost like she wanted people to know she wasing.
That worked out well for Maiya, who picked up her loud voice all the way from the hallway. Shed entered Riyans room, and while the door to his bedroom was just as solid and thick as all the other doors in his abode, Maiya had learned a trick. There was a small gap at the very bottom of the door where airand soundtraveled. Shed found it when spying on their benefactor earlier.
She got down to her knees and nted her ear under the door.
leaving now. Use this situation to our advantage, Riyan boomed, his voice thundering through the room, all the way to the door. He sounded agitated.
Wont that tip off the princess?
Mina already knows. Cautious, these ones. Very cautious. Else, we''d have found them long ago. They''ll wait for the perfect opportunity. They cannot seed, Tanya. I shall remain here to guard the girl, in case there are more. Annihte them. Leave no trace for her to find.
Yes, sir, Tanya said. Maiya was so shocked to hear her speaking deferentially that she almost bumped the door. Her heart pounded in her chest.
The one who set us up in Saran! Maiya realized. I have to warn Vir!
She sprinted into their bedroom, only to find Neel snoring happily on her bed.
The Dome! she thought. He spent most of his time there, so she hurried there next. But that too was empty. As was the grotto.
She sprinted outside, despite thete hour and saw that Bumpy was missing, his tracks still fresh in the sand. She''d only just missed her friend.
Hes gone somewhere? Thiste?
She started after him, then hesitated. This is dumb. I''ll never catch up. She couldn''t ride the other two Ash''va, either. Besides, if someone was hunting them, Riyan''s sanctuary was the safest ce to be right now. She forced herself to calm down, despite every shred of her being telling her to sprint after Vir.
Maiya ran back into the abode and returned to their bedroom. Long ago, theyd established a method for sending each other messages neither of them wanted Riyan to get wind of. It was especially useful if their training schedules didnt match for the day. Often, one of them would be fast asleep by the time the other returned from their training.
Maiya lifted Virs mattress and snaked her hand underneath, searching.
She soon found what she was looking fora small piece of parchment with a note hurriedly scribbled in charcoal.
Out onst minute training trip for Riyan. Finally good to get out! Back in few days. Keep up your training!
The blood left Maiyas face. She grew lightheaded and had to brace herself against the bed, taking deep breaths to calm down.
Vir was all alone out there. And he had no idea he was being hunted.
Next time: 48 - Some Dreams Do Come True
Chapter 48: Some Dreams Do Come True
Chapter 48: Some Dreams Do Come True
Rudvik stepped forward. I will not allow it.
The knight appraised Rudvik with a bemused expression. You!? Dont embarrass yourself, lumberjack. Whatbat training have you had? Have you ever taken the life of another man? Will you behead me with that ungainly tree ax of yours?
Ye damn well know Ill do whateer it takes! his father shouted.
The scene yed out in front of Virs eyes, just as before. But unlike then, he was stronger now. This time, he could do something.
No! Vir shouted. Father, you cant take him on!
What kinda father cant een protect his own kid, huh?
Vir didnt bother arguing. He saw the knights poleax in slow motion, promising death and destruction as it approached Rudviks back.
But this time, Vir would not let him. He Leaped to the knight, crashing into him, sending his enemy tumbling to the ground.
Now, Maiya! he said, jumping away.
Twin columns of fire erupted from his friends hands, arcing out, enveloping the knight. The warrior screamed, writhing on the ground, desperately trying to get free of the mes that burned him.
He failed. The knights screams grew weaker and weaker, until there was silence in the forest once again.
Ye did good, boy! Rudvik said, patting Vir and Maiya on their heads. Couldnt be more proud o ya.
I just wanted to make you proud, father, Vir said, tears welling up in his eyes.
Aye, yeget down, boy! Rudvik said suddenly.
An enormous spider descended upon the man, crushing him under its immense weight.
Vir hadnt even had the chance to move. He watched helplessly as the light faded from his fathers eyes.
Run! Rudvik whispered.
Father no! Vir wailed, jerking awake, katar already in hand.
He looked around, only to find a peaceful forest that was just waking up for the day. Peaceful, apart from the strange voices that always gued the Godshollow.
Sighing, he put down his de.
Not that dream again. This was the second night in a row hed had that nightmare, though this time with the addition of a certain spider. And now he was shivering thanks to all the sweat that greased his back.
Great
At least nightmares rarely came true.
Vir sunk further under the thick nket hed stolborrowed from Riyans ce. Even if the man had ordered him to set out right away to go hunt some beast, he wasnt about to enter the Godshollow without adequate preparations. Warmth was key to survival.
The trip had taken six long hours on Bumpy from Riyans abode, but the forest was no ce for an Ashva. Hed been forced to leave the animal to graze near the northern edge of the forest.
The Godshollowand specifically this task Riyan had set for himbrought with it a torrent of emotions. On the one hand, hed just gained some powerful new Talents he was itching to test out, but dangerous situations put him at risk of the Reaper taking over again. The two thoughts warred with each other in Virs head, leaving him little peace.
After several minutes of working up the courage to escape the warmth of his nket, he eventually managed it.
Vir stepped past the makeshift camp to gaze down on the forest floor, over a hundred paces below. Hed been to the forest a thousand times, but had never witnessed it from this high before. The canopy was a world unto itself, magical and mysterious.
Hed never realized just how truly massive the boughs of the great Godhollows were until hed High Jumped and climbed his way up one to pitch camp up here.
Though Vir wasnt afflicted with a fear of heights, climbing a hundred paces without a rope would scare anyone. And considering he hadnt yet learned Light Step, a fall from that height would be hisst.
So he made sure to never look down.
The bough he was on was over seven paces in width. He couldfortably lie down sideways and still had room to spare. As a tform, it was both sturdy and secure.
Riyan had been sparse on the details of this hunt, but he had mentioned three things. First, hed given Vir the beasts general location and said that, while dangerous, the prana beast wasnt beyond his capabilities.
Apparently, itd been wreaking havoc on the local ecosystem. Riyan seemed certain that if left unchecked, the capital would send out a scouting party. Any military presence near Brij was bad news for all of them.
Vir felt like that was all a lie, though. That the real reason was because Riyan wanted Vir to get some actualbat experience. It did feel like he was being thrown to the wolves on this one, but he was in no position toin. If it helped him grow stronger, he was all for it.
Second, Riyan cautioned that there was safety to be found in altitude. The higher the better. That made sense to Vir on several levelsmost of the forests predators had no means to scale the enormously tall trees.
Finally, Riyan had said that hed benefit by observing and analyzing the enemy before making his move. Hed neglected to mention what exactly the enemy he was hunting was, or even what it looked like. Apparently, part of the value of this lesson was figuring out this information for himself.
Vir didnt mindhed never been one to shy away from a challenge.
After eating some nuts and dried berries, Vir retrieved his weapons and departed.
Hed soon discovered that several of the Godhollows barkless boughs nearly touched each other, and where they didnt, Leap and High Jump allowed him to bridge those gaps with ease. As such, he never needed to climb back down to the forest floor, and could travel far quicker than those restricted to the ground.
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He came to the end of a limb and waited several seconds as High Jump charged, before he sailed through the air onto another bough, dropping to his knees to absorb the impact of the fall.
The only issue with Talents up here was that they took far longer to charge than if he were in direct contact with the ground. A minor inconvenience in daily life, but a major drawback in the middle of a battle.
Hed spent two days in this forest now, and just yesterday, hed found a lead on the beast he was hunting.
When hed firstid eyes on the white monster, he had thanked Janak that Maiya wasnt here. The giant spider wouldve had her curling up in a ball and wishing to disappear.
The critter soon came into view. It was never one to stray from its usual patrol, making its actions easy to predict.
The white arachnid was about three paces wide, and a single pace tall. Frightening for a spider, but overall, not too much of a threat, given Virs recent advances.
Hed taken Riyans advice to heart and spent all of yesterday analyzing its behavior from afar. Hed learned that its eyesight was poor, allowing him to sneak up on the thing with rtive ease. The spider preferred to go after small prey, mostlythe kinds of tiny rodents and critters that called the boughs of the great Godhollows their home. asionally, it went after baby birds caught in their nests. That made Vir sad.
Its tyranny would end today. Vir High Jumped to the next higher bough that ran parallel to the one hed been traveling on. From here, he had a perfect line of sight to the spider. Hed prepared the ambush site in advance, so all he had to do now was execute the n.
Vir waited patiently for an hour, silent, as all good predators ought to be, before the spider finally came into view on the bough below him. Too far for an ordinary person to jump, but not too far for Vir.
He waited for the right timing to charge Leap, pulling blood higher up his legs to pull prana from the bough. Too soon, and hed be forced to activate the ability before the spider had entered his kill zone. Toote, and hed lose the window of opportunity.
His timing was perfect. Firing off the ability right as he kicked off of the limb, he shot forth. Not on an intercept course with the spider, but on a course that sent him above the arachnid.
Chakram in hand and with Prana Vision highlighting the spiders heart in white and gray, he aimed from midair, and threw.
The deadly disk sailed silently through the air. The spider had no chance. It saw neither Vir nor the disk before the chakram sliced open its chitin.
The exoskeleton may as well have been made of butter. The chakram prated deep into its shell, ending the critter in moments.
Vir somersaulted midair andnded on his toes, just a pace in front of the beast. A wless kill.
He looked upon the corpse with pride. For the first time ever, everything had gone ording to n.
Maybe Ill even get home in time to use the grotto!
Eager to wrap up his time in the forest, Vir sliced off the arachnids head before recovering his chakram. Knowing Riyan, hed be wanting proof of the kill, so as disgusting as it was, Vir threw the beasts head into his rucksack and headed to his camp.
About halfway back, he stopped to take a quick water break.
That was when he heard the chittering. Faint, at first, but which grew progressively louder. They seemed toe
From where I killed the spider, he realized.
He saw nothing when he stared in the direction hede, but he took no risks. Unwilling to linger any longer, he picked up his pace, arriving back at his bough camp in minutes.
Vir moved efficiently, stuffing his thick nket into the rucksack, along with some food hed removed to keep the pack light during his hunt, carefully keeping the food isted from the spider head at the bottom.
It was after hed cinched thest pack strap that he froze.
Something felt off. He couldnt quite ce it, but the hair on the back of his neck stood up and goosebumps rippled across his body.
The chittering that had grown progressively louder had stopped.
Vir turned slowly around and came face to face with a dozen spiders. All identical to the one hed just killed.
He burst into motion before hed even processed the danger. Leap activated, sting him into the air onto a parallel bough, some ten paces below. He turned back, only to find the spiders jumping one after another, effortlessly pursuing him.
Vir tore into a mad dash. Hed almost forgotten what it felt like to have his heart pump so fast. To be driven by primal, instinctive fear.
Yet despite his predicament, he forced his mind to remain calm, constantly eyeing new branches to High Jump or Leap to.
His pursuers were far more agile than hed guessed. They had no issues keeping up, and in fact, they were steadily gaining on him. Riyan mightve been able to outpace them with consecutive Leaps, but each Talent took Vir a good ten seconds to prime up here on these boughs.
Of course, the answer to his predicament was both obvious and temptingseek the ground. The only reason he hadnt was on ount of Riyans warnings.
As he ran along his current bough to the trunk of a massive Godhollow, he knew he had to try something different. The spiders had chased him to a part of the forest that was unfamiliar to him, which concerned him greatly.
Vir paused, turned, andunched another chakram at the spiders. This time, he used a vertical grip, sending the chakram ripping through the air with deadly speed. The arachnids dodged, but being clustered so closely atop the bough, they had little room to escape. His disk cleaved through one, killing it instantly.
Unfortunately, the rest paid their fallen brother no heed. Without pausing, they relentlessly swarmed him.
Vir had seen what their pincers could do; he wasnt foolish enough to allow them to enter melee range.
He turned and dove for the Godhollows trunk. Luckily, these ancient trees had plenty of handholds, allowing him to creep down the trunk.
Unluckily, climbing down was even harder than climbing up, and the worst part was he was constantly looking down, a constant reminder of the incredible hazard he was taking. A fall from here was a death sentence.
His pace was cial. The spidersif they could follow him on a vertical surfacewould be on top of him in no time.
Hed taken a gamble And it paid off.
The oversized white spiders all halted at the root of the bough, eyeing him with their ckpound eyes.
Vir paused and heaved a great breath before continuing the long descent down to ground level at a slower pace.
He never imagined hed be so happy to see dirt again. Cathartic relief flooded his body, but then he remembered Riyans warning. The forest floor was not safe.
Vir walked cautiously, alert for any sign of predators, but he saw none.
Once hed put some distance between himself and those spiders, he nned to ascend another Godhollow. Hopefully, it would be enough to throw his pursuers off his trail.
He halted. Dread coursed through his veins as an epiphany dawned on him.
Riyan had mentioned a single beast. Not a dozen of them.
That meant
Arge drop of goopy water st upon the ground beside him.
Odd, he thought. The sky was clear just a moment ago. Here in the Godshollow, it took a real squall for any precipitation to prate the thick canopy.
Drip.
Another one fell, this time to his left. He looked at the liquid, only to realize it wasnt water. It was thick. Almost like syrup.
Virs blood ran cold. Slowly, hesitatingly, he looked up
And found awork of sturdy cobwebs that stretched from tree to tree. Camouged by a mat of leaves, which is why he never saw them from above.
Standing upon them, poised right above him, thirty paces in the sky, was an eight-legged arachnid, easily five times the size of the ones hed dispatched. Surrounding it were a dozen of its smaller brethren.
This mustve been the beast Riyan wanted him to hunt.
And hed walked right into its trap.
The Clutch Rachna hissed and fell upon him. Along with every one of its clutchlings. A coordinated attack.
All the color drained from Virs face.
Some dreams really dide true. Especially nightmares.
Next time: 49 - Clutch Rachna
Chapter 49: Clutch Rachna
Chapter 49: Clutch Rachna
Vir threw himself into a roll, barely avoiding the massive spiders ded limb as it impaled the dirt. Green liquid oozed out, sizzling. The putrid stench made Vir gag.
Poison!? Not just a limb then. A stinger.
Vir Leaped to gain some distance, but the spider pursued relentlessly, cking and hissing, enraged over having missed its prey.
The entire forest floor was a deathtrap. Not only was this the spiders hunting ground, but the ample space between the trees meant the beast could move around with ease. Which also meant that its underlings had no issues nking Vir.
He backed up and kept moving. If he stopped even for a second, his enemies would surround him. More and more appeared each moment, and he soon lost count. There were at least a dozen.
Vir recognized a hopeless situation when he saw one. Horribly outnumbered, there was no way to win. Forget winning, surviving was going to be tough unless he evened the odds somehow.
He looked up. The only hope he had was to climb up onto the trunk of the Godshollow. The minion spiders hadnt chased him down the trunk, which meant it was a ce of rtive safety. He was unsure about the massive spider, but the thing must have weighed several hundred pounds. Doubtful that such a beast could scale a Godhollow.
Vir Leaped to the nearest tree, but the spiders seemed bent on preventing his escape. He needed more speed. The Talent only took four seconds to activate on the forest floor, but that was still an eternity, so he took micro leaps instead. He felt like that was the wrong decisionthat a fully charged Leap gave him more ground than sessive partial ones, but better to keep his legs than risk losing them for more ground.
Dropping his rucksack, made him lighter and more agile; he couldn''t spare the luxury of keeping it.
Threading his way through the spiders, rolling, dodging, and jumping away from their attacks, Vir arrived at the nearest Godhollow and began climbing his way up.
To his horror, the spiders behind him did the same. Worse, arachnids above him on a high limb climbed down on an intercept course.
The badrakking things were only pretending like they couldnt climb! Once more, theyd lured him into their trap. Continuing upward would only spell his doom.
From fifteen paces high, Vir charged Leap and kicked off the tree, sending him sailing through the air, back to the forest floor. He flipped and hit the ground and threw himself into a roll to dissipate the impact, but despite that, his bones shuddered.
The spiders were quick to react and were already beginning to surround him. He wasnt about to let them.
Vir leveraged his Kri training to move like the wind, Leaping to the nearest spider. Tough chitin protected these spiders, which made their eyes their primary weak point. But hitting eyes was easier said than done, especially when they always kept two of their eight limbs in front, like a shield.
Luckily, Prana Vision gave him a better option. The Life and Shadow prana coursed through these spiders, zing brightest at the junction of their bulbous heads and their bodies.
He brutally exploited this weakness, plunging his katar into the base of the spider''s head. Since theycked necks, the attack required a degree of precision, but Vir''s aim was true. It spasmed for a brief second, then copsed.
Vir somersaulted and jumped to the next spider, but fate wasnt kind to him. A series of hisses and cks from the enormous spider caused its minions to pause for a moment. When they began moving again, they banded together, sticking to each other in groups of three or four.
Tch. Vir clucked his tongue. The spiders had already adapted. Going one on three against the minions wasnt going to work out in his favor.
But he had little a choice. To safely escape to the treetops, he had to thin the enemy out. Vir charged the nearest group of three. He reluctantly reached for a chakri and threw it with as much force as his newly developed biceps could muster.
The disk sailed through the air and lodged itself in the face of the first spider, killing it instantly. His second disk sliced off a pincer of another before piercing the spiders eye. Not quite dead, but injured enough that it scampered off into the distance, leaving its remaining brother all alone.
Vir descended upon the spider like a reaper, using his momentum to plunge his katar deep into the base of its head before backflipping off the beast in one fluid motion.
Unfortunately, the queen spider seemed to understand this strategy and had alreadyid a trap. Virnded right in the middle of a half dozen minions, lying in wait for him.
He lost no time. Right as two spiders attacked him with their limbs, he High Jumped free, sailing clear of the danger.
As he reached the peak of his arc, he locked eyes with the spider queen. The beast almost seemed to grin at him as itunched something right at hima sticky white goop.
Webbing! Vir immediately realized, panicking. Hed escaped one trap only to fall into another.
The webbing hit him right before he fell back to the ground, sticking to his arms and legs. Vir tried with all of his might to free himself, but the material was stic and strong. It didnt budge.
Gaaah! He screamed, as a spider shed into his arm, leaving a deep gouge. Its friends joined in, shing at Vir, cutting into his arms and his legs. All the while, their queen approached slowly from behind.
Vir fully understood the danger. As long as he lingered here, hed continue to take hits. And once the queen arrived, hed be as good as dead. His eyes searched the area, looking for something he could use. Anything.
His eyes searched and searched, and then finallynded on a series of boughs, far in the distance.
That''ll work!
Still bound by the webbing, Vir Leaped away, but not before taking several more hits.
He crashed into arge rock nearby, and his momentum shredding the webbing just enough to free his katar. A few swipester, and hed finally extricated himself, Leaping again to safety.
The queen hissed. He didnt need to understand the beast to know it was furious; hed escaped its traps three times now.
But it hade at a cost. Vir bled from his hand and his legs, and while the wounds werent immediately fatal, they certainlypromised his fighting ability. If left unchecked, he risked bleeding out. He had to end this, and soon.
Vir went on the offensive, Leaping onto spider minions, throwing his chakris and timing his attacks so that he Leaped again before its brothers struck him.
But even though he spent every effort to recover his throwing disks, he invariably lost ammunition. Now, down to a single chakram and three chakris, the end was inevitable.
Vir dove back into the fray, hurling two more chakris at his foes. He couldnt afford to throw any more, but his efforts had paid off. The spiders had thinned out considerably, and the queen found itself all alone.
More of her underlings would inevitably arrive, but for now, the queen was alone and vulnerable.
Vir brought hisst chakram up and pretended to throw it, forcing the queen to defend itself in anticipation of the uing attack.
Instead, he stowed the weapon around his neck and Leaped to the nearest tree. He didnt bother to climbthe spider would hit him with its webbing attackso he did something reckless instead.
Vir bounded up and High Jumped, violently throwing himself up the Godhollows trunk. Thorny bark shredded his shirt as he vaulted up. Scanning the trunk for handholds totch onto, he found them an instant before his momentum ran out.
He came to a stop on the trunk and looked down at the forest floor, now twenty paces below. The risky maneuver had paid off.
Vir waited the ten agonizing seconds to reactivate High Jump, then jumped again.
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The spider queen fired another webbing attack, but Vir was well out of range now. The sticky white stuff fell harmlessly below, which only angered the spider further.
Then it started climbing, along with a half dozen of its minions.
Vir watched in horror as the massive spider ripped a leg off its fallen minion, eating it before hoisting itself up the Godhollow, its eight limbs anchoring it to the trunk as surely as if it were on the ground. It didnt even move any slower than before.
Taking a deep breath, Vir continued lunging his way up the enormous tree. The spiders were fast, but he was much, much faster when using High Jump. He made it to the lowest bough that soared a hundred paces high with time to spare.
The question was what he should do now. The spider queen and its minions would be upon him in seconds, and while Vir was now out of their death trap, he doubted his pursuers would give up soon.
He peeked downthe minions had raced ahead of their queen and would arrive first.
Flight warred with Fight, and Fight had won.
If they think theyre the only ones who can set traps, Ill be happy to prove them wrong, he thought, bracing himself.
The first spider poked its head onto the bough, only to receive a katar to the face. The second one blindly followed it and received the same treatment. Both fell off the tree into the darkness far below.
The next pair were smarter. They climbed onto the underside of the bough and popped up on Virs nks simultaneously.
Too bad for them. Such a simple tactic wasnt nearly enough to deceive him. He kicked one off the limb and sliced the forelegs off another before sprinting to the next enemy.
Vir jumped into the air andunched hisst chakri at another spider, killing it as it stepped onto the bough. Virnded on the dead beast, retrieved his chakri, and skewered the spider behind it, all in one fluid move.
It turned out that killing a bunch of these things had made him quite proficient at the task.
Vir had no time to revel in his victory; the spider queen had finally arrived.
Facing off against the beast, he quickly realized he would not win here. The spiders bulk restricted its movements atop the limb, yes, but Vir had no defense against its web attack. Which meant hed have to engage the spider at close range, against those devastating limbs that had allowed the heavy spider to climb up a tree. Not to mention that stinger.
No, he needed a better n. One that put him in as little danger as possible. Vir eyed the boughs around him. None were ideal. He needed one that sat on top of another, less than twenty paces above the lower one.
Thanks to his earlier scouting efforts, he knew such locations were somewhatmon. If he traveled far enough, he''d no doubt find it.
Vir nicked the queen''s forelegs with his katar, forcing it on the defensive. But the attack was just a feint. He Leaped and backpedaled away from the spider. As much as he wanted to turn and run, he knew hed be a sitting duck for its web attack.
The beast fired its sticky webbing, forcing Vir to throw himself aside to dodge it. He barely made it.
The queen hissed, threatening him with its forelegs before continuing its pursuit.
C''mon, c''mon!
Vir searched the nearby boughs for anything that could work. His heart throbbed in his ears, jumping to another limb with the spider queen in hot pursuit.
The queen spider shared the same Life and Shadow prana pathways as its minions, which meant that aiming for the base of its head was a viable strategy.
He just didnt know if his attack would prate its chitin.
Which meant he had to test it to be sure.
Vir waited for the spider tounch its next web attack, which he again dodged by a hairs breadth. Instead of running, he stopped and jumped into the air, throwing his chakri with all of his might.
The disk hit the spiders back and bounced right off. A tiny slit of blood shone on its silver hide.
As I thought.
Not only was the queen bigger, but its chitin was tougher, too.
He needed more power, and he had a way of obtaining it. He just hoped itd be enough.
Vir took off again, spotting more minions tailing him on parallel branches. It was only a matter of time before they ambushed him.
Scanning his surroundings meant taking his eyes away from the ground in front of him, and he tripped as his foot caught on something. Looking down, he saw more white webbing on his shoes.
He could hardly believe this.
The queen was waiting for its minions to distract me!? Just how smart is this thing?
And it hadnt even attacked him! It aimed for his feetan easier target.
The spider queen approached the helpless Vir, chittering smugly.
Vir furiously sawed at the webbing to extricate himself.
No time! He wasnt going to make it.
In ast act of desperation, Vir Leaped, tearing the webbing with his supercharged lunge. His leg roared in protest, pulled two different ways at once. Luckily, the pressure didntst long. He broke free and jumped off, just a split second before the spiders venomous stinger impaled itself onto the bough where hed justin.
That was too close, Vir thought, wiping sweat from his eyes. Thankfully, he wouldnt need to run anymore. Hed arrived.
Vir looked up at the bough that stretched above the one he was on. Perfect.
Readying hisst chakram, Vir took a deep breath, and High Jumped. He bounded straight up, but he paid no attention to the bough that he was on a collision course with. His eyes were glued to the spider that had justunched its web attack.
Chakram in hand, Vir threw it at the iing webbing. The two attacks met midair, with steel winning against the organic substance. His disk sliced through half the webbing before getting tangled in it, and together, they sank like a brick to the distant forest floor.
With barely a half second to prepare himself, Vir tucked his knees to his chest and reached out with his arms, grabbing a vine that grew on the underside of the bough hed just collided with.
Using both hands to keep himself pinned in ce, Vir hung upside down, staring at the queen below him. The seconds stretched agonizingly on as the spider readjusted its aim.
Hed learned earlier that the beast couldnt fire off its webbing attack in quick session. If this n was to work, he had to rely on that. Ten seconds was all he needed for High Jump to charge. But the spider also required a simr amount of time for its web attack.
Not one to leave things to chance, Vir briefly let go of the vine with his right hand, just long enough to fire hisst chakri down at the spider, forcing it to abort its attack to protect itself.
Five, Six, Seven
The spider immediately aimed again, and Vir knew hed be toote.
Good enough, he thought. With whatever prana hed umted in his legs, he cut the charge short, activating High Jump prematurely.
It wouldnt be nearly as fast or as strong as the fully powered version, but he didnt need it to be. This time, weight and gravity aided him.
Vir hurtled at the spider, now directly below him, his katar extended out in front.
With the speed of an arrow, his de plunged into the spiders chitin, eviscerating its armor. Virs bones rattled from the impact, but he held doggedly on as the spider juked and bucked under him.
It tottered perilously close to the edge of the bough.
Realizing that the beast was about to fall off in its death throes, Vir yanked his katar de, intending to escape
Only to find his weapon buried within the beast. There wasnt any time. He let go of the katar and backflipped off, right as the spider jumped.
Virnded on the very edge of the bough. The spider found only air to support it.
He watched the queen fall into the darkness. A sickening thud followed a momentter, followed by silence.
The queen was finally dead.
Vir stumbled back and copsed onto the bough. Fear coursed through his body, suppressing the pain of his earlier wounds.
Disarmed, disheveled, and driven to his utter limits, the world reeled in front of him.
He forced his mind under control. He wasnt out of danger yet. The spider minions were gone?
Looking around, he found not a single trace of them.
Only then did he look up at the sky and roar, his fists extended up into the air.
You see that, father? I did it! I won!
Tears flowed down his face as the realization dawned upon him. Hed lost against the knight scout. Hed fled from the pirates. Time and time again, Riyan bested him.
But now for the first time in his life, hed fought a powerful opponent, and not only had he won, hed done it without ever relying on Ekanai. Without losing control over his own body.
Virs arms and legs throbbed, and only then did he realize he wasnt out of the woods yet. Most of his cuts had clotted, but he needed to clean off and get them bandaged, lest infection set in.
He wasnt looking forward to the sting of antiseptic butpared to a life-or-death struggle against a spider? Compared to losing to Ekanai? Hed take tending to his injuries any day.
Vir gingerly climbed down the treean effort that exhausted him far more than hed thought, as hed burned through his stamina at an rming rate. If he hadnt learned to enhance his stamina by containing his prana leakage
He gulped. Id surely have died.
Virs feet finally touched dirt, and he limped his way to the gruesome sight of the spiders carcass. The fall had not been kind to its body, whichy mangled and unrecognizable.
He gingerly made his way to his weapon, but then, his every instinct screamed at him: dodge.
Vir barely avoided a poleax to the gut as he reverse somersaulted away, right up against his katar. He reached out to dislodge it.
I wouldnt, if I were you.
Vir froze. Both enemies now leveled their weapons at him. One wielded a poleax, while the other wore a round metal dhal shield in one hand and gripped a talwar in another.
Both wore brigandine over gambeson.
Emerald and gold brigandine.
Ash damned luck, boy. That was quite a fight. What an impressive performance defeating a Clutch Rachna on your own. Not to mention mastering Leap and High Jump at your age! A heartfelt congrattions on your kill. Truly.
Oi, the man with the shield said to hispatriot with a scowl. Enough chatter. Lets get this done with.
What do you want? Vir said as an all-too-familiar feeling of dread snuck its way up his back.
Oh, not much. Not much at all. You see We just need you to die.
Next time: 50 - Shardul The Vicious
Chapter 50: Shardul The Vicious
Chapter 50: Shardul The Vicious
Whore you? Hiranyan knights? Vir asked. If he wanted to survive this, he needed toe up with a n, fast. And right now, he had nothing. He had to stall them.
Knights, eh? What would you do if I said I was? The poleax wielder said, scratching an itch under his armor. Both soldiers wore full brigandines that covered their chest, arms, and thighs. Their heads were protected by a full helm, though it didnt cover their faces.
Id say you were lying, Vir replied. Ive seen knights. They dress different.
He willed his mind to think, though his mind seemed to work sluggishly after all hed been through. He was disarmed, exhausted, and needed medical attention. Thest part bothered him the most; if he didnt disinfect his wounds, there was a very real chance he might die before he ever made it back to Riyan for healing. The soldiers must have been waiting for this moment. If he lost against the spider, theyd win. If he defeated it, they knew hed be exhausted.
And they were right. Though hed won in the end, he could barely even stand, let alone fight.
Vir nced at the spider queens carcass. The katar was still well within reach, and the spiders body acted like a giant shield, preventing the soldiers from attacking.
Realizing this, they moved slowly around as they spoke, seeking to approach Vir from the other side. This way, they could trap Vir against the carcass instead.
Oh? Have you? the man said, feigning shock. Well then, excuse me. My apologies for being a mere pauper!
So not knights then. Regr soldiers?
Contrary to his coy mannerisms, the soldiers eyes continuously monitored Virs movements.
Whoever these two were, they knew their stuff. If Vir was unlucky, they might even have Talents.
He turned Prana Vision upon them, but their armor interfered with his ability, degrading its resolution so that all he saw was a muddy mush of colors. But the orbs they carried on them shone brightlyeach carried one C grade Life orb.
In addition, the talwar-and-shield warrior had a golden orb and his friend with the poleax had a wind orb. All were precharged, which was at least a hint that they werent mejaiTanya always walked around with a half dozen orbs on her at all times. He figured most mejai would. So unless he was wrong, that meantat mostone spell from each orb.
The only silver lining was that the orbs prana concentration showed that they werent A rank, at least. If they were, he might as well give up and ept his death right then and there. As it stood, he had a chance. A small one.
The treetops were his only hope. If he could climb up a Godhollow, his pursuers might not be able to follow. Few people climbed as well as he couldhed bank on that. It was his only hope. Only question was whether theyd let him. If theyd seen his earlier fight, then they must be expecting him to flee to the boughs.
No matter what, he couldnt allow Reaper Ekanai to resurface. If he did, he might very well kill these two soldiers, which may trigger a Hiranyan investigation. Or worse, he could get killed in the processit wasnt like Vir suddenly became invincible when Ekanai possessed him. Vir had to escape and report back to Riyan.
Is there any way we could work something out? he said, his arms raised to look as harmless as possible, waiting for the best moment to make his move. Uh, maybe we could negotiate?
Negotiate? Did you hear what I said, boy? We want youHey!
Vir lunged for his katar and yanked it free of the corpse. The fall must have dislodged the weapon, because it came away easily. Without wasting a moment, Vir Leaped away, extricating himself from the impending ambush. He turned tail and ran for the nearest Godhollow as fast as his legs could carry himwhich wasnt quick at all, given his injuries and fatigue.
He didnt get far. The talwar wielder blurred past him, blocking his way.
Looks like Im not the only one who can use Leap
And unlike Vir, the enemy used Earth affinity prana, meaning he could activate the ability far more rapidly than Vir could. His chances of escaping had just plummeted.
Vir faced off against the talwar wielder, dodging his attack, but the man moved with a grace and speed that far outstripped Vir. It reminded him of Riyan, though not quite at that mans level.
Seeking to make use of the opening left by the talwars missed strike, Vir lunged forward, only to abort his attack and throw himself to the sidebarely dodging a poleax to his back.
Vir circled around to put both enemies in front of him. He simply couldnt afford to let either of them out of his sight, not even for a single second.
This time, he Leaped at the poleax wielder, hoping to get inside the range of the mans long weapon. It worked, but again, the talwar wielder was there with his round dhal shield. The man collided with him after having Leaped himself, bashing Vir with his shield, sending him tumbling onto the ground.
Vir spit out dirt and blood and shakily rose to his feet, gritting through the pain that throbbed all over his body. If he took any more hits like that, he doubted hed have the strength to even get back up.
Maybe hed have a chance one-on-one. But these two worked with perfect coordination, covering for each others weaknesses, shutting Vir down and putting him on the defensive without giving him a single opportunity.
He had no chance. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide, with no one to help him, out here in the middle of the Godshollow.
Vir whispered a prayer. Not to the gods, but to Rudvik. He dove back in, Leaping right up to the talwar wielder, his katar a flurry of slices and thrusts.
For the first time since the beginning of the duel, he pushed the man back, forcing him to block the attacks with his shield.
As small as it was, the shield could only do so much. The man took a hit to his cuirass, though no damage was done. Vir grimaced. Hitting the man had taken so much effort, and even when hednded a blow, he couldnt even deal damage.
Hed have to aim for their faces.
To his surprise, the talwar wielder only attacked him once, instead of pressuring him. Vir deflected the de with the hilt of his katar and struck back, aiming for the mans eyes.
His opponent immediately adapted to the change in his tactics, stepping back whenever Vir approached, using both his shield and the greater range of his talwar to keep himself safe from Virs flurry.
Though he wasnt dealing damage this way, Vir was at least no longer on the defensive. That gave him options.
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He used the brief lull after a strike to risk a nce at the poleaxe wielderand nched.
In the mans hand was a glowing green orb, slotted into a mejai aiming bracer, pointed directly at him.
Vir looked back at the talwar wielder just in time to see a sh of his de. His chest burned and blood went flying.
He took a knee as the wound opened up, sending pain ripping through his body. It was shallownothing deep or life threatening, but it was enough to distract him for a split second.
Instinctively, Virshed out with his katar, expecting a followup strike. To his horror, the talwar wielder had jumped away which could only mean one thing.
Magic! The poleax wielder!
Panicking, Vir snapped his head to the other soldier just in time to see the wind orb fire.
Time seemed to slow. For a long moment, his entire worldprised just him and the zing de of wind prana that cut through the air, promising sure death.
A single nce told him all that he needed to know. This was not the kind of attack that could be blocked. If he tried, hed lose his arms.
Neither could he dodge. Caught t-footed on one knee, he simplycked the energy to hurl himself out of the way in time.
This This is the end, isnt it?
Hed exhausted every option. Hed fought to hisst If only there was something. Anything.
Virsst thoughts werent of Maiya, or Rudvik, or Neel No, all he thought about was how he wanted Ekanai to possess his body.
Take over! Its what you want, isnt it!?
But his mental plea was returned only with silence.
The wind de edged closer, and Vir prepared himself for the worst.
I hear and recognize your resolve, said a voice inside Virs head. But only this once.
In that moment that felt like an eternity, something changed. Vir was no longer Vir. Somethingsomeoneelse had taken control. But it wasnt Ekanai.
The being who controlled his body now was not the Reaper. It was another entity.
The world faded away, and memories flooded into his head. Recollections of times long past. He was no longer in the Godshollow. He was somewhere else, long ago.
Unlike Reaper Ekanai, this persons arms were normallike Virs, but thicker and more powerful. In each, he held a beautiful seric steel chakram, carved with intricate designs.
In this memory, the man wore jet ck te armor inscribed with the white symbol of the Akh Nara. A matching cape billowed behind him as he stood atop a mountain of corpses.
He was Shardul The Vicious. The Akh Nara. Chosen Hero of the Garga tribe.
The one to lead them to a new age of prosperity and instead, he had led them straight to ruin. Now he was on onest, desperate mission to save what remained of his n.
The weight of a century of sorrow and regret assaulted Vir, drowning his very soul.
To wield Shadow Prana to its fullest, one must be partners with tragedy, Shardul said. This applies equally to those of us blessed enough to tap into the vast power of Ash prana. The primordial form of all prana.
Ash prana!? Vir immediatelyprehended that voice referred to the ck prana that lived within his body.
In the vision, a horde of demons charged at Shardul from dozens of paces away, their glowing red eyes full of bloodlust. They numbered over a hundred, all d in bright green armor. The colors of the Chitran.
Shardul allowed his enemies toe. He waited. Right until they were on top of him. Then He sank.
Vir tried to understand what he was seeing. Shardul sank into the ground below him, disappearing into a world of darkness. A momentter, he reappeared. Behind his enemies.
A geometric tattoo on Sharduls legs zed bright green, and he pounced upon their backs, cleaving into his foes with the brutal efficiency of an executioner.
Vir would never have believed that someone could use chakrams so effectively as melee weapons until Shardul showed him.
The vision slowly faded, and the world came back into focus. The wind de was right on top of him.
Like Ekanai had done, Shardul took control over his body and sank into the ground.
Into his own shadow.
Down and down, he went, falling into a world where light dared not prate. He could not see, but Prana Vision showed him all the exits. A myriad of potential destinations, all essible to him. All he had to do was will himself toward one, and hed pop right out.
Shardul chose a distant one, and left the world of darkness, reappearing under the shadow of a Godshollow, some twenty paces away.
What was that!? Vir asked the entity in his head. Hed never seen anything like it. And, unlike Prana Vision and Ekanais Chakram Arts, Vir had no idea how Shardul had pulled it off. It had all happened so quickly, he didnt know what to make of it. And if he couldnt analyze it, how could he possibly replicate it in the future?
Dance of the Shadow Demon is a powerful ability, but you will not be able to learn from me as you have from the Reaper. If you wish to have my ability, then heed my words. You have a mission to fulfill, Ekavir. Seek the Ashen Realm. Within it, great strength awaits.
If I go to the Ashen Realm, youll show me? Vir asked Shardul. This demon took a different approach from Ekanai. Rather than threatening him, he was offering something in return.
I swear it. This is thest time, Ekavir. We shall aid you no more. Shardul said, fading away. Not until you ept your destiny
And then Vir was alone in his head once again. He had so many questions he lost count, but he forced his thoughts under control. Even now, he heard his enemies shouting in the distance, looking for him.
Vir stared up at the magnificent tree that soared above him. Hed finally made it to a Godhollow. And yet, he simply could not muster the energy to climb it.
He attempted to activate Dance of the Shadow Demon, but failed. Without Sharduls will to guide him, he couldnt recall the exact process. It was like hed watched someone assemble a puzzle, but now that he had to put it together himself, he found himself unable to.
Enemy footsteps grew closer, their voices louder. It would only be a matter of time before they found him.
Vir fought through the haze that threatened to send his mind into unconsciousness. He stumbled to his feet, but fell shortly after.
So instead, he crawled on all fours. Anything to move from here.
Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision as he crawled through the forest, blindly veering left and right, hoping against all hope he was moving away from the two soldiers and not towards them.
Fate was never so kind.
Ah, there you are, boy. Gave us quite the shock with your disappearing act! Shadow Blends a rare Talent. Very rare. I can see why she wants you dead.
She? Vir said, searching the forest for the source of their voices. His tunnel vision made it incredibly difficult to see much of anything, and it took him several seconds to spot them.
They both stood just ten paces away.
Thats for us to know, and for you to never find out, the poleax wielder said, walking forward with his executioners de.
Vir struggled to gain ground, but couldnt. He stumbled and fell.
Anyst words? The weapons speartip now hovered in front of Virs throat. A simple thrust would end his life.
Ash damn you, Vir said.
Ha ha truly admirable wordsWho goes there!? the man shouted, spinning around.
Something incredibly bright shed in Virs Prana Vision, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them again, both men had frozen.
Vir stared at their encased forms for several seconds. Ice Prison!?
The block of ice in front of him cracked, then shattered into a hundred pieces.
And behind it stood a woman d in ck leather, twirling a spear.
Tanya furrowed her brows at Vir. Nice fight.
T-thanks he replied. Right before he cked out.
Next time: 51 - The Aftermath
Chapter 51: The Aftermath
Chapter 51: The Aftermath
Vir opened his eyes to soaring trees and a lush meadow bisected by a babbling brook. The sounds of trickling water and the chirping of birds painted an idyllic picture, but the deception didnt fool him. The Godshollow was dangerous for all humans at all hours.
He gingerly sat up to find his arms and legs covered in well-dressed bandages. His wounds were mostly gone, alleviating his most pressing concern, and he found no trace of his benefactor. It was just him and the eerie voices of the forest.
It looked as though Tanya had rescued him, patched him up, then bailed well before hed woken. He couldnt believe shed leave him here alone and unconscious like that
No... No that sounds exactly like something she''d do. He could easily picture her growing bored of waiting around for him.
But then, he also couldnt believe shed healed him in the first ce. The woman would''ve been ecstatic if hed perished.
Which likely meant she was operating under Riyans orders. And that meant...
Vir looked around. Was she simply observing him from the woods? A quick scan with Prana Vision found her soon enough, hiding behind some bushes nearby.
Ah, yup. Strong ice affinity mejai. That''s her signature alright. But why''s she... Oh.
In case more pursuers showed up, she''d have the element of surprise.
She clearly didn''t want to be found, so Vir let her be. He doubted she''d reply if he called out to her, anyway.
More importantly, how did she know where to find him? Her words made it sound more like she expected him here. If so, whyd she wait right until I was about to die to interfere? Was she testing me?
She had to have been after the people hunting him. But howd she know of them? And who were they in the first ce? Theyd admitted to not being knightsdid that mean they werent rted to Knight Captain Vastav? One soldier said that she had sent them. But who?
Gulping, Vir recalled how skilled those soldiers had been, corralling him perfectly.
No, he thought. That wasnt the source of the problem. The real issue was how his katar had beenpletely ineffective against their armor. Riyan never wore armor, and he hadnt yet trained Vir to fight against armored opponents. It was a ring deficiency in his offensive capabilities, one he hoped to resolve soon. Maybe there was a Talent that could help with that.
And then Tanya hade and killed them both with a single spell
It seemed like every time he saw magic in use, it grew more impressive in his mind. Every time he gained some strength, he was shown just how small of a fish he was, swimming in a very, very At least she left directions, Vir thought with a sigh. But does she have to needle me like that?
Tanya knew full well that he was prana-scorned and that the orb would be useless to him.
No, the mejai had left it here just to spite him. For the sole purpose of reminding him how crippled he was.
Jokes on her. He smirked, approaching the orb. Shed messed up. Even C grade orbs like this one fetched a pretty penny. Maybe it was nothing to a rich mejai like her, but to Vir? The little ball of magic represented a small fortune. Not a single Brijer had one, and here shed just casually left it behind out of petty spite.
It was cracked.
Badrakkit! Of course she wouldn''t have left a working orb behind...
Vir kicked the piece of scrap away. It was worse to have hope crushed rather than to have no hope at all, and Tanya knew that.
Limping to the nearby brook, Vir swore she''d get what wasing to her.
He plunged his head right into the stream, gulping up mouthfuls of the refreshing liquid and washing away the grime that caked his face.
His stomach grumbled as the cool liquid trickled down his throat. Vir could scarcely recall thest time hed had anything to eat or drink. Unfortunately, his rucksack full of food was nowhere to be seen.
At least I wont die of thirst
Fully energized, he set out in the arrow''s direction. As much as he wanted to plop down right there and practice the new ability Shardul had shown him, the Godshollow was not a suitable location. And without his heavy nket, spending another night in the forest was out of the question. He had to leave, and soon.
None of the surroundings felt familiar to him, which meant Tanya must have carried him here. He only hoped shed put him at the edge of the forest. Itd be too cruel to have taken him deeper in, even for her. Maybe. Possibly.
Only then did he remember her words. Nice fight, she''d said. It was the first time she''d ever acknowledged him, let alone paid him apliment. Vir shook it off. He''d go crazy trying to understand that woman''s thoughts.
He struck a slow, steady pace across the forest, following the brook and always seeking firm footing to avoid aggravating his injuries. His limp worked itself out once hed limbered up, allowing him to keep a decent pace. Tanya had no issues keeping up, and Vir was surprised at how quietly she moved through the forest. Without Prana Vision, he wouldn''t have noticed her at all.
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The hike gave him ample time to reflect on the series of bizarre events that had befallen him. Putting aside the matter of his assants identity, what truly puzzled him was the memory-vision hed had just before the wind de hit him.
Shardul The Vicious. That was the part he couldnt wrap his head around. This was the third time hed experienced something like thisfirst in the Godshollow, then again when hed fought the wolf on top of Riyans home. But on both prior asions, itd been Reaper Ekanai whod possessed him. The demon hede to hate.
Now there was another. And this demon said simr things. Fulfill your destiny. Travel to the Ashen Realm.
Sheer grakking idiocy. Vir had progressed far over the four months hed spent at Riyans ce, but he was no fool. Even if Shardul promised great power in return, to step foot into the Ashen Realm was tomit suicide. Everyone knew that. And yet Shardul wanted him to do this? Did he have some way of keeping Vir safe?
Too muchy unknown. Nothing Shardul had said gave Vir any evidence that hed be spared from death in that ce.
And yet, he knew well the repercussions of ignoring their advice.
Each time, theyd taken over in life or death situations. When faced with certain death, they took over his body and guided him to victory. At least, that was how it was until now.
Shardul outright threatened to abandon Vir in the future. It mightve been a bluff, but it wasnt one Vir could risk. If he was wrong hed die.
Another thing bothered him. There was a possibility Ekanai might take over his body in his sleep. A scene formed in his mind. A morning where he woke to see Maiya dead, a red slit running across her throat.
Vir purged the image. He needed toe up with a n. Some way to thread the needle. Something that would keep the voices in his head satisfied while also keeping him and Maiya alive.
Keep Maiya alive? Thats
There was a solution. A simple one.
All I have to do is leave her. If we go our separate ways
But could he do that? After hed sworn to stay by her side? After hed grown up with her?
It irked him that Riyans favor would have exactly this situation unfold. The man divulged nothing about their tasks, but he had told them theyd be going their separate ways to aplish it.
Vir was dead set on disobeying Riyan if he asked an unreasonable favor out of them. Now? Now, he wasnt so sure
There was something else that puzzled him about Sharduls memory. On all asions, the name Garga came up. Ekanai hated them. Shardul belonged to thema nation? Who were they? And when and where did these memory fragments ur? Thend in all three of his memories was a ce of red skies and even redder soil. And where Ash prana upied both the air and the ground. Vir hadnt even heard of such a ce in the Known World.
The only thing that was familiar about all of this was the tattoo on his chest. Both Ekanai and Shardul possessed it. Did that mean there were others out there with the same tattoo? The Symbol of the Akh Nara as Shardul had called it.
Or am I seeing memories of my past incarnations?
Either way, he had to admit that without Ekanai, without Shardul, he wouldve perished long ago. Could he really afford not to capitalize on these visions? The powers he gained allowed him to leap forward in hisbat power.
Granted, he had to train nonstop to regain the heights hed achieved in the visions, so it wasnt like they came for freehed earned them through sweat and hard work, practicing the motions repeatedly. But even if they yielded him great power, the only way he could justify getting them was if he could guarantee Maiyas safety. Which, of course, led him back to separating from her.
Vir continued walking, his mind lost in his thoughts. When the sky grew brighter an hourter, he knew he was close. You couldnt really tell that you were at the edge of a forest until you were nearly there, but the overall light level gave a big hint.
Sure enough, he broke through the forest edge minutester. The forests boundary was stark, with the ancient Godhollows abruptly giving way to vast ins under a sunny blue sky. As though hed stepped into another world.
Gazing up, he could hardly believe it still wasnt even noon yet. The day had already felt thrice as long as a normal one, considering everything that hed been through.
Another half hours walk along the forests edge put him back at his entry point, with Bumpy loitering right where hed left the beast.
Were you good, Bumpy? he said, patting the animals hide, Nobody troubled you? Vir had never been so happy to see the Ashva before.
Bumpy snorted in response, nuzzling him. Hed developed a kind of bond with the beast over time, as had Maiya. Though it did bother him that Bumpy yed favorites with her. The constion prize was that Bumpys little brother Grumpy seemed to hate him slightly less than it did Maiya. Not enough to let Vir ride him, though.
Vir hopped on and rode northto home. Tanya''s presence soon fell out of Prana Vision''s range, as she made sure to stay out of visual range, which was much further.
Regardless, he didn''t rely on her. Throughout the bumpy ride, Vir kept a sharp eye for any pursuers. If his enemy nned to press their assault, now would be the best time when he was seemingly alone and out in the open.
Each minute passed at a snails pace, with Vir continuously scanning the horizon for enemies. Though none ever came, his nerves were frayed nheless.
After ensuring that Tanya had headed back to the abode, he made a quick detour, riding for the cavework just south of Riyans ce.
The sun was still high in the sky, so even with the six-hour ride back, hed make it with time to spare. If Tanya wondered why hed taken so long, he''d just tell her hed been disoriented after the harrowing ordeal, having woken up with nobody around. Maybe that would make her sweat a little.
He guided Bumpy into the mouth of a cave and dismounted, leaving the beast behind and proceeding the rest of the way on foot.
Riyan had been right to warn them about these caves, deep andbyrinthine as they were. Without carefully mapping out the ce, it would be incredibly easy to get lost. Luckily, cartography had be something of a pastime for both Vir and Maiya, and they had charted a majority of thework already.
It was easier for Vir, too, since Prana Vision let him navigate in pitch ckness, so long as there was some amount of prana around. And the cavework was filled with Earth and Shadow affinity prana.
Vir forged ahead into thework, negotiating several turns before arriving at his destination.
Deep within the caves recesses, hidden in a hollow behind a rock,y a cache of provisions. Though modest, they had slowly grown it over time, swiping things from Riyan whenever it was safe. Sacks of nuts and dried fruit, a pair of clothes, a nket, Rudviks twenty coppers, and the silver and forty coppers from their Saran haul.
All to prepare for their escape from Riyan, if it ever came to that.
Once hed ensured everything was all safely ounted for, he retraced his steps to where hed left Bumpy only he didnt quite exit the caves. Not yet.
The cave had a rtive abundance of Shadow prana, and it just so happened that Dance of the Shadow Demon had a lot to do with shadows.
Shardul had said he could not unlock its secrets. That hed have to travel to the Ashen Realm to do so. But the Ashen Realm was far away, even if he decided to go there eventually. He needed power now, and he was grakking sure hed do everything in his power to try.
It was time to unwrap the secrets of this mysterious ability.
Next time: 52 - Dance Of The Shadow Demon
Chapter 52: Dance Of The Shadow Demon
Chapter 52: Dance Of The Shadow Demon
Vir took a seat on the rocky ground of the cave. Close enough to the entrance that some light trickled through, but not enough that it affected his Prana Vision. Dark ces had better prana contrast.
He sent blood to his eyes, activating the ability. Thanks to his daily efforts at improving it, his sight now red just as brightly as when Ekanai had used it all those months ago in the Godshollow.
Vir turned his eyes inward and focused on the memory hed had when Shardul had used Dance of the Shadow Demon. No, that wasnt quite correct. It wasnt the true form of the Dance. Hecked the tattoo that Shardul had.
Was that why he said I couldnt steal it? Because I need the tattoo? The tattoo had glowed in the memory when hed used the ability.
That said, Vir had used it, under his guidance, all without a tattoo. He recalled he only moved about twenty paces, while Shardul had gone much much farther in the memory.
Maybe the tattoo only amplified the ability? Or maybe it makes it easier to use?
As far as Vir could tell, Dance of the Shadow Demon allowed him to sink into shadows and reappear in another shadow. If that were really the case, it would be an unbelievably powerful ability, even without the extended range. He just had to figure out how to activate it.
Attempting to imitate Shardul yielded no results. It hadnt worked when hed tried to escape from his pursuers, and it didnt work now. And Vir felt he understood why.
There was amon thread that ran through all of his memory fragmentsthe powers shown to him in those visions were all performed by those who had mastered the ability. As Vir was learning, the amount of thought a master of an art put forth was iparable to a beginner. Masters performed their feats with far less effort.
In the memory fragments, both Ekanai and Shardul wielded their abilities as naturally as they walked. For a baby, walking was a monumentally arduous task. But adults barely ever think about it, not unless they were traversing hazardous terrain or attempting acrobatics.
It was the same for Dance of the Shadow Demon. Vir couldnt replicate Sharduls moves, because Shardul himself wasnt thinking of the steps required to activate the ability. It had long ago be ingrained in his muscle memory.
Thats a problem, Vir reflected. If there wasnt enough information to go on, he really was at a dead end.
So Vir did the next best thinghe looked to his own understanding of prana, and analyzed the sequence of events during Sharduls memory. Over the past months, hed developed some knowledge on his own. Knowledge he might use here to help reverse engineer this ability.
Thankfully, Shardul had also possessed Prana Vision, which gave him some insights.
In the memory, Shardul had gone up against a horde of enemy warriors. Hed been on a battlefield filled with corpses of his in enemies.
Hours had passed since hed experienced the memory and the details had already grown hazy. Hed feared as much, but had little choice back in the Godshollow.
An image of two beautiful chakrams popped into his head, but Vir tried not to let that distract him. He focused on the moment when Shardul had sunk into the earth.
Lurking within the ground, he saw Ash prana in far higher concentrations than what hed grown ustomed to. But more astonishingly, Ash prana filled the air as well! Not in any significant density, but it was undeniably present.
Could that be why its not working? But no. Again, Vir had used the ability with the prana that existed in the Godshollow. Which only made him wonder why it waspletely missing now. How long ago had this memory taken ce?
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And where, exactly? Hed wondered this before, but in the memory, the ground was tinged a deep sunset crimson, as was the sky. This was consistent with every memory hed had so far. Were different regions of the world popted with different prana affinities?
Or Or was he looking at memories from another age, or perhaps another realm?
The thought sent shivers down his spine. No one really knew what realms existed, apart from the Known World and the Ashen Realm. Vir doubted he was seeing glimpses of the Ashen Realm, however. Everyone said the prana density was incredibly high there, and the prana in his memory fragmentswhile not lowwasnt incredibly high either. Just that Ash prana was present in greater quantities.
If one of the memories had shown Shardul or Ekanai fighting in the Ashen Realm, Vir would have a lot more reason to believe that he could survive in that ce.
He focused his attention back to the prana, hoping to glean a hint on how the ability functioned.
Shardul took his time and sank slowly into the shadow like a specteranother point of interest, since Vir felt like hed almost instantly disappeared into it when avoiding the wind de. Sharduls penchant for theatrics may have been a weakness on the battlefield, but it made it easy for Vir to analyze.
What he saw gave him hope. Ash prana clearly evacuated from Sharduls legs as he sank into the ground.
Which was weird. Very weird. For a few reasons. Ekanai and Shardul were the only other beings Vir had encountered who had Ash prana flowing within them. Until now, hed never seen anyone use magic with them, but Shardul had powered his green tattoo with prana.
And that made Vir wonder: What if Ash prana requires tattoos to power spells?
It would exin why there were no orbs for this affinity. It might just require a different mechanism to express that power. But of course, Vir had never once heard of tattoos conducting magical power. Even if it was true, he was no better off knowing about it.
Vir returned his thoughts to Dance of the Shadow Demon. The biggest piece of this puzzle was how Shardul triggered the ability. As far as Vir could tell, Shardul did exactly what hed always donesuck prana out of his legs.
It didnt truly make sense. But then, Leap and High Jump had never really made much sense either when he really dug into it. They both activated the same way. The only difference was Virs intent. How intent yed a role in the activation of abilities, he did not know. There were mysteries about prana he would likely never understand.
Vir got up to give it a go, but of course, nothing happened. The prana just rushed up into his legs, and stayed there, saturating his bloodstream. No amount of willing himself to sink into shadows made it happen.
Vir tried several variations over the next hour. He modted how much prana he used. He tried sucking it in slower, then quicker. He meditated on the different aspects of shadowshow they were an absence of light, rather than anything physical.
He even tried begging Shardul to give him some hint, but the demon was quiet. That got him thinking about whether they really could take over his mind whenever they wanted. So far, they only had when he was in life-threatening situations. It might have been the very reason Ekanai hadnt simplymandeered Virs body, leaving him helpless.
In the end, Virs efforts were for naught. As Shardul had said, Vir was unable to replicate this ability. He was missing something crucial here. He just didnt know what.
And with the sky painting hues of orange and red, he was out of time. Further experimentation would have to wait.
Vir exited the cavern to find a bored looking Bumpy rubbing his snout against the cave entrance.
Lets go home, Bumpy, he said, sadly patting his trusty steed. This was the first time hed failed to grasp a new ability, and it irked him like worms under his skin. It left his stomach queasy, and he knew hed lie awake at night, thinking about the ability.
Vir made haste on the way back. Theyd been gone too long, and Riyan would no doubt worry. As much as he wanted to put Tanya in hot water, dying any longer might draw the Ghost of Godshollows ire. That was never good news for anyone.
The ride home took a mere ten minutes, but when he arrived, the stable was empty. That meant Tanya was out for sure, and either Riyan or Maiya as well. He only hoped they werent searching for him.
Vir opened the main door and stepped inside. Maiya? Im back.
A door mmed open, followed by the furious steps of bare feet upon y floor.
Vir? Vir! Oh, gods! Maiya said, running up to him and grabbing his hand. Neel followed suit, tail wagging. The bandy proceeded to run circles around the two.
Whats wrong, Maiya? Vir said, kneeling down to pet his furry friend.
Vir, its terrible! Youre being hunted! She said, her face stered with fear.
Uh, Vir replied, Tell me something I dont know
Next time: 53 - Maiya Advances
Chapter 53: Maiya Advances
Chapter 53: Maiya Advances
She possesses not a shred of talent! Tanyas frustrated voice came muffled through the kitchen door, but was clear enough for Virs ears.
Dont all mejai take months to sense prana? Riyan replied calmly. Give her more time.
Easy for you to say, training a prodigy like Vir. Even so, her progress is slower than most mejai.
Prodigy. Now that was a word Vir never thought hed hear in the same sentence as his name.
Vir still hadnt grown used to Tanyas attitude change. Ever since she learned of his Talents, shed been treating him more politely, giving him a bit more respect.
Hed been mistaken about the woman. She didnt dislike Ashbornshe thought him weak for being prana scorned.
Sadly, the opposite held true for his friend. Tanya had been getting angrier and angrier at Maiya for having failed to progress even an inch in her mejai training.
I am as surprised as you, Tanya. The boy is certainly not what I expected. Did you know? I was ready to throw him out when they had first arrived. What a terrible mistake that would have been! Perhaps the girl will manifest her abilities in time as well. She certainly has the affinities.
I only hope youre right, said Tanya.
The two fell silent, forcing Vir to leave lest they discover him. Hed just wrapped up training for the day when he happened upon a rare conversation he could overhear. These days, he tried to glean every little morsel of information he could, considering how tightlipped Riyan and Tanya had been about the Godshollow encounter.
They had both refused to say a word about the identity of the ones who had hunted him. Nor did they divulge why or how Tanya had suddenly appeared to rescue him. There was something going on heresomething beyond the veil of what he could see. In fact, Riyan hadnt even discussed the oue of his fight with the spider. Tanya had seen its corpse, so she had likely informed the man of Virs sess, but even still he didnt like this secrecy.
Inside the bedroom, he found Maiya on her bed, hugging her knees and sobbing.
You got into a fight with Tanya, didnt you? he mumbled, sitting on her bed.
You tell me. Youre the genius, she said, head still buried in her knees.
Am not, Vir retorted, his back against hers, staring at the hairline cracks that covered the y ceiling. You oughta know that better than most. Doesnt take a genius to figure out what happened.
Maiya finally popped her head up, peeking at Vir with one eye. Im not making any progress, Vir. Do you have any idea how hard it is, being constantlypared to someone whos mastering Talents one after another?
Vir met her gaze with a wry smile. I do know, Maiya. Ive known that feeling for most of my life.
Her cheeks flushed, and she stuck her head back into her knees. Sorry, she said a momentter. Its not right of me toin like this. I know. I know that! But still!
Vir stroked her back, then moved his way up to her shoulders.
Hmph, Maiya mumbled. Vir didnt need to see her expression to know she was pouting, and was probably embarrassed at her outburst, but was too shy to admit it. So he threw her a bone.
I could use a change of scenery. How about we go catch the sunset at our spot? Cmon! Itll be good.
Vir got up and left, not waiting for his friend. Hed learned long ago that the best way to handle a grumpy Maiya was to let her have some space.
He threw on his boots and plodded through the sand up to the tree that capped Riyans abode, all the while thinking about how Dance of the Shadow Demon wouldve made quick work of the trip, with the long shadows of sunset. Hed been mulling over the ability over the past few days after he got back, but hadnt taken even a single step towards mastering it.
Then there was the other issue he was dealing withfinding excuses not to use Talents when Riyan asked him to. There was such little Ash prana left near Riyans ce that Vir felt like he could use his Talents once maybe twice before all the prana ran out. The man couldnt understand that Virs prana was a scarcemodity.
Must be nice having unlimited prana to use.
Vir found a spot under the branchless tree and plopped down, making himselffortable. Theyde here less and lesstely. Hed forgotten how much he missed the spot.
The warmth of the sand soaked into his back, and he found his eyelids drooped. Soon, hed drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
He woke up just in time to see the sun slip beneath the horizon, finding Maiya curled up beside him.
Morning, princess, she said with a smirk.
Princess? What are you, then? My knight in shining armor?
Do you want me to be?
Dunno. Havent gotten along all that well with knights so far
Maiya burst out giggling, forcing a smile of his own. She looked off into the distance, and her smile slowly gave way to a frown.
Any word from Riyan about those people hunting you? she asked with a strained voice.
Nothing, Vir replied. Ive lost count of the number of times I asked him. I dont get why hes so secretive about all of this. We already know about those people, not like telling us would change anything.
Maybe he doesnt know? Maiya asked.
Vir shook his head. If that was the case, then Tanya wouldnt have shown up. He knew theyd be there, chasing after me. All I know is they werent knights. They dressed differently, and they said they werent.
But if its not the knights, then who could it be? Whod want to harm you? And besides, how did they even know to find you there?
I dont know, Maiya. I really wish I did. Id always thought we were safe here, at Riyans ce. But now? Im not so sure anymore. We can only rely on our own strength to keep us safe, and neither of us are strong enough yet.
Tell me about it Maiya said, looking down at her feet.
Well, why dont we see what we can do about that? Vir said, cracking his neck.
What do you mean? she asked with a tilt of her head.
Im saying maybe I can give you some tips if you show me what youre doing, he said.
Hmm, she said, falling silent. Shed asionally throw furtive nces his way while tapping her chin. A ssic Maiya quirk. Well, if you figured those Talents out by understanding prana as you said, then then maybe theres a chance? Thought you said your magic worked differently?
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Maybe? Im not really sure, so lets find out!
Vir activated Prana Vision as she crossed her legs and closed her eyes. He saw the wind and ice prana circte through her body, its course slightly altered thanks to the weird breathing exercise she did. Same as before.
Maiya was right, whatever she was doing truly wasnt working. No prana entered her body and in fact, not much of anything happened at all.
Alright, walk me through the steps again, will you? Vir said, hoping for some inspiration. First, you detect prana, right? What then?
Then you have to prove your faith to the gods by offering up your limb. Or something.
Vir groaned. This was beyond terrible. Nothing he had seen about prana had even once hinted at faith. It was almost like mejai were purposefully trying to hobble their students. Either that, or they truly had no clue how prana worked. Hed initially thought that Tanya was trying to dumb things down for Maiya, to simplify the process for a neer. Now? He wasnt so sure anymore.
Closing his eyes, he puzzled through how all of this might work. He spoke his thoughts out loud for Maiyas benefit.
Okay, so, Ive found that Talents use prana. Earth Affinity and Shadow Affinity prana.
Neither of which anyones ever heard of Maiya said, contemting.
Right. I fully admit thats bizarre, but lets just assume Im right for now. The way I make Talents work is by seizing control of the prana inside my body.
Hmm. Tanya keeps telling me how the prana in our bodies is useless for anything.
Yeah, I dont use my prana to power Talents. There isnt nearly enough. I just yank on it. Except, pranas bound to blood, so that can cause some issues. I havent found a way to break that bond yet. Whenever I move the prana inside me, my blood moves as well.
Hmmm. Huh. Interesting Wait, said Maiya, You think thats why Tanya says magic hurts? Because mejai yank on their blood?
Virs eyes widened. Uh you might be onto something there, Maiya. Ive been assuming that orbs work differently from Talents since orbs remain charged until theyre used. Talents have to be activated right away But what if theyre the same? What if orbs just store the prana you pull in?
What if mejai did exactly what he was doing with Talents, but instead of consuming the ambient prana inside their own body, they funneled it into the orb instead? Of course, in Maiyas case, shed be pulling prana from the air and not the ground, but the principle was the same.
It irked Vir that even with Tanyas newfound respect for him, she still refused to demonstrate her magic in front of him. If he could see her using magic, things wouldve been much easier.
Vir had even considered hurting himself just to have Riyan heal him, but these days, the man refused to intervene unless he hurt himself badly. Something about not coddling him anymore.
No matter how much he wanted to improve, he wasnt about to kill himself half to death just to see Life magic up close.
Okay, Vir said, Lets just pretend that the prana in your body is important for a minute. I know that goes against your mejai teachings, but y along for now, will you?
Sure. What do you want me to do?
Right, so dont even bother trying to detect prana outside of you. I think we can skip that step entirely.
Uh, alright? Ill try anything at this point, to be honest, she replied hesitantly. She wasnt convinced, but it wasnt like his method required her faith.
Try, um, Vir searched for the right words. He was stumbling around, discovering things on his own. And now he was trying to teach someone? He felt so out of his depth. Try to imagine prana flowing inside your body. Yknow, like your blood. It flows everywhere through your legs and arms, right?
Uh, huh
Alright, so now think about slowing down that flow. Like youre damming a river. But just inside your arm.
Maiya scrunched up her face in concentration, to the point where sweat beaded up on her brow.
Nothings happening, she said.
That was wrong. Nothing visible had happened. Not to her, at least, but Prana Vision revealed the facts for what they were. The blood in her arm had slowed, though only by an imperceptible amount.
Maiya, do you have an Ice affinity orb handy? he asked, his excitement growing.
Uh, not on me. But I could grab one from Tanya? Probably
Do it. And meet me at Bumpy.
Uh now? Its about to get dark.
Trust me, he said. If Im right about this, itll be well worth your time.
It took a full fifteen minutes for Maiya to return, C grade Ice affinity orb in hand.
You wont believe the trouble that witch gave me, sheined. Why do you need it, What are you nning, Walk before you run, you talentless lout! Ugh. That woman drives me up the wall!
Yeah, well, if this works, youll have thestugh. Cmon, get on. Ive already checked out on Riyans roster. Were good to go.
Maiya mounted Bumpy behind him, and they rode for the ins that stretched south of Riyans abode.
The half-hour ride passed in silence, with Vir refusing to tell Maiya anything until theyd actually arrived. Thest thing he needed now was to confuse her with more unnecessary jargon and prana specifics.
Just trust me, hed said.
I do, Maiya had replied, resting her head gently upon his back while they rode.
Vir soon located a small brook. Not the most ideal setting, but with night having just fallen, the temperature had dropped steadily as well.
That was important, because the amount of ice prana in the air had gone up noticeably. Still only trace amounts, but more traces than before. The water body helped as well, acting like a ma for Water and Ice affinities.
Alright, now do what you did back home, Vir said, motioning for Maiya to sit beside the river. Exactly likest time. And close your eyes.
Grasping the orb in her left hand, she concentrated.
Vir stared into her body with Prana Vision, and saw the blood to her arm slow just a hair. It was nowhere even close to the level of power he had over his own body but it was there.
Not working, Vir, Maiya said.
Just keep it up, he said, his gaze fixed on her arm. Slowly but surely, the prana inside her arm was being depleteddissolved by her muscles.
A minute passed. Then five. Maiya keptining, but stuck through it regardless, her eyes shut in concentration the whole time.
At the ten-minute mark, something changed.
Vir I think I feel something. My arm feels weird. All tingly, and it hurts a little.
Thats great, Maiya! Keep it going!
Maiyas tingling sensation gave way to pain and finally to numbness.
Only at that point did Vir tell her to open her eyes.
Her jaw hit the floor. T-t-tt-the!
Haha, yep, Vir replied, gazing at the dimly lit ice orb, partially charged. If a mejai saw it, theyd say it was barely a quarter full.
But even then, the clear light that illuminated Maiyas palm told it true.
I did magic? Maiya said, staring nkly at the orb. I did magic Chs knees! Vir! Vir! I DID MAGIC! She screamed, nearly deafening him.
You sure did, Maiya, he replied warmly, sharing his friends jubilee.
Viiiiir! She tossed the orb aside and tackled him, sending them both to the ground. Maiya continued to cling to him, refusing to let go. Vir, how?
She squeezed him tightly. Vir, I love youuuuu. Thank you so so soooo much! You cant know what this means to me! Im not supposed to charge orbs for like a year! Or more! This is insane! Just wait till Tanya sees!
Virughed, awkwardly patting her back as he sat back up. Ha ha, t-thanks Maiya. Im gonna have to take some time to process all this, but I think we just confirmed that Talents and magic work in exactly the same way. Oh, but keep the details of how this works to yourself, yeah? I, uh I dont think a lot of people know about this. Not even Tanya.
Youre incredible, Vir, Maiya said, finally breaking her embrace so that she could wipe the tears from her eyes. How did you possibly figure all this out?
Hey, you were the one who had the realization about Talents working the same as orbs, he replied with a wink. And he meant it. It wasnt Maiyas fault that her instructor didnt know how to teach her. From now on, try training near ces with a lot of wind and water. And especially at night. I think youll have a much easier time of it.
Got it. Anything else? she asked, looking at him with eyes full of wonder.
He ruffled her head. Start with that for now. And be careful about how much you restrict your blood flow. Too much and it can be dangerous Ask me how I know.
While Maiya might have been excited, Vir was honestly relieved at her breakthrough. If they did end up separating in the future, hed feel a lot better if Maiya knew how to hurl powerful spells in addition to her Kri training.
Maiya suddenly frowned and looked away, her previous energy dissipating into thin air.
I wish mom and dad could see this, she said. Theyd be so proud. I miss them so much, Vir.
Well, why dont we show them? In person.
She turned to him, the faintest hint of hope in her eyes. You think hell let us go back?
Ive got a dueling up with him, Vir replied. If I perform well enough, I cant think of a reason why hed refuse. I wield Talents. Youve made a breakthrough. That has to be enough to satisfy him.
Can you imagine how theyll react when they see everything we can do?
Vir only hoped things turned out as well as she hoped. A small whisper at the back of his head said otherwise. A voice he did his best to ignore.
Next time: 54 - Duel on the Dunes
Chapter 54: Duel On The Dunes
Chapter 54: Duel On The Dunes
If you want me at my best, we need to fight outside, Vir said, staring down Riyan in the training dome.
The moment of their duel had finally arrived, and Vir fought to keep the jitters under control. He flicked a nce at Maiya, who nodded supportingly. Neel and Tanya stood beside her. He had a lot riding on this one.
Why? his instructor asked.
I have my reasons. Id like to request you to fight me somewhere open. You pick the site.
He hoped that in doing so, Riyan wouldnt suspect him of foul y.
The big man stroked his beard, eyeing Vir up and down. Very well, he said atst. We ride for the oasis. Is this eptable?
Very, Vir replied, breathing a little easier.
Vir and Maiya mounted up on Bumpy, while Riyan and Tanya each rode their own Ashvas. Neel nuzzled up against Vir before he left, as if wishing him good luck.
Do you really think youll pass his test? Maiya asked as they rode through the sand dunes. The morning sun was still low in the sky, leaving the temperature warm, but not yet oppressive.
I have to.
The uing duel was going to be a headache for Vir. He still couldnt use Dance of the Shadow Demon. Neither Riyan nor Tanya had said a peep about it, which could only mean one thingTanya hadnt seen him use that ability in the Godshollow. If she had, shed have bbed to Riyan, and hed have jumped off the ceiling with joy. It wasn''t like he possessed that ability yet.
He hadnt even told Maiya about it, though for different reasons. He didnt even know if he could use the ability again. Bragging about a new ability would just kill the wind in her sails. Shed only just made a breakthrough in her mejai training. He didnt want to sour her joy for an ability he hadnt yet learned.
Which meant that he really only had one secret weapon. To this day, Riyan still didnt know about his explosive stamina growth. Vir had taken every precaution to hide that from the man. Hed have to capitalize on that deception if he was going to win this.
But why did you want to fight out in the desert? Its only gonna get hotter, yeah? Whats wrong with the dome? Maiya asked.
I told you my Talents use prana, right? But Ash affinity is incredibly rare. All the Ash pranas almost depleted around Riyans ce. Whatevers left, Im trying to keep for emergencies.
Hed taken a gamble by letting Riyan pick the location. Luckily, the oasis was as good as any. He had scouted several locations to determine how many Talents he could use before the Ash prana in that area dried up, and the average was about a dozenbined Leaps and High Jumps.
You dont have to do this for me, Vir. You dont have to win against him if it means messing up our chances forter. Im not that selfish, Maiya added.
No, he wont ept it unless I go all out. I fully intend to pass.
Of course, it was easier said than done.
Riyan finally stopped at the bottom of a saddle between several sand dunes. Vir couldnt even see the oasis from here, but he knew they must have been close.
Will this do? His instructor asked as Vir pulled up alongside.
Itll do just fine, Vir said, hopping off. But theres one condition Id like to request.
Riyan looked amused. He gestured with his chin for Vir to proceed.
If I pass your test, Id like you to grant us permission to visit Brij. In disguise, of course.
eptable, Riyan said without hesitation. The reply came so quickly that Vir felt the man had already decided and was just waiting for Vir to ask.
The duel was now official. All of Virs worries about hiding his abilities melted away. He knew what he had to do. He just had to execute on it now.
Because failing meant Maiya would cry and that simply was just not eptable.
The two faced off in the valley of dunes, forty paces apart. Too far apart for a conventional duel but warranted for a duel among Talent wielders.
For this fight, he had his usual katar, three chakrams looped around his neck, and a dozen smaller chakris worn as braceletssix on each arm. Riyan wielded only his talwar, as usual. His steel talwar. Both of them had equipped actual weapons this time around.
Tanya stood in the middle. She looked at Riyan, who nodded. Then she turned to Vir, who nodded back.
The mejai walked several dozen paces off to the side to where Maiya stood and held up an orb, activating the spell within, causing an Icicle to shoot into the sky. The match was on.
Riyan was upon Vir in an instant, swinging with his talwar. Vir had to Leap away to avoid the blow, but the man pursued. He Leaped forward, closing the distance and striking again.
Uwfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
From the outset, Vir was forced onto the defensive, Leaping away when he could, dodging when he couldnt, and desperately deflecting the ones he was unable to dodge. High Jump was nearly identical to Leap, but that it sent him high up in the air. He didnt dare use that Talenthis experience in the forest had shown him just how dangerous jumping into the air in the middle of a battle could be.
Again and again, Riyan forced him to Leap to safety, slowly depleting his most precious resourceground Ash affinity prana.
Vir focused on fending off Riyans strikes, but he knew hed lose at this rate, and soon. With nine Talent activations already wasted, he had two, possibly three usages left before the well ran dry.
This was the exact scenario hed been hoping to avoid, and Riyan had pushed him here within moments.
Then an idea struck him. Maybe maybe this is okay?
Vir fought desperately, just barely defending each attack. Every time his katar nged against Riyans de, he slowed slightly, his breaths growing heavy.
Riyan finally let up, and Vir fell to his knees in exhaustion.
You have grown, but not nearly enough! Is this truly all the strength you can muster, boy? Show me your resolve! Come at me! Riyan roared.
Vir struggled to his feet, took a deep breath, and went on the offensive. His attacks carried no energy, and soon, Riyan stopped moving altogether,zily deflecting his attacks with a single hand. Disappointment oozed off of the man like a dark cloud.
I see, Riyan said, continuing to take Virs attacks, lecturing him in the middle ofbat. I see now that I have been too lenient with you. With Talents, I had thought you would be a force to be reckoned with. Im afraid I was wrong, boy. You fail!?
Vir had waited patiently for this moment. For the moment when Riyans guard fell, convinced that Vir had expended himself. He now had something no amount of coin in this world could buythe element of surprise.
He channeled prana into his legs and quadrupled his speed. Every trace of his prior fatigue was gone.
Vir didnt need Leap. He didnt even need half of it. He consumed only a quarter of the prana needed for the full Talentjust enough to elerate his body with supernatural speed, augmenting each strike. A micro Leap. And because it consumed only a fourth of the prana, it took a fourth as long to charge, ready in less than a second.
Vir became a whirlwind of shes and thrusts. For the first time in his life, he inflicted damage upon the Ghost of Godshollow.
Countless cuts opened up on the shocked mans arms and legs. Riyan hesitated for a moment, trying toprehend what had just happened. But only for a moment. Then he burst into uproariousughter, meeting Virs next blow with his talwar, stopping it cold.
Well yed, Vir! Well yed!
Vir didnt bother wrestling with the man in strengththat was a losing battle if hed ever seen one.
He broke off his attack and jumped away, throwing both chakrams and chakris from midair. The smaller chakris didn''t have the range of theirrger brethren, but at this distance, both were effective.
Riyan defended against the deadly disks, but the man only had a single weapon. He couldnt possibly defend against them all.
A chakri bit into his bicep, forcing him to Leap away.
Having expected that, Vir followed suit. Now he was the one pressing Riyan. Virs elerated footwork continued, rendering him all but impervious to the bigger mans attacks.
Ghost of Godshollow though he may be, he couldnt match Virs movements as he ducked, bobbed, and weaved around the bigger man like water, ripping his robe and drawing blood with each attack.
Well well, now this is a surprise, Riyan said calmly. Far more calm than someone with his injuries ought to be. While none of Virs attacks had caused any mortal wounds, the man bled from a dozen cuts. Surely he should have felt something?
I suppose it is time I took this seriously, then.
Vir didnt like the sound of that. Nor the evil glint in the mans eyes.
His intuition was correct. Riyan blurred out of existence and popped up behind Vir, grabbing him by his cor and throwing him into the sand. Riyan hurled his sword at Vir, right at his chest.
Toote to dodge, Virunched a chakri at the iing de. The two weapons nged in midair, causing Riyans de to veer off course, sinking into the sand just a hands span away from Virs head.
He had no time to rx. Just as Vir had found his feet again, Riyan had delivered a devastating punch to his abdomen.
Except this was no mere punch. Riyans fist glowed with Earth affinity prana, and his blow came at several times the speed of what any mortal should be capable of.
The next thing Vir knew, hed expelled the contents of his stomach and was sailing through the air. He hadnt even felt the impact, and strangely, neither did his body hurt.
Whats going on? Where am I? he thought in a daze.
He crashed into the sand,ing to a stop in a heap.
Oh I mustve cked out? Thats happening a lot these days
To his horror, Riyan stood above him the moment hede to a rest. Then he went flying again. Vir hadnt even seen the attacking.
What he did hear was a sickening crack from his chest.
This time, he felt the pain. Hed never experienced such agony in his entire life. Worse he could no longer breathe. Vir asphyxiated as he soared through the air,nding in a tangled mess.
He had no thoughts now. No n, no tactics. His mind was consumed with forcing air into his lungs, which had seemingly ceased functioning. No matter how much he gagged, no air came in.
In an addled act of desperation, Vir seized the prana in his body and willed it to work. A foolish decision that only made the pain worse.
But it did allow him to breathe again. He sucked in a mouthful of breath, thankful for the hot, dry air.
In the distance, he heard desperate shouting. It felt so far away, though. He paid it no mind. He was probably hallucinating it, anyway. Thinking was hard for Vir right now.
A great shadow loomed over him. Looking up, he found a predator. His instructor, gloating over him.
No not gloating. Daring. Riyans expression seemed to say Well? Is that it?
Vir spit out a wad of blood.
Was that it?
No Badrakking way.
Vir red up at the massive man who towered over him. He shakily found his feet and rose to his full height, standing tall, in defiance of his mangled chest and broken ribs.
He red as he threw a weak punch at the mans chest.
And he red right until his eyes rolled up into their sockets.
Though Vir fell unconscious, his body remained standing, his fist pressed against Riyans chest. Like a statue that refused to yield, no matter the odds.
Thest thing he heard was Riyans deafeningughter.
Next time: 55 - Shifting Winds
Chapter 55: Shifting Winds
Chapter 55: Shifting Winds
Vir? Have you seen my hair tie? Maiya said, furiously searching every nook and cranny in the bedroom. I think I left it somewhChalling Ash! Vir!
Maiya jumped, bonking Vir on his head. Dont scare me like that!
Blond-haired, blue-eyed Vir looked the spitting image of a noblemans son. His hair fell all the way to his shoulders, and his skin was like white sand.
I seriously cant even recognize you, Maiya said, looking him up and down.
Good, Vir replied. Thats kinda the point. Wasnt sure how itd work out, but I guess all those hours in front of the mirror paid off
Ill say! Maiya said, narrowing her eyes. Hmm, youre still not as good as me, though. Sorry Vir.
Vir smirked and shook his head. Sure, Maiya. Just needs to be good enough to fool anyone who knows us. And your reaction tells me we ought to be fine probably. You about ready?
Gimme like an hour? Maiya said, in the middle of doing her own makeup. Ill be ready soon.
Got it. Ill be outside.
Vir left Maiya to do her thing and crossed his legs on a sofa in the living room. Training would make him sweat, which wasnt great for the makeup. That left meditation.
He calmed his breaths and reflected upon recent events. The duel with Riyan had honestly not gone well for him. The man had pressured him right from the start, forcing him to burn through valuable usages of his Talents.
He thought about what he couldve done to avoid that situation, but came up empty. Riyan was just too strong for Vir to have even a chance of besting him. In a proper fight, the only way hed survive against a man like that would be to run away.
When Vir had awoken after the duel, battered and bruised, hed drowned in shame, having broken his promise to Maiya.
To his immense surprise, Riyan had not only passed him, hed actually been quite proud of Virs performance. Apparently, few warriors could make Riyan take a fight seriously.
Rarely did Vire out of a fight with so many advantages, but he wasnt about to question the whims of the gods. Not when Yuma herself smiled upon him for once.
And that wasnt all hed gained from the duel. For once, hed actually been conscious when Riyan used his Life orbs to heal him. He half-wished he hadntthe bone mending process was downright excruciating, to say nothing of the flesh restoration. Riyan had neglected to include Numb Wound in his healing kit. Because of course he had.
Vir came to hate the particr orbs responsible for those tasks. There wasnt just one orb that did everything, which made the process somewhat long and involved. Set Bone, Mend Bone, Heal Skin, and Mend Flesh were all different orbs from various tiers. Each had to be used in the correct order, or things could get uglyif flesh healed before the bones were repaired, it could actually make the wound far worse.
By toughing it out, hed been able to confirm that magic did in fact work how hed expectedRiyan sucked prana away from his hand, creating a kind of suction space. Almost like what happened when youd suck on a straw.
From there, ambient Life prana had rushed into the orb. Rather, the prana tried to enter Riyans body, but became trapped inside the orb instead, charging it. With this, Vir had now proved without a shred of a doubt that magic and Talents leveraged the same fundamental principle. They both relied on sucking prana from a part of the body to draw in more from either the ground or the air.
Just that Talents drew ground prana into the body, while mejai used air prana to power orbs instead.
Vir slowly opened his eyes. Through Prana Vision, he sensed Maiya open the bedroom door and walk into the living room. Using the ability incessantly had expanded both its range and resolution, and now, he could detect human prana signatures from a dozen paces awayeven through walls, if there wasnt too much prana in the way.
Wow he said in awe. As much as Prana Vision did for him, it told him nothing about a persons appearance.
Maiya had once again dressed up as a Sawai aristocrats son, but this time, she sported blue eyes and blonde hair, just like him.
You look beautiful? he said.
Beautiful? Seriously? Im supposed to be a guy, yknow, Maiya said with her hands on her hips. Kind of a problem if Im beautiful like this.
Yeah, I know. It feels weird to say that. You look a little effeminate for a guy. But I guess that works, since were supposed to be risto kids.
Maiya looked amused at his words. Oho? Picked up that bit of ng from Saran, did you?
Sawais too formal-sounding. Dont worry, Im not gonna slip and use the wrong word in front of the Brijers. Now cmon, lets be gone. I want to be at the vige before sundown.
You dont have to tell me twice! Lets do it! Maiya said, grabbing her rucksack and following Vir out the front door. Her eyes burst with expectation.
Neel looked at them forlornly, sad to be left alone. Unable to resist his big, beady eyes, Maiya gave the bandy a big hug. Dont worry, Neel. Well be back before you know it. Be a good boy while were out, okay! And dont eat up all of your food at once!
The bandy tried to lick her face, but Maiya pushed him away just in time, closing the main door behind her.
Cant wait until mom and dad see me like this! Ill give them the scare of their lives! she said.
Vir smiled at her as he hopped onto Bumpy, giving her a hand up. Im sure theyll be happy to see you.
I mean, I just want to finally tell them Im okay. I dunno if the letter we sent at Saran wouldve reached them. They must be worried sick.
Vir guided Bumpy eastward. Despite their poor experience riding along highways thus far, it really was the only safe option to make it to Brij. After they intercepted the Saran-Daha highway, theyd head south to a junction that forked off to Brij. If they didnt take a single break, Vir estimated the journey would take six hours.
After a slow, but uneventful, journey across the dunes, they came across the highway that ran parallel to the deserts border. From there, they made good time.
Bumpy was as bumpy as ever, making the experience a bone jarring one. Vir and Maiya had long ago grown ustomed to the Ashvas ride, so neither of them breathed a word ofint.
Lets go over the script again, Vir said after another hour of jostling. Mainly to keep himself upiedtheyd seen only one other traveler along the road so far, which made for a safe, but uneventful journey. That also meant it was boring, and his conversations with Maiya had long ago petered out.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Pretty much the same deal asst time, yeah? Maiya replied. Were gonna pose as the children of rich merchant parents on our way to the Viridian coast. Well wait there for a trading vessel to pick us up.
Vir nodded. I think it makes sense to say well be boarding a ship there. Well avoid any suspicion if Hiranya gets wind of our presence there; theyll think we departed for the sea. My only worry is that the Brijers might see through our disguises.
If they do, well leave, Maiya replied. Theyre just vigers. Not like they can use magic.
Neither can you. And we were just vigers too, not long ago, Vir thought. Maiya was thrilled to ditch her identity as a viger.
Though she continued to practice her magic diligently, shed made slow progress. Tanya had been ecstatic, but Maiya was left frustrated.
For whatever reason, hermand over the prana in her body wasnt nearly as good as his own. She could barely move it at all, and even after training under Virs supervision for hours upon hours each day, hermand had improved only slightly.
Vir wondered whether this was the norm, and if he was the odd one for being able to channel prana so easily but he didnt know enough mejai to know.
Unfortunately, the smooth sailingsted only until the junction with the road to Brij. Calling the branching path a road was generousits severeck of upkeep meant it was more mud than gravel, and several sections had washed away entirely, forcing the two to detour several times.
By the time they finally arrived, the sun had grown long in the sky, painting long shadows. The scenery changed from desert to barren ins, and finally to the lush greenery that surrounded Brij.
Vir worried that securing amodation would be tough if they arrived toote, but luckily, there was still activity in the streets.
He found himself lost in nostalgia. It wasnt all that long ago when he was the one ogling strangers. Now he was the stranger.
How quickly the winds shift, he muttered under his breath.
Tell me about it, Maiya replied from behind him, tightening her grip around his waist.
Vir didnt think he held much attachment to the vige, not after the way theyd treated him, yet he almost found himself brought to tears. He couldnt imagine how it must have felt for Maiya, who still had family here.
Before long, an entire crowd had gathered around them. Vir found several familiar faces. All of them people who had given him a hard time, throwing rocks at him or sing their bandies upon him. Now, they looked at him with deference.
Vir wanted to feel angry. He wanted to feel smug at having turned the tables on them. Hed experienced arger world. They were stuck here. Hed grown while theyd stagnated.
But all he felt was emptiness. To sneer at them felt hollow. It felt petty, and he couldnt bring himself to hate them or pity them.
What concerned him the most was the absence of Maiyas parents. As the head priest, Apramor was the one who usually greeted new strangers.
Instead, another man made his way forth. He sported an enormous handlebar mustache and ding ck hair. It was a face Vir knew all too well.
Greetings strangers! I am Akros, the leader of this humble vige. How may I assist you?
Leader? Vir thought, panicking. Maiya tightened her grip around his waist.
Vir searched the crowd for any signs that they recognized Vir or Maiya, but saw only veiled curiosity.
Erm, ser? Akros repeated. Vir had been so shocked by the polite gazes that hed forgotten to reply.
Leader? Maiya said from behind him, her voice an octave lower than usual. I thought this vige was led by a priest? A holy man by the name of Apramor?
Hushed whispers broke out in the crowd, and Vir did not miss the scowl that passed briefly over Akros face.
I am afraid that there has been a change in leadershiptely. I am the leader now, Akros said testily. And who might you two be?
Apologies. Where are our manners? Vir replied. My name is Barid Daruk, and behind me rides my brother Bakura Daruk, Vir said, emphasizing theirst name. We are on business for our father, a merchant of some renown operating out of Daha, bound for the Viridian Coast. We seek amodations for the night in your vige. Would you have us?
Everyones attitude flipped the moment he mentioned hisst name. Only the Sawai hadst names, and a risto arriving at Brij was an event. Vir was sure the vigers would gossip for weeks toe.
My family would be honored to host you, my esteemed friends, Akros said, lowering his head. His son Camasone of Virs worst bulliesstepped up and simrly lowered his head as well.
How quickly the winds shift, Vir muttered again.
Akros raised his head. Sorry, what was that?
Vir nced at Maiya before responding. We ept your generous offer. You have my gratitude and the gratitude of my family. His words came smoothly, despite the tumult of emotions that raged within him.
Being invited to sleep in the home of the one who had tormented him so much felt all sorts of wrong, but Vir couldnt deny the man without a good reason. And though it may not have mattered much, Akros hadnt snitched on Vir when hed been interrogated by the knights. That one action didnt erase the mans wrongdoings, but it helped.
Vir and Maiya dismounted and guided Bumpy, following Akros and Camas, leaving the throng of people behind. The sun had just slipped beneath the horizon, and tenders were going around charging the Magic Candle streetmps.
The vige lookedrgely the same as it had when Vir left it. ces like Brij remained static over the years, so not much was bound to change after only six months. At least, it shouldnt have changed.
While the structures and the people were the same, the atmosphere was not. Vir couldnt quite put his finger on it, but there was definitely something different about the vibe. It was slight, and only a resident would have picked up on it, but the Brijers were on edge and more jittery than he remembered.
Vir shot Maiya a nce. She nodded back; shed felt it as well.
Tell me about this leadership change, Vir said, engaging Akros in conversation on the way to his home. Vir knew the way, of course, but pretended like this was his first time visiting. I was under the assumption that viges like these rarely saw changes in leadership. Did the previous leader fall ill?
Akros nced briefly at Vir, and he thought he saw a hint of panic in the mans eyes.
The prior leader our priest, he is gone now.
Gone? Maiya pressed. Though Akros may have found the topic distasteful, he couldnt brush off a Sawai aristocrat, and Maiya knew that.
Hemitted a grave crime and was taken away. Nobody knows where.
His wife, too. Serves her right, Camas replied from beside his father.
Vir squeezed Maiyas clenched fist. She got the message and wiped the frown from her face, but she continued to fidget.
Camas! Tend to their Ashva, Akros ordered, before turning his attention to Vir and Maiya.
Is something the matter? the man asked. Your brother looks ill.
Ah, hes always like that, Vir said, covering for Maiya. Weak constitution, you see?
I see, I see. Please, wee to my home, he replied, ushering them inside. I am afraid that ours is a poor vige. I pray that my humble amodations do not offend your refined sensibilities.
Not at all, Vir replied smoothly, his eyes sweeping across the modestly sized house. This was his first time stepping foot inside, and it was far nicer than hed expected. Rather, we are thankful to have a bed at all tonight. We were worried we would have to sleep under the stars.
Is something the matter? Akros said, looking at Maiya.
Vir turned to see Maiya fixated on the dining room table. An ornate, six person table that seemed entirely out of ce next to the other, more modest furnishings.
Thats a fine table you have there, Maiya said, brushing her fingers over it.
Why would she be so interested inwait
The table felt familiar. Where have I seen that before?
Ah, yes! Akros said. A recent acquisition. I am pleased it is to your liking. I am quite proud of it myself!
Im sure, Maiya said with pursed lips.
Vir finally remembered. His stomach sank.
Its the table from Maiyas ce!
And here you are, Akros said, guiding them to a guest room. Im afraid I have but a single bed to spare. Will it be too much to ask you to share a bed with each other?
Vir waved away his concerns, ying his role perfectly, despite the blood that boiled within his body. Not at all, thank you.
Maiya locked the door the moment they were inside. That dining table was ours, Vir. He stole it from our house!
I know, was all Vir could say in response.
I have a bad feeling about this. We have to find out what happened to my parents. We need to go to my house. Right now.
Vir nodded. He shared Maiyas worry, and a knot formed in his stomach. He couldnt shake the small voice in the back of his head.
The one that yed Riyans words to them over and over on a loop.
You may not like what you find
Lets go.
Next time: 56 - Immortal
Chapter 56: Immortal
Chapter 56: Immortal
Vir took the lead, navigating through Brijs streets. While Maiya knew the vige as well as he did, she didnt have the benefit of Prana Vision. Especially useful for maneuvering around piles of Ashva dung, of which there were many. And while the main road was well lit, the alleys had far more darkness than light, with the rare Magic Candle ced haphazardly by whoever lived nearby.
Vir soon found his usual route to the temple, leading Maiya down a series of familiar alleys. Nothing had changed and yet, it felt like everything had changed. Neither he nor Maiya would ever be weed back here again.
Maiya must have been thinking the same thing. We can nevere back, can we? she asked.
Even if we could, Vir replied, would you really want to?
Never, came Maiyas reply in an instant. Ive hated this ce since the moment I was born. Good riddance, I say. What about you? All you ever wanted was a life in the vige, yeah?
I Vir said, thinking it over. The answer came to him easily. I wouldnt.
Figures, Maiya said. Weve seen the wider world. Theres no going back now.
He had to agree. Returning to vige life felt Well, it felt like a tragic waste. He didnt know when he started feeling that way, but the thought ofing back filled him with pure revulsion. His fate had changed forever on that day the knights arrived, and were it not for Rudviks death, Vir would have been happy for it.
Without the knights, Vir would never have met Riyan. And he definitely would never have learned about Kri or katars Or, for that matter, about prana and Talents. So much had changed on ount of that one event.
All because of my decision to flee to the Godshollow, he realized. He did have an option back then. He could have gone with the knights. If he had, Rudvik would still be alive.
Guilt threatened to seize his heart, but Vir shook off the feeling. His father would never have wanted him in the hands of those knights. Hed made the right decision to flee.
The real question wasknowing what he knew now would he make the same decision? That was harder to say. Hed grown so much, but it all came at the cost of Rudviks life. How could he possibly weigh those two on a scale? Perhaps his issuey in trying topare two iparables in the first ce.
Just wish things didnt have to end up this way, Maiya muttered, echoing his thoughts.
They continued on in the darkness, taking their time. While the alley was empty, they were plenty of soundsa man yelling at his wife, an elderly persons snores, Ashva snorting, and the mouthwatering scent of home cooked food.
The vige was rarely ever truly silent, which helped hide Vir and Maiyas presence. It wasnt like they werent allowed to explore the vige, but two Sawai teens gallivanting in an alley at night were bound to attract some attention.
I think I think I might have lied to you, Vir, Maiya said at length.
About what?
I dont think I can stay at Riyans anymore. Not when my parents are missing like this. I dont think Ill be able to sleep until I know where the knights have taken them.
I understand, Maiya. Their wellbeing is the most important thing in the world. Ille with you.
Vir realized shed stopped, so he turned around and met her gaze.
You mean that? she asked, searching his expression.
He nodded. Of course. Aliscia was like a mother to me, and your dad I could work for a lifetime and I still wouldnt be able to repay my debt to him.
Maiya hugged him briefly. Thanks, Vir. You cant know how much this means to me.
Cmon, Vir said, flushing with embarrassment. Maybe well find something at your ce.
He led them to another alleythe one where hed encountered the Child of Ash. He could only shake his head at the memory. Back then, hed felt as if the cultist was some kind of god of death whod snatch him away.
Now, he realized that the man was emaciated, didnt have a shred ofbat training, and that old man Akros couldve defeated him. Against Vir with his full stamina, Kri training, and Talents? Vir felt confident he could fight ten cultists ande out without a scratch.
Wonder what my Br Rank is now he idly thought.
The great temple doors soon appeared before them in the darkness, its doors nailed shut by nks of heavy wood.
The nks were etched with the words: Closed until further notice.
Looks like they havent found a new priest yet, Virmented, cing his hand upon the door. Hed had so many good memories in this ce. He only hoped it opened its doors again soon.
Priests are hard toe by, said Maiya, eyeing the building with sorrow. Most viges dont even have one.
Lets try your home, Vir said, taking Maiyas arm. It was best not to linger on their regrets.
Apramors house was located only a short distance away. They found it in a simr state, with the main door locked and barred.
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Vir yanked at the wood, but it refused to budge. Back door?
Maiya nodded and led him around to the other side. Luckily, this door was only locked and not barred.
Vir broke out his lock-picking set, which made short work of it. As Rudvik liked to say, de simplest answerll lead ya true.
Upon finishing, Vir bowed theatrically and swung the door open for Maiya. After you, mydy, he said, hoping to ease her nerves.
His friend rolled her eyes, then looked inside. The moment she did, Vir immediately knew something was wrong.
She rushed in, activating her Magic Lamp orb, and he followed. Maiyas light shone upon a scene of devastation and chaos.
Ceramic shards from cracked potsy littered across the floor, and there wasnt even a single piece of furniture in the room. Cabs had been ripped open and cast aside, curtains ripped asunder.
Vir gently squeezed Maiyas shoulder.
Why? She whispered. Why did the knights have to do this? Were they not satisfied with taking my parents!?
Vir squeezed tighter. I dont think the knights did this, Maiya. Nothing heres of any use to them.
You mean wait, no. We saw my table at Akros house. Theyre obviously the ones behind this. I shouldve expected such behavior from backwater ignoramus trash.
Vir was a bit shocked at hernguage, though he understood her feelings. Your family was far richer than everyone else in the vige. Even your tables and chairs would be enough to improve the quality of life of the vigers.
Maiya spun and faced him. And that makes it right to steal from my house? Whats supposed to happen when my dad returns? You think hell just say oh well, you needed it more than we did. Ill just return to my position and pretend like none of this ever happened? This is unforgivable!
Im not agreeing with them, Maiya. Just saying that this is exactly the kind of thing theyd do, is all.
Unlike her, he found it hard to be angry at Akros and his ilk. Instead, all he felt was pity, the way one might pity a starving bandy.
How dare they! Theyll pay. Ill make them pay! she shouted. Vir threw his hand over her mouth.
Quiet! We cant let anyone find us here!
Maiyas eyes opened wide. Then tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to pour out onto her cheeks.
Vir hurriedly dabbed them away before they could smear her disguise.
Grasping her shoulders, Vir met her gaze. Look, homes can be mended. What they did was wrong, and I am sure theyll get their just desserts one day. We should focus on any clues your parents might have left behind. Okay? Maybe they left a hint about where they went.
She nodded and whispered something Vir couldnt quite hear.
Upon inspecting the damaged kitchen and dining areas, Vir found that every utility orb had been swiped, as well as anything of value. Less useful implements like wooden spoons and y potsy broken or thrown aside. There really was nothing left. If Apramor and Aliscia had left anything for Maiya, he hoped theyd hidden it well.
Do you have anywhere you stash things you dont want found? he asked.
Maiya tapped her chin, then bolted to the stairs and up to the second floor, taking the only light source in the room with her.
Vir didnt mind the darkness. Prana Vision let him make out most of the objects,den with a smattering of various affinities as they were. It was strangeat some point hed grown used to his augmented vision, though any time he stepped back and took in the myriad of new colors, it always awed him. Hed never understood why only he had Prana Vision, or anything even remotely close to it. Unlike the shier Dance of the Shadow Demon that Shardul had showed off, it was a subtle power that gave him an edge in a variety of areas.
Vir gave Maiya a moment, allowing himself to sink into the nostalgia of the ce. Like the temple, some of his best memories were at this houseAliscias cooking, loudmouthed Rudvik arguing against Apramor, the nights he and Maiya had burned candles staying upte into the night, trading storiessneaking down at an ungodly hour to nab a cracker from the kitchen.
All in the past, now. This home would never know those times again. A part of Vir died when he realized that.
V-Vir? Maiya called out from upstairs. Can youe up here?
With heavy steps, he made his way up to her bedroom, though it was hardly recognizable. Like the rest of the house, all the furniture that could be moved had been looted, leaving behind a bare, empty room. Theyd even torn apart Maiyas pink wall coverings.
The girl sat cross-legged on the floor, turning over a pitch ck envelope with a red wax seal. They didnt do a great job searching, she said. Didnt even look under the creaky floorboard.
Whats it say? Vir asked.
Dunno. Havent opened it yet.
She flipped it over, and Vir made out Aliscias immacte handwriting: To Mai, it said. Its from my parents.
She handed the envelope to Vir. You read it.
Uh, you sure? It looks like they meant it for you.
Im sure. I Yeah. Im sure.
Vir shrugged and popped the seal, carefully retrieving the single piece of paper within and unfolding it reverently.
The message wasnt longenough to fit on a single side, and written in perfect cursive.
Vir cleared his throat and began his recitation.
To Maiya, our most beloved star
We still remember the day you came into this world, kicking and screaming. We always knew you would grow up to be a rambunctious young woman! If only we knew just how correct we would be! You caused us no end of headaches and yet, we would not trade you for the world. You may hate us for raising you in a backwater vige, but Maiya, you wereyou areour proudest achievement. You will always be, even long after we have left this world.
Knowing you, Vir must be right there by your side, listening to you read this letter. You were always inseparable, after all. Perhaps he is the one reading? Well? Are we correct?
Hello, Vir! It is good to see you. Truly.
Prana scorned. Ashborn. You have suffered under many names. But to us, you are the son we never had, and so this message is for you as well.
Do not be sad for us. Read this letter and find strength. Not sorrow.
Support each other, for you are precious. More precious than you know.
When Fates whims separate you two and carry you each to distant realms, never forget that. Never forget the bond you share.
Make it unbreakable, and you will not bend. Make it supple, and you will not shatter. In each other, find your strength, find your home, and find yourselves.
Grow strong.
This is our only wish. Do not search for us. Do not grieve us. Remember us in your memories, both of you. While we may be gone from this world, we live on in your memories.
And thus, we are immortal.
With Dearest Love,
Mom and dad
The ransacked homes deathly silence was brokennot by wails or screamsbut quiet sobbing.
Next time: 57 - Breakers Of The Chain
Chapter 57: Breakers Of The Chain
Chapter 57: Breakers Of The Chain
Hourster, the rain still hadnt abated. Maiyay in Virs arms the whole time, face pale and eyes unfocused. Theyd both shed every tear they had long ago, leaving them dried up and empty on the inside.
I think Maiya said, breaking the long silence. She spoke with a cold, hard voice that shocked Vir. I think I finally get what you said before. About not being strong. I thought I understood when Rudvik passed. That strength was important. But I didnt. Not truly. Now Now, I do. To be weak is to be trampled over. This is a cruel world, Vir.
She turned to stare Vir in the eye. Magic Lamp cast heavy shadows upon her face, and together with her smeared makeup, made her look like a Child of Ash.
I hate this, Vir. This feeling of being helpless. I keep thinking, if Id only warned dad. If I hadnte with you But thats all a lie, and I know it. There was nothing I couldve done. Nothing. I was inconsequential. My parents wouldve sacrificed themselves for us, no matter what But with power? If I had magic? I couldve fought off the knights. Or at least escaped with my parents, I dunno. I couldve done something, Vir!
Vir couldnt find the words to reply, and silence settled upon them again.
What will you do now, Maiya? Vir asked atst. He genuinely wanted to know Whatever path she chose, hed support her. If she asked him toe with her to Daha so she could take revenge against those knights, hed do it.
I cant let it end like this, Maiya said, looking around. I wont let them get away with this. Ill obtain power. The likes of which this realm has never seen. Ill be the strongest mejai in this whole grakking world. And then? Then Im gonna make the people who did this to my parents pay. Every. Single. One. I dont know how and I dont know when. But I will, Vir. I swear this to you on my parents names. Someone will pay for this.
Her words sent shivers down Virs spine. He understood at that moment that these were not empty threats. Maiya rarely ever spoke like this, and when she did, Yuma help whoever stood in her way.
Truthfully, hed felt simrly when Rudvik had died. If only they hadnt ratted him out. If theyd treated him like one of their own. But now? Things had changed. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldnt find it in him to be angry at the vigers.
Theyre just vigers, Maiya. Its easy to me them, but what will getting back at Akros really aplish? Theyre byproducts of their times, and we were the same not even a year ago. Yes, theyre at fault, but they arent our true enemy. Our real enemy is bigger. Much bigger.
Hiranya, Maiya whispered.
Vir nodded. The country who sent those knights after us. The Royal Priest out to hunt Ashborn. These are the people who must be stopped.
Easier said than done. Vir had spent long hours thinking about what he could do to strike back at those whod wronged them. But what could he do? He was one boy, against an entire kingdom. Forgeting up with a n, merely considering striking against Hiranya was stupidity. They were hunting himtheyd be overjoyed if he exposed himself and served himself up on a tter.
I will destroy them, Maiya said, seething.
Vir had no doubt shed try. But at what cost? Her life? And even if she survived, would she still be herself at the end of that path?
I know you will, Maiya. But youre talking about taking on an entire country. We were just not strong enough. Not yet. For now, I think we should stay at Riyans and soak up all the knowledge he can give us. The stronger we are, the harder well be able to strike back.
His friend nodded. Im going to wring everyst grain of knowledge out of that woman. Im not leaving until I do. Whatever it takes, Vir. Ill do whatever it takes.
There was something in Maiyas eyes that scared him, but he couldnt ce what. L-lets head back for now. Akros is gonna be worried sick that his risto guests just up and vanished on him.
Let that chal sweat, Maiya seethed. Not like hes done right by either of us. He doesnt deserve our courtesy.
Im thest person in the world to defend that chal, but we dont want to attract any more attention than absolutely necessary.
Right, Maiya said, gazing off into the distance. Yeah. Lets go.
Lets, uh lets fix our makeup first?
Luckily, Vir had packed their makeup kits in the rucksacks theyd brought along. Their makeup had been smeared badly, and the single orbs light didnt help matters; fixing it took an entire hour.
The pattering sounds of rain had died off by the time theyd finished, and they made good time back to Akros house.
I dont want to stay here, Maiya said. I cant stand being here. I feel like like I want to burn this whole vige to the ground.
Vir tried to ignore the scary thingsing out of his friends mouth. Its dangerous to travel at night, Maiya. How about sleeping at my old ce instead?
If he was honest, his house was thest ce Vir wanted to visit, but there was something there he needed to retrieve. Something important.
As Vir had expected, Akros was beside himself with worry. The man had been getting ready to put a search party together, so it seemed like they had arrived just in time.
Please, stay with us! I hope we have not inconvenienced you? If we have, please tell us how we canpensate you!
As much as Vir wanted to spit on the man, he refrained out of a desire not to make a scene. Their actions were already suspicious as it was. If someone traced them back to Apramors home and then informed Hiranyan knights, it could pose a risk to them and Riyan. As much as he wanted to give into his feelings, he had to be responsible here.
We appreciate your generosity, Vir said through gritted teeth. But we have just learned ofplications that require us to return home at once. I hope you understand.
How did youah! Akros said,ing to the conclusion Vir had hoped. The only way to send messages in a vige like Brij was via letter, and a runner entering the vigete at night would have visited the vige leaders home firstAkros ce.
The Sawai had other options. Communications orbs existed, though as Maiya had learned from Tanya, they were so exorbitantly expensive that only the wealthiest families had one.
Akros must have concluded that Vir belonged to such a family, because his eyes went as wide as saucers.
Thank you for your hospitality, Vir said, throwing him a small handful of Imperium coppers. The mans entire family eyed the coin like a pack of starving bandies, and Vir could almost imagine the saliva oozing out of their mouths.
Disgusting, Maiya said once theyd mounted Bumpy and rode out of earshot.
It is, isnt it? Vir replied. To think I once looked up to these people. To think I wanted to be like them. No matter how much I try to empathize, it all just seems so hollow now. So meaningless.
Rising at dawn to tend the fields of work in the woodsday after day, year after yearwith only marriage and having kids to look forward to. What was the point of a life like that?
Maiya had once said it was a depressing way to live. Vir had disagreed back then, but now? It was hard not to see things that way. The world was such a vast ce. To spend life cloistered in some corner of the world felt like a tragic waste.
Vir asked Maiya to extinguish her Magic Lamp orb, and they rode out of the vige, navigating only by the light of the stars and Prana Vision. It was imperative no one noticed them reach their destination, and while the streets were empty, Vir wasnt taking any chances.
Bumpy initially startled at prating the inky darkness, but he trusted Virs excellent navigation. Before long, the dirt road widened, and they arrived at Virs old home.
Instead of tying Bumpy up at the stables, Vir led the Ashva around back. This way, any vigers traveling the road would see only an abandoned housesame as always.
Unlike Maiyas home, Virs residence hadnt been barred. His greatest fear was that someone might have moved into it, but it was unwarrantedafter all, no one had imed Maiyas home, and Virs was far smaller and out of the way. More of a shack, really.
The flimsytch on the door had already been broken, making entering the house a simple matter of pushing open the door.
Owing to Prana Vision, Vir saw far more than Maiya, so he held her hand and guided her into the tiny house.
Inside, they found a simr scene, with cookware and odds and ends strewn across the floor like discarded trash.
They left your furniture, at least, Maiya said, prompting a chuckle from Vir.
Only because our stuff wasnt even worth stealing. Guess thats one benefit of being as poor as a pauper.
He did note that the coolers Magic Cold orb was missing.
Vir peered into the bedroom. The vigers had appropriated the single bed he shared with his father, leaving the room bare.
Find what youre looking for? Maiya asked, unable to make heads or tails of the darkness.
Nah. It can wait until morning. I dont want to risk using Magic Lamp here.
Hmm. Why dont we leave now, instead? I feel like Im suffocating, Vir. Every minute, I feel like Im drowning. Bumpy made it here alright, yeah? We can travel at night.
Reaching the outskirts of the vige was one thing. Braving the ins and the sands all the way back to Riyans ce? Theres a reason no one travels at night, Maiya, Vir said, squeezing her hand. Trust me, I dont enjoy being here any more than you do. Can I ask you to bear with it for just a few more hours?
Maiya relented and sat on the floor in a corner of the bedroom.
They both knew that no rest would be forting on this night, no matter how tired they were.
Vir didnt even try to sleep. He retrieved a nket from Bumpy and just huddled together with Maiya, pressing his back against her for warmth.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The hours passed in agonizing silence, with both of them lost in their thoughts.
Vir had always suspected that Apramor wouldnd in hot water if the knights learned of his actions, but never in his wildest nightmares did he think theyd kill the kind-hearted priest, let alone Lady Aliscia.
His heart ached at the thought. It was cruel. It was beyond cruel. Was this what Hiranya was really like? Ruled by tyrants and despots? How many other tragedies befell people in other towns and cities every day? How many atrocities went unnoticedunpunished? Knights were supposed to protect people, not execute them!
Maiya was right. Things couldnt stand as they were. Vir felt the blood boil within his chest and his head grew hot.
But even if he took out a knight, what of it? The blight came from the very top. Only by cutting off the head would changee. Vir shook off those thoughts. They were dangerous thoughts, liable to get him killed. He could almost hear Riyan scolding him for his folly.
Vir and Maiya had been quick to brand their instructor a criminal, fleeing from the government. But now, he wondered whether his judgment had been unfair. It felt like with every new thing he learned, the line between good and evil grew ever blurrier.
Unable to deal with these thoughts, he snuck out of the nket and sat cross-legged several paces away in the pitch darkness. Maiya snored softly, unaware. There was something about his old home that brought with it a measure of peace and familiarity. He hadnt expected that.
Ruminating on the injustice of the world made him feel weak and small. The only thing he could do to counter that was to get stronger. And that meant training.
Vir thought back to Sharduls memory, now faint and half forgotten. As hed done dozens of times over the past days, he focused on the moment Shardul activated the ability. The man had sucked prana up into his legs, and then
And then what?
He hit the same wall hed struggled with. Shardul had somehow slipped into the shadows, but Vir didnt know how.
To wield Shadow Prana to its fullest, one must be partners with tragedy. Sharduls words echoed in his head. Hed certainly seen his fair share of tragedy, but what did that have to do with Shadow Prana?
The wooden floorboards shone brightly to Prana Vision, filled with Earth and Life affinity prana, and Virs thoughts wandered to old memories. The rickety boards always creaked and sank under his weight. Rudvik was much worsethe man had to avoid some floorboards entirely, lest he risk falling through.
Wait Loose floorboards that give The ground gives way!?
It finally clicked. He understood what hed been doing wrong. The difference was slight, but profound.
Vir always tried to push himself into the ground when activating Dance of the Shadow Demon. Shardul did the exact opposite. He allowed the ground to pull on him. To suck him inside.
Functionally, they were the same, but mentally? They wereplete opposites.
He got to his feet and mimicked Shardul. Vir sucked the prana out of his legs as usual, but this time, he resisted the prana that wanted to rush into his body, stopping it from entering. He concentrated instead on allowing himself to sink, to meet the prana where ity, instead of asking it toe to him.
It felt a little like death. Like the souls of those who had passed were grabbing him, pulling him into the world of shadow. Into their world.
Vir suddenly found himself surrounded by pitch ck darkness. Not the darkness of his home, but in a world defined by itsck of light. Trapped.
What have I done!? Vir screamed, but his voice had ceased to function. He iled his arms in panic, but found his body bound and immobile. He couldnt even breathe.
Because in this ce, he had no body.
Out! I want out! He thought, frantically trying to escape this nightmare. Yet no matter what he did, he met with failure.
Panic turned into dread as a horrifying possibility dawned on him. Was he trapped here? Forever? Where no one could find him? Hed always known that delving into the secrets of prana was dangerous. That it could very well kill him.
Finally, his luck had run out. Hed reached beyond his means andnded himself in a ce from which there was no escape. This time, nobody would save him. Nobody could possibly find
And just like that, Vir found himself right back where he was, standing in his home, silent apart from Maiyas snores. Sweat and chills broke out btedly, as if his body had forgotten it needed to match his panicked state.
What in all the Realms was that!?
Hed known what to expectafter all, it was the same as the memory fragment. Shardul had sunk into a realm of shadows. Vir just hadnt realized doing it alone would be so terrifying.
He took a few moments to stabilize his breathing before returning to the memory fragment again. He wasnt quite ready to attempt the ability not until he had a firmer grasp of how it worked.
This time, rather than focusing on the technical aspects of the ability, he watched Shardul sink into the world of darknessof Shadow. Once inside, it took the man only a few moments to pick out an exit from one of the many blurry motes of prana that surrounded him. Vir realized hedpletely missed them in his panic.
Once Shardul had selected a glob of Shadow prana, hed popped out into the world again.
Okay So thats how it works.
Vir took a deep breath and went for it again. He sunk into the world of shadows, and this time, he didnt panic. The clusters of shadow prana shone brightly to his Prana Vision, but since shadow prana was gray and this world of darkness ck, hed failed to pick them out earlier.
Now that he knew what to look for, he saw them everywhere. Dozens of possible exits. He reached out to a closer one with his mind and emerged several paces from where hed begun.
This This is kinda fun?
So he did it again. This time, he focused on exiting at the farthest prana cluster he could find. He emerged outside his home, about twenty paces away.
Then he did it again. And again, invoking the ability over and over until the Ash prana in the area dried up, which didnt take long.
He learned a great deal from all of those repetitions. For one, he was tapping into the powers of Shadow pranarather, the entire world of darkness was the domain of the Shadow affinity.
And yet, every invocation consumed Ash prana instead. A lot of itthe ability hungered for prana far more than his other Talents. It made him wonder Ash prana always looked different from the other elements. More dense, More profound.
What if its not an affinity after all? He thought. What if its more like a meta affinity?
Something that could leverage the traits of the other affinities, though so far, hed only been able to use Ash prana to power Earth and Shadow abilities. Perhaps it was restricted to affinities that lived within the ground? That would exin why he couldnt use orbs. It would not exin why, in Sharduls memory, Ash prana popted both the air and the ground.
Regardless, hed uncovered a few other details regarding the ability as well. The maximum range was limited. The most distant clusters of Shadow prana he could see while in that shadow world were just about twenty paces. Beyond that, there was nothing. This didnt feel like a barrier he could ovee with more practiceit felt more like a natural limitation of the ability itself.
Shardul had gone much farther, but then Shardul had a tattoo. Maybe those tattoos helped amplify the abilitys properties?
Another discovery was that the prana clusters gave Vir a glimpse into the world if he focused on looking through them. While inside the world of shadow, it was as if he suddenly gained a thousand eyes in a thousand ces.
Unfortunately, there was a time limit he could stay in there before it kicked him out, like it had done when he panicked. About ten seconds was the limit. Either he had to choose an exit, or it would boot him out back where he enterednamely, his own shadow.
Hed realized that darkness counted as a shadow, which would mean that at night, hed have almost free rein to disappear and appear wherever he wished. During the day, he could still use the ability, but after venturing near the viges lights to experiment with it some more, he needed hard shadows for it to functionthe stronger, the better.
Which meant the ability was nearly useless on gray, overcast days.
Despite this, Vir felt giddy. The potency of this Talent far outstripped High Jump and Leap. He wasnt even sure it was a Talentwhile it operated on the same pranic principals as Talents, this had so much more depth than the other two that it felt fundamentally different. It even gave him ess to a realm he never even knew existed! The realm of shadows.
Hang on a moment Vir thought back to what Riyan had said about Shadow Blendthe Talent that let its wielder sink into the shadows. Wasnt Dance of the Shadow Demon simr?
While he could choose to move, he didnt have to, at least for ten seconds. Vir wasnt sure how long Shadow Blend allowed wielders to stay hidden inside shadows, but the abilities were simr enough that Vir could lie and say he possessed Shadow Blend. He somehow doubted Dance was a Talent many people knew about. If it even was a Talent.
It wasnt just the ability to move around near-instantly that made Dance powerful. The fact that he could disappear into the shadow realm meant he could dodge otherwise fatal attacks, as hed done in the forest. He could then afford to take his time and gather his thoughts, looking out at the world from a ce where no enemy could touch him.
On a whim, he tested an idea. He returned home and retrieved a small hourss Maiya had brought along. They never knew what mighte in handy, so Maiya liked to hoard as much stuff as she could on their travels.
Flipping the hourss, he brought it into the world of shadows. Though his body was frozen inside there, it seemed he could bring anything he touched along with him, so long as it was small enough and light enough to carry. That was another limitation of the abilitywhatever he brought through had to fit inside the shadow he wanted to exit from. He couldnt exit out of a pebbles shadow; he simply wouldnt fit.
Vir used up the entire ten seconds in the shadow realm before it shot him back out.
I knew it he breathed, staring at the hourss. Not a single grain of sand had fallen through. He repeated the test to be sure, but again, time seemed to freeze when he was inside the shadow realm.
Which meant that to an opponent, hed disappear and instantly reappear at his destination, even if hed spent several seconds in that world. Of course, since no time had passed, his body wouldnt get a break, but his mind continued to function just fine. It was an advantage hed exploit the heck out of in his uing battles.
The only downside he could find was that Dance of the Shadow Demon consumed prana like there was no tomorrow. He could easily perform Leap a half dozen times with the amount of prana it took to activate Dance just once. It also took longer to charge.
Despite all of this, Vir was happy. Shardul said there was no way he could learn the ability without the mans guidance. Vir had just proven him wrong. Through his own efforts, through his own understanding of prana, hed reverse engineered the ability.
Riyan had once told Vir to be like a shadow. He no longer had to pretend. Now, he was the shadow.
Dawn finally broke hourster. To Maiya, it sure felt like itd taken its own sweet time, as if it couldnt be bothered about their plight. To Vir, itd felt like only a few moments, having only recently drifted back to sleep after his nighttime escapades.
As soon as there was enough light, Vir snuck out from under the nket and pried open a floorboard in a corner of the bedroom.
Your stash? Maiya asked, her eyes puffed and red.
Vir wanted nothing more than to tell Maiya about his newfound power, but refrained. She was grieving, and now was not the time. Hed tell her when shed recovered.
Whats left of it, anyway. Rudvik took almost everything when wed fled to the Godshollow. But he forgot this
Vir held up a loop of thread that captured a wooden square an inch wide. On it was a charcoal sketch of Rudvik and Vir, standing side by side and grinning happily.
Did youwas it that traveling artist who came by a few years ago? Maiya asked, taking the ne from Vir.
Yeah. Its the only memento I have to remember Rudvik by.
Its really well done. He perfectly captured Rudviklook at how big and happy he looks in this!
Vir smiled. He remembered that day with fondness. Rudvik had dipped into his savings to splurge on the artwork, despite Vir begging him not to. Vir was d his father didnt listen to him back then.
Treasure this, Vir, Maiya said, returning the ne to his hand and closing his fingers around it.
Vir gazed at the locket. Objectively, this trip had been one of tragedy and tears, and that went for them both. But it did give them something they never knew theyd needed: Closure.
For the first time since Rudviks passing, Vir felt like he could turn back and see events as they wereas theyd happened. As history. Not something to agonize over, nor anything to change.
It was simply a cold eptance of facts. And, with that, came a sense of freedom hed not known for a long time. As if invisible shackles had finallye off, chains that had been brokenallowing him to proceed with his life. Onwards, beyond the bounds of this little vige of petty souls. And outwards, bound for the broader world.
I will, Maiya, he said, gazing at her with newfound resolve. And in her eyes, burning with the heat and power of eternal me, he saw the same. I will.
Next time: 58 - Riyan''s Dome Of Powers
Chapter 58: Riyans Dome Of Powers
Chapter 58: Riyan''s Dome Of Powers
The days turned to weeks, which soon blurred together as a month passed, then two. Six months had now passed since Rudvik had died in the Godshollow.
To Vir, it felt just like yesterday. He wondered where the time went.
You have five minutes toplete the course, said the man, handing Vir a blindfold.
Only need three, Vir replied.
He took the ck cloth from Riyan and wrapped it slowly around his eyes, his gaze lingering on Maiya and Tanya, who stood at the edge of the training dome. It was his big day, after allthe day he finally proved to everyone that he could finally clear the course. His final examination, of sorts.
Maiya remained expressionless, a sight hed learned to get used to these days.
Ignoring the spectators, he ascended the stairs to the first challenge and awaited Riyan.
Vir shot into motion even before his instructor had finished saying Begin.
With feline grace, he sprinted over the bncing beams. This first obstacle could hardly be called one anymoreit took less than five seconds for him to clear all three beams. Blindfolded.
Riyan had wrongly assumed that Vir was a prodigy whod picked up the Awareness Talent. The truth was far simpler.
Prana Vision had continued to grow in resolution and range until it effectively reced his sight. It was at a point where, were he to suddenly go blind, hed hardly be inconvenienced. There was scarcely a single thing that was entirely devoid of prana unless one ventured to the Voinds, and so Prana Vision showed him nearly as much as his eyes. Sometimes even more.
The second obstacle, with des that rotated on cylindrical posts, had had its wooden swords reced with real ones. If Vir missed his timing, he could easily lose an arm.
Without breaking stride, he seamlessly rolled and jumped through the des as if they werent even there, diving headlong into the third obstaclethe series of swinging scythes.
Here again, the wooden scythes had been reced with iron. With their weight and momentum, a single hit could decapitate him.
Fifteen seconds, Riyan announced when Vir rolled and stood on the other end. Fifteen seconds to do what had once taken him ten minutes or more.
He moved like water, flowing gracefully from one obstacle to the next.
The monkey bars sumbed within seconds as Vir leveraged his toned muscles to hurl himself through the course.
If Rudvik saw him now, the man would be hard-pressed to recognize him. Virs entire body rippled with well-defined muscles. In ce of bone and exposed ribs, strong pecs, bulging abs, and thick biceps now bulged proudly.
No one would call Virrge, but a single look at him would make all but the bravest brawlers reconsider fighting him. Whilepact, he had be lithe and strong.
Vir didnt bother grasping each monkey bar rung. Or even every other rung. With each movement, he bypassed two entire rungs, making short work of the course, throwing himself onto the verticaldder jump obstacle.
Earlier, hed paused for several moments between rungs, taking great breaths and nning each move with extreme consideration.
Now, he barely even came to a stop before explosively throwing himself upward, carrying the bar in his hands to the next V-shaped notch. Rung after rung notched before his might, and soon, the obstacle was behind him.
Forty-five seconds, Riyan said, looking at his Magic Clock.
The final obstacle was a grid of ropes, three by three, with dozens of deadly swords, spears, and axes suspended above. The des would drop onto him at random, forcing him to jump from one rope to another to dodge. If he lost his bnce, hed fall all the way down, right into the maw of the first rotating de course.
Vir had memorized the path through long ago, but this time, he didnt botherpleting the courseitd have taken too long.
Sending prana to his legs, he Leaped off the first rope and sailed to the finish line even before the deadly overhead des could deploy.
This was the halfway point. From here, everything became harder. Much, much harder.
Because every obstacle from here required the usage of Talents.
Vir wondered what Riyan wouldve done if hed never manifested them. He somehow doubted the man would ever make the course easier out of consideration.
He High Jumped to the lowest rung of thedder that hung from the roof of the dome. This was a brutal obstacle, simr to the vertical monkey bar obstacle he had to clear before, except this time, there were two nging into ce.
To everyone on the ground, it was as if he belonged on those bars. Like he was a bird, and this aerial death trap was his home because he continued jumping his way up and across with ease, hardly even breaking a sweat.
What observers on the ground couldnt see were the ways Vir Empowered his arms to send him flying upward. Even if thedders were suspended from the ceiling, the domes ceiling was connected to the ground, and so prana flowed. Not much, but enough for quarter-powered surges of energy, tactically applied. MicroEmpower, as Vir had dubbed it.
He leaped up, clearing the obstacle, sailing right into the maw of the next one.
If this obstacle seemed impossible, the next one actually was. It was another rotating de tform, with swords embedded into cylindrical posts that spun at high speed. No matter how much Vir had analyzed it, he hadnt found a way through. Worse still, there was no breathing room between thedder and the rotating des, so Vir had been forced to study it from the halfway point, far below.
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Hed eventually realized that there actually wasnt a safe path through.
The second rotating de course required Blink; a Talent that let its caster disappear in one location and suddenly reappear in another. When Riyan fought Vir in their duels, it wasnt Leap hed used It was Blink. And it was a Talent Vir did not have.
No matter how much hed struggled to learn the ability, it had eluded him. After hours of analysis and experimentation, hed concluded that there simply wasnt enough Ash prana in the ground to power it. Ash prana was more potent than the other affinities, but sometimes, there was no substitute for quantity.
It was a good thing that he had a substitute. Something even better.
Vir disappeared just before a de could decapitate him and reappeared at the other end of the course. In fact, he did one better. Hed bypassed the obstacle after that as well.
A battering ram swung harmlessly behind him as he appeared at the finish line of that course. No doubt Riyan had expected Vir to Blink past the swords, only to be mmed in the gut by the ram.
Too bad for him. Dance of the Shadow Demon was far more versatile.
Hed wallowed for ages over whether to use the ability here. Ultimately, he had little choice if he wanted to progress through the course.
After practicing the Dance over and over, he could finally activate it as quickly as Shardul had. The trick was in how quickly he pulled the blood from his feet up into his legs.
To all eyes, it looked identical to Blinkhe disappeared in one location and reappeared elsewhere.
Unlike Blink, its range was far superior, and he could spend up to ten seconds in the Shadow Realm calmly gathering his thoughts.
One minute, thirty seconds, Riyans voice sounded from far below. It came a momentte. No doubt the man had been shocked by Virs move. Hed gone farther than what shouldve ordinarily been possible with Blink, but only just. It wasnt outside the bounds of possibility.
Unfortunately, Dance wouldnt help him for the next challenge.
Vir stood on a tform of wood, and in front of him was nothing. Just empty space, and some ropes hung from the ceiling far away.
Well within the range of Blink. Impossible for Dance of the Shadow Demon.
Because there were no shadows he could leverage here.
This was as far as he had ever gone. Everything from here was new; his first try.
Vir backed up, took a great breath and Leaped.
Maiya watched her friend leap and bound, roll, and jump with avian grace. Like a circus performera master of acrobatics.
With each obstacle cleared, her heart skipped a beat, thankful he was unharmed and well. As he inched closer to his goal, her hope and excitement grew and grew, until the tension threatened to seize her heart.
He''s gotten so good.
In the beginning, there had been hope for her. Maybe she was a slow learnerpared to Vir, but she had made progress.
Then, months ago, shed teaued, and her magic training had begun.
But shed never stopped training Kri. After learning of her parents death, shed redoubled her efforts. While she didnt brave the course, each day, she diligently dueled Vir, improving with agonizing slowness.
At some point, shed understood that no matter how hard she tried, no matter how far she ran, she would never catch up to her dearest friend.
Then she''d realized it didnt matter.
Shed never be able to beat Vir, but her skills had grown to a point where she could give even a Br Ten knight a hard time. Without her magic. With it? She could easily decimate an entire squad. For the first time since training with Vir, she was proud of her own skills.
And why not? Shed spent every waking moment developing her magic. Even there, she was not a fast learner. But she didnt need to be, not with the endless hours she devoted. After all, few things could resist sheer, relentless determination.
Anything other than totalmitment would be an affront to her parents memory. Now that they were gone, she had to live up to their expectations. Had to. No matter what.
In that way, she shared the same tragedy with Vir, and their responses had been identical.
And tomorrow, for the first time, she would wield the full might of her magic in a duel against Vir. For the first time, they would learn which of them was more powerful. She looked forward to it.
Vir Danced past the whirling des, and Maiya wished hed seen Riyans jaw drop. She so desperately wanted to save that expression. She would have framed it.
And then, against the next obstacle, Vir did something unfathomable.
Maiya expected Vir to Dance again, sending him to the hanging ropes. Instead, hed High Jumped
To the roof!? She eximed, her mouth agape. Why would he do that? Why didnt he just Dance to the ropesoh! Right. No shadows!
Maiya craned her neck to see what harebrained strategy her friend had cooked up this time. Armed with dual katars, Vir used High Jumps momentum to anchor himself to the ceiling. Dangling fifty paces above, he then kicked his boots together, and Maiya saw two deadly des extend from his toes.
Wrenching his body, Vir drove his boot des into the ceiling. He resembled a spider, glued upside down to the y dome.
Is is he crawling? Is he crawling on the ceiling? Tanya eximed.
It would appear so, Riyan said, stroking his beard.
Methodically, Vir crawled his way across the dome ceiling, bypassing the penultimate obstaclethe ropesentirely.
That was not what I had intended, Riyan muttered, speaking to himself. But I cannot fault the result. Cunning. Very cunning.
Her friend had just trivially cleared the course. He looked invincible, she whispered, feeling a cold chill run down her spine. Ill have to go all out against him tomorrow.
But then, the unthinkable happened.
When Vir had finally crawled his way past the dangling ropes on the ceiling, he fell. And fell and fell.
Maiyas eyes went wide in horror. Hes going to die!
Her legs were in motion well before her mind had caught up. She was running to him. To where he would fall. As if thatll do him any good. Think, Maiya! Think! What can you do?
She hadnt precharged any of her orbs. There wasnt enough time to charge them before he fell.
Dread overcame her as the horrible truth dawned on her. Theres nothing I can do. Again. Just like Rudvik. Just like with my parents.
Riyan! she cried. But the man simply crossed his arms and stared at Vir as he fell. He made no motion to help her friend.
Maiya watched him fall for an eternity. As if time itself had slowed to a crawl.
Uh, Maiya?
H-huh? She replied, gawking at Vir, currently dusting off his ck robe.
What are you doing?
U-u-y-y-you fell.
Vir cocked a brow at her. I let go. Oh, right! he said, snapping his fingers. I learned Light Step recently. Took forever to figure out how to activate it at thest second right before I hit the ground.I, uh, might have forgotten to tell you.
Two minutes, twenty seconds. You pass, Riyan said, but Maiya barely heard him.
She fell to her knees, staring nkly at the ceiling.
Oh Adinat? Oh Janak? Badrak, Vera, Yuma, and Ch? What did I ever do to deserve this?
When her gaze returned to Vir, it had warped into a scowl that pierced the very depths of his soul, forcing him back in terror.
Friend, just you wait till tomorrow. I am going to kill you.
Next time: 59 - Talent vs Orb
Chapter 59: Talent vs Orb
Chapter 59: Talent vs Orb
The moment had finally arrived. The first and final full power duel that Vir and Maiya would ever have. Their first official duel, at least. The moment Maiya had gained a sliver of proficiency in magic, shed challenged Vir to a fight. And she continued to challenge him as she got better and better, making duels between them rathermonce.
But while the duel was exciting, it was what came after that put Vir on edge.
Tomorrow, in the dead of night, Vir and Maiya would finally make their escape. Over the past months, theyd both pleaded with Riyaneven begged himto give them a hint about what he expected of them. Anything. But the man said nothing every time.
To say that they owed him a debt was an understatement. He had saved their lives and developed them into the warriors they were today. They both wanted to do right by him. They wanted to help. But what if the man asked something unreasonable? What if he asked them to be criminals? To kill someone innocent?
The final straw was the man''s silence on the hunters in the Godshollow. Ever since then, neither Vir nor Maiya had slept well at night. Were they being monitored by some unseen force?
After many arguments and emotional turmoil, theyd decided to leave. They''d go into hiding where no one could find them. There, they could take their time to hone their skills. Once they''d grown strong enough, theyd contact Riyan and honor his favor if it was a reasonable one.
Riyan might have guessed their intentions, but Vir felt it unlikely the man knew of their timing. They''d taken extra precaution to pretend like nothing was amiss.
They had contemted leaving earlier, but Maiya found the duel too tempting to resist. Shed never managed to sneak out Tanyas B grade orbs for their mock duels, so this duel was of special interest for her.
Preparations had been made. Food, water, food for Bumpy, various odds and ends. All kept at their secret stash within the cavework to the south. The n was a simple one. Maiya would leave for the ''spot'' with Neel first. Vir would then scrape up everyst morsel of prana for one final Dance activation.
He''d use the shadows to sneak out to Bumpy. This way, Riyan wouldn''t suspect him of having left his room. He''d then pick up Maiya and Neel, and they''d head for Saran where theyd seek jobs to raise funds for ocean passage to the Rani Queendom.
Maiya had considered stealing Tanyas orbsthey would each fetch a small fortunebut decided against it. Riyan would no doubt pursue them. They didnt want to give Tanya any reason to, as well. Maiya had even written up a note for her, hoping shed understand their plight and not pursue them. Even then, there were no guarantees, but theyd done everything they could. The rest was up to Badraks whims.
Vir faced off against Maiya in a valley ofrge dunes near the oasisat the same spot theyd dueled each other repeatedly. Which meant that the prana here was all but exhausted. Barely enough for a single invocation of Dance of the Shadow Demon.
While Virs prana efficiency had more than tripled, there was only so much he could do with such a limited amount of prana.
It was a concession hed made to Maiya. She got to pick the location of the duel, and she could precharge her orbs. She was smart to choose this ce.
In return, Vir could use the full might of all of his Talents. Except the ones he didnt want Riyan knowing about, of course. He had to have something up his sleeve if he ended up having to fight the man. Though even with Maiyas magic, their chances of beating the Ghost of Godshollow were nearly nonexistent. They had to escape without a confrontation.
He tried not to dwell on the matter as he faced off against Maiya under a partially cloudy sky. Fate seemed to conspire against him todaythe shadows werent nearly strong enough to use the Dance, a fact Maiya was no doubt gloating about as she stared him down thirty paces away.
Their starting distance was also apromisedistance favored Maiya, while Vir was far more lethal at close range. She wanted fifty paces. He wanted ten. They met in the middle.
Riyan walked into the center and eyed each of thebatants. The rules for this duel are simple. You will fight to surrender or when one of you is rendered incapable of continuing the fight. If you do not fight at your best, I will know. If I am unsatisfied, you will continue dueling until that changes. Precharged orbs are allowed. All Talents are allowed. Questions?
They each shook their heads, keeping their eyes on each other. Maiya wore a mejai aiming bracer on her right arm, while her left was free, hovering over a medley of orbs holstered on her belt. Like himself, she wore no armor.
Vir finalized his battle n. Riyan''s deration meant that he''d have to go all out, whether he liked it or not. Maiya would do the same. Foremost on his mind was which Talents to useLeap, or Dance. Using one barred him from using the other, owing to the dearth of prana in this area.
Looking up at the sky, he realized that the cloud they were under would pass, and soon. Which meant that Dance could be viable. On the other hand, the winds may shift and the cloud might sit on them.
Dance was a little unique. As hed done in the training dome, he could make it look like Blink to Riyan and Tanya. Crucially, he could ess the Shadow Realm while revealing nothing about the ability. That gave him an enormous edge.
He decided hed hold off on Talents for now. If the clouds didnt break, he could always use Leap. While potent, itd take several invocations to close the distance. It put him at greater risk against her magic. Dance, however, would allow him to pop up right inside her shadow. There was little she could do against that.
And she knew that. Once shed be proficient with magic, Vir had no reason to withhold the details of Dance from her, so hed confided everything. He almost wished he hadnt.
Shed no doubt seek to end things quickly. The tables had turnedstamina was no longer Virs weakness. Against a mejai, time was on his side. Range was his enemy now.
Begin! Riyan announced, Blinking away.
Vir sprinted forth to close the distance. He readied a chakram, but Maiya beat him to the punch.
She activated her precharged B grade orb, casting Ice Barrier. Prana rushed out of her orb and coalesced in front of her, cracking as it froze into a solid block of magic icerge enough to shield her entire body.
Tch. Vir holstered his chakram around his neck. He knew from experience that the wall was all but impervious to his rusty iron disks.
Luckily, Vir knew everything about her magic. It took her an entire minute to charge a single B grade orb, and that too, only if she devoted her full concentration to the task. In the middle of a battle? Impossible.
Which meant hed be dealing primarily with C grade magic. She could charge those in just a few seconds.
Vir intended to press his charge, but Maiya had other ns. A C grade Ember arced through the air, bound for him.
He couldnt suppress augh and risked a nce at Tanya on the sidelines, who had her head buried in her hands. He could almost hear the woman groaning about why Maiya insisted on using Fire Affinity magic.
How many weeks did she spend charging that thing?
Maiya had no affinity for fire magic. Which meant she must have spent a hundred hours or more, diligently charging the C grade orb. All for this moment. Just so she could show off. No wonder she was looking forward to this.
The miniature fireballwhile slow and cumbersomehad been aimed at Virs feet, forcing him to break off his charge. Hed been hit with magical fire before. He had no intention of experiencing that torture ever again.
The spell hit the sand and erupted into a ze, creating a wall of fire that prevented Vir from charging through.
The effect onlysted a couple of seconds, but that was plenty of time for Maiya to unleash her next spell. And this one, Vir did have to worry about.
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A Grade B Hail Burst shot out from behind the mes. No doubt an attempt on Maiyas part to conceal her magic. Too bad for her, Prana Vision saw the attacking. Vir had no doubt she''d have known he would.
Vir was already diving to the ground when the attack manifested, trying to tten himself against the earth.
There really was no good way to protect against Hail Burst other than armor. The attack sent dozens of tiny ice balls in a spray, hitting everything in the area. The best Vir could do was minimize his profile and hope Badraks luck was with him.
It wasnt.
Five ice balls mmed into his back, freezing chunks of his flesh. Vir gritted his teeth against the pain. As he learned, fire and ice from magical spells were far more potent than their non-magical counterparts. A few balls of ice shouldnt have hurt nearly this badly, and yet Vir was writhing on the ground, desperately trying not to scream.
Move! I need to move!
Through the pain, Vir somehow rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a C Grade Icicle.
Gods, shes going all out!
Vir took control of the blood near the injured areas on his back and manually elerated his blood flow. It did little against the pain, but itd help his bodys systems fight back, and hopefully prevent his flesh in those areas from dying.
Of course, Maiya knew he could do all of this, so she knew hed be alright. It still irked him.
Pushing through his pain, he sought to close more distance while Maiya swapped out orbs in her mejai bracer. This was a weakness of all long-range magicto be aimed, they needed the bracer. But recing them with another orb took a few seconds, which left the mejai vulnerable.
Vir closed to forty paces. Thirty-five. Thirty. If he could spook Maiya into abandoning her position behind the Ice Barrier, he could take her out with his chakrams.
He sensed Wind affinity prana re the instant before Wind de ripped through the air like a razor de. It was the same attack the soldiers had used on him in the Godshollow after fighting the Clutch Rachna.
Prana Vision, and her slight hesitation, gave him just enough forewarning to twist away, narrowly avoiding a serious wound.
It was slight. Nothing more than a half-second pause, but it showed just how much she cared for Vir. He knew she wanted to win. Desperately. Despite this, she''d hesitated for fear of his safety.
Vir felt both ted for her concern and saddened that it might very well have cost her the fight.
What concerned him the most was that she hadnt precharged the wind orb. No doubt a ploy to get Vir to lower his guard against her Wind magic.
Which means shes learned how to charge orbs of multiple affinities in parallel. Shed been holding out on him.
After that, she subjected Vir to a nearly unending barrage of icicles, popping out from behind her wall to fire Icicles and Wind des from both hands before ducking back under cover. Too quickly for Vir to threaten her with chakrams.
Entirely on the defensive, Vir wasnt able to gain a single pace. In fact, he lost ground every time she forced him to jump back to avoid her spells.
Finally, her aim flew true. Vir shielded his face and activated Toughen, pushing prana and blood to his forearm just before an Icicle embedded itself into it.
Gah! Vir cried out in pain. Even with his hardened flesh, the ice shard embedded itself into his left bicep, freezing the flesh around it.
Vir holstered his katar, dove into a roll, and yanked the projectile free, all in one smooth motion. He gripped the prana around the wound, preventing blood from leaking out of his body. Doing so would damage his arm in the long term, but for now, it stopped his blood from leaking out of the wound.
I cant take much more of this, Vir thought as his reactions slowed from the sheer number of wounds hed sustained.
With a prayer to Janak, Vir looked to the sky and found his opportunity.
He sprinted at Maiya, recklessly hurling chakrams and chakris at her, forcing her to hide behind her wall.
Twenty-Five paces. Itll have to be enough.
The moment Virs disk barrage ended, Maiya popped back out, ready to unleash her spells.
Instead, she found only empty dunes.
Panicking, she whirled arounda moment tooteto see Vir, his katar pressed against her throat. Hed ditched the chakrams to fit within her shadow.
But he wasnt done. Vir viciously pped the orb out of her left hand and tackled her, sending them both down onto the sand.
If this was the Maiya of before, shed have given up. But not this Maiya. Without panicking, she used his momentum to flip Vir, straddling him, dagger already in hand.
Not gonna let you!
Vir sent power into his legs and micro Leaped, juking Maiya, throwing her off of him.
He then straddled her, pinning her under his superior weight. He pinned her arms, preventing her from wrapping her fingers around the Ice orb in her mejai bracer.
And then he pressed down on her chest, forcing her to writhe in fear of being crushed.
Only then did he bring his katar right up to her eye. Yield, hemanded.
Maiya continued to struggle, trying to reposition her dagger to stab him. Vir increased his pressure on her chest. Yield! He repeated.
With onest re, she acquiesced. I yield.
Vir immediately let off his pressure and offered her a hand up. Instead, she brought her knees to her face and began rocking back and forth.
Maiya?
I thought I could beat you, Vir. I really did. Every waking moment I had, I spent it either on magic or sparring with you. I even hid some of my powers so Id have an upper hand!
Are you kidding me? Vir said, plopped down beside her, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain from his left arm. Slowly, he let blood circte back to the wound to allow the clotting process to begin.
I barely got away from your attacks, he said. If youd charged your spells even a tiny bit faster, Id have been done for. That was incredibly close. It used to be that I could steamroll you, but now? You were really trying to kill me, werent you?
Maiya looked at him. Only because I knew you were good enough to take them. I had to. If I went easy on you, how could I possibly win?
Her strength was honestly monstrous. Not only could she sling C Grade wind and ice magic in rapid session, her dagger mastery spooked Vir at times. Only aplished mejai or highly trained Talent wielders would pose her any threat at all.
Vir used to worry for her safety. Now, it was the opposite; he worried for the safety of the poor chals dumb enough to cross her.
Im proud of you, Maiya, Vir said, patting her back. I truly mean it.
Hed worked tirelessly to get to where he was, and so had she. Shed progressed so much, taking only months to do what most mejai took years to aplish. Of course, Vir had jumpstarted the process and helped guide her growth, but she was the one who put in all the hard work.
Once shed found the key, all it took was practice, slowly honing her prana control until she could channel more and more prana into her orbs, diligently sitting near wind and water prana sources. From there, shed worked on distancing herself from those sources until she could channel prana anywhere.
After that, it was a matter of more efficiently controlling her blood flowa task shed continue working on for years toe.
T-thanks. Well, it was close. Just wait until I can charge B grade orbs inbat. You arent gonna stand a chance!
Uh, huh. Guess well see, wont we? he said, hoping that day never came. Maiya was scary already. What kind of a monster would she be with B grade magic?
Maiyas eyes bulged. Vir! Your arm! Why didnt you say anything earlier! Youre injured so badly, we need to get help! she shouted, standing up and desperately hailing Riyan.
Youre the one who did that to me, yknow?
They are ready, Riyan said, observing the end of the duel.
Tanya remained silent.
You disagree? he asked, cocking a brow.
No. She is ready. But you have spent half a year training these two. So much time and effort spent crafting them. And yet
And yet? Riyan prompted.
You would send them away to their deaths? Tanya asked, a trickle ofpassion showing through her voice.
I am not running a charity, Tanya. I took them in because I felt they would be of use to me. They understood the terms, and they agreed to them.
What you are asking is suicide. They will not understand what they are up against until it is toote!
When did you start caring about their wellbeing? Riyan said. This isnt like you.
They are both special. The boy is a prodigy, and Maiya SheI was wrong. She possesses talent. Exceptional talent. Riyan, she can be powerful! It would be a loss to Hiranya to lose her.
Riyan went silent. She will survive.
Truly? Can you think of a single traitor who has ever been spared the death sentence?
Riyan heaved a great sigh. A leader knows better than to develop ties with their subordinates. Tanya Chakar, you know this. You have seen it time and time again on the battlefield. Isnt that right, Commander?
Tanya fell silent.
Riyan looked across the dunes at Maiya, who was currently stomping their way, no doubt demanding medical help for her friend.
Are you aware? The boy and the girl intend to flee soon.
Tanyas eyes grew wide. How do you know?
Vir has been frequenting his cave cache to the south far more oftentely. The two often sneak out to hold private counsels. They think they are being discreet, but I frequently tail them. They still have a long way to go if they think they can hide from me.
II see, Tanya replied.
Ensure that they fail.
Yes, sir, Tanya said, her voice devoid of life. It will be done.
Next time: 60 - Interdiction
Chapter 60: Interdiction
Chapter 60: Interdiction
Pack your things, Tanyamanded, addressing Maiya, who stood in her bedroom. We travel for Sonam, the capital city of the Kinjal Empire.
What? Maiya asked, incredulous. Now!?
Yes, now. I have already seen to our supplies. Come now, quickly pack your things and let us be off.
Maiyas breath caught. She rapidly sorted through the various excuses she could give the woman. But nothing she came up with had any weight.
II cant, shemely said in the end.
Young woman, this is not a request. You areing with me.
I have to tell Vir something. I cant leave before I do! she blurted. It was a terrible excuse, and Tanya knew it.
I will be happy to pass on your message. You can even seal the envelope if you like. I shall not peek, the woman in ck leather said with a knowing grin.
Maiya panicked. This was all sorts of wrong. She was supposed to escape with Vir tonight! She couldnt go. Not now.
Then again, what options did she have? Even if she somehow escaped on her own, what about Vir? What would happen to him? Would Riyan punish him in her stead? She could easily see the man resorting to such measures.
No, she said atst. This can wait until tomorrow.
Tanya shook her head. You have done well, Maiya, she said, her hands on her hips. Your control over prana has progressed far beyond any student I have ever seen.
Uh, thanks? Maiya said. She still hadnt gotten used to the womans sudden change in attitude. Ever since shed shown signs of rapid progress, Tanya had treated her with respect, as if her prior mistreatment had never even happened.
Yet as strong as you are, you are still barely at the level of a Lesser Mejai Sorcar. As you stand, you can charge a single B grade orb in one minute, and only in a controlled setting. With your affinities, you can go further. Much further.
What exactly are you trying to say?
In Sonam, you will meet my instructor. With his knowledge, youll be able to charge even A Grade spells. Imagine it. You could be a Mejai of Ash like me.
Maiya paused. That did sound tempting. Why the rush, though? Cant we leave tomorrow?
Not everyone in this world has unlimited free time like yourself. The more important a person, the more obligations they have. My instructor is very important. His time is precious. When he says go, we go. Understand?
Maiya fell into thought. Maybe she could pretend to go along, then steal an Ashva and run for it when Tanya wasnt looking? That was doomed to fail. Vir had taken Bumpy to visit the cave for final preparations under the guise of training. He wasnt due back for hours.
None of the other Ashva listened to Maiyaonly Bumpy.
What if I went with her? Whispered a small voice at the back of her head.
She hadnt even considered it until Tanya mentioned the possibility of learning A rank spells. As a Mejai of Ash, Maiya wouldmand respect the world over. Shed have no issues gaining employment anywhere. She could live with Vir no matter where they fled toand they would live like kings.
H-how long would we be gone? she asked. If this instructor of Tanyas was as busy as she imed, Maiya doubted the trip would be a long one.
My instructor will help you break through the barrier youve faced with your prana channeling. After that, it is upon you to progress. We will be in Sonam for a few days at most.
This can work, she thought. If she went with Tanya, she could learn what she needed to, then return and escape with Vir right after. This sudden development disturbed her, but she could spin this to their advantage. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
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Then let me just pack my things, Maiya said, leaving Tanyas room.
Be ready in fifteen minutes. We must ride at once.
After packing her gear, she grabbed some charcoal and parchment and scribbled a quick note to Vir. Simple and to the point. This way, even if Maiya ended up stuck in Sonam, Vir would have a trail to follow.
Satisfied, she stuck the parchment under their mattress, along with a little something shed been making for her friend.
Be a good boy, alright Neel? she said, hugging the bandy.
Arooo!
After taking onest nce around the room, she headed out, locking the bedroom door behind her.
Riyan watched Tanya ride off into the desert with Maiya, then made his way to the bedroom Vir and Maiya shared, bypassing the lock. Neel looked up at him curiously, his tongue wagging.
The man petted the animal, then with slow, sure steps, walked to Maiyas bed and felt under the mattress. His fingers found a piece of parchment and a beaded bracelet.
For many months, hed known about Vir and Maiyas secret hiding spot under the bed. He also knew they had created a stash somewhere deep within the cavework to the south.
Though he didnt know their cave caches exact location, it was impossible to miss all the items that had suspiciously disappeared. They had been clever about it, taking only insignificant quantities of supplies and small denominations of coin, spread out over weeks and months. No doubt they thought themselves clever.
The overconfidence of youth, he whispered, turning the piece of parchment over, reading over Maiyas note to Vir.
Gone to Kinjal capital Sonam. Back in a week. If I dont return, find me at thergest tavern in the city at dusk. Also, heres a little something I made for you! Couldnt wait to give it to you. As thanks for helping me out with everything.
Well, we cant have that now, can we? he said, taking a piece of charcoal from the firece embedded into the wall. He smeared Maiyas writing before pocketing the parchment. He left the other item shed stashed untouched.
I am sorry, Maiya. But this old man needs your friend. He may very well be myst ray of hope.
Vir returned to the abode at dusk, exhausted after a long day of inventorying and packing supplies. The provisions were all ready to go. All that remained was to make their escape.
For hours now, hed been unable to calm his heart in anticipation of their grand departure. Where would they end up? What would life be like with just the two of them?
But the moment he ushered Bumpy into the stable, he knew something was wrong. Tanyas Ashva was missing. That wasnt of immediate concern to himshe would sometimes leave to train with Maiyabut never at night.
With a sinking feeling, he entered the home to find it empty. He tore through the halls to his bedroom, but found no trace of Maiya. Neither was she in the training dome, nor the grotto, nor the kitchen or any of the living rooms. No matter how much he called her name, there was no response.
Growing desperate, Vir searched under her mattress, finding only a pretty beaded bracelet. Throwing aside the bracelet, he ran out, up to the leafless tree on top of the abode.
Empty.
Vir returned slowly, his steps heavy. In his mind, a hundred possibilities bloomed. Had Riyan caught onto their n? Had Maiya gone off somewhere with Tanya? Without even leaving a note? It made no sense; shed never do that!
Upon entering the home, he found Riyan with his arms crossed, waiting for him.
Wheres Maiya? Vir shouted. Where is she?
She left on a training trip with Tanya earlier today. They will be gone for some weeks.
Where? Vir asked, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach.
You need not concern yourself with her anymore.
What do you mean
Come with me, Riyan interrupted. His voice showed that he wasnt asking.
Vir bit his tongue, silently following the big man into his bedroom. This was the first time hed stepped inside, and to his surprise, it was about the same size as their own. His eyes found only a bed, a nightstand, a bookshelf, and a single piece of decorationa small framed painting atop the nightstand depicting three people. A man, his wife, and their daughter.
Riyans family, Vir guessed.
The bookshelf was filled to the brim. On the Matali Artifact, Gods and Artifacts, Artifact and the Ashen Realm... almost every book had something to do with Artifacts, but Vir had never once heard the man mention them. Was this just a hobby, or was there something more?
Sit, the man said before Vir could inspect the bookshelf any closer. They each took seats on chairs at the end of the room beside arge circr window that looked out onto the dunes.
You fought well against Maiya. She has grown strong in the ways of magic, but you? You triumphed over a formidable opponent. Mejai are difficult to kill, yet you have honed your skills to a level where such feats are now possible.
Riyan leaned forward in his chair. Do you know why I have brought you here? he asked, pressing his fingers together.
You want to call in your favor, dont you?
He nodded slowly, gazing at Vir while he stroked his beard. The warrior you are today is due to me, and me alone. The time hase to repay your debt.
Vir didnt like this. Not one bit. Despair intertwined with anger, and his vision swooned.
I want you to kill the Hiranyan Third Princess. I want you to end the blight that is Mina Hiranya.
Next time: 61 - Regicide
Chapter (Arc 3) 61: Regicide
Chapter (Arc 3) 61: Regicide
I dont think I heard properly. You want me to assassinate a princess? Vir asked as he clutched the chairs armrests. His knuckles had turned white.
I will not lie to you, Vir. This will not be a simple task. It will require everything you have learned, and then some.
There was only one thought running through Virs mind: Is this a joke?
One look at the man told him that no, this was no joke. Riyan didnt joke.
If I ask why, Im guessing you wont tell me?
I, Riyan said, pausing, this is not a topic I have ever discussed. With anyone. Even after all this time. I once served in the Hiranyan army.
What happened?
Riyan leveled his stare at Vir, but his eyes were elsewhere, looking at memories of another time. She ughtered my wife and daughter tomand my obedience. That is all I will say on this matter. Vir, do this for me, and you may consider your debt settled.
She killed your family? For disobeying her!?
For the first time in the half year Vir had known the man, he saw fear and regret on Riyans face. For a moment, he looked like a frail, broken man. But then it was gone, his fierce predatory gaze regained in an instant.
I would rather not speak of it, Riyan whispered. Then he cleared his throat and continued as if nothing had happened. For half a year, I have given you food, shelter, and training that you would never have otherwise had. I saved your life and the life of your friend in the Godshollow. I believe this is a fair request, is it not?
I dont know, Riyan, Vir said, hesitating. This is a lot to ask.
Virs debt was a heavy one. That fact had weighed on him for months. He''d always suspected Riyan was training him for something devious, but to kill royalty?
Riyan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Vir, I am an old man. My glory days are long gone, and I would rather not resort to distasteful measures. Do you really want me to use Maiya to ensure your cooperation?
You would do that? Vir whispered, his face taut. Youre bluffing.
And if I am not? Can you afford to take that chance?
Vir jumped out of his seat. If youy a hand on her, I will kill you!
Oho? You? Kill me? Riyan said, roaring withughter.
There was no time to react. One moment, Riyan was rxing in his chair, and in the next, Vir asphyxiated against the mans monstrous grip, his throat slowly crushed as he dangled in midair, struggling toprehend what had just happened.
You cant kill me, boy. You cant even injure me! Riyan threw Vir back into his chair before leisurely returning to his seat. If you try, I will first kill you, and then, once Maiya haspleted her task, I will end her too.
Vir stared into the mans eyes, and for the first time, he understood. In those eyes, he saw desperation, rather than malice. The obstacle course, the excessively harsh training, Riyans threats it all made sense now.
This was hisst chance. Riyan needed his n to work, and so hed done everything he could, using the regimen he thought worked best. Hed trained Vir to the highest level possible, and hed tried to convince Vir the only way he knewthrough force. To Vir, the mans previously aggressive actions now just looked clumsy; they were the actions of a man who had known a life of brutality and tragedy. Who had lived by the de, and who would die by the de.
But even so, Vir thought, massaging this throat. The fact remained; Riyan was mercilessly exploiting his connection to Maiya. And now that she was gone, there was nothing Vir could do to counter him.
Does he know we were nning to escape tonight? Vir thought in rm. He must have. Vir didn''t know how, but the timing was far too convenient otherwise. If they were together, they could''ve fled, but by splitting them up, Riyan had essentially forced Vir''s cooperation.
A realization dawned on him. Those hunters in the forest. They were Princess Minas men, werent they? Vir said, his gaze full of scorn for the man.
They were. So, you see, Mina has already made an attempt on your life. There is no escaping her now. On the other hand, if you fail to kill her, she will no doubt hunt you for the rest of your days. I am not your enemy, Vir. You would do better to direct your hatred at her.
No wonder he kept it a secret. If Vir had known, he mightve guessed at Riyans intentions. If he knew a princess was trying to assassinate him, he absolutely wouldve fled with Maiya.
This is suicide.
Riyan reclined in his chair and crossed his legs. I ask nothing of the sort. If you are sessful, then all is well. If you fail, then so be it, as long as Mina realizes she came within an inch of death. You might think me petty, but I am a realist. If she cant be killed, I will settle for whatever I can get.
Whats stopping me from agreeing and disappearing the moment I walk out that door?
I have eyes and ears in Daha. I will know if you have made an attempt on her life.
Vir wondered if that was true, or if it was another bluff.
Whether I seed or fail, Id be a criminal. Id be running from the authorities for the rest of my life.
That depends on the skill with which you execute this mission. But, Riyan said, stroking his beard, I can help you disappear afterwards. Hiranya has no power in many other countries. Whether you flee to Rani or the Altani, I can aid you.
Vir didnt like it. Though he held no affection for Hiranya, the idea of him never being able to return irked him. There had to be a better option.
And there was one. Instead of assassinating the princess
What if I worked with her instead? What if I helped her capture him instead?
The very thought left a sour taste in Vir''s mouth. Riyan had ckmailed him, yes, but he''d also done so much for both Vir and Maiya. And yet, what if Riyan was in the wrong here? What if Mina was actually not as evil as he imed. What if he was the one at fault? If, instead, she was a benevolent princess? Killing her would gue Vir''s conscience for the rest of his days.
If she wasn''t the person Riyan said she was, there was no way Vir would harm her. But then, Riyan wasn''t about to let him off the hook so easily. Vir would be forced to work with her. For Vir''s own safety, and for Maiya''s.
The princess could easily eliminate Riyan with the forces at hermand. And then shed owe Vir a favor. Using her vast resources, he could locate Maiya. Not only would he not be a criminal, hed be a person of honor to Hiranyan royalty.
This is still too dangerous. I can''t sacrifice myself for you, Riyan.
Riyan regarded Vir for a long moment. What if I told you that it was Princess Mina who put Head Priest Harak in power?
Vir''s face went white.
Yes, you recall, don''t you? Those knights who killed your father. Who killed Maiya''s parents. They were sent by Harak himself. I know you, Vir. You want revenge against those who have wronged you. Yet you have no means of striking back. Isn''t this your golden opportunity? Isn''t this the chance you''ve been waiting for?
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If true, that changed everything. How could Vir possibly work with someone who''d had a hand in the deaths of those he treasured?
But was it true? How much of what Riyan was telling him was a lie? The man could be spinning tales to get Vir to help him. After all, it wasn''t like it''d be easy for Vir to verify whether Mina had really put Harak in power, not without some solid connections to Dahan Sawai.
Hed first test the waters to learn about the princess. There was no need to decide right now.
And regardless of which path he chosewhether to kill the princess or notit would be his decision, and not anyone elses.
How much time do I have for this?
I am in no rush. I have waited for this opportunity for years, after all. It will take time for you to build inroads in Daha. It will take time toe up with a n, he said, staring out the window into the sunset. I think six months should be ample time.
Six months? Virs stomach fell. Hed never been apart from Maiya for that long. It felt like an eternity.
What about Maiya? How do I know shes safe? How do I know you havent killed her already?
You dont. I give you my word that no harm will befall her, but I dont expect my word means much to you anymore. Tanya is with her. If anything, her task will have her growing even stronger. You need not fear for her safety.
Easy for you to say
Then again, time away from Maiya may not be the worst thing for his abilities. While Shardul had threatened not to help Vir again, there was a chance Vir could reason with him. If so, allowing himself to be possessed might lead to more power gains. And with Maiya out of the picture, he neednt worry about Ekanai taking over and slitting her throat.
Alright, he said atst. Ill do it. But if the situation looks hopeless, or if I''m put in grave danger during the attempt, I wont go through with it. The concession Ill make is that if I fail, I promise to do as much damage in the castle as possible.
eptable, Riyan replied, surprising Vir.
You will head out as soon as you pack your supplies. You may take one of my Ashva, as well as any provisions you require. Take what you need.
Right, Vir said.
Your expression says everything, Riyan said tiredly. Though you may not believe me, I am not an evil man. For years, I served as a general in the Hiranyan military. I have sent countless souls to their deaths. Trust me when I say that I do not enjoy seeing promising youths die. This task of yours is noble, whether you believe me or not.
The revtion that Riyan had been a general came as a shock. Maiya had often stayed upte with him, gossiping about Riyans true identity, but they had always just assumed he was a fallen Sawai aristocrat. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine hed led entire armies. The mans vast wealth ofbat experience made sense now.
Why? I understand she killed your family, but what else has she done? Vir asked.
I could tell you stories about her. Terrible stories that would make you sick, but Im afraid they would fall on deaf ears. I see that look in your eyes, Vir. I''ve seen it in countless others. Nothing I say at this point will sway you. So learn about her once you arrive at Daha. Perhaps then you will understand.
Vir suspected the real reason Riyan didnt want to talk was on ount of the painful memories theyd bring. On rare asions, the man actually behaved surprisingly human.
Uh, any tips you could tell me? Anything that would help?
You have never killed a human before, have you? Riyan asked, stroking his beard.
Vir shook his head. While he may have been responsible for the death of that pirate back during the Saran trip, he couldn''t say for sure. Besides, that was self defense. What Riyan spoke of was premeditated murder.
I suppose youve killed your fair share? he asked, not even wanting to guess how many lives had ended by his actions.
More than I could count, Riyan said calmly. Your first kill is the worst, though you never truly get used to it. Not if you have a soul. But killing unarmed, unresisting civilians? Those haunt me the most, Vir. On asion, I have been forced to ughter innocents against my will.
Even as a general?
Especially as a general. As I said, this will not be easy for you. The one you are after hasmitted her fair share of atrocitieswe will all sleep better at night knowing she is gone from this world. But killing is difficult for most. If you manage it, you will gain a power, forck of a better word.
You mean like a Talent? Vir asked. This was the first hed heard of such a thing.
The Ghost of Godshollow shook his head. Nothing so tangible. Killing a humanand living with it afterwardrequires a type of mental toughness that simply cannot be taught. It is the type of toughness that will serve you well in life. Such a thing is necessary in this world, Vir, no matter what anyone tells you. Especially for an Ashborn like you.
I cant say I understand, but I suppose Ill know when the timees, Vir replied. Do you know anything about the princess that might give me an edge? Id hate to walk in with no information at all.
It is best that you do not underestimate that girl. She is far more clever than someone of your age. She is a Greater Mejai Sorcar for a reason.
Whats her Br Rank? Vir asked.
About the same as you, as you currently stand. Around forty,st I heard. Though I would not be surprised if she is concealing her true might.
Vir didn''t like the sound of that at all.
Vir, listen to me. You may bear no love for the kingdom that robbed you of your father, but I very much do. If left alive, that princess will assassinate her brothers and see herself crowned queen. But I fear that the day that she rules Hiranya is the day this country falls.
If you thought life in Brij was difficult, life under her rule would be apocalyptic. Ashborn would be ughtered on sight. Prana scorned, or those with weak affinities would be rounded up and sold into very. Thousands will die for no crime other than existing. You must eliminate her before that happens.
Riyan took a breath to calm down. Vir had never seen the man this agitated before.
I have a contact in Daha. He will approach you when the time is right. Leverage him to establish inroads within the city. By working together, you will have a far better chance of aplishing your mission. Also, you might think of joining up with the Brotherhood of Mercenaries. Their informationwork is not to be underestimatedI imagine they will be of use to you.
Youre telling me to infiltrate the royal castle? Vir asked incredulously. That sounds impossible, even with my disguises.
That is certainly one option. A difficult one. You would have to develop rtions with the more suggestible members of the castle staff. Such things take timeeven the most vignt cannot be wary over weeks and months, after all. Time lowers people''s guard.
That still sounds near impossible, Vir replied, Even if I fake being Sawai, theyll find out immediately once they check their records. Id have to gain a legitimate reason to enter the castle, and I doubt Id have much of a chance after, even if I could somehow get in.
As I said, it would be a difficult option. Lucky for you, Princess Mina is an odd girl, known to sneak out of the castle to wander about the city. Often alone. I suggest tailing her on these outings. If you can locate her, you couldy a trap. But I will not lie to you. No simple solution exists. If it did, I would have ended her long ago. She keeps tabs of every person of strength in Daha. Shell need to be hit from a blind spot. By someone shed never expect to be dangerous.
Like a prana scorned neer like me, Vir said,prehending.
Riyan nodded slowly. I will give you one word of warning, however. Choose the path that involves the least amount ofbat. You are strong, yes, but against the Hiranyan Royal Guard, you will be mincemeat before you even notice them. Do not engage in a confrontation with the castle guards. Do you understand?
Vir nodded.
The princess has a personal bodyguard. Watch out for her. She used to be a soldier under mymand; I can attest to her skills. Her Br Rank should be around one hundred.
Every detail Riyan revealed made this task harder and harder. It was a suicide mission, and Riyan must have known that. Worse, Vir was beginning to wonder just what he''d be able to give Mina if she wasn''t as bad as Riyan made her out to be. With the resources at her disposal, what could hea would be assassin sent by her enemyoffer that would get her to trust and value him?
And you said my Br Rank would be around forty? Vir asked. Riyan had to have known this. It severely limited Vir''s options.
Closer to thirty, I think. I would put your friend at around forty. Her magic is already potent, and she will only grow stronger.
Of course, Riyan didnt know about Prana Vision or Dance of the Shadow Demon. Vir suspected his rank was a fair bit higher than 30.
Understood, Vir said after a moment. I suppose I''ll go pack my things.
He stole onest nce at the picture frame on Riyans bedside before leaving the man alone in his bedroom.
Riyan waited for Vir to shut the door behind him before retrieving an oversized orb from under his robe. To say it was his most precious possession would be an understatement. This single orb could easily buy him a dozen homes.
I take it there were no issues on your end? he said, speaking to the orb.
Tanyas voice came back a momentter. None, General. Maiya did not resist. Luring her with the promise of power was a stroke of genius sir.
And yet, you have not done as I asked, Riyan said with a heavy voice.
What does it matter? Maiya will bring you great benefits, even from Sonam. At least here, shell be safe.
If she passes her exam. You have taken a gamble on my part, Tanya. I only hope it pays off.
It will, General. I swear it.
Good. See that her infiltration goes smoothly. She will be a valuable asset for us in the future.
Of course, sir. It will be done. Did all go well on your end?
As well as it could have. The boy is hesitant, though this is understandable.
Will he betray us?
He won''t, Riyan said. Right now, he questions the veracity of my ims. But once he finds out the truth about that woman, he''ll have no choice. Revenge will drive him, even if his debt to me does not.
Chapter 62: Ekavir Goes To Daha
Chapter 62: Ekavir Goes To Daha
The night passed without Vir having gained much sleep. Hey awake, wondering about his task and agonizing over Riyans words. The man had literally saved his life. He had trained him and housed him, and for that, Vir was beyond thankful. But sending him on a mission that might very well impact the rest of his life?
Virs morals warred with his self preservation instincts. His angst warred with his gratitude.
But Riyans words changed that calculus entirelyif Mina really was the one who put Head Priest Harak in powerthe man who had ordered the killing of three of the most precious people in Virs lifethen how could Vir ever join up with her?
Isnt it worth the risk to kill her? Isnt that worth dying for?
A small voice whispered in the back of his head. A dangerous voice. Because what if Riyan was in the wrong? The man had never shared the secrets of his past, after all. Who was good in this picture? Who was evil? Vir knew desperate men did desperate things; even if Riyan wasnt outright lying, was he twisting the truth for his benefit? These questions ate at Virs mind.
They were all questions without answers. After hours of turmoil, he realized the only way hed find peace was by making that decision for himself, and that meant he had to learn more. About Riyan. About Mina, and their history together.
A part of him knew that Riyan had little reason to deceive him. But another part desperately wanted to deny that fact. Because if Riyan was wrong and the princess was right... it''d make Vir''s dilemma so much simpler. He knew it was stupid to feel that way, but he just couldn''t shake it off.
Maybe he killed the princess, maybe he didnt. But when that time came, it would be his decision. Not because he was ordered or ckmailed to do it. After all, he was the one whod live with the consequences, not Riyan.
But Riyans task wasnt the only reason he couldnt sleep. He spent the hours worrying about Maiya. Where was she? Was she as safe as the man had said?
He clutched her beaded bracelet. It was simple, yet beautiful. Typical Maiya. To think shed put all this effort into crafting this just for himit was special in a way that only Maiya could be.
Which was why he couldnt fathom why she hadnt at least left a note behind. If shed said where she was going, he could have followed. But now
Now he had no choice but to journey to Daha. The journey would take him east, to the Saran-Daha highway, then south to the capital.
Even on Ashva, the journey would take a day and a half of hard riding.
Vir gazed at his empty rucksack, then relented and finally hauled himself out of bed, eyeing the empty one across the room where Maiya slept. The thing wasnt going to pack itself.
The room was still darkdawn was still a few minutes away, but It would be best to leave early. There was nothing left for him here anymore.
Neel snored peacefully on Maiyas bed. The bandy had appropriated it the moment he saw her leave.
Packing his rucksack was not as simple of an affair as it seemed. The bag had limited capacity, and while Bumpy had panniers, hed already filled most of those with water and his thick, heavy nket. Besides, it was best to keep the essentials on him, lest he get separated from the beast.
Hed already prepared everything beforehand, so all that was left was to pack them.
Vir began by stuffing his three sets of disguise clothing into the bottom of the pack, followed by his maska recent addition to his suite of disguisesa tinder bundle, some flint, and steel. All things he wouldnt need immediately. He worked his way up, packing small jars of cloves and neem leaves to use as antiseptics, as well as a needle and thread, packing it all in with socks and other squishables.
Nuts, dried berries, fresh fruit, and a couple of sandwiches came next, along with Neels food. Finally, his makeup kiteasily essible in case he needed to hastily reapply it. That was especially important, as hed applied makeup to his hands and forearms as well to give them a more normal pigmentation.
Lets go, Neel, he said, coaxing the bandy awake.
As he walked through the silent hall lit by the warm glow of Magic Lamps with Neel, he realized he wasnt alone. Riyan stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the front door.
How long has he been standing there? Vir wondered.
I see you are ready, the big man boomed. Have you packed enough provisions?
All the essentials, plus my weapons and my paint kit, of course.
Over the past months, Virs training had shifted to focus less onbat and more on mastering the art of deception through face painting, bodynguage, and speech. He now rivaled even Maiya in that area.
Yes, about that, Riyan said, picking up a cloth-wrapped package by his feet. Take this.
Vir carefully unfolded the cloth, revealing a gleaming steel katar within a leather holster. While it looked well used, sporting knicks on the hilt, its de was pristine, with no signs of rust at all.
My old katar. While basic, its steel de is sharp and sturdy. This weapon has served me well. May it aid you in your endeavor.
T-thanks, Vir said, tying the holster around his right hip. Now he had katars on both sides of his waist. Three iron chakrams were draped around his neck, with a half dozen chakris worn as bracelets on each arm. He was as armed as hed ever been.
The only thing hecked was armor; his fabric trousers, white full-arm, and woolen jacket wouldnt do much to protect him inbat. While his agility-based fighting style didnt really require armor, he was nning on buying something light at Daha. Once he could afford it, of course.
Would you, uh, be able to spare any coin? Ill need a ce to stay for a few days before I can find a means to earn for myself.
Riyan threw Vir a scowl. What of all the coin youve stashed in those caves? Id imagine you would have more than enough to cover costs, wouldnt you?
He knew!? Vir did his best to hide his surprise, but failed.
Come now, did you really think I wouldnt notice coin and supplies disappearing from my own home? You steal from me, and now you ask for coin? he roared. No. I will not punish you for this, but you will have to fend for yourself. I think you are more than up to the task.
Vir pursed his lips and nodded, shameful for stealing from Riyan, and grateful that the man had let him off so easily. Then again, taking action against Vir would only hurt his own goals, so the mans hands were tied.
He swept onest gaze across the home. Though hed only spent a half year here, it had felt like so much longer. Hed experienced so many memories here, with Maiya, with Neel, and even with Riyan. The journey to Saran, to Brij, these were memories hed cherish for the rest of his life.
Burning everyst detail of the home into memory, he stepped outside with his trusty friend in tow. He doubted he would ever return here again.
I guess this is it, then, Vir said as he mounted Bumpy. Neel hopped up onto the rear passengers saddle and made himself at home.
Goodbye, Vir. May Vera be with you.
Riyans prayer surprised Vir. The man had long ago given up his faith in the gods, after all.
The sky was just beginning to glow as he set out, bound for the caves to the south of the abode. Riyan had been exactly right. Over the past half year, Vir and Maiya had both snuck supplies and coin out to the cave stash. They thought theyd been discreet about it, but clearly not discreet enough to avoid Riyans hawk-like attention.
Cmon boy, he said. Neel hopped down and nuzzled his shin.
Vir walked into the cave, Prana Vision guiding his steps. Neel stuck close to Vir. The bandy was nearly blind in this pitch darkness, but Vir hadnt been idle these past few months. Hed trained Neel to the level of those attack bandies in the Godshollow. Part of that training was operating in darkness. So long as his body brushed up against Virs legs, Neel could navigate well enough.
Arriving at the cache, Vir moved the rock that covered their hidey hole.
Of the single Imperium silver and forty coppers theyd appropriated from the Saran trip, Vir took the silver, leaving all the coppers, cing them in a fabric sack. He also took Rudviks twenty coppers, more for sentimental value, keeping them in a separate sack right up against his body.
He wouldnt spend that money unless his life depended on itand maybe not even then. The money and the charcoal sketch were his only memento of his father. He treasured them as much as his own life.
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He left behind the rest of the Saran money, along with the nket, sacks of nuts, dried fruit, and some clothes. For Maiya, in case she ever came back and needed it.
Still, a single silver wouldn''t go very far in the capital. If he wanted to stay there for any length of time, he''d need to find a job, and fast.
Vir swore under his breath that Riyan would get what wasing to him. He held mixed feelings, since the man had saved his and Maiyas life, and had indeed housed, protected, and taught them. Without him, Vir would be as weak and vulnerable as he was just six months ago.
And maybe the princess wasnt a kind soul. Maybe ridding the world of her would be a boon. Even so, Vir refused to be a pawn in anyones n.
The two of them returned to Bumpy and struck east. Neel slept while Vir lost himself in his thoughts. The desert chill turned pleasantly warm, then unbearably hot in less than an hour, forcing Vir to shed his jacket.
No pirates osted him and no one heckled him, because he was utterly alone out in the desert. But that brought with it its own set of concerns; a single heading miscalction could send him in entirely the wrong direction. Many travelers perished in such a way.
Luckily, the Saran-Daha highway ran mostly north-south. So as long as he traveled in an easterly direction, hed hit it.
Sure enough, the packed dirt road came into view in a few scant hours, right before the sun reached its zenith.
Turning south, Vir sped up, the deep sand no longer there to hamper Bumpy. It wasnt before long that he caught sight of other travelers, bound north to Saran, and slower caravans headed to Daha. Those, he overtook.
Desert gave way to endless ins, and just when Vir thought it best to take a break, he hit trouble.
Ever since he was young, Vir had heard of stories of highwaymen osting travelers. But hed stopped believing in them when every single tale was nearly identical.
Surely, they must be making this up? Theyre just copying each other!
And yet, before his very eyes, a scene from those tales yed out.
A group of four ruffians had waid and surrounded a wagon driven by a man and his wife. Except, unlike the tales, there were no threats of death here. No tension at all. In fact, all parties seemed quite rxed.
Give us yer coin, and well be on our way, one of them said in a bored voice. He hadnt even unsheathed his talwar.
To Virs surprise, the wagoner didnt even resist. He reached for his coin, as if paying a merchant and not a bandit out to kill him.
Neel, Vir muttered. The bandy immediately perked up. Sic em.
With a singlemand, Neel jumped off of Bumpy and sailed through the air,ying his fangs into the nearest bandit. The man went down, clutching his neck, crying out in pain.
The other three looked on with shock for several seconds before reacting. It was a fatal mistake.
Bumpy charged the other man, who stood frozen in shock. The Ashvas head collided with the man, tossing him aside like a rag-doll.
Vir leaped off the animal, tackling the third man. He didnt even need to attackthe mans head hit the dirt, sending him straight to thend of the unconscious.
Vir stood up to find Neels prey still clutching his neck. A strike with the t of his katar sent the man joining his friends on the ground.
Thest one, finally realizing his predicament, routed.
Vir retrieved a chakram from his neck and calmly swung it at the man. It hit his back, sending him falling to the ground. Neel kept the man struggling until Vir walked over and bonked him on the head, knocking him out.
Without hesitation, Vir began searching the bandits, but came away empty-handed. Either theyd hidden their coin beforehand, or they were truly broke. All he found were iron daggers that were more rust than metal, along with some stale bread. Not a single coin on any of them.
Vir took the bread. The daggers would only fetch a handful of coppers, but Vir couldn''t afford to be choosy. He scooped those up too, keeping the rusty des separated from anything they could contaminate.
Did they take anything from you? Vir asked, returning to the couple.
N-no. They hadnt yet stolen from us. T-thank you, kind sir. We mightve lost everything.
Vir shook his head. Dont mention it. Travel with some guards next time, though.
Y-yes. Well, honestly, a guard would cost more than what they wouldve asked of us. We came here prepared to pay them out.
So its like a toll? Vir found it shocking that people had reached a sort of agreement with these criminals. By pricing their fee less than the cost of a bodyguard, the highwaymen ensured easy ie Until someone strong came along, of course.
Vir took his leave and found a spot nearby to rest. Only now was he beginning to understand how sheltered hed been in Brij, living in a microcosm isted from the rest of the kingdom. If this is how the road to Daha was, he didnt have high hopes for what hed find inside the city.
With how t and barren thend was, picking a spot wasnt hardpretty much anywhere worked.
He pulled off the road several paces and sat down upon the cracked, dry dirt, taking out a sandwich from his rucksack, and feeding Neel some dried bird meat.
Nice work back there, boy, he said.
Aroo! Neel replied, attempting to lick his face.
Cant let you do that, boy! Youll ruin my face paint! Virughed.
Neel had truly be a formidable force over the past few months. Vir could always count on his four-legged friend, but now the bandy was a force to be reckoned with. A staunch ally he could count on, even in the direst of battles.
Neel tore into his food, but Vir looked at his own sandwich with disdain. It had all the standard ingredientstomatoes, onions, lettuce, salt, peppersbut somehow, it just didnt taste the same as Maiyas cooking.
Hasnt even been half a day and I already miss her. Pathetic, isnt it? Hed of course traveled without her before, even spending days on his own. But shed always be there when he returned. Now Who knew when hed see her again?
Both the Ashva and the bandy ignored him, contentedly munching on their hay and meat, respectively.
It was when Vir had almost finished his sandwich that a caravan hed passed earlier came by, slowing and finally stopping around fifty paces away.
Vir kept a watchful eye, but found nothing amiss with the group of three wagons pulled by two Ashva apiece. It was a simr setup to what Rudvik had at Brij, just that these wagons were fully enclosed with a white fabric to shield its upants against the sun.
The moment the wagons stopped, men, women, and children jumped out the back. The kids scurried around, eager to stretch their legs after what must have been a long journey, while the adults set out cloths.
Seems like they had the same idea. Nothing seemed suspicious about the group, so he continued packing his things.
Hed just finished feeding Bumpy some water and was about to head out when one of the caravaners left their group to approach him. The man wore white robes, and a white hooded headdress that covered his face. Amon outfit for desert travelersit shielded him perfectly from the sun. Vir had donned a simr hood to keep himself from sweating overly much.
Mounted atop Bumpy, Vir stared at the man, his right hand discreetly resting atop a chakri on his left wrist. If needed, he could throw the disk before the man had a chance to react.
Ho there, traveler, the ck bearded man said. He appeared to be in his forties, of moderate build, with a round belly. Vir concluded that this man was no warrior.
Do you have business with me? Vir asked the man, who held his palms up in a show of peace.
Friend, I am called Param. We are merchants bound from Saran to Daha, seeking rest on our long journey. I hope you do not mind our presence here? If so, please say the word and we shall move.
Vir shook his head. No, its fine. I was just about to leave myself.
Oh? Could I convince you to linger? Ser, er
Neel, Vir replied. Just Neel.
The man smiled. Neel, then! We passed you earlier, after you daringly saved that wagon from those highwaymen. Truly a noble thing you did back there. Whats more, you clearly know your way around the art ofbat. And that bandy of yours! Magnificent. Those are no mere bracelets, I see.
I can handle myself, yes. And? Vir replied, growing suspicious. What does this man want?
Why dont we ride together? Tis a lonely journey, and I can assure you, we are quite goodpany, he said, gesturing back to his friends. Vir spotted women and children there too, which certainly reduced the mans threat level.
Vir wasnt convinced. Thest time a traveler osted him on a road, itd ended up with him and Maiya behind bars.
Sorry, not interested, he said.
Even Even if theres coin in it? Param said, throwing Vir a fabric sack.
Vir caught the pouch and peered inside. All coppers, and by the weight, around ten. It wasnt much at all. Barely enough for a single nights stay in Daha. He cocked a brow at Param.
We could use an extra bodyguard, but as you can see, he said, pointing at his caravan, we are not all that lightly guarded. Im afraid this is all we can offer you.
Why bother, then? I could be a criminal, or someone who would take advantage of you.
Param smiled wryly. I would have been driven onto the streets long ago if I could not read people urately, he said. As a merchant, I am quite confident that we can rely on you. And the more guards, the better. Hiranya isnt the country it once used to be, after all.
Well, theres money on the table, Vir thought. He could never have enough of that.
Besides, unlike during his trip to Saran, he now had an array of Talents at his disposal. Even if they tried anything funny, he could always slip into the shadow realm and escape with Neel, or Leap away if it was cloudy. But a nce up at the sky showed not a single cloud at all.
Alright, but Ill keep my own camp tonight.
The man bowed and lowered his head. Of course! Wee, friend, to my familys caravan.
Your family? Vir asked, looking at the group of nearly a dozen people.
Trust is a preciousmodity in this world. Who better to trust than your own family?
Vir couldnt really refute that. He idled on Bumpy while the caravan finished their break. Though hed agreed to travel with them, that didnt mean he was going to get into their affairs. When they started again, he rode at the front, with Param and his petite wife Ravali.
The pace was slower, though not by all that much. Itd be easier on Bumpy and was probably the right speed for the injured animal. Hed realized btedly that hed been pushing the beast harder than he ought to have.
So, who is your furry friend, sleeping happily over there?
Uh, hes Neel, Vir replied awkwardly. I really shouldve picked a better alias.
Neel? Is that not your name? Param asked.
Itits a family tradition to name ones bandy after themselves, Vir said, lying through his teeth. Creates a special bond, you see.
Oho? An interesting tradition indeed! Param replied, buying Virs lie.
asionally, a kid would peek out and stare at him. But whenever he waved back, theyd go back and hide, which made him smile.
They are shy, but they warm up eventually, Param said.
And when they do, youll wish they hadnt. You wont be rid of them! Ravali added with a chuckle.
Vir smiled graciously. So youre based out of Saran?
Param shook his head. No, Daha. We are returning from a local run to Saran. Soon, we will be bound east for the Kinjali capital of Sonam.
Oh? It meant Param likely knew a great deal about the city. Hed be a chal to let an opportunity like this slip by.
So, tell me about Daha. Whats it like?
Youve never been? Param asked.
First time.
A grin spread upon Params face.
Oh, do I have stories for you, friend! I think our trip is going to go quickly. Yes, indeed!
When Ravali gave Vir a look of deep pity, he realized hed made a horrible mistake.
My ears are going to regret this, arent they?
Chapter 63: Vimana Hiranya
Chapter 63: Vimana Hiranya
What you have to understand, Param began, is that the very name Daha means to ze brightly. And indeed, the city certainly lived up to this lofty name long ago.
I take it times have changed? Vir asked, riding alongside the husband and wife. The pace, while slower than what he was used to, suited Bumpy just fine, and made it easy to converse.
s, they certainly have. The capital has seen better days, and that is putting it lightly. The ce is a mess. Putrid warrens ring the entire city, surrounding the Grand Moat, and hardly a trace of its former glory still exists.
Neel, finding the conversation less than interesting, yawned and nodded off from his position behind Vir on Bumpy.
Ive heard so much about the downfall of Hiranya, Vir said, But no ones ever said why.
That is aplex matter, but fundamentally, Hiranyas plight stems from its distance from the Ashen Realm.
Because crops dont grow well, right? Vir offered.
Well, yes, but not exactly. Hiranya borders two of the most powerful nations in the Known World. The Altani and the Kinjal Empire. Both could crush our country at any time, should they choose to.
Rayali scowled. Those Kinjals very well might.
Indeed, Param replied, and as such, Hiranya requires protection. Our armies cannot hope to defeat the Kinjal Brian army.
So the Altani protect us? Vir asked.
Correct. They have pledged aid to Hiranya should we be attacked. The cost, however, is steep. Every promising mejai is rounded up and sent to the Altani for training at a young age.
Isnt that a good thing? Vir asked. If anything, training their mejai would help Hiranya.
If those mejai ever returned to Hiranya, yes. While nothing stops them, it is no secret that life is far better in the Altani. Doubly true for mejai. They live better than King Rayid over there! Who would ever want toe back after having tasted such sweet fruit?
So thats why Apramor didnt want Maiya to be a mejai. Shed go off to the Altani, never to return.
Vir knew shed have thrived with the Altani. He couldnt fault Apramor for wanting to protect his daughter, but the man was depriving her of attaining her full potential. It felt wrong to Vir. And knowing her, shed never have abandoned her parents like that.
Hiranya has promisednd, wealth, and power to strong mejai who choose to return, but s, King Rayids policies have only had minor effect. And so, our country is bled dry of its most valuable assetits people, leaving its back broken. With every year that passes, Hiranya grows weaker, while the Altani and the Kinjals grow stronger.
That was a pretty lousy situation, Vir recognized. If the king broke the contract, Kinjal would invade. If he didnt, Hiranyas power slowly fell.
Whats worse, immigration to the Altani is nearly impossible unless you have magical talent. In which case, their borders are wide open and citizenship guaranteed. Mejai from all over the realm flock to the Altani, forcing nations to fiercely guard their borders to prevent this kind of flight.
Its even worse, Rayali said quietly. Hiranya is a poor country, and our domestic market is small. We export below average armor and weapons to the Altani for a pittance, undercutting Sai to the north. The Altani enchant this equipment and sell it back to Hiranya for a steep markup.
Why does Hiranya need magical equipment? Dont they have that treaty with the Altani? Vir asked.
They couldnt survive against armies without it, Param replied. Enchanted weapons and armor are iparable to their mundane variants. In some situations, a single enchanted squad can take on an entirepany of regr soldiers. The treaty with the Altani only protects Hiranya during a full invasion, after all. The Kinjals wage countless skirmishes against us at all times.
It was like the country was being squeezed dry. Vir wondered what hed find at the capitalParam and Rayali painted quite the grim picture.
For hours, they chatted and gossiped, and Vir quickly learned that once Param got started, he never shut his mouth. Rayali kept shing Vir apologetic nces.
He sympathized with the poor woman. He only had to deal with Param for a day and a half. She had to put up with him forever. Her patience must have been saintly. That said, he did pick up some useful information about the city and its history.
The caravan stopped a full two hours before sunset at a spot on the rolling ins. Unlike Riyans desert, this area was t, and was covered with hard, cracked y, through which bushes and cacti crept. In the distance, the rocky crags of the Dahan steppe were just barely visible. Theyd ascend the steppe tomorrow, before making Daha around midday.
Vir felt it wasteful to stop so early until he saw just how much of a production it was to set up camp for a dozen people. Tent sites had to be scouted, cleared, and leveled to make way for the tworge tents. Food had to be prepared, and fires made. The men erected the tents while the women began food preparation, and the children handled everything in between. Not one person idled around, and that included Vir.
While he didnt have a tent to pitch, he still needed to secure his own site. After chatting with Param and Rayali for the better part of the day, he knew they harbored no ill intent, but Vir wasnt one to take chances.
He cleared a spot of thorny weeds twenty paces away andid out his nket. Too tired to start a fire, he opted to dine on nuts and dried berries.
At least, until Param called him over to the groups camp and invited him to dine with him.
Hed have been a fool to refuse. While theyd technically left the desert, the temperature swings were still quite extreme, and Vir was d for the fire.
Params entire family huddled around it, passing bowls of various dishes around, sharing themmunally.
Vir hesitated until Param handed him a bowl full of skewered veggies, then shrugged and slipped some onto his te. The vegetables wereplimented by arge heaping of spiced brown rice and pickled, salted lemons. Though the vors differed greatly from what Maiya usually cooked up, Vir relished the food. Even with all the kids staring at him the entire time.
At least they dont run away when I wave to them anymore. Progress, I guess?
Maiya would no doubt have been swarmed by them. She was popr no matter where she went.
Neel, of course, took to the children instantly. Hed yed with them for hours.
Vir felt he could hardly be med. Hed never once been included in any group for as long as he could remember. Hed always been alone, ostracized, shunned.
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Vir was learning how good it felt to belong. And now that hed tasted this forbidden fruit, he didnt think he could ever go back to being an outcast.
If Riyan hadnt shown me the ways of makeup and deception
He shuddered. He didnt even want to think about that.
Params dam of a mouth opened up again, spilling unending torrents of wordsa small portion of which was actually relevant.
Vir learned that his youngest daughter loved Saranian fried sugar sweets, and that they were second generation merchants whod emigrated to Daha from the northern Hiranyan town of Bram.
What about Hiranyas royalty? Vir asked, hoping for any info that might help him. Ive heard a lot of things about the third princess, Mina Hiranya.
Princess Mina, eh? Param said, stroking his beard. Shes almost as famous as her elder brother.
I for one think shed make a fine queen, Rayali said. So what if her strengthes from magic? There is no rule that says our monarchs must all be Talent wielders!
Mmm, yes, Mina would make for a capable ruler, but she is third in line to the throne. First prince Sanobar is proving to be incredibly capable. He takes after King Rayid. I do not believe Mina will get her chance unless tragedy should befall her siblings.
Vir wondered whether they were talking about different people. Their impression of the princess was practically the opposite of Riyans take. Whose story was correct? Vir didnt know which to believe.
While the man wanted to continue talkingte into the night, his wife thankfully put a stop to things, allowing Vir to retire under a starry sky.
Wrapping his hands in cloth, he took some hot rocks from the fire and ced them inside his nket on either side, ensuring hed stay warm through the cold, breezy night alongside Neel.
In true Vir fashion, he didnt go to sleep right away. Instead, he snuck away and did what hed been doing most nights for the past several monthswork on his Talents. His Ash affinity magic.
There were two Talents Vir desperately wanted. Talents that had proven elusive. Empower and de Projection. The former infused his attacks with prana, giving them superhuman speed and power. Helpful for kicks and punches, but downright devastating when paired with a ded weapon.
Thetter was like a holy artifact for him. His katar was a maneuverable weapon that suited him perfectly, but its primary weakness was its reachjust slightly longer than a daggers. de Projection would solve that problem by extending the reach of his weapon with prana. Whats morethe attack would be deadlier than steel.
But no matter how much hed banged his head against the trunk of this Godhollow, it refused to yield. Once prana left his body, he lost control of it, and nothing he ever did seemed to change that.
It wasnt like he could simply give up and pursue some other Talent either. Many required far more prana than what the meager Ash affinity in the ground could provide. Ash was far more potent than regr affinities, yes, but that only made up for its scarcity to a degree.
Which had led him to an inevitable realizationmost warriors grew stronger by acquiring more powerful Talents. Vir would grow by perfecting the ones he could use with the limited Ash prana.
To that end, hed recently discovered that the prana hed been sucking up from the ground wasnt all used to power his Talents. Only a small portion of it was, with the rest being absorbed by his body or leaked into the air.
He was incredibly inefficient with his Talent invocations, but rectifying this was easier said than done. Through endless trial and experimentation, Vir had learned that certain muscle groups responded more to certain Talents than others, and that injecting prana into one muscle might yield double the effect as another.
What he hadnt ounted for were the staggering number of muscles and blood pathways through the body. In order to get prana to the right muscles, he needed to control that prana to an extremely fine degree.
That was the hardest part. Directing prana flows to different destinations within his body in differing amounts proved to be one of the hardest things hed ever done. Progress had slowed to a crawl, frustrating him.
Tonight, he wanted a distraction from his prana flow training. Something that would actually make him feel like he was making some progress.
Vir began his practice. He sucked the prana from his foot up into his leg, creating a suction effect that pulled Ash prana from the ground.
Then, timing himself perfectly, he lifted his leg and kicked, willing the prana stored inside to explode.
He almost managed not to fall over.
This was the biggest issue with Empower. Sucking in the prana was easyit worked like Leap that way. But where Leap didnt insist on finesse, Empower demanded it, or hed throw himself off bnce. Both the timing and the amount of power had to be exact or the ability wouldnt work.
After months of practice, Vir was getting the hang of it when training. In actualbat, it was still too unpredictable to use. ording to Riyan, this Talent took most people years to perfect, so the fact that he had almost mastered it in months should be celebrated.
And yet, he wanted more. He always wanted more.
Vir practiced for another half hour until the Ash prana in the area ran dry, forcing him to call it a night and head back to bed.
It had been a long day, so he was out the moment he snuggled in next to Neel.
Param didnt even ask him to keep watch; the mans caravan had enough guards to handle that. It was a courtesy Vir truly appreciated, but it left him feeling bad about epting coin while doing nothing in return.
Morning started early the next day. Soon, theyd torn down the camp and headed out, seeking the shelter of Dahas shaded streets before the desert heat peaked.
As they approached, Vir learned more about the citys organization. The vast majority of its residents lived either in the Warrensthe slums that surrounded the cityor the Commons, where mostmoners lived. Only the Sawai could enter the District of Internal Affairs, and the Royal Grounds were off limits to all without an invitation.
Forget getting to the castle. Even the District of Internal Affairs seemed nearly impossible to gain ess to. Legally. Dance of the Shadow Demon afforded several options, but hed have to inspect the area with his own eyes before forming a n.
He could hardly contain himself; the sooner he resolved his business in Daha, the sooner he could start searching for Maiya.
The caravan slowed as they ascended a series of switchbacks that led up to the Dahan Steppe from the west. The Ashva worked hard to carry the heavy loads, and Bumpy was no exception.
With some tender coaxing and treats of hay, Bumpy the Brave made it up, panting and sweating. Vir made a note to stable him at a premium spot, as thanks for his effort.
Slowly, the western edge of the city came into view, but it was as if Vir was looking at a mirage on the desert. The city looked strange to his eyes, surrounded by a myriad of dark rocks. Something was off, but he couldnt quite ce his finger on what, exactly.
As they crept closer, the dark rocks revealed themselves to be ramshackle wooden homes. Shacks, really. And not just a few dozen. Hundreds of these buildings butted up against each other, as if squashed. Some looked as though theyd copse with a stiff wind.
In fact, a few had copsed. In some ces, only piles of wood showed that an abode once used to upy that space. Vir only hoped no one was inside when it did.
When he saw how many people thronged the streets, packed like the ves on Bakuras ship, he doubted that was the case.
The familiar smells of unwashed humans and bodily fluids permeated the air, punctuated by Ashva dung.
Vir pinched his nose as Param ordered the caravan to speed up. Whether it was because of the stench, or whether the man was worried about being mugged, Vir didnt care. This squalor was far worse than even the slums of Saran.
Param was right. This is tragic
And then, the moment they prated through the slums, Vir forgot it all.
A presence had detected him, focusing its godlike will upon him. Vir had never felt anything like it before. He felt stifled, though nothing physical was amiss.
It came from above.
Vir pointed to the sky, his mouth agape, eyes as wide as Grade A orbs. W-w-w-what!?
Come again? Param said.
What is that!?
The merchant followed his gaze to the pce that floated above the capital, casting it in eternal shadow.
Friend, I find it hard to believe that you do not know. Have you never heard of the Vimana Hiranya? The mythological floating pce of the gods?
Chapter 64: City of Blazing Wealth
Chapter 64: City of zing Wealth
Of course I know of them! Vir retorted. Who hadnt heard of the flying pces of the gods? Most nations had founded their capitals under them, after all. For auspicious reasons.
It''d been hidden by clouds until now, but hed known there was one above Daha. Just, Vir never imagined theyd be this impressive. Hed figured thatlike Apramors fablespeople had blown them out of proportion. Nothing that spectacr could possibly exist, could it?
Vir now had his answer. Though the pce hovered highabove the city, its great shadow still shielded most of Daha from the sun at this midday hour.
The presence hed felt earlier lingered for a moment, and then it was gone. Like itd never existed.
What was that? Vir wondered. Was it just him? Or had something inside the Vimana taken notice of him? The pces were supposed to be inert, though.
Since it was so high, Vir was hard pressed to make out too many details, other than that it was highly gilded, and that it was several stories tall. In fact, it was much taller than it was wide, with each lower level growingrger andrger.
Whats in it? Vir asked.
With his neck craned up at the sky, he missed Param shaking his head.
No one knows, the man said. All Vimana hail from the Age of Gods, and each has defense mechanisms that protect them from anything that ventures too close. Not even the Altani have sessfullynded a skyship on one, and if they cant do it, what chance does Hiranya have? Those defenses spare no one. Not Acira, nor even unarmed balloons.
Vir had been so preupied by the intimidating pce that hed entirely missed the handful of balloons colored with various faded hues that meanderedzily above the city, far below the Vimana. Pear-shaped, and made of a kind of fabric, Vir saw asional puffs of fire magic from a tiny wooden basket under each.
Hot air balloons, Param volunteered, realizing by now that Vir was either a hermit or a backwater bumpkin. They are used to keep watch over the city from above. A poor mans skyship.
The day was full of surprises for Vir. That now made two new things hed seen today.
Do you know what actually happens when they get too close? Like, how are they destroyed, exactly? he asked.
It has been many decades since anyonest tried. I cant recall, Param said, stroking his beard.
The man fell silent, but then Rayali spoke up. I have heard tales of a brilliant light that envelops all who venture too near. When the light fades, nothing is left. Nothing but ash.
Vir made a mental note not to let his curiosity get the better of him. Not unless he wanted to end up fried to a crisp.
He tore his eyes from the magnificent floating pce and looked at the city itself. In just a few moments, hed almost forgotten about the Vimana entirely, because in front of him was a sight nearly as miraculous.
Just a few paces away, the Warrens abruptly ended, as if Adinat himself had erected a barrier beyond which nothing should exist.
The reality wasnt too far offshacks crowded right up to the Grand Moat, a dry moat that stretched to the citys tall walls.
A moat that was so deep and wide that it dwarfed the tall stone walls, making them look deceptively tiny inparison.
Spanning four hundred paces across, it was more akin to a valley that ringed the entire city, with Daha sitting upon an ind of rock and dirt. The only ess to the city was via an absurdly long wooden drawbridge that couldnt possibly support its own weight. Severalrge wooden pirs extended to the bottom of the moat to allow it to stand.
But as the caravan proceeded up to the checkpoint station, Vir noticed dozensno, hundredsof D Grade Lighten Load orbs ced at regr intervals, about half of which were active.
I know what youre thinking, Param said as they pulled in to the back of the line awaiting clearance. But yes, they do actually raise this bridge in times of emergency. Do you see those tall pirs that soar high above the walls? Drawbridge supports.
Vir saw them. Initially, hed thought they were fabulously tall lookout towers, but now realized they werent. Enormous ropes connected them to the bridge.
Youve seen them raise it? Vir asked. It had been some time since the country wasst invaded.
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They test the system regrly. It would be bad if it failed when it was most needed, yes? The bridge extends far above the walls of the city when retracted. Quite the sight. Stick around Daha long enough, and you may even see it!
Their turn finally arrived, and not a moment too soon. The Vimanas shadow did not extend past the walls of the city, and Vir was doing everything he could to keep from sweating overly much. Fanning himself did little against the sweltering heat.
You truly do not do well in the heat, do you? Param said with a smirk.
Never did, Vir answered, hoping his makeup was still intact.
But as bad as his own sweaty situation was, the Dahan guards had it a hundred times worse. Most wore brigandine cuirasses, pauldrons, and steel gauntlets over thick gambeson, all painted in the Hiranyan emerald and gold.
The ones that wielded polearms wore mail hauberks and full helms. They must all have been sweating buckets under that armor.
Vir remained a pace behind Params wagon, hoping to blend in with the caravan, but soon realized that waspletely unnecessaryhe was a part of the caravan.
Papers? A bored guard asked, his hand resting on his talwars pommel. Vir wondered how much action they really saw per day Likely not much at all.
Param shed a bronze badge. Params Pawn Peculiarities, returning from Saran under guard.
The Hiranyan warden barely even nced at the badge before waving them by.
The whole inspection was over before Vir could even grow anxious about it all.
The wagons cked over the wooden t drawbridge, barely wide enough to admit a single wagon.
Bumpy hesitated, but seeing his fellow Ashva must have given him courage, and after hesitating for a moment, lived up to his name. Bumpy the Brave put one hoof in front of another and refused to look down into the chasm below.
Vir did the same. He really had to wonder why this moat was as wide as it was. It would have been a monumental undertaking to create, and not even arrows could clear that kind of distance.
Magic, he realized. Maiya had always said that Fire magic had the greatest range of all the affinities. This must have been an anti-mejai defense measure.
Magic defense made sense, but what Vir hadnt expected was theck of prana here, and it wasnt just Ash affinity. All affinities were present in simr quantities as Brij.
Hed expected more, but then again, prana densities were said to die off quickly as one traveled away from the Ash Boundary. Hiranya was simply too far to reap from abundant prana.
Guess Ill need to stay focused on conserving my prana usage, he thought, with some disappointment. Hed been lusting after de Projection and other powerful Talentstely.
As they crept closer to the walls, their sheer scale became clear. Built of enormous thick stone at least twenty paces in depth, countless crentions decorated its ramparts. Vir even saw mounted soldiers patrolling the ramparts, a testament to the structures size and durability.
The entrance to Daha was unlike anything Vir had expected. Saran had a portcullis gate that guarded the city, but Daha was the capital. Though the city may have declined, its design and its walls hearkened back to a more prosperous era.
Shivers crept down Virs back as the caravan passed through double portcullis gates. Attackers would find themselves in a living nightmare, trapped inside when the gates fell, helpless against arrows rained through the dozens of murder holes from above.
As if that wasnt enough, the floor was a te of metal. A false floor that no doubt dropped into some sort of gruesome pit far below.
They crossed through unimpeded, and ran straight into another wall, forcing them to take a sharp turn to the right. The space was so narrow that Param had to manually guide each of his two Ashva, and Vir could almost touch both walls if he spread his arms out. Those entering from the other side squeezed past, and Vir hoped no Ashva came, or theyd be stuck in a deadlock.
Looking up, Vir saw archers manning the walls that surrounded them on three sides.
This is a gauntlet of death, he realized. Invaders would be decimated by defending arrow and mejai fire, bunched up and exposed with nowhere to hide.
Twenty pacester, they made another sharp, tight turn to the left, then another immediate left. Vir exhaled when thest right turn put them through double portcullis gates that finally led into the city proper.
Hate it. Always an irritation, every challing time, Paramined. Typical of city builders. Defense firstconveniencest. When was thest time this city was besieged, anyway?
Even Neel didnt like it, growing agitated on Bumpys back.
Looking back, Vir realized the gauntlet prevented anyrge vehicles from passing through. Params wagons werent all that wide, and theyd barely fit. Which meant that siege weapons like battering rams likely wouldnt either. Theyd simply get stuck, and then the defenders would pick them off from above. An ingenious tactic to ensure the gates never fell.
If Vir hadnt juste from the Warrens, hed call the slums that bordered the entrance to the city squalid. Butpared to the slums outside the city, these were markedly better. While dirt and dung littered the streets, the putrid smells were slightly less offensive here, the buildings sturdier.
Still, a slum was a slum. It wasnt the best first impression for visitors to the city. Either Hiranya didnt care about appearances, or they simply couldnt do anything about it.
Where are you headed? Vir asked.
Upper West Side. Tis where my shop is, and my home. I have enjoyed our time together, Neel. Should you ever need anything, pleasee find my shop. Params Pawn Peculiarities. Simple to remember, no?
Vir nodded with a smirk. Quite simple. Im d to have journeyed with you as well. Its rare to find goodpany.
May fate allow our paths to cross again, Param said, removing his hood and bowing his head. Rayali did the same, and Vir returned the gesture.
Before I depart, could you tell me where to find the Mercenarys Brotherhood? Vir said, I have some business there.
Of course! Simply travel east to the Market za and look south. Enormous building. Carved with many sculptures. Very difficult to miss.
Vir thanked the couple and headed off on his own. It was time for him to register as a mercenary. It was time to do some exploring.
Chapter 65: A Bumpkin After All
Chapter 65: A Bumpkin After All
As much as Vir wanted to head straight to the Mercenaries Brotherhood building, traffic had other ns. He thought Saran was crowded. Saran wasnt crowdedit was quaint.
Daha was downright packed, making it nearly impossible to move anywhere atop Bumpy.
Whoa there, boy, Vir said as Bumpy shivered. I know its scary, but I need you to be brave for me, alright?
The situation deteriorated the farther he prated into the city. Whats worsethe buildings grewrger as he left the slums behind, looming taller. While still nothing to write home about in terms of their construction qualitybuilt mostly of wood and ysome even reached up to five stories in height. It made Vir feel boxed in, corralled by the thronging masses with nowhere to escape to.
And he wasnt the only one struggling; nearly everyone on mounts crawled forward amid the throng of people, cursing at the government for failing to improve the roads.
Giving up, Vir dismounted Bumpy and lead the animal through the swarm on foot. A task easier said than done, with the dozens of merchants hailing him from under their street-side awnings, the opportunistic urchins that hovered nearby, and with people shoving him every which way.
Vir learned a lot from the angry voices around him. The thoroughfare had been overloaded for decades, but King Rayid hadnt even lifted a finger to fix it.
There was no way Bumpy could manage. Vir needed to stable the Ashva at the earliest opportunity, and while hed spotted a couple of inns along the main road, they were all full.
The alleys were less crowded, but Vir didnt want to deviate from the main roadof which there was exactly one. No doubt the alleys would allow him to slip by, but which areas of the city were safe? Which side streets led where? Saran had given him simr anxiety, but that city was small enough that he always knew where he was. Alongside Maiya, the two of them hadnt gotten lost even once.
Now, he was alone, and Daha was many times the size of Saran. Each street looked the same as the next, crisscrossing every which way like a prana rats nest. He realized hed need a map.
Adding the item to his shopping list, Vir finally arrived at Market Square a full hour after leaving Params caravan.
The merchant had mentioned hed find the Brotherhoods building, and sure enough, in a corner was a five story stone building with carvings of monsters, busts, and weapons of all kinds. But the rest of the cobblestone square was no less impressive, a hive of activity in its own right. The area served as a junction for several roads, with people continuously entering and exiting.
It was a far cry from the slums near the city gate. Many buildings boasted carved arches, and gold-painted domes capped the rooftopsthe kind hed only ever seen at Apramors temple. There was even a fountain at the zas centerthough it was as dry as a desertaround which several dozen people sat and chatted.
While there were more people here, the space was also farrger, so Vir felt like he could finally breathe again.
He patted Bumpys snout for the hundredth time. Good boy. You mustve been terrified of all those people, huh?
The Ashva grunted reluctantly, nuzzling him. You were great, Bumpy. Just a little longer, and well have you in a nicefy stable, Vir said, eyeing a nearby inn. He hoped to Janak they had vacancies.
Tying Bumpy up outside, he entered the three story structure through its double doors, leading to a wide open space that was even louder than the square hed just left. Simr to the inn at Saran, this ce doubled as a tavern, and was packed to the brim.
Feeling bad about his chances, Vir spotted the receptionists booth in a corner, finding a woman arguing in hushed tones with a small man.
Vir considered waiting, but a nervous nce out the windows at Bumpy changed his mind. He wouldnt put it past people here to try and steal his friend. Neel was outside guarding the Ashva, but even so, he hoped to settle this matter as soon as possible.
Hello? He shouted above the din. Hello? Can I get some help?
The woman frowned, looking angry that she''d been interrupted.
Yes? She said curtly.
Do you
Brotherhood? Mejai Sorcar?
Sorry, what?
Not Brotherhood then. No discounts. Full fare.
So being a mejai or being associated with the brotherhood gets you a discount? Thats handy.
Uh, right. So, do you have any openings? How much for a night? Vir asked.
Only one room left. Fifty coppers a night. Meals are ten coppers each. Stabling fee is fifteen coppers, she said. Pay upfront.
Vir nched at those prices. Hed finally found an inn that wasnt full, and the fee was exorbitant. Hed been expecting higher prices than Saran, but this was ridiculous! Even if he forewent meals, hed need sixty-five coppers. Ignoring Rudviks coin, which he never intended to spend, he had a single silver. Not even enough for two nights.
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Is it always this busy? Virined, silently cursing Riyan for sending him here without money.
Maybe I shouldve gone with the risto disguise, Vir idly thought, but realized that wouldnt fly here in the capital. Sawai aristocrats were amon sight. No doubt theyd have ways to call his bluff.
Hed thought of spending the night in an alley somewhere, but while he might be safe, Bumpy surely wouldnt be. Bumpy couldnt jump onto rooftops, after all. Vir knew the Ashva would be stolen by the time he woke up.
And leaving the city to camp out on the desert wasnt an option either, seeing as how he had no way of getting back into the capital without paperwork. Yet another reason to join up with the Brotherhood. Not only would he have easier ess to information and potential leads on the princess, but he could earn some coin, and hed gain easy ess to the city.
For the first time, the woman looked at him with an expression other than boredom. Youre quite the hermit, arent you?
Why do you say that?
The woman sighed exaggeratedly. I dont get paid for small talk. You staying the night, or what? she asked with her hand held out.
W-wait, a moment, Vir said. Lets work something out here. How about fifty, and you include the stabling fee? My mount is as docile as theye. You wont even notice him
Non negotiable. If you cant pay, leave, she said, turning her back to him.
Vir gritted his teeth. W-wait! I can put down a deposit, cant I? Ill return with the funds in an hour.
The woman turned around, looking at him like she was mulling over how to tell him to go away.
Im afraid
The scrawny man she''d been arguing with came rushing up to the counter. Irma, this can''t wait. There''s blood all over that room. We need to get it cleaned!
Vir turned to the receptionist. Uh, Irma? What''s he talking about?
Irma waved dismissively. There''s been a fight in one of the rooms. Some blood was shed. Nothing you need to worry about.
What about their room? Can I have that?
Thedy paused, then nced at the man, then back at Vir, her mouth agape. F-fifty coppers?
Lady, the room literally has blood in it. Forty, and you throw in the stabling fee. You know youre not gonna rent that out without a deep cleaning.
D-deal.
Vir went up the stairs and entered his room only after hed ensured the stablehand had secured Bumpy, and that the beast was well fed and pacified. His poor four-legged friend had had a long few days of travelsome of it traumaticand Vir wanted to make it up to him.
Luckily, the maids had already removed the sheets, though the room still stank of copper, and not all the bloodstains had been erased. Vir threw open the only window in the room, leaving the door ajar to create a draft.
Setting down his rucksack, he draped his nket on the bed and slumped down next to Neel, whod already curled up on the bed. He thought hed been prepared for it, but cities were exhausting.
Even more exhausting when youre broke Vir thought, idly tossing and catching his nearly empty coin sack. Hed paid another ten coppers for dinner tonight, leaving him with a measly fifty coppers. Barely enough for another night. Emergency rations were always an option, but he wanted to avoid dipping into that unless there was an emergency. No telling when hed need it.
Which meant he needed money immediately. Tomorrow morning, hed apply to the Brotherhood.
With his thoughts on money, Vir found his eyes drooping.
He drifted off to sleep, only to suddenly awaken upon hearing a jarring thud.
Oh, grak!The room door!I never locked it!
Vir bolted out, hoping to glimpse the perpetrator, but there was no one.
Reentering his room, the door mmed shut behind him all on its own. That was when he noticed it was merely the wind that had pulled it closed.
That was stupid, he thought, heaving a sigh. What was I thinking, falling asleep with the door open like that?
That too, in a room where there had been a fight only an hour prior.
Just in case, he inventoried everything and found nothing amiss.
Better rustle up some coin, he said to Neel, retrieving the bandits rusty daggers.
Vir donned his rucksack, leaving only the nket behind, before inserting his room key into the lock. He gave the door a tug to ensure it was sealed, then headed down to the entrance with his caninepanion. The sun''s rays had only just grown long in the sky, which meant he still had some daylight left to sell the daggers.
Wheres the nearest pawnshop? Vir asked the samezy receptionist whod helped him earlier.
Whatchya selling?
Some daggers, Vir replied.
She gestured outside. Try the one across the market. Good prices here, unlike some of the other spots.
Vir stepped out to find the square even busier than when hed left. He pulled Neel close, lest they get separated.
What is going on here? he wondered. This cant be normal, right?
Everywhere, people just stood around, idling away. He wouldnt have cared, except it impeded his progress. Slowly, he pushed and shoved his way past people to the other side of the square. Vir was tempted to use Dance of the Shadow Demon, but it would attract attention if he suddenly popped up in someones shadow. With this many eyes, he didnt want to take any risks.
At least she didnt tell me to go halfway across the city, Vir grumbled. He doubted hed have been able to make it there and back today.
Thankfully, the musky, low-roofed store seemed mostly devoid of customers at this hour. The ce was packed full of random knick knacks and odds and ends from what was likely several countries around the known world. Nothing there looked magical, or even remotely useful.
Neel made sure he sniffed everything.
How can I help ya today? a pudgy middle-aged man asked from behind the counter. Most of his hair had already balded, and like most Dahans, he wore a great ck bushy beard. Surprised ya made it through that throng!
Tell me about it. Is something going on?
The shopkeeper gave him the same look the receptionist had earlier in the day. What, ya from the country or something? Princess Mina Hiranya is returning to town this evening! Her entourage is due to pass right here through Market Square!
Virs eyes went wide. A sly grin crept up on his face. Tell me more.
Chapter 66: Fateful Encounters
Chapter 66: Fateful Encounters
Friend, I am happy to talk, but I run a business. Are you here to chat, or to buy? Time is money, as they say.
Did Riyan send me here knowing the princess would be arriving soon? Knowing the man, it was a distinct possibility.
As much as Vir wanted all the details regarding the princess procession, he was here to sell, after all. The bushy bearded mans lips would only grow looser after theyd conducted the transaction, so he forced himself to be patient.
Vir ignored the man. How much for those iron daggers over there? he asked, pointing to the back wall.
One hundred twenty-five coppers, the man replied.
I see. In fact, Im not here to buy. I wish to sell some daggers. Five of them.
The mans attitude changed immediately. May I see them?
Vir set the rusty weapons on the wooden countertop, and the mans expression told him this battle would be a tough one.
Are these weapons? Or is this a pile of rust? These belong in a dump, not on my counter.
Yes, theyre rusty, Vir admitted. But rust can be removed. Look past the surface. These des are iron, yes. But the quality is good. See for yourself!
Vir knew that all bargaining started with a kernel of truth, and he spoke no lies. The iron was decent. Just that itd been rusted beyond belief.
Scrub off the rust, take the de to a whetstone, and youll sell these for a killing.
A killing, is it? the man replied. Even new daggers would only fetch seventy coppers. With thebor Id have to put into these to sell them, Id barely break even, even if you gave them to me!
Didnt you just say those daggers on the wall were a hundred twenty-five? Seems to me youre low balling.
Vir knew that was falsethe merchant priced his items expecting to be haggled down. Seventy was likely the actual market value, but Vir could use that as a bargaining chip.
W-well, prices are negotiable, you see?
Uh, huh. Sounds to me like youre trying to scam me, ser, Vir coolly replied.
Look. I can give you five coppers each. Twenty-five total.
Vir sighed. I know the going rate for sharpening and repair work. Maybe things are more expensive here in Daha, but it cant cost over forty coppers a de. Ill be generous and say you sell these daggers at a hundred each, instead of a hundred-twenty-five. You could buy these off of me for fifty and youd still turn a profit. But look, I dont wish to haggle. Ill do forty apiece, and no lower.
You make some good points, but Im sorry,bor is more expensive here than you guessed. The most I can do is twenty.
How about thirty, and I spread the word about the fine shop you have here? Im friends with Paramof Params Pawn Peculiarities. I know he can do thirty.
Fine, fine. Thirty it is, the man said. Hed clearly had enough of haggling over such a small denomination. The man likely dealt in dozens of silvers a day.
Vir nodded. An extra silver and fifty coppers in his pocket would go a long way to ease his money issues for the next two or three days.
As he waited for the shopkeeper to stow the daggers and produce his money, his eyes came to rest on the handful of orbs that sat under the counter. One was white, and of the same size as the one Tanya had left for him back in the woods. The broken one.
Whats this orb here? he asked. How much does it go for?
Ah! An Asiyan C Grade Heal Skin spell. In good condition, too. Minimal usage. This one has plenty of life left in it.
So orbs could wear out? That was new to him.
Sorry,e again? Asien? Vir asked.
Asiyan. Crafted by the famous Altani thaumaturge Asiya, the shopkeeper said, giving Vir a judging look. They are quitemon here, in the capital. Good quality. No major idiosyncrasies. Easy enough prana profile for even newly minted Mejai Sorcars to handle.
Right, Vir said. And? How much for one?
My price is ten silvers. Are you interested? Or just asking?
Just asking, Vir replied, hiding his surprise. Tanya had said C grade orbs could go for twice that much. Why so less?
Less? My prices are quite in line with everyone elses. Its a Life orb, after all.
Its a Life orb, Vir countered. Not everyone has use of abat orb, but injuries befall everyone. If precharged, this could even save ayman, could it not?
The man nodded, stroking his mustache. Yes, and that is precisely why they are manufactured in substantial quantities.
He brought out a red chest and ced it on the counter, utching its brass hinges. Inside sat a dozen white orbs.
You see? Over half of my orbs belong to the Life Affinity. Their production numbers make them less valuable than the others.
I-I see, Vir replied, pocketing his silver and fifty coppers. He clearly had some learning to do. So anyway, about the princess visit
Yes, she is due to arrive this evening. Perhaps in an hour or two. It should be quite the sight! I encourage you to stick around. Tis a rare asion for princess Mina to show herself in public.
Oh? Whats the best spot, then? Vir asked.
In the za, right beside the road, but as youve seen, all the good spots have already been taken.
Shouldnt be an issue for me.
Leaving the musky shop, Vir slid into an empty alley and activated Dance of the Shadow Demon. From within the shadow realm, he picked an exit atop a t, rectangr third story roof, at the very limit of the abilitys range. Having a Vimana parked on top of the city was working out well for himshadows abounded everywhere.
From here, he had amanding view of the entire square, near the road through which the procession would travel. The only question was
What do I want to get out of this?
The options seemed myriad at first. He could merely spectate, but that would be a waste. To gain from this, he needed to learn something more about the princess. If he learned of her affinities, itd give him a leg up in the future.
OrWhat if theres an opening? Spoke a small voice in his head. What if an opportunity presented itself? What if he got a chance to kill her?
He could wrap things up immediately and return to Riyan. To Maiya.
Vir shook off the thought. It was foolish on so many levels. His chances of killing her here were slim. With the guards who would no doubt surround her, it was far more likely hed be killed instead. And even if he did somehow manage it, hed have killed the princess in full view of the world.
Above all else, Vir refused to be Riyans pawn in this. He would decide what to do. And he wouldnt do anything until he could learn more about the princess. Was she someone who deserved death? Or had Riyan stretched the truth?
Itd certainly make his life easier if Riyan was lying. He wouldnt need to jeopardize his life and risk turning fugitive for the remainder of his life. But if Mina was the person he said she was, then there was no questionshe needed to die.
There was still some time to wait, so Vir sat on the rooftop and meditated, focusing on his blood pathways. Over the past months, hede to the conclusion that the only way hed learn Empower was if he learned how to channel ground prana through his body. The problem was that his blood pathways were too convoluted, the route too long. By the time supersaturated prana entered his arms, itd diluted to where it was no longer useful.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition.
To counter that, Vir had been running blood through his blood pathways, slowly erging the smaller ones and thus creating shortcuts for his blood. It was just a theory, and he had no idea if itd work, but shortening the path was the most obvious solution he could think of. The only issue was how long it took. He wasnt quite there yet.
Vir finally opened his eyes as the sun descended, casting the capital in hues of oranges and reds, the thoroughfare abruptly turned empty. Guards and soldiers corralled spectators, while an advance group of Ashva riders cleared the street of any traffic.
They had blocked the thoroughfare from some distance away to make way for the royal procession.
The rhythmic sound of hand drums soon dominated over the sound of the crowd, and Ashva riders dressed in formal emerald and gold coats soon appeared, beating their drums.
Behind them came the g bearers and knightsa dozen of each. All wore full te armor, and the knights carried glimmering polearms. All pristine and beautiful.
Vir heard the main attraction before he saw it. A great trumpeting resonated through the air. A sound unique to the most massive prana beast in the Known World.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Each footstep shook windows and reverberated through walls. The roof shuddered under Virs feet.
Two enormous ivory tusks appeared from the alley, followed by the rest of the massive beast.
The elephant towered over its surroundings, easily reaching two and a half stories in height. The top of the domed pnquin that rode on its back almost reached Virs own vantage.
Gold ornaments decorated the elephant from hoof to trunk. The princess pnquinplemented the gilded theme, while the curtains that hid its upants were Hiranyan emerald green.
What a show of opulence, Vir thought. Hed seen the Warrens and the slums within the city. To think royalty indulged like this while its citizens suffered It showed where King Rayids prioritiesy.
Then, as the beast approached the square, the curtains finally drew back, revealing the princess herself.
She was not alone.
Beside her sat an old, wrinkled man dressed in far too much gold. Gold earrings, gold nes and rings, a gold robe and a gold headdress that could only mean one thing.
The Royal Priest.
The man at the top of the chain whod caused the deaths of Apramor, Aliscia, and Rudvik. And he was just a few paces away.
Virs blood simmered.
The za roared, its previous silence broken. Hoots, cheers, whistles, and shouts sounded through therge space, crescendoing into a deafening cacophony. People threw flowers of all colors and even entire bouquets into the elephants path, which it trampled underfoot.
From his position, Vir couldnt see the princess face well, but what he did see was her flowing ck hair and the enormous amount of gold she wore, just like the priest beside her. Her long green dress matched the elephant, and with a small smile, she waved to the audience that stood with bated breath.
More than the princess, it was their reaction that surprised Vir. Shes really well loved.
While good to know, it wasnt enough to satiate him. At this rate, the procession would pass by, his opportunity lost.
Prana Vision told him thatas hed expectedeach of her guards were strong, though he discovered something interesting. For some, the ability couldnt pierce through their armor, and that included the chainmail the princess wore under hervish robe.
Her armor zed with prana, but it wasnt her prana.
Magic armor, Vir realized in frustration. Its blocking Prana Vision.
The ones wearing non-magical armor were interestingly the mejai themselves. Among them were some with two greater affinities, and while Vir couldnt see through the interference, he guessed all her knights boasted either Shadow or Earth Affinity prana, making them Talent wielders.
It made sense that Talent wielders and strong mejai wouldprise her personal guard, but it also meant that any hostile action on Virs part would be suicidal.
Thinking quickly, he dropped his rucksack onto the rooftop and rummaged around for his alternate clothing. He couldnt let this chance go so easily.
He changed into ripped rags and ditched his iron katar. The good he one Riyan gave himhe tucked under the rag.
Smearing his hands with some charcoal, he then stered it over his makeup, using the small mirror in his travel kit. Now, he looked like an urchin. Perfect.
If her armor was interfering with Prana Vision, he just had to get closer. The ability grew more powerful with proximity, and he doubted their armor could deceive him from up close. Learning the affinities of Mina and her bodyguard was too significant an advantage to pass up. Vir decided it was worth the risk.
Stay here, boy, he said, petting Neel. Ill be right back, okay? Make sure no one steals my bag.
Aroo!
Vir left his gear behind with Neel and activated Dance of the Shadow Demon, appearing in an alley nearby.
He sprinted into the square and dove into the throng, ducking and weaving his way through like a snake through reeds. The issue was the princess height atop her elephant. He was hardly any closer to her now than he had been on the rooftop.
I need to get her off that elephant.
H-hey! Grakking chal! ady shouted as Vir grabbed the bouquet out of her hands. He was gone faster than her eyes could track, blending back into the crowd.
Finally, he made it into the path of the procession. This was the trickiest part of the n. He needed to make it look believable, but he also had to get close enough to the elephant for it to work.
Patiently, he waited until the knights passed by. Then the g bearers. And only when the elephant was a mere five paces away did he dive out onto the street.
Directly into the massive beasts path.
Cmon, you dumb elephant! Stop! Dont crush me!
Of course, the chances of that happening were slim. If the animal showed no sign of stopping, Vir would just Dance away, but that would foil his n.
Luckily, it noticed, rearing back on its hind legs, making its upants cry out in panic. Viry sprawled out on the ground, right until knights swarmed him, grabbing him by his arms.
Do you have any idea what youve done, urchin?
Vir feigned fear and opened his eyes wide. I-I-Im sorry, ser! Only jes wanted t-t-ta give dese f-flowers! Jes, someone pushed me! I swear! Please, ser knight! Please believe me!
The knight questioning him shook his head and addressed the knights restraining Vir. Throw him back. Were holding up the entire procession. Kid, do not do this again if you know whats good for you.
Vir nodded vigorously, but kept one eye nted on the elephant. It took all he had to suppress a grin when adder dropped from the elephant, and the princess descended. Despite the awkwardness of using a ropedder, the princess managed the feat with superhuman grace, almost floating to the ground.
Vir wondered whether it was magic, or just superb agility, but searching her prana signature yielded no results. Prana Vision couldnt prate her magical armor, not even at this distance. The interference extended to areas not directly protected by the armor, blocking him from analyzing her affinities.
The royal priest descended clumsily behind her, and Vir did his best not to stare. Here was the man whod killed Rudvik, Apramor, and Alicia. Whod sent him into exile, upturning his vige life.
So close. I can almost
Vir squashed those dangerous thoughts. The same as with the princess, taking any action here would no doubt lead to his own demise. He restrained himself, finding that it took more willpower than hed expected.
The princess slowly approached his position, waving away the half dozen guards that pleaded with her to stay back.
Tis of no concern. Please, allow me to help this young one up, the princess said, kneeling in front of Vir, extending a hand.
Vir had nned to feign shock and awe upon seeing the princess. He didnt need to; Princess Mina Hiranya was gorgeous.
His mouth opened and closed several times, and his eyes grew asrge as orbs.
She was beautiful in an exotic way. Her blue and yellow heterochromatic eyes were the most mesmerizing eyes hed ever seen, and her tanned, regal face just exuded refinement and supreme confidence.
It was only when the princess giggled that Vir finally broke out of his reverie. He couldve sworn the entire za had gone mutethere wasnt a single sound to be heard.
So soft, he thought, grasping her proffered hand. His mind conjured up images of Maiya, but he shook them off. Maiya was cute, yes, but the princess was in a whole other league altogether.
He stood and offered the bouquet to her, which she gracefully epted. It was as though shed practiced every action to perfection, with each designed to show off just how incredible she was.
Thank you, she said with a delicate, lilting voice that sounded like musical notes.
Then the princess did something that defied his imagination.
She retrieved a luxurious robe from an attendant.
And, for you, she said, handing him the gorgeous silk robe, gently closing his fingers around it. There was so much intricate embroidery inside that Vir couldnt even guess how much it cost; it was likely the most precious object Vir had ever held in his entire life.
Princess!? Please! the head priest said. That is a priceless family heirloom. Please reconsider!
It is my wish, Mina said with an angelic smile. It is not right for those of us with means to take and never give back. If this robe brings joy to this boys life, I would be remiss to keep it for myself.
She raised her voice just enough for the crowd to hear her, making her intentions obvious to Vir. But even if it was a calcted move, she had just given him an obscenely valuable piece of clothing.
By the time Vir broke his gaze away from the ornament, Mina had already ascended back to her elephant.
I didnt even get to say a word Vir btedly realized. Perhaps it was for the best. One wrong word and his life wouldve been in danger.
Hede face to face with the princessonly he was now even more confused than before. Was she a despot to be ousted? Or was she fair, kind, and noble?
Vir swore hed find out.
Princess, your father will not approve of this! Kamna, Mina Hiranyas personal bodyguard, said from atop the elephant pnquin.
The princess continued to wave at the crowds as if nothing had happened.
I concur, Head Priest Harak echoed.
Tell me, Kamna, how many urchins do you know that have mastered the art of disguise?
Sorry? Come again?
That boy, Mina said, smiling serenely at the crowd, wore face paint.
I beg your pardon? Makeup? Kamna said, drawing her heavy brows together. I did not notice.
And it is no wonder. The boy is nearly as skilled as I am in the arts of deception. No, I suspect he is no mere urchin. Curious. I wonder which faction he works for. Have my brothers recruited new talent, fearing their imminent demise? Or
Unseen by all, and only for a brief moment, the princess smile warped from angelic into something far more sinister.
Kamna? Tail that boy. I wish to know where he is at all hours.
Shall I not catch him now? If he is a threat, why wait?
And deprive me of my entertainment? Mina said, fury flickering across her face. Do not dare.
I-It shall be done, your highness, her bodyguard replied.
What fun we shall have together! Oh, delectable agent of my enemy.
Chapter 67: The Brotherhood of Mercenaries
Chapter 67: The Brotherhood of Mercenaries
How much? Vir asked, eyeing a rudimentary map of the city inked on parchment. He was back at the same paunchy merchant whom hed sold his daggers to, but this time, he looked to buy.
For you? I will sell it cheap. Five silvers.
You want five silvers for this cheap thing? Vir couldnt possibly afford that. Maybe if he sold Minas borate outfit, but if that really was a family heirloom, he doubted hed sell it off easily, at least here in Daha. Commoners selling off royal garb raised questions and attention.
The robe was quite useless. Neither could he sell it, nor could he wear it.
Friend, maps are a rare luxury. I will have no issues selling this for six. Believe me, I am doing you a favor.
Uh, huh. Well, thanks anyway, Vir said, not bothering to negotiate with the man. Any money spent on a map was a waste, since he could just fashion one himself for free. And by making his own map, hed learn the geography of the city far more intimately than by just buying one.
Vir had risen early the morning after his encounter with the princess, eager to sign on with the Mercenaries Brotherhood; the pawn shop was just an afterthought.
Hed felt bad about waking Neel at such an early hour, so the bandy slept happily at the inn.
Exiting the store, he found a market square that was a far cry from the previous evening. Vestiges of yesterdays procession remainedflowers of all colorsy on the road, trampled and shreddedbut the square was nearly empty.
The Mercenaries Brotherhood building stood out from all the others. While about the same height at four stories tall, its all-stone architecture differed from the arch-and-dome theme of the rest of the city, with an engraved symbol that dominated its front face. A triangr metal que adorned with a ck ghost.
Its enormous wooden double doors soared to almost two stories in height, thick and rugged like the rest of the structure. If Daha ever came under siege, Vir would want to seek refuge in this building. Carvings decorated its stoneportraits and sculptures of warriors of all sorts, all holding different weapons. And unlike the other buildings that all butted up against each other, the Brotherhood stood apart, extending deep into the distance.
Vir entered expecting to find a vast open space filled to the brim with mercenaries ogling a contract board. After all, how could this possibly be a proper guild without a job board, some adventurers, and some tussles over rambunctious upstarts?
Instead, he found a dim empty hall. Wide and tall, to be sure, but dark, and nearly devoid of life. Rather than a business establishment, he felt like hed walked into a temple whose congregation had long ago finishedthe workers having already tidied up.
Yes? said an ominous voice nearby. Vir startled and looked around with Prana Vision. The ability was always on these daysa habitual instinct rather than something that needed to be activated. It showed a strong twin affinity prana signature just a handful of paces away. Seated behind a ck veil, only their legs and ck polished loafers were visible.
I want to register as a new mercenary, Vir said, frowning at the man behind the veil.
Its like a cult, he thought, recalling the Children of Ash.
Follow me, the man said, and when he finally stepped from behind his booth, Vir was once more thrown for a loop.
Not only had the man been seated behind a veil, he wore one on his face!
Definitely like a cult. Vir was starting to reconsider this decision.
He followed the receptionist through the dark hall and into arge courtyard, asionally passing other mercenaries, whose footsteps echoed in the silence.
A leafless petrified tree upied the center of the space, surrounded by sand. Proceeding down another hall, they finally came to a tall stone room containing several wooden booths all arrayed side by side.
Wait here for your turn, the receptionist said before departing, leaving Vir alone, facing the doors of the booths that had names painted upon them. Sonam, Alt Ashani, Daha, Avi, Raaka, Kartara, and Balindam.
Vir recognized twoDaha and Balindam. The capitals of Hiranya and the Pagan Order, respectively. Which meant the other booths were named after the capitals of countries as well.
He didnt wait long. Balindam. Enter, a feminine voice said.
Vir made his way into the booth, which was lit by only a single Magic Candle, and shut the door behind him. The person in the booth wore a simr veil, her hands steepled upon a counter.
He took two steps over to the empty chair and froze.
The woman he was looking at had golden prana flowing through her entire body and nearly nothing else. Apex Lightning affinity. Vir was likely dealing with a Mejai of Ash or possibly even a Mejai of Realms.
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He made a note to himself not to anger this woman.
I shall be your Executor this session. Identification? she asked in a professional, even tone, extending her hand.
I have none, Vir replied. Im here to be a mercenary.
Reason?
Just moved into the city. Looking to earn a living, and Im pretty confident about mybat skills. I, uh, also need some contacts. Connections to Sawai, information about royalty, that kind of thing. Heard the Brotherhood can help there?
The Brotherhoods reach is both deep and wide. Depending on your position within our organization, such things might be arranged.
It was dawning upon Vir that the Brotherhood was more of a shadow organization. A group that likely took on less than reputable tasks, rather than the usual contracts.
Br Rank? the Executor asked.
I havent been tested, but my instructor believes Im about Br 30.
Oho? she said, showing interest for the first time during their conversation. We are willing to grant capable members admission, but as you areing to us unrmended, we must have you pass a trial first.
You want me to fight someone?
The Executor shook her head. Thebat exam will follow after you pass this trial. Only then will you receive your official Br Scale Rank.
Vir perked up at the mention of ranking. Hed been itching to see how much hed progressed, and to see how he stoodpared to others on a standardized scale.
She produced a piece of paperreal paper, not parchmentand slid it out to him. Literate?
Vir nodded.
Good. Then fill out your name, age, reason for application, and qualifications. For record keeping. I trust you can pay the fee?
Fee? What fee?
Five silvers to join the Brotherhood.
Vir nched. I dont have that
Then please return when you are able to pay, she said calmly, taking back the paper.
Wait, Vir said, producing all the coin he had left, including Rudvik''s twenty coppers. Can you take this as a deposit? Until I have enough to pay?
He didnt want to risk showing the robe to anyone, so that option was out.
The Executor fell silent for a moment. Very well, she said. Herck of hesitation made Vir wonder whether they often ran into these situations.
He took a quill and jotted down his information, and while he refrained from mentioning Dance of the Shadow Demon, instead calling it Shadow Blend, everything else was urate.
The real dilemma was his name. Hed been going by Neel in Daha, but what if he had to abandon that identity in the future? If he registered as Neel, then even if he left Hiranya for some other country, he might be followed and tracked. The Brotherhood was an international organization, after all.
His hand hovered over the paper.
Virs real name made sense in that case. That way, he could take on and abandon identities, keeping his real name hidden. But then again, using his real name came at a cost if it were ever leaked.
Is there a problem? asked the Executor.
Will the Brotherhood keep this information secret if I need them to? No matter their station?
The woman stared at him, and even through her veil, he could tell her tone had changed. As I said, secrets are the lifeblood of the Brotherhood. There is no priority higher to us than keeping the confidence of our members. We have fought empires before to protect such secrets. We will do so again if need be.
It was the most thedy had ever spoken, and Vir was thankful for it. Her words definitely made the decision easier... but there was a better option.
Apramor, he wrote. It was a verymon name, but one that Maiya would recognize if she came looking for him. This way, he kept both his real name secret and left breadcrumbs for her, too. He just had to ensure he didn''t mess up and use the wrong alias in the wrong situation. Any more of these, and he could easilynd himself in hot water.
This appears in order, the Executor said. Now, for your task. Bring me the eyes of that which sees without eyes.
A riddle? Vir asked, raising a brow. Isnt the brotherhood a mercenary organization? What need do you have of those who can solve riddles?
Brotherhood mercenaries take on a variety of tasks that require both intellect, problem solving ability, cunning, andbat prowess. Each of our High Shadows possesses these skills in spades.
I see. Theres no one whos simply strong?
Those types tend not to live long in this line of work, she responded, furling the paper. Now, is there anything else?
No, but if I do this, Im in?
That will depend on your performance and your ability to pay the fee. Do note that there is a time element to this test. You shouldplete your task within three days. Here, she said, giving him a rolled piece of paper, take this. It will grant you temporary admission to and from the city of Daha, should you need to leave.
Well, thanks, Vir said, getting up.
Do not seek outside help. The Brotherhood has eyes in every corner of this city. Should you be caught, you will fail, and if you cheat, the Brotherhood will forever be off limits to you. In all countries.
Right. Got it.
Vir found his own way out, back to the entrance, where the receptionist hailed him.
I take it all went well? he said, pointing at Virs writ of entry. In that case, allow me to exin some benefits of joining our organization.
Isnt the order a little off here? Vir thought. Usually theyd try to give you reasons to join first, but Vir wanted to know what being part of the Brotherhood got him, so he nodded for the receptionist to continue.
The veiled manunched into a speech that sounded like hed given it a thousand times.
Brotherhood Sanctums operate not only as contract issuers, but also provide armorer and lodging services to its members. Shadows, High Shadows, and Executors receive privileges such as superior lodging, discounted rates, and ess to higher tier armor, weapons, and magic orbs. The Brotherhood offers rare and valuable equipment. Many covet this benefit.
If if I wanted to set up a meeting with a Sawai, what rank would I have to be for that? Vir asked.
It depends on which of the Sawai aristocracy, and your standing within our organization, but Shadow is the minimum. If you pass your trial, you will join as an Initiate. From there, you would have to rise to Acolyte, and then to Shadow.
I see Vir said, disappointed. Unless he made an incredible impression on the Brotherhood, it sounded like the road would be longer than hed hoped for.
Even so, this was still the best n he had. Hed continue searching for others, but at least he now had a fallback.
Vir exited the Brotherhood Sanctum to find a market square buzzing with activity.
With a quick nce up at the Vimana that shrouded the city in shadows, he pulled out a piece of parchment and charcoal from his bag and left.
Time to chart out this city.
Chapter 68: Backstabs, Battles, and Betrayals (Maiya)
Chapter 68: Backstabs, Battles, and Betrayals (Maiya)
The capital city of the Kinjal Empire defied Maiyas expectations. She thought Sonam would be a majestic ce, filled with beautiful architecture, sprawling wide streets that never seemed to end, and buildings that soared high into the sky.
Well, some of that was present, but it wasnt on ount of the Kinjals. The Vimana that floated high above the city shocked Maiya still. She found herself unable to rip her eyes off the gilded magical pce that somehow hung in the air, in defiance of everything she knew possible.
Big cities are so wonderful, she thought, swooning dazedly.
It was only after peppering Tanya with questions for a good ten minutes that she regarded the city itself.
Built by a nation of battle junkies, she shouldve expected that the gates into the city led into the walls, and that the real checkpoint into Sonam was inside the absurdly thick and tall walls that protected the city.
It was as if the Sonamite city builders had said lets build a wall no one could possibly ever breach and then double it in every dimension for good measure.
The ramparts atop those walls looked wide enough to be a city thoroughfare, though it was difficult to tell from ground level, owing to their incredible height.
Once through the in-wall checkpointand a swift, efficient inspection by the Brian guardTanya and Maiya entered the city proper.
Clean and immacte, it bustled with activity as warriors moved to and fro.
What it was not was wide, or in any way architecturally interesting. Sterile, and utterlycking in soul, the only part that looked ostentatious and impressive was the enormous Vimana that floated silently high above the city. Currently obscured by clouds, or Maiya would still be gawking at the thing.
The whole citys basically a fortress, isnt it? she asked from behind Tanyas Ashva. The woman had named the female beast Gaurey, but Maiya hated that name. She called it Dumpy, for obvious reasons. The long ride to Sonam was not a pleasantly odorous one.
The design befits Kinjali culture, Tanya responded, maneuvering the Ashva deftly around the crowd. To them, military strength is everything. The streets are narrow to thwart attackers during an invasion. The fields outside the city, and the gauntlet itself, are killing fields. Traditional military strategy calls for three times the defenders numbers to sessfully invade a city. In Sonams case, it is likely closer to six. This city has never once fallen, and it never will.
There were no gs or decorations or paint of any kind. Just narrow gray cobblestone roads and equally dull stone walls.
Sure, but doesnt it make life horrible for people who live here? Maiya asked. I mean, just look at how narrow these roads are! Its like Brij, but with a hundred times more people!
It was only after they had crossed through the Fire Fields, another set of gates, and yet another set of gates, did they make it to the Commons North District, where their inn was located. Sturdy gates and towering walls surrounded each district, allowing it to be sealed from the rest of the city during an attack. In such a situation, the soldiers would use the vast ramparts to navigate the city.
Maiya was beginning to think that even a sixfold numerical advantage wouldnt take down this city. It was practically a castle, just on the scale of an enormous city. Thergest in the Known World.
When theyd checked into their rooma modest, single room with two bedsTanya ordered Maiya to hand back all of her borrowed orbs.
Why? Maiya asked, growing suspicious.
They are mine by right, and are each worth a fortune. Or do you intend to steal them from me?
N-no, nothing like that, Maiya said, begrudgingly handing over the C grade orbs she carried. The journey here, while uneventful, passed through Hiranyan territory; shed learned after crossing the border that Kinjali roads were far safer and better maintained than anything shed seen in Hiranya.
Now, Tanya said, stowing all but a handful of orbs, let me tell you the real reason we are here.
What do you mean? Were here to meet your instructor, right?
Wrong. My instructor currently resides in the Altani capital city of Alt Ashani.
You lied to me? Maiya went silent as she understood what was going on. Why am I really here?
You are here to repay your debt to Riyan. You will infiltrate the royal pce as a handmaiden, and you will feed back information to me, which I shall forward to Riyan.
Maiyas face went white. What? T-thats impossible.
It just so happens that one of the junior handmaidens in Princess Iras employ has fallen terribly ill, Tanya continued, ignoring Maiyas tantrum. She has been bedridden for months, and there is little chance she will recover. As such, there is a posting for her recement.
Tanya pulled out a writ and handed it to Maiya. Riyan has seen to everything. You have an audition tomorrow. Do not mess this up.
Maiya red at her instructor. I trusted you. I honestly thought Id finally earned your respect.
Tanya sighed, and Maiya thought she caught a flicker of anguish in her expression. Look, Maiya. This is not a dangerous posting. As a handmaiden, your life will improve greatly. You will have more money than you could ever have imagined. Wasnt this your dream? Didnt you want to be a famous mejai in a big city? Well? Here we are, in thergest city in the Known World. Prove yourself to the princess, and you will receive Mejai training second only to the Altani.
I dont appreciate being manipted like this, Tanya. Why didnt you just tell me? And besides, how long am I supposed to do this, anyway? It feels like you want me here for a while.
Just one year. Truly nothing in the grand scheme of things. The gener, Riyan is worried that the Kinjals are plotting something behind the scenes. He wants to know what, precisely.
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And if it ends up being nothing?
Tanya shrugged. Then you may go on your merry way.
I refuse, Maiya replied immediately.
Then Im afraid Virs life is forfeit. One message from me, and Riyan kills him in his sleep.
You bluff. Hes invested too much into Vir to off him like that.
Im afraid Im quite serious. But even if I was lying, can you risk it? You know fully well what that man is capable of. Do you think he would blink before killing someone? Trust me, he has killed hundreds already. One more would be nothing to him.
Maiya ground her teeth. You yed us. You yed us so well. This was all intentional, wasnt it? Separating me from Vir so we couldnt escape?
Tanya frowned. Just do as we ask, and one year from now, you will be free to do as you wish. Well even tell you Virs whereabouts.
Whats Virs task? Whats he going to do?
Im afraid I cannot say.
Of course you wont So Riyans having him assassinate princess Mina after all.
You can guess all you want, but youll learn nothing from me, Tanya replied with a neutral expression.
Maiya hoped Tanyas reaction would give it away, but she had no such luck.
So? Will you do this? Or must I inform Riyan?
I Maiya opened her mouth, then shut it as a thought urred to her.
To this day, anger smoldered within her, ready to spark at any moment. She fully realized she had no power. No way of getting back at those who murdered her parents. Hiranyas head priest, Knight Captain Vastav, and their entire chain ofmand.
But Kinjal was Hiranyas sworn enemy. Without the Altanis support, Hiranya would have fallen to Kinjal long ago.
What if
By bing a handmaiden, she could grow close to Kinjali royalty. Tanya wasnt wrong. She could obtain the sort of power she sought.
Power she could use against Hiranya. Because while Riyans actions irked her, he wasnt her true enemy. Hiranya was.
There was another benefit to this opportunity. By gaining power, she could shield herself from this kind of ckmail in the future, ensuring that no one ever took advantage of her again.
Becausee what may, it was time she started taking charge of her own life.
Ill do it, she said, gazing into Tanyas ck eyes. But not because youre strongarming me. Ill do it because I want to. Because itll benefit me.
Excellent. Now, we have preparations to make
You who have gathered here this morning are here because of your prodigious talent. Each of you has a long history of excellence, and it is that very excellence that this position demands, the head handmaiden said, her polished ck heels cking upon the equally polished castle stone floors.
Yeah, not me. This is gonna be tough, Maiya thought, eyeing herpetition. A dozen young women stood in a row within the great dining hall. In front of them sat a long rectangr table. Each of them wore intricate ck-and-white maid outfits, though the frills, buttons, and designs varied slightly.
The head handmaid strode past each of them, looking them up and down with judging eyes.
Shes strong, Maiya sensed, unconsciously touching the orbs under her dress. She knows how to fight.
Tanya had taken the orbs, then given her back a handful this morning. Maiya couldn''t fathom why she''d need orbs for a handmaiden''s audition, but she''d happily epted them regardless.
The head handmaids every movement was crisp and practiced, and she looked at the candidates the same way Tanya didwith the eyes of a predator.
The exam willst for one full cycle. During this time, you will receive no food or water, and you will be expected toplete each of your chores to the highest degree of perfection possible. The first candidate whopletes their chores to our standards shall receive the position. Do I make myself clear?
A whole day!? Intense Maiya wondered why handmaidens needed such a rigorous test, but this was royalty, after all. Who knew what went on in their heads?
The young women all looked a bit on edge, sneaking nces at one another. Clearly, none of them had expected such a strictpetition.
Your task list, the head handmaid said, passing out small chits of paper to each candidate. Actual paper.
Maiya scanned the listBedmaking, room cleaning, dish cleaning, dish servingall of which looked quite standard.
In essence, the worst-case scenario for Maiya. Yes, she knew how toplete these choresboth Riyan and Tanya had been training her on the sidebut shed never honed these skills to perfection. Shed always focused more on her magic.
Maiya let out a long breath, which earned her the ire of the head handmaid. A hair clip flew across the room at her face, but she dodged it without even thinking.
The woman cocked a brow, but said nothing.
Onest thing. You may use any means at your disposal to win, so long as you do not inflict any mortal wounds on yourpetitors. The timer begins now!
Before Maiya had even processed what the head handmaid said, the room devolved into chaos.
One girl flung water magic at the candidate next to her, and another unsheathed a hidden dagger, lunging at apetitor.
We can attack each other!? Maiya eximed, but her question went ignored.
What kind of crazy ce is this?
Maiya dodged an iing fire spell and backed up several paces. Luckily, the girls aim was terrible and her spell sailed past, mming against the stone wall.
In fact, Maiya realized, most of the candidates seemed quite pitiful inbat. In their movements, Maiya saw only ws and inefficiencies. Their attacks were all wrong, and they made poor decisions duringbat.
A girl lunged at Maiya with a dagger, which she deflected, grabbing her opponents wrist and twisting it, causing the dagger to fall out of her hand.
Maiya grumbled, picking up her opponents dagger and taking it for her own. Her stunned opponent quickly ran away.
Great. Now Ive gotta watch out for the others while trying to get my chores done.
A knot formed in her stomach. Even under ideal circumstances, she had little chance of doing her chores well. But now?
Oh, wait What if I took them all out instead?
She knew she couldnt beat them at the tasks. But what if there werent any other candidates? What if she was the only one left?
This could work!
The only question was how she went about it. Sure, she could fight them all, but that would be foolish. No, shed just slip quietly away and hide somewhere, monitoring herpetitors. Shed wait until they took each other out and stalk the ones who went about their tasks. Then, from the shadows, she could eliminate them one at a time.
n made, Maiya backed awayonly to find herself beset by another woman. This one aggressively lunged with her knife, shing haphazardly.
Instinctively, Maiya moved in right after one of the girls thrusts, ducking low before explosively lunging upward to deliver a palm strike to the girls chin.
The girl reeled for a moment. Then her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she copsed.
It was as if a bell had been rung. The remaining ninebatants all ceased their hostilities and stared at Maiya, eyes full of wariness.
Shes a threat! one of them said. Get her!
Well, so much for my n
Maiya pulled out a precharged B grade Ice orb. Alright then. Lets do this.
Chapter 69: Of Jatu, Mahakurma, and Prana Swarms
Chapter 69: Of Jatu, Mahakurma, and Prana Swarms
While Vir had learned from Param that Daha was divided into three districts, it was one thing to hear about it, and another entirely to experience the city in person.
Daha was .
Vir could scarcely believe this many people could coexist, all somehow living in harmony. Well, mostly. Vir had visited the seedier parts of the city, and while not as bad as the warrens, the situation there left much to be desired. It wasnt so much the crime, but the grime and filth that made Brij look like a wondend.
In fact, that seemed to be the trend for most of the city. He could count on one hand the number of neighborhoods that were clean and safe-looking.
As for the District of Internal Affairs, he had no clue; it was where the Sawai ristos lived, and it was strictly off limits. The walls that separated the Commons from that district were even taller and thicker than the exterior walls, a fact that boggled Virs mind.
It was as if they feared the Commoners more than an invasion by an outside nation. The walls were so thick not even Dance could get through them, and the double portcullis gates remained highly guarded at all hours of the day. ess was restricted to royalty, Sawai, and those with invitations.
The castle district was even worse, towering over the rest of the city atop Royal Hill with walls that soared fifty paces high. The only path there led through the District of Internal Affairs.
Hed also learned that the Commons dwarfed both the castle and Internal Affair districts in both size and poption. For most Dahans, the other districts existed as a fictional ce, as theyd never even been there.
While getting there seemed untenable, that didnt mean mapping out his surroundings had been a wasted effort. Far from it.
Vir slowly opened his eyes, having justpleted another meditation session. His blood pathways grewrger with each passing day, but it still wasnt enough. To learn Empower, he needed more blood flow. It was slow going, but he was steadily making progress. It wouldnt be long before he could start doing some trials. For now, keeping a roof over his head was a bigger concern.
The fact was, Vir was more broke than a Brijer, without a single copper to his name. To stay even one more night at the inn, hed had to improvise, and fast.
It just so happened he already possessed a useful skill. A skill few others boasted. Cartography.
Mapping out the city took the better part of the day, but once done, copying his work took little effort. Luckily, hed brought along a few pieces of parchment from Riyans ce. After cutting them up and miniaturizing his map, hed set down at the Central za,id out his wares, and let the buyerse.
No one in their right mind would shell out silvers for a rudimentary charcoal sketch scribed on parchment, but the basic map hed seen at the shop meant Vir needed little to attract buyers.
It started slow; in the first hour after he opened up, he made only a single sale earning him fifteen coppers.
But then word began to spread, and within hours, hed sold out of the five copies he had.
He immediately spent it all on paper and ink, and refined the copies a bit, cutting palm-size square pieces with his katar to get more usage out of his sheets.
Finishing right as the sun grew long, he kept his shop open right until dusk, charging fifty coppers per. Soon, he had two hundred coppers, or two silvers worth, in his pocket.
His buyers warned that his little hustle was illegalthat the Merchants Guild would shut him down forcking a permit. That didnt stop them from buying his maps, though.
Courtesy of the inns precharged Magic Candle, he worked through the night to produce more. Heeding their advice, hed migrated the next day to the Upper West Side, where the citizens coin purses weighed just a tad heavier.
He made another three silvers that day.
With five silvers, hed stopped his little operation, fearful of attracting too much attention.
With only one day left, he turned his attention to the Brotherhoods trial.
His days selling maps gave him time to think long and hard about the task. Bring back the eyes of that which sees without eyes.
Unless the riddle was especially crypticand he doubted it would be, given the number of mercenaries out thereit likely referred to an animal of some sort. He wasnt an expert on that subject, but figured he could learn what he needed at a ce that everyone talked about: the grand Dahan library. The citys jewel.
From his mapping exploits, hed learned that the repository of knowledge was actually within the Commons District. Because few were allowed into the upper districts, theyd ced the building in the location that would bring in the most money. A rare bit of foresight from Dahas government, or so Param had said when Vir visited his shop to ask.
The library itself was situated off of the main thoroughfare in the Upper West Side neighborhood, where the homes were rtivelyrger, and the streets cleaner.
Vir entered the three-story stone structure to find a spacious interior lined wall to wall with shelves. The ceiling reached up all the way to the third story, with walkways on the two higher floors ringing the perimeter. Those were also filled with bookshelves, though their density decreased with each floor up.
Can I help you? a young woman d in a ck robe called out from her semicircr librarians desk that stood at the entrance. Her confident and educated demeanor made her look more like a guardian than a mere employee.
Im looking for some books on animals. Specifically ones I can find here in Daha.
The librarian thought for a moment. Yes, we have several tomes on this topic. Admission is ten coppers an hour, and must be paid upfront.
Good thing Param warned me about this, Vir thought, handing the woman thirty coppers.
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She led him past a myriad of racks, and Vir found it difficult not to gape in awe.
Theres an ocean of books here! How does anyone find anything?
He could scarcely imagine the amount of knowledge packed within this great hall.
Whats on the upper floors? Vir asked. Looks like there arent as many books up there?
Correct, the librarian responded. The upper floors are reserved for the citys more privileged tomes. They are essible only to the Sawai, and some even need a royal seal of approval. Though the citys most precious books are kept deep within the castle.
What kind of informations in those books? Vir asked, his curiosity peaked. Who wouldnt be excited by such hidden secrets?
Ancient tomes. Whatever records we have from the Age of Gods. Among other things. Ive never been up there myself. A separate Sawai librarian handles those floors. Besides, several of those books are written in the Imperium tongue, unreadable to most.
A differentnguage? Vir asked.
No, schrs believe the gods spoke the samenguage as we do, she said, picking up adder and hooking it onto a bookshelf, but it has been four millennia since they left this realm. Speech andnguage have drifted far enough apart to make thenguages nearly distinct.
Here you are, she said, handing Vir an oversized leather-bound book. Its thick pages had yellowed with time, and the book was heavy with the weight of the information it possessed.
Anything else? she asked.
Actually, Vir said, having a sudden thought.
Im already here. Might as well learn everything I can. Do you have a bestiary of the Ashen Realm?
You wish to learn of Ash Beasts? the librarian asked, raising her brows. A rare request, but we do have a few tomes on that subject. Though, most of our moreplete books live on the higher floors. I can give you a book that contains mostlymon knowledge, if that is alright?
Sure, that works, Vir replied. It may have beenmon knowledge for most, but hed had almost no exposure to this in Brij apart from the asional campfire story or myth. Shardul the Vicious had told him to journey to the Ashen Realm. It couldnt hurt to know a bit more, even if the prospect seemed suicidal.
Vir took his two books and settled down at a table. There were few others in the library at this hour, and Vir quickly lost himself in the tomes, learning far more about the world than hed ever expected.
He learned that Prana beasts had nearly nothing inmon with their Ash Beast brethren. Not only did they look different, Ash Beast Br Ranks were universally higher. A lot higher; much of what he read horrified him.
Ash Wolves boasted glowing blue eyes and hides as dark as the Ash itself, whose prana was so potent that it manifested as ck mes that burned off of their hides. The book said that their Br scale ranged from twenty to forty individually. But wolves were pack animals, and in a pack of five, their Br Rank jumped to 200 to 400.
It was worse; the book said these wolves swarmed in the hundreds of thousands within the Ashen Realm.
As much as the Ash Wolves shocked Vir, the subsequent ones made him reelto the point where he wondered whether the author had exaggerated the words foredic effect.
Prana Swarms are beingsprised entirely of living prana. They are incorporeal, having no physical body, making them impossible to perceive. They seem tock a will of any kind, mindlessly consuming anything that contains even the barest modicum of prana, growing ever more powerful with each assimtion.
Prana Swarms are invisible, invincible, and once encountered, utterly impossible to avoid. A great number of powerful mejai perished to bring back this information.
Br Rank estimated to vary from 3,500 to 20,000. Threat ssification: Cataclysmic. Avoid at all costs.
And then there was the Mahakurmaa four-legged animal resembling a tortoise, also known as the Colossus.
Records of Mahakurma are few, but we do know that theypare in size to small inds. These mythical creatures stand hundreds of paces tall and thousands long, and entire forests and mountain ecosystems are said to grow upon their backs.
Br Rank estimated to vary between 15,000 to 30,000. Threat ssification: Cataclysmic. Avoid at all costs.
Vir found the avoid at all costs disimer somewhat amusing. It was as if the tome was written for plucky adventurers seeking fame and fortune in the Ashen Realm.
No one in their right mind would set foot in such a ce.
When Vir remembered these were only the well-documented beaststhat the more exotic ones were restrictedhe shelved all thoughts of venturing into that terrifying ce.
The Ashen Realm was a ne of nightmares where neither days nor nights existed. A ce of eternal twilight, where Ash fell unendingly from the sky, burying all in soot, and where no intelligent life existed.
Even if the animals didnt kill him, it seemed that the prana was so dense within the Ashen Realm that it killed most living organisms in a matter of minutes. Including humans. The ones that somehow escaped that cruel fate suffered an even worse demisetheir minds slowly broke until they were driven insane, corrupted into mindless animals doomed to rove the realm until a more powerful predator ended their suffering.
Most terrifying was that all the wording had disimers: it is believed, we presume that. Nothing factual. Because precious few who ever entered that realm ever returned to report their findings. The ones that did had lucked upon an Ash Tear that threw them back into the human realm before they sumbed to the prana poisoning.
Vir closed the tome, ssifying that horrifying ce as and of myth rather than anything real. Despite Shardul and Ekanais wishes, Vir wasnt suicidal.
He opened the other bookthankfully full of creatures that had no Br Rank at and flipped through its pages, looking at the ck and white images of each animal.
Rats, Bandies, Ashva, Most didnt evene close to the description of what the Brotherhood riddle asked for Except for one. His eyes lingered upon a certain creature. A Jatu.
The red-eyed Jatu is a winged creature that lives only in dark ces. As nocturnal creatures, they sleep hanging upside down from their perches, feeding on blood at night. Individually harmless, but they often swarm in the hundreds, and their Br Rank can range between one to ten.
Be wary when venturing into sewers, undercrofts, and other dark open spaces. The Jatu are highly territorial creatures and will attack all who enter their domain.
All of this would have led Vir to pass the Jatu over, but it was thest line that stuck out to him:
As they live in dark ces, they have developed a means to see even without the use of their eyes. The exact mechanism is unknown and is often a topic of study for researchers.
A being that sees without eyes
Something moved at the edge of Vir''s vision, prompting him to look up. A scan of the area showed no one. Just him and the books.
Odd he thought. He felt as if he was being watched, but Prana Vision showed only ambient pranic signatures. Guess it was nothing.
Vir realized hed lingered at the library longer than hed thought, and his eyes were growing weary from scanning the handwritten text.
Packing up his books, he carried them to the receptionistthe same young woman from earlier.
Where can I find the nearest sewer entrance? he asked.
The receptionist wrinkled her nose. Why would someone as, erm, fashionable as yourself want to visit such a ce? she said, looking him up and down, a trace of blush on her cheeks.
Ah right, my current disguise is rather attractive, Vir reflected. Looks like that has some surprising uses
Brotherhood business, Vir said.
Theres one not far from here but I rmend you bring a change of clothes. Ideally one you never want to wear again. And salves. Disinfectants too. Are you sure you want to go there?
No. No, I''m really not.
With a deep breath, he left the library, bracing himself for the distasteful experience that was toe.
Chapter 70: Into The Sewers
Chapter 70: Into The Sewers
The sewer entrance wasnt difficult to findVir let his nose guide him to a gate in a small alley, where a ck-bearded city guard sat on a stool. Hed never seen anyone look so bored.
But Vir didnt approach the man just yet. Though the bestiary had said that Jatu were mostly harmless, especially for someone of Virs skill and power, he wasnt going to take any chances. Not when there was still low hanging fruit to be picked.
Vir Danced up to a nearby rooftop with clothes hung from a line. Dahans tended to make good use of their t roofs for drying clothes, though the Vimana that floated overhead likely reduced the efficacy of that tactic.
Hopping over to another, more empty rooftop, Virunched into his experiment. Empower had so many usefulbat applications that they were almost impossible to list.
Yet, as hed found, it had proven difficult to pull prana from his feet all the way up into his hands. Kicks were useful, and his Kri training allowed him to incorporate prana-empowered kicks into his fighting style, but punchesor katar swipes and thrustswould be far more deadly.
He was sure there was some way of getting prana into his arms, but until then, perhaps a quick workaround would suffice.
Vir touched a hand to the roof and evacuated blood from his arm. Though he was on a rooftop, the y construction conducted prana well, and it only took a second before Ash affinity prana came surging up into his arm.
Then it was just a matter of willing the prana to elerate his katar slice.
Simr to when hed learned this technique for his legs, the first several times he attempted it, he either used too much or too little prana. That caused his arms to shoot off with extreme forcestraining his shoulderor just petering out to no effect.
The nice thing was that overall, his arms consumed less prana than his legs, which made sense since they were smaller and had less blood flowing through them. This would normally make prana-empowered arm attacks weaker, but weapons more than made up for that.
Satisfied with his progress, and unwilling to drain too much Ash affinity prana from this area, Vir Danced back down and approached the sewer guard.
Id like to enter the sewers. Brotherhood business.
The guards eyes slowly meandered over to Vir, and the man spoke in an equallyzy drawl. Initiation, I spose?
Vir nodded.
Well, go on in then, he said, unlocking the gate for Vir.
Uh, you dont need to see my Brotherhood writ?
Boy, you think anyone sane wants to go into that ce? Only people who eere here are Brotherhood folk seeking initiation.
Vir had to wonder whether this was the real reason the Arbiter told him not to ask anyone for help. The exam would be rendered useless if word got out. Then again, it sounded like someone would tail him to ensure there was no foul y. Either way, Vir wasnt about to cheat. Not like he needed to, anyway.
Vir descended the stairs into the sewer tunnel, thankful hed heeded the librarians advice and changed into rags. The stench was something else.
Knock when you want out. And be sure to be back before dusk, else yell have to stay there overnight or find yourself another exit.
Liquid detritus ran in the center of the cramped tunnel in a canal, while a narrow stone walkway ran along one side. The tunnel was made of arched stone, damp and wet. Virs head spun at the sheer intensity of the smells.
Tying a rag around his mouth helped just enough to allow him to function.
The tunnel extended into the darkness in both directions, so Vir just picked one at random. He really had no clue where these Jatu might make their nest, so either worked.
After only a few paces, the light from the entrance died away, leaving him inplete darkness, apart from what Prana Vision told him. With the ability ring at its maximum, the tunnel appeared even brighter than the alley hede from, making navigation a nonissue.
He ran into the real problem just a hundred paces away, where the tunnel branched into two forks.
How am I gonna find my way back?
The first solution that came to his mind was to etch a mark on the wall at each junction, but unlike with regr vision, these kinds of details were muddled to Prana Vision.
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No, the best option was something that zed brightly to his eyes, and that meant only one thing. Setting his pack down, Vir rummaged for something that looked different to his eyes. In the walls where the brown Earth affinity dominated, Lifes white color waspletely missing, making it an ideal choice. Vir pulled out a vial of salve hed put together some time back. Made from various herbs, water, and alcohol, it made for a great disinfectant, but more importantly, was made almost entirely of Life and Water affinities.
He only needed a few drops on the wallthe contrast made the salve obvious. It wouldntst forever, but itd certainly be there hourster when he returned.
The rushing of the liquid refuse filled the sewer with water, which would ordinarily blind Vir to any other presences, but here again, Prana Vision bypassed that issue.
For hours, Vir searched. For hours, he failed to find even a single trace of Jatu or any other organism.
The monotony broke when he heard, rather than saw, several voices in the distance. Men shouting, hurling expletives, and another voicethat of a girlyelping in fright.
Vir ran to the source of the sounds. Though it was none of his business, he needed to know whether these people would pose a threat to him in the future. And, if someone was in danger, hed be remiss not to help if he could.
The sounds suddenly stopped, and Vir came to a halt, straining to see something. Prana Visions resolution decreased dramatically with distance, so he couldnt tell what was going on until he got closer.
Just when Vir thought everyone had passed by, he heard a single pair of footsteps, growing louder, and the silence was broken again by
Giggles?
It sounded like the girl from earlier. Whoever they were, they sounded young, and without a care in the world.
Finally, light began to flood the tunnel Vir was in. He stood still, allowing the girl to approach, monitoring her prana signature as it got brighter and better defined.
She held a Magic Candle, which provided paltry illuminationjust enough for her to see a handful of paces away. Though she was now less than thirty paces away, Vir remained invisible to her.
If he did nothing, shed eventually find him, since there was only one path through the sewer, but Vir didnt have cause to panic.
When she was twenty paces away, he activated Dance of the Shadow Demon, disappearing into the shadow realm. He re-emerged behind her, following her in the darkness, observing her as she walked along, blissfully unaware.
Everything about her screamed harmless to him, except for the dual affinities she possessed. Water and Lightning. Both lesser affinities, though.
He tailed her as she walked along, skipping her way through the sewer as if she were on a stroll through a beautiful garden. The stench didnt seem to bother her one bit.
Vir activated Dance periodically to study her in more detail. The slim framed girl wasnt a girl at all, but a boy who wore holey rags that looked like they''d gone unwashed for months, and his greasy ck hair looked no better. He looked to be around the same age as Vir, or perhaps slightly younger.
What interested him the most, though, was how well he knew his way around the sewers. As if he had a destination in mind and knew exactly how to get there.
The boys affinities were of a surprise, but even if he happened to be a mejai in disguise, Vir was confident he could take him on.
He decided to contact himif he could guide Vir to the Jatu, then hed take it. Any more time in the stinking sewers, and hed vomit.
But just as he was about to pop up in front of the boy, sounds echoed through the tunnelthe boys pursuers from earlier. Panicking, the boy ran but in the wrong direction. At his pursuers. The tunnel echoes made isting sound direction difficult, but Vir was sure he was heading straight to them.
Approaching the boy from behind, Vir reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.
Youre going straight to them, yknow? he said in a low voice.
Unfortunately, the boy screamed and continued to scream as he cast his Magic Candle upon Vir, right until Vir sped his mouth shut.
I shouldve expected that Vir thought. Popping up out of nowhere in the middle of a pitch-ck tunnel would scare anyone.
Sure enough, the footsteps of their pursuers grew louder, and the sounds of their voices were now distinct enough to discern. This way! He went this way!
Come on, Vir said, grabbing the boys skinny wrist. We need to lose them.
Together they ran. The boys untrained footsteps rang like sirens in Virs ears with each step, making him cringe.
Luckily, a fork presented itself, one that Vir had already been down. He took the path he came from, and only when they arrived at the subsequent junction and took a right did he allow them to rest.
They waited with bated breath while the footsteps grew louder, then finally dissipated. While the boy was likely worried about being harmed, Vir was more worried hed be forced to use Dance to slip away.
The fewer people who knew about that ability, the better.
So, uh wh-who are you? the boy asked, averting his eyes.
You first, Vir said. Why were you running from those people?
The boy pulled out what looked to be a loaf of bread from under his clothing and sneaked a grin. Vir mightve seen it through Prana Vision if hed paid closer attention, but only if hed been standing very close to the boy.
I kinda stole some bread.
Vir narrowed his eyes. Theyd chase you into the sewers for swiping some bread? I find that hard to believe.
Ha ha yeaaah, well, he replied, scratching his head, times are rough, yknow? Ha ha ha.
Really? Vir said. Rough times, even for those who possess dual water and lightning affinities?
Shock flickered across the boys face, but only for the tiniest instant before it was gone, reced by a look of suspicion that made him look several years older. How could you know that?
I have my ways, Vir replied. Who are you, really?
Hmm. Well, I can see why he sent you. Youre better than you look. You pass!
Sorry, what?
The boy grinned. Im Riyan Savars contact. Wee to Daha.
Chapter 71: The World Beneath
Chapter 71: The World Beneath
You? Youre Riyans contact Vir said, unbelieving.
Amin. Pleased to meet ya!
This seems awfully lucky for us to run into each other like this, doesnt it?
Riyan had said his contact would find Vir, but what were the chances of it happening here, of all ces?
Nah. Riyan said youd be seeking membership in the Brotherhood, so I figured Id bump into you sooner orter. I spend a lot of time down here, yknow?
But how did you know it was me? Vir asked. Just because I know your affinities?
You had to be. Really few people know that, and I''ve never met you before so you have to be. Also, youre wearing makeup.
Vir raised a brow.
I can tell. Youre pretty good at it, though. No need to worry about most people finding out.
The boys words were less thanforting to Vir, who relied on his makeup to ensure his safety. He knew his skills were up to scratch. Amin was just highly skilled, which gave him some credibility.
But still
I need some proof that youre Riyans contact. For all I know, you could be someone just pretending to be.
You always this paranoid, or you just having a bad day?
Humor me, Vir said, refusing to let this one go.
Fine. Riyans a big scary guy, ck beard. Always grumpy. And uh, youre supposed to be Ashborn, and you came to him a little more than half a year ago for training. Oh, and you''re supposed to be prana scorned, but I dunno if I believe that one. Never met anyone like that before.
If the boy knew that much, then he had to be Riyans contact. Amin might have been lying about this all being a coincidence, but then again, maybe not.
You dont sound convinced, Amin said.
I guess I was just expecting someone older. Youre a bit young to be doing this kind of thing, arent you?
Hey man, I do what I gotta do. People see a kid, they dont ask questions. Especially someone who looks like an urchin.
Vir didnt miss the looks like part. Certainly, disguising oneself as a young orphan would let them get away with a lot under the guise of looking for food.
How much can I rely on you, Amin? Do you know why Im here?
I mean, its not like Im only Riyans agent here in Daha. I work for a buncha people. But I guess I owe Riyan some favors, so you can count on me. Ill help ya out if I can! And nope, got no clue why youre here. Care to share?
I think itd be safer for both of us if I didnt, Vir said. For now, I need a guide. You look like you know your way around this ce.
Its good to know the sewers. Handy. Why?
You know where to find some Jatu?
Oh, the Brotherhood initiation mission, eh?
Vir had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Did literally everyone know about the initiation task?
Yeah, he said.
Sure, I do. But uh, youre kinda in the wrong spot. Theyre pretty far from here.
Can you lead me there? Vir asked.
Huh? Oh, yeah maybe. Gee, I dunno. Im kinda hungry, and this bread aint gonnast me a long time, yknow?
Vir blinked at the boy. What?
Okay, well maybe Im not that bad off, but can you me me?
Youre Riyans agent. Youre supposed to help me. Isnt that what you just said? That you owed him some favors?
Hey now, I said Id help, but Riyan never said I had to help for free, did he?
Vir debated what to do for a moment.
He looks easy to overpower. Wouldn''t be hard threatening him, he thought idly, before realizing how cruel that was. That was how Ekanai would think. Not him. Amin was just a kid. And besides, he needed the boys cooperation in the future, so that would be a terrible decision.
Then again, if he just gave in, Amin would see him as an easy mark and fleece him, just as the urchins at Saran did.
So he opened his leather coin bag and pulled out a single silver.
Oh! How generous of you! Amins eyes twinkled with greed as he reached out to grab it from Virs hand, but Vir pulled back at thest moment.
You misunderstand. I know how this game is yed, Amin. Im not a chal, and if you mistake me for one, youre going to regret it. Now, I dont mindpensating you, but this is it. This silver is payment for all services youll render to me during my stay here in Daha. Do you understand?
Fine, fine. Amin said with a grumble, reaching out for the silver, but Vir once again withheld the money.
Cmon man! What now?
Ill hand over the silver after you lead me to the Jatu.
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Man, thats hurtful. Its like you cant even trust me.
I want to trust you, Amin. We both work for Riyan. But you need to earn my trust first. I feel like thats a reasonable ask.
Alright, alright. Anyway, I never did get your name.
Riyan never told you? Vir asked.
Did he tell you mine? Amin countered.
Fair enough. Riyan must have felt it safer that way. Neel, he said.
Right. Once again, Im Amin. Pleased to meet ya. Now lets get going. Sooner we get there, sooner I get my coin.
And the sooner I can be out of this horrid ce, Vir said. How do you even stand the stench?
Aminughed, taking the lead down the narrow sewer. Believe me, I dont. But you find ways of ignoring it if you spend long enough down here.
Amin navigated through the tunnels with the ease of a practiced veteran, but Vir didnt want to rely only on the boy. He continued marking tunnels up with his salve until they came to a set of tunnels that Vir had traversed before.
Were going back? He thought. It seemed like they were headed right back to the entrance where hed entered.
Sure enough, another half hour of walking through tunnels that all blended together put them right back at the entrance grate.
Guessing this is where you entered from, yeah? Amin said. You turned the wrong way, Neel. Shoulda turned left. Youd have been there in no time.
Really, now? Vir supposed he had no way of knowing. He followed Amin through the tunnel, passing by the stairs that led to the entrance. Say, howrge are these tunnels, anyway?
Huge. Vast. Honestly, even I dont know how deep they run, even after all the years Ive spent exploring them.
Deep? Vir asked. What do you mean?
This ce is abyrinth, Neel. One that runs east, west, north, and south but also down. Far, far down. The sewers are just the first level. There are stairways down here that lead to ces much much deeper. And older. Barely anyone even knows they exist, and no one knows who made them. Maybe there was a city here before Daha. Maybe it was made by the gods who knows?
And? Whats down there? Vir asked.
Things. Things that dont want to be found. The guards sometimese down into the sewers, but nobody ventures down there, Neel. Nobody. Youd best be careful if you ever find yourself in a tunnel that slopes down. Down is dangerous.
This was all news to Vir, but he doubted hed ever see what Amin was talking about. His only goal was the castle. The other areas, while interesting, werent of use to him.
These tunnels run everywhere under the city, Amin continued. Its kinda amazing once you figure it all out.
Even under the District of Internal Affairs? Vir asked.
Even under the castle, but thats tougher.
Tougher, Vir said, but not impossible, I take it?
Well, sure, there are ways. Dangerous though. Those deep parts I told you about earlier? The ones where scary things live? Yeah, you gotta go down there to get to the castle. No one in their right mind would try.
Vir fell silent, contemting his options. This approach sounded like a risky one, but he wondered how dangerous any animals lurking in these depths really could be. They werent in the Ashen Realm, after all. It wasnt like theyd run into any Ash Beasts here.
Were here, Amin said, atst.
Prana Vision confirmed it. They rounded a bend into a much taller, wider arched tunnel that seemed to serve as a nexus of waterways that ran across the room from one grate to another. Ancient stone walkways crossed the canals.
And above all of this hung an entire colony of Jatusmall winged creatures that slept upside down. Virs objective.
They were barely a couple of handspans in length, and all of them were currently sleeping.
Dont wake them, Amin whispered, extinguishing his Magic Candle, plunging the two into total darkness. Humans normally fared poorly in suchpleteck of light, but Amin didnt seem to be fazed in the slightest. They really dont like light, so I dunno how youre gonna get one without waking the whole nest up.
Vir supposed this was another element of the test, but in his case, it could hardly even be called a challenge.
Stay here, he told Amin. And keep your light off.
Understood, the boy whispered back.
The darkness hid him from Amin, but Vir walked several paces away to be sure, before cing a hand onto the ground and sucking prana into his arm.
Activating Dance of the Shadow Demon, he sunk into the realm of shadows. The entire tunnelwork was essentially one great shadow, allowing him to appear anywhere within a radius of twenty paces.
This task didnt require his entire bodyjust an arm. He located a Jatu sleeping at the very edge of the colony and snaked his arm out beside it.
With an Empowered swipe, he yanked the bird-like animal down into the shadow realm with him.
Instead of appearing next to Amin, he reappeared at the limit of the abilitys rangeabout twenty paces away, as far from the colony as he could manage.
The captured Jatu woke the instant they reappeared from the shadow and Vir suddenly understood how these creatures saw.
The entire tunnel flooded with Shadow prana, utterly blinding his Prana Vision. The Jatu shrieked and in his confusion, the bird escaped.
Hey! Shut it up! Quick! Amin hissed.
Acting out of reflex and using Prana Vision to track it, Vir grabbed it, securing it again and mping its mouth. Luckily, it hadnt woken its friends.
Instead of killing it immediately, Vir took some time to analyze what was happening to Prana Vision. Shadow prana fired off every which way, bouncing off of walls and polluting the area with prana.
In terms of sheer prana output, it was weak, but there were so many motes that itpletely blinded him, making him dizzy. What intrigued Vir the most was how these motes of prana bounced back into the Jatu, being reabsorbed.
Its using Prana to see, isnt it?
It made him wonder why it had a pair of tiny red eyes, but he wasnt here to study these creatures.
He tried breaking its neck, but the Jatus skeleton was surprisingly durable. So instead, he ced a hand on the damp sewer wall and sucked prana into his arm.
With a quick Empowered jerk of his hand, its neck broke, ending the pings. Luckily, theyd been far enough away not to alert the rest of the colony.
It was the first time hed sessfully used an Empowered attack, and while what hed done was merely a crippled workaround of the real Talent, he couldnt deny that it worked.
Virs eyes lingered on the dead beast. It bothered him that Prana Vision could be corrupted like this. Hed grown to depend on the ability, and the fact that it could be thwarted meant he needed to be wary of enemies in the future who could do the same.
Vir contemted removing its eyes, but decided to forego that unpleasant act. Surely the Executor would be happy even if he returned the entire body?
Amin, Vir whispered. Its done. We can go now.
Phew! Amin replied, reactivating his Magic Candle. Gave me a scare there when it woke up. Howd you do it? I didnt even notice you.
I have a handy Talent for stuff like this, Vir said, omitting the details.
It took only a few minutes for them to retrace their steps back to the stairs.
Youre following me out? Vir asked.
Hey, its not like I want to be in this stinky ce any longer than you do.
As they approached street level, the guards obnoxious snores grew louder and louder. Vir had to rap on the gate for a full minute, shouting at the guard before he woke.
Dance of the Shadow Demon wouldve allowed him to bypass the issue entirely, but after going through so much trouble to hide it from Amin, itd be foolish to reveal his hand now.
Ah! Its you! Stayed erete just for you, yknow? he said as he shuffled around for his key. And I see you found a friend? Sewer rat, no less.
Thanks for stayingte, Vir said, tossing him ten coppers, earning him a pointed stare from Amin and a thankful nod from the tired guard.
Cant believe youre so generous to someone like him, but youre so mean to me. Amin huffed as they walked through the alley. What of my payment?
Vir promptly handed over the promised silver. I have no issue paying for services rendered. I just dont like being taken advantage of.
Dont we all? Amin said, walking off.
Wait! Vir called. How do I find you?
Amin turned around. Where do you stay?
The Market Square Inn, across from the Brotherhood building.
Ill drop a note, Amin said, waving to Vir as he sauntered off into another alley. The boy''s answer didn''t give him any confidence, but he doubted Amin would divulge his home base. Even if he did, it''d be easy enough to relocate somewhere else.
Vir looked down at the bird corpse in his hand.
Well, guess its time to find out my Br Rank, he muttered with a grin.
Tomorrows gonna be an interesting day.
Chapter 72: Executor Rising
Chapter 72: Executor Rising
Virs first stop after exiting the sewers was the inn. He did his best to ignore the scowls and disgusted stares as he trudged his way up to the receptionist to order a bath. In fact, he ordered two time slots.
Only after an hour of scrubbing and soaking did he finally feel clean again. It was with great satisfaction that he threw his old rags away; Vir had had his fill of sewers for a lifetime.
His second stop was the Brotherhood Sanctum, whose doors remained open at all hours of the day and night, out of consideration for the more special contracts that could only bepleted at odd hours. That meant Vir didnt have to wait until dawn to turn in his Jatucurrently rotting within his rucksack.
The sky was dark as Vir stepped out of the inn, and it wasnt just because of the Vimana. Dahas city lights had the odd effect of luding the stars.
Intent? the veiled Brotherhood greeter asked the moment Vir stepped inside the Sanctums enormous doors.
Vir held up his Jatu. Im here toplete my initiation task.
Follow me, the greeter said, starting down the hallway. Though Vir initially found their brevity disconcerting, he was starting to appreciate it. They certainly didnt waste any time.
Upon scanning the greeter, he was unsurprised to discover that this persons prana signature differed from the one whod greeted him on his first visit.
Vir entered the room with the array of Executor booths, and this time, a deep male voice called out to him right away.
Avi booth. Enter.
Vir obeyed, shutting the booths door upon entering. He ced the Jatu corpse on the table, expecting the veiled Executor to say something. But when the silence stretched on for half a minute, Vir suspected something was off.
Is this not what you wanted? he asked.
What was your task? the Executor asked.
To bring you the eyes of that which sees without eyesoh. Do you seriously want me to pluck its eyes out?
The Executor remained silent.
Are you sure? Vir pressed. This might soil your desk, you know?
The veiled man chuckled. The Brotherhood is no stranger to blood.
With a sigh, Vir retrieved his knife from his waistbelt and did the nasty deed, gingerly pushing the eyes over to the Executor with his de.
Well done, Apramor, the Executor said, collecting the eyes with his bare hands.
How do you know my name? Vir asked.
The Executor tilted his head and said, I am the Executor, as if that exined everything.
The person I talked to the other day was a woman. Youre clearly someone else, Vir replied. I thought the Brotherhood was supposed to keep secrets?
You misunderstand, friend. The Executors are many, and yet we are one. When you speak with one of us, you speak with all of us. Within a branch, you may treat us as one and the same.
Vir couldnt possibly understand how that worked. Were their minds somehow linked? Or was the man just trying to say that they worked as close colleagues, sharing information about each candidate they encountered? Vir suspected it was thetter, though he couldnt understand the need for such melodrama.
Youpleted your task in time, and neither did you use outside help.
Vir wondered whether getting help from Amin counted as help, but the Brotherhood didnt seem to mind. Or maybe they didnt even know?
No, your sewer rat friend does not qualify. The meeting was borne from fate and chance. They offered you their knowledge and werepensated for services rendered.
Virs eyes went wide. You had someone tail me in the sewers!?
The veiled man left the question hang unanswered.
I never even noticed! And Im supposed to be good at stealth, Vir thought. Did they see me put my face paint on? Did they see me use Dance of the Shadow Demon?
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Despite his stealth skills, he was still a small fish in a vast ocean.
Though we were somewhat amused at your cartography exploits, Executor said with a chuckle.
Cold sweat ran down Virs back. Wait. That means you saw me
Saw you use your very unique Talent? Yes. We did. But fear not, Initiate. Your business is your own, and your secrets are safe with us. Neither will the Merchant Guild ever learn of your little hustle. Records of your exploits during your trial have already been purged. No trace of evidence exists. It is only during the initiation trial that we monitor our operatives.
Thats good, Vir replied, cing the silvers needed for his initiation fee on the counter. Id like my deposit back.
The Executor reached under the table and produced his silver and Rudviks coppers, in a separate sack. It wasnt the silver he cared about, but the coppers. Vir pocketed it, feeling whole again.
Vir let out a slow breath. The Executor hadnt mentioned his face paint. Either they hadnt seen him apply ithe was fairly certain no one had broken into his roomor they simply didnt care. Either way, Vir wasnt about to broach the topic.
Tell me, Initiate, are you familiar with the Brotherhoods system? No? Brotherhood mercenaries take on contracts assigned by us, the Executors.
Wait, I dont get to choose? Vir asked.
You do not. Executors have full control over what missions you receive.
Whys that? Vir asked. Being assigned a mission didnt sit right with him.
Initiate, Executors all have decades of experience in the Brotherhood. Our decision-making skills far outstrip that of those new to our organization. For a time, the Brotherhood allowed its members to choose their own missions. Can you guess what happened?
It didnt go well?
The veiled man nodded. Many lives were squandered, and so the system was updated. As you rise through the ranks, you may be given choices of missions, but this is a privilege, not a right.
Vir said nothing. No doubt a bunch of overambitious fools had gone and gotten themselves killed, forcing the Brotherhoods hand. But this meant that he wouldnt be able to hide his skills when getting Br tested.
If they assigned him missions based on his Br rank, hed have to ensure he went all out to gain ess to the best missionsthe ones that would let him quickly rise through the ranks. Besides, they already knew of Dance, so hiding it was pointless.
Sessfulpletion of each contract awards karma within the Brotherhood, the Executor continued. Denying a contract has no penalty, but you forego the right to ept new contracts for a period. Failing a contracts you a reputation penalty. Garner enough reputation, and you will be promoted.
What if I refuse a mission on moral grounds? Vir wasnt about to ughter innocents.
As youplete missions, the Executor Collective will build an understanding of your particr tastes. The situation you describe is rare, but you are always free to refuse.
For a penalty, Vir thought. Maybe he wouldnt lose any reputation with the organization, but hed be barred from taking on contracts for some time afterward.
If you ept these terms, then we may proceed to your ranking duel.
I ept, now? Vir asked. Its nighttime.
We retain Brian proctors on hand at all hours. Night or day makes no difference for us, but if you would prefer to fight during the day, we can make arrangements.
No, Vir said. This is fine. In fact, it was better. The night was his friend. Shadows abounded, allowing unrestricted use of Dance.
Excellent. Then, Initiate, leave this booth and someone will guide you to the arena.
Vir did as he was told, leaving the Jatu carcass on the table for the Executor to clean up. If the veiled figure minded, he didnt show it.
A veiled woman showed him down the hall to the courtyard from before. Now that Vir looked more closely, it wasnt a courtyard at all, but a stadium with stone benches ced all around the central pit.
Many Magic Lamps illuminated the area, and in the middle of the packed dirt arena floor stood two men.
One wore full ck brigandine cuirass, gauntlets, and greaves. A full helm covered his face. In one hand, he gripped arge oval shield that covered everything from his chest to his knees, and in the other, he gripped a steel talwar. An arming sword rode on his hip. The weapons decorations reminded Vir of the knights talwars.
He wasnt able to lift a finger against the Brijs invaders. This times gonna be different, he thought, eyeing the warrior.
The other man looked to be in his forties. A heavyset, clean shaven warrior whose tanned, scarred face reminded Vir of a mejai battlefield. He was d in a brown robe that reached to his knees.
One look at the man and Vir knew he was Riyans kindred spirit.
From the way he stood in his parade rest, to his powerful pecs, biceps, and calves which all rippled with muscle, to his utterly emotionless expression, Vir guessed the man to be the Kinjal proctor.
You must be the new Initiate, the warrior said, his voiceing muffled through his helm.
I am. Are you my opponent?
Indeed. Your actions during the first half of the exam have already qualified you for membership into the Brotherhood, as Initiate. I am simply here to help gauge your Br Ranking. The gentleman by my side is an anointed Kinjal Brian examiner. He will bestow an official rank upon you, after judging your performance.
The Kinjal man nodded, remaining silent. Vir wondered whether the Kinjal stoic warrior stereotype was true after all. Prana Vision told him the man was an Apex Talent wielder, strong with Earth Affinity magic. The only thing out of character was his Greater Life Affinitythe man was a Life mejai, and a better one than Riyan, based on his affinity. Which meant the sum of his affinities was higher than Riyans.
Makes sense they''d have a healer standing by, Vir thought. Injuries were likelymon for bouts such as these.
If I do well, can I skip past Initiate to be an Acolyte?
Ambitious! the unnamed warrior boomed. Good! But not so fast. Your rank is based on your contributions to the Brotherhood, as well as your ability to reliablyplete tasks. Merely cing high on this exam is no substitute for those. However! Should you attain a high Br Rank, Executors may see fit to give you more demanding missions.
And those would help me rise quicker?
Indeed. They also pay out more coin. Now, are you ready? the warrior said, leveling his poleax at Vir from twenty paces away.
Vir confirmed his strategy again. Hiding his true abilities would only hinder his progress. He wouldnt hold anything back; hed go all out to attain the highest rank he possibly could. Would he be able to break the Br 30 that Riyan had predicted?
He couldnt wait to find out.
Lets begin.
Chapter 73: Balar Rank Exam
Chapter 73: Br Rank Exam
There will be two parts to this test, the warrior said as he took up his position ten paces away from Vir. First, we shall duel without the use of our Talents, magic, or any other special abilities.
And the second rounds a free for all? Vir guessed.
Exactly, the warrior replied. In both rounds, well fight to incapacitation or surrender. Life-threatening wounds and fatal wounds strictly forbidden. Are there any questions?
Vir shook his head. No questions, but Id like to shake your hand before we start. I mean, if you''re amenable. As a gesture of good will.
Oho! Weve got an honorable one, do we? As you wish, the warrior said, removing his gauntlet and approaching Vir. He kept his helmet on. The man hadnt even offered his name.
The Brotherhood wasnt joking about their dedication to secrecy
Vir simrly removed his ck half finger cutoffs, and shook the mans hand, taking a very good look at him with Prana Vision.
The mans armor interfered somewhat with his ability, but unlike the princess, his opponentcked magically enchanted armor. The colors were slightly dimmer, and Vir had to be closer to learn what affinities the man had, but it wasnt impossible.
Strong Earth prana, but diluted with a smattering of other trace affinities. Not a mejai, then, Vir thought. Hes got Talents, and some strong ones, too.
The denser someones prana was, the more brightly it shone to Virs senses. With his armor, it should have appeared less bright, which cued Vir as to the mans true strength.
Alright then, heres to a good fight, the warrior said, retaking his position. He pointed to the racks of weapons at the edge of the arena. You are free to use any of the weapons we have here, or you may use your own. Ill be using this talwar and shield.
Im good, Vir replied. Ive got my katar, chakris, and chakrams.
A katar and chakrams, eh? Interesting choice. So be it.
Riyan had Vir train with a variety of weapons, both on the obstacle course and in duels, but Vir had never been as proficient in those as he was with the katar.
Despite it being a poor choice against poleaxes and other weapons with reach, katars simply came naturally to him. Besides, hed learned that longer weapons fared poorly once inside their ideal range. His style was all about speed and mobility, and katars fit that ethos perfectly.
Fight! barked the Kinjali proctor, backing away to give thebatants room.
Neither Vir nor his opponent made any sudden moves. If Talents had been allowed, Vir wouldve closed the distance in an instant with Leap to gain the element of surprise. Without them, he had to be more careful.
The two enemies circled around the arena, keeping ten paces between them, their eyes looking for any small twitch that might give away an impending attack.
Vir used the time to gauge his opponent. The shield posed an issue for his weapons. Hed need Empower to break through that defense, and even if Talents were allowed, hed only mastered that ability in his legs.
Which means Ill have to slip around him. If I can take his back and then bring the fight to the ground, Ill have the advantage.
The warrior made the first move. Seamlessly switching from caution to aggression, he charged Vir, opening with an overhand talwar strike.
Vir dodged the debarely.
Hes fast!
With the armor and his build, Vir hadnt expected such mobility.
Even so, it wasnt anything Vir couldnt match. He moved like water, flowing around the bigger man.
The man fell into a flurry of strikes, tactically using his shield to prevent Vir from exploiting any opening, keeping him on the defensive.
Realizing hed lose if he let the pressure continue, Vir leveraged his agility to bnce the scales, ducking and dodging around the man. His opponent wasnt quite as skilled as Riyan, but he wielded an advantage that negated those weaknesses: his shield, and the skills to go with it.
Vir flitted around the man like a bird, but the shield was there every time, blocking his every attack. He attacked high, he swiped low with his legs, deploying his toe de. But the man either defended or stepped away to safety.
Feinting with his katar, Vir threw a chakri at point nk range, forcing his opponent to raise the shield in defense.
Gotcha.
Vir snaked under the shield and swept his katar upward.
To no effect; the mans brigandine negated any damage.
An armored knee forced him to block, pushing him away. The shield returned, resetting the fight.
With throbbing arms, he gazed at his opponent. Vir had always struggled against armorhis answer had been to rely on Talents, specifically micro-Leap and Empower, but those tools werent avable to him right now.
If he was going to win this, he needed a better strategy. Whats more, hed have to use every trick he knew to score highly.
So he switched things up. Itd be a risky y, but if he didnt give this everything he had, hed rank poorly, and that was uneptable.
They reengaged, the ng of metal resonating through the still night air. Virs breath grew ragged, his form sloppier.
Each time the man attacked, Vir dodged, neglecting to parry, escaping by a hairs breadth. With each dodge, the mans talwar came closer and closer to nicking his flesh.
Virs haphazard katar strikes against the mans shield only emboldened his opponent, who grew aggressive, paying less and less attention to his own defense.
ng! ng! ng!
A dozen times, Vir was forced to block the mans unrelenting series of attacks.
Does this guy have unending stamina, or what?
But Vir wasnt waiting for the warrior to tire.
Just a little more.
With a roar, the man attacked Vir with his most powerful strike yeta vicious downward sh.
This time, Vir neither dodged nor parried. He used an old trickdirt. He threw a fistful at his opponents helm, distracting the man for a split-second.
With explosive force, he jumped right at the man, arresting his attack. Vir wrenched his shield aside and tackled him, sending them both to the ground.
They crashed into the dirt, locked together in a tangle of limbs. While the warrior was winded, Vir was ready.
He threw his weight on the man, weaving his legs into his opponents, binding them in ce.
Vir brought his katar to bear, but seeing his n, his opponent grabbed his arm, trying to hold the katar away from his neck.
The mans two arms overpowered Virs one, but Vir had an advantage his opponentcked. Leverage.
Bracing the hilt of his katar against his chest, Vir leaned forward, driving the de down. Down to the mans neck.
Inch by inch, he gained ground. The mans desperation grew. He kicked with his legs, he struggled with his arms. His actions became more haphazard.
The katar slipped into the gap between the mans helm and cuirass.
My loss, he said immediately, ceasing his resistance. Were this a real fight, Id be dead. I yield.
Vir immediately rolled off of the man and offered him an arm up, which he dly took.
You say that, but you were holding back, werent you?
Vir couldnt see the mans face from behind his helm, but he thought he sensed a grin. My job is to test you, not to beat you down.
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Well done, the Kinjali proctor rasped, suddenly appearing between the twobatants. He spoke in a low baritone almost as boomy as Riyans.
That wasnt LeapMustve been Blink, Vir sensed. To this day, hed been unable to learn that Talent. After endless hours of experimentation, hed concluded that it simply required more Ash prana than was avable.
Ash prana was more potent than the other affinities, but that advantage only went so far. Hed learned that several Talents were simply impossible without more prana, and Blink was just such one.
Many newer warriors are often overeager, leaping at their enemy with misced courage. Not you. You began by scoping your enemy. Then, when pressured, you pretended to give ground, luring your opponent into a trap. Not to mention that trick with the dirt. This was an excellent application of the element of surprise.
Does that factor into my ranking? Vir asked.
Absolutely. Physical prowess is but one element ofbat power. Wit, cunning, tactics, and strategy are all equallyif not moreimportant. Many warriors boast a superior Br Rank to those more physically capable than them. Mejai are a prime example. Without their magic, they often rely on their cunning and wit to keep themselves safe.
Vir thought of Maiya, hurling her Ember spell at him as a show of brute force. Sounds like she has a way to go
Well fought, Apramor, the warrior said, casually brushing off his armor.
Knew it.
Hed felt it during the battle, that the man had felt restrained. Even his movement speed seemed toe with a slight dy. An artificial dy. Vir wondered what his opponents Br Rank was. He guessed the man was merely ying a role, matching his own skills to Virs level.
Now, we move onto the unrestricted portion of the exam. I dont know if you can use magic or Talents. Simrly, you know nothing of my abilities either, so we are on equal footing.
Except, not really, Vir thought with a smirk. He already knew there would be no magic hurled his way. The man was a Talent user. While Prana Vision might not have the same directbat applications as his other abilities, it was by far the most useful of them all.
For this round, they faced off thirty paces away. Both Talent wielders and mejai gained from more distance. Introducing these abilitiespletely changed the way the duel would be fought, and their starting distance reflected that.
This time, there would be no scoping the enemy out. Vir would move in right away, hurling everything he had. Because while he knew the opponent wielded Talents, he couldnt tell which Talents he had. And some of them could end a fight in an instant. Riyan had spoken of metaphysical des that could travel through the air, slicing enemies apart, or even warriors who could cause localized earthquakes.
His opponents prana signature made any of those unlikely, but Vir knew his enemy had more up his sleeve than he let on. The issue this time was that Vir had to show off all of his Talents in a way that synergized and harmonized them with his physical capabilities. All while fighting off his opponent.
Hed never be able to do that if he let his enemy dictate the flow of the fight.
Vir pressed his hands upon the ground in anticipation, sucking Ash affinity prana into both arms and both legs.
Fight!
Vir and his opponent acted simultaneously. Vir shot forth with Leap, closing the distance in an instant, while the man roared. But this was no ordinary roar. It reverberated through the air, mming into Virs chest with the force of a great drum as a torrent of prana rushed into his enemy.
Then it passed, seemingly having done nothing Vir used the opportunity to touch the ground. An Empowered katar mmed into the mans armor. A normal katar strike wouldnt have done anything against Brigandine, but an Empowered one? Vir was sure itd at least have thrown the man off bnce.
And yet, it was Vir who was sent reeling as the shock of impact shook his very bones. As if hed taken the force of his own blow.
Prana Vision showed what had happenedthe warrior had flooded every inch of his body with Earth Affinity prana. Like Toughen, affecting his entire body, making him far sturdier.
Bulwark. Riyan had mentioned it offhand once. Another Talent that consumed an enormous amount of prana.
Vir processed all of this in the split second after his attack was nullified.
He immediately followed up with an Empowered toe de, but the mans shield was there to meet him. Blow after blow, they fought, neither side gaining an advantage; a stalemate.
But Vir knew well who would win a battle of attrition. His opponent had an ocean of prana to draw from. Vir did not.
Slowly, Vir lost ground, being pushed closer and closer to the tree that reigned at the center of the arena.
It was just a split-second. The barest distraction, but his opponent took it. When Vir looked behind him to avoid hitting the tree, the warrior pummeled him with an Empowered punch.
Vir flew back at tremendous speed. Right at the tree.
His ribcage shuddered, and suddenly he couldnt breathe.
But instead of crashing into the tree, he disappeared into its shadow. If he couldnt breathe, he might as well flee to a realm where he didnt have to.
Vir used up five seconds to regain hisposure. Then he looked at the warrior, arm still extended.
Bet you werent expecting this!
Vir jumped out from the mans shadow behind him, Leaping as he emerged. His Empowered katar struck the back of the mans helm with immense force, disorienting the man for a split second.
Virunched into a flurry of attacks, trying to slip his de into a gap in the mans armor. But inbat, such feats were easier said than done.
His opponent turned, and they were back to square one, trading blow for blow.
While micro Leap allowed Vir to bypass the previously tricky shield, he still couldnt do damage. His hacked together Empower might have given him the strength and speed to bypass normal armor, but against Bulwark, Virs attacks had no effect at all.
Lets change the game.
To win this, he needed something more. He needed one of the tricks up his sleeve. Tricks hed spent the past many months honing to perfection.
Hed already shown his trump card, but there was another element to Dance. One that his opponent had no inkling about. A property that, when properly leveraged, would allow Vir to win with ease.
He charged Dance, sucking prana from his feet into his legs but this time, he deferred its activation.
The warrior swiped at Virs legs with a speed he hadnt seen from the man before, forcing Vir to jump. But his jump wasnt an ordinary one. It was a High Jump. Ordinarily a terrible move to use duringbat, but this time was a little different.
He threw out a chakram, preventing his opponent from striking him. Aided by gravity, the disk hurtled silently through the air, but the man somehow dodged.
Leap? Or Haste? he wondered as he sailed high into the air.
Vir lobbed chakram and chakri one after another as they fell, but each missed their mark.
Haste, then. And possibly Preternatural Grace as well. Both Talents would prove problematic if his ploy didnt work.
Better make it work, then, Vir thought as he reached the apex of his jump, hanging for a moment before falling back to the earth.
He took a deep breath as he picked up speed, hurtling downward.
It had taken him an enormous amount of pain and grit to perfect this move, and even now, it gave him the jitters. Hed nearly broken his neck more than a few times, requiring Riyans immediate aid.
The ground rushed up closer and closer. Vir forced himself to keep his eyes opentiming was everything for this move. Even a slight miscalction would end in a painful fall.
His opponent braced for Virs impending attack.
Vir straightened his legs and, leveraging the prana hed sucked into his body earlier, disappeared into the ground.
Dance of the Shadow Demon activated a split second before the force wrecked his body, weing him again into the Shadow Realm. Even so, the maneuver wasn''t without great pain. Even ''precharged'', it took a fraction of a moment to activate, transmitting some of the impact directly into his bones.
But pain was a small price to pay for victory.
From deep within the time-frozen shadows, he regained hisposure and took his full ten counts to select the perfect exit.
Vir had spent a great deal of time experimenting with Dance of the Shadow Demon over the past months. In that time, hed learned that the ability was far more versatile than hed initially thought. Like how the momentum he carried into the shadow came out with him when he left it.
The uses of such an ability were myriad, but here, it allowed him to attack with a level of force no armor could resist. When matched with the inherent thrusting strength of the katar, even the gods couldnt have created a more ideal pairing.
Vir leaped from his opponents shadow, thrusting upward with the full force of his falling momentum behind him and drove his de right into the armor protecting the mans crotch.
He held back, of course, deflecting the de such that it didnt pierce through, but even then, the man was sent hurtling upward.
While his opponent sailed, Vir charged Leap.
He met his enemy in the air, driving his katar into the mans breastte. Again, he held back, opting to undercharge the Talent.
So, instead of prating the mans armor, Virs attack sent the man sprawling onto the ground.
Notsprawling, Vir observed. Whether intentional or instinctual, the mans true abilities manifested for an instant as he rolled to dissipate the impact.
But Vir was on him before he could recover. He charged into the man just as he righted himself, taking them both to the ground in a repeat of their previous duel.
And in a single swift movement, Vir slid his katar through his opponents eye slit.
I yield, the man sputtered, winded.
Silence stretched between them until it was broken by the Kinjal proctor.
p. p. p.
Now that is a performance Ive not seen in a long time, said the Kinjali proctor. You do realize that one does not generally best their opponent in a Brian Ranking exam, yes?
No, Vir said, he held back.
And of course he did! What candidate could hope to best a Br 150 warrior? His task was to match your abilities, then push you slightly to test your limits. You should know that it is rare for these duels to result in a stalemate, let alone a loss for the proctor!
O-oh, Vir replied as he sat back, letting the adrenaline wash over him. Yesss!
Now, the proctor said with a grin, his eyes dancing with the reflected light of the Magic Candles, let us discuss your performance.
Chapter 74: Prana Rat Exterminator
Chapter 74: Prana Rat Exterminator
You have acquitted yourself admirably, Apramor, the Kinjal proctor said. Your tactics befit your weapon choice and martial style, and you adapt to your enemy duringbat. A crucial trait shared by all powerful warriors.
Vir gulped. But? Theres always a but
It is clear that you have training in some very exotic arts. But it is your Talents that shine the most. Leap and High Jump aremon amongst Talent wielders, but I have yet to see anyone master Shadow Blend and Shadow Movement to such an extent. Indeed, I must wonder whether this is some new undiscovered Talent?
The proctor threw a pointed gaze at Vir, but then cleared his throat and continued. No matter. With this, I hereby dere the exam concluded.
What about my Rank? Vir asked.
Thats not how it works, Initiate, the helmed soldier replied. Brian proctors bestow ranks, yes, but to keep the system as standardized and as impartial as possible, your rank must be reviewed by the Brian Council in Kinjal. Only after they approve of the proctors assessment will your ranking be finalized.
There have been cases in the past where a proctor has failed to appreciate some aspects of a warriors performance, or overemphasized the value of a particr trait. The Brian Council helps protect against such issues.
So, Im not going to know my rank for a while, then? Vir said. Hed been so excited to find out how powerful he was. You cant tell me now?
To gain my title as Brian Proctor, I have gone through much training and rigor. Our system does not suffer those who betray it. However, considering your performance, I am willing to share your provisional rank now.
T-thanks, Vir replied. It sounded like the proctor was putting his reputation at risk by divulging this information.
But before I do, tell me, do you understand how the Br scale operates?
I know it represents the strength of a Kin''jal Brian Warrior. Br ten means I''d be equal to the rank of ten warriors, right?
Yes, and no. Br One is a standard baseline of Kin''jal Brian warriors of old. These days, most Brian Warriors boast a rank greater than one. Nevertheless, there is value in a standard unit of measure, as measuring nuanced traits such asbat potential is difficult, to say the least. The Br Scale serves to give an approximation of someone''s strength, but there have been many situations when a lower Br warrior bests someone higher than them on the scale. Keep this in mind.
I will.
The proctor nodded. I rank you at
Vir gulped. Would he break the Br Thirty Riyan had mentioned? Or Yuma save me. What if its less than thirty!?
Br Sixty. Owing to your Talents, mobility, knowledge of tactics, and your special Talent, you possess the capacity to defeat sixty Kinjal Brian Warriors ranked Br One.
The helmed warrior whistled.
Virs eyes shot open. Sixty!? That was practically double what Riyan had said. Then again, Riyan never knew of the full extent of Dance of the Shadow Demon. Vir wondered whether it might actually be greater than sixty, since the proctor had no knowledge of Prana Vision.
Yesss! he roared, pumping his arms. Take that, Maiya!
Vir strode out of the arena with Neel, his official iron Initiate badge in hand, with a spring in his step. There really was nothing quite like external validation of hisbat prowess; Br 60 was likely far higher than even the knights whod attacked Brij.
If he ever came across them again, he wouldnt have to run or hide any longer. He could stand his ground. Neither knights, nor pirates, nor vers would threaten him as they had in the past.
With excitement and haste, Vir returned to the Executor to ept his first mission.
You want me to kill sewer rats Vir said nkly, staring at the veiled Executor woman. Not the woman from his first visitsomeone else. Like all the other Executors, she treated him as if she knew him already.
Prana rats. They have been spilling out of the sewers and terrorizing local neighborhoods. While they are of no threat to someone of your capabilities, prana rats maim civilians regrly. You will be doing a public good, said the Executor with a sigh. Look, this is your first contract, Initiate. What did you expect?
I I dunno? Something a bit more dangerous?
Your Br Rank is precisely why we have given you this contract. Most Initiates begin by running errands for civilians or acting as couriers. Now, do you ept, or do you decline?
I ept. How many do you need killed?
A thousand should suffice.
A thousand!?
Vir walked out of the Brotherhood Sanctum into the cool night, deted and a little annoyed. The pay wasnt great, and hed honestly expected to be granted a more befitting contract after his exemry performance.
But he supposed it was better than being an errand boy.
Why so glum, chum? a familiar voice said as Vir entered the Market za.
Wasnt expecting to see you so soon, Vir replied, turning to Amin, who stood with his hands sped behind his head.
Yeaah, well I wanted to check in on my new friend. See how things are going, yknow?
Oh? Are we friends now?
Amin grinned, showing his yellowed and ckened teeth. Sure are! Cmon, why dont we head to a nicer spot?
Vir wanted some fresh air, so he didnt mind. Itd be a good opportunity to get some information from the urchin. Or pretend urchinwhatever he was.
Hed expected Amin to take him to a bar, or perhaps one of his hideouts. Instead, the boy led up to a building and up a flight of stairs to a t third story rooftop.
Pretty great, isnt it? Amin said, gesturing to the myriad of Magic Lamps that glowed before them. The view, while not breathtaking, was magical in its own right.
Its beautiful, Vir replied. Is this your hangout spot?
One of them, yeah. Come here to get away from it all, yknow?
Not really. What do you do, usually?
Honestly? Just try to make enough to eat, man, the urchin replied, sitting down on the rooftop, crossing his legs.
Vir took a seat beside him.
Youre still going with that excuse? Even untrained, mejai dont have trouble finding food. And especially not secret agents. So whats your rtionship to Riyan, anyway?
Oh, General Savar? Me and him go way back.
Vir somehow doubted it, given the boys age. But then again, there was something about Amins appearance that made it hard to ce exactly how old he was. He couldve been four years Virs junior, or possibly even a year or two older.
Used to be pretty close, yknow? But weve drifted aparttely. He hasnt really been active in Daha all that much. I miss him.
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Now Vir really wanted to know what their rtionship was like. Riyan had never once mentioned the boy, nor had he conveyed any affection while speaking of his contact. Then again, it was just like Riyan to hide his true feelings like that.
So anyway, whats your Br Rank? You just turned in that Jatu and got tested, didnt you?
Howd you know?
I mean, what else would you be doing in the Sanctum at this hour? So cmon, tell me!
Whats your rank? Vir asked.
Thirty five, Amin said immediately, surprising Vir.
You sure? Lightning and Water affinities? I think youd be stronger than that.
Yeah, well. Couldnt really afford too many orbs for the test. Had to rent them, in fact. And besides, I only have Lesser affinities. Nothing to write home about.
Vir fell silent for a moment. It was true that the boy only had Lesser Water and Lightning affinities. If he was as poor as he kept iming, then Vir could see how he might end up with such a rank.
Forty five, Vir lied.
Impressive, man! And youre a Talent wielder, too. Not bad at all!
Thanks, Vir said, pausing before springing his next question. Amin, what do you think of King Rayid?
It was an innocent enough question. He didnt feelfortable divulging his mission to Amin just yetwhat if he was working for others as well as Riyan? But everyone was interested in the king.
Mediocre at best. He aint the worst king Hiranyas had, but that is a very low bar. Nations better off with a better ruler. I mean, just look at this city. The Warrens practically say it all.
Oh yeah? Who would you rather see on the throne?
Dunno. Prince Sans a decent guy. Hed do well, I think.
What about his sister? Princess Mina?
Weak. Spineless. Wouldnt be my first choice, thats for sure.
That was a take Vir certainly wasnt expecting. She seemed pretty regal during the procession, though?
Theyre all like that, the royals. They all wear different faces for different asions. Heck, I do too. But dont believe everything you see.
Vir decided to change the topic. You know your way around the sewers pretty well, yeah? I know you said it was dangerous, but do you have a route to the District of Internal Affairs? Is there any way to get there underground?
There is, Amin said, hesitating. But its real dangerous, yknow? Youd have to go deep. Deeper than you ought to.
Would you mind showing me? I can pay you.
Sorry, man. I dont got a death wish. The monsters down there Br 45? Youd be dead in no time. I wont go down there without a Br 200, at least.
I see, Vir replied. He didnt want to push the boy. While Vir wanted to be done with Daha as soon as humanly possible, he couldnt afford to burn his bridges at this juncture.
Welp, Amin said with a nod. About time I head home. You should get some rest, too. Have fun being a Brotherhood drone. Those guys freak me out.
Vir waved as Amin left, leaving him alone.
Well, I suppose I should get this over with
And so, for the next several days, Virs life entailed rising at dusk to enter the sewers at night, descending into the wet tunnels that made him want to puke, ughtering prana rats by the dozens. He returned to the surface only when he couldnt bear the stench any longer.
It was a small blessing that the Executor would judge his efforts based on the number of prana rat sightings aboveground, and not the number of corpses he brought back. He didnt know if he could handle the stench of dozens of rotting rat corpses polluting his rucksack.
His reward for enduring such torture? A single paltry silver.
It wasnt long ago that Vir wouldve salivated over an Imperium silver, but as hisbat power had increased, so too had his standards. He med Riyan; the mans abode had spoiled Vir rotten.
As the Executor had said, killing prana rats wasnt difficult. Though they were about twice the size of a normal rat, they possessed no additional weapons apart from theirrger ws and fangs, which Vir handled with ease.
Prana Vision revealed the shadow prana coursing through their necks as their primary vulnerability, and once hed gotten the hang of it, he didnt even need to rely on his Talents to take them outa single sh of his katar usually did the trick.
He didnt even need to chase them down. The foolish rodents were only too eager to attack him. Vir had soon tired of the novelty after dispatching a few dozen of them individually. The task was less likebat and more a chore, so he sought to up the ante wherever he could.
He fought left-handed. He entered narrow tunnels where his mobility was restricted, and he allowed them to surround himall to create enough of a challenge for him to improve his skills.
While they may only have been rats, a thousand enemies were a thousand enemies, and Vir wasnt going to waste this golden training opportunity.
The only one who really lost out on all of this was Neel. Vir refused to bring his precious friend down here, lest the bandy develop some incurable affliction from the insanitary detritus. To his four-legged friends chagrin, Neel had spent thest few days cooped up in his room.
Initially, some situations he got himself into devolved into chaos, forcing him to rely on the Dance to extricate himself. He wasnt afraid of sumbing to the rats attacksthat was unlikely, even when surrounded.
The real dangery in the afflictions they carried within their maws. One bite could mean death, unless Vir sought a Brotherhood Life Affinity mejai. And, after his first bite, hed learned that their services were not cheap, nearly bankrupting him.
Ever since then, hed been far more cautious, only engaging when he knew he could win. It slowed his progress somewhat, but the alternative was far worse.
At least, that was how hed operated until now. Yesterday, hed located their primary nest. The source of the infestation. While the contract hadnt specified any extra reward for eliminating the entire prana rat colony, Vir was sure itd put him in the Brotherhoods good books, elerating his goals.
It was his only hope at this point, as Amin had been oddly missing, and Vir had no way of contacting the boy.
With Prana Vision ring, Vir turned the corner into a half-height tunnel that led into the prana ratir.
Vir had already scouted all the entrances he could find, choosing this one since it was the least guarded. It was also the longest, forcing him through many twists and turns to reach the core of thepound.
Coming across his first prana rat guardian, he activated a micro Leap, dispatching the beast before it even knew what hit it.
He dispatched every rat along the way, barely even breaking stride to end their lives.
Would Reaper Ekanai be proud if he saw Vir reaping their lives? Or would the demon scowl and say he was wasting time? Either way, the voices in his head remained silent.
When Vir came across a tunnel leading to another entrance, he took it. It would lead him back away from the nest, but this was part of his n. If he killed all the rats in the entrances, they couldnt ambush and outnk him.
His tactic workedright until he encountered a group of six. Viry into them, slicing their necks apart like a wraith, but he wasnt fast enough. Two prana rats shrieked, bolting down the entrance to their brethren.
Vir killed them before they made it even ten paces, but their cry had alerted the colony.
A cacophony of shrieks and squeaks signaled the impending horde. Vir sprinted through the tunnel directly at them.
After getting as close to the enemy as he could, Vir activated Dance of the Shadow Demon, sinking into the ground. The rats, suddenly missing their target, panicked.
This was Virs ace up his sleeve. Instead of exiting the shadow realm, Vir remained within it. Here, in this pitch-ck tunnel, the entire space was his domain.
His katar extended from underneath a rat, killing it before retracting into the shadow. He did it again, and again. Dozens of times, before his time was up.
All of this was possible thanks to the discoveries hed made about his ability over the past few months. Ten counts was the maximum length Vir could remain within the shadow realmif he kept his entire body inside. During those ten counts, time outside would stand still.
However, the more of his body that protruded outside, the longer he could stay in. On the other hand, the less of his body that upied the shadow realm, the faster time flowed outside. In this way, Vir could control both the flow of time and how much of himself he hid within the shadows.
Crucially, he could extend different parts of his body through different shadows at will. He didnt have an inkling how it all worked, but so long as a shadow was within range, Vir could poke his legs out of one and his arms out of another.
He did exactly this. With his legs protruding out of the original tunnel hed entered througha safe and empty tunnelhe attacked the beasts, allowing him to keep the ability active for a full thirty seconds.
When it ended, he reappeared in the first empty tunnel, and recharged the ability. Some secondster, he reactivated Dance, repeating the process.
By the time hed sucked the ambient prana dry, not a single prana rat remained. Only corpses.
But Vir didnt let down his guard. When hed taken this contract, the first thing hed done was to consult the bestiary in Dahas library, which told him that prana rat colonies always coalesced around a rat king. These beasts were both bigger and more vicious than their lesser brethren, capable of uniting colonies under their banner.
These kings were no joke. Some even had Br Ranks up to thirty. If Vir had encountered the king before eliminating the bulk of its colony, hed have been forced to flee.
He proceeded with an abundance of caution, peering as far as he could with Prana Vision.
One moment, there was nothing, and the next, a great rat twice Neels size came hurtling at him with the speed of an Acira. Vir dove to the side on instinct, narrowly avoiding a vicious chomp aimed at his neck.
The rats jaws snapped with so much force, the sound echoed through the tunnel.
Vir immediately let loose a chakri, slicing into the beasts flesh.
It might be fast, but its hide is pretty weak, Vir thought as he dodged another w.
There was only one way to win this, and that was with Dance. Hed already exhausted the Ash prana in this area, but there was just enough for one more invocation. Hed have to make it count.
Vir threw a chakri, forcing the rat king back, buying time to charge Dance.
The prana rat king eyed him for a moment, then, seeing Vir standing still with no intent to attack, it lunged.
Not enough time! Vir thought.
The tunnel was too narrow to dodge, and Leap would take a full second to charge.
The rats maw opened, its saliva oozing from its gums. The beast craved Virs flesh, and at this rate, it would have its wish.
No choice!
He triggered Dance prematurely, sinking into the shadow realm.
He barely made it. The rats maw snapped shut, taking a tuft of Virs hair with it.
This time, Vir had no chance to choose his destination. Dance spit him out immediately
And he fell. He fell from a great height.
Disoriented, Vir struggled to gain his bearings, but then instinct and his endless hours of training kicked in. Prana Vision red. The ground rushed closer, but Vir was ready.
Activating Light Step, he set a knee softly down onto the stone.
Vir stood up and looked around the great cavern he found himself in.
Where in all the realms am I?
Chapter 75: Valaka Amara
Chapter 75: Vka Amara
Vir stood half in rubble, half upon ancient road.
A giant cavern loomed above him. Half of it looked manmade, sculpted. The other half was natural, as if the great room had suffered a cave in.
Where is this? Vir thought, searching the darkness.
The cavern was as pitch dark as the sewers hed just left, but Prana Vision lit the ce up. Unlike the sewers, there wasn''t a trace of detritus anywhere. No putrid smell that made him want to gag. The air was old, yes, but clean.
Vir spun around to see rubble piled up all the way to a ceiling, blocking the passage.
He gingerly got to his feet, trying to piece together what had just happened. Hed undercharged Dance of the Shadow Demonsomething hed never attempted before. And, by how it ended up, something hed never attempt again.
It shot me out to some random destination?
Unwilling to linger in this unknown ce, Vir activated the Dance again, slipping into his shadow. From within the shadow realm, he sought to return to the sewer hed juste from. Dances range wasnt very far, and if the ability shot him out into this cavern, then it meant hed be able to return as well.
At least, thats what it should have meant. Yet no matter which exit he looked through, he found nothing. Forget returning to his sewer tunnelthere were no other tunnels anywhere nearby. Every exit just put him in a different spot in this same cavern he was in.
Ten seconds passed, and the ability booted Vir out of the realm of shadows, back to where hed stood.
Panic welled within Vir. He had no idea where he was, he had no map, no breadcrumb trail to find his way back. And he was out of range of Dance.
The ability had shown him he wasnt in a cavern at all, but in an extremely tall and wide passage.
A passage that led downward.
A shriek pierced the silent tunnel, freezing Vir in ce.
He immediately sank into a shadow, but was thrown out ten secondster.
Nothing.
His heart threatened to burst from his chest as he waited another full minute, but no trace of whatever animal had emitted that wail remained.
Amins words echoed in his headonly monsters and ancient things lurked in the depths. That it was their domain. A ce of secrets that ought not to be revealed.
But his options were few. Either he could stay and starve, or he could walk down this tunnel that led deeper into the earth.
Vir took a deep breath, and then another, steeling himself for what was toe. He red Prana Vision to its maximum, and set out.
At the very least, he had his rucksack full of provisions. He wouldnt starve down here, or die from thirst, at least not for several days. That was an ample amount of time to find an exit assuming he didnt run into a monster he couldnt handle. That was a big assumption.
Having grown used to the din of the sewage canals, Vir felt at unease in the perfect silence of this tunnel passage, his ears straining to hear any sound of a beast that could be lying in wait. He pushed Prana Vision to its absolute maximum to give him every edge he could muster.
Wish you were here with me now, Neel. I could use a buddy,he muttered softly. Though no living organisms were in the area, he found himself unable to raise his voice, lest he provoke whatever horrors lurked down here.
Vir focused on the environment to distract himself. Nature had undone what man had built an age and a half ago, but vestiges of artificial construction remained. It was a road of some sort. One unlike any hed ever seen.
The ground was perfectly smooth, built of a ck, rubbery material that was both forgiving yet firm to the touch. Grippy. Bordering the road on each side were ornate designs etched into the same material, nearly unrecognizable against the damage of erosion and time.
The passage walls had simr decorations, though most of those had crumbled away entirely, leaving only the barest traces of their former existence. Whoever built this ce clearly had vast wealth and resources.
Virs footsteps cked against the artificial ground as he walked deeper, his eyes and ears straining for any sign of life that might call this abyss home.
It was after half an hour that his surroundings changed. Not the terrainthe ruined road remainedrgely the samebut the prana in the air, and in the ground. The brown of Earth Affinity shone brighter than ever, surrounding him, but there was something else, too. Traces of Ash prana.
His affinity existing here didnt surprise him. Hed found it nearly everywhere, just in miniscule quantities.
But this tunnel was . Easily thirty paces in height, and thirty across. Prana Visions resolution at that range was awful.
If Ash prana existed here in the densities hed seen elsewhere, then he shouldnt have been able to see it.
Which means
Vir walked up to a tunnel wall and peered into its depths. He wasnt imagining things. The Ash Prana density here was easily thrice its usual.
On a whim, he sucked prana into his legs to engage Leap and nearly failed. The onrush of prana was so significant, it almost overloaded his body.
That didnt even take a half second to fully charge! If Vir could ess this amount of prana everywhere, his Br Rank would be far, far higher.
From then on, Vir didnt bother walking. He alternated between Leap and Dance of the Shadow Demon to cover ground far more rapidly than he was used to. Even the prana hungry Dance barely took a second and a half to charge up.
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So this is what Talent wielders get to experience
Soon after this discovery, he came to his first junction. A four-way intersection, with each tunnel asrge as the one hede from.
And it was there he saw the first traces of something living. Not a monster but its footprints. Webbed, three-pronged things that ended in ws, based on their indentation in the road. Having tracked animals in the Godshollow all his life, Vir picked up on them immediately.
And from their sizeabout three times the length of his own boothe knew that this was not a small animal. The path led off into one of the intersecting tunnels, and so Vir crossed that off as a viable option.
That left two passageshe could either go straight, or turn left.
He was about to choose one at random when he sensed something. He only noticed it because of how alert hed been
The Ash prana was in the air, too.
This was a first. Hed only ever seen Ash prana upy the air in Shardul and Ekanais memories.
Whats more, the Ash prana was distinctly strongering from the left tunnel. It was as if the prana beckoned to him, inviting him to follow it.
Vir had no reason to refuse. He entered the tunnel, letting Prana Vision guide him.
Before long, he came upon another junction, and again followed the trail of prana, which grew stronger and stronger as he progressed.
Vir tried to ignore the little voice in his head that told him this prana trail was taking himdeeper underground. Away from the surface. Away from safety.
Just as he began to wonder whether this tunnel was a remnant from the Age of Gods, a silhouette popped up in the distance. A building, tall and rectangr, thaty on its side, broken.
Vir hesitantly approached andid a hand on its smooth metallic surface.
Metal!? Vir thought in rm. The entire building was flush, with not a single protrusion or door, and every inch was steel.
The sheer expense of such a feat boggled his mind. Metal was precious. Swords of high quality steel were expensive enough. To construct an entire building out of it? It sounded impossible.
This wasnt the kind of luxury one ever saw in the Known World.
No
He corrected himself as the truth dawned on him. Not something from the Age of Realms.
But in the Age of Gods? He imagined such feats were quite possible.
Somehow, by some trick of fate, hed stumbled into ruins from the Age of Gods over four millennia ago. He might have been the first to do so in thousands of years.
Or perhaps those who came down here never lived to tell the tale
Vir pressed on down the road. A marked transformation had urred since hed encountered the building. Both the road and the walls were far more intact in this section of the tunnel,pared to where hed first started. Life and Water prana coursed through the intricately carved patterns that bordered the road. The dancing patterns of the prana looked like art to his eyes.
No! Not like art! It is art!
Vir had seen a small handful of paintings, usually brought through Brij by traveling merchants, bound for greener pastures. Sometimes, theyd even tried to exin what made them tick.
It had all sounded like gibberish to Vir at the time, but after Prana Vision, hed seen how colors couldplement each other, and how certain images and painted scenes could please the eyes.
What he saw now made all of that look like a three-year-olds charcoal scribblings.
The prana patterns intertwined andplemented the etched carvings, forming a tapestry of art that was neither prana nor physical, but both intermingled and woven together.
With each step he took, more and more of the glory of the Gods architecture revealed itself, until it felt like the entire tunnel became an art piece, bursting with a rainbow of prana affinities.
In the distance, Vir saw the end of the tunnel. Cautiously, he walked up to its entrance and then, in a cavern sorge that Prana Vision couldnt discern its ceiling, he saw it.
A sight beyond anything in this realm. A ce that should not have existed. That should have been lost to time.
A city of the gods.
Not ruined, or destroyed, but standing tall, proudly. As if awaiting the return of its former inhabitants.
Before hed realized it, Vir had fallen to his knees, staring up at the myriad of tall spires that defied gravity. Hed never seen buildings that soared so high.
Carefully, katar in hand, he put one foot in front of another, and trode upon the hallowed road.
Like the tunnels until now, this space was pitch ck.
At least, it was, until Vir stepped onto the road that led to it.
One by one, buildings flickered to life, roused from their slumber of centuries. They emanated an artificial blue-white glow that mesmerized Vir. The road to the city burst with light, illuminating a path.
As if he was being weed. As if he was expected.
As each building red to life, prana erupted from them. Ash prana. Vir had never experienced such an incredible density of Ash prana in his entire life. There was so much of it he didnt even have to worry about preventing prana leakage. In fact, the prana was so oppressive that it pushed itself into his body, making for a slightly ufortable sensation.
Before long, the entire cavern glowed with light thrown off by the ancient city, allowing him to see that the group of structures werent merely in the cavern, they were situated on a sort of ind within the cavern.
A cavern that had no floor. The road he thought he was on was actually a bridge, which spanned across an abyss so deep, Vir felt it stretched to the very core of the earth.
As for the ind the city sat upon, well, itfloated midair.
Like a Vimana, Vir whispered.
The bridge, like the rest of the city, was well lit, with blue-white ground lighting running along the sides of the path, illuminated the way.
As he neared the sacred city, the buildings details became visible. Almost nothing was untouched by prana. Every affinityShadow, and Earth includedran up and down these buildings, forming intricate, ever-shifting patterns that were beautiful in a way Vir couldnt find words to describe. And, wrapping and dominating over all the other affinities, was Ash prana, as if given a ce of special importance.
The way its builders incorporated prana into their architecture reminded Vir of a seric sword. There was power here. Genuine power. As if that was its primary purpose, but because its builders were such masters, it somehow ended up looking beautiful and elegant anyway.
Virs reverie ended the moment he crossed the bridge.
A wall stood in his way. Translucent, yet tinted ck. Prana Vision recognized it immediately. It was Ash prana, and it enveloped the city in a bubble.
A barrier of some sort? Vir thought. Perhaps a shield?
Vir reached a hand out, thinking it would stop him.
Instead, his arm passed right through, and the shield disappeared, and a series of lights lit up on the ground, as if to guide him.
Is there someone here!? Vir thought. His wonder slowly devolved into panic. Every story from the Age of Gods spoke of beings that wielded absurd powers, who could level entire cities on a whim.
And not only was he walking into a city of theirs, it even seemed like someone was home.
Vir closed his eyes and calmed his breathing. The gods were gone. Dead, ording to the Altani, or ascended, if you believed the Kinjals.
There would be no one here to greet him. His biggest threat was monsters.
Wee, Ekavir, a disembodied voice said, a moment before a great man shrouded in blue-white light appeared in front of Vir, forcing him to Leap back.
No, not just light. Blue and white prana! The man was made of prana.
Who are you? Vir whispered in awe.
You know me as Janak. This is the Prime Imperium outpost Vka Amara, and you have just doomed yourself to death.
Chapter 76: Guaranteed Annihilation
Chapter 76: Guaranteed Annihtion
Janak, Vir said nkly, addressing the glowing man who stood ten paces tall. White was the word that best described him. From his hair to his long white beard, his flowing white robe with blue-white patterns, he shone like a sun to Virs eyes and Prana Vision alike. As in the god from the myths?
Myths, Janak said with a chuckle, but there was no happiness in his eyes. Only tragedy. Yes. I am one and the same.
Of all the sermons Apramor had ever given, Vir valued Janaks story the most. A mortal who had ascended to divinity. Whod triumphed against all odds. And here he was, meeting this god in person
Vir took a knee.
Rise, Ekavir, seventh of your line. Janak died millennia ago, the glowing man said, striding up to him. Along with the rest of his kind.
Apologies, sir, but how do you know my name? Vir asked before realizing he was talking to a living god. Of course hed know his name.
I know much about you. I have observed you since you arrived at Daha.
Observed? From where? He hadnt felt like anyone was spying on him. Unless
Comprehension dawned upon Vir. From the Vimana.
Indeed. The man offered his hand, which Vir reverently took but found that his hand passed right through.
This body is not of flesh and blood. I am merely a faded echo of an age long forgotten. An avatar. But even still, this meeting is both risky and fortuitous. Our time is short so I must be brief. Tell me, how did you reach this ce?
I honestly dont know, sir, Vir replied, averting his eyes. I messed up an ability of mine and found myself in a cavern. Then I just followed the prana, which led me here.
Coincidence? Janak said, stroking his beard. Nay. It must be their influence. But do they hope to aid or hamper?
Sir, I dont understand. Of whom do you speak? Vir asked. He didnt rightly know how to address the avatar of Janak; while he imed not to be a god, the entity before him was at least rted to the god. He deserved Virs immense respect.
There are those in this world who seek to shape the threads of destiny. Beings who predate even my people. Fateweavers, of a sort, Janak replied. But our time is limited and there are more important matters to discuss. Come, walk with me.
Why? Whats the matter? Vir asked, following slightly behind the god.
Beasts lurk in these depths. Ones that survive and thrive off prana. And you have just lit a prana beacon, he said, pointing up at the city around them. Ordinarily, such a thing would be impossible. But you are special. You are rted to my people in a way that no other living being is. The outpost of Vka Amara opened itself to you, and you alone.
Outpost. Not a city, Vir reminded himself. It was small, but it was still the most dazzling sight Vir had ever seen. And special to his people? Vir was giddy to badger the man, but he didn''t want to interrupt him. No doubt, the answers were forting.
Listen to me, Ekavir. You must seek the Ashen Realm. No doubt your prior incarnations have advised you as such already?
T-they have, Vir replied. So theyre not demons then? Ekanai and Shardul.
Demons, yes. But not the sort you are imagining. Broken shards of identity, lost to time. Be careful. They mean well, but may pose a danger to you if managed improperly.
Ive seen that.
If Ekanais voice in his head was just a shard of the person hed once been, then his manic obsession with killing Maiya made a bit more sense.
Janaks words confirmed the suspicions hed had for so long, but could never prove. Theyve been threatening me to head there. But to enter the Ashen Realm is suicide.
Suicide for humans. Not you.
When they reached something akin to a central square, Janak swept his arm, causing an enormous image to appear in midair. An image of ck volcanoes, thunderclouds, and ash-dyed wastes.
Vir jerked back, nearly falling over. It was like a painting the size of a house, and yet
Its like you? Vir asked, running his hand through the floating image.
Janak nodded. This... is the Ashen Realm.
The painting moved. It showed volcanoes erupting, lightning strikes ring before dying away, only to be reced by a dozen more. Thousands of vicious-looking raptors skittered across thendscape, while enormous flying beasts blotted out what little light made it through the thick thunderclouds.
It was a glimpse into another world. A world of nightmare and horror.
And this, Janak said, is Mahdi. The once-capital city of my people.
The scene shifted to show a city? But it was unlike any Vir had seen before. Hundreds upon hundreds of pitch-ck spires pierced the sky as lightning struck them relentlessly. It looked less like a city and more like a mausoleum.
At Mahdi, you will find me. The real me. Or whatever is left, at least. But Ekavir, heed my warning. Do not venture there until you are ready. The Ashen Realm is dangerous, yes, but that city exists in its own realm, split off from the rest of the ash. The Mahdi ne. It is utterly lethal to life. Not even demonkind survives there for long. Every one of your predecessors who has tried has failed.
Predecessors... T-then, Vir gulped, afraid to ask the question that had been on the tip of his tongue. Im a demon?
Neither are you human, nor demon. You were crafted for a purpose, Ekavir. You are primordial. A being who transcends all other beings.
What do you mean? What''s the purpose of the primordial? What is this destiny they speak of?
Janak pursed his lips. If I told you now, it would only reduce the likelihood of that destinying to pass. You... are not yet ready to hear it.
Vir was about to reply, but Janak held up a hand. Not your power, though you require far more than you currently possess to venture into the Ash. I mean your maturity. Ekavir, some truths must be experienced. Only then, once your mind has been tempered by trial and toil, will youprehend its significance. I know this is not what you wanted to hear. And if I could tell you, I rightly would. Please have faith. If not in me, in your past incarnations. All shall be revealed in time. Time that has now run out, Janak said, looking off into the distance.
Vir followed his gaze and saw it as well. Not with his eyesthe monster was invisiblebut through Prana Vision. Its prana signature was so strong it lit up like a beacon, even from this distance. A singrity of the ckest Ash Prana hurtling to the city. It possessed neither form nor body, but Vir recognized it immediately.
Prana Swarm Vir whispered, scarcely believing what he was seeing.
The bestiary had said that anything that ever came into contact with a Prana Swarm died. That it consumed anything and everything containing prana. That it was invincible. Br 3,500 to 10,000. Threat level Cataclysmic.
This was a being that was only supposed to exist within the depths of the Ashen Realm, where the prana was dense enough to support it. It was a creature of legend, and from the existential dread that coursed through his body he knew. He felt it in his veins.
Ive died to this monster before
Listen closely, Ekavir. You were never supposed to enter this realm. This Human Realm. It was only by a twist of Fate that you were forced here. You must return to the Demon Realm, Janak said, growing increasingly desperate as the Prana Swarm approached. Only there will you fulfill your destiny. Seek the Pagan Order.
The Pagan
Run, Ekavir! You cannot die here!
Vir had a hundred more questions for Janak, but his survival instincts took over.
With heavy steps, Vir left the dazzling light of Vka Amara behind him. An outpost of the gods that floated on its own ind, deep under Daha. Vir knew hed never see it again.
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The activation of the city had flooded the entire cavern with Ash prana, and Vir used it to his advantage. He Leaped across the bridge, Ash prana rushing into his legs almost before hed even thought to activate the ability.
Activating the ability continuously, he sped away faster than he ever had before. The bulk of the prana concentrationy with the citythe Prana Swarm would prioritize the city before getting to him.
But the instant his boots left the bridge and touched the cavern, the city lights began winking out. And with it went its prana.
Virs eyes bulged. Was it a self-defense mechanism? Or was the city shutting down now that hed left?
The Prana Swarm paused for a moment over the city, leeching its residual prana and draining the previously prana-filled cavern in an instant. The Prana Swam assimted the prana, growing its incorporeal body as if snacking on food.
The worst part? Its meal barely even slowed it down. Without even a pause, it pursued after Vir through the tunnel, leaving the physical buildings untouched.
How does it know where I am? Can it see the prana inside me?
When he looked back, all he saw was nothingness in the Swarm''s wake. Anything with a shred of prana in it was gone, devoured by the beast. All the prana in the air had been consumed, leaving Vir effectively blind to the areas it had been.
Luckily, it seemed either unable or uninterested in consuming ground prana, allowing Vir to use his abilities.
Vir elerated, jointly leveraging Dance and Leap to send him flying through the tunnel at a speed he hadnt thought possible. He put so much force into his legs that his muscles strained, and if he were on dirt, itd have crumbled underfoot. Luckily, the ancient road held firm under the pressure.
Unluckily, the prana thrown off by the city diminished steadily as he whirled through the tunnel, slowing his Leaps, and preventing him from using Dance as often.
The Prana Swarm was catching up.
Dread coursed through Virs veins and he felt like suffocating. Images of being eaten alive ravaged his mind, reying endlessly.
Realizing what was happening, he wrestled his thoughts under control. Panicking was the surest way to die.
Options. What are my options?
Vir arrived at the four-way intersection hed crossed earlier. The one with the animal tracks.
Right that might work? Vir thought, turning left to follow the footprints of some massive animal. Maybe the animal will distract it.
It was a poor n, and he knew it. The amount of prana emanated from the city was iparable to what any beast could emit.
Think! What else can you do?
Vir racked his head for ideas, running as fast as he could. With the reduced prana in the tunnel, he ran more than he invoked Talents. If this was him a year ago, hed have keeled over by now. As it stood, his highly trained stamina held, though he couldnt keep up the exertion indefinitely.
Grawwr!
Before he could craft another n, a great roar erupted from up ahead. It would ordinarily have been enough for Vir to turn tail and run away, but as it was, the greater threat behind him forced him to press on.
Vir scarcely saw the animals prana signature before he tumbled through the air, barely managing to send prana to his chest to Toughen his body just in time. He smashed against a wall, leveraging Light Step to dull the impact before crashing down to the tunnel.
The Talent helped, but pain still wracked his body.
The beast that had thrown him disappeared from his senses, appearing only a pace away.
Vir immediately activated Dance of the Shadow Demon, sinking into the shadow realm where time stood still.
Breathing a little easier, he took stock of his situation. The pain vanished while he was in here, but his mind remembered the pain he''d felt just before diving in. His shoulder throbbed and his left arm moved stiffly. Without his Talents, he was sure he''d have broken something. As it was, the pain wracked him, but his fear muted it. Hed live. But unless he came up with a n in the next ten seconds, he wouldnt live very long.
While the shadow realm protected him from this animal, the Prana Swarm was only seconds behind. It would be upon him moments after he exited the shadows. The longer he stayed under, the better. So he snaked his arm out from the exit farthest from the animal and the Prana Swarm. Then he watched as events unfolded in slow motion.
From afar, the creature that had gored him resembled an Ashva, but was at least three times their size. It stood over ten paces high, with a horn two paces long on its bull snout.
Its body overflowed with Earth Prana. The creature roared, angry over having lost its prey. Earth prana surged through its hooves and it disappeared again, reappearing several paces away.
Its using Talents! Vir realized. Hed seen that prana signature dozens of times when fighting Riyan. It was using Blink.
Animals that can use Talents
Vir wondered what kind of madhouse hed stepped into. It was almost as if hed entered the Ashen Realm bying down here.
Entered the Ashen Realm? A sudden thought struck him. What if theres an Ash Gate down here? Itd exin the elevated Ash prana density, and how the Prana Swarm could follow him here.
Which meant if he led the Prana Swam to a sufficiently prana barren region, it shouldnt be able to survive. At least, assuming the bestiary was telling the truth.
It was an incredibly risky n, but it was all he had for now. The issue was the timing.
By extending his arm out of the shadows, he''d gained another twenty counts of time, but that had now expired, popping him back into the tunnel.
Right as the Prana Swarm arrived.
The horned beast locked its gaze upon Vir,pletely ignoring the apocalyptic horror.
It cant detect prana! Vir realized. Not two seconds in, and his n had already fallen apart. The beast focused on him instead of the real enemy, dooming them both.
Vir Toughened his chest and forearms.
The animal Blinked again, and once again Vir was thrown sky high. Right at the Prana Swarm.
As he sailed through the air, he did the only thing he couldcharge Dance. Hed never charged a Talent using prana in the air, since thered never been enough to do so, but after training Maiya, he knew the process worked the same. He sucked blood from his feet up into his legs, but this time, he did the same with his arm, umting prana from all four of his limbs at once.
Virunched himself into a roll the moment he hit the ground, leeching some ground prana to soften the blow with Light Step as he rolled right at the Prana Swarm.
The monster blinded his Prana Vision with its intensity.
Still not enough!
Dance hadnt fully charged, and he didnt want to risk a repeat of thest time he undercharged the ability. What if it threw him into a wall? What if it deposited him right into the middle of the Prana Swarm?
Instead, Vir did something dumb. He reached out and touched the Prana Swarm. If Prana Swarms were pure Ash prana, and if he depleted his arm of prana, then it stood to reason he could take prana from the Swarm.
He was right. And he was wrong. The moment his hand came into contact with the swarm, prana rushed into his arm, which prompted the swarm to begin consuming his flesh.
It was as if hed fallen into a vat of acid, which jolted him into action before his arm was eaten.
Dance activated, sucking him into the embrace of the shadow realm.
Trapped inside the shadow world, Vir couldnt even scream in pain. And after all of this, hed bought himself only ten extra seconds.
What can I do?
For the second time in less than a minute, he found himself trying to devise a n to save his life. Except this time, he had something hecked just moments priorhe had information on the Prana Swarm.
The Ash Beast had only consumed his arm once hed refilled it with prana. Until then, itd ignored the limb, reaching out for the rest of his body.
Which means if I purge my body of prana I might survive.But can I even do that?
Not once during all of his experimentations with prana had he tried to evacuate prana from his body. Itd always been the oppositehed spent so much effort to keep every morsel of prana he had.
But the more he thought about it, the more he believed it could work. After all, prana sought equilibrium with its surroundings, and right now he was forcibly keeping it in his body. If he just let go, and then pushed the prana in his body to the edge of his skin, it should automatically dissipate.
Once again, the issue was timing. Vir picked a distant shadow and moved his uninjured arm out, allowing time to begin flowing again, albeit slowly. He needed some time to purge his prana, and there was no better chance than when the Swarm was consuming the beast.
The Prana Swarm moved to the four-legged animal; the poor thing had no idea it was about to die.
Vir looked on, horrified, as the beasts skin dissolved, revealing its muscles and tendons in slow motion. He looked away, unable to bear anymore.
Its now or never, I guess.
Vir fully exited the shadow realm back into the tunnel, as far away from the Prana Swarm as he could manage.
Lying down upon the stone, Vir closed his eyes and released all the prana he contained within his body. The prana dissipated into the ground, flooding out of his body.
For the first time in many months, Vir felt weak. But it wasnt enoughnot enough prana had left his body. He grasped whatever motes of prana were left and gently coaxed them along his blood pathways to his skin, where they could escape.
The Prana Swarm finished consuming the Ash Beast. It hovered for a moment, uncertain.
Then it turned and floated toward Vir, as if questioning whether there was a meal there for it.
Vir frantically searched his entire body, purging all motes of prana he could find. But while some areas of his body allowed him a heavy hand, he dared not attempt such a thing anywhere near his head. Hed seentwicewhat violently manipting blood to his head did.
Which meant it took some time to get rid of all of that prana. Time he scarcely had.
The Swarm approached. And approached. And nothing Vir did swayed it.
Empty as he was, he couldnt even use Dance anymore to escape.
The Swarm meandered closer and closer. And then it was on top of him.
Vir held his breath and chanted a prayer to Janak in his head as the being passed over. It hesitated, stopping briefly over him.
Hey there for what felt like an eternity. Waiting for his executioner to decide.
But it seemed the Prana Swarm wasnt interested. Itzily moved on, seeking greener pastures.
Vir finally allowed himself to exhale.
Somehow, against all odds, hed done it. Hed survived against a Cataclysmic level threat. A mythological being that was said to bring certain annihtion upon all those who encountered it.
He remained in ce for another ten minutes, well after the Prana Swarm had moved on.
Only then did he allow himself to cry. He wept and wept until he could cry no more.
Chapter 77: To Wake From A Nightmare
Chapter 77: To Wake From A Nightmare
Vir dared not linger within these depths longer than necessary. Who knew when the Prana Swarm would change its mind ande back to snack on him? It was just a matter of time before he met his doom here, to one mythical beast or another. But before he moved on, he had to take care of his injury first. Namely, his arm. He''d pulled away quickly, so only his skin had been damaged, but even so, it hurt far more than Vir thought it would.
But to treat it, he needed his sight.
As much as he wanted to keep his body purged of prana, Prana Vision required it to function, so he allowed his body to equalize to the ambient prana density. Vir still felt it strange that Ash prana existed down here in higher concentrations. He had to force himself not to stock prana within his bodythe habit had grown so ingrained that he now found it more difficult to keep himself dry than full.
Without it, he felt weak again. Like he''d reverted to the weakened boy he''d been for most of his life. Luckily, this time, it was only temporary.
Vir red Prana Vision, then tore his shirt and retrieved antiseptics and soothing balms from his rucksack. As a prana scorned, he''d learned long ago just how invaluable such remedies were. They paled next to magic, but they could very well prevent a gruesome death from infection.
Clenching his teeth, he allowed the alcohol to drip onto his wounds, blinding him with pain. Despite his best efforts to remain silent, he let a groan escape his lips. An agonizing minute passed in silence. The Prana Swarm hadn''t noticed him. Letting out a breath, he applied his soothing balms, which immediately lessened the pain, then tore his sleeve to wrap the wound.
His arm was now serviceable, and thanks to his treatment, he soon wouldn''t notice the pain at all, though he did dread the amount the Brotherhood healers would demand to properly heal his woundter.
With the Prana Swarm moving down the tunnel, there was only one direction to go. Vir walked away from the direction it headed, deeper into the tunnel, away from Vka Amara, the city where hed met Janaks avatar.
Once hed gained some distance from the Prana Swarm, he allowed himself to use his Talents, slowly allowing Prana to refill his body. Every few paces, hed activate Dance to search for an exit, but hed been doing that all along and hadnt found a single one.
The long walk gave him some time to reflect upon the dizzying series of events that had just happened. From finding a lost cityor outpostof the gods, to meeting Janak, to all the things Janak had said to him, Vir didnt even know how to begin unraveling it all.
What surprised him most was actually the fact that neither Shardul nor Ekanai hade to his rescue against the Prana Swarm. That was as close to death as hed ever been. Until now, theyd always rescued him whenever things got too dicey. Now that Maiya was gone, they couldnt threaten her any longer, a fact Vir had hoped to exploit. Hed hoped Shardul had been bluffing.
But clearly, his prior incarnation meant what hed said.
So Im really on my own for now.
Ekanai, Shardul, and even Janak told him to see the Ashen Realm. Janak wanted him to go even further, to the Demon Realma ce Vir hadnt even heard of.
While he hadnt been able to fully trust the voices in his head, when an avatar of a god spoke those same words Virs resolve started to crumble. Maybe there was a way to survive.
Virs boots crunched on the loose rock as he walkedthe road had deteriorated rapidly as he progressed away from the city, leaving him walking through an unfinished, rubble-strewn cavern. He kept both eyes peeled, even as he debated his future in his head.
The Ashen Realm had always been a ce of myth. Something that may have existed, but that Vir never really thought about. Like a far-off kingdom on the other side of the known world. But now, after his run in with the Prana Swarm, it had be real, leaving him torn.
No matter how he wracked his mind, he saw no hope of surviving that realm, where monsters even stronger than Prana Swarms roamed. If he was going to even consider it, hed need information. The bestiary in Daha was a ce to start, if he could gain ess to some of the restricted records, but he recalled Janaks words: seek the Pagan Order.
The Pagan Order captured demons, so it made some sense that they might know more about the Demon Realm. The mere thought of interacting with those fanatics made Virs skin crawl.
Whatever course he chose, it would have to wait until his affairs in Daha were settled. Until hed squared up with Riyanone way or another. And before that, he needed to get out of here.
Vir spent an hourbing the tunnel, activating Dance every few minutes to check for exits, until he came to a dead end. A cave-in blocked the way forward, and Dances range wasnt sufficient to get past it.
Perhaps undercharging the ability might shoot him into an opening somewhere, but given how unpredictable that seemed to be, Vir wasn''t going to mess around with that ever again. Better to sacrifice a bit of range if it meant controlling where he''d end up.
There were no other exits or crossroads for him to take, which meant hed have to double back, possibly risking a confrontation with the Prana Swarm.
In addition to the prospect of certain death, there was one other reason he lingered in this tunnel. The entire time hed traveled, the road had ascended. He felt like he was as close to the surface as he was when hed arrived.
Which meant that Dance might just need a small boost. The solution was obvious, and he kicked himself for not thinking of it earlier. Dance could take him through shadows twenty paces, but with the tunnels high ceilings, twenty paces barely made it to the roof.
Vir activated Dance of the Shadow Demon and sank into the shadow realm. He kept most of his body inside, and snaked only his arm outonto the roof. Due to the pitch darkness of the tunnel, he could pop out literally anywhere. It was all shadows.
With an Empowered thrust, he dug his katar into the caverns wall where it met the ceiling. This would have been impossible nearer to the lost city, where the road and tunnel were far more intact, but out here, all had eroded away, leaving bare rock. And thankfully, this rock was quite a forgiving one.
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With his katar anchored near the ceiling, Vir brought the rest of his body out of the shadow, allowing himself to dangle. He ced his free hand up to the ceiling, and again activated Dance, allowing himself to sink back to the realm of shadows.
Vir peered at all the exits, but came up empty.
So he repeated his trick, moving around the ceiling, hoping to find an exit above close enough for the ability to reach.
It was on his fifth try that he finally struck seric. At the very edge of the abilitys range was a single shadow thaty outside this tunnelwork.
Vir took it, easing himself out into another tunnel. A much smaller tunnel, barely higher than his head and wide enough for a single person. From the cobwebs and the stale air, the ce hadnt seen human traffic in years, if not decades.
Which made him wonder about the world beneath Daha. He hadnt found a single entrance or exit. Maybe hed simply missed them, or just maybe there were no entrances. He somehow doubted Dahans would sleep at night knowing the kinds of monsters that lurked just below their city.
Clearing cobwebs with his katar, Vir slowly made his way through the passage, only to run into a dead end a few paces away. He turned and headed the other way, eventuallying to another cave in.
He activated Dance again, and this time found an exit in what looked like a basement cer, near the edge of his range.
Though pitch dark, the cer was well maintained, clean, and free of cobwebs. A staircase in a corner led to a locked door. Locked from the other side.
But doors had long since stopped posing issues for Vir, thanks again to Dance.
This time, he exited outside the house the cer belonged to, finally finding cool night air.
Vir copsed to his knees in the garden that bordered the house, feeling like hed just escaped the Ashen Realm itself. A weight that had been weighing on his shoulders suddenly lifted, allowing him to breathe deeply.
Fresh air! The outdoors!
If Vir hadnt already wept away his tears after surviving the Prana Swarm, hed be bawling his eyes out right now.
As it was, he realized he was quite visible, and dressed in his smelly rags, didnt fit with the scenery at all.
Vir Danced to a nearby rooftop and stripped off his clothes. Then he brought out some herbal anesthetics and applied them to his left shoulder. The wound had been less serious, so he''d ignored it until now. Thanks to Toughen and Light Step, he''d avoided any serious injuries under Daha, but the bruises still throbbed. The salves would keep him going until he returned home, and after that, a good night''s sleep would be all he''d need.
With his first-aid done, he gazed out at the city, and only then did he realize where he was.
The wide, dirt-free cobblestone roads, the oversized tall stone buildings, and the ornate arches, carvings, and gold iys all pointed to one location.
The District of Internal Affairs.
Hed found a way from the Commons into the District. Itd only taken him traveling through ancient tunnels to a lost outpost of the gods, a run in with a Prana Swarm, a horned Ashva, and nearly losing his life to do it.
Yeah Definitely not going that way again.
As he gazed upon the silent district, with its fancy homes all lit up by far too many Magic Lanterns, he pondered his next course of action.
By luck or fate, hed arrived here. He could easily get back to the Commonsthe guards never bothered anyone leaving Internal Affairsbut he had no way of getting back.
Which presented a unique opportunity for him. An opportunity to check out the royal castle, and possibly even infiltrate it, bringing him one step closer to being done with this city. One step closer to reuniting with Maiya.
Vir tested his arm, which actually felt perfectly fine. Though he knew it wasn''t, deferring treatment for a few more hours wouldn''t hurt anything. This was simply not a chance he could forego.
Brimming with excitement, Vir started toward the tall walls of the castle, then immediately stopped.
What do I hope to aplish there?
Was he going to assassinate Mina? If he did, and if he did it with no witnesses, then there wouldnt even be a downside for him. He couldplete Riyans task and be free.
And yet, his body rejected that violently. Hed only ever heard Riyans side of the story. Param and his wife held the princess in high regard, and his run in with her had only corroborated that image. Was she truly evil? Evil enough to die?
Vir had to admit, he didnt know yet. And he wasnt about tomit murder unless they absolutely needed to die.
Even still, squandering this one-in-a-million chance would be a tragic waste, so he came to apromise.
Ill infiltrate and map out the castle.
If he could find a direct way from the Commons to the Castle Grounds, it would open new doors for him.
And if I see Mina He paused again. What should he do if he saw her? Should he try to chat with her? He could easily picture what would happen. Shed scream and call for her guards, and Vir would be forced to run.
Well, hed cross that bridge if he ever got to it. For now, he needed a way into the castle.
The buildings of the District of Internal Affairs were bothrger, taller, and more spread out than the buildings of the Commons, which shared walls more often than not.
Finely manicured hedges rimmed the roads, and Vir got a glimpse into what Daha might have been like, decades or centuries ago. Today, its wealth only existed in this small district of the city.
Leap was out of the questiontoo visible. Once more, Dance proved to be his ideal tool for moving around undetected. Not only did it allow him to slip out of the world entirely, bing effectively invisible, but he could scope out each exit carefully before appearing. It drastically reduced any chance of him being detected. Not to mention that handy ability to travel through walls.
Soon, Vir found himself at the nearest building to the Castle Ground walls. A gap of forty pacesy between him and the walls, where guards patrolled atop its ramparts. Far too many to risk sneaking across, even at thiste hour.
They sure like to build big walls, Vir reflected.
The smart option would be to turn around and head back to his inn. Back to Neel, who was no doubt anxiously awaiting him.
The less smart option would be to create some diversion that distracted the guards, allowing him time to scale the wall.
And the least wise option was, of course, to Dance halfway to the wall, then Leap the remaining distance to the wall, then scale as much of it as he could before Dancing through the wall onto the other side. If it worked, hed be in, and hed be undetected. If it failed well, he could always use his Talents to get away before anyone found him.
It turned out that hisst option actually ended up being his best one when a runner appeared on the ramparts and hurriedlymunicated some message Vir couldnt hear. Then the soldiers all followed the messenger off, leaving a scant handful left to man the wall.
Vir thanked Janak for whatever crisis they were forced to attend to and readied himself.
But first, he dropped his rucksack and changed his clothes and makeup. The clothes Mina had given him made for a perfect disguise. If only she knew hed be using them to infiltrate her home. A sewer rat had no business in the castle. But a Sawai risto? Well, theyd at least think twice before attacking him.
With his face altered and his dirty clothes thrown under a nearby bush, Vir nted his palms on the grass. He crouched his knees and prepared to Leap.
Chapter 78: Infiltration
Chapter 78: Infiltration
Vir stopped in his tracks, aborting his Talent. Fast moving objects were far easier to spot, and despite the few guards that remained on the ramparts, Vir didnt want to risk detection this early on. There was a better way.
He wore the clothes of a Sawai. He was in the District of Internal Affairsa part of the city where crime was said to be nonexistent, and a cobblestone road that ran parallel to the wallsy before him.
Vir calmly stood up, dusted himself off, and tottered out onto the road. He didnt walk toward the wall, but rather followed the road, slowly edging his way to its center. He caught the gazes of a couple of guards, but once they saw him meander with the wobbly steps of a slightly drunk Sawai, they paid him no mind.
Edging his way closer to the hedges that bordered the wall, he bent over as if to throw up, and made the appropriate noises. Whatever guards had been looking his way shook their heads and went about their business.
From there, a single Dance activation allowed himself to pass right through the wall to the royal gardens. Vir lingered in the realm of shadows for the full ten seconds, analyzing the frozen guards, making a mental note of their positions.
Only the ramparts were manned. The royal garden lookedpletely empty to both his eyes and Prana Vision. Coupling Prana Vision with Dance of the Shadow Demon made for a truly unstoppablebo for infiltration activities. Dance allowed him to hide perfectly, and let him scout the immediate area for ten secondsor more, if he kept part of his body outside the abilitys time-locked zone. Prana Vision let him see prana signatures, and every living thing had a signature.
He could not only pass through walls, he could see through them too.
The only limitationand it was a significant onewas the limited amount of Ash prana he could draw from.
If Ash prana was as abundant as Earth prana Vir would be unstoppable. While he couldnt change the worlds distribution of prana, he could optimize his invocations, using the ability only sparingly when he absolutely had to.
Having determined that no guards patrolled the outer gardens, and that all the guards on the wall ramparts had their eyes trained outward, Vir simply strutted across the garden grounds as if he owned the ce and was just taking a nighttime stroll.
The entire time, he analyzed theposition of the royal buildings. Tall dome-capped spires soared above the keep at each corner. The keep itself was a rectangr structure pce adorned with many golden domes, gold iid arches, and murals depicting scenes and rulers decorated its walls.
And, anchoring it all, was arge gold statue of some Hiranyan king, set high on a white pedestal. The king posed with his arms open wide, as if to wee those who entered.
Meaning, only royalty
It was all far too gaudy for Virs tastes, but he wasnt here to judge. Each entrance to the building had guards, and Vir doubted any amount of acting skill in the world would get him past them.
What did catch his eye was the impressively tall temple building that sat along the northern wall, towering over all the other buildings. Narrow, skinny, and carved with a mind-boggling number of carvings, it was the most ornate structure Vir had everid eyes on. Well, the most ornate from this age, anyway.
That must be where the head priest spends most of his time. He marked its position in his head.
Once again, he activated Dance, and slipped through the pce walls as if they didnt exist. This time, he had to be more careful. There was limited ability to hide inside the halls without relying on Dance, and he figured he only had a half-dozen activations left before the prana well ran dry. It was difficult to tell how much of a reserve remained until the prana was near depleted, so he always tried to err on the side of caution.
Which meant understanding his surroundings. Vir brought out some charcoal and a piece of parchment and began mapping out the pce interior.
It didnt help that the pce was four stories high, ignoring the spires that shot several more stories into the air. After exploring one, he determined those contained either prisons or guest quarters, and all served as guard towers. He didnt see a need to map the other threetheir narrow spiraling stairs limited Prana Visions visibility, making for dangerous work.
His goal would not be in a spire; itd be somewhere central in the building itself.
An hourter, he had the entire first two floors mapped. There had been a few close calls initially, but nothing that required Vir to rely on Dance. The more he mapped, the more safety he gained. With each unlocked door and storeroom found, he gained more and more hiding spots, in case a patrol or handmaiden happened across his way. Those were rareit was just another quiet night in the pce.
Vir knew he was getting warm when he came across guards standing in front of doors. The third story had far more guards patrolling the area as well, so Vir was forced to rely on Dance to get around.
After Dancing into two of these guarded rooms, hed learned they belonged to royalty. Not the king or the queenhe suspected they lived on the topmost floorbut the princes and princesses. So far, the rooms had been upied by teenage boys. Sanobar and Nara Hiranya, most likely.
There was only one more room on this floor that had guards posted. With only two invocations of Dance left, he weighed the benefit of exploring it. He absolutely needed at least one Dance in reserve to make his escape. Ideally two.
But if thest room does belong to Princess Mina
Then he might learn something about her. Maybe hed find some evidence of how she conducted herself, or something damning that would help him decide whether to uphold Riyans deal, or to work with her instead.
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The chances of him finding anything like that were low, but now that he was here, hed regret missing this opportunity.
Resolving himself, he snuck through the third-floor corridor. It was quite unadorned, unlike the rest of the pce, the only decorations being Magic Lamps set into the walls at regr intervals. Vir guessed they had an entire staff whose only job was to keep the lights on.
Sensing a patrol up ahead, Vir backtracked to the nearest unlocked door hed founda utility closet full of brooms, nkets, some dressers, and other odds and endsand hid until they approached. Though he doubted soldiers would enter a closet, he concealed himself under a nket, regardless.
He held his breath as the guards passed, oblivious to his presence. After that, it was a clear shot to the bedroom. Vir used up his second-tost invocation of Dance. It took a full fifteen seconds before it charged, allowing him to slip inside the realm of shadows. Vir suspected the next one would take twice as long.
Thanks to the lights being off inside the room, there were plenty of shadows to choose from. To his surprise, Prana Vision picked up no signaturesit was empty.
Vir appeared from the shadow of a dresser, slipping into the room as silently as a wraith.
The space was rtively unadorned. Sure, rugs dotted the stone floor, and a fourposter bed had golden tassels and carvings, but other than that, it was quite bare. No gs hung from the walls, no murals or artwork like hed seen in the boys rooms.
The only pieces of furniture were the bed, arge dresser, a simple makeup station, and a basic wooden table with two chairs. An open arch led into an attached washroom.
Vir opened the dresser, finding arge variety of dresses. Everything from the elegant to the gaudy.
Guess I found her room
Finding no clues there, he moved onto her makeup station. He opened every drawer and rummaged through each cab, but found nothing other than ordinary makeup. Though she did have a lot of makeup. It made Vir wonder how much of her ethereal beauty was natural and how much was merely facade.
After spending several more minutes searching the rest of the room, he finally gave up. There was nothing here. No notes that might implicate her as part of some heinous criminal scheme. No secret messages, nothing to confirm or deny whether her public identity was her real one.
Riyan had said shed murdered his wife and children, but what was the context around that? Had he disobeyed orders, ormitted some grievous atrocity? Or had his familys death been an ident? Hed refused to divulge the details.
Vir had been a fool to expect anything else.
With a sigh, he made for the door
When a creaking sound triggered every survival instinct he had.
Someone was here!
Vir flew into motion even before his mind processed what had happened. He dove under the bed, desperately searching for the source of the sound.
He first looked to the door, but it remained shut.
The bathroom, then? No! Thats
The dresser hed opened a few minutes ago had swung open, revealing a secret passage.
And out from that passage walked a face Vir knew. A ck-haired, ck-eyed urchin, covered in grime and dirt, who carried an active Magic Candle orb.
Amin!Riyans contact!
Virs thoughts ground to a halt. Whats Amin doing here!? Howd he know about that secret passage?Should I confront him?
Then, as Amin removed his eye lenses and his wig, allowing long, silky ck hair to fall free, did he understand.
Ive been yed!
Amin wasnt his contact. Amin was Princess Mina!
His head swam. Why would Mina be Riyans contact? Riyan had tasked Vir with killing her! They couldnt be working together.
Which meant that Mina had somehow intercepted Virs contact. Shed known about Vir all along.
She!? Of course!
The soldiers whod nearly killed him in the Godshollow after his Rachna battleRiyan admitted that Minahad sent them.
Had Mina been spying on them all along?
Goosebumps red up on Virs arms, making his hair stand on end.
Confused thoughts wrestled in his head, but now was not the time to humor them. He watched Mina like a hawk as she removed her makeup and wandered into the bathroom, humming to herself.
I should leave, he thought. The longer he stayed, the more at risk he was of detection. Confronting her now would only lead to guards rushing to capture him. Not only would itplicate his escape, itd blow his coverhis makeup was the same disguise that hed worn in front of Amin.
Better to hide the fact that he knew her secret until he could formte a n.
Two escape ns sprang to mind. He could either Dance back out to the hallway and find his way back out of the grounds, risking detection, and likely having to scale the wall without Dances aid
Or
He could try moving into the passage Mina had just used. Shed arrived as Amin, and unless the entire pce was in on her little secret, he somehow doubted it led to the royal garden or the District of Internal Affairs.
Its worth the risk.
Charging Dance took over half a minute, causing his leg to tingle from theck of blood, but it finally admitted him into the realm of shadows.
Sure enough, he saw several exits within the passage, which looked dark and empty. Perfect.
Reappearing inside the hidden hallway, he proceeded down its dark depths, relying on Prana Vision to guide him.
Soon, the tunnel turned into a spiral stairway that led down.
Down and down, Vir descended the narrow stairs. There wasnt a single window or door, so he had no idea how far hed traveled, but if he had to guess, this passage led all the way down to the Commons.
It made sense if the princess regrly masqueraded as an urchin. And seeing how the passage led directly to her room, shed likely had this addition custom built. Vir couldnt even imagine the cost of such an endeavor.
He finally reached the end of the stairs, which led out to another hall. The passage dead ended in a ceiling hatch.
It cracked open without a sound, its hinges well oiled. Vir peeked out to see the wall of a narrow alley and the sounds and stench of a slum.
He left the hatch, which locked in ce behind him. A one-way lock, huh? Looking back at it, hed never know it led to a passage. Not unless he knew it was there.
Isnt this a huge vulnerability if anyone ever found out?
This felt like the kind of thing that could cause the pces demise if Daha was ever attacked by an enemy.
Vir quickly changed out of his Sawai clothes, donning hismoner warrior outfit. From there, he set out.
Hed just stumbled upon a royal secret, and he knew just the right people who could help him take advantage of it.
With determined steps, he started walking.
In the pces audience chamber,te at night, two figures met. A bald figure with a handlebar mustache sat upon the gilded Hiranyan throne in his nightgownKing Rayid Hiranya. At the foot of the carpeted steps leading to the throne kneeled his knighted captain of the royal guard, cradling his helm under his armpit.
My liege, someone has infiltrated the barrier, said the captain. The Prana Swarm, Anadi Chakai, has be active once again.
Oho? replied the king. Quite the feat to infiltrate its prison. I take it the poor fool is dead?
In all likelihood, yes. But
King Rayid frowned. But?
Sweat broke out on the captain of the guards brow. Whoever they were disabled the barrier. It has gotten loose, he whispered.
Say again?
The Prana Swarm has escaped! the captain of the guard shrieked, his panic mounting.
That is impossible. Those barriers have been in ce for over a thousand years!
I understand, my liege. However, the barriers have indeed been toppled.
Are you telling me that our superweapon from the Ashen Realm is freely gallivanting about our sewer system?
It appears to be roaming, yes. But as an Ash Beast, it cannot survive in our prana deprivednds. If it strays too far from the Ash Gate deep beneath the city, it will eventually die off.
King Rayid spoke in a cold, even tone. But not before killing every man, woman, child, and animal in this entire city!
The captain of the guard said nothing.
Clutching his head, Rayid gazed at the carved ceiling, unfocused.
Were going to need the Altani. Summon them at once. And pray to Adinat that this city is still standing by the time they arrive.
Chapter 79: A Day In The Life Of Maiya (One)
Chapter 79: A Day In The Life Of Maiya (One)
Maiyas eyes fluttered open at the crack of dawn atop a bed that was morefortable than it had any right to be. It was one of the few luxuries afforded to her, now that she''d been condemned to the Ash.
As a survivor of Riyans harsh tutge, she thought there could be nothing worse. She was wrong.
The weeks since shed arrived at Sonam had been the most grueling days of her life.
It had all begun with the handmaiden exam. The test had quickly broken down into pure chaos as the dozen handmaiden candidates all dueled each other.
Even now, Maiya could scarcely believe what a ludicrous exam that was. Handmaidens battling each other, charring entire roomswhich had wisely been cleared of furnitureor freezing everything over. It was entirely in style for the battle-crazed Kinjals, and, apparently, Princess Ira herself had designed the test.
The very same princess that was supposed to be frail, sickly, and confined to her bed at all hours of the day. Docile and utterly reliant on her staff to keep her alive.
So much for that image.
Soon after the exam began, Maiya had understood that there would be no way to seed if she yed it straight. Forget beating out the otherpetitors at bed making, tea preparation, te setting, and etiquettethe others actively broke theirpetitors tes whenever someone tried.
The only way through that gauntlet was to eliminate thepetition. And so she had.
The vast majority of the handmaidens had either lesser affinities or none at all, making them fodder for the multitude of C rank Icicles and Wind des she fired off. The issue wasnt winningthat was easyit was beating them in a way that didnt kill or permanently maim them. Even if the rules hadn''t prohibited it, Maiya couldnt live with herself if she had to lop her fellow candidates arms off to win.
So, more often than not, shed resorted to her Kri arts, stunning or distracting her foes with her magic before closing to melee distance and knocking them out.
It hade down to her and just one other girl, who possessed a greater affinity for Lightning and knew how to use it. Theyd been an especially poor match. Lightning orbs were nearly unavoidable owing to their ludicrous speed, and Maiya had nearly lost after underestimating her opponents Arc spells. But Lightning also had the shortest range of all the affinities. Maiyas Ice affinity had the second longest, so shed been able to keep the girl at bay, but itd never been enough to finish her.
In the end, they had called a truce. May the best handmaiden win.
Yeah, right, Maiya thought. Shed known she would lose in a fair fight. But pressing the duel had been taxing for both of them. Theyd flung so many spells at each otherleaving the courtyard of their battle a scorched and frozen wastndthat theyd both begun to saturate with prana.
Maiya hadpleted her tasks as best she could, and she honestly felt like she did a decent job at most of them.
That was, until the time came for the etiquette exam.
One nce at her opponent told her she wouldnt win. Even with the burn marks and cuts on her face, the girl carried herself with a grace that screamed Sawai risto. Both Tanya and Riyan had trained Maiya in the ways of etiquette, but Maiya had been a vige girl until a year ago. Some habits died hard, and she knew there would be no way she couldpete.
So Maiya yed dirty. Shed feigned the best etiquette she could, then, when the other girl was animatedly conversing with the proctor, Maiya snuck up from behind and took her to the ground, straddling over her shockedpetitor in a ground grapple. After a brief struggle, shed choked her opponent out, sending her into thend of the unconscious.
And that was how Maiya won. By default.
Fortunately or perhaps not, given the torture her life had recently be, her superiors hadnt thrown her out when she was terrible at the finer points of acting like a properdy.
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It just meant they were triply strict with her.
Maiya jumped out of her four poster bed and hurried across the silk rug to her carved mahogany wardrobe, grabbing her frilly handmaiden dress, hopping on one foot to put her white pantyhose on, followed by the garter belt, the frock, the apron, and the half dozen other essories thatpleted the dress.
It was the most beautiful outfit Maiya had ever worn, and shed fallen in love with it at first sight.
It was a short-lived love. The dang dress had taken her nearly an hour to don the first time, earning her ten hours of hardbor chores for being so slow.
Swearing to never again endure that horrible experience, shed practiced putting it on and taking it off hundreds of times in front of her mirror. Now, she could don it in just under five minutes. Which was barely passable, ording to the head handmaiden.
Maiya had swiftly concluded the woman was a demon masquerading as a human. From her absurdly high standards to her draconian punishments when Maiya inevitably came short, one would think that some horrific tragedy had warped the woman to make her the person she was.
Maybe some Ash Beast ate her entire family alive or something
Maiya got her dress on a handful of seconds before her Magic Clock pinged five minutes, allowing herself ten seconds for a once over in the mirror. If any of the folds were misced or buttons undone, that would be the end of her.
Safe! Nowes the hard part
She rushed out of her roombut daintily, with small steps; proper handmaidens do not rundown the hall to the handmaidens kitchen.
These days, tea making was the most recent bane of Maiyas existence.
She drew water from the Magic Tap, rushed up to the D grade utility orbs and activated them allorbs, plural; a single orb was far too slow here in the castle. They used six.
Heat three cups of water for exactly thirteen counts, and while it warms, stuff three pinches of Jatan Forest Tea into the kettle. Shut off the orbs, pour the water into the kettle while agitating the leaves for forty-seven counts.
Pre-warm the mugs while the tea steeps, then finally pour in a swirling pattern before setting the mugs onto their coasters and cing it all onto the cart.
Maiya wheeled the cart to the next room and knocked thrice. Your tea, madam, she called.
Enter, her demonic examiner, the head handmaiden, replied.
Maiya wordlessly wheeled the cart in before cing the mug on the table at which the head handmaiden sat, tilting her head at just the right angle while curtseying.
The middle-aged woman stared judgingly at Maiyas performance, her legs crossed in a distinctly unmaidenly fashion.
Maiya averted her eyes and awaited her evaluation. This was the worst part of her morning routine. If her mannerisms or her tea were unsatisfactory, shed be assignedbor chores, which usually meant scrubbing an entire floor of the handmaidens dorm. There were a lot of handmaidens, so the task ended up taking the better part of her day. Of course, shed have toplete all of her other work in addition.
It was borderline torture, and one shed been doing more often than not in her time here.
Passable, for now. The princess would spit this out, but it would barely pass muster for a low ranking Sawai, the gray-haired woman said curtly.
Maiya nearly sighed in relief, but caught herself beforemitting that felony. Shed been punished for less.
I am unworthy of such praise, madam. Now, if it pleases you, I shall take my leave to train my body, such that I might serve in the best interests of the empire.
Ensure that you do, trainee, the woman said, dismissing Maiya.
Bowing, she backpedaled with the cart all the way to the entrance, closing the door behind her. Only then did she exhale and do a little victory dancesomething that earned her looks from fellow handmaidens passing by.
Maiya didnt care. No cleaning chores meant she wouldnt be a walking corpse tomorrow, and that was all that mattered. It meant shed have time to visit thergest pub in townthe meetup spot shed written on her note to Vir.
On the days she couldnt visit, shed hired a trusted royal agent to keep an eye out for her. But while her new station granted her a surprising amount of privilege and wealth, even her newly erged coin purse had limits. Her eyes nearly popped out when shed heard how much they charged.
So far, no luck, but she wasnt worried. Vir was unlikely toplete his task in a few weeks especially since Tanya expected hers tost a whole year.
Losing no time, Maiya ran through the hall in the most undignified manner. Since the day she was epted as a handmaiden, shed been training equally in her maidenly duties as well asbat.
The maidenly duties were all expected. Hard, perhaps, but expected. Thebat portion? Less so. The training she received was on par with the most elite forces in Kinjal.
Apparently, she wouldnt be allowed to serve the princess directly until shedpleted all the basic training and had proved her worth inbat. Even then, they might not select herserving the princess was a privilege reserved for the most talented maidens.
All of this meant shed be useless as Riyans spy for some time toe, but that suited her just fine. Once shed gained some tenure, her annualpensation would be measured not in coppers or silvers, but in serics!
Maiya rushed into the open training yard that abutted the handmaidens dorm. The yard was a wide open space, bustling with handmaidens and Imperial knights dueling each other from dusk until dawn. Even at this early hour, sounds ofbat and steel filled the yard, highlighted by the asional sh of magic.
To her horror, she found the head handmaiden there, waiting.
You are ten counts toote, she said, wearing her characteristic stern expression.
Howd that witch get here so fast? I literally ran the entire way! A Talent? Did she use Blink or something!?
You will fight an extra round today.
Maiya swallowed the urge to talk back. Yes, maam, came her defeated reply.
Chapter 80: A Day In The Life Of Maiya (Two)
Chapter 80: A Day In The Life Of Maiya (Two)
Even with Maiyas practiced efficiency, shed been too slow for the wicked witch. A part of her suspected the head handmaiden lied just to make her suffer.
One day, Im gonna wipe that smug look off your wrinkly old face.
The woman had taken a special interest in Maiya, giving her far more attention than any of the other handmaidens in training.
Maiya didnt know whether to be proud of that fact, or to weep in self pity. She did both.
She entered the changing stall, quickly disrobing and changing into her Imperial mejaibat armor. Dyed in the Kinjali blood red that matched her hair, it was a light fitted brigandine cuirass over ck gambeson. Just enough to protect her vitals, while still allowing her plenty of range of motion. With her red mejai aiming bracer fitted atop her right arm, she found it quite striking.
Wonder what Vir would say if he saw me in this. Or in my handmaiden outfit. Would he think me pretty in that dress, I wonder?
Maiya retrieved her shining steel half helm along with her blood rods and took her ce in line to fight. The first phase of herbat training involved sparring with Imperial knight instructors. The second phase would have her travel to the Kinjal Three garrison on the Ash Boundary to fight against Ash Beasts that make it past the wall but she was thankfully a long way away from that. She dreaded that day.
Standing in line, she observed the other handmaidens fights. Their forms varied, but most were unrefined and crude, showing little prior training.
Its no wonder. Whod expect handmaidens to train with knights inbat?
Some handmaidens were mejai, but most only had Lesser affinities, restricting the usefulness of their magic inbat. And none of them wove their magic into theirbat arts like she did. It was a point of pride for her. One of the few things she outstripped all of her peers at.
She stepped into her ring. It was a circr space a few dozen paces in diameter, covered in dirt. Across from her was a knight instructor, d in brigandine and te, including pauldrons, gauntlets, and greaves. Exemplifying the Kinjali standard, he wielded a greatsword.
Kinjalbat style varied drastically from Riyans Kri arts. Kri flowed like water and heavily emphasized mobility. Somersaults, jumps, and even flips weremon. It worked well, but if Maiya was honest, it was shy. Exactly the type of art that suited Vir.
Kinjals Brian Arts were almost the exact opposite. It favored stability and relied on armor and shields to create soldiers whose primary strength was their durability and discipline. It was far more suitable for soldiers in an army, while Kri was better for individuals fighting on their own.
Rods, please, her mustached instructor said, extending one palm out. Sweat trickled down his tanned face, but if the man was tired from his earlier battles, his movements certainly didnt show it. His other arm held his full te helm, tucked under his armpit.
Maiya carefully handed her ss blood rods over. This was an entirely new concept to her. What Tanya had said was truemost mejai used their powers to support squads of warriors in an army. While they were also expected to fight alongside theirrades, very few fought alone.
Her instructor slotted her blood rods into empty cuirasses arranged nearby.
Mejai were the treasure and lynchpin of a squad, and often took the role ofmanders and squad leaders, and it was all thanks to these rods that were mostly filled with blood. Sure, they couldunch shy spells, but their real utilityy in their ability to enhance their allies weapons and armor with magic.
Tanya had always said as such, but after seeing this strategy in action, shed been overwhelmed. An A Grade Blizzard might end an entirepany of regr soldiers, but a mejai-enhanced squad armed with the proper orbs would be essentially invincible against even that devastating attack.
Besides a slew of protection orbs against each elemental affinity, Sharpen Edge, Enhance Durability, Enhance Edge Retention, Piercing Protection, shing Protection, Blunt Force Protection were all orbs that magnified the efficacy of a squad. At C grade, they enhanced the lethality of a warrior by half. At B grade, they tripled it, and A grade support orbs more than quintupled a squads deadliness.
Mejai were called force multipliers for a reason.
Yet all of this would be impossible, normally. Mejai had to hold orbs to do magic. Thanks to Vir, Maiya understood it was because mejai sucked blood out of their hands to create a suction effect that pulled prana of that affinity in from the air. Any prana passing through an orb would be trapped, thereby charging the spell.
Mejai could not cast magic unless the orb was in contact with their bodyor more specificallytheir blood.
Rods filled with a mejais blood acted as conduits. A mejais blood was their blood, regardless of where it lived. Utility orbs attached to the rod kept the blood inside alive, and through this, a mejai could remotely project her affinities at a distance.
As Maiya had found, the farther apart she was from her blood rods, the harder it was to control the prana inside the rod. Ten paces was ideal, but higher-ranking mejai could go up to fifty. She activated them in the same manner as the blood in her own bodythe same way Vir had taught herby tugging on the blood. Because they were only partially filled, she was able to create the same ''suction'' effect as within her own body, albeit to a far lesser degree.
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Her dueling partner returned to the ring and bowed, then donned his helmet. Maiya bowed in return, wearing her own half helm that covered her skull and neck. While it left her face exposed, it offered her far greater visibility and neck mobility. Shed chosen this option over a full helm without hesitation.
Usual rules. One minute round. You win if youst the round without stepping outside the ring or yielding. You lose if your armor orbs lose power, the mustached knight announced.
Maiya nodded. All the handmaidens kept track of their win/loss record on a leaderboard. Right now, Maiya was the leader, and she intended to keep it that way.
For this round, shed need to keep the Blunt Force Protection orbs in each of the five cuirasses active at all times while other knights took turns attacking them with mauls and war hammers.
Shed been surprised to learn thatbat support orbs werepatible with all affinities, though certain affinities synergized well with certain effects. For example, Ice was particrly effective at dealing with shing attacks, while Wind was good for blunt force. Ice was poor at enhancing blunt force protection, though, which was why theyd chosen that to make things harder for her.
Maiya retrieved her dagger from its drop leg holster, spinning it with a flourish. She cracked her neck. Lets do this.
Not that I care, but I hardly think your head handmaiden over there would appreciate such uncouth words from your mouth?
Maiyas eyes went wide as she shed a look at the old crone, who watched her like a hawk. She could feel the woman docking points off her performance for speaking like that.
The proctor took advantage of her surprise to make his first move. He stepped in, nted himself, and swung his greatsword horizontally, forcing Maiya to duck and somersault away.
The head handmaiden didnt approve of her Kri arts, but Maiya didnt care. Shed found a way to synergize the strengths of both Brian and Kri arts, flowing from a Kri roll to a Kinjal dagger thrust.
The basic Kinjal form didnt take her long to learn. After having picked up one set of arts, the second came easier to her as she applied lessons learned from Riyan.
The knight twisted his sword, nullifying Maiyas strike. Fundamentally, daggers were awful weapons against greatswords, but she wasnt allowed to use anything else. Daggers could be concealed under a dress. A greatsword could not.
It didnt matter. Maiya had her magic.
Icicle shot forth, mming into the knights armor, pushing him back. Maiya used the opening to close the distance. While the greatsword had far greater reach, once she was right up against him, his range of options were restricted.
But before she could plunge the dagger into the knights neck, her connection to the cuirasses along the wall quivered, forcing her to split her concentration to recharge the cuirass orbs.
The knight mmed a palm into her chest the moment she hesitated, sending her tumbling back.
She allowed her momentum to carry her into a reverse somersault, springing back up with another Icicle. The knight dodged, bringing his greatsword down for a thrust.
Maiya couldnt avoid the attack, and her Icicle hadnt recharged. But that didnt mean she was out of options.
She stomped her heel, deploying a hidden de out of the front of her boot as she swung her leg at his neck.
Ping!
Time! her opponent said, halting his strike just inches away from her shoulder. But it wasnt his win; Maiyas ded boot was right up against his neck.
Your victory, Maiya. Well done, indeed, he said, sheathing his sword and extending his arm.
Maiya removed her helm, wiping her sweat-matted hair from her face before grasping his forearm with her other hand. Thanks! she said with a grin. That was fun. I like these spars.
The knight chuckled. Most handmaidens find this training quite grueling. I am pleased that youre enjoying it. Combat is the purest expression of ones self, after all.
Uh, huh, Maiya agreed. Shed initially found these battle maniacs devotion tobat creepy. These people trained in the arts of war from the moment they could walk, but now that she was here training with them, she was starting to understand. Fighting was fun.
Especially when you were winning. Especially when youpletely overmatched the enemy and decimated them with a hailstorm of magic and deMaiya shook off those thoughts. She was bing a bit too much like them.
She felt sorry for the poor fools who ever went to war with them. The fact that the Altani military wiped the floor with them really drove home just how powerful a country full of mejai could be.
For Maiya, the hardest part of these duels was maintaining enough battlefield awareness to keep her blood rods powered while also fighting herself, but shed been developing an intuition for how long orbs generallysted. These fights had been growing easier.
Finally, maybe I can take things easy from now on, she thought. She could use a vacation And she missed Vir. She missed sparring against him, though she usually lost. Would she lose now, though? She had to wonder.
But there was something else, too. A pain in her chest whenever she thought of him. Shed felt nothing like it before. As if a part of her was missing, a void that only Virs presence could fill. She wondered what it was. Soon, she could finally start searching for him. The thought filled her with warmth.
Good.
Maiya spun around to find the head handmaiden walking up to her.
You are ready to fight Ash Beasts. From tomorrow on, you will transfer to the Kinjal Three Garrison on the Ash Boundary.
No! Maiyas face lost all of its color. Just like that, all her hopes of searching for Vir went out the window. Nonono!
IIm afraid Im not ready, madam.
You are, came her curt reply. Maiya could swear she saw an evil glint in the old hags eye.
Vir I miss you.
Chapter 81: Acolyte
Chapter 81: Acolyte
Vir heaved a sigh of relief, having justpleted histest mission for the Brotherhoodstealing a certain document from a well-to-do merchants home in the Upper Westside Commons district.
As hed learned, the Brotherhood did nearly anything, and thew didnt seem to pose much of a barrier to them. Vir had serious reservations about some of these tasks, but to deny any more than he had would bar him from future contracts. It was a cost he simply could not afford.
Sorry about this, mister. I really am, he whispered. Then he took a deep breath, hoping to forget the vile task. Cmon, boy! Vir said, nuzzling Neel. Lets go get paid!
The bandy had been a big help on contracts that involved killing animals, so long as they werent in the sewers. Vir had been reluctant to bring Neel there due to the unsanitary conditions.
Plus, hed been wary of venturing back there, given recent events. Hed even declined one contract that called for him to venture especially deep into the sewers, but hed been forced to ept the others. As hed learned, city living was expensive, especially with an Ashva to look after. Even with the extra silver payout hed received for locating the Prana Rat King, his trove of funds had dwindled rapidly.
Walking back to the Brotherhood to im his reward, he passed by many guards patrolling the streets. All looked on edge.
As they rightly should, he thought, giving them a small nod as he passed.
The past two weeks had been highly unusual for Daha. First, a dozen Altani skyships had descended upon the city like Acira, swarming on the castle grounds the day after Virs encounter with Janak and the Prana Swarm under the city. There wasnt a single eye in the city that hadnt stared at those incredible aircraft.
Hiranyan hot air balloons were amon sight, butparing those to what the Altani had was likeparing seric talwars to wooden ones; they weren''t even in the same realm.
Their skyships resembled sailboatsonlyrge enough to fit twenty or thirty Altani mejaibut theycked masts or sails of any kind. Instead, a dozen pipes protruded from the skyships at all angles.
Vir could hardly believe their speed. The fleet crossed over the entire city in seconds,ing to a halt with puffs of air shot through their pipes. Vir overheard others saying the Altani used C and B grade wind orbs and a team of over a dozen mejai coordinating with each other to fire off wind spells to maneuver their ships.
He could scarcely imagine what a circus that must be. If the mejai didnt perfectly time their spells with one another, their entire ship would go careening off and crash.
What was more, the Altani mejai didnt even wait for their airships tond. Dozens of ropes were thrown overboard as the ships came to hover above the castle, and mejai climbed down them with superhuman grace. It looked like a choreographed dance, more than anything.
From this one disy of power alone, Vir understood why the Altani were so feared and respected. Their discipline and their sheer magical technology were leagues beyond anything Vir had ever seen.
It was only hourster that hed realized why they were here. The Prana Swarm.
Vir pretended like he had nothing to do with that and promptly ignored them. A task that was easier said than done, because security had been ramped up all around the city. The number of guards had quadrupled, and Altani airships patrolled the city at all hours.
It had caused quite a stir until royal pamphlets were posted, announcing joint military drills between Hiranya and the Altani. This had the effect of boosting Dahan morale, as it showed the strength of the Altani-Hiranyan alliance.
Vir knew better. He slept fitfully, always keeping Prana Vision boosted to its maximum whenever he was awake, lest the Prana Swarm escape the sewers to terrorize the city.
Nothing of the sort had happened, yet
The Prana Swarm wasn''t the only thing keeping him up at night. Over thest weeks, a feeling had been growing within his chest. A knot of anxiety. What was once imperceptible had ballooned until it dominated his dreams, turning them into nightmares. Nightmares of Maiya getting hurt. Of misfortune befalling his one and only friend while he was here in Daha, fulfilling his debt to a broken old man.
Riyan said it might take months...
But after weeks of those nightmares, Vir had decided he could take this no longer. He''d wrap up his business in Daha, soon. He knew not how he''d search for Maiya, but at least being done with this obligation would give him options. And for that, he''d lean on the Brotherhood.
Vir nodded at the receptionist as he strode into the Brotherhood Sanctum, proceeding directly through the hallway to the open-air arena where hed been Br ranked, and finally to the Executor booths.
Hed be a familiar face recently, so no one paid him any mind.
Today was an especially exciting day for him, for two reasons. With todays payout, he finally had enough to afford some decent gear.
The second reason was
Enter, said an Executor inside the Balindam booth. For whatever reason, Vir had been called to this booth more often than all the others. It was as if Fate was telling him he had some connection to the Pagan Order.
Vir ushered Neel inside the booth, closing the door behind him. Neel stared at the veiled Executor, his tongue lolling to the side, while Vir slid the furled piece of parchment over the desk to them.
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Sessfulpletion of my most recent contract, he said.
Wonder if itll be a man or a woman this time All the Executors dressed in identical ck robes and wore ck gloves that hid all the details of their bodies. Vir had slowly grown ustomed to the creepiness.
The Executor unfurled the parchment, looking over its contents. Well done, Initiate, the man said, sliding a silver piece over the desk to Vir, who flipped it into the air before catching and pocketing it.
Completion of this contracts you an additional 150 points of Brotherhood karma, bringing your total to 760. Continue at this rate, and you will earn the 1000 points needed for Acolyte before long.
Vir caught a hint of surprise in the Executors voice.
Is that especially fast? he asked.
Quite. Few progress at such a rapid rate. You have done in just two weeks what most take a month or more to do. Youve been diligent. The Brotherhood respects that.
Good, Vir thought. But not good enough.
The Karma system was another bizarre part of the Brotherhoods system that Vir had to get used to. Contracts awarded varying amounts of Brotherhood karma points, and the rtionship to the quest difficulty wasnt always obvious. Some contracts paid well, but barely awarded any karma. Others were the opposite, but most awarded one silver, like thistest one. 150 points was slightly above average, likely on ount of its below-board nature.
Speaking of I understand that the Brotherhood has a vast intelligencework, Vir said, broaching the topic hed been wanting to discuss for weeks.
Indeed. Is there some information you would like us to acquire?
Vir paused, leaning down to scratch Neels back, then stared at the Executor. This discussion is bound to Brotherhood secrecy, yes? he asked. Merely mentioning what he was about to talk about would be reason enough to have him jailed. He was taking a risk here. A necessary one.
Absolutely, came the Executors immediate reply.
Vir took a deep breath. He''d be taking a risk asking what he was about to ask. But he saw little choice. If it meant elerating his ns, it was a worthwhile risk.
Id like a dossier on Princess Mina. What shes truly like. What affairs shes engaged in. People shes killed. And any crimes shesmitted.
The Executor fell silent, and Vir regretted his words.
What was I thinking? Of course they wouldnt be alright with this!
Such a dossier could be prepared, the Executor replied, surprising Vir. However, not for someone of your rank. Make Acolyte, and then we can discuss this. Know that such a favor would not be free.
I can pay, Vir said.
Yes, there will be a mary fee, of course, but the Brotherhood takes on substantial risk leaking such information to you. You would need to do something of equal value in return. Unfortunately, your standing does not allow this yet. Make Shadow, and then we can talk.
Youre not going to ask me what I n to do with it? Vir asked.
That is not the Brotherhoods concern.
Well, progress, but it''s stil not good enough.
It''d take him weeks at this rate to ask for this favor. After paying all of his Karma to reach Shadow, he''d have nothing left. He''d have to rebuild it all by doing many more missions.
Vir had an idea. Alright, how about this? Give me a special contract. Whatever it is, Ill do it. Id like enough points to make Acolyte, and Id like to fulfill this favor to you in one go. Im in somewhat of a hurry. Ive already waited too long, he said, thinking of Maiya.
His worry grew with each day they spent apart. Was she safe? Did she need his help? Maiya was more than capable of defending herself, but even still Vir just wished he knew where she was. After he''d decided on what to do with Mina, he nned to leverage the Brotherhood to find her.
There is an avable contract, but it would ordinarily be reserved for Shadows and Acolytes of high standing. I hesitate to even mention it to a mere Initiate.
Im more than capable. My Br Rank should show that.
Indeed, I mention it only because of your rank. That, and the diligence with which you havepleted your tasks. The Executor paused, staring at Vir for an ufortably long time. Very well. However, you must ept this mission. Deny it, and you will forever tarnish your reputation within our organization. If you ept, andter abandon it, the consequences will be far worse. We will be forced to expel you in this case.
Vir gulped, nervously scratching Neels back. I understand.
After a moment of silence that stretched far too long for Virs liking, the Executor spoke. His words came slowly. Your contract is to assassinate a man named Ravin.
Assassinate!? Vir nched. Hed thought hed have to kill some monster, or perhaps steal some priceless treasure. But to kill someone?
I
The reward for this contract shall be two silvers.
Thats it? Vir eximed. Thats barely more than the contracts Ive been doing!
As I said, this kind of contract would normally be off limits to anyone below Shadow. We have adjusted yourpensation to befit your rank. You will, however, gain one thousand Brotherhood karma points with this, putting you at 1760 points. Your ascension to Acolyte will cost 1000 points, thus leaving 760 left for your karma. I believe 700 points should suffice to cover the dossier you want.
Vir hadnt realized favors would cost him points, but he supposed it made sense.
Who is this man? Why do you want him killed? Vir asked.
Make no mistake, Initiate, I am extending this contract to you as a favor. The Brotherhood does not judge its members, nor does it ask questions about why someone might want a dossier about Princess Mina. In return, we demand that you ask no such questions of us.
Vir ground his teeth. What if Ravin was an innocent man? What if he was a good person with a family? Could Vir kill someone like that?
He could abandon his mission, but hed be banned from the Brotherhood for life.
Where can I find this man? Vir asked, his voice hoarse.
In the Warrens, northeast of the city. Ask around. He is not a hard man to spot.
Seeing Virs anxiousness, the Executor sighed. Know that the Brotherhood does notmission assassinations without ample cause. If it makes you feel better, learn what you can about this man. But do note that there is a time limit for this contract. You have three days, or the contract will be considered a failure. Understood, Initiate?
Understood, Vir said, rising from his stool. Cmon, Neel.
With his faithful Bandy in tow, Vir left the Executor booth. A part of him couldnt believe hed just agreed to murder someone. Another part of him considered himself lucky to have finally found a path to learning more about Princess Mina.
Vir guided Neel up to his room in the Sanctum. Hed moved here shortly after joining up. While the room cost the same as the inn across the squareat least for Initiates. Acolytes gained ess to discounts andrger roomsthe room itself was nicer.
Better appointed, with cleanermunal bathing facilities, but most importantly, the Brotherhood took far better care of Bumpy than the inn did. Plus, the entire building had Brotherhood guards posted around the clock, making it far more secure than any of the other inns.
Vir opened his lockboxanother perk that came with the roomand inspected his funds. With todays payout, he owned seven silvers and a handful of coppers. Between two weeks of board, fees for stabling Bumpy, and food for himself and Neel, it shocked him just how much he had to earn to stay afloat.
Only his diligence atpleting contracts had allowed him to slowly grow his pot.
Yet as much as it pained him, there was one expense he had to make. A purchase hed been wanting to make for some time, but had deferred: armor.
Vir swept everything he had into his coin bag and headed down with Neel.
Lets see what the Brotherhood armorers gotfor sale.
It was time to go shopping.
Chapter 82: Ekavir Goes Shopping
Chapter 82: Ekavir Goes Shopping
Vir contemted heading to Params shop, but the Brotherhood not only had more weapons and armor to choose from, with examples all across the Known World, but their quality was also better. And, unlike with the inn, Vir got a five percent discount.
Located in the same Sanctum building, the armory shop was just a short walk from his room, across the courtyard that served as the Br rank arena.
Hundreds of weapons lined the racks of the tall, vaulted ceiling room. A long counter dominated the side wall, behind which hung several more weapons.
The expensive ones.
Vir doubted hed have the money to afford those gorgeous des, but it was still fun to ogle.
Only a handful of other mercenaries were present, allowing Neel to freely run around while Vir admired the sea of armaments on disy. Not only were there multiple examples of most weapon typesarming swords, greatswords, talwars, shamshirs, maces, polearms, ils, and several morebut they all had different ents and styles, too.
Some were unadorned, meant to be basic, rugged implements of war. Others had intricate carvings and gold iys. Those looked like theyd be more at home on a Sawai aristocrats waist than in a warriors hand.
There were even a couple of urumisbizarre flexible whip-swords that looked both deadly andical at the same time. Vir had to wonder if any martial arts incorporated such strange weapons, or if they were more for intimidation.
To Virs immense disappointment, there wasnt a single seric weapon in sight. Materials ranged all the way from mid-grade iron all the way up to gleaming steel alloys, but there wasnt a hint of seric.
Maybe they keep those in a back room? Or maybe they were so expensive that most warriors couldnt afford them. After all, whod stock an item that never sold? Seric des started at one seric coin and went up from there. To afford even the cheapest seric katar, Vir would have to work over a hundred contracts for the Brotherhood. Taking living expenses into ount, hed probably have to work nonstop for an entire year to afford one.
Some day, Vir thought with a sigh, walking over to an especially strange rack of swords. Vir initially mistook them for training swords, since some were made of wood. Others were steel, but pencil-thin. They looked as though theyd snap when struck at anything harder than flesh.
That was when he noticed the spherical cavities at their hilts.
Magic weapons!?
Every weapon on this rack had at least one slot for magical orbs.
So thats why they look like this. Theyre designed to be used with magic!
Vir had heard ofbat support magic, but had never really understood how it worked. Spells like Sharpen Edge, Enhance Speed, Enhance Edge Retention, and Enhance Durability could be slotted into these swords, boosting their properties.
With magic augmenting them, these swords would behave extremely differently from regr weapons. A sword with the weight of a feather could deal the damage of a greatsword.
Itd be able to strike much faster, too. He could scarcely imagine how devastating these weapons could be.
Must be nice to have a mejai along. Vir wondered whether hed ever get to join a party with a mejai in it. Maybe he could pair up with Maiya to be an unstoppable duo one day?
Vir shook off those delusions and forced himself to think about the reason he was here. He didnte here to buy weapons. He needed armor.
Walking to the far wall of the room, he found an array of armor-d straw dummies. There was less selection here, but still dozens to choose from. Gambesons in various colors and thicknesses, brigandinesboth fitted and square-shaped, and full te armor, with a half dozen helmet options.
Those he ignored. While protecting one''s head was most peoples'' top priority, Vir found helmets made him feel stuffy, no matter how many coifs he wore, and they robbed him of his hearing. Maybe hed regret it one day, but his hood would suffice for now.
The same went for boots. Hed learned that any metal in his soles interfered with his ability to pull prana through the ground. He imagined it was the same for mejai, which was likely why mejai never wore gauntlets.
Hed given a great deal of thought to what kind of armor suited him best. Everyone always coveted full te, and while it was more mobile than it looked, it wouldnt do for Virs acrobatics. The Kri arts were some of the shiest hed seen, regrly involving somersaults, jumps, and flips inbat.
Kri demanded extreme mobility and speed. Moreover, Vir needed to remain quiet while executing his flips and somersaults. In fact, there was an argument to be made for not wearing any armor at all. Dexterity and mobility provided its own securitybetter not to be hit at all.
But that was easier said than done. What about monsters that spit venom? Or against lightning affinity magic? Lightning spells were nearly impossible to avoid.
In Virs case, it was the prana rats that had caused him to reconsider. A single puncture in his skin could end him, owing to the diseases they carried. Armor would protect him against such foes.
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He immediately ruled out full te, for two reasons. Even if he bought a cuirass, those armor pieces were heavier than the other options, and were usually worn over gambeson, so hed need to buy that too. te was expensive, and the cost of both together exceeded his budget. The cheapest te cuirass cost ten silvers, and he barely had five to spare.
That said, te bracers and greaves seemed close to ideal. With his five silvers, Vir could just barely afford both, but that would leave his vitals unprotected.
Gambeson was a tempting option. Unlike the other armor types, they were a single piece of thick, heavy fabric, which brought down their cost. Cheaper to tailor too.
That was also the issue with them. They didnt make a gambeson cuirass, unless Vir did a custom order, which he couldnt afford. The full gambeson covered his arms and legs down to the knees. While itd offer some cushioning, it would still impede his acrobatics, and he was unsure whether even the thick gambeson was strong enough to protect against deadly prana beast fangs. Not to mention, fabric generally fared poorly against acidic venom.
Mail was far beyond his budget and made too much noise.
Which left the third main type of armor avable: Brigandine. Brigs were made of small ovepping steel tes riveted to a leather backing. They looked like studded leather armor, but had most of the pration protection of steel te without the cost and with slightly greater mobility.
And they were more affordable. The cheapest Brig cuirass was on sale for five silvers.
But that would leave his extremities unprotected.
Vir didnt have enough for both.
You look like you could use some help there, friend, a clean shaven, bald and browless man said as he approached. Nicks and scars covered his cheeks and his nose, marring what wouldve otherwise been a striking face. Like all Sanctum employees, he wore a ck robe, a ck sash at his waist, and a ck hood.
He looked like the kind of guy whod seen his fair share of battles, so Virid out his concerns.
I see, the armorer said. ssic problem. Protect yourself from a deathblow at the cost of losing a limb, or keep your limbs but risk a spear to the heart. Well, tell me about your fighting style? Hiranyan? Or Kinjali Brian?
Neither, actually, Vir said. My style relies on mobility and dodging. And a bit of acrobatics.
Bah! Youre one of the shy ones, are you? Well in that case, I dont rmend the brig. Sure, it wont impede you much, but youll still feel it. Better to go for the te greaves and bracers. If you use them well, you can use them to block attacks as well. Like a makeshift shield.
Vir hadnt considered that, but it could certainly work, if the steel was thick enough, and of high enough quality. And in fact, he could use them for offense too. A bracer strike might not do much damage on its own, but an Empowered bracer? That could hurt. Doubly true for an Empowered kick with shin greaves on.
Alright. Ill go for the te bracer and greaves. Ive got five silvers, so Ill have to buy this most basic set.
The armorer narrowed his eyes. Sorry, friend, but that set wont work for you, he said, taking the bracer off the straw dummy. The steel bent in his hand. Theyre cheap for a reason. More for show than anything else. If youre wanting protection, youll be needing at least this.
The armorer handed Vir a bracer off another dummy that was noticeably heavier. Not so much that itd affect his mobility, but it felt far sturdier than the other one.
How much? Vir asked.
Ten for bracers and greaves. Five if you just want the bracers.
Vir hade in here expecting to walk out with a full protection solution. Maybe not decked out in armor, but enough to offset the risks hed face in the sewers, at least. Bracers without shin greaves wouldnt do much for him.
Is there anything else? Vir asked.
Well I might have something. But youre not going to like it, the bald, hooded man said, walking over to his counter. He crouched and rummaged around behind the counter for a moment, before standing with a set of bracers and greaves.
Beautiful! Was Virs first reaction. Gaudy! Was his second.
Both the greaves and the bracers had intricate red and gold iys that made the armor pieces look more like ceremonial armor than anything functional. Even the steel was polished far beyond what it ought to be.
But the most striking thing was how the greaves had both shin and thigh parts, with a separate steel knee te.
Alright, so this armor may be a tad more restrictive than what you were looking for, seeing as how it covers everything from your waist down. But the segmentation is actually well done. Ive tried it on myself; its quite mobile.
Sure, Vir replied, but what of the cost? I cant afford anything this fancy.
Well, thats the thing, the armorer said with a grimace. I know the cksmith who made this. The guys obsessed with decorations, but he cant afford the real deal. This isnt gold, friend. Its fools gold. Doesnt even look like the real thing! There isnt a single Sawai who would touch this stuff. And few warriors want to wear this gaudy thing to battle. This has sat on my shelf for half a year. Cant get rid of it.
And? Vir asked cautiously. How much do you want for it?
Friend, the steel in this set makes it worth ten silvers, easy. But, given its other qualities, Ill let it go for seven.
Virs face fell. Seven is literally all the money I have. Five was stretching it, but the most I can do is six. No point having armor if Im gonna starve. Ive got a bandy and an Ashva with a bum leg to look after, too.
The armorer leaned on the counter and looked Vir up and down. Well, yknow. Youre an Initiate, right? Five percent discount Well, I was never all that good at my numbers. Five percent sounds like a silver off of seven to me. Sound right to you?
Vir barely suppressed his grin. Sounds about right to me.
He spent the next half hour getting fitted for the armor. The alteration process would take another day, so the set would only be ready for him tomorrow. Even then, Vir doubted he''d use it for this uing mission. Stealth was a priority, and these pieces were not. Vir doubted that hed be doing very many assassination missions in the futurehoped he wouldnt, ratherso this didnt strike him as too much of a downside. Especially when they could be painted ck or hidden under clothing. Besides, if he needed armor for an assassination mission, that meant he''d done something horribly wrong. Rather than slugging it out, he''d simply Dance to safety, after all.
As it was, the armor wasnt ideal for stealthy operations. But then, beggars couldnt be choosers, and this was only his first set. For now, itd protect not only his forearms and shins, but his whole leg, too.
Having tried it on and worked through some moves, its weight was noticeable. Hed have to get used to fighting with it, but the armorer had been right. It wasnt restrictive enough topromise his acrobatics.
Vir also ended up selling his old training katar. The rusted iron weapon was hardly useful inbat; in fact, Vir hadn''t even used it once. Itd fetched a pittance of thirty coppers, but he used the funds to pay for having his chakrams and chakris sharpened up. Hed pick those up from the armorer tomorrow when he returned for the armor.
With his affairs in order, Vir retrieved Neel and set out.
He was on the clock for this contract, and if Ravin was to die by Virs hands, he needed to know everything about the man.
Vir left the Brotherhood Sanctum not as a viger of Brij, but as a judge and executioner.
Chapter 83: Ravin - Of The Warrens
Chapter 83: Ravin - Of The Warrens
It was a long walk out to the eastern gate, and an even longer one to the Warrens outside of town. Bumpy wouldve made the journey in less than an hour, but Vir didnt dare take the gentle beast to the slums. Ashva werent exactly cheap, and Bumpy had no means to defend himself; he''d be a prime target for theft.
Neel, on the other hand, could take out an entire group of ruffians on his own. Thanks to Virs training, the bandy could give his professionally groomed hunting brethren a run for their money.
Despite taking less crowded alleys and leveraging rooftops where he could, it still took Vir an hour to make it to Dahas western gate. From there, he crossed the enormous drawbridge spanning the Grand Moat and made his way into the Warrens.
Hed almost forgotten about the reeking stench that polluted the air. It was the smell of unwashed humans and excrement, and it nearly made him gag.
The Brotherhood mentioned that Ravin was somewhere northeast of the Warrens. They''d given him details about Ravin''s habitshow he slept early after dinnerand information on his guards, but Vir wanted to do his own reconnaissance. As much as he trusted the Brotherhood''s agents, there was no substitute for his own eyes.
It took him another hour to make his way there, and his feet throbbed by the time he arrived. Neel enjoyed every moment, often bounding ahead and waiting expectantly for Vir to race him.
There was no racing. The slums were crowded, but people thronged the Warrens. To rush through there was folly, and Vir wasnt going to burn Ash prana using Dance or Leap.
The Warrens were a fascinating ce, if one got past the smell and the poverty. On one end, buildings lined the Grand Moat. There werent even walls or barriers preventing people from falling insome homes butted up only inches away from the sheer drop-off. One false step would mean falling into the moat. At thirty paces in depth, a fall would likely be fatal, but even if it wasnt, Vir doubted anyone could easily climb out after.
Bordering the outer edge of the Warrensy the vast fields of Daha, and the difference was night and day. In stark contrast to the Warrens, the farms wererge, organized, and clean. Vir even saw one wealthy-looking farmer using orbs to water his crops. Combat orbs!
Brij farmers wouldve salivated at the luxury, but it was simply untenable for most. Not only were C grade orbs worth a fortune, but Water Affinity orbs fetched an even higher price due to their nonbat utility. On top of that, you needed the right affinity to go with it. And if you had a Lesser or Greater Water affinity with the training to use it, why would you ever choose to be a farmer?
Each farm also had several armed guards to deter the slum dwellers.
But if Vir knew anything about being poor, it was that people got innovative when times grew hard. He was sure the farmers had to constantly deal with raids and crops lost to Warrens folk, despite the guards. It seemed like a bad idea to put the poorest part of the city right next to the farms that provided food for everyone, but then, Daha wasnt exactly a paragon of prosperity and good governance.
Virs feet were sore by the time he arrived at the northeast Warrens. He was here for one purpose onlyto scout his target and learn more about him. As Riyan always said, knowledge is power.
He also used to say that knowledge wasnt power until it was applied. Vir intended to follow that advice. If Ravin proved to be a good person, Vir would abort his mission. No amount of Brotherhood penalty would make him kill someone who didnt absolutely deserve it. He wasnt some heartless killer.
But if this man was scum, then Vir didnt mind ending his lifea thought that scared him. The idea of killing someone felt less foreign and revolting than it ought to have.
If the Eastgate Warrens were bad, the Northeast Warrens were much, much worse. The roads, if they could even be called that, were filled with trash and dung of all varieties. Camp fires zed at most corners, burning trash. Half naked kids ran around, sneaking furtive nces at neers they didnt recognize.
Vir wore his most basic clothing, but even then, all eyes rested squarely on him. Judging him, evaluating him like a foreigner in another country. Despite the squalor, there was a sense of life and vibrance to the slums that Vir foundpelling. Hed never want to live here, but the sheer poption density gave it its own distinct feel.
The residents had crammed their shacks so close and so tall that, despite being outside the floating Vimanas shadow, the Warrens were just as dark as the slums inside the city.
Vir didnt know how these tall buildings stood. Unlike the four-story buildings inside the city, these looked like someone hade along and built a shack on top of an existing one, paying no attention to whether the roof of the old building could support the weight. And then someone else hade and built another one on top of that.
A swift breeze would topple several of these structures. It was lucky, then, that Daha received little rain and wasnt prone to high winds.
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Not ten minutes after wandering into the northeast Warrens, Vir got a taste of the local culture.
Three ruffians surrounded a meek-looking, haggard man who cowered before them in the middle of the busy alley. The other residents gave them a berth of several paces, going about their business as usual.
Last week, their leader shouted, cing his arm on the wall next to the cowering mans shoulder.
N-no! It was just yesterday. The money is not due for another week! I swear upon my mothers name! Ravin will have his money. I just need another day. Please!
Thats not how this works, Lahar. When you enter into a contract with Ravin, you pay him back on time. He has ced a great deal of trust in you, loaning you this money. And now you betray his generosity?
This is robbery! Im not delinquent! You cant expect this of me!
The Executor wasnt kidding when he said Ravin would be easy to find, Vir thought.
Oh? You want to tell that to Ravin? Do you think hes as forgiving as we are? the thug said, shaking his head. Look, were trying to be nice to you. You have until tomorrow to get the funds, or youll owe double. If you cant pay up, well be forced to take your wife and child. Theyll sell quite well on the open market. Might even be enough to make up for your debt. If not Well, I guess youll end up joining them.
Lahar hung his head. I will have the money tomorrow.
I trust you will, the thug said, finally leaving the man alone. Lahar slumped to his knees and wept.
Vir slipped through the throng to approach the broken man. Youre Lahar, right? I overheard your conversation. What happened?
Lahar slowly looked up with unfocused eyes. His confusion immediately turned to suspicion when he spotted Vir. Who are you?
Im new to this area, Vir said. Want to get they of thend. I dont want any trouble. This Ravin guy sounds like someone to avoid.
Lahar scoffed. Nobody deals with that man unless they have no other choice.
Hes a loan shark? Vir asked.
No. That would be a disgrace to loan sharks. He pretends to loan money. His terms are often fair. Then hees after you before your term isplete, demanding the money early. If you cannot give it to him, he doubles the amount each day.
I guess few people end up paying.
If they could afford those amounts, they would not need his money in the first ce! Its just an excuse for that filth to capture more ves.
That wasnt just a threat, then? Vir asked. Theyll really sell your family off?
Oh yes, Lahar said, his eyes devoid of life. Oh yes. I have seen him do it.
Whyd you agree to the contract if you knew he was like this? Vir asked.
Laharughed, but his voice held no mirth. I was a fool. I nned on repaying the debt well before he called for it. I thought I could head him off. I borrowed the money only yesterday. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he woulde calling today. I have an entire week! I was only trying to do right by my family. To give them something better than better than this, Lahar said, gesturing to the squalid alley.
Vir noticed hed been getting nces from onlookers standing in front of Lahar, so he shifted his position, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He adopted a stern, detached expression, looking down on Lahar with feigned distaste.
He leveled his gaze at an onlooker. What are you looking at? Vir said in the most menacing voice he could muster.
Instantly, no one paid him any mind. Rather, they avoided looking at him altogether on the chance that he might be rted to Ravin and his men.
Why doesnt anyone do something about this? Surely, even here in the Warrens, some this? This was too much.
A few people rose up against Ravin, initially.
What happened?
They died. Dead men cannot mount a rebellion, after all. And no one wealthy enough tomission the Brotherhood cares about these slums.
Until now, Vir thought. No wonder the payment was so low for this contract. He suspected itd taken the work of severalperhaps several dozento scrounge together enough for this contract. Hed never know;missioners identities were a tightly kept secret.
Ravin was scum. That much was obvious. If what Lahar said was true, then Vir would sleep better knowing the world was rid of such a man. The only question was whether Lahar was telling the truth, but Vir had little reason to doubt him. The man would soon lose everything.
Tell me, Vir said. Where can I find this man?
Lahars eyes bulged. You want to find him!? Are you mad?
Vir looked down at Lahar. His heart wanted to spill the details of his contract to the man, to tell him that everything would be alright and that his wife and child would be safe.
But the wiser part of him held his lips taut. Lahar seemed like a nice person, but if he bbed to Ravin hoping to curry favor with the man, it could put Virs mission in jeopardy.
Even so, he couldnt bring himself to remain silent.
If you dont pay Ravins men tomorrow, how long until he takes your family?
Lahar shook his head. Tomorrow night? He is quick to im what he thinks is rightfully his property.
If I end up going through with this, thats my deadline, Vir thought.
Vir retrieved ten coppers from his sack and ced them in Lahars hands. I have some friends. They may help. I promise nothing, but stall Ravin for as long as you can. And hide your family, in case he acts preemptively.
II shall. Thank you, friend. Who are you? Why would you
Does it matter?
Vir made up his mind. He knew that helping Lahar was nothing but his own selfishness. That Ravins men were likely on their way to threaten and extort another poor soul right now. That helping Lahar was but a drop in the bucket.
For most, that was all they could hope to achievebandage the wound while it continued to bleed.
But not Vir. Vir was different. He had the means to make a real difference in these peoples lives. He could remove the de and close the wound. Maybe someone else woulde to power after Ravin, but if Vir knew the Brotherhood, they would have a n in ce to handle the aftermath.
More than his desire to help those in need, Vir found himself driven by another motive. A selfish one. If he walked away, he would feel bad. How could he sleep at night knowing hed failed to thwart Fate when he had the power to do so? Would such conduct honor his dead father?
No. There was only one path forward.
Tell me where I can find this man.
Chapter 84: Murderer
Chapter 84: Murderer
Ravinspound wasnt hard to find. And apound it was, with multiple wood buildings surrounded by a palisade wood fence. Guards manned watchtowers at the corners, and a pair of menacing gate guards prevented anyone from getting in.
Vir jumped up onto a nearby rooftop with Neel to peek into thepound. What he saw impressed him. Unlike the run-down shacks that surrounded it, the handful of three-story buildings inside the fence were well built, and even sported carvings on its wooden architecture. A small garden upied one corner, and a stone walkway extended from the entrance to homes and other structures.
Ravin had built himself a small oasis in the cesspool that was the Warrens. Vir might have thought it beautiful, if he was unaware of how Ravin had obtained such wealth.
Lahar hadnt been the only one exploited by the crime lord. Everyone Vir approached had simr stories. Either they knew of friends or family whod met misfortune by Ravins hand, or they themselves had been subjected to his cruelty. Vir couldnt find a single positive ount of the man.
Whatever hesitation lingered in Virs heart evaporated after hearing their stories. Removing Ravin from power would be a boon to the Warrens.
A part of him wanted to believe that the Brotherhood was on the side of good, but another voice in his head said this was merely a coincidence. Vir didnt know how far the Brotherhood would go, but he sensed that theyd go to great lengths assuming the money was good.
It didnt matter. He didnt support the Brotherhood. This was merely a mutually beneficial business rtionship, nothing more.
Neel wandered around the nearby rooftops while Vir spent a good hour monitoring the guards. The more he watched, the less impressed with their setup he grew. The guards in the towers cked off most of the time, staring off at the horizon or taking quick naps when they thought they could get away with it.
The gate guards looked equally bored, but had fewer opportunities to ck than their tower friends. Still, apart from giving mean looks to passersby, Vir didnt get the feeling that they took their jobs seriously.
Finally, thepleteck of patrolsboth inside and outside thepoundshocked Vir. This was a far cry from the castle. Vir had not only infiltrated the castle grounds, but hed even gotten inside the princesss room. With the number of holes in their security perimeter, he wouldnt even need Dance of the Shadow Demon to break in.
Getting to Ravin wouldnt be the issue; there were only three buildings in thepound, and Vir figured Ravin would call thergest one home. It was what came after that frightened Vir.
Can I really kill him? Vir thought. Sure, he had the Brotherhoods mandate to kill this person. No one would fault him for doing so, and hed be improving the lives of many people.
But despite understanding this, Virs hands trembled, and nothing he did stopped it.
I need to calm my nerves.
Hed enact the n tonight, in the dead of night. Not only would Dance of the Shadow Demon function better at night, but Ravin would be fast asleep. Hed sneak in, kill the man while he slept, and slip out. All without anyone knowing he was there. If he was lucky, his men would only find out the next morning, and by that time, Vir would be long gone.
For this mission, hed chosen a new disguise hed never used before. A dirty-looking Warren-dweller. With his ragged clothes, and with his chakris and chakrams gone for servicing, he fit right in.
Vir descended from the rooftop with Neel back to the alley and searched for the nearest food vendor. Unlike inside the city, there were no taverns here. Rather, vendors cooked and sold food from stalls right on the street. The wealthier ones had mobile stalls, while the cheaper options spread banana leaves on the filthy road and set their food right on top.
Not desiring to contract any fatal diseases, Vir selected one of the cleaner, fancier looking stalls. He bought a few vegetable kabobs, eating them as he walked. With his mind preupied with the uing assassination, he scarcely noticed their taste.
This is bad. I need to calm down, Vir thought. But that was easier said than done. The only one who remained oblivious was Neel, who kept stealing nces up at him, expecting food.
Vir found an empty alley spot and retrieved some dried food from his pack, cing them in a small bowl for Neel. He didnt dare let the bandy lick food up off the ground here.
He petted his faithfulpanion as he ate. Neels mere presence helped keep Vir grounded. The bandy had been at his side through thick and thin.
Youre such a good boy, Neel, Vir said, ruffling his fur. The bandy cooed appreciatively, but it was Vir who gained the most from the exchange. His worries just seemed to melt away.
Vir spent the next hours scouting thepound with Neel. He wanted to be sure he hadnt missed any guards, so he cased the ce from every perspective he could think of. He visited the nearby rooftops, he walked the alleys all around thepound, and nned out several escape paths.
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While Dance obsoleted much of his nning, he wanted to have a n in case Dance failed him. As Rudvik would say, Hope for sun. n for rain.
After circling thepound for the third time, Vir finally took a seat on a rooftop. There was nothing further he could do to prepare. He thought about waiting until tomorrow so he could have his armor, but every day wasted meant more people whod suffer. Lahars wife and child mighte to harm, and Vir was sure Lahar wasnt the only one currently suffering at Ravins hands.
Besides, if he got into a fight, it meant he''d already botched the job. No. He would get by without it for this operation tonight.
As the sun set, Vir stared up at the Vimana floating above the city. Janaks avatar said hed been monitoring Vir from there, but that hecked the ability to influence anything. Which Vir took to mean that hecked control over the Vimana.
For the better, Vir thought. He didnt know what kinds of powers those floating pces had, but he doubted it was anything this world had ever seen. Every tale of lost magic from the Age of Gods always spoke of devastating, mind bending power. Some said the gods even had weapons that could level entire cities in the blink of an eye.
First Prana Swarms, and now magic from the Age of the Godsing to life Vir wondered how hed ended up with such a bizarre streak of urrencestely.
The Altani airships had swarmed Daha, and remained parked and patrolling for an entire week before they finally left. On one hand, a week was a long time to let an entity like a Prana Swarm run free. On the other, the fact that Altani mejai had subdued the monster within a week spoke volumes about that countrys power.
Vir only hoped they killed off that monster for good this time.
The orange and yellows of sunset gave way to blue and finally ck. Magic Candles and Magic Lanterns flickered on, illuminating the Warrens with an amber glow. The sounds of the bustling city continued well into the light, long after the suns light had died away.
Vir waited for the stars toe out, but they never did. It wasnt the VimanaDahas city lights simply drowned out the light of the stars.
You stay right here, buddy, Vir muttered, ensuring Neel didnt follow along. Though the bandy may be fearsome in a fight, no amount of training could teach his four-leggedpanion the art of stealth.
Ravins room had been even easier to find than Vir expected, thanks to therge window and bright Magic Lanterns within. Whenever Ravin moved from one room to another, the lights went with him, announcing his exact position.
Vir waited for thest light to wink out, indicating his destination.
Navigating to Ravins home the traditional way waswhile not riskyriskier than using Dance to insert himself directly inside the mans home, so Vir activated his Talent, slipping into the shadow in front of Neels eyes.
The bandy thought it was fascinating, and tried to follow its master into the shadow, but Vir didnt let him.
From the Realm of Shadows, Vir used Prana Vision to scope out the interior of Ravins home. Thanks to the slums density, the rooftop hed been on was just under twenty paces from Ravins home.
Vir took his time to confirm that no other presences upied the hall he nned to exit from.
Silently, he slipped out of the shadow into the crime lords house, gazing up, down, and all around with Prana Vision.
In doing so, he found his first problem. Ravin wasnt alone.
With him slept another adult-sized signature, as well as a smaller one.
His wife and kid!? Vir thought, panicking. Hed expected the man to be alone. Vir hadnt even considered Ravin would have a family. Let alone one that slept right next to him.
Vir halted in his tracks. Can I do this? Could he really kill the man in front of his own wife and child? What if one of them woke up? Did he really have the right to deprive a child of their father? A wife of her husband?
His mind yed worst-case scenarios endlessly on a loop, debilitating him. Virs heart pounded in his chest and he found himself unable to take even a single step forward.
Then his training took over. He fell into his Kri deep breathing, slowing his heart and calming his nerves.
This changes nothing. Whether or not the man had a family, his atrocities remained. Just that Vir didnt know if he could live with himself after he did this deed. And yet, something propelled him to continue. A voice that said that nobody in this world was truly good or evil. That sometimes tumors had to be excised before they grew malignant.
Vir knew whose voice this was. It wasnt his. It was Ekanai. But the Reaper had no power over him here. He wasnt worried about possession. Rather
Isnt this what you want from me? You want me to kill Ravin, dont you?
But the voices in his head remained silent.
Vir took a deep breath and pressed on, bending his knees to reduce the sound of his footfalls. From the loud snoresing from Ravins bedroom, he neednt have bothered.
A Magic Lock barred Ravins door, and once again, Vir Danced past it rather than risk making sounds picking the lock. As hed recently learned, only poorly made locks could be picked. Good ones needed the orb to be unlocked before granting entry.
Vir slipped into the shadows and emerged right beside Ravin as he snored on his enormous bed. The bushy bearded man slept beside his daughter, who hugged his back, sleeping peacefully. On the other side of his bed, turned away, was Ravins wife.
For this mission, Vir wouldnt be using his katar. In fact, hed holstered the weapon in a padded pouches on his waist out of worry that it might make noise.
Instead, he produced a long, thin needle. When inserted in just the right way at exactly the right spot at the base of the neck, it would kill the man immediately. There was just one problem. Ravins daughter clung to her fathers back, her face resting against the back of his neck.
To kill him, Vir would have toe inches away from his young daughter.
He moved the needle closer. A foot away from the mans neck. An inch. He stopped.
Just another inch. A quick thrust and it would be all over. Hed activate Dance of the Shadow Demon and hed be gone before anyone saw him.
Then Virs eyesnded on Ravins daughter, only to find her staring at him, wide eyed. Perhaps either due to fear or shock, she said nothing. She merely stared.
Vir jerked in surprise, causing the needle to prate Ravins skin. The man jerked awake, confused.
With a deep breath, Vir drove the needle into Ravins neck.
Ravin roared in pain before going silent when his heart stopped. His cries were reced by those of his daughter, who screamed an ear-piercing wail that deafened Vir.
With as high off the ground as Ravins bedroom was, Dance of the Shadow Demon took a full ten seconds to activate. Ten seconds that felt like ten hours to Vir as he stared at Ravins daughter.
He slipped into the shadows just as Ravins wife found a knife beside their bedside. He popped out in a nearby alley and fell to his knees, heaving.
Vir had seeded. Hed killed his target in just a few seconds, and in doing so, had liberated dozens of people from the crime lords grasp.
And yet, all Vir could hear was Ravins daughters screaming over and over. Screams that would haunt him forever.
Chapter 85: Chalas Knees
Chapter 85: Ch''s Knees
Vir made haste escaping the Warrens with Neel. If anyone had heard Ravins daughter screaming, no one seemed to show it, but Vir wasnt taking any chances. Something primal propelled him to run away as far and as fast as he could. He sped across rooftops and darted through empty alleys with Neel.
Riyan had taught him long ago that the most suspicious people acted suspiciously, so despite every instinct telling Vir to sprint, he forced himself to lope across the enormous drawbridge that led to the eastern gate. It was only after hed crossed the Grand Moat and was safely within Dahas walls did he dare to rx a hair.
Virs mind was nk the entire way back, studiously observing his surroundings as if hidden foes would jump from the shadows at every moment. It was a wee distraction from the panic and unease that ravaged his mind.
He stopped only oncetaking a break atop a rooftop to alter his appearance back to the face the Brotherhood was familiar with. The face of a rugged young warrior.
After that, he proceeded straight to the Executors booth. The shops may have been closed, but the Brotherhood never shut down.
It is done, Vir said, ushering Neel inside the booth and closing the door behind him. He didnt bother to introduce himself. While hed never met this female Executor, he knew she knew who he was.
We know, the Executor said.
You know? I thought the Brotherhood didnt spy on anyone during missions?
We certainly do not. However, you must have heard of the Brotherhood intelligencework? Operatives are everywhere, at all times. Even in Ravins very household.
If you had someone in hispound, why didnt you hire them to take him out?
Servants seldom make good assassins, the veiled Executor calmly said, ignoring Virs shocked expression. As for how we knew before youd arrived, well, we have our ways.
Vir knew the Executor wouldnt reveal any secrets, no matter how much he prodded. Well, maybe they would, if I paid them enough karma points, he thought. But he didnt have points to spare on idle curiosity.
The contractor will be very pleased at this news, the Executordy continued.
Guessing youre not going to say who the contractor was, Vir said.
We cannot. We can, however, congratte you on your promotion to Acolyte. Well earned, friend, she said, passing Vir his two silver reward. This contract awards 1000 Brotherhood karma, and with this, your total karma now stands at 1760. Impressive. Most impressive.
T-thanks, Vir replied, taken aback at the genuine praise.
You now have ess to 10% discounts at Brotherhood Sanctum armorers, and a 5% discount at Brotherhood dorm rooms. Acolyte-grade rooms are now avable for rent.
Vir nodded. The perks were nice, but that wasnt what he really cared about.
And for what it is worth, you will feel better tomorrow.
Vir looked down, balling his fists. From the moment hed entered, his legs hadnt stopped shaking.
I hope youre right
So, about that dossier Id asked for.
The Executor paused, as if recalling an old conversation. Ah, yes. In recognition of your exemry service, we have arranged a more suitable reward for you. Instead of a dossier, what of a meeting, instead?
A meeting? Vir echoed. With whom? He also wondered how they acted so fast. It had only been a few hours since Ravins death, and it was currently past the middle of the night.
Fear not. We are merely giving you the option. If it''s a dossier you want, we will furnish it. However... I would rmend you take the meeting instead.
Why? Who is this person? Vir asked.
Someone who knows Princess Mina better than anyone else. Someone who can be trusted. Of that, you have our word.
Vir thought it over. A dossier was incredibly useful, but chatting with someone who knew her could help him even more.
What if this meeting ends up being useless? Can I still have the dossier?
The Executor chuckled. As you wish. Though we doubt you will feel that way.
When?
Tomorrow evening, at this location and time, the Executor said, handing Vir a small folded piece of parchment. You will learn their identity when you meet.
Frowning, Vir unfolded the parchment. One hour after dusk, Chs Knees Tavern, Upper West Side Commons. Corner table, halfway back.
This still sounds dangerous. You want me to meet someone, but you wont tell me who they are. What if this is some borate setup to take me out?
Again, the Executor paused, and through that veil, Vir felt hed somehow offended the Executor.
Acolyte, you are still new to the Brotherhood. You may not know of our ways. You may not know that such a service is a privilege, and one that is not often bestowed. The Brotherhood rarely arranges such meetings. In doing so, we ce our reputation on the line. Our global reputation. Do you understand my meaning?
Youre saying betraying me here would have ripples across the Brotherhood worldwide? Vir asked.
Faith in our organization would be shaken. As trust is our most preciousmodity, this would be a death blow. Fear not, Acolyte. Your safety is guaranteed. Trust us. This is not a meeting you will want to miss. It is not one that can be arranged again.
Vir mulled it over. The tavern the note mentioned was famous. At that hour, it would be jam-packed with activity, making it an incredibly risky ce for someone tomit a crime. Not only would there be a hundred witnesses, the criminal would have a tough time fleeing the scene safely.
Youre sure this person will have the information I need?
And more. They possess more information about Mina Hiranya than all the dossiers in existence.
Alright, Vir said atst. Fine. This conversation was thest thing he wanted, given his current mental state. Vir left the booth with Neel and dragged himself up to his room. The travel and the tension from the assassination had left him spent.
But try as he might, peaceful rest eluded him. Vir tossed and turned in bed, wracked with nightmares of Rudvik dying in the forest. Of Apramor being hanged alongside his wife. Of Maiya burning to death.
Every terror Vir had ever had manifested that night, tormenting him.
Vir awoke before dawn, drenched in sweat.
Why? Why do I feel like this? Over the course of a single night, life and death had gained far more weight in Virs life.
Ravin had been a viin by all ounts, and Vir had had the Brotherhoods blessing. Hed done the world a favor, and strangely enough, he didnt even feel guilty like he thought he wouldve. In fact, he hardly felt much of anything regarding Ravin himself. What resonated in his mind was his daughters screams. Screams that made his hands shake even now. Screams that caused his heart to race. That made him sick with nausea.
Riyan was right Killing a man was no easy feat. Vir wondered how soldiers managed it in the chaos of the battlefield. Maybe it did get easier. Or maybe the part of him that cared just died after a while.
That scared him even more.
Sitting in the darkness, Vir listened to Neels rhythmic breathing as he tried to sort out his muddled mess of emotions.
Wonder who this character is, he thought, thinking of the meeting hed have tonight to distract himself.
Vir wasnt about to leave anything to chance. He trusted the Brotherhood, yes, but after his Saran trip with Maiya, Vir had learned to n for contingencies. Even when the situation hardly called for it.
Thankfully, he had the perfect tools for that job. Dance of the Shadow Demon would allow him to spy on the table from the safety of the Shadow Realm. Prana Vision would tell him all he needed to know about this confidantes magical abilities.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition.
Hed scout the target first, and only then decide whether or not to meet this person.
Dawn took its timeing. When it finally did, Vir left the room bleary eyed and tired with Neel and headed downstairs to the armorers shop to pick up his tailored bracer and greaves.
Mmm, yes, the fit is good, the bald hooded man said, feeling Virs arms and shins once hed donned the armor. Vir agreed; the fit was near-perfect. He still felt the armors weight, but it hindered him far less than it had yesterday, before the alterations.
Your sharpened chakrams and chakris will be ready for pickup in a few hours. And visit me when you want that armor painted ck. Cant guarantee paint willst very long if you take many hits, but its easy enough to touch back up after a scrape.
Will do, Vir said with a nod, leaving the shop. Cmon boy. Lets go get some fresh air.
Neel replied with an excited Arooo, shaking his tail with vigor.
A potted nter with fresh soil caught Virs eye as he walked through the Brotherhood courtyard. While he was thankful that the armor was slim enough to be concealed under his robes, as an added precaution, he stopped to smear mud on it. Now, it looked like an ordinary piece of clothing. Hed of course have to keep reapplying it, but it would do for now.
Well, Im pretty tired, but how about we go explore the Upper West Side area next? Vir said as they exited the Brotherhood Sanctum. We can take some rooftops to get there. That oughta give you some exercise.
Woof woof!
Oh? a voice said, stopping Vir in his tracks. Why the Upper West Side? Anything interesting there?
That voice
Vir slowly turned and saw Amin leaning against the Sanctum building, his arms crossed.
Chills went down Virs back. A thousand thoughts broke out in his head. Mina Hiranya!?
Whats wrong with you? Mina said. You look like youve seen a ghost!
I, uh, had a rough night. Brotherhood business, Vir said, remembering his acting training. Didnt get much sleep.
Yeah! I can tell. You look like a ghost. Cmon! Walk with me, Amin said, sticking his hands in his pockets as he turned onto an alley.
Vir followed with Neel. Hed given much thought to how hed interact with Amin, and had ultimately decided it was best to stay away from the boyfrom the princess. Knowing what he knew, hed be hard pressed to keep up his act for long. Against someone like princess Mina, who was quite obviously a master of subterfuge herself, Vir had little confidence.
So anyway, why the Upper West Side district? Something to do with Riyans mission? You never told me what he wants you to do, by the way.
Vir pondered his words carefully. MinaAminknew Vir was Riyans agent, so outright denying that his mission had anything to do with princess Mina would be a bad idea. The princesss feud with Riyan ran deep. Very deep. If hed sent an agent, it could only be for her. Then again, admitting that he was here to kill the princess also felt like a horrible n.
In fact, he couldnt understand why Mina hadnt taken action against him yet. She must know that he was a danger to her. So why take the risk? Why not send her royal guard to kill him in his sleep?
Does she want something from me? Or maybe shes not as evil as Im making her out to be
The easy topic was to ask her what she knew about Princess Mina, but hed already brought up that topic thest time they spoke.
What, erm, what do you know of Head Priest Harak? Vir said, carefully eyeing her reaction.
The topic was rted to Mina, but wasnt about her. It was good to sow doubt in her mind. Plus, he could hint that he was uncertain about going through with Riyans n. Perhaps then, she might open up to him.
Amin came to a stop in a deserted alley and crouched down to pet Neel, who thoroughly enjoyed her ministrations.
That chal. Hate him. Cant stand the man.
Vir was taken aback. Why? Whats he done?
Nothing! Hes perfect. Too perfect. Anyone that saintly and generous has a side theyre trying to hide, lemme tell you.
Whys she saying these things? Vir simply couldnt decipher Minas n. Vir doubted she knew that hed caught on to her true identity. Shouldnt she sing praises about Harakthe man she herself put into power?
Y-you think so? Vir replied. To be honest, Im not fully onboard with Riyans n. I was hoping for a chance to talk to Harak. I think we might be able to help each other out, he said.
Yeah, good luck with that, Amin said with a snort.
You cant help arrange a meeting? Vir asked. If he could meet the head priest, itd be trivial to take him out.
No way no how. Forget it. My connections dont run that deep. Maybe I could arrange something if it was a low ranking risto, but the Head Priest? You gotta be crazy.
Right, figures, Vir replied. Itd have been too easy getting my potential target to set me up like that.
He looked over at the frail boy beside him. No matter how much he tried, he simply couldnt see her as the princess. Her disguise was absolutely perfect. Vir doubted her own mother would recognize her.
Say, Amin?
Whats up?
What if... What if you had to make life hard for someone, but werent sure whether that person deserved it? What if you were forced into an unreasonable situation? ckmailed to do it. But you want to find out whether theyre a good person or not. And if they were, maybe you joined forces with them instead? What would you do?
By mentioning Harak earlier, shed naturally suspect he was talking about the priest, and not her.
Hmm. I guess Id just find out whether they were evil or not? Whats so hard about that?
What if it was really difficult to find the answer?
Meh. Id just kill them.
Vir blinked. Sorry, what?he hadnt uttered a word about assassination, or even hinted at it.
If you make life hard for them, theyre just gonnae after you. And if you dont, you get ckmailed. Just kill them and be done with it.
You would take a life so easily?
Amin reached down and picked up some dirt from the alleys floor, then stared Vir in the eyes.
You see this? she said, opening her hand. This is what life is worth in this city. People think its so precious. That its sacred. Something that oughta be fought for. Then you see a guy kick a starving beggar, ending his life, just like that. You see kids die of diseases that couldve easily been cured, if only they had enough money. Life isnt worth anything, Neel.
Thats... rather harsh, dont you think? There are good people in this world, striving to make it a better ce. Dont you think those people are valuable?
Valuable to whom? To those beggars they might one day save? Sure, but theyll get no thanks from them. Only scorn. To the kingdom? Sure, but Hiranya is dead. No point dying for something already in the grave, yeah?
Thats a sad way to live, Vir said softly.
Maybe. I... gave up on being noble long ago. Whats even the point? Whats the point of anything anymore? Yknow? Sometimes, to fix something, you just gotta destroy it first...
She wants to save this nation... By ending it.
Vir stared at the princess. Even if it means killing innocents?
Amin brought up his dirt-filled hand once again. Does a farmer mind the dirt he scoops up as fertilizer for his nts?
Vir was beyond shocked at her callousness. She was talking about killing Hiranyans, possibly entire masses of them.
And to her, theyre merely dirt.
Hah! Look at me, getting all sappy on you. Dont really have anyone I get to talk to like this, yknow? Its... kinda nice.
I enjoyed myself as well, Vir lied. He felt like hed just spied the true Mina. The person who Riyan warned would decimate the Kingdom if ever allowed to rule.
If she werent wearing that armor, I couldve taken her out right now. Not only was Mina currently wearing armor under her rags, it was magically enhanced. By a powerful mejai, at that. Which meant they were being monitored from the shadows. Likely by a team of mejai and warriors.
To act now would be tomit suicide.
It was nice chatting, Amin, Vir said, making to leave. Ill let you know if anythinges up. For now, I just need to keep doing Brotherhood contracts to pay the bills. Itll be awhile before I decide on what to do with Riyans n. Hoping to wiggle out of it, if possible.
Gotcha. Welp, just lemme know. Happy to help ya. Cya around! Mina said, waving.
Awooo! Neel howled once theyd left the alley and returned to the Commons za.
Tell me about it, Vir muttered, rubbing Neels back. Feels like I just took a few years off my lifespan.
The two set out to the tavern. The day was still young, but Vir hardly had anything else to do. After mapping out the streets and alleys near the building, the two found a nice t third story rooftop near the Chs Knees tavern. The position gave him a perfect nest from which to monitor the establishment.
The hours passed uneventfully, and after retrieving his newly sharpened throwing disks from the Brotherhood armorer and grabbing a hearty lunch of stir-fried veggies with brown rice from a nearby food stall, Vir settled back onto his rooftop. The midday heat soon had him drifting off to sleep.
Vir allowed ithed need to be at full strength tonight in case the meeting went south.
As the sky turned yellow, and then red, Vir watched from above. He noted everyone who entered and left, especially strong mejai. From his vantage, he could see everyone, but the distance made granr detection difficult. Only strong mejai presences registered. Then again, only strong mejai posed any danger.
Vir then shifted positions. He descended to the alley bordering the tavern. Having already scouted its interior earlier, he walked to the wall that butted against the table where the meeting would happen.
He remained there until a half hour after dusk, staring through the walls with Prana Vision.
Then, finally, ten minutes before the appointed time, someone took a seat. The walls contained a slight amount of Earth prana, but nothing that interfered with Virs senses.
Weak, Vir concluded. This guys weak!
The man possessed a very slight affinity for Earth prana, but Vir doubted it was enough to use Talents. Perhaps Leap, but nothing more advanced. His blood was a cocktail of various affinities. Diluted and utterly useless.
But that didnt mean he wasnt a threat. The glowing orbs of prana at his waist did not escape Virs eyes. Four B grade orbs of Wind, Water, Fire, and Lightning affinities, along with another four C grades.
Every one of them precharged and ready to go.
Whoever this man was, he was loaded. He carried on him a fortune.
A risto, then. That reduced the danger level. Sawai aristocrats had a reputation to honor. Pulling a stunt here would hurt the man more than Vir.
Besides, knowing everything the man had on him gave Vir an immense edge.
He exited the alley and strode into the tavern. The stone-and-wood construction wasmon for the area, with the tall, vaulted A frame log construction creating a cozy environment.
The din of chatter filled every corner of the room. Private conversations would be nearly impossible to overhear.
Vir noted the exitsone at the front, and another that led into a hallway at the back. Dance of the Shadow Demon gave him an exit at any time, but revealing the ability was hisst resort.
Taking his time, Vir approached the table that butted up against the stone wall, halfway back. There, a brown-hooded, clean shaven man with ck hair and ck eyes sat.
Hes young, Vir thought. Younger than hed expected. A Sawai noblemans son, then?
Vir closed thest few steps quickly and sat opposite the man. He didnt give the hooded figure time to speak.
Lets set some things straight. I know your Br Ranks under 20. I know youve got four precharged B grade orbs, and another four C grades at your waist. If I see your hands move for any of them, Im gone before you can blink your eyes. Understood?
Vir had hoped to intimidate the pretty boy, but the young mans response surprised him.
Oho? I think I like you already, Neel, he said, holding his palms up.
You know my name? Vir responded. So the Brotherhood didnt give away my registered name
Yes, but that is all. Why dont we order some drinks? he asked with a grin.
Who are you?
Down to business, I see. Youre one of those types. I dont mind that, myself. Very well then. I, he said, pausing to look Vir in the eye, am your best source of information.
You know what I want?
Oh yes. Nowe, let us have a nice long chat about my little sister.
Chapter 86: Treacherous Dealings
Chapter 86: Treacherous Dealings
He''sthe prince!? Vir thought, appraising the man. He certainly had the orbs to back that assertion up.
Vir thought back to Maiyas ramblings about the princes and princesses, regretting that he hadnt paid more attention back then. If he recalled, there were two princes and one princess in the Hiranyan royal family. Mina was the middle child, with an older and younger brother.
Shed mentioned that the older brother, Sanobar Hiranya, was noble and gant. He couldnt even recall the younger brothers name.
Now that Vir looked closer at the ck-haired, clean shaven man, he looked to be only a couple of years older than Vir. Possibly twenty at most. Vir noticed he wore makeup, though not enough to drastically change his appearance. Just enough for anyone who knew him to pass him by.
Did Riyan have connections with the prince? But even if he did, how''d the prince know Vir was Riyan''s agent? It seemed like a remote possibility, though Vir couldn''t easily broach the topic without alerting the prince to his motives. Not yet, anyway.
Youre Sanobar Hiranya? Vir asked, his voice nearly a whisper.
Call me San, the young man said with a nod.
Is this a trap?
Do you think I would risking out here alone, if it was? Betraying the Brotherhood has its consequences, even for me.
I see, Vir replied.
So, what is it about Mina you wish to know? San said openly.
Youll tell me anything?
Anything about her, yes. Dont expect me to divulge state secrets. I am here because I believe this meeting will be in the best interest of my kingdom. Do not mistake me for a traitor.
Why would he be here? Vir thought. Whyd he be willing to give up his sister''s details?
On the one hand, Sanobar would likely know more than anyone what his sister was like. But would he be honest? What if Sanobar was working with Mina?
Vir realized he could spend all day questioning and postting, but hed get nowhere. Hed ask his questions and analyze Sanobars responsester. It wasnt like he had to believe whatever came out of the princes mouth.
Youre not going to ask me why I want to know?
Oh, I have plenty of suspicions. I expect the nature of your questions will reveal all. I need not ask you for such a thing.
Fair enough. No matter how much Vir wanted to beat around the bush, he was eventually going to ask the hard questions. Questions that couldnd him in hot water if he wasnt careful.
Minaes across as a generous, kindhearted princess. Is that true?
Oh boy, San said, chuckling wryly. Were starting from there, are we? Alright, if were doing this, Im going to need a drink.
He gged down a waiter, who brought over a mug of beer.
Anything for you?
Vir shook his head. I dont drink.
A beer for my friend here, on me! San said.
Itll look suspicious if you dont order anything, he muttered after the waiter had left. At least look like youre enjoying the drink, even if you dont drink any of it.
Vir nodded. He hadnt noticed any strong prana signatures nearby, but then, spies didnt have to be mejai. Prana Vision didnt give him omniscience.
I know you didnte here for a history lesson, but to understand Mina, we must travel back in time first. To one fateful day. The day she was kidnapped. My little sister had once been an ordinary child. Spoiled rotten, yes, but innocent and somewhat pure. She always had a devious side to her, but it was a harmless quirk.
San gazed into the distance, reminiscing on some precious memory.
Then a royal retainer betrayed us. Royal ransoms could set a person up for life, and the temptation was too great for them. They took Mina to some lets say unsavory men who had a gripe with the kingdom. Who felt as though Hiranya had not treated them well.
Isnt that everyone? Vir asked. Look around. Your capitals not exactly a paragon of wealth and prosperity. Do you have any idea what its like in the Warrens? At least your sister sneaks out of the castle. Shes seen the slums and the sewers.
Sans expression hardened. Oho? You know about that quirk of hers, do you? Impressive. But yes, I do know, Neel. I am not the sort of spoiled child you might guess I am. I fully understand the sorry state of this kingdom, and that my father is partly to me. But you do not understand the full picture, either. You do not know how the safety of our citizens hangs by a thread with the Altani on one end and the Kinjal on the other, waging a never ending game of tug of war.
The prince cleared his throat. I digress. Mina was kidnapped, and subjected to sights no child should ever see. To trauma no one should ever bear. She watched as her captors killed innocents in front of her eyes. And in the process, something inside her broke. Something precious and irreceable. By the time our forces took down her captors, it was toote. When she returned to us, she had changed. Shed grown introverted and reclusive. She kept her thoughts to herself, and she never smiled.
It was a sad story, but Vir understood why the prince had narrated this tale. A knot formed in his stomach as he guessed where this was going.
Over time, she changed. She became outgoing again. She even smiled andughed, and while my mother was only too happy to see her dear daughter healthy again, I knew better. Are you aware, Neel? That there are different smiles? Smiles for greeting aristocracy. Smiles reserved for loved ones, and smiles of genuine happiness? Minas smile was different. Corrupted. Sadistic.
A fake persona? Vir guessed.
Exactly. A farce. Which isnt rming in and of itself. As royalty, we are used to wearing different faces. But she mastered the art at an early age. She she was not normal. I began to question what it was she hid under that mask.
I take it you didnt like what you found?
Indeed, the prince replied. It was small things, at first. Id find dead rodents in her wake. Some birds. I wasnt happy, but I kept quiet about it. Perhaps it was a phase. Maybe she needed an outlet for her trauma. But as she grew older, it got worse. The bodies became more and more mangled, as if the mere act of killing them wasnt sufficient. She had to break them in grotesque ways as well. And then
Vir gulped. Hed nearly forgotten about the din of the tavern and its raucous crowd. Right now, his entire world was just him and Sanobar. And then?
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Then one day, I caught her in the middle of the act. I realized I had been wrong the entire time. Mina didnt enjoy killing those poor animals. She enjoyed breaking them. She wanted to hear those screams. To prolong their agony until their dying breath. My sister would be heartbroken when they passednot out of concern for the animals, but because her brief joy had ended.
Virs palms started to sweat. Thats
You wanted the truth about my sister? This is who she is. But these days, instead of rodents, its human ves. She keeps a stock of them, torturing them for her own sick pleasures. Gods help anyone who crosses her. Commoner or Sawai, it matters not. She has ughtered children using the most grotesque methods, all just to enjoy the looks of agony on their parents faces.
You sound like youre talking about a demon rather than your own kin.
Do I? San said nkly. I suppose that is true. She is no sister of mine. Shes a monster in human skin. My sister died that day, years ago, when she was kidnapped. I swear on my name, Neel. Everything I have told you is the truth, and the unembellished truth.
Vir suddenly recalled Riyans words. Of how Mina had killed his wife and child. Had she done the same to their bodies?
He purged the dark thought from his mind. No wonder the man wanted Mina dead. That said
How can I trust you? Vir asked. Mina poses a threat to your ascension, doesnt she? It makes sense that youd spin tales to paint her in a negative light.
You are right, of course. An imminent threat, actually. She ns to move against us very soon, and when Mina does anything, she does it to perfection. My brother and I live in fear of knives in our backs every day. It is not a fate I would bestow upon my worst enemy. Even with our countermeasures, I doubt I have long to live.
The prince paused, and a heavy silence fell between them.
So this is why Riyan sent me here now. Anyter, and itd have been toote for the princes.
But you do not know me, Neel. I would abdicate my right to session in an instant if I thought Mina would be a better ruler. This I swear to you. It is our future I fear for, Neel. The future of this household, and of this country. A future with Mina in it is not one I wish to be a part of. Her rule would spell the end of Hiranya as we know it.
Why are you telling me all of this? Vir asked. Thus far, he hadnt let one word slip about his ns to assassinate her.
Help me, Neel. Help me eliminate my sister.
Virs eyes went wide at the princes bold deration.
He fell silent as conflicting emotions raged within him. On the one hand, he felt he could trust Sanobar. The prince came across as a straight shooter. Yes, it may have been a front, but Vir had some experience at the art of subterfuge himself. Either San was a master actor, or he was telling the truth.
But it wasnt just Sanobar. Riyan was many things, but on this, Vir felt he could trust the man. Mina had wronged him. Riyan himself said nearly the same thing as Sanobar.
What''s her Br Rank?
As best we know? Around fifty. But my sister excels in deception. I would not be surprised if that figure is doctored. She could be lower, or she could be slightly more. I''ve never seen her use anything stronger than C grade orbs.
And her affinities? Vir already knew Mina possessed Lesser Water and Lightning prana from when he''d infiltrated the castle, but it didn''t hurt to confirm.
Lesser Water and Lightning. That I know. I was there when she was tested.
Well, he''s honest.
Tell me, Vir continued. What is Riyan Savar to your sister?
San raised his brow. Now, thats an interesting question.
Humor me.
General Savar was one of our most decorated militarymanders. Known for his aggressive, sometimes brutal, tactics. Some would say the country is weaker without him.
Do you count yourself among them?
San nodded. I do. We were never especially close, but I admired him, and I think he knew that.
Your sister took an interest in him?
Actually, for reasons you wouldnt suspect. Savar was good at his job. Too good. He was bing a thorn in Kinjals side, and many in our government grew worried. In Mina''s case, she saw an opportunity. It started amicably, at first. A win-win business rtionship. Mina sent the man on her personal missions, usually in Kin''jal territory.
But now, with Mina''s support, not even King Rayid could stop him. For Riyan, Mina was a blessing. She allowed him to fulfill his calling, striking blow after blow at the Kin''jal.
Never realized they had such a good rtionship, Vir thought.
But then, Mina began making unreasonable demands of Savar. She reduced his forces and asked him to attack harder targets. She told him to go alone, for reasons of stealth. This made my father and the others quite happy, for it hamstringed Riyan. For years, he believed she had some n, some ulterior motive behind these requests, and so he obeyed.
She didn''t?
She did not. Her actions were purely to torment Savar. All to break him. When the missions weren''t enough, she began killing his animals. Then his acquaintances.
Surely there were faster ways of removing him from power, Vir said.
Oh, hed been stripped of his position by then. No, this was just Mina being Mina. Ripping the wings off a butterfly just to watch it writhe in agony. Finally, she had his family ughtered in front of his very eyes, by his own, most loyal soldiers. Then she burned his home to the ground. General Savar hasnt been seen after that. Some think him dead. Others say hes just broken, living out his days as a hermit somewhere. You asked what Savar was to Mina? Just another toy. Used up and cast aside. Thats all.
Vir fell silent. To think Mina had done all that for such a stupid reason. Hed thought there wouldve been more. Something deeper. To ughter someones family for ones own sick desires?
Virs blood boiled. Yes, shed been subjected to trauma at a young age. And yes, Riyan had ckmailed him to assassinate her. But hed also sheltered and trained Vir. And right now? He wanted nothing more than to see Minas head on a pike.
Even so, the risk was too great. If Vir was going through with this, he needed something more. Something that would benefit himself.
Sanobar continued on. Look, I understand your position. You worry that one wrong word and I could have you executed. And youd be right. But I will not. I know not what your intentions are, nor do I wish to know. You came rmended by the Brotherhood, and that is not to be taken lightly.
That''s a lot of trust on your part.
It is, but the Brotherhoods influence runs far deeper than you can imagine. They transcend the bounds of countries and are beholden to no one. And the one thing they prioritize above all else is trust. Trust and reputation. If the Brotherhood rmends you, it may as well havee from the lips of my own father. My trust in you is sound. The question is, do you trust me?
I think I might, Vir replied. But theres one thing I dont understand. Youre a prince. Surely you have ess to skilled soldiers. People whod do anything to get in your good graces. Yes, I mighte rmended by the Brotherhood, but dont you have people of your own for this task?
I do. And both myself and my brother have tried to take action against Mina in the past. But my little sister is more than merely sadistic. Shes unbelievably intelligent in the art of subterfuge and intelligence gathering. So much so that it shocks me at times. If I were to use one of my men, and if they were to fail, it would be the end of me. Mina would expose me to the world, and Id be done for.
And because I have no link to you, that makes me useful. It makes me disposable.
San leveled his gaze at Vir. Yes. I will not lie to you. You are disposable. You are useful to me because we have no connection. If you fail, it is no sweat off my back. But if you seed you can ask of me whatever you wish. Money? Ill shower you with seric. Fame? Ill anoint you Sawai. If it is within my power, it shall be yours.
Seric!? Vir did his best not to gawk. That was an incredibly tempting offer, but he wasnt a fool. If its ever revealed that I killed Mina, Ill be a fugitive. I doubt even you could protect me from that fate.
I will certainly try, San fired back. And if I cannot, I can guarantee you sanctuary in the Rani Queendom.
What exactly are you suggesting, San? Vir asked.
I will arrange an ambush. Getting Mina into the Commons will be difficult, but I can
No need, Vir replied. I havent agreed to anything, but I can make my own way there.
Thats Are you certain? San asked. For the first time, he looked surprised. Can you infiltrate her quarters?
Vir nodded. I have my means. San seemed trustworthy, but there wasn''t any need to divulge the details of Mina''s secret passage unless absolutely necessary.
I see. Very well then. This simplifies things. You will eliminate her in her sleep, but I can assist. I can ensure she sleeps soundly, if you catch my meaning. There will be no chance for her to resist.
Poison? Vir asked, cocking his brow.
Nothing so drastic. The entire royal household has taste testers who sample food and drink. Any potent poison would be immediately detected. Besides, if I killed her that way, Id be a prime suspect. My campaign is based on honor and integrity. If the world finds out Id be done for. My sister knows this. She has contingencies in ce.
Then whats your n?
Poison might be going too far, but sedatives that take hold hours after? That can work. I can ensure Mina sleeps like a log. If you can gain ess to her quarters, you could slit her throat as she sleeps.
I can do that, Vir said, nodding. But theres something else. The royal priest, Harak. Who is he, really?
San waved his hand. Appointed by my sister. Hes one of hers. A real thorn in our side, but he hasnt done anything to justify ousting him yet. Why do you ask?
Ive got some history with that man, Vir said, barely containing his anger at the man whod executed Maiyas parents and caused Rudviks death. He wanted nothing more than to end this. To end his time here in Daha. To be rid of the nightmares and sleepless nights, agonizing about Maiya. Then he''d return to his friend. To the way things used to be.
I''ll do this.
He had no intention of spending months here. The prince was giving him the perfect opportunity, and Vir wasn''t about to refuse. While San might''ve been lying, Vir''s instinct told him otherwise. Riyan hadn''t been deceiving him. His methods might''ve been borne from desperation, but Mina was a blight.
On one condition. Harak must die.
Chapter 87: Empowered
Chapter 87: Empowered
Vir greeted the dawn with a heavy heart and bleary eyes. Having given up on sleep, hed left the sleeping Neel in his room and relocated to a nearby rooftop to Daha as it woke up.
To think that a mere seven months after Rudviks death, Vir was about to im the lives of those whod perpetrated that atrocity.
It wasnt about revenge. At least, he tried to convince himself of that. While the head priest angered Vir, he wasnt motivated by hatred, nor was he consumed by it. Rather killing them simply felt right. It felt like closure, like he needed to do this to close one era of his life to begin another.
Vir was Ashborn. He was the reincarnation of the Primordial. Whether he agreed to Shardul and Ekanais requests or not, there was a life for him beyond Brij. Beyond even Hiranya.
But before he could turn the page, the current chapter had to be written. And its climax would ur in just a few brief hours.
The meeting with prince Sanobar had gone well. Surprisingly well. Not only had the prince given Vir information about Minas quirks, habits,bat style, affinities, and weaknesses, hed even arranged a n.
A n whose timetable was moved up, owing to the head priests calendar. The man ultimately responsible for the deaths of Apramor, Aliscia, and Rudvik was about to retreat to his vacation home to the north, near the ind sea. Tomorrow.
Which meant tonight was Virs only opportunity. The prince had panicked at the suddenness, but eventually agreed to Virs terms. Tonight, he would eliminate both princess Mina and the head priest in one fell swoop. For better or for worse, it would all be over soon.
The n was simple, as most good ns were. Prince Sanobar would have a sedative sprinkled into Minas food. Vir would wait until the dead of night, entering through the secret passage. He worried a bit about whether he could bypass the hatchs lock, but if he couldnt, Dance would allow him inside.
With luck, Minas death would go unnoticed for hours, giving Vir free rein to infiltrate the royal temple where the head priest slept.
The priest was the main reason Vir went along with this. Hed seriously considered ambushing Amin when she was alone. Ideally in the sewers, where no one would notice. But if he offed the princess, what of Harak? Castle defenses would be bolstered, and his chances of taking down the priest would plummet. It was safer to kill both in one fell swoop.
ording to Sanobar, Harak retired early and snored up his entire quarters. Killing him should be a simple matter. Vir would then escapeeither back through Minas room, or to the District of Internal Affairs, whichever was more readily essible.
Vir smirked. Since when did things ever go ording to n?
Riyan was right. This would take everything he had, and then some. Hed have to transcend his limits and step outside hisfort zone.
Worrying about it wouldnt change a thing. Preparations would, and there were several actions he could take today to ensure his sess tonight.
Vir stepped off the fourth story roof and fell into the alley, leveraging Light Step to turn his fatal fall into a small hop.
The veiled receptionist waved Vir down as he entered. Acolyte, a package for you, just this morning, he said, passing a rectangr object to Vir.
Thanks, Vir said, leaving the package sealed until hed reached his room.
Neel woke up at the noise andzily sauntered over, brushing up against his leg.
I feel like you keep getting left behind on these missions, boy. Dont worry. Thats gonna change.
Vir was hoping to be rid of this assassin role hed somehow grown into.
Arooo!
Thats right. Its all gonna change soon, he whispered, unwrapping the cloth to reveal a wooden box.
Inside, he found ten silver coins, a velvet emerald-and-gold robe, and a folded piece of paper. The robe was the same one Mina had given him weeks ago when hed first arrived in the city. San had altered the garment, removing the insignias that marked it as a royal heirloom. Now, it made the perfect disguise to infiltrate the royal grounds with. It marked him as someone of prestige, trusted by the royal family.
The coins were downpayment; hed receive far more uponpletion of the task. It was a nice show of faith from the prince, but what interested Vir more was the paper.
It was a map. A detailed map of the castle grounds. Every floor was there, including the basement floors and the temple building. And marked with an X was the royal priests room, on the sixth floor of the tall temple building.
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Of course it has to be all the way up.
The robe was his backup disguise. Another tool he might use to keep himself hidden.
Vir spent the next hourmitting the castle map to memory. It helped that hed already visited once, allowing him to link the halls from his memory to the lines drawn on the map.
The money, while appreciated, wasnt immediately useful for him. With the new coin, he could afford that brigandine hed been eyeing, but there wouldnt be enough time to have it fitted. Going on a high stakes mission with unfitted armor he hadnt grown used to felt worse to him than going without it.
It was the same for his chakrams. Though hed longed to upgrade his rusted iron ones for superior steel, chakrams werent widely avable weapons. Theyd be a custom order, which meant waiting a week or more.
Instead, Vir spent his time on the upgrade that would bring him the most benefits.
Feel like some exercise, Neel? he said with a grin. Ill race ya!
Woof woof!
It was time to remove the thorn in his side. It was time to master Empower.
It took some time to find the ideal spot. The rooftops made prana channeling more difficult, so hed opted for an alley in the Upper West Side district, far enough away that his experiments wouldnt drain the prana near Minas secret hatch, which was also in the same district.
The area was defined by itsrger homes, which meant a lower poption density, allowing Vir to practice in peace while Neel roamed, poking his nose into everything he found.
Empower would serve him well for his uing operation. It was an ideal counterpart to Toughen, which was another side of the same ability.
With Toughen, Vir supersaturated his blood with prana to improve his resilience. It was essentially natural armor, but it was one that had to be activated manually.
For Empower, Vir relied on the same technique, except instead of focusing his will on tanking hits, he surged the prana in conjunction with a strike. Now that he thought about it, Leap and High Jump worked simrly.
He was learning that what appeared to be unique Talents were really just different applications of the same underlying principle. Just that they appeared distinct since no one seemed to understand how Talents really worked.
The issue with Empower was the prana he sucked in from the ground would dissipate into his bloodstream as it traveled from his legs to his arms.
By the time the supersaturated blood reached his arms, it was no longer supersaturated.
Until now, Vir had relied on a crutch to make up for this. Since hecked the skills to conduct ground Ash affinity prana up to his arms, hed been forced to charge the Talent by cing his hands on the ground.
This was less than ideal. Inbat, hed rarely have that luxury, and Empower was uniquely suited tobat. He needed a way to charge it as quickly as he charged Leap.
Which meant conducting the prana through his entire body, and on that front, hed made progress in two areas.
The first was a continuation of what hed been doing the past several monthsmapping out his bodys blood pathways. Prana was bound to blood. Blood carried pranathey were inseparable. Which meant if Vir wanted to optimize the flow of prana from his legs to his arms, he had to understand how blood traveled through his body.
Mapping out thergest arteries hadnt taken him too long. After all, they had the most blood and prana in them, making them easy to detect. It was the smaller pathways that had taken him forever.
Vir retrieved a piece of parchment from his sack and unfurled it. It vaguely resembled the human body, but instead of showing flesh, it showed the pathways hed mapped until now.
The sheer number staggered him. Many were so tiny, he only found them by intentionally diverting prana and seeing the motes travel through the tiny tubes. They were otherwise invisible.
Ordinarily, such small capiries would be useless to himeven if he could shortcut blood up his body using those, they were too tiny to carry a significant amount of blood.
But hed been working around that. After trial and error, hed learned to expand the pathways. By regrly shunting prana-soaked blood through them, they slowly expanded. The process took weeks, and Vir had only stumbled upon it by chance as he practiced his prana control.
It did work, however. After months of practice, hed finally expanded the proper blood pathways to streamline the prana flow from his legs up to his arms.
Taking a deep breath, he grasped the blood in his foot, pulling it up higher into his leg. He left enough blood behind to conduct the ground Ash prana that rushed into his leg. Losing no time, he guided the supersaturated blood up his leg, then through his erged blood passages that connected to another artery, shortcutting the path.
Almost there!
The supersaturated blood traveled up his gut, then to his chest
But by the time it reached his arm, it was barely more saturated than the rest of his bodys blood.
Grak it!
His path optimization wasnt enough. Another failure.
Vir shook it off. Hed hoped optimizing prana flow would suffice, but he had another trick up his sleeve. Just that, unlike his first solution, hed never attempted this one before. And Vir had a track record for cking out whenever he did something new.
Clearing his mind, he refocused on the problem. The issue he faced was twofold. First was the long path, which hed already shortened as much as he could. The other problem was the leakage. That was the root cause of his troubles. If he could stop prana from leaking to the rest of his body, then the path length didnt matter. A longer route would hinder the Talents charging speed, but only slightly.
The keyy in how prana traveled into his body. Namely, it required blood. If Vir evacuated all the blood from his footnot only would it be painfulthe ground prana would have nothing to conduct it. Blood could only hold a certain amount of prana. To conduct more, more blood was needed.
In which case, aplete absence of blood would have the opposite effectit wouldnt conduct prana at all.
Rather, it wouldnt leak prana at all.
Vir tried again. This time, he created a bubble devoid of blood around the supersaturated blood as it traveled up his body.
Easier said than done. It took far more concentration to keep the blood surrounding the pathway away. There was just so much more to manage.
But it worked. The supersaturated pranas dissipation rate plummeted. Earlier, eighty-five percent of the prana had dissipated, but now, less than twenty-five percent was lost.
Not ideal, but
Hiyah! Vir roared, swiping an Empowered katar into the air.
It wasnt perfect, but it was good enough.
All he had to do now was reduce the mental burden required to perform the ability, and to speed it up as much as he could.
Vir looked up at the sky to find the sun was still low. More than half a day remained until the operation.
Half a day to train.
With a grin, Vir activated the ability again. Come nightfall, hed be ready.
Chapter 88: Princess Assassin (One)
Chapter 88: Princess Assassin (One)
Dusk gave way to darkness, and when night arrived, Vir was ready.
After spending all day working on Empower, moving around to several districts to avoid depleting Ash prana, hed finally mastered the timing. Empowering his arms still took longer than it did for his legs, but he could work around that limitation. With good prana reserves, it took four seconds to charge. Four seconds was a long time in the middle of battle, but he was confident he could bring that number down further with more practice.
The hardest part was routing the prana through his body while focusing on other taskslikebat.
Hed shadow boxed as much as he could, and had even wrestled with Neel to give him more distraction. Four seconds was his inbat timing. If he spent all of his mental power solely on activating the ability, he could do it in two.
Satisfied with his progress, hed returned Neel to the Brotherhood Sanctum and had even checked up on Bumpy. If things went south and he needed a quick escape, Bumpy had to be ready to go. The Ashva was more than ready for some exercise. Even with the regr trots hed been getting, Vir could tell he was raring to stretch his legs.
Vir had then turned his attention to his disguise before the sun set, robbing him of light. The mask Riyan had given him was an odd thing. Made of a rubbery material, it looked horrific when missing its adornments. In fact, it hardly even looked human.
But it took well to makeup, and the best part was Vir could apply the makeup perfectly without the use of a mirror. After spending an hour on it, he now looked like an average Dahan. Tanned skin with gaunt features. The inside of the mask was sticky, so after applying it to his face, it even mimicked his facial gesturesthough he had to exaggerate every expression to make it visible through the thick material.
The worth of the mask wasnt in mere disguise, however. Vir already had makeup on his face. What it did was give him a second disguise. With only a moments notice, Vir could rip off the mask, change his outfit, adjust his voice and bodynguage, and hed be another person.
It was like a freebie in that regard. A priceless boon for someone about to infiltrate the royal castle.
Vir idled on a rooftop until the dead of the night to make his move. San said the priest slept early, but he wanted to give enough time for Minas sedative to take hold.
Four hours after the sun set, he began.
Vir slunk down into the alley containing Minas secret hatch in the Upper West Side Commons district. Cleverly ced next to several crates and bins, it blended in with the ground almost perfectly. Despite knowing where to look, Vir only found it by the Magic Lock orb discreetly embedded into it.
This was his first hurdle. It was locked from the outside, and there was no physical keyhole. The lock might be mechanical, but the key was magical. Which meant Virs lockpicks were useless.
Dance of the Shadow Demon would allow him passage, but he loathed to use his trump card this early on. While the Ash prana in the area had recovered, it was still barely enough for a single Dance activation. It was hisst resort.
Using Prana Vision, Vir analyzed the hatchs hinges, probing for any weak spots. There werent any, but the wood itself wasnt especially thick. A High Jump might have delivered enough force to break the door, but Vir had better options now.
Activating Empower, he relied on his katars superior thrusting force, and struck right where the wood met its hinge.
His newly sharpened weapon pierced right through, breaking the hinge.
The door fell when its other hinge broke with his next strike, falling loudly into the stairway below.
Vir froze, scanning the alley for anyone who might have heard the sound, but there was no one around.
The secret passage was nowpletely exposed, rendering it a secret no longer. Vir stepped down the stairs and entered the long, dark tunnel.
Letting Prana Vision guide him, he ascended the spiral staircase that seemed to never end. Hed felt it was long on the way down, but the way up was far worse.
Vir was forced to take it slow, for fear of sweating and ruining his makeup under his stuffy mask.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the exit. The wardrobe that served as the secret door obstructed Prana Vision, but Vir could tell there was someone lying on a bed in the room beyond.
He took an entire minute to swing open the door, praying it didnt creak on him. If Sans sedative was as strong as the prince imed, itd make no difference, but Vir didnt want to risk the chance.
Its well-oiled hinges allowed it to open without a sound, and Vir edged closer to the sleeping princess.
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He froze.
Without the wardrobe obstructing Prana Vision, he could now see the sleeping girls affinities.
They were not Minas affinities. They werent Water and Lightning.
The person who slept there possessed Apex Earth affinity. A Talent wielder, and a strong one at that.
Whats more, they wore armor. And they werent asleep. The rise and fall of their chest did not resemble the calm, even rhythm of sleep. Rather, it looked more like someone trying to feign sleep.
This is a trap! Mina knows Iming.
Vir looked to the door of the princess room, and through Prana Vision, saw a dozen guards posted outside, weapons at the ready. Pointed outward, at the hall.
Whyd they be guarding from intrudersing from the hall? Unless
Vir wracked his mind to piece together this puzzle as fast as he possibly could. He could not linger here, with the Talent wielder so close. Should he abort? Or should he proceed with the mission?
Mina knew he wasing. Did prince Sanobar betray him? Or did her taste tester somehow catch wind of the sedative?
If the former, then Vir would be best served by doubling back and aborting the mission. But if it was thetter well, maybe he couldnt take out the princess, but at least the royal priest was still an option. If Mina thought this was an attempt on her life, then the priest ought to be sleeping in his quarters.
There was no doubt that turning back now was the safest, wisest option. He could regroup, ascertain Sanobar''s loyalty, and then formte a new n.
But...
When Vir''s thoughts turned to the man who''d ordered the deaths of those he''d loved, he found himself unable to retreat.
The priest would be gone tomorrow. Maybe Vir would get a chance to kill the man in the future, or maybe he wouldn''t. But tonight was his best chance. Even if it meant giving up on Mina, he had to take this opportunity. With Mina on guard, there may not be another.
Moreover, Vir couldn''t live with himself knowing he let an opportunity to end Harak slip through his fingers.
With his mind set, he snuck over to therge stained ss window next to Minas bed, carefully stepping with his heel first, bending his knees, all to soften his steps.
Once again, Dance of the Shadow Demon could get him outside the room, but if he used it here, hed lose his greatest power.
The window was the kind that swung open. If he could get there unnoticed, he could sneak out, then scale the wall to the castles roof. From there, hed use the fortress ramparts to get closer to the temple building where the royal priest slept. Itd been his n all along, just that the stakes were now higher.
Vir edged to the window and grasped thetch. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened it.
Unfortunately, the windows hinges werent nearly as lubricated as the wardrobe''s. It squealedonly for a split second before Vir stoppedbut it was enough.
Who goes there? The woman in the bed shouted. In one smooth motion, she jumped off the bed and drew her talwar.
Vir didnt wait. Riyan had warned him about Minas bodyguard. Br 100. If this was herand Vir doubted Mina would trust anyone else with this taskhe stood no chance against her.
Activating a micro Leap, he crashed through the window and sailed through the air to the castle grounds.
Using Light Step to dull some of the impact, he threw himself into a roll, leveraging his momentum to run through the gardens.
Minas guard, being a Talent wielder, was hot on his heels. He had to assume she possessed every Talent he had, plus some others.
Shes catching up!
Vir vaulted hedges. He ducked and rolled and sprinted as fast as he could, but it wasnt enough. The woman Leaped with each step, rapidly closing the distance.
He had to do something, or hed end up fighting her. Even if he could hold her off, itd only be a matter of time before guards swarmed him.
Dance was unavable; running made it impossible. He needed his feet on the ground for at least thirty seconds. In anticipation, he changed his trajectory. Out here in the open grass, he was a sitting duck. He angled for the walls of the castle instead.
His pursuer made her move. Feeling a pulse of prana behind him, he threw himself to the side. Just barely in time. A de of pure prana shredded all the vegetation in its path, leaving a line of upended dirt and devastation. It only dissipated after it had traveled far into the distance.
de projection? No!
Projection merely doubled the reach of the de. True masters could triple their de length, but that was the limit. The Talent shed just fired was far, far more powerful. It was pure Earth affinity prana that traveled independently. Like the C Grade Wind de, but far stronger. Where Wind de was small and traveled through the air, this Talent traveled through the ground, cutting everything that touched the earth in its path.
de Launch!? Vir realized as his blood ran cold. It was a Mythic rarity Talent that few in this world possessed. Was she really only Br 100? Or was that a deception?
Chs Knees, I almost lost my legs
Vir immediately stopped and raised his hands, slowly turning around.
There was no winning this battle. To try was to die. She was in a league of her own. The only way outthe only chance he hadwas to stall and hope she took mercy.
Please, he drawled. II surrender. Ill tell you anything you wish to know.
Twenty-Five seconds
Minas bodyguard Leaped right up to him and leveled her katar at his throat. Drop your weapon. Do it now!
Vir slowly retrieved his katar and threw it down.
Your chakrams and chakris too. You cant fool me, assassin.
Tch. Vir reluctantly dropped his weapons one by one, taking his own sweet time.
Ten seconds
Youre a slippery one, arent you? Ive had operatives monitoring you since you entered the city, and believe me, you havent made it easy. Youre quite good at hiding, Ill give you that. But all was for naught. We have you now. We know Riyan Savar sent you. Theres no point hiding it. So, will youe quietly? Or shall we do this the hard way?
She''s tailed me for that long!?Wait, no. I''d have noticed her. But if she used regr people to follow me... Prana Vision wouldn''t have picked up on their signatures. After all, someone adept at tailing didn''t necessarily have to possess Talents or magic.
P-Please dont hurt me! I was coerced into this. Hehe threatened me!
Oh? You seem a bit too proficient for someone doing this under ckmail. We know all about General Savars n. He sent you as a distraction while he made his own move. But unfortunately for both of you, things arent going to work out as youve nned. Weve already dealt with Riyan.
Riyan was going tounch his own attack? Vir thought. He hadnt heard anything to that effect, though it wouldnt surprise him if the man was operating in secret behind the scenes.
Ino! Vir said, feigning shock. And youre mistaken. It wasnt this Savar person who sent me.
Oh? Then please enlighten me.
W-Well, you see, I was most surprised myself, he said slowly. I work for someone you know quite well, after all. I was sent byyour mother.
By the time she reacted, Vir had already disappeared into the shadows.
Chapter 89: Princess Assassin (Two)
Chapter 89: Princess Assassin (Two)
Vir gazed out from the shadows. Many exits presented themselves, all peeking into a world frozen in time. For ten counts of time, Vir was untouchable. That may not have been much, but in the heat of battle, it was everything.
Nestled within the Shadow Realm, he saw Minas bodyguard, frozen with her face nk, having yet to realize Virs disappearance.
Should I strike from behind?
Appearing within her shadow would be trivial for Vir; she was both taller and broader shouldered than he was. He could easily slip up from behind her.
Except, he had no weapons. The woman had disarmed him. His most lethal strike was now an Empowered punch or kick, but that would do little against an armored opponent.
Shell probably slip away from me, anyway.
And then Vir would be a goner. He could feel it. There was no more Ash prana left. Not enough for another invocation of Dance of the Shadow Demon.
No, hed have to y this one smarter. Not every battle could be won. Riyan had always said that good warriors picked theirs.
Vir looked to the edge of Dances range. Hed nned for this eventuality, and so hed run toward the castle, hoping to escape inside its walls. But even he hadnt had the time to peek inside the castle with Prana Vision.
Badraks luck was with him tonight. There, at the very edge of Dances range,y a shadowrge enough for Vir to exit from. Prana Vision told him it was empty. A storeroom, as best he could tell.
He took it, popping up in the cramped, dusty room full of brooms, crates, and sacks.
Vir ripped off his mask, shoving it into his rucksack and retrieved the emerald-and-green robes San had provided.
While his masks makeup painted a nd visage, the makeup Vir wore on his face was different. Refined. Elegant. But not overdone.
As would befit a royal court servant. And the robes San had given him? A royal servant outfit.
Vir donned the luxurious robe of his clothing and armor. His small frame helped heredespite the added bulk of his bracers and greaves, he still looked the part.
He then set his blonde wig in ce, and waited another minute for his opening. rm bells nged. The castle was a flurry of activity, and the hallway adjoining the storeroom was no exception.
Vir grabbed a broom and opened the door, feigning surprise at the ruckus.
Get outta the way! Cant you see we have an emergency? A knight in full te shouted, brushing past him with hispany in tow.
My apologies, lord knights, Vir said, bowing deeply, adopting the Dahan Sawai ent. I shall make myself scarce at once!
The knights rushed on, leaving Vir alone.
Until Minas bodyguard appeared.
Of all the how did she possibly end up here!?
Vir bowed as she ran up to him.
You! Have you seen him?
I beg your pardon,dy knight?
The perpetrator! Have you seen him?
Im afraid not, mdy, but just now, apany of knights headed off in that direction, Vir said, pointing down the hall. If you hurry, you may yet catch him!
Minas bodyguard nodded, then tore off down the hall.
Vir did his best to suppress a smirk. Deception truly is the mother of all weapons, isnt it?
Having memorized theyout of the castle pce, Vir quickly found his bearings. He was in the outermost southern hallway, on the first floor. Heading east would put him at the castle garden, where he could then make for the temple. The tall holy building sat on its own, some distance away from the castle.
Vir proceeded unimpeded. Riyan had once said that hed be able to walk into King Rayids pce, steal from him, and be invited back again the next day.
He wasnt quite there yet, but he was walking around King Rayids pce as if he belonged there. Not a single guard or knight osted him.
It wasnt his fear of being caught that worried him the most. The n was in shambles, with Mina nowhere in sight. Hed fulfilled his obligation to Riyan by causing a ruckus But it wasnt enough.
The royal priest had to die. And now, as he stood at the edge of the castle garden with only the deployable knives in his boots, he had to figure out how he was going to pull that off.
A quick nce back at where hed fought Minas bodyguard told him there was no chance of retrieving his weapons. Knights swarmed around where hedst been sighted. His weapons stilly therewere they baiting him?
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He wasnt going to bite. Itd be suicide to confront those knights. Even if they were individually weaker than Minas bodyguard, there were five of them. They were armed. He was not.
Vir abandoned the idea. Hed have to rely on his Kri training for this one. Kri and the needle he carried with him. The one hed used to assassinate Ravin.
Oy! You! What are you doing out here? A knight said, approaching Vir as he crossed the royal garden. No ones to be out at this hour! Theres an emergency!
Vir altered his bodynguage to one of meek under-confidence and shifted his voice to a higher pitch. Lord knight, I mean no disrespect, b-but Im well aware. That that brigand! He broke my arm, ser!
You saw him? Where!?
South side outer hallway, milord. Th-they said to seek healing from the priests! The royal healers have all been deployed.
I see Very well, carry on, the knight said before hurrying off to the pce.
Thank you, milord. Thank you! Vir said after him.
Despite the tension, despite losing his weapons, despite theck of Ash ground prana Vir felt like a god. Untouchable.
But even gods could die; he didnt let it get to his head.
Vir stood at the base of the temple Shikaraa tall, narrow pagoda-like structure that stretched vertically for ten floors.
Of course, the head priests quarters upied the highest floor. The simplest option was to proceed into the temple, working his way up. Except, from Sans map, Vir knew the templeyout. There was just one hallway that spiraled around, which went all the way up.
And he was sure thered be guards posted at the head priests door. With the ruckus hed kicked up, there would likely be more in the halls as well.
The other option was what hed nned in the first ceto scale the Shikara wall, ten floors up. The ornate carvings provided ample footholds, and the priests room had arge window he could slip through.
No guards, but the templey close to Dahas northern walls. Walls that were patrolled. If anyone saw him, hed be vulnerable to magic and arrow fire.
Which just means I cant get caught, Vir thought as he stripped off his emerald-and-gold cloak, along with his shiny bracers and greaves, leaving him in his ck cloak. Anything that would reflect starlight was a no-go.
Vir circled around to the backside of the temple, stowing his pack at the base of the Shikara. He kicked off his boots and slung them around his neck.
Then he climbed.
As hed suspected, the ascent was not a difficult one. Dozens of carvings, ledges, and small domes gave him plenty of handholds. If he wasnt so cautious about the guards patrolling the walls, hed have gone faster.
As it was, he eyed the dozen guards atop the ramparts, pulling himself up when no one looked.
The first two floors were the trickiest. Humans tended to either look at the ground or keep their eyesight leveled with the horizon. Rarely did they ever look up.
The issue was that human peripheral vision was very good at picking up movement at its edges. A sudden movement might be all it took for a guard to look up.
So Vir proceeded cautiously. Slowly. Agonizingly.
Fifteen minutes passed before he made it to the fourth floor. From there, he allowed himself to move faster, scaling the next three floors in ten minutes.
Before he knew it, he was perched at the window of the room on the highest floor.
From here, he saw everything. The castle grounds, far below. The District of Internal Affairs. The Commons. All glowing bright amber with magical light. And in the distance, Dahas great walls, keeping the desert at bay. Above it all, the unlit Vimana hung like a dark crown, decorating the city with its rich splendor.
Vir paused. As he gazed at the scenery, he wondered. Wondered whether this was right. Whether he ought to be here, chasing down the royal priest instead of Mina. Who was the greater evil?
As much as he wanted to say the priest, he couldnt. Mina was the one whod put him into power. She was the real master behind the operation. Vir tried to justify his actions. Tried to convince himself he wasnt here out of a personal vendetta.
He failed. He was.
The fact remained that the prana signature in the room beyond had caused the deaths of those Vir had held so dear. Maybe Mina would rece this man with another. But at least head priest Harak would cause no more innocents to die.
Vir climbed onto the windows ledge,ced up his boots, then swung the window open and silently entered.
The wrinkled priest was not asleep. He sat at a circr table, gazing out through a window on the other side of the room. The old, skinny man looked half dead.
Vir snuck up behind himthe man remained blissfully unaware. An Empowered twist of his head would break the mans neck. Hed die, right then and there.
Vir knew he should kill the man and be gone. He knew it was the height of foolishness to do anything otherwise.
And yet
Hello, Harak, Vir said from behind, his cold steel needle pressed against the priests neck. If you scream, you die. If you call for help, you die. If you make any sudden movement, you die. Understand? Nod slowly if you do. He had no idea how his voice was so calm. Cold.
The priest nodded.
You dont know me, but I know you. I want some answers, and you will provide them.
W-will you let me live if I do? Harak whispered.
Vir paused for a split second. It depends. Now answer. Why do you hunt Ashborn?
A-Ashborn! They are a blight! A menace! Harak hissed. Demons by another name.
You fear them, Vir whispered. Why?
I am a pious man. The scriptures speak of demons ravaging ournds. This, you well know. But did you know? The ancient scriptures, the ones from just after the fall of the Gods. They tell us more. They speak of demon armies led by Ashborn. They tell the story of the end of realms. Of demons so strong, no human could possibly stand against them. Demons led by a being capable of bringing about the apocalypse.
The priest slowly turned his neck. Do you see now, child? Do you understand why I do what I do?
Vir had no idea about any of this. Why would the scriptures say that about him? Yes, he had some powers he couldnt understand. Janak himself had said he was different. But realm ending powers!? It was so farfetched. It had to be a lie. Besides, Janak was a god, and he hadnt wanted Vir dead.Even if the scriptures came from the gods, words spoken from Janaks own mouth carried far more weight.
No, this priest was spinning lies to deceive him.
Tell me, head priest. Is your cause worth the lives of innocents?
What do you mean?
Brij vige. You ordered a knight corps there. They murdered the vige priest and his wife. They butchered an innocent lumberjack. How do you plead to these crimes?
Brij? Brij The Ashborn! You! Youre the Ashborn! Come to seek revenge!
Three lives ended that day, Vir replied, his voice barely a whisper. Three noble, innocent people who never deserved death. All because of you.
Harak froze in his chair as the needle pressed harder against his skin.
Have you heard of karma, Harak? Well, consider this karmic justice.
Just then, hard knocking rapped upon the door to Harak''s residence.
Your Eminence? We''ve just been informed of an attempted assassination on Princess Mina. Checking in to ensure all is well. May we enter?
Tell them you''re fine. Tell them not to enter, Vir whispered.
All is well, Harak replied. No worse than an Acira in the Voinds.
There was silence for a moment before the guard replied. In the Voinds, your Eminence? Understood.
Once again, there was silence, but Vir didn''t fail to notice the sound of a key being inserted into the keyhole. Or the slow turning of the door lever.
Nice try, Harak.
What do you!?
It was all he managed before the needle plunged mercilessly into his neck.
Royal Priest Harak would torment Hiranya no longer.
Chapter 90: Princess Assassin (Three)
Chapter 90: Princess Assassin (Three)
Vir bolted for the window. Hed barely made it out onto the ledge before he heard the panicked shouts of Haraks personal guard.
Stealth was no longer a priority. He jumped off the ten story building and plummeted to the castle grounds far below. Light Step saved him from broken bones, but the impact still hit him hard. Ash prana was bing increasingly scarce, and Light Step relied on instant activation to soften his fall.
Vir retrieved his rucksack and pressed himself against the temple wall. His fall had gone unnoticed, but with as many guards as there were, it was only a matter of time until they found him.
His options were few. Forget assassinating Mina, returning to the princess secret passage was an impossibility. Knights thronged the pce halls, and without Dance, he had no way of entering her guarded room.
The templey close to the walls that divided the castle grounds from the District of Internal Affairs. His best bet would be to make himself scarce in the Sawai district.
The only questionshow? Over a dozen guards secured the gate, and while Virs acting skills had served him well so far, the castle was on high alert. Theyd no doubt question him, and if he failed to answer properly that would be the end. Without his katars, chakrams, and Dance, he stood no chance.
Which left scaling the walls.
Easier said than done without Dance of the Shadow Demon. The prana in this entire area had been sucked dry, forcing him to rely on old-fashioned climbing.
Taking a deep breath, Vir analyzed the rampart guard patrols. There was hardly a gap now, with so many of them cloistered up there.
Every instinct screamed at him to move. To run from the guards that were no doubt pursuing him. But he overrode those fears. To climb at the wrong time meant hed be detected right away.
He found his chance a minuteter. A break in the guard patrols atop the ramparts. Slight, but enough.
Vir donned his servants robe and strode to the wallsthe least suspicious people always acted like they belonged there.
Upon reaching the base of the wall, he stowed the robe and leveraged Prana Vision to monitor the rampart guards.
Now!
Vir scrambled up the wall. Thirty paces didnt seem all that high until one had to scale it. Luckily, he had climbed things all his life, and the uneven stones provided ample handholds.
Hed timed it perfectlywhen he arrived at the top of the wall, he had it to himself. The nearest guard was thirty paces away.
Stealth was impossible; the moment he cleared the rampart, the guard noticed.
But by then, it was toote. Vir sprinted across the rampart and threw himself into the air.
He hit the cobblestone road on the other side, using Light Step and rolling to dissipate the force of the impact.
Almost out!
Vir sprinted onto the road that led away from the walls and came face to face with a dozen knights in full te armor.
Knights who encircled two people, both of which Vir recognized.
Kamna, the princess bodyguard and princess Mina Hiranya herself, waiting in ambush.
Well well well, if it isnt my Ashborn would-be assassin, Mina spoke, her voice dripping with the confidence of a predator whod cornered her prey. And with the overwhelming number of elite guards that surrounded her, she had every reason to. I supposed you think youve outwitted!?
Vir didnt even stop; he Leaped right past her.
This was his chance. Possibly his only chance. Mina must have thought him unarmed and helpless. Defanged as he was, shed be right. Except for one weapon she didnt know about. That gave him an edge, and he wasnt about to waste it.
Vir deployed his boot de and Leaped again. Sideways. It flung him onto an erratic course that Minas guards failed to predict. Even so, he could hardly believe their superhuman reflexes, adjusting to his course after a fraction of an instant.
But not fast enough. Vir Empowered his toe de, and his entire body became a whirlwind of death.
Mina stood there nkly and watched as his boot collided with her arm. Whether it was hubris or her faith in her guards, the girl neglected to wear armor.
As Vir found out, it was neither. His boot didnt even break her skin. Whether it was magic or something else, he didnt know. And he wasnt sticking around to find out.
Without waiting for even a single moment, Vir aborted his attack andunched himself away, gaining precious distance. By the time she screamed, Vir was long gone.
Bleed to death, you grakking chal! Vir swore under his breath.
As he waswithout his weapons and Dancefighting even a single knight would result in his loss. Against them all? Itd be his doom. Prana Vision showed that even the weakest of those knights possessed greater affinities. They were Minas best.
Kamna, dear? Kill him, he heard Mina shout. It was a deranged voice, a high shrill several octaves too high. Cut him to pieces!
Thunder cracked from both of Minas palms, and an arc of Lightning reached out to touch Vir.
Sensing their activation with Prana Vision, he threw his body aside, dodging one but he was too slow to dodge the other. Rather, her attack anticipated his dodge,nding right where he moved. There was simply no avoiding a well ced lightning attack.
The attack raked through his shoulder, sending his entire body spasming.
Vir crashed to the ground, just barely staying conscious. His instincts took over, automatically throwing himself into a roll. Struggling through the lingering shock of Minas Arc spell, he forced himself to continue running. He couldnt feel his left arm, and his legs felt numb, but he ran anyway.
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Because Kamna was just twenty paces behind. Twenty paces too close.
He knew what wasing.
Vir dove into a cross street, just barely missing Kamnas de Launch, which threw cobblestone into the air like projectiles. One block hit his back, but Vir gritted through the pain and continued.
Im gonna lose like this.I need an edge.
No mejai could keep up with Talent wielders leveraging Leap, so Mina wasnt likely to follow. That left her entourage, but Vir was sure she wouldn''t send all dozen of her knights after him.
Sure enough, only Kamna and four other knights followed.
The streets were dangerous. But the rooftops? That was Virs yground.
Lets see you tinheads follow me up here.
A High Jump propelled him onto the tile roofs. Unlike themons with their t y and wood ceilings, the Sawai District boasted raked rooftops.
Treacherous terrain for tfooted knights in full te. The ultimate environment for one as agile as Vir.
He bounded from roof to roof, leveraging Leap to send him sailing over amber-lit streets like a ghost. While Talents came slower on the roofs, that applied equally to his pursuers. And Vir didnt need to rely on Talents nearly as much as they did.
When he sneaked a look back, he found only Kamna, nowgging thirty paces, and two other knights barely keeping up.
Almost there. I got this!
He could already see the Ash prana growing denser on the ground beneath. Soon, hed have enough to activate Dance, but it wasnt enough. He needed to use it fast. Which meant more prana, and that meant going further. Another four hundred paces.
Kamna fired another de Launch. A line of tiles erupted after himeven if the attack missed, the shrapnel it fired off was nearly as dangerous.
Vir jumped and fell back onto the street to avoid it.
The game of cat and mouse continued. Vir would gain distance until Kamna attacked. Dodging her Talents cost him precious distance, which hed again slowly increase. Their chase left a trail of destruction in its wake.
Two hundred paces!
But then the knights whod struggled earlier suddenly caught up.
Guess theyre not elites for nothing, Vir thought as he watched them gain on him, nking him on either side. No! Its not that!
The knights moved with odd movements, faster than what was humanly possible.
Theyre using the Talent Haste!
And they were trying to encircle him.
Kamnaunched a throwing dagger with superhuman force. It flew straight as an arrow without spinning.
Vir raised his steel bracer, deflecting the attack, but concentrating on the attack lost him more ground.
The knights had caught up. He was now in range.
Empowered de Projections assaulted Vir. Empowered throwing knives sailed his way, forcing him to dodge or block. And behind it all loomed the threat of Kamnas de Launch, which could end him at any moment.
Vir kicked off a rooftop. His pursuers followed. But when his feet found roof tile, he didnt continue on. He violently twisted around and High Jumped back at his pursuers, meeting them midair.
Before Kamnas face could register shock, Vir deployed his boot dagger, mming it into a knights neck.
In one fluid move, Vir ended the knights life, retracted his de, kicked off of the falling corpses armor, and shot down to the street.
He rolled and Leaped away, leaving his pursuers on a rooftop scrambling to follow.
Fifty paces!
Vir tore through the streets, pulling as much prana into his legs as he possibly could.
Twenty-five!
Kamna caught up again, and she looked angry. Enough! Do you think you can escape the city? What will you do? Run across the desert?
Vir finally stopped and turned, raising his hands slowly. I dont need to run across the desert, though.
Oho? What will you do, then?
Me? Oh, Ill just disappear. By the way, your mom sends her regards.
For the second time that evening, Kamna was left bewildered as Vir slipped out from under her nose.
Vir took a moment to smirk at her horrified expression from the safety of the Shadow Realm. Here, time stood still. For ten precious seconds, none could hurt him. After gloating for a few seconds, he turned his eye to the possible exits.
Owing to the lower poption density of the District of Internal Affairs, safe exits were fewer here, but Virs situation was arguably better than back at the castle. There, guards swarmed. Here, only Sawai families slept.
Vir found himself a nice, dark cer nearby and exited. He didnt move. Instead, he just sat back and monitored the surroundings with Prana Vision.
Nobody would find him here. Kamna couldnt search Sawai manors without a warrant, and she certainly didnt have the warrant on hand to some random aristocrats house.
Furthermore, she had no reason to suspect hed disappeared into a manor. She didnt know the range limitations of Dance of the Shadow Demon, and so he was safe here.
Vir spent the next several hours sitting quietly. Observing. Waiting. And shivering.
Hed just reaped another soul tonight. Hed taken the life of the one whod wronged him. Whod wronged Maiya.
There was no satisfaction in his heart. No sense of warmth or gloating. But there was closure. Hed failed to kill Princess Mina. But hed made an honest attempt on her life. And he had killed the man who murdered Rudvik, Apramor, and Aliscia, sewing chaos as promised. His debt to Riyan was now over.
When dawn finally broke, Kamna and her guards had long since given up and gone home. Vir calmly swapped faces, donned his Sawai clothing and Danced out into the streets, blending into the traffic as yet another Sawai, just going about their daily business.
Nobody suspected Vir as he slipped through the District gates. Nobody knew what hed done when he retrieved Neel and Bumpy and checked out of the Sanctum. Having never ridden the beast while in Daha, Mina''s spies knew not that theme Ash''va belonged to him. As for Neel, Vir simply covered him under a nket as the Bandy rode on Bumpy''s back.
And so, none were the wiser as Vir rode out, deceiving all watchful eyes and leaving Daha behind.
Some time earlier, as Vir was fleeing Minas guards, a figure stood ten paces from Mina Hiranya. Tall, broad-shouldered, proud and surrounded in a pool of blood. Not his own, but in the blood of Minas elite knights. A half dozen bodies littered the ground, leaving the princess alone and defenseless.
Quite ate entry, dont you think? Mina said calmly, smiling as she turned to the neer. Rather than resembling someone greeting her assassin, she looked as though her dearest friend had just shown up.
For years, I have awaited this moment, said Riyan, ring at his mortal enemy. For years, I have plotted and calcted. All to create an opening. All so that I can have you alone. To myself.
Oho? So you never expected your pawn to seed, is it? Quite coldhearted of you, dont you think?
The boy exceeded expectations. He granted me this opportunity, did he not?
All this just for a distraction? Why not simply ambush me in the sewers? I must admit I was hoping you would!
And deal with both you and Kamna? I know she follows you down there, wherever you go. By the time I dealt with her, you would be long gone. No. You are never unguarded. Except right now. And now, Mina Hiranya, you will die.
Riyan disappeared, slicing across Minas body with his talwar.
But instead of a shower of red, Mina stood unharmed.
Ha ha ha! sheughed. Oh, you poor fool. You honestly think you can harm me?
You believe your Artifact makes you invulnerable. Indeed, I believed the same, for a time. But did you really think Id havee here tonight without a n?
A drop of blood trickled down Mina''s cheek. The grin on her face shrank ever so slightly.
The grin on Riyans widened. I will enjoy this.
Chapter Quick note
Chapter Quick note
Hey all,
Sorry, misposted a chapter of my other fic here by ident. 2nd time that''s happened - RR''s multi fic dashboard makes it very easy to post stuff for the wrong story. Hoping that doesn''t happen again, but I''m guessing it might :-/
So with that all said, I figure this is as good a time as any to shill a side project I''m writing. If you''re in the mood for mind-numbingly dumb satire... check out my other story!
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Big Rick Energy: Number Go Up [RPGLiteraturd]
Chapter 91: The Butcher And The Blight
Chapter 91: The Butcher And The Blight
Thunder cracked as Princess Mina Hiranyas C Grade Arc spellnced out, its finger seeking a target that was no longer there.
Tell me, Riyan. Were you surprised to learn that Id killed your contact and taken his ce?
Riyan ignored her, Blinking around the princess, evading her magic. Since water magic was useless against a fast-moving opponent, Mina only had Lightning to work with.
I suppose you never knew of my skills with deception. You knew I liked to sneak out of the castle, but youd never seen me do it. If you had, youd have realized my skills were easily as good as your own. Your mistake got your man killed, Riyan. Yet another useless death for your pointless cause.
Shed hoped to upset Riyans rhythm, giving her an opening. But the mans relentless determination hadnt changed after all these years; he continued to attack, unfazed.
Despite her calm outward demeanor, Mina seethed. A mejais worst enemy was a skilled Talent wielder, especially one who specialized in mobility. Even her Arc spells missed their mark against such an agile foe, and without her magic, she had only one or two options to threaten him with. When Riyan wasnt Blinking around, he moved with superhuman speed, augmented by Haste. Against such an opponent, Mina was a sitting duck.
But this was true of every mejai, and so Mina had long ago taken precautions.
Riyans talwar shed across her face once again, opening a small gash on her cheek, drawing blood. Minas mind spun and spun, attempting to decipher her enemys secret.
Even de Projection shouldnt be able to touch me, shemented calmly. Mina was intimately familiar with all of Riyans Talents. The man had been infusing every attack with prana, but she knew from experience that this Talent couldnt prate her Artifacts defenses.
The pendant she wore under her clothes hailed from the Age of Gods, and not only prevented injury but also healed wounds near-instantly as well. Already, the line on her cheek clotted and closed. It was the ultimate healing art. One that shed never had to rely on in the past.
Because even with Dahas limited prana, it had always rendered her invulnerable.
The princess wore it at all times without fail. A fact Riyan knew well.
You know, I feel a little bad ying with your agent. You never even told him about my Artifact, did you?
Who in their right mind would undertake an assassination mission against an unkible opponent? I never intended the boy to die. Unlike you, I value those whove done right by me.
Virs mission was doomed to fail from the start. But it had given Riyan Mina, alone and vulnerable. And as a bonus, hed even killed Head Priest Harak, and had sown chaos in the capital.
Curious, Mina said, appraising Riyan like ab specimen. I know not your secret, but that you managed to harm me is intriguing. This has never happened before. But even so, that is all it isa curiosity. Is this all? They do say that one can die from a thousand cuts, but I fear youve miscalcted again, my dear general. What did you hope to aplish here? Soon, my elite knights will be here, and youll die in vain.
Riyan said nothing as he flitted around her, blurring as his speed left afterimages in Minas eyes. Relentlessly, consistently, Minas arms, legs, and cheeks took damage.
Again and again, hed wound her, only for her flesh to mend right back up.
But Riyan wasnt done. For a brief moment, he stopped, attacking Mina not once or twice, but thrice in quick session. All at the exact same spot. Each strike gouged deeper into Minas forearms as she blocked her face, each drawing more and more blood.
General Riyan Savar knew better than most that to stop on a battlefield meant death. A stationary target was an easy target, and Mina capitalized on the opportunity. The instant Riyans attacks stopped, she fired a C Grade Arc spell.
At this distance, Riyan wouldnt evade. He took the attack head-on and grinned,unching a flurry of follow-up strikes on the hapless princess.
Minaughed wryly. Aegis? Now now, its not polite to keep secrets, Riyan. Have you kept it hidden this whole time? Or is this some new ability, perhaps?
Despite her situation, the princess sounded genuinely happy.
Ignoring her again, he struck the same wound in rapid sessiona feat made possible only by a warrior of Riyans caliber. As much as Talents augmented strikes, if the technique and footworkgged, the results would only go so far. It was why hed trained Vir so relentlessly in the Kri arts.
The Talent Aegis defended its wielder against iing magical damage, and while his was still a work in progress, it was more than enough to dissipate the energy of Minas Lightning strikes into the ground.
How? Mina shouted as her curiosity got the better of her.
You dont even have the faintest clue of how your Artifact works, do you? You inherit such a priceless treasure from your father, and yet, even with your intellect, you never tested it. Never researched it.
Oh? You sound quite confident about this. How do you know I
Mina suddenly fell silent. Youve found an exploit.
Riyan cracked a grin.
For the first time in their encounter, doubt flickered through Minas eyes. It was a passing thing, but Riyan didnt fail to notice.
Though his attacks hadnt done appreciable damageindeed, every cut hed inflicted had already closedhe trusted his n.
After years of research, scouring libraries from all over the Known World, Riyan had gained a morsel of insight into the workings of Minas pendant. Most records covering the Gods and their magic bordered on uselessopting to revere and extol the subject of their study rather than understand it.
But after pouring over a dozen tomes, patterns emerged. Riyan had learned that most Artifacts functioned by drawing prana from its surroundings to charge their spells, much like orbs did. In Minas case, her pendant used the prana to protect her.
So you learned about how my Artifact uses prana, did you? So what? Yes, prana is scarce here, but even then, your attacks should not be able to touch me. Youre doing something else. Something youre not telling me.
If only you put that mind toward the betterment of this country. Hiranya would rival even the Kinjals. Instead, you y your sick games, plotting to bring about your brothers downfall.
In regions of sufficient prana density, Riyan would never have been able to graze the princess. But now he knew. The Artifact was struggling. Struggling to block his attacks and heal Minas wounds.
Whats more, his gamble had worked. Hed hidden the Life orb slotted into his talwar by moving too fast for Minas eyes to track.
By infusing Life affinity prana and mixing healing into his attacks, hed stunted the Artifact, tricking it. Should it heal? Or would it impede the healing? Hed no basis for this theory, only instinct. But instinct had served him well through his long career, and it did not fail him now.
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It seems even the Gods workings have their limits.
That said, it wasnt as if the Artifact sat back and did nothing. It did heal Minas wounds, but only to a degree. And critically, thanks to the Life prana in Riyans attacks, it did not nullify his strikes. Healing consumed far more prana than mere damage deflection, a fact hed exploited thoroughly.
And soon
Riyan continued his onught, unrelenting. All Mina could do was to stand and bear the myriad of small wounds that opened up on her body. Her only other option was to flee, and were it anyone elseanyone sanetheyd have done so. But not Mina.
The Princess grinned maniacally, ecstatic to have her old general back in the palms of her hands as rivulets of red flowed down her face and body.
Rivulets from the wounds on her body that hadnt yet healed.
With each sessive strike, Riyan became more and more sure of his strategy. If the Artifact consumed prana, it stood to reason that, in Dahas prana-deprivednds, that very prana would soon run out.
Slowly but surely, Minas wounds took longer and longer to heal, while the gashes themselves grew deeper and deeper.
Several more Lightning strikes pummeled Riyan. He dodged most, but those he couldnt evade, he dissipated with Aegis.
Almost there
But Fate waited for no one.
A half-dozen knights rounded a bend and rushed to protect their princess. If they seeded, his chance would slip away. Against one or two Br 100 warriors, Riyan would win. But against six, all augmented by mejai support? Even he wasnt confident about those odds.
Im afraid this game has gone on long enough, Mina whispered. Know your ce, Riyan. Know that it is beneath me. Know that you will never kill me!
The princess hadnt seemed to notice her reinforcements. Or, if she had, simply didnt care.
You think yourself clever, having researched my Artifact. You assume I trusted it blindly, thinking it infallible. But tell me, Riyan. Would you ever put all of your faith in one tool? Would you not build contingency ns?
Riyans eyes narrowed. Was she bluffing? Or did she mean what she said?
At that moment, something changed. Mina neither attacked nor did she order her troops. She instead stood calmly, gloating, as if shed just turned the tide of this battle.
Princess! Are you unhurtGaaaah!?
The knights adopted a defensive perimeter around Mina, but those closest to her immediately recoiled in pain. Their flesh sizzled and decayed, as if consumed by an invisible monster.
Retreat, if you do not wish to die an agonizing death, Mina said coldly, as if speaking to lower life forms. I will personally execute those who interfere.
Turning to Riyan, she bowed her head. I apologize for the intrusion. To think they nearly ruined my fun. Now, my dear general, please die for me.
What is this magic? Riyan asked, putting several paces between him and Mina. It wasnt just her knights whod taken damage. The weeds prating the cobblestone wilted and died, as did bushes at the edge of the street. It was as if Death itself surrounded Mina, cloaking her in its bony embrace.
And now wee to the climax of this little show, Mina said, firing off her Lightning again.
It wasn''t just her Arc spell that hit him. The mejai among the knights hurled fire, wind, and water spells at him.
But if Mina''s Lightning couldn''t hit him, they stood no chance at all.
Riyan Blinked closer to understand this new unseen foe. But the moment he came within three paces of her, blinding pain assaulted him. It was as if his arm had been ced in forge fire. Hed experienced nothing like this.
With a grunt, Riyan aborted his attack.
Did you know, my dear general? No, I suppose you wouldnt. We keep too many secrets, really.
Either use that mouth to say something, or stay silent, Riyan barked.
Mina smiled gleefully, as if her enemy had just said a funny joke. She then crouched and touched the cobblestone. There is a monster. One that lurks deep beneath this city. A being of myth and legend. Trapped there after passing through an unstable Ash Tear. Too small to allow it to return, but just enough to feed it enough prana to survive. With the Altanis help, weve managed to control it. A superweapon, of sorts.
Riyan frowned. Hed never known of such a thing. Once again, he wondered whether Mina was bluffing, but the invisible cloud of death that surrounded her told a different story.
Prana Swarm, they call it. Ive seen it myself. Ive seen what it does. Honestly, its less of a weapon and more of a cmity that would destroy this entire city if set loose. But what if you took just a bit of that cmity? What if you stored it in a jar and fed it only enough prana to keep it alive? What then, my dear general?
Riyan nched at her words. Hed heard of Prana Swarms, but only in myths. Fables and legends. This wasnt the sort of monster one ever expected to actually encounter. But what he knew made him sick.
Beings of pure prana that consumed all dense prana sources, adding that power to their cloud.
The cloud surrounding Mina expanded outward.
To confront one was to die. Riyan moved away, circling Mina''s slowly-expanding Swarm. But of course, she didn''t let him. The Prana Swarm relentlessly attacked her, though it failed to prate the Artifact''s defenses. Which meant it followed the princess wherever she went, acting as her personal shield of death.
Knowing she was now nigh-untouchable, she charged Riyan, and for the first time in their duel, he was on the back foot.
Riyan dodged, Blinking away from Mina whenever she approached. The princess, knowing he would, timed her magic and fired Arc spells the moment he reappeared. Even with his deft footwork and vast experience, the odds eventually caught up to him. He dodged half a dozen lightning bolts, but the seventh struck him, sending him to the ground, spasming violently.
A warrior like Riyan wouldn''t die from a single Arc spell, but being on the ground made him vulnerable and exposed, and his opponent relentlessly exploited that weakness.
Water Dart fired, prating Riyan''s robes. He never wore armor, preferring mobility to defense, but with his mobility gone, only Toughen protected him from Mina''s magic. It wasn''t enough. Her magical dartsnced into his body, piercing flesh.
Instinct saved Riyan. A lifetime ofbat had burned his weak points into his muscle memory; his body moved just enough to avoid lethal wounds. His Life orb began healing his wounds the moment they opened.
The warrior understood that the duel could not go on like this. Avoiding the Prana Swarm was not an option. There was only one choice. Only one path to victory.
Riyan steeled himself and Blinked in, gritting himself for the searing pain. He activated Haste. He activated de Projection. He powered his Life Affinity orb. And he shed with all the strength he had, right at Minas exposed neck.
This was it. His final attack.
The Prana Swarm ate away at his body as he swung, consuming him, debilitating him with acid-washed pain. His legs refused to move the way he wanted, and he knew his aim wouldnt be true.
So instead, at the veryst moment, he willed his muscles to change course. Just slightly. Just enough to cleave through another target.
The Artifact warred with the weight of Riyans strike, but this attack was different. Because not only did Minas pendant have to counter Riyans enhanced de, but it had to negate the damage the Prana Swarm dealt to Mina.
Because, as Mina had said, they resembled forces of nature more than any living organism. And one did not control mother nature.
The Artifact buckled, and Minas arm went sailing into the distance. Crimson painted the ground as the princess blinked in shock.
But his attack had not been without cost. Riyans skin burned and his flesh melted.
He ignored it and touched the ground, Blinking back at the girl for another strike.
Healing magic worked wonders. It could restart pierced hearts, and bring those back who were thought dead. To kill Mina, hed have to decapitate her. Because, for all its power, not even the highest grade Life orb could regrow a limb.
His next de Projected strike removed her left leg, just above the knee.
Each foray into the Prana Swarm cost Riyan, and by the time he left the cloud, the skin on his face had sheared off entirely, leaving his visage hideous and ruined.
The princess guards had not been idle. Despite the danger, and despite the debilitating pain, they formed a ring around their liege, protecting her even at the cost of their own lives.
Fools! Riyan roared. You protect a monster. But a crippled one.
With a genuine smile on his face, Riyan Blinked to Minas severed limbs and scooped them up.
Hede here knowing full well he might not end the princess life. He was more than willing to sacrifice his own to do so. For Arya. For Meera. His dead wife and daughter. For Hiranya.
You once took everything from me. You took my wife. My precious daughter. But robbing you of your family would only please you, wouldn''t it? You have never once cared for another. No, the only one you love is yourself. You think yourself above all others. For someone like you, there is no greater insult than this. Consider that karma you sowed so long ago returned.
Without her limbs to reattach, Mina would live as a cripple for the rest of her days. A stark reminder of her failure. Never again would Mina be the shining symbol of perfection she so thoroughly believed she was.
Now, you will never be Queen, Riyan shouted, gloating through his pain. You will not bring this country to ruin.
Kill him! Mina screamed.
But her troops remained frozen, as if captured by Riyan''s overwhelming aura.
You will wander this world crippled, maimed, and broken. Let them know. Let the world know. Here walks Mina, the blight who thought herself untouchable!"
Despite their poverty and corruption, Hiranyans valued a stately and strong ruler. Both in demeanor and appearance. They would never ept a cripple as their monarch.
A fact Mina understood all too well.
By robbing Mina of her arm and leg, Riyan had ensured shed never ascend the throne. And in so doing, had reduced the odds that Mina killed off her siblings.
KiLL hIM!
Her knights gave chase, but Riyan was untouchable, even nearly blinded as he was. He Blinked away, seeking only to escape. To live. To fight another day.
But as he fled, he risked one look back. At his mortal enemy. At Mina.
And when he saw her tragic state For the first time in years, he found peace.
It was a small satisfaction, but it was one he would have to live with. Until he returned to finish the job.
Chapter 92: To Fight Fire With Fire (Book One Epilogue)
Chapter 92: To Fight Fire With Fire (Book One Epilogue)
It was not Riyans hidden sanctuary that greeted Vir, but burning rubble, soot, and ash.
Nothing of the abode remained. The ceiling had copsed in, leaving a ckened gouge in the hill''s side where once the magnificent home had stood.
Vir had Bumpy stop several hundred paces away and scanned the horizon for any signs of life.
Prana Vision became blurry at such distances, but against the contrast of night on an open desert with no obstructions, it showed him that no one was around.
Whatever fire had burned the home down had burned itself out long ago, its perpetrators long gone. The site was empty.
Vir snapped his fingers, signaling Neel to apany him. Together, they crossed the dunes to where Riyans front door used to be. Now, only ckened char remained.
What could have happened here?
The obvious conclusion was that Mina finally decided to settle her feud with Riyan. But the timing indicated that these events transpired before Virs assassination attempt on her life. Had she nned this all along? Or had she taken preemptive action? Kamna said someone had been tailing him since hed entered the city, after all.
Virs boots sank into the soot. The house was unrecognizable. Not even a trace of their original rooms remained. Only an enormous yawning cavity that carved out half the dune. Only now did Vir realize just how enormous the home was.
And now it was gone, along with Riyan.
Vir had used every trick he knew to throw off any would-be pursuers, but there had been none. His disguise ensured it.
Looking back, he never should have confronted Princess Mina when hed first arrived at Daha. Shed discovered him right away, leading to the events that resulted in his botched assassination.
If only I was a bit more careful, Virmented. Which was whying back made him incredibly nervous.
He was taking an enormous risk returning, but a necessary one; he had to convey the results of his mission to Riyan. And yet, the man was nowhere to be found. Did he perish here with his home? Or had he fled to safety? Vir simply couldnt imagine the man dying so easily.
He saw no signs ofbat, but the dune winds erased all scars. Even now, a gentle breeze blew sand grains onto the wreckage, slowly restoring itself. A month from now, no evidence of Riyans home would remain. A great battle could have been fought here, and Vir would never know.
Neel patrolled the area, fruitlessly searching for familiarity, and yet the hopelessly lost look on his face said it all.
Vir kneeled to pick up a handful of ash, letting it filter through his gloved fingers. He could almost feel the memories in this ce. Rudviks passing, and the gaping hole that left inside him. The stress hed felt when hed first arrived, wondering whether he could prove his worth to Riyan. The injuries he sustained from the obstacle course, and the grotto soaks with Maiya that wiped them all away
Hed spent little more than half a year here, and yet it felt like hed just lost something precious. It felt like his life had been a string of losses. First, Brij and his old life. Then Rudvik, Apramor, and Aliscia. And now, Riyan and his estate.
Vir shook himself out of his reverie. Now was neither the time nor the ce to reminisce. There was nothing for him here, now. Whether dead or alive, Riyan was gone. If he had passed, Vir would mourn his passing, though he doubted the man would sumb so easily. If he was alive, Vir could only hope he caught wind of his attempt on Mina''s life eventually.
Either way, Virs debt was fulfilled.
Returning to Bumpy, Vir rode south to the cavework, hopeful that Maiya might have left him some clues as to where shed gone.
Guard Bumpy, Vir ordered, prating into the cavework alone. Uncovering the cache, he found it untouched. Some food, a nket, forty coppers, a spare face paint kit, and nothing else. No note.
Maiya hasnt been back at all
Vir punched the rock wall. Every shred of his entire being wanted to find her. Without a hint, he had nothing to go on. She couldve been halfway across the Known World! And she could be in disguise.
After stuffing the contents of the cache into his rucksack, he retrieved some charcoal and parchment and scribbled a hasty note.
Daha Brotherhood Sanctum. Ask for Apramor. Introduce yourself as Maiya. Mission failed. On the run, but safe. Want to find you. Riyans home burned to the ground. Riyan missing. Find me, Maiya. Miss you.
He couldnt say if shed evere back, and he didnt know where he was bound, but the least he could do was to leave a breadcrumb. Hed told the Daha Brotherhood to share everything about him, should a certain red-haired Maiyae calling.
Vir returned to the cave entrance and brought Bumpy and Neel inside a few paces. Just far enough to hide them. Neel had learned to deal with dark ces by sticking close to Vir, but Bumpy was terrified of the dark.
Heid a nket down beside his four-legged friends and munched on some dried food.
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Searching blindly for Maiya was a fools errand. Rather than search for her, it was better to let here to him. With the Brotherhoods international presence andwork, he merely had to check in at whatever branch he went to. They would ry his position back to Daha, which would allow Maiya to follow.
Trusting the Brotherhood came with its risks, especially for a fugitive like himself, but they had proven reliable thus far, and Vir was desperate to find Maiya.
The question was: where to go from here?
There was only one answer. For too long, Vir had ignored Shardul and Ekanai. For too long, hed refused their pleas. But after meeting Janaks avatar, he could hesitate no longer.
If he wanted to find out who he was, if he wanted to learn more about the voices in his head and the tattoo on his chest, hed have to travel to the Ashen Realm.
Yet there was much he still did not know. How to survive in that blightednd, how best to enter it. What could he expect? He needed knowledge. Information that was beyond what was recorded in the books.
It just so happened that his objectives aligned. Vir had to flee Hiranya, regardless, and the Rani Queendom was the ideal choice.
South. To Rani. And south. To the Pagan Order.
With this revtion came a sense of purpose. A newfound identity. For sixteen years, Vir had lived as a viger of Brij, cloistered in his tiny microcosm of the world. That had all ended the day the knights arrived at Brij. Rudvik protected him, and Riyan had shown him a broader world. At Daha, Vir had stepped out into that world for the first time. On his own.
And now, he was someone else.
Gone was Ekavir of Godshollow. That book had been written.
But the saga of the Ashborn mercenary had only just begun.
In the royal audience hall inside Dahas pce, King Rayid met with his beloved daughter. They were joined by a dozen of the royal knight guard.
Father, please. How can you let this atrocity go unpunished? We must find the perpetrator! He could be out there right now, plotting my demise! How am I supposed to sleep at night? Look at me! she screamed.
Her delicate, tanned right arm had be an unsightly stump, and her left leg was missing above the knee. Im hideous! A cripple for life! You know exactly what that means. Nobody will listen to me anymore.
The castles Life mejai had done everything they could, but not even the best healing magic could regrow limbs. Mina would live the rest of her days with her injuries. A fact made more bitter by the oue of her battle with Riyan.
Minas makeup had run, leaving dark trails under her eyes. Even without her missing arm, she looked as haggard as a traveler who had braved the desert sand for days.
King Rayid looked at his daughter with infinite tenderness.
Mina, please! My blood boils as hotly as your own, knowing he is out there. The man who did this to my daughter shall be destroyed! Rayid roared. We have every resource avable hunting Riyan Savar down.
Minas blood boiled. It wasnt enough. It wasnt nearly enough.
Father, what message would it send to our allies if this were to be public knowledge? What of our alliance with the Altani?
The Altani are up in arms, Mina! They''re threatening sanctions after you used your Prana Swarm. When did you even obtain a portion of that weapon, anyway?
Their anger will pass. What won''t pass is our tattered reputation. Will theye to our aid, knowing their ally cannot even hunt down the assassin who nearly murdered their princess? Hiding my injury will be difficult enough as it is.
Long gowns might make up for a peg leg. Makeup could hide her scar. Her arm well, shed think of something. She had to.
That''s...
What of Kinjal!? Will they not exploit this weakness? Father! This is no longer a matter of my life. It concerns our national security! Our very sovereignty is at risk!
Thats going a bit far, Mina. Hes just one injured man on the run. You even burned his home to the ground. He has few ces left he can hide.
Its not Savar Im worried about! Mina snapped. Kamna and a squad of my elite knights pursue him even as we speak. Soon, he will be with me again. But he has discovered a way to bypass my Artifact''s defenses. If his agentthat Ashbornknows as well...
Then that puts you at great risk.
Mina shed a smile so subtle, her father couldn''t have noticed.
She''d been defanged in one fell swoop. Never again would she pose a threat to Riyan Savar, or anyone else for that matter. Once Hiranya learned of her disfigurement, her allies would leave her one by one. Her brothers would see to it, and the Artifact she carried would undoubtedly be stripped away and given to her siblings.
This was herst hope. Her only hope at striking back. Killing Savar wasn''t enough. She had to break him. By breaking his pawn. If she was no longer a threat, then at least Hiranya could be, in her stead.
Have you forgotten, father? He infiltrated the castle. He possesses a strange Talent that allows him to move through shadows, making him exceedingly difficult to track. Furthermore, he killed Head Priest Harak! For that crime alone, we must pursue him. Father, did you know? No, of course you dont. I only came across this information the other day.
What information?
Mina feigned horror, cing a palm against her head. The one after my life is none other than the one who set our Prana Swarm loose!
Thats how do you know this?
The Ashborn said it himself when we met! He boasted of his feat, and with pride, he proimed that the lives of all Dahans sat in his palms, Mina said, swooning.
I I see. This is grave news, Mina. I wish you''d told me earlier. But believe me when I say that our resources are fully deployed. Every avable knight is hunting this man.
Savar has few ces he can hide. Ive no doubt your forces will find him before long. I want him alive, father. I want to savor the look on his face as I break him. But father, what of the Ashborn? Im sure hell flee south. What then? How will you pursue him past our borders?
No doubt he will. Sai does not suffer Ashborn, and the Altanis borders are closed. Kinjal, then? Our sworn enemy?
Either Kinjal or Rani. We have no power in either. If he flees there
Then well never capture him, King Rayid said.
You understand, dont you, father? We must use every means at our disposal to eradicate this blight. What of the weapons we keep chained? What of that one? For sixteen years, he has sat unused, rotting away. If you truly care about my life, would you not send him too? He could pass borders with ease.
The four-armed giant? King Rayid asked. You cannot be serious. That demon is not a Hiranyan military asset. He is as likely to kill us as he is to hunt this Ashborn.
Mina smiled. Her father had taken the bait. But father! That is precisely why. Should he be caught, none would suspect Hiranya.
That is true.
Father, did you know? The foresters sometimes light a fire to burn against another. The best way to deal with one demon is to send another.
No. It is too dangerous, Mina.
Demons love to run wild, father. They pige, rampage, and ughter. This one has had its urges repressed for a decade and a half. Tell me, if we were to offer his freedom in return for a hunt, do you not think he would ept? Well have our finest Mejai of Realms apany him. To keep him in check. And of course, we shall continue binding him with an obedience cor. There is no risk to us, father! Please! I beg you!
Mina fell to her knees, cradling her stump.
Rayid did understand that his daughter was doing what she always did, pushing for a favor. But, given the circumstances and her injuries, he found it all but impossible to refuse her.
Very well. Release the four-armed giant! King Rayid ordered, standing from his throne.
Thank you, father, Mina wept, cradling her stump. Thank you!
Chapter (Arc 4) (Book Two) 93: A New Dawn Breaks
Chapter (Arc 4) (Book Two) 93: A New Dawn Breaks
Wake up, Princess Mina Hiranyamanded, standing with her arm on her hip and her chest puffed out. From her haughty expression to her upturned chin, her every feature exuded an aura of overwhelming superiority.
Were amoner to see her, theyd prostrate and grovel, even in her disfigured state.
Wooden limbs had reced her disfigured ones, and while she hadn''t gotten used to walking on a peg leg, she didn''t need walking skills for what she was about to do.
The four-armed demon slowly opened his eyes. He said nothing, leveling a stare that made Mina take a reflexive half-step back, nearly falling over due to her peg leg.
The enormous chains that bound his arms, neck, and ankles each weighed as much as a man, and yet they jingled lightly as he shifted his body to a lounging position, barely interfering with his motions. Thick, sturdy steel beams separated the demon from the princess and her cadre of knights and mejai.
Too much gold, the four-armed giant said from within his oversized dungeon cell, eyeing the half-dozen knights in full te that ringed the princess. He paid the other six mejai that stood before him no mind. Gaudy and hollow. That face you wear? Fake. That image you project? False. What are you, really? the giant thundered, cracking his thick neck.
Disregard his empty threats, princess, a man said from beside Mina. A Mejai of Realms, and one of the finest in Hiranya. The giant speaks grandly, but look at him. He has not a shred of power left.
Half giant, the demon corrected. True demon giants would never fit in your tiny halls.
Tall tales! the Mejai of Realms replied.
Mina ignored the mejai. You speak as if you know me, half giant. Yet we have never met.
Girl, after four hundred years, a demon learns a thing or two about wearing faces. Why have you roused me from my slumber? Speak.
By all rights, Mina was the authority figure here. She was not the one bound in heavy chains, nor was she subdued by an obedience cor that suppressed her powers and shocked her when she misbehaved. She was the princess of this kingdom, surrounded by some of the most powerful mejai and warriors the kingdom had.
And yet, to all in the room, it felt as if it were the opposite. They felt like vassals prostrating before a god. The blue and gold tribal tattoos that covered every inch of the giants body only amplified the image. They spoke of an arcane power. A power lost to time, from an age long forgotten.
Your fear! the demon roared, his ck beard jostling from the wind of his breath. I can taste it. Good. Shake! Tremble! Know your ce, humans. For it is a low ce, far below my kind. Tell me, what happened to your arm?
Enough! Mina shouted, cradling her wooden hand. Ie bearing a gift. And an opportunity.
Oh? Do you, now? Speak. I shall hear you, two-faced girl.
For sixteen years, you have rotted away in this dungeon, unable to use your powers. Unable to even stand. My gift is a taste of the outside world.
Oh. So generous of you. No, truly, you impress me with your hospitality. Your food is far superior to anything Ive tasted in the demon realm. Tell me. Why should I leave? the ck-bearded giant demanded.
If it is food you want, you shall have all the food your belly can fit, Mina said, smiling. But what aboutbat? Surely you itch to use those great powers of yours? Demons cravebat, after all.
What do you know of us, girl? What do you know of our culture? Nothing. Do not deign presume otherwise.
I want you to hunt an Ashborn.
Until now, the demon hadzedbored. His speech hade slowly. Regally. But the moment the princess mentioned the Ashborn, he sat up, his head nearly hitting the ceiling.
Ashborn? Speak. Now!
It was not a request. It was an order. Mina found herself talking before she realized it.
His name is Ekavir. A gray skinned, red-eyed demon. An Ashborn. We want you to kill him.
The demon froze. Then sighed and slumped back. You call that Ashborn? Girl, do you even understand what Ashborn means? What you speak of is a gray demon, not Ashborn. Rare, yes. But nothing special.
Then this should pose no issue for you, yes? Mina replied. Or are you afraid to kill one of your own?
The demon scoffed. I have killed more demons in my life than I can count. Ill dly kill one of my own. The demons in this realm are no demons at all. Broken and weak, they grovel before you. Before you!
Good, Mina said. Release him.
The knights and mejai surrounding her visibly stiffened.
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There is no need to be rmed, men! the Mejai of Realms said. Even without chains, he wears his subjugation cor. He is no threat toWhat are you doing!?
No need, mejai, the demon spat.
I believe you are mistaking something. You do notmand me, the demon said, walking hunched against the ceiling to the jail bars. With each step, the stone reverberated, shaking dust off the walls and floor.
The demon extended his arms, ripping his chains free.
I chose to be imprisoned.
The demon gripped the bars of his cell, forcing everyone away.
Nothing to fear! the Mejai of Realms repeated, as if attempting to convince himself. Those bars are three inches thick! No force can break them!
I chose to remain here of my own volition.
Several tattoos red to life on his body, glowing bright with power. He heaved, and bent the steel bars as easily as a human would bend straw.
Then he stepped through.
I am Cirayus, the demon said, cracking his neck. And I choose to help you. Now, go and fetch my weapons.
The sun had only just peeked above the horizon when Vir arrived at the oasis that used to be his and Maiyas spot. After having spent the night at the cave entrance with Bumpy and Neel, hed determined that sustenance was his highest priority. Though hed obtained nuts, dried fruit, and a small waterskin from his cave cache, hed left Daha in a rush, without adequate time to prepare for a trip.
Neel had bounded off the moment hed arrived at the oasis, excited to be back at a familiar spot. He was currently running around the pond, having the time of his life.
Vir let the bandy enjoy itself while he retrieved the oversized waterskins from Bumpys back and kneeled by the ponds bank, submerging them. Ordinarily, hed never drink water untreated, but hed long ago confirmed that the water was clean. Something about the underground spring that fed the oasis kept the water potable.
Where do I go from here? The Pagan Order? Rani?
The question had lingered on his mind through the night. While Hiranya shouldnt be able to track him, Vir didnt know what resources they had. Itd be foolish to assume they wouldnt send people out. Even if they werent tracking him, he wanted to avoid running into Hiranyan scouts and spies as much as possible.
Kinjal was out of the question. While they were Hiranyas enemy, they detested demons and Ashborn even more than Hiranya. It was too dangerous.
When hed met Lord Janaks avatar at Vka Amarathe lost outpost of the gods deep beneath Dahathe god had told him to seek the Pagan Order.
Vir trusted Janak, but every story hed heard of that ce had been negative. Hed even seen demon ves being shipped to the country on Bakuras ship.
The safer option was to first head to the Rani Queendom. Known for its open borders, economic prosperity, and stable, fair rule ofw, Rani was said to be a utopia. More importantly, Hiranya held no authority there, which made it difficult for them to pursue him.
He kneeled on the sand beside the pond and traced a general map of the area with his fingers. Riyan had drilled the entire Known World into his head, forcing him to write out all the countries, major cities, and evenrge towns. Vir had resented the man for it at the time, but now? He wished he could apologize to Riyan. The information was worth its weight in seric.
Rani was arge country with many cities and towns, the closest of which was Parul on Hiranyas southern bordera stones throw from Daha. Vir drew the various cities, cing them at approximately the correct distances.
To get there, Vir would have to travel either to the Daha-Saran highway, or to the ess road that led to Brij. Then hed break off from the road, swinging south of Daha before crossing the border. He estimated the distance at around 550 miles, all told. Itd be quicker going through Daha, but he dared not risk going through the city after recent events.
That was certainly the most logical option. It was also the one princess Mina would assume hed take. While Vir doubted Hiranya would pursue him to Rani, it seemed foolish to take chances.
Vir drew a series of chevrons representing the North Legions mountain range, which ran north-south, bisecting the sliver of western Rani from itsrger eastern half. He moved his finger farther south on the sand and drew an X on the west coast, west of the Legions. Zorin.
It was a small port town to the west of Rani, and much further south than Parul. Vir estimated it at over 700 miles from his current position. Ashvas could gallop at forty miles an hour for a few hours at max, and could sustain a trot at half that speed. But on the terrain hed traverse, Vir doubted Bumpy could manage half that. At ten miles an hour, even with a full eight hours of travel a day, it would take him nine days.
Still, there were three reasons that made Zorin appealing. First, Rani shared a border with the Pagan Order, and Zorin was just a hop away from the Pagan Order capital of Balindam. He could gather information there before deciding to enter the Voinds.
Second, Hiranya would never suspect him of taking that route. No one in their right mind got anywhere even close to the Pagan Order. There was a reason an entire mountain range separated the country from most of Rani.
Andstly if Vir did venture to the Ashen Realm at some point, he could travel southeast to Avi, Ranis capital, and from there east to Matali, which shared a border with the Ash Boundary. Matali had been in decline, and their borders went unpoliced. Their garrisons on the Ash Wall were understaffed, and Vir figured hed have a far easier time sneaking past the wall there than at Kinjal or the Altani.
And after that what then?
That was where all the maps stopped. Hed be in and where abominations like the Prana Swarm weremon. And from which the few humans who braved it ever came back. All this without a map, and with no idea of where or how far he needed to go.
He could scarcely believe he was even considering it. Until recently, it may as well have been a myth to him. A ce to be feared, but never something that would involve him directly. And now Im thinking of going there. Voluntarily.
Not without a lot more information and preparation.
Vir circled the X in the sand around Zorin, just as Neel bounded up to him, tongue lolling.
Well, itll be arduous, but at least well have a cool breeze on our faces, wont we, Neel? he said, scratching his friends belly.
Having a destination was good, but it was only the beginning. A journey of 700 miles was out of reach with the supplies he had on hand. His water wouldst a few days, but Vir expected to find rivers as he traveled south. It wasnt water that was the issueit was food. While Bumpy could graze on the Ranian fields, Vir could not. Nor could Neel. Besides, he needed weapons. With only his boot de, he felt naked. He''d need to pick up something along the way, at least until he could buy another katar.
The only towns along the way were Daha and Brij. Daha was out of the question, and even Brij gave Vir pause, but he had no choice. Hed have to resupply there before continuing on.
Alright boy! Lets head out.
With his waterskins filled, Vir mounted Bumpy and charted a course for Brij.
Fate, it seemed, wanted him to return to his vige onest time. Vir doubted hed ever see it again.
Chapter 94: Guardian Of the Ash
Chapter 94: Guardian Of the Ash
Vir had taken the entire day to journey the hundred fifty-five miles from the desert oasis to Brij. Fifteen miles an hour was a slow trot for an Ashva, but Bumpys condition necessitated it. The trip had taken over thirteen hours, with several small breaks.
Though Vir loathed to remain in Hiranya even a moment longer than he had to, the journey south would be an arduous one. For him, but especially for Bumpy; he didnt want to prematurely wear his friend out. Luckily, the clouds set in around noon, easing the heat for the hardworking beast.
It was deep into the night now. Perfect for Vir. While Kamna mightve tailed him in the middle of a crowded city, out here in the middle of the night on open ins, none could hide from Prana Vision. Not when he was alert and ready.
Despite this, hed detoured several miles around the vige, leaving Bumpy in the Godshollow to avoid detection.
Neel, protect, Vir ordered, pointing at Bumpy. Neel quietly woofed, setting his haunches down near the Ashva, keeping his head on a swivel.
Vir loathed to set foot in Brijit was the first ce Hiranya would look for him, and Vir knew Mina would have spies lurking in and around the vige. He shouldnt be here at all, but his journey required food, and as risky as it wasing back here, it was downright foolhardy setting out without proper provisions.
Daha mightve been an option, but Vir didnt know what the situation was like there. Hed have to pass through the checkpoint, and if Mina had seen through his disguise, she could do it again. It was a risk he didnt want to take.
I really just shouldve bought supplies before heading out, Vir thought, cursing himself. At the time, adrenaline pumped through his body, and the only thing on his mind was fleeing that infernal city.
Besides, there was another benefit toing to Brij. If he could make it look like hed fled herenorth of Dahaitd throw off any pursuers the princess might send for him. Few would suspect him of doubling back to the south, after all.
Hoisting his rucksack, he alternated between Dance and walking, covering the half-hour walk to Brij in ten minutes.
As he approached his old home, which sat on the outskirts, Vir relied exclusively on Dance. Spies would no doubt expect him near his old home, so he was forced to. The Ash prana had fully recovered since hed depleted it months ago, but even so, he had to ration his activations given the affinitys dearth.
Though Prana Vision showed no signatures anywhere nearby, by relying on Dance, he ensured none would ever find him.
He paused inside the Shadow Realm to gaze at his old house, whose windows now shone with dancing amber light.
Someones moved in.
A surprise. Even ignoring the mess the prana gophers had made of the homes foundation, the house itself had been rickety at best.
Yet now, the half-rotted wood had been reced, and the holes through which drafts used to flow were patched up. Whoever they were took better care of the ce than Rudvik and Vir had before.
Rather than feel upset, Vir was happy for the house. Like him, it, too had received a second chance at life.
He continued to leverage Dance of the Shadow Demon to cover ground, disappearing into shadows only to pop up thirty paces away. He never truly exited the shadow Realm, thoughhed learned how to chain the ability together. As his arm exited one shadow, he began sucking the prana and blood in his hands up, reactivating the ability.
To an observer, they might see an arm or a head pop up for an instant, though thatwould be all. Vir would be gone again by the time they blinked.
He only started easing up on the ability once hed found shelter in the alleys of Brij. Here, the buildings hid him just as well as the shadows, and Prana Vision easily identified every human in the vicinity, even through walls.
His first stop would be the baker. Vir navigated the familiar alleys, rationing Dance where he could, disappearing into the shadows when he couldnt. Soon, he came upon the old bakers buildingthe only one in town who used to treat him with respect.
At least, he came upon what was left of it. The building had been burned to the ground, and now only ckened ash remained.
Vir ground his teeth. This was no ident; the buildings next to it remained untouched. Someone had intentionally torched this building.
Was it the vigers? Had baker Jaisal risen up after hed learned what happened to Apramor, Aliscia, and Rudvik? Or had the knights simply torched anyone whod been nice to Vir? To teach the vigers a lesson?
Vir didnt know, but he at least felt better knowing the blight that was Head Priest Harak no longer wreaked such havoc. No doubt princess Mina would find a recement eventually, but until then, fewer tragedies would befall Hiranyans.
It vexed Vir that he couldnt eliminate the princess as well. While Riyan had used the wrong strategy to coerce Vir, he nheless bore the mans hatred of that princess. Perhaps it would take years, but one day, hed return toplete the job. Mina was a blight that needed to be eliminated.
Vir slunk back into the alleys and Danced into a nearby baker. This one hadnt been nearly as nice to him. In fact, the man shooed Vir away whenever hed gotten close. Itd made him less guilty when hed pilfered from the shops reject pile in the past.
This time, he didnt need to resign himself to the scraps. The man baked twice a week and kept his bread in a cooler in the backroom.
Vir helped himself, stuffing loaves into his sack. There were even a couple ofyered honey crisp pastries, which Vir ate right then and there. He relished the sweet nectar as it went down his throat. A rare delicacy.
Even a dozen loaves wouldnt be enough to feed him and Neel on their own, but he figured he could pluck wild edibles along the way. Along with the dried nuts and berries he kept as emergency rations, it would suffice.
Vir turned to leave, then paused. Rummaging through his coin bag, he retrieved twenty coppers andid them on the counter. It was less than the loaves market price, but the amount would cover the bakers cost.
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The man may have been rude to Vir, but he had a difficult time holding a grudge. Brijers were all a product of their environments. Theyd never known anything else. Theyd never had the opportunity to introspect. In fact, the vige mentality actively discouraged that kind of behavior. Everyone inevitably ended up like everyone else, or else theyd be ostracized.
At the end of the day, they were just trying to make ends meet, and with winter on the horizon, Vir would feel bad if his theft robbed someone of a full stomach one day.
His next stop was the cksmith, conveniently located across the street.
A single Dance shifted him from the baker right into the metalworkers shop.
Virs biggest issue right now was hisck of weaponry. Hed lost both his katar and his chakrams in Daha, and while Kri and his Talents didnt make him defenseless, hed feel a lot better with some iron at his hip.
Unfortunately, the Brij cksmith made things like Ashva hooves, fire pokers, and the like, rather than military equipment.
Virbed the ce, but there were no talwars or katars to be found. The best were some axes and a pair of long knives. He ignored the axeswhile Riyan had Vir train in a variety of weapons, hed quickly discovered thatrge, unwieldy weapons didnt fit him at all. Not to mention the axes here were all woodworking implements, and improperly weighted for battle.
He regarded the knives, running his finger along their des. Mid-grade iron, but rust free, and decently sharp. They werent quite long enough to be daggers, and the thick de profile was better suited for shaving wood than it was for piercing flesh, but theyd do.
Vir estimated theyd run around fifty coppers each, and since this particr cksmith usually stayed out of Virs way, he left a silver behind as adequatepensation.
After tying their leather holsters on each hip, he Danced out of the building to a nearby alley.
It was only momentster that the calm stillness of the night was broken. First by bandy howls, then by shouts.
Memories of bullies cornering Vir sprung up in his mind, but he banished them. Bandies and shouts did not equate to bullying, he knew that.
Vir pressed on, sneaking through narrow roads where he could to avoid using Dance.
No! Please! Dont hurt me! Ill do it. I swear Ill do it.
The shouts turned into whimpers and sobs, and Vir knew his initial hunch had been right. Bullying.
Maybe it was a new family whod moved in. A rare urrence, but not unheard of. New kids were preyed upon and ostracized, at least until the next new kid came to town. At which point, the bullied kid would be absorbed into the clique, bing their errand boy or girl. It was a form of brainwashing; somewhere along the line, the bullied kid would learn to behave like the ones whod tormented them.
Why shouldnt I bully the new kids? After all, they did it to me. Im in now. Its my right.
They never thought about it, but Vir had seen it happen enough times to know how it all worked. Brief friends who eventually turned into enemies. This groveling boy would be no different. Another link in the chain, fated to repeat the endless cycle.
And so what?
Even if Camas gang was out bullying someone, what of it? That was none of his business. Causing a scene here was exactly what hed taken great pains to avoid. If Hiranyan spies were present, he couldnd himself in some serious trouble.
Whys this bothering me so much? Ive killed people! Whats bullying next to that?
Vir shook it off, putting one step in front of another, leaving the sobbing boy behind.
But then the boys sobs turned back into screams.
Vir sighed. His steps came to a halt. It was dangerous. Hed sworn to be more careful after outing himself to Mina in Daha. But he could use this as an opportunity to bait his pursuers. To hint at the fact that hede here. A risky gambit to be sure, but if it paid off, itd buy him enough time to flee to Rani.
Besides, what use was staying alive if he couldnt stay true to who he was? What use was power if he didnt use it to right some wrongs in the world? Especially when they happened right before his eyes?
What good was saving himself if he couldnt proudly look himself in the mirror and see Rudvik and Apramor standing behind him, nodding in approval.
With heavy steps, he turned right back around.
I didnt mean anything by it! Sajan cried as he cowered from Camas bandies, which took turns snapping at his ankles.
Camass gang had brought the boy out to a dark alley. Late at night as it was, no one would interfere. Brijers knew better. Here, they could torment him with impunity.
Blood ran down his calfhe hadnt been fast enough to avoid them all. Sajan lost his bnce and fell on his butt as the bandies circled around him.
Look, youre doing this to yourself, Sajan, Camas sneered. All Im asking is that you light a small fire. Its not much. Just one me, and let it burn, yknow? If the house burns down, it burns down. Not like youre the one who did it. Right?
IIm sorry. I cant.
Now, now. Dont be unreasonable, Camas said, kneeling beside Sajan. Just say yes, and all of this will stop. Right?
Yep.
Uh huh, his goons echoed.
Otherwise Camas said, delivering a punch to Sajans gut, causing the smaller boy to double over in pain, Im going to have to hurt you until you do. So why not stop this? Dont make me do this, Sajan. Its all in your power.
Sajan burst into tears. IIll do it. IllW-wha!? The boys eyes went wide, his expression warping to one of horror. Aaaaaaah! He screamed.
Camas spun around on instinct, only to see half of his friend. Everything from her legs down was gone. Consumed by the ground itself.
H-help! the girl whispered. A momentter, shed vanished. Not one trace of her remained.
What demonic sorcery is this?
Camas whirled around. Y-you!? he shouted, pointing at Sajan. Youre doing this?
Before Sajan could answer, another of Camasckeys disappeared.
Whats happening!? Camas wailed. R-run, you idiots!
He tore off at a sprint, but something tripped him. Something tripped all of them, sending them all to the ground.
One by one, they disappeared. Sucked into the ground.
Sajan smelled urine, and it wasnt his own.
P-please! Dont take me, Camas wailed, soiling his pants. He fell to his knees, sping his hands together. D-demon of the night. Please! Ill give you anything.
Anything? a voice said, but Sajan could find no source. No one was around. Only Camas and he remained.
I-Ill do it, Camas whispered.
Leave the boy alone.
Yes! Of course!
Know that the Ash Guardian has upied this vige. And know that it reaps as easily as it takes. Do not anger it, for we may just reap your soul.
Camas turned white, nodding furiously.
Now go, the voice said as Camasckeys mysteriously reappeared from the ground. Alive, and seemingly unharmed. Tell no one of what transpired tonight. If you do
Y-yes. We wont. T-thank you, Ash Guardian. Thank you! Camas said, scrambling away on all fours like a prana gopher. Onlyter did he realize he could walk.
The bully and hisckeys sprinted off into the night, leaving Sajan alone.
Alone with the demon of the night.
Dont let them bully you, a voice said from behind him.
Sajan nodded, not daring to turn around.
Dont join them.
W-will you take my life?
Not tonight. But if you cower before them again
I-I understand. I wont. I wont do their bidding. I swear to you!
And the next time you see someone in your position?
Ill help them! Even if it costs my life! Ill stop their bullying.
Ensure you do
W-who are you? Sajan asked, finally mustering the courage to sneak a peek behind him.
But his eyes found only a dark, dirty alley. He was alone.
Soon, a rumor blossomed within Brija demon lurked in its depths. A demon that only came out at night, who guarded the weak.
Dayster, when Minas spies finally learned of the rumor, they found nothing. Only vigers and their idle gossip. After interrogating the kids, they did learn of an individual who leveraged the powers of shadow to aplish superhuman feats, which they promptly reported to their liege.
But when Mina learned the trail had gone cold, all she could do was scream in rage. Virs trail had gone cold, and the crippled princess was forced to scour northern Hiranya for a ghost that was no longer there.
Meanwhile in Brij, the legend of the Ash Guardian spread like wildfire. First among the children, then by the adults. Of one who defended the weak, who protected those in need. The legend of the Ash Guardian would make bullies shiver in their shoes for years toe.
All thanks to the tireless efforts of Sajan of Brij.
Chapter 95: Squad Leader Maiya (One)
Chapter 95: Squad Leader Maiya (One)
Maiya donned her handmaidens dress with an efficiency she wouldnt have thought possible a month or two ago. She strapped her thigh holsters over her pantyhose, brewed her teawhich had improved so much, even the head handmaiden gave herpliments these daysand left her room with confident steps.
Gone was her insecurity and clumsiness. She strode boldly. She looked her peers in the eyes. Warriors and handmaids alike nodded in respect as she passed through the halls of the Kinjal III garrison.
When shed first been posted here, she was sure shed never return. Maiya had never once seen an Ash beast, but shed heard the stories. Mythical creatures from the Age of Gods, who relied on the Ashen Realms enormous prana densities to survive.
Beings that could level entire cities on a whim.
While the Ash Beasts that ventured into the human realm tended to be less powerfulweakened by the rtive dearth of pranathey were nheless the most terrifying things Maiya had ever seen.
It wasnt just their fearsome Br Ranks, or their primal screams. Every Ash Beast Maiya had encountered was crazed. Deranged in a way that warped their impressive strength into something horrific. Something straight out of the worst nightmares.
One never knew when a beast would randomly go on a suicide mission to chomp a warrior in two. The image had kept her from sleeping for days.
And yet, even nightmares can be routine if encountered often enough. Today was yet another day fending off Ash Beasts. An average day killing mythical monsters whod make most people quake in their boots.
It was only thanks to Virs techniques for manipting prana that allowed her to progress so rapidly. Ever since hed shown her how to control her bodys prana so many months ago, creating a prana suction in her hand, shed practiced her magic religiously, continuously honing her prana maniption. Shed even experimented with some variations to enhance that effect. It was an agonizingly slow process, but every mejai she encountered considered her growth abnormally fast.
Even so, she knew Vir must have far outstripped her by now with his considerable knowledge of the workings of prana.
Maiya entered her squads room to find the five in various states of readiness.
Ready inspection! Maiya shouted. Her squad immediately lined up, their hands behind their backs in a parade rest.
Each were Kinjal Brian Elites, and each had grown with her, bing the hardened veterans they were today.
Back straight, Maiyamanded, pointing to one of her squad as she looked each of them up and down.
Dress your armor, its slightly off, she said to another.
Yes, maam!
Each warrior wore ck gambeson under their te metal cuirasses, gauntlets, and pauldrons. And yet, gaps remained between their armor. Her squad prioritized mobility over sheer protectiona single swipe from an Ash Wolfs paw could ruin armor, and a Phantomdes spike projectiles could prate even te armor.
The best defense against an Ash Beast was to never be hitthe armor was there mainly for emergencies.
It was why only two of her squad wore shieldscircr bucklers strapped to their forearms. Her shield bearers used spears, while the rest sported polearms. All had talwars at their waist.
Except for her. She was stuck with her concealed daggers. To this day, she felt it was pure challing idiocy to send handmaidens out against Ash Beasts with only daggers, but Maiya had made the most of the situation. Her magic meant she rarely needed toe close to one of those beasts; her squad wielded long weapons for a reason. To get close to an Ash Beast was just begging to be maimed.
Alright, listen up. Were patrolling Section D today. Theres been an outbreak of Ash Beasts in this area recently, so expect to engage.
What will we be up against? One of her squad asked.
Mostly Ash Wolves. Possibly some Phantomdes and Raptors.
Shredders?
Maiya shook her head. We havent seen any. But if we do encounter one, well retreat. Stay tight. Stay alert, and well get through this just fine. Move out!
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Section D was a half-hour Ashva ride away. Owing to the danger of their mission, they each rode with a tender, who dropped them off and left them alone. Ashva were too vulnerable against Ash Beasts; keeping them anywhere near the front lines all but guaranteed their deaths.
It also meant that if Maiya needed to retreat, shed have to send a signal re and wait for rescue, which could be a half hour away. An eternity for a squad in a crisis.
The great Ash wall loomed before them in the distance. The wall was built exclusively to keep Ash Beasts at bay, but these creatures defied reason. Some jumped over the walls, while others seemed to pop into existence behind it. The Ash Boundary looked like a gash in the earthlike a liquid metal mirror that ringed the known world, extending up into the sky for as far as the eye could see. Crossing that boundary put one into the Ashen Realm.
But the opposite was not true. When Ash Beasts crossed into the human realm, they appeared in a range of locations. Most appeared on the correct side of the wall, but there were always anomalies that got through. Maiyas squads mission was to take them out, lest they escape and wreak havoc in a town or city.
It was a thankless, dangerous, never-ending duty that all countries that bordered the Ash had undertaken for millennia.
Look sharp. Weve got iing! Maiya shouted, eying a pack of four Ash Wolves whod scaled the wall.
She reached out, activating the blood rods in her squads cuirasses. Against Ash Wolves, shing Protection was the best defense.
No need for Elemental protection. Instead lets see, Enhance Sharpness on their weapons ought to do it.
For a squad of five, Maiya could now keep ten C Grade support orbs charged. It was arge mental drainshe needed to keep topping off the orbs as her squads armor took damage and as they struck the Ash Beastsbut she had a lot of experience.
The Ash Wolves swarmed. Her squad took up a protective ring around herstandard formation for such encounters. Wolves liked to circle their prey, but this formation left no weak spots for them to exploit.
The wolves Leapedmost Ash Beasts used Talentsbut her squad was ready. Their enhanced weapons had no issues piercing the wolves tough hides, forcing them to whimper and regroup.
Like Im gonna let you!
Two C grade Wind des shot out from Maiyas hands, decapitating two wolves.
The remaining two hesitated, then routed.
This was the most dangerous part. Ash Wolves could easily outrun her squad. Allowing them to run would end in a mission failureand more importantly, innocent lives would be lost when the wolves reached a settlement.
Empowered Spears went sailing through the air, skewering one of the fleeing wolves. As for thest one Maiya took aim with her mejai bracer, and fired.
Icicle shot forth, impaling the retreating beast. Her squad was upon it in moments, ending its life.
Maiya wiped a bead of sweat off her brow before raising her arm in victory. Her squad echoed the gestureevery victory against an Ash Beast was worthy of celebration.
Things hadnt gone this well initially. Not even close. Back when shed first started, Maiya had fought alone, flinging spell after spell at every Ash Beast she could find.
But as the days wore on and her squad racked up kill after kill, shed realized the simple truthmejai were far more deadly when supporting a squad.
It hadnt been an easy lesson to learn. Shed always thought of mejai as offensive damage dealers. Strengthening armor and sharpening weapons? It felt so mundane. It felt weak.
And yet, once shed started actively charging her squad, their injury rate had plummeted. They killed beasts faster than she ever could have while fighting alone, and they put themselves in less danger while doing so.
Of course, it wasnt like Maiya had given up on flinging spells. Just that her offensive magic took a back seat to powering her squad. The head handmaiden had once told her that mejai were force multipliers. They were people who could grant a squad victory against an entirepany, doubling or even tripling a warriors Br rank.
Maiya finally understood. Her squad had attained heights they hadnt even dreamed possible without her. They moved with superhuman speed, dodged with preternatural grace, and pierced hide as if it was paper.
Cleanup! Maiya ordered, and her squad moved diligently to skin the Ash Wolf hides. She helped as well. It wasnt a morous task, but it was a necessary one. Tough Ash Wolf hides had a myriad of uses, from armorponents to rugs to instion.
Once theyd collected the hides, she ordered the carcasses burned. If there was one thing that attracted Ash Beasts across the boundary, it was the corpse of another Ash Beast. Burning their corpses was standard practice.
Shredder iing!
Maiya whipped around to see a new creature pop into existence, seemingly out of nowhere.
Ash Wolves, at least, looked like their more mundane counterpart. Addled and broken though their minds might have been, they had a regal bearing to them.
Shredders were abominations straight out of a nightmare. Lizardlike creatures standing as tall as a human on their hind legs, their pasty white skin was partially translucent, allowing glimpses into their internal organs.
Their small wed hands might not look like much, but Shredders could decapitate a man with a single swipe.
Not to mention their oversized lizard heads. With long maws lined with three separate rows of razor-sharp teeth, they could even bite through solid steel. Their Br 250 rank wasnt for nothing.
Everyone, to me! Maiya ordered, activating Piercing Protection and shing Protection to their max. Her orbs would protect against the Shredders ws and ded tail, but there would be no surviving a bite from its maw. Only A Grade protection orbs could do that, and hers were merely C.
Simultaneously, she took out her D grade utility orb reissued to all Ash Gate squad leadersand activated it. A bright burst of red fire went hurtling into the sky, alerting nearby squads of their duress. While re looked impressive, it was only useful for signalingthe magical fire itself had nobat potency.
Only question is if well survive long enough for help toe.
While her squadsbined Br Rank outstripped the Shredders, she doubted theyd be getting out of this uninjured.
Maiya took a deep breath and cracked her knuckles. Bring it, you grakker!
Chapter 96: Squad Leader Maiya (Two)
Chapter 96: Squad Leader Maiya (Two)
For the past three weeks, Maiya had fought Ash Beasts every day. Initially, shed cowered in fear of them. Who wouldnt? After all, these were the same mythical beasts parents scared their children with. Behave, or the Ash Wolves wille for you.
How blissfully unaware those parents were. If Ash Wolves were the worst the Ashen Realm offered, Maiya felt it would be a downright peaceful ce. Bless those innocent souls who knew nothing of Raptors, Phantomdes and Shredders.
The white-skinned bipedal beast scanned its surroundings, its ded lizard tail sloshing back and forth, eager for blood. Then its slit red eyes found them, a hundred paces away.
Kraeeeeeeeeeeiie!
The beast shrieked with a voice not of this realm, and charged.
Shield wall! Maiya barked.
By night, instructors had drilled into her military tactics, strategy, and everyst morsel the Kinjal Empire knew about Ash Beasts.
Including tactics against Shredders. Agile as they were on their prana-empowered hind legs, like most Ash Beasts, their hide was thin enough to see through and they possessed little-to-no self-preservation instincts. They were known to ram right into spear walls, impaling themselves.
Two Brian warriorsthe ones with shields and spearsnted their shields in the dirt, aiming their weapons through the openings. To their sides, their three squad mates nted their poleaxes into the ground, bracing them against the Shredders impending charge.
And at the very center of the formation stood their crimson-haired leader, aiming down her mejai bracer at the iing beast. Shed done everything she could as a leader; shed boosted her squads armor with the appropriate protection and shed issued hermand. Her troops needed no pep talk, nor any words of sce. They were Brian Warriors. And elites at that.
All that was left was for her to do her own part. As an individual. As a mejai.
The creature from another realm half stumbled, half ran, jerking its body in ways that should not be possible, and yet it made startlingly quick work of the distance, leaving a trail of wed imprints behind.
Fifty paces. Twenty-Five.
Maiya waited. Icicle would never hit such a fast-moving object. Wind de had better odds, but its range was limited. Blizzard would have been the most effective response, but A grade spells were just beyond her reach.
Now!
An invisible crescent of wind shot forth, low and horizontal. A Shredders greatest threat was its mobility. Without its legs
But despite firing an attack which should have been invisible, the Shredder jumped, sailing right over the Wind de.
Unfortunately for it, that put it on a perfect trajectory to impale itself upon Maiyas squads spears.
They sank deep, eliciting a primal roar from the creature. Saliva dripped from its gaping maw, lined with seemingly endless rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Neither Maiya nor her warriors flinched, but before she could fire another spell, the Shredder swiped the spear shafts, breaking the wood as if they were twigs.
Then it rammed the shields, breaking Maiyas defensive line.
Fall back! Maiya ordered, deploying an Ice Wall directly into the rampaging beasts path.
This is bad Thanks to the earlier fighting, she was close to saturation. Whatever spells she fired, theyd have to count.
The Shredder mmed headfirst into the wall, and this time, it couldnt pass.
Losing no time, Maiya held out a precharged B grade Hail Burst and triggered it. While technically a projectile-based spell, Hail Burst fired in a spread, meaning it didnt need a mejai aiming bracer.
Dozens of tiny projectiles embedded themselves into the Shredders hide, causing it to writhe in pain.
It was an opportunity her squad did not miss. They surrounded the beast, firing off their Icicle and Wind de orbs Maiya had precharged for them, reaving into the Shredder. A dangerous gambitif any missed, theyd likely maim an ally, but Maiya had boosted their defense. Even if hit by friendly fire, it wouldnt be lethal.
Her pikemen took turns skewering the dying beast, peppering its translucent hide with holes.
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And yet, they were up against an Ash Beast. It would not fall so easily. The Shredder ignored Maiyas squad, focusing on her.
She charged a Wind de, intending on bisecting the beast but at thest moment, it suddenly veered, lunging for one of her warriors.
Not gonna let you!
Dont move! Maiya shouted, firing her Wind denot at the Shredder, but barely an inch in front of her warrior.
The Wind des speed was equaled only by the Shredder, and the wounded beast lunged forthright into the de.
Its decapitated head fell to the ground, right before her Brian warriors feet, and its body followed suit a momentter.
The warriors thumped their polearms shafts on the ground and shouted the Brian victory chant. Hu! Hu Hu! Hu! Hu Hu!
Maiya copsed to her knees. Lets get this cleaned up.
It was fifteen minutester that a Kinjal balloon ship trundled into sight, setting down on the in. Resembling a corvette with a giant ovaloid bag of air strapped above it instead of sails, these skyships were a luxury and a sign of power. Few nations had them.
Nevermind that they paled next to the Altanis fast attack skyshipsnothing couldpare to those.
Where the Altanis variant required a dozen or more mejai all working in perfect harmony, these skyships only required a half-dozen mejai to power and steer, and were far more forgiving.
Uponnding, a wooden nk was deployed, and out stepped the head handmaiden alongside a dozen Brian Royal Guard. The best of the best.
The Guard worked with Maiyas squad to load the Shredders hide, burning the corpse.
You did well, Maiya, the head handmaiden said, walking up to her.
Thats uh, Maiya replied, before quickly curtseying and fixing her speech. Thank you, head handmaiden. I am unworthy of such praise.
Nonsense. From fresh recruit to a squad leader capable of downing a Shredder in just over a month? As you know, I do not praise easily. And yet I must. This rate of progress is nearly unheard of. You have done well.
Sure, Maiya thought. Done well for a handmaiden.
Except that wasnt her goal. She was supposed to be feeding information back to Tanya. At least before, shed been able to assuage the woman, telling her she was still new, that it would take time to break into the courts inner circle. Tanya seemed to understand.
And then shed been whisked away to the Ash Boundary, without an opportunity to tell Tanya. What would that look like? Would Tanya and Riyan consider it a betrayal? What if theyd captured Vir? What if they were hurting him? Or what if hed sumbed during his task?
Maiya bit her lip. Shed had these thoughts. Dozens of times. And never were they of any help.
You seem troubled, child, the head handmaiden said.
Maiya snapped back to reality. I just we got lucky today, maam. I wonder how many more Shredders well be able to fight without losing anyone.
You are right to worry. There are no guarantees out here, so close to danger. You have experienced a taste of this. Ensure you do not forget it.
Im sorry? I didnt catch your meaning. Youre sending me back?
Come, the head handmaiden said, ushering Maiya up the gangnk. Your performance has caught several eyes. Several important eyes.
Maiya remained quiet, walking slightly behind the head handmaiden.
Foremost of which is Princess Ira. You are to return to Sonam immediately. The princess wishes you to join her cadre of personal handmaidens.
Maiya jolted to a stop, prompting the head handmaiden to turn around.
This is quite an honor, Maiya. Many handmaidens spend their entire careers without gaining that honor. She sees something in you. As do I.
S-serve the princess? Maiya squeaked. Im not strong enough!
Why am I hesitating?
This was exactly what she wanted, wasnt it? She knew why. She was deathly afraid that the princess would find out she was a spy. That shed be hanged if the truth ever came to light.
You are, the head handmaid replied. Have you forgotten? I am a certified Br Ranking Proctor. Normally, a test is performed to determine ones rank, but I have watched you over the days and weeks. Over this time, I have assessed your strengths and weaknesses.
Maiyas eyes went wide. I didnt know.
The Royal Guard finished loading up the skyship, and once Maiyas squad was aboard, the vessel lifted off. As they rose higher and higher, Maiya spotted other squads in the area. Most patrolled idly, but some were engaged in battles.
That squad there, the head handmaid said, pointing one outcurrently inbat with four Ash Wolves. What are they doing wrong?
Maiya squinted, analyzing their fight. Two wolves repeatedly darted in, distracting the squad, while the other two circled from behind. The beasts took injuries each time, but the squad failed tond a decisive hit.
Theyre attacking the minions when they should be attacking the leader. There, Maiya said, pointing to a wolf that hung back, see how that one pauses a bit? Its howlingmands to the others. If they take the leader out, the others cohesion will fall.
Most Ash Wolves had little sanity left, but asionally,rger, more capable variants would show up with more of their faculties intact. These had a unique ability to rally others of their kind, making them difficult foes to deal with.
Exactly on point. When you joined us, you knew of neither Ash Wolves nor Shredders. And yet now, you can not only engage and defeat them in singlebat, but you lead squads, multiplying their survivability and effectiveness.
Even though Im just a Lesser Mejai of Ash? Maiya asked.
Even as a Mejai of Ash. Maiya, there are few who can charge three B grade orbs in a single minute. Ive no doubt Ill be speaking to a Standard Mejai of Ash soon, and perhaps more.
Im honored, maam. If I may Whats my Br Rank?
Of course you may. But a month ago, you were barely forty. Now, I rank you at one hundred. Continue honing your magic and you will no doubt jump well past that.
Maiya blushed with pride. Thank you, head handmaiden. Im humbled.
Mentally, her thoughts were anything but humble. Take that, Vir!
She couldnt wait to brag to her friend. That Br ranks were always whole numbers struck her as a little odd until she learned the scale was quantized to the nearest tenth rank, to ount for some of the uncertainty of assigning a single number to something asplex as someone''s strength.
Well? Do you ept your new station? the head handmaiden said, her ck eyes glinting.
Y-yes! Maiya replied. Shed been so shocked shed forgotten to give her reply. It would be the honor of my lifetime!
Good. Then you shall return to Sonam at once.
Now I can give Tanya some gossip. And now Now I can finally look for Vir.
Her first stop? Riyans abode.
Chapter 97: Zorin - Town Of Rainbows
Chapter 97: Zorin - Town Of Rainbows
The journey of ten days may have been uneventful, but that didnt mean it had been easy. Hot desert days sapped Vir and Bumpys energy, but traveling at night posed its own issues. Bumpys degraded eyesight and uneven terrain gave them no choice. Vir had risked traveling at night before, but now realized how much of a risk he''d been taking back then.
When the desert heat finally gave way to rolling grasnds, and eventually, breezy coasts, Vir had rejoiced. While he and Neel had plenty of food, Bumpys hay had nearly run out, making the greenery a wee sight.
The North Legion Mountains had dazzled Vir when hed firstid eyes on them. Hed never seen such impressively tall mountains in his life, but that wasnt saying muchhe hadnt seen any mountains. Hiranyannd was defined by its tness, with the Dahan Steppe being the only elevated ground in the entire kingdom.
Even now, on the tenth day of southward travel, the snowcapped mountains continued to loom, majestic and imposing. To his left, they ran like a finger pointing north, with the range dividing the sliver of western Rani from its eastern counterpart.
To his right, the vast Runean ocean stretched out to the horizon and beyond. Either way he looked, dazzling views greeted him.
It was almost enough to forget the hunger. The tables had turnedpared to the beginning of the trip. Now, Bumpy ate like a king while Vir rationed whatever he had for himself and Neel. The dried loaves of bread were long gone, leaving only a handful of nuts and dried berries.
Neel hadnt caught anything for himself in days and the wild edibles Vir picked had done little to sate his appetite. The bandy kept wanting to jump off and run beside the Ashva, but Vir stopped him. Expending energy like that would only burn through their food faster.
The frequent snowmelt runoff meant rivers and streams weremon, so at least water hadnt been an issue.
That was to sayit hadnt been an issue for staying hydrated. Vir had to coax Bumpy to ford several rivers, making for some harrowing experiences. Hed had to detour several times to find a narrow, shallow spot to cross. But narrows meant faster currents, and that spooked the timid Ashva, forcing Vir to dismount and lead him through, braving slippery smooth stones.
Only his agility had kept him from falling and being carried away by the current.
So while no pirates or highwaymen had bothered him, the journey had nheless been an arduous one, and Vir was d to be nearly done with it. Another half days ride would put them at the coastal Ranian city. Another half day to thefort of a pleasant inn with a hot bath and a soft bed.
For most of his life, such luxuries had never tempted Vir. Sleeping on the ground was normal. Going unwashed was expected. Riyan had spoiled him silly. Having experienced the grotto andfortable beds, Vir doubted hed ever be happy sleeping on dirt again. And despite the asional river baths, he was sure he reeked.
Though monotonous, the days of travel had afforded Vir time to ruminate. About the dizzying array of events that had just unfolded. And about his own power. If his experience in the capital had proven anything, it was that one could never have enough power in this world.
While hed learned Empower, there was another Talent he coveted. One hed lusted after for a long time. de Projection. The Rare Tier Talent that was the dream of many a Talent wielder. But Vir had soon understood that de Projection wasnt the Talent he ought to seek right now.
That was an advanced Talent. One that built off of a more basic ability. The Umon Tier Prana de that allowed one to wreath their de in a prana-like coating sounded more than just useful; it sounded deadly.
Of course, Vir knew it wasn''t just prana-like. It was prana, though since no one believed Talents ran on prana, the name was somewhat ironic.
Vir located a good campsite for the night, just as the sun approached the horizon and the shadows became long. Trees had been nonexistent for most of the journey, but grew more numerous as they neared Zorin. The terrain was stillrgely sparse, but the asional copse meant firewood was an option.
Using his legs to stomp down dead branches and his stolen knife to prepare them, he had a fire going in short order. While he couldnt cook his dried food over the fire, it still helped to ward off the midnight chill. Ranis climate was generally temperate and dry, but the nights could sometimes get chilly. That, and there was a mystical aspect to fire that helped soothe the nerves.
Bumpy appreciated it too, folding his legs beside the fire.
Virid out his bedroll in front of the Ashva, leaning his back against the beast as he sat beside the fire, then reached into his fabric sack and stuffed a handful of cashews into his mouth.
Neel eyed him with big beady eyes. The bandy had already had his share, but if there was one truth in life, it was that bandies were never full. Theyd simply eat and eat and grow themselves so fat they could barely walk. Neel, while not emaciated, had definitely lost a few pounds.
With a sigh, Vir tossed the remaining nuts to his friend. Thats all the food weve got, Neel. Hope you appreciate that.
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The bandy was too busy chomping to pay his words any mind.
Virs eyes zed over as the mes danced in front of him. Fire Affinity prana weaved together with its physical counterpart to create something beautiful. Something only he could see, and that made it precious.
He thought back to the experiments hed run, seeking Prana de. None of his Talents hade easily, and this one was no exception. Hed tried to channel prana from the ground through his body, much as he did with Empower. Hed tried rxing his control over Ash prana to allow the prana to shoot out of his hand, but the moment he did, he lost control of it. The prana dissipated harmlessly, and he simply couldnt muster enough of it to cause any meaningful damage.
There was a missing piece here, but Vir didnt know how to obtain it. Controlling prana outside of his body seemed impossible. He wondered how mejai did it. They somehow powered swords and armor with magic, but Vir wasnt privy to the details. Hed need to witness a mejai perform that feat up close to learn more, and the one hed been best friends with was now gone.
Even with the fire, the stars were bright here, and starlight serenely reflected off the ocean. There was no breeze, so the only sounds were the soft crackling of the fire and the crashing of distant ocean waves.
Wonder what youre doing right now, Maiya, he muttered, running his fingers over the bracelet shed fashioned for him. Neel perked up inquisitively at his words.
Where was she? Was she stillpleting her favor for Riyan? Vir could only hope she found the breadcrumbs hed left for her. As the days passed, his desire to see her grew and grew. Like a hole in his heart. He missed her dearly.
Wonder if Ekanai and Shardul had people they cared about.
Vir guessed Shardul might have, but Ekanai? He really wanted to understand how that man had be so jaded. The demons life must have been a difficult one, full of pain and suffering.
Wonder if theyll help me out now. He was making his way to the Ashen Realm, after all. Would they be happy with that? Would they even notice?
Vir understood little about how much awareness they possessed. If Ekanai could have controlled him continuously, Vir was sure the demon wouldve done so. And yet, his prior incarnations only seemed toe alive during times of extreme danger.
But to know that Vir was in danger, they had to be aware to some degree. He certainly hoped they were. Hed sleep easier at night knowing they had his back.
Would be nice if I could chat with them
Eight months. Less than a year had passed since hed left Brij, and yet more had happened in that time than the eight years prior.
Vir looked up at the stars.
So clear
Because there was hardly any prana in the air to impede his vision. Even with Prana Vision ring, there were hardly any motes up in the sky. It was a different story in the ocean. Water, Life, and a smattering of other affinities filled it.
There was another ocean within the ground. The Earth Affinity prana was perhaps slightly less than what it had been in Daha, but an ocean was an ocean.
Maiya would be hard pressed to use her orbs here, but Vir would have no trouble at all, and that gave him an edge.
With the heat of the dying embers and hot rocks under his back, Vir slept peacefully, lulled into slumber by the sound of distant waves.
Vir hadnt expected to be impressed by Zorin. It was a small coastal town on the very edge of the Rani Queendom. What could it have that Daha didnt? And Saran was the first major city Vir had everid eyes on. What could beat the novelty of a first experience?
He was right in some ways. In others, he was wrong. They called Zorin the Town of Rainbows, and hed wondered why. After all, this side of Rani wasnt known for its rain.
Vir now understood why.
The town was an explosion of color. Its red brick buildings boasted tapestries of all colors and designs. Tile roofs were painted over in pinks, greens, blues, yellows, and reds. Wherever Vir looked, color burst.
If there was prana to support them, Vir was sure hed have seen hot air balloons in just as many hues as well, flying above the city. As it was, the skies remained empty, and yet the city still felt more lively than Daha.
Everyone had said Hiranya was a poor kingdom, and Vir thought he knew what a rich one would look like. Clean streets, a minimum of slums, and well-constructed buildings. Zorin had all of that, but Vir realized hed been dead wrong on everything else. A single nce at the Rainbow Town showed him just how rich the Rani Queendom was.
The architecture might have set the tone, but it was the people thatpleted it. Not only was their clothing as colorful as their town, they wore designs Vir had never seen, chatting with one another and even strangers greeted himthat shocked Vir the most.
Zorinfolk bustled about contentedly. Some even outright smiled. People moved with a purpose. Empowered. Full of life that Dahans sorelycked.
Where in Daha, most wore gray, brown, or ck cloaks, here, women wore dresses of a thousand designs, while men sported vests, shirts, shorts, pants, and even kilts. Some bore intricate embroidery, while others kept their outfits basic.
Even those who dressed modestly looked good in a way Vir couldnt ce. Well considered, he decided. The clothing design, proportions, and color all matched in a way that pleased the eye.
The cobblestone roads, while not wide, were clean. They were neither crowded nor empty. Enough traffic bustled around to make the town feel lively, yet not to where it felt packed like Daha had.
It was all even more impressive when Vir remembered Zorin was even more remote than Saran had been from Daha. But if this was a backwater, he really wanted to know what the Rani capital Avi was like.
Once again, Vir felt like a country bumpkin as he rode in on Bumpy. He wondered whether each new city would make him feel this way, or if it was a Ranian thing. He hoped it was thetter.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Vir remembered his priorities. Highest of which was weaponry. Right now, all he had were the two iron knives hed swiped from Brij. He needed something better. Ideally, a katar. Given the towns vibrancy, he held hope he just might find one of the exotic weapons here.
Hed intended to consult the convenient street signs ced at every intersection to find a reputable cksmith, but the local poption stepped in to help instead. A well-dressed man wearing a fine hat hailed him, asking if he needed directions.
Instead of telling him where to go, the man actually walked with Vir, all the way to an impressive looking two story brick building.
Just when Vir suspected the man would ask for payment in return, hed bowed and left.
Guess people here really are that nice. It would take some getting used to.
Vir tied Bumpy up outside,manding Neel to guard him. The two made a good pair and had long ago grownfortable with the arrangement. Neel paced around, on the prowl for anyone who might darey their hands on his bigger cousin.
Then his eyes popped, and his jaw hit the floor. From wall to wall, racks of the most beautiful weapons Vir had everid eyes on greeted him.
Vir feared hed be walking out with a much lighter coin bag.
Chapter 98: Bargains & Brotherhoods
Chapter 98: Bargains & Brotherhoods
It wasnt the array of polearms, or the shields of all sizes and shapes, or even the ils, maces, talwars, or greatswords that caught Virs eye.
Sure, those were all very impressive, crafted of all grades of steels ranging from the mundane to the exotic. No seric, though. Vir had yet to see a single seric weapon in a store.
The store carried chakrams! They carried katars!
Well, one katar, and a handful of chakrams. It wasnt a gallery, but the fact that they had them at all made Vir nearly jump with joy. Since his encounter at Daha, he''d been armed with only a pair of basic iron knives. Nothing that inspired confidence in a fight.
But Vir knew how this game was yed. He restrained himself; the well dressed, slim shopkeeper with his waxed handlebar mustache had monitored Vir from the moment he entered the shop. Knowing this, Vir dilly dallied, putting on a bored look despite his excitement.
Can I help you with anything? the clerk asked.
Vir had expected a more stern-looking person running a weapon and armor shop, but while the mancked affinities of any kind, Vir could tell he was a warrior, nheless. Not a warrior after the Kinjalswho were heavyset and built like Ashvabut a more refined warrior. The man had not a shred of fat on him, and the hourss shape of his torso spoke of muscles built for a purpose.
Just perusing. Thought Id see if you had anything interesting in stock. Not really seeing anything of interest, though, Vir replied, idly checking out a spear.
What sorts of weapons are you interested in? Perhaps I can help.
Oh, daggers, shortswords that kind of thing, Vir replied, angling the conversation. Jumping right to katars would cue the shopkeeper to his intentions. Itd tell him he was after one thing in particr, which would give his opponent the advantage.
The clerk showed Vir several options, all of which Vir passed over with indifference. It was only then that he sprung his trap.
Honestly, Im not looking for a weapon for myself. Just something I can use as a gift. For an acquaintance. Im on a budget.
Ah! In that case, why not look at these weapons, here? the man said, pointing to a rack with kukris and other short swords... along with the unadorned katar.
Vir perused the selection of weapons with disinterest.
Whats this? Such an odd weapon, he asked, slowly moving to it, regarding it with suspicion.
A katar! An exotic weapon, indeed. And rare. It would take some practice to use inbat, but as a gift? It would be fine.
Hmm. Theres nothing special about the weapon itself, Vir said, feigning disappointment. The de was mid-grade ironnot ideal, as it could break during an Empowered thrustbut the de itself had minimal rust potting, and the profile and taper were good. The weapon was of decent construction and had seen some use, but itd been cared for, and that was nearly as important. This is a bit in, Im afraid. Do you have any katars that are a bit more adorned?
Vir, of course, thought it was perfect. He hated the gold on his armor and preferred the weapons simple style. But bargaining this way would get him a better deal.
The man returned a pained smile. Im afraid few buyers are in the market for a katar. This is the only one we have. Most stores do not even stock these weapons.
Vir let out a sigh. Very well then. At least it wont set me back much, being as basic as it is. How much?
For you? I can sell it for five silvers.
Five silvers? Out of the question. This isnt even steel! Its mid-grade iron, and look at the rust. Its barely fit for a gift. I can do a silver and a half.
Vir turned away from the de, but the shopkeeper didnt let it go, and for good reason.
When Vir first held the de, he noticed a fine sheen of dustnot on the de, the shop would keep that cleanbut on the hilt. Which meant the katar had been there for a while. Owing to katars rarity, they were unpopr items. The store hadnt been able to sell it, and that gave him bargaining power, just as it had back at Daha.
Three and a half would be the lowest I can go. Quite the discount, dont you think?
Vir turned back to the katar. Look, it is obvious to me that you wish to sell this de. From the dust on the hilt, I can tell it has upied space on your rack for some time. Im afraid the highest Id be willing to pay is two.
Two is a bit the man said, trailing off.
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So he really hasnt had many buyers. It made sense. Zorin, while a port town, was on the very edge of the Rani Queendom. He doubted many passed through here who trained with such a weapon. In fact, Vir was surprised the store stocked one.
But he had the man where he wanted him, for now.
Alright, Ill sweeten the deal. Those strange disks on the wall? Throw those in, and Ill pay you three. Vir asked, pointing to the chakrams.
Friend, those chakrams sell for eighty coppers apiece. For all three, youd be looking at two silvers and forty coppers. Altogether, I could do five silvers.
I doubt you sell many of those, either, Vir replied, producing one of the knives hed swiped at Brij, along with its leather sheath. Four, and Ill throw in this knife here. Its good iron, and sharp.
The man hesitated, ying with his handlebar mustache as he inspected the knife and its holster.
We have a deal.
Vir walked out of the store four silvers lighter, but satisfied with his purchase. The iron chakrams were actually superior to the trash Riyan had given him, but the katar was of worse quality. Riyans, while well worn, had been steel.
But at least he had his weapons back. Hed felt naked the entire trip down,cking a katar and chakrams. Now he just had to find some chakris, and hed be whole again.
Cmon, Bumpy. Lets go visit the Brotherhood.
The Ashva snorted, plodding its way down the road.
Vir had initially feared that the town was too small to host a Sanctum, but helpful street signs had put his fears to rest.
The building was a far cry from its Dahan counterpart. In fact, Vir wouldnt even have recognized it as a Sanctum were it not for the triangr que with the image of a ghost hanging outside the red brick building. That, and unlike its neighbors, this one had a ck tile roof.
Even so, the single story building wasnt nearly as impressive.
Vir led Bumpy into the Ashva corral next to the building before stepping inside with Neel.
The interior matched the rest of the buildingwhich was to say; it wasnt the least bit impressive. If someone told Vir hed walked into a home, he might believe them. A handful of wooden benches filled the room, with a brick firece in the corner. The walls were bare brick, and the space was empty, save for a single woman dressed in a ck robe, reading a book in a corner.
Uh, excuse me? Is this the Mercenaries Brotherhood? Vir asked.
Seeing him, the woman hurriedly donned her veil and scurried up to him.
Ahem. Hello there! What brings you to our little Sanctum? Thedy said with a southern drawl.
Whats the point of the veil when Ive already seen her face?
Vir didnt ask. Clearly, things were far morex around here.
Im an Acolyte. Looking for some information. Id like to speak with an Executor.
Ah! Why didntchya say so! Cmon, follow me back to the booth.
Vir peeked at her prana signature while she led him back. To his shock, she possessed Apex Earth affinity.
Maybe thex atmospheres all just a ruse? He was honestly surprised to find someone of such strength here. The woman certainly didnt look or act like a master warrior.
Even more shocking, she led him to an Executor booththe only booth at the end of the hand then took her seat opposite him, behind the Executors veil.
Youre the Executor? Vir asked.
Sure am!
Well, guess her strength makes sense, then.
So, what can I do ya for?
I need information on the Pagan Order. Something deeper than what rumors and hearsay can get me. I have little Brotherhood karma, but Im happy to pay or do jobs to umte some.
Hmm, well, youre out of luck, friend. Contracts are few out here. I mean, just look at the ce. Do you see anyone else?
I noticed, Vir replied, also noticing this branch''sck of an armory. Itcked many of the services he''d taken for granted in Daha. Why is that?
Not even prana beasts bother people out here. Were about as far from the Ash as you can get. Its peaceful out here, but that means less work. As for information, Im sorry, but Ive only heard rumors about the Pagan Order, and Im the only Executor around here.
What are my options, then?
Well, if its information yer looking for, youd do better at the Avi branch. Rani capitals far livelier. If its work you want well, you could always try catching that guy, she said, thumbing to a wall of the booth, where a small flier was pinned.
On it was an image of the face Vir had used back at Daha.
Wanted Dead or Alive: Neel. Last seen fleeing Daha, Hiranya. Suspected location: Rani Queendom, Kinjal Empire.
Reward: 3 Seric Coins.
Vir chuckled nervously. He had, of course, changed his face paint the moment hed left Daha. Hed never use that face again, nor would he ever go by Neel.
He didnt fail to notice that the bounty was for Neel, and not Apramor, which was his designated Brotherhood name. No doubt Hiranya wouldve contacted the Brotherhood, but it seemed that the organization held true to their word; they hadnt given up Virs identity.
Not looking to go on a wild goose chase, Vir replied. Got any other contracts for me? There must be something?
Well, the veiled woman said, scratching her neck. Theres one but you probably arent gonna want that.
Why? What is it?
Protection detail. For a caravan bound for Eshana. Thats a small little town on the other side of the Legion range. Pay is not great, and yell be going through some steep mountain passes. Just one silver and a hundred karma.
One silver? Vir asked. Why do the payouts never make any sense? Sometimes they seem appropriate. Sometimes it''s incredibly low.
They''re set by the clients, friend, so they run the gamut. Brotherhood rejects contracts that don''t pay enough, but that''s only for the really lowball ones.
Uh, and this isn''t?
Borderline, the Executor said. Tiny branch like us has to take what we get, y''know? Besides, should only take you a few days. Hardly anything out here that would harm a caravan, anyway. And while Eshana aint Avi, its at least the right direction if youre headed that way. Lots of mercs bound for Avi recently, too. Rumor is theres gonna be a big ash beast subjugation contract near Avi soonish.
That was interesting, but Vir wasnt really looking to take on Brotherhood contracts unless he had no other choice. His top priority right now was gathering information about the Pagan Order.
This caravan protection mission. Apart from the poor pay, why didnt you want to tell me about it?
Well, its the clients, ysee? We almost rejected their contract due to the uh nature of the clients.
What do mean?
Sorry, cant say any more than that without breaching confidentiality. But you should know that theres no penalty for abandoning this mission. No reward, of course, but youre not gonna suffer any karma loss.
Virs eyes narrowed. Hed never seen a contract like this one until now. There had to be a catch.
Even so, money was money, and Vir was confident he could handle this one, even if things went south.
Alright, he said. Im in.
Great! Now let me tell ya about the Brotherhood party youll be working with on this one.
Chapter 99: Spears Edge
Chapter 99: Spear''s Edge
Realizing that food shopping on an empty stomach was liable to empty his wallet, Vir splurged on a scrumptious meal at the local food carts, tasting kebabs, stir-fries, and delicious local sweets, of which an orange deep fried sugar dish was his favorite. Even Neel had his fill, so when they stopped at the market, it was all business.
Owing to its temperate climate, Zorins market was outdoors in an enormous square that had been taken over by a sea of colorful fabric awnings, turning the once-open space into something of a maze of vendors.
Vir tied Bumpy up at a nearby hitching post, leaving Neel to guard the beast. He made a pass of the entire market beforemitting to buying anything. Many of the vegetables and fruits were foreign to him, such as a big red one with hundreds of tiny, juicy seeds inside it. It was his first timeying eyes on a pomegranate, and after tasting their unbelievably sweet aril seeds, he bought a half dozen.
It was only an hourter, after multiple trips to deposit his load back onto Bumpy, that he finally finished. Zorins goods were pricey, but Vir felt good about the two weeks of food his silver had bought him.
Finished with the market, Vir made his way to the eastern edge of town, where he was due to meet the caravan scheduled to depart that afternoon.
It wasnt difficult to spot; the half dozen wagons were impossible to miss. Unlike Params wagons, which boasted the same design and color scheme, these had no consistency whatsoever. Some were open, others closed. Some had two Ashva pulling them, while others were drawn just by one. Even among the enclosed wagons, their fabrics were all in different states of disrepair, all of differing color.
Their riders continued the theme, with menall menwearing clothing from refined to rags, in many styles and colors.
It felt to Vir like a hodgepodge of strangers had gathered together to brave the journey.
Vir rode past a group of three who stood off by themselves, tending to their three Ashva. It wasnt just their foreign-design burgundy armor that caught his eye. These days, he scanned everyone nearby out of habit. Not only was it a useful survival skill, but doing so allowed him to grasp the overall power level of those in an area.
Other than the Executor, Vir hadnt spotted a single noteworthy warrior, let alone a mejai.
So it came as a surprise that two of the group were strong in Earth Affinity prana, but it was the third member of their groupthe tall, ck-haired mejai d in form-fitting burgundy gambesonthat caught Virs eyes. She boasted not just one, but three affinities.
Vir red Prana Vision as he rode by. His eyes lingered over her for just a moment too long, and she caught his gaze, forcing him to look away.
Greater Life, Lesser Water, Lesser Lightning.
That was a potentbination. Not only could she heal herself and her friends, shed have excellent short rangebat capabilities with her Lightning magic, and Water was useful both in and out ofbat. Vir surmised she was at least a Mejai of Ash.
But it wasnt just her. The blue-eyed blonde not only possessed some Earth prana, but a bit of Fire as well. She was likely both a Talent wielder and a mejai, though not nearly as strong as the other one. The Fire affinity orbs at her waist corroborated his assessment.
So thats the group the Executor mentioned. The one Ill be working with. Wonder what such a strong partys doing all the way out here, he wondered, approaching the caravan leader.
The man who sat atop the frontmost wagon looked less like a merchant and more a pirate. An old scar ran diagonally from the bridge of his nose across his left eye. Though the man wore no eyepatch, that eye seemed fused shut.
His wild, greasy ck hair, sun-wrinkled skin, and gravelly voice onlypleted the image,
You the other Brotherhood merc? the caravan leader barked.
Thats me, Vir replied, as Neel eyed the man warily from beside Bumpy. You are?
Aryan. Yourete. Were just about to set out. Weve got a long caravan, so I want one of you at the front and another at the rear. Dont really care who. Discuss that amongst yourselves.
Understood, Vir replied with a nod. The man wasnt the most polite, but the Brotherhood didnt pay Vir to anger their clients.
Expecting any trouble? he asked.
Maybe some. Maybe not. Who can say? Mountain passes are dangerous.
Out here? I havent seen a single prana beast, let alone one with a Br Rank. Whats your cargo?
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None of your business, merc.
I mean, itd help if you
None of yer business, the leader said. Im not paying you to ask questions.
That was true. What they did pay him for was protection, and so he needed to know more about the situation. But it seemed Aryan wasnt interested in further conversation, so Vir turned Bumpy around and headed to the other mercs.
Wonder why they need this much protection in such a prana-deficient area. It wasnt just the brotherhood mercs; hed spotted over a dozen guards, all in mismatched armor. They, too, looked like they had been cobbled together, but their numbers meant that Aryan feared something.
He concluded they were likely transporting high-value cargo. Either that, or they were doing something illegal. Vir sincerely hoped it wasnt that.
He arrived to find the three in amiablepany. The blonde-haired warrior and her armored malepanionughed at some joke, while the ck-haired mejai stood flushing with embarrassment.
Ah! Ho there, counterpart! the girl with the long blonde hair said, waving Vir over. She wore a type of armor that Vir had never seen before,prising te metal pauldrons, a te chest protector, leather bracers, and fabric in between. It left many gapsand even bare skin in some cesbut Vir supposed it protected her vitals.
On anyone else, it would havee across as a brutish look, but the blue-eyed, freckled blonde somehow made it look elegant.
Come on, no need to be shy. We dont bite! Well, some of us dont, at least, she said, eyeing her ck-haired male friend. The powerfully built man narrowed his eyes and shoved his blonde friend, nearly causing her to trip.
Rather than be offended, she burst outughing again.
What a merry bunch, Vir thought, dismounting Bumpy.
Youre Spears Edge, I presume? Vir said, eying an ornate steel spear that waszily propped against a nearby Ashva. The mercenary party of three Im to work with on this protection detail?
Thats us, the clean shaven man said. Nice to meet you. Im Vason. The timid girl behind mes our mejai, Haymi, and the brute over theres our esteemed leader.
Tia! the blonde said with a dazzling smile, extending her arm to Vir. Brutes pleasure.
Vir grasped her forearm in greeting. Param, he replied. And, uh, likewise?
That sent the entire party into another fit ofughter, leaving Vir standing, scratching his head.
Aww, and is this your cute little friend? Tia said, stuffing her face into Neels fur. Despite the bandys aversion to such fondlingVir and Maiya exceptedhe seemed content to let Tia rub his belly, licking her face while she did.
Well, if Neel likes her she cant be too bad, can she?
I see youve met Mr. Friendly over there, Tia said with crossed arms, jabbing her chin over at the caravan leader.
Tias words broke Vir out of his reverie. Spears Edge seemed genuine, though Vir knew better than most how little external appearances were worth. Would he trust them with his life? No. But hed happily trust them to guard a caravan led by a grouchy old man.
Aryan? Yeah, we spoke, Vir replied. Sounds like he wants some of us at the front and some at the back.
Yep. How about I ride up front with you? Even split that way.
Works for me, but dont you want to stay together as a party? Vir asked.
Naw. Vason might look delicate, but hes studier than an Ashva. Smells like one too.
Hey! Dont push your insecurities on me! came the mans retort.
And Haymi, well she could knock us all out even if we ganged up on her.
Delicate? Vason was built like an Ashva. Every inch of his body was decked out in Brigandine, and a great tower shield was strapped to his back.
Maybe remember that next time you tease me, Haymi said with a huff.
Vir regarded the mejai again and realized she was easily as beautiful as her freckled friend. Slim, tall, and with regal emerald eyes highlighted by her emerald earrings, her wavy ck hair fell onto her burgundy robe in a way that just made her look regal. Even without the array of orbs at her waist, Vir mightve guessed she was a mejai. She just looked the part.
Looks like theyre pushing off, Vason said, mounting his Ashva. The dayste, and with a caravan this size, I doubt well ride long.
Doubtful well make the Legions by nightfall, Tia said, stretching her back. Well, at least our bums wont be sore tomorrow! See you guyster! Vason, you better cook something nice tonight or Im gonna be grouchy.
Yes, your highness, the warrior replied, gesturing theatrically.
Those two. I know they dont treat me like the leader, but I promise we take our jobs seriously, she said, turning to Vir. It was as if shed swapped with someone else. All hint of her prior levity had vanished, reced by a fierce Talent-wielding warrior woman.
Vir nodded as they rode up to the front of the slow-moving caravan.
Its nice, what you have. I had a friend like that, once.
Oh? Where is she now? Tia said, searching his face with her bright, nearly translucent blue eyes.
Howd you know it was a she? Vir asked.
Experience.
Somewhere. Somewhere far. Vir regretted his words the moment he spoke them. His heart throbbed, and he felt an emptiness within him. Tias rambunctious group and their easygoing mannerisms only served as a reminder of what Vir had lost.
The blonde-haired warrior drew up next to Bumpy and patted Virs shoulder. Youll find her again. Promise.
Thanks, Vir said, flustered to be talking about something so personal with someone hed just met.
So whats your story? he asked, desperate to change the topic. Guessing youve known each other long?
Oh yeah. Ive known Vason and Haymi since we were kids. Theyve been with me ever since, she said, before lowering her voice. Through the thick and the thin.
I-I see. No wonder youre such good friends.
Theyre the best, Tia said, shing him a toothy smile. You may have noticed our burgundy armor.
Is that your countrys color?
Tia nodded. It is. We all hail from Matali.
Oh
Maiya had told him about that kingdom. How itsnds had been ravaged by the encroaching Ash. Over the centuries, its people slowly trickled out to neighboring kingdoms, and their situation grew worse and worse. From everything hed heard, Matali was a broken shell of the country it used to beeven worse off than Hiranya.
My condolences, Vir replied. Tia must have been another refugee, seeking a life in greener pastures.
Everyones got a sob story or another. Hard to go very many days without being mugged or set upon by some beast. Its a hard world, but the people in it are tougher. Isnt that right, Param?
What makes you say that? Maybe my lifes been full of prana and roses?
Is that so? Tia said, gazing off into the distance in silent contemtion. I wonder how many coddled children have killed someone before?
Chapter 100: Cave Patrol
Chapter 100: Cave Patrol
Virs eyes narrowed, and he leveled a stare at the blonde girl.
You always make damning statements like that offhand? he asked, not letting his gaze betray anything.
Tia grinned. Sorry, bad habit. Youd be amazed at the number of people who give up their secrets all because of an errantment. She fell silent for a moment. Its your look. The way you act, looking at everyone. The first thing you do is scan their weapons and armor. Youre sizing up their threat level. And I feel like you could tell me the position of every guard in this caravan.
Thats just the basics, isnt it?
Is it? I dont know that its normal. The only ones Ive evere across who act like that are all veterans. People whove been burned too many times to allow anything to chance. I dont feel like people start out that way. If they do, then, well, thats quite sad, dont you think?
Perhaps. But whether or not Ive killed, its my business. Id appreciate it if you didnt pry into my matters like that.
Tia shot him a guilty freckled smile. Promise I wont. Sorry.
The trees grew denser, and the road pitched upward at the base of the Legion mountains, winding its way up switchbacks.
Surely he doesnt hope to make the pass by nightfall, Vir said, looking at the saddle between peaks that towered above them.
Nah, look, Tia said, pointing to a series of ledges just above them. It looked small from down here, but the fact they could see it at all meant there was a sizeable t area there.
These mountains are notorious for their caves. None of them are very deep, but they offer incredible protection from the elements and from anyone whod seek to do us harm. Its a very defensible position, so I asked Aryan to halt the caravan there for the night.
Sure enough, the upward slope evened out a half hourter, revealing arge teau wide enough to park three wagons abreast. At one end of the teau were sweeping views of the forested road and Zorin in the distance. If Vir really squinted, he could make out the shimmer of the Runean ocean, all the way at the horizon.
The other side of the teau backed up into the mountain, where dozens of caves pockmarked the rock, looking like the air pockets in bread.
Aryan brought the caravan to a halt.
Make camp! the irritable leader shouted, prompting a flurry of activity as caves were chosen, fire rings made, and tents pitched.
Vir maintained his own camp in a small cave of his own, a short distance away from the others, keeping watch alone with Neel. That was, until Tia marched up and dragged them both over to the Spears Edge camp, where they had a roaring fire going at the mouth of arger cave.
The moment Tia sandwiched Vir between herself and Haymi, Vason was sticking a deliciously scented vegetable skewer at him.
Eat up!
Thanks, Vir replied, awkwardly taking the stick. It felt odd to him that the party would be so generous and gracious to someone theyd only just met. Either they had hearts of gold, or
Well, its not an apology for earlier, but its basically an apology for earlier, Tia said, pping his back.
Then I graciously ept, he said, sliding a roasted bell pepper off the skewer. Cooked to perfection and dripping in a delicious savory sauce, it tasted heavenly. So, uh, how did you alle up with your party name? Spears Edge?
Vason, whod been conversing with Tia, went dead silent, causing Vir to panic.
Im sorry, if its a sensitive
Then all three burst outughing.
Wow, these people really love to joke around
Sorry. Spend any time with us and youll realize were more like a bunch of kids in adult bodies, Vason said after he got hisughter under control.
Its stupid, Haymi said. The name. Our glorious leader over there wanted it to be Spears Tip.
What a generic name, Vir thought.
But I argued against it, said Vason, sliding some veggies off his skewer and mixing it in a bowl of brown rice. Told her it was too generic.
Still think it sounded nice, Tia mumbled, pouting.
So, how about yourself? Vason asked. Ever thought of joining up with a party?
Vir shook his head. Not only hadnt there been an opportunity, the idea of traveling and fighting with friends seemed so foreign to him. The most he could envision was fighting alongside Maiya.
You oughta try it sometime. Theres that saying, yeah? Once you find your destined party, theres no going back.
I doubt Ill be joining one anytime soon. Its just me, Neel, and Bumpy for now.
Vir considered hiding Neel''s name, out of fear it might lead back to him, but for one, Neel wasn''t trained to go by any other name, so he was bound to reveal the truth eventually. Also, Neel was a fairlymon name. Just because there was a bounty out for an assassin by that name, that didn''t mean people would suspect a Bandy by the same name.
You and your bandy look close, Tia said. Known each other a while?
Vir scratched his trustypanions back. Ever since he was a pup. Hes been with me through thick and thin.
Aroo! Neel cried, suddenly noticing he was the center of attentiona position he adored. Never one to waste an opportunity, Neel sauntered over to Tia and Vason, who petted him furiously.
Bumpys more recent. Hes a good boy, even with his bum leg. We get along pretty well.
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I was going to ask about that, Haymi said. You seem attached to the beast; have you never considered fixing his leg?
Is that even possible? Vir asked. Hed figured Riyan would have restored the injured animal if it were.
It should be, if you take him to any sufficiently advanced Life mejai. For a price, of course.
It was so like Riyan not to bother with anything he deemed unimportant. The moment he deemed Bumpy beyond his healing skills, Riyan mustve written the animal off as incurable.
It was something hed have to look into. Of course, a strong Life Affinity mejai would cost him an arm and a leg, but the hardworking Ashva had more than earned it.
The conversation petered out, and Vir found himself reflecting on their earlier conversation.
A party, huh? Even if he did find a suitable party, what would even be the point? He understood parties augmented each others strengths, but hed never really thought about the details.
Say, how does your party work? Is it that three heads are better than one? Or is there more to it than that?
To his surprise, it was the quiet Haymi who spoke.
There is far, far more than mere numbers. A good party considers its members quirks and maximizes each members strengths while minimizing their weakness. Usually via roles.
Im not sure I understand, Vir replied. I know a Life mejai would be uniquely suited to a back-line role, but arent Tia and Vason basically the same as Talent wielders?
It may appear that way at first nce, but their roles differ greatly. Vason, for example, has several defense-oriented Talents, which, along with his physique and his tower shield makes him well suited for upying our enemies attention.
Vason pounded his chest. Any big baddie thates our way? I make sure their attentions focused on me, and not on the gals. I can take hits all day long.
Simr to the Br Rank Exam proctor, then? Vir thought, recalling the mans Umon Tier Bulwark Talent. He suspected Vason had something simr. Then again, the proctor had a slew of abilities that gave him an edge offensively as well. Vason sounded more specialized in the art of defense above all else.
Tia, on the other hand, Haymi continued, is more of an attacker. While shes armored, her Talents skew more toward dishing out damage. Its what she likes, anyway.
You got that, right! Tia said, punching a fist into the night sky. Nothing better thanying into monsters, am I right?
Haymi gave Vir a wry smile. As you can see, theyplement each other well.
And youre the mejai who hurls spells at her enemies? Vir asked, eyeing the orbs that were strapped to her waist.
Yes, and no. I do leverage my attack spells, but usually only to get Tia or Vason out of sticky situations. Most people seem to think of mejai as individual magic casters, raining destruction upon their enemies. While some certainly do take that approach, Im more conservative. I mainly use my magic to augment my teammates. With my support magic, Tias de can be thrice as sharp or as fast. Attacks that would kill Vason can be shrugged off entirely.
She can easily double our collective Br Rank, Vason said. Its quite something to experience.
Thats incredible. Vir realized hed never considered that aspect of a mejai. All those slotted orb weapons and armor hed seen at the armorers shop started to make sense.
The worst part is when the magic wears off. Then youre normal again, and it feels so horrible. Its like waking from a dream where youd turned into the most powerful warrior in thend.
If that was true, Vir was missing out. No doubt, having a mejai boost him would be an enormous asset, but it wasnt like mejai were so easy toe across. Again, his thoughts drifted to Maiya. If she learned to power magic in his armor and weapons
Vir couldnt wait for that day.
What about warriors with both offensive and defensive capabilities? Wouldnt that mean they couldnt use their powers to the fullest in a party?
Actually, thats kinda the ultimate, Tia replied. If you have a party of generalists, people can step in for each other if someones injured or if youre up against multiple opponents and need multiple tanks or damage dealers. Rare to evere across such a well-dialed party like that, though.
Plus, isnt it lonely? Vason said, staring into the crackling fire. I know when I was out by myself, the nights always felt a lot longer and colder. A good partys like a group of traveling friends. Lifes better in goodpany, dont you think?
Vir chuckled. I imagine it is.
Vason and Haymi went to bed, while Tia, Vir, and Neel were assigned to the first watch.
We arent getting paid enough to do night watches, Tia grumbled as the pair walked the perimeter of the ledge. From up here, anyone traveling the road from below was visible for miles. It truly made for an excellent vantage.
Might as well make our jobs as easy as we can, eh? she said, grinning at Vir. He had to agree.
So, Tia said after a half hour of uneventful patrols. Only Neel seemed to enjoy the outing, his tail swishing left and right the entire time.
So, Vir replied.
Whats your dream? she asked.
My dream, huh?
Vir fell into thought. For so long, hed been driven more by goals and less by dreams. Reunite with Maiya was more of a goal. Learning about the Ashen Realm, and possibly entering it, was also a goal. He certainly wasnt excited about it.
If he had a dream
I guess I just want to fit in. Ive always kinda done my own thing. Itd be nice to have some friends for once. Maybe settle down somewhere. That kind of thing.
Huh. Cant say I expected that. Thought youd say I wanna conquer all the Ash Beasts in the Known World, or something. I dunno, you just give me that vibe.
Virughed. So? What about you?
Altani Magical Academy, she said immediately.
Come to think of it, Maiya wanted to go there too.
But youre not a mejai?
Tia pursed her lips. I mean, I am. I have a lesser affinity for Fire magic. But Im pretty average at it. My talents are far stronger.
Wont that impact your chances of admission?
Nah, she replied cooly. Even Talent wielders get epted. You just have to be strong. Ive been to a lot of ces, Param, but the Altani cities take the cake. Especially Alt Ashani, their capital. There really isnt anywhere else like it.
Seems like everyone whos ever seen their cities swoons over them, Vir replied.
You will too, if you ever go there. I was always skeptical when they said Alt Ashani was built by the gods but half the city floats, Param. Like a Vimana. No power in this Age can pull off something like that. And its everything else too. You should see the
Tia went on for another hour until their shift ended, narrating stories of the Altani that seemed too fantastical to believe. Waterfalls that flowed up instead of down, perfectly manicured gardensall open to the public for freefree transportation across the city, and more.
She did such a good job of selling the city that he genuinely wanted to visit it someday.
Vir returned to his own cave with Neel, but sleep wasnt forting, so his mind turned to Prana de once again.
Hed been mulling over how to make progress on that ability, but thus far, nothing had worked. Getting up, he retrieved his iron katar. Thanks to his effort expanding his blood pathways, he could now channel prana from the ground all the way up through his arm. That was necessary for Empower. But whether he used ground prana or his own bodys prana, the question was how to control it after it left his body.
Vir took a deep breath and sucked blood from his feet up into his legs, creating a suction that drew in Ash prana from the ground. Guiding the prana up his body had be second nature at this point, and soon, the supersaturated blood was at his arm.
Normally, he kept his bodys prana under tight control. This, too, had be a subconscious act, and he did it even while asleep. Without it, his prana would leak into the air, and hed be as prana starved and weak as he was back at Brij.
Rxing his control slightly, he allowed his prana to escape, but only through a tiny hole on his palm. The prananormally bound to his bloodrushed out of his body into the air.
Or at least, that was the hope. Hed made the hole smaller this time, trying to direct the prana flow, but it was of no avail. The prana simply dissipated in all directions the moment it left his body. Perhaps useful if he had ess to a deluge of Ash pranamaybe he couldve used it as an extreme short-range attackbut with the density being what it was, he doubted anyone would even feel it.
He was close. He knew it. But the final piece of the puzzle still eluded him. Did he need a way of guiding the prana once it left his body? Or was the solution internal? Could he do something while it was still in his body to get it to stick to his de?
Neel lifted his head and whined.
I know, Iming to bed. Sorry for waking you, buddy, Vir said, scratching the Bandys neck.
When Vir finally retired, his dreams were filled with floating cities, prana, and Janaks voice, beckoning him to the Ashen Realm.
Little did he know that it wasnt the Ashen Realm hed need to worry aboutit was the mountain pass theyd cross the very next day.
Chapter 101: Aryan
Chapter 101: Aryan
Where are you? muttered a ck-haired Mejai of Realms in an ornate robe. He stood hunched over a map of the region, his eyes furrowed in frustration.
The shelter they cloistered in could hardly be called a cabin; hastily constructed andter abandoned, it was one of the several hideouts Hiranya maintained for its intelligence operatives in other countries.
Today, it housed a half dozen mejai, the least of them a Greater Mejai of Ash, all of whom kept a close watch on the red-skinned four armed giant who stretched out on a nearby bench.
As much as it pleases me to watch you struggle, I tire of this boredom, the four-armed half-giantCirayusthundered. Come, sing for me. Tell me at least one of you can sing?
Watch your words, demon. Youll have your fight soon enough. He cannot hide from us for long, the Mejai of Realms replied.
Oho? What makes you say that? Hes hidden from you for a week now, has he not? Such superior mejai ought to be able to find one little gray demon, dont you think?
The Mejai of Realms ground his teeth. As much as he wanted to deny it, the demon was right. His men had spent every waking hourbing Parul, searching for any sign or rumor of anyone matching the assassins description. Despite knowing their preys most likely path, theyd found no trace of the boy.
You said he wears a disguise, did you not? Cirayus asked, idly plopping an entire branch of grapes into his mouth. He neglected to spit the branches back out.
Yes, but even so, there is a limit to what he can change. His frame and the Bandy that travels with him are not so easy to conceal.
Do struggle, human, Cirayus said, cracking his neck. I do not take kindly to failure.
Morning camete the next day. With the teau facing west, and with the tall Legion Mountains towering above, light didnt hit the camp until well into the morning. Despite Avis temperate climate, the chill was cooler here on the mountain. To make matters worse, a morning breeze had kicked up, sweeping through the teau and down the mountain.
Vir was already packed and ready when Tia came bumbling out of her camp, still in her sleepwear. She nearly ran right into Bumpy before Vir caught her.
So light, he thought. Somehow, hed expected the warrior to be heavier. She had such a confident, bold personality, it only felt right that shed be equally weighty.
Sowwy, Tia said, tottering, still half-asleep.
I see our leader is giving you trouble right from the get-go, Vason said, grasping her shoulder and coaxing her back.
Stoo early, Tia mumbled.
Its really not, Vir heard Vason say as they sauntered to their camp.
The girl reminded Vir of Maiya in more ways than one.
The caravan soon set out, and the going immediately became tough. Yesterday, the mountain road had turned into switchbacks, zigzagging its way up the mountain to reduce the grade. But as they went higher up the mountain, the switchbacks grew tighter and narrower, forcing the caravan to stop and negotiate tight turns.
What wouldve taken Vir thirty minutes took three hours, and there had been several close calls. The path was barely wide enough to allow a single wagon by, and an errant step could send a wagon careening off the mountain.
Through some quick acting by Vir and Spears Edges, theyd avoided such a disaster, but without them Vir didnt want to think how many would have died. As Vir was learning, mountains were treacherous even on a good day. He dared not imagine what dangers the mountain posed during bad weather, or in the dark.
The wind continued to mount as they approached the pass, forcing Neel to jump off Bumpy and follow alongside. Vir himself dismounted, leading the Ashva the final steps on foot.
Saddled between tall peaks that soared for thousands of feet above on either side, the pass acted like a channel for the wind rushing up the mountain. It howled and battered the rocks, and everything not strapped was sent flying. Fabric tore off the wagons, and Vir could barely keep himself upright.
Aryan motioned for them to continue throughhis voice was lost in the din.
And just like that, it was over. The moment they crossed the pass and rounded their first bend on the other side, the wind died offpletely, leaving a warm sun and lush forest for as far as Virs eyes could see.
The scenery may have been somewhat greener on the western side, but here? It was like theyd stepped through a gate into another world. The forest canopy spread like a green mat far below them, and birds soared high above, chirping and swooping.
And in the distance, at the eastern edge of the forest,y a small town. Eshanatheir destination.
First time through a mountain pass? Vason asked, drawing up alongside Bumpy once the road had widened. While the way up had been difficult for the animals heart, the way down was hard on his bones, so the caravans slow pace was a wee respite for the injured Ashva.
Vir nodded. That was intense
And now it feels like were getting paid even less than we ought to, eh?
Virs face darkened. The low pay reminded him of the concerns hed had about the group since signing on.
Dont you think all of this is a bit suspicious? Vir asked. Why so many guards for a caravan in this area?
Vason shrugged. Some clients are rich and would rather have the sense of security. Others have good reason to be afraid. People with enemies, or those carrying valuable cargo.
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You think thats whats going on here? Vir asked.
Vason shrugged. No way to know, friend. If were attacked, we defend the caravan. Simple as that.
It was after theyd reached the bottom of the pass and had broken for a rest that they gained some rity on the situation.
Aryan walked up to Vir and the Spears Edgewho were munching on sandwiches, with their Ashva huddled around them for privacyto discuss a proposition.
So, theres the matter of your payment, Aryan barked.
Oy oy, Vason said. Dont tell me youre about to decrease our pay? One silver is already bottom-barrel money for this kind of contract, you know?
So theyre getting the same rate I am, Vir reflected. It truly was a paltry amount, barely even enough to cover the supply cost rued.
Actually, the opposite, Aryan said with a sly grin. I can double yer pay If yer willing to ept alternative methods of payment.
Payment in goods? Tia asked. Cant speak for our hooded friend here, but Spears Edge might be amenable. What are we talking about, and how much?
Vir supposed payment in foodstuffs or weapons might work. Those were easy enough to sell at any local town. The hassle might be worth it if it meant more coin.
Aryan tossed a small pouch to Tia, who unraveled the drawstring and peered inside, sniffing its contents. Her face hardened the moment she did.
I see, Tia said, tossing the bag back to Aryan. Mind giving us a few moments to discuss?
Take your time, the man said. You have until we arrive at Eshana, after all.
Vason cleared his throat. Dont tell me its
Its opium, Tia whispered. Weve been protecting opium smugglers.
Vason whistled while Haymi began pacing around.
I take it opiums illegal in Rani? Vir asked.
Quite, Tia replied. The Pagan Order grows it as medicine, but its quite a powerful drug. ck markets the world over are always looking to get their hands on the stuff. Its use is strictly prohibited in Rani, and well, lets just say none of us want to be caught anywhere near the stuff.
I cant believe the Brotherhood allowed a contract such as this. Theyll make no friends if this everes to light.
I suppose this is the real reason for the no penalty, Vir said. This caravans not even bound for Eshana, is it?
Haymi shook her head. They must have a rendezvous point outside the town somewhere. There isnt a chance theyll get past the gate guards. Not unless theyre carrying a tiny amount that could be cleverly hidden.
So? Vason asked. What do we do? I say we ditch this contract at all haste. If a Ranian patrol finds us and discovers whats going on Well, thatll be a bad day. Doubt even the Brotherhood could cover for us in that situation.
Agreed, Tia said. Well collect our paymentin coinand leave.
I doubt Aryan will take kindly to that, Haymi said quietly. We might have a fight on our hands.
Why dont we apany the caravan until were in the woods? Vir said. Then we can ost Aryan together and demand our money without the rest of the caravan being the wiser. If hes smart, hell pay us our pittance, and well be on our way. If hes not well at least be in a good position to fight or flee.
And besides, were talking a silver a head here, Vason replied. Not like its life-changing money for any of us. If we can get our coin, great. If not, I dont know if its worth a fight. We could just bail.
Everyone nodded.
Tia turned to Vir. You sound well practiced at this kind of thing. Well let you determine when we ought to make our move.
Understood. Im guessing another hour should be ideal. Once were in the woods, itll be a lot harder for the caravan guards to surround us.
Trees soon enveloped the wagons, and unlike the Godshollow, this forest was quite dense with smaller trees and shrubs.
Vir nodded at Vason, who gged down Haymi and Tia. Despite Aryan telling them to divide between the front and the rear of the caravan, theyd cloistered near the middle after thest rest break. Not so close that itd raise suspicion, but close enough tomunicate via gestures and nods.
Without a word, all four brought their Ashvas up to the head of the convoy, where Aryan sat with a guard. One guard riding on his wagon, and two more mounted on Ashva nearby.
Vir pulled alongside the leader.
Weve made our decision, Vir said. We cant ept the alternative payment youd suggested. Wed like our payment in coin, and wed like half now, owing to the nature of what youre carrying.
Doesn''t work that way. If you cant ept my payment, Im afraid youre out of luck. I got no coppers to give you.
That so? Vir said, facing forward.
There was no hesitation. One moment, he idled on his Ashva, and by the next, hed already jumped onto Aryans wagon, forcingthe guard beside him off with the impact of his Leap.
Tia and Vason immediately drew alongside the other two guards as Aryans guard went tumbling onto the road.
So, Vir said, his katar de at Aryans throat. Do you feel like paying us now?
Aryan locked eyes with him for a long moment, his hands still on the reins. Then he sighed, retrieving his coin bag.
Vir fished out two silvers and fifty coppers for Spear''s Edge, and fifty for himself.
Ive taken half for services rendered thus far. Youre on your own from now on.
Vir jumped back to Bumpy, then gave the sign to Spear''s Edge. Most of the caravan guards still hadnt realized anything was wrong, but the situation wouldnt remain that way for long.
With a jerk of the reins, Bumpy split off into the woods, and Spears Edge followed. Another ten minutes of forest riding put them far ahead of the caravan, and Vir guided them back to the road, where they sped up. Aryan and his crew werent anywhere in sight.
Well, thats gotta be a first, Tia said as they trotted. Dont think weve everpleted a contract quite like that before. Yknow, they say theres a spirit that dwells in these forests, watching all that happens within it. Maybe the spirits blessing was with us today.
Vir nced at the freckled blonde. There used to be a simr myth about the forest I grew up near. Rumors of a white ghost. Turned out to be a man, dressed in white. An imposing, impressive man, but a mortal nheless. Id take these myths with a grain of salt.
And ruin my sense of wonder? Tia said, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead. Dressed in her armor, the gesture left Vir unconvinced.
Shaking his head, he handed over Tias portion. Its such a small sum, but it didnt feel right getting the full value out of Aryan. I only took half of what we were owed.
Tia reached over from her mount to pat his shoulder. Honorable. I like that. Besides, half of nothing is still nothing. We picked this contract to make something along the road to Avi. Not like we were relying on the money, anyway. But you did really well back there. I was expecting a messy fight, but you got the money and got out before anyone ever knew what happened.
Thanks, Vir said. It was lucky Aryan didnt resist. Wouldve made things a lot harder if he had.
Really? With the skills you showed, I think itd have gone just swimmingly, Tia said, shing a grin.
Several hours of riding put them at Eshana. Unlike practically every major town Vir had heard of, Eshanacked a wall, with only a handful of guards along the forest road. Its idyllic feel and position next to the forest reminded Vir of Brij, but that was where all simrities ended.
Like Zorin, Eshana was a vibrant ce, with wagons and Ashva moving over its well-manicured cobblestone roads and tile roofs dyed in every hue imaginable. It wasnt quite as bustling or crowded as Zorin, but it somehow avoideding across as sleepy.
Once theyd shed their Brotherhood ques and entered the town, Tia nced at Haymi and Vason, who gave her an exasperated look.
Say, Param. Why dont you apany us to the Brotherhood building here? We can file our mission report and gain amodations.
Vir nodded, oblivious to Tias trap. Right up until they all got a table at the tavern.
Dont worry, its on me, Tia said, gesturing to the meal and drinkid out before them. It was an impressive selection that tasted as delectable as it looked, with a myriad of fruit, vegetables, and even fried condensed soy milk. While itcked taste on its own, when dipped into the various chutney sauces, the result was divine.
Tia looked at Vir with the eyes of predators while he gorged himself.
Whats going on? he asked, suddenly feeling like a cornered animal.
Tia cleared her throat. So the thing is, we want you to join our party.
Chapter 102: Bonds of Kinship
Chapter 102: Bonds of Kinship
Vir froze halfway to the fried potatoes.
Come again?
Join up with us! I mean, just for now, of course. Itd give you a lot of benefits, and weve been looking for a fourth for some time.
A thousand thoughts went through Virs mind, but all of them said one thing: no way. He operated alone. He was a being with a secret. A secret that was far more likely toe out the more he trusted anyone.
But how do I refuse such a generous offer?
Not only would he gain ess to better contracts working as a party, but he''d always wanted to experience fighting with mejai support. He just never thought he''d get the chance.
Isnt this a bit premature? Weve only just met, after all.
Maybe true, but weve seen you fight, Vason said. We saw how you only took half of Aryans money, though youd have been well within your rights to take all of our share. You get along with all of us, youre great in a fight, and you fill a much-needed gap in our party.
Thats Im honored, but Ive always worked alone, yknow?
And I know just how badly you crave joining a party, Tia said softly. I can see it in the way you look at us. You want this, dont you, Param? So why refuse? What are you afraid of?
I Vir found his words catching in his throat. Yes, he was worried about his secret getting out, and for good reason. Vir was no doubt being hunted by Hiranya. The more who knew who he was, the more danger he was in.
But is that all?
It felt like there was something else that held him back, and he couldnt quite ce it.
I dont know. Can you give me time to think about this?
Tia smiled. Of course. Its a big decision. Besides, youre headed to Avi, too, yeah?
Howd you know?
Tia rolled her eyes. Everyone bound this way is. You want in on the cave dive, dont you?
Vir nodded slowly. The Executor at Zorin mentioned a free-for-all. That a miningpany was scouting as many mercs as they could find for this one.
Yes, Haymi replied. it seems they dug too deep and opened awork of tunnels lost to time. Rumors say its a relic from the Age of Gods.
Vir immediately thought of the Prana Swarm. Is that true?
Who can say? Haymi replied. The monsters bursting forth from there certainly lends credence to that theory, though they seem to be on the lower end of the Ash Beast strength scale.
Everyones talking about it, Tia said. Theyll be offering rewards per animal killed. If we can take out a half dozen well, none of us will be worrying about money for some time toe. Not to mention well be swimming in Brotherhood Karma. Theyre offering a lot for this one.
It wasnt the money that interested Vir as much as the karma. With it, hed be able to ask the deep questions about the Pagan Order.
So! Tia said, pping her hands together, we may not officially be a party yet, but seeing as how were bound for the same destination, I think we oughta work together, dont you? As traveling buddies.
Vir chuckled. The blonde party leader seemed dead set on being his friend, and Vir had no reason to refuse.
For the first time in a very long time, Vir began to look forward to traveling.
Vir was proven right. Hed never expected it, but even such mundane tasks as procuring supplies were so much better with a friend. In many ways, Tia reminded Vir of Maiya. They both had that headstrong, confident attitude, yet neither was overbearing. The freckled blonde felt like a slightly rowdy elder sister to him. Someone whod support you when you fell, but was equally at home chatting and rxing. Or arm wrestlingshed entered apetition at Eshana, pulling the rest of her party into it.
Including Vir. He lost, electing not to use Empower, but so did she. Only Vason won anything, leaving them a couple of coppers less wealthy.
Vir hardly noticed it. All he remembered were the riotousughter and the cheering. The ps on the back when he failed. Without realizing it, a grin had crept up on his face, and he was just a little toote wiping it off. The ever-observant Tia saw his grin and smiled.
Things really are better with friends, eh Maiya?
They headed out the next morning at dawn. While the trip to Eshana was slow and arduous, the rest of the journey, while traversing well-maintained roads, was long. Eleven hundred miles long.
At a fifteen-mile-an-hour trot, the journey would take just over a week, sending them east across the Eternal ins before veering south onto the Avian highway. They passed wagons, caravans, and even some Ranian patrols.
At first, Vir felt more like an outsider. The party did their best to include him in conversation, but he simply missed too many of the jokes and references to really get into things.
That changed after about six hours of conversing. The road was long, and while the Legion mountains made for beautiful scenery, theirpanion to the east on their long journey south, mountains didnt make for great conversation partners.
The four chatted about everything under the sun, from clothing and armor preferences to favorite colors to politics, and they even yed icebreaker get to know you games. Vir nearly did a double take when Haymi entered the conversation in force.
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She does that, Vason had said. Shes a bit shy, but get to know her and that mouth of hers doesnt evero-oh, thats quite enough. Haymis death stare was enough to silence even a grown man.
The hours flitted by in no time, and soon it was dusk.
Now they were huddled around arge campfire. The fire had gone up quickly, with Vason, Vir, and Neel fetching standing dead wood and Tia and Haymi tending to the camp. They even pitched Virs tent for him.
Only then did Vir realize how much more effort hed been wasting doing everything himself. Making and breaking camp went many times faster with three other sets of hands to help.
And it wasnt just that. Thepany turned what wouldve been endlessly boring hours into an enjoyable blur. Monotony became joy.
Alright, Param. Your turn, Tia said, passing her knife to hima symbolic gesture. Theirtest game had them hold the knife and say two falsehoods, mixed in with one truth. Each person would take their turn guessing the truth, and the one who got it right got the knife. If there were two winners, the knife holder would go again, but this time only the participants who guessed correctly could guess.
Lets see, Vir said, contemting. I grew up in a poor city. My best friend has ming red hair, and I was close with my mother.
Oof, thats a tough one, said Vason, scratching his head. Growing up in a poor city I honestly cant tell. Red hair isnt especiallymon, but that ones oddly specific. Then again, what son isnt close to their mother? Hmm.
He doesnt strike me as a city dweller, Haymi said, peering deeply into Virs eyes. He hides it well, but his mannerisms strike me more as someone who emigrated to the city. And recently at that. Rough around the edges? A bit too straightforward? Something like that.
Vir forced himself to remain neutral. After losing handily for a few rounds, hed realized they were reading his reactions. Sometimes theyd even make a provocative statement just to get him to react a certain way.
So he did what he was best athe learned.
Tch, Haymi said. Youre getting good at this, Param.
Vir felt guilty about hiding his real name, but for now, itd be more awkward to correct them, so he left things as is.
You never knew your mother, did you? Tia said, staring into the fire.
That got a reaction out of Vir, despite his best effort. What makes you say that?
Ive encountered a lot of orphans in my time. As a Matali, its kinda unavoidable. They have certain quirks, Ive noticed. Theyre all self-sufficient. Guess they had to be, so that ones pretty obvious. And theyre all distrusting. They only open up after a long time, if they ever do. Youre not that extreme, but I sense tragedy in your upbringing.
Vir fell silent for a moment before clearing his throat. So? Guesses?
Red-haired friend, Vason said confidently. Tias got an incredible nose for this kind of thing. I trust her instinct.
Hmm. I have to agree, said Haymi. The redhead is the truth here.
Tia shed Vir a grin. Sorry. Im going with that too.
Vir threw his hands up. Yes, yes. My best friends a redhead.
Whats she like? Tia asked.
Vir narrowed his eyes. Whether she deduced Maiyas gender from their earlier conversation at Zorin, or whether this was again her incredible intuition, he had to appreciate how sharp she was.
Shes actually a lot like you. One year older than me, she used to protect me from the bullies in the vige.
Ha! So you did grow up in a vige, Haymi said proudly.
I did. Maiya was well, she was pretty much my only friend, apart from Neel over here.
The bandy perked up at hearing his name. He looked up at everyone, pleading with his big eyes for food that wasnt going toe.
Vir rubbed the bandys back, which seemed to cate him.
She was as stubborn as the Ash and obsessed with fire magic despite having no aptitude for it. I feel like the best way to get her to do something is to tell her she cant do it. Works every time. She used to Vir stopped, suddenly realizing he was rambling. Uh, sorry. Got a little carried away there.
You miss her, dont you? Tia murmured.
I do. Just wish I knew if she was safe. Never thought itd bother me so much, but well, time apart makes you realize some things.
Like how youre maybe more than just best friends? Haymi asked, a glint in her eyes.
Vir flushed red.
And your mother? Vason asked, scratching his nose.
I was adopted. Mother died well before then, so I never knew her. My father raised me. He passed away. Just under a year ago.
Im sorry, friend. I should not have pried.
Vir waved away Vasons concern. Ive made my peace with it.
Before an awkward silence settled on the group, Haymi spoke up.
As you know, were all from Matali. Its not a happy tale. To be Matali is to know grief. Weve all lost loved ones or dear friends. Either to the Ash or to other countries.
Vir frowned. But the Ash has been encroaching on the Known World for centuries, hasnt it? Why is Matali suffering so much while Kinjal and the Altani flourish? Shouldnt the Ash make Matali strong like it does them?
Youd be right, Tia said, if Matali was a militaristic country. Were not. For millennia, we prided ourselves on our agriculture.
Because of the Artifact you possess? Maiya had mentioned that to Vir.
Right. Its a device that makes it possible to grow crops year-round. They grow faster,rger, and healthier than normal crops. Matali used to produce a significant portion of the Known Worlds food for a long time. But crops neednd. Lots of it, and so the Ashs encroachment has impacted our economy the most.
Weve been forced to rentnd from neighboring countriesKinjal and Ranito continue growing our crops, Haymi said. As you might guess, the terms have not been favorable. Rani is better about it, but Kinjal takes most of our output for free. And both countries happily ept Matali refugees fleeing ournds.
What can be done? Vir asked. It sounded like a no-win situation.
Tia shook her head. If it could have been resolved so easily, wed have done so. Either the Ash stops expanding, or Matali finds another way to prop up its economy. Both seem bleak.
Vir coughed. What of the Pagan Order? Ive heard so many rumors, but whats it really like there?
The group fell silent, with Vason and Haymi staring at Tia.
Theyre honestly doing the world a service, Tia spat. We should be giving them medals, not ostracizing them. Sure, they might be a little extreme about it, but their mission is a noble one.
Their mission? Vir asked. You mean
Exterminating demons, Vason replied. Though, rumors abound. Some say they''re not nearly as uncivil as people make them out to be. That they''re secretly powerful, and their demon hunting''s just a ruse for their actual operations.
Unfounded rumors, Tia said. People like their gossip.
Haymi spoke up. It''s... not an easy topic, Param. For any of us. Demons have ravaged ournds for centuries. They killed Tia''s parents when she was young.
Killed? Tia snorted. Let''s not sugarcoat the facts, Haymi. Demons butchered my parents. In front of my very eyes, smiling while they plunged their daggers into my mother''s body. Over and over, until her cries died out. Then they did it again, to my father.
I''m so sorry, Tia, Vir said.
My brother and I... they made us watch, Param. They made us watch. We pleaded with them, of course. Begged, even. But there is no reasoning with their kind.
Vir opened his mouth but didn''t know what to say. What could he say to someone who''d been through something like that? What words would heal such a terrible wound?
It''s... not just that, Haymi said softly. Demons... don''t have a good reputation in Matalinds. They''re actually among the worst threats we deal with. Feral, animalistic. They''ve even wiped out entire viges in the past.
Is that really true? The demons Vir met onboard Bakura''s ship certainly didn''t give him that impression. Nor had Bakura warned him of anything like that. It made him wonder whether the demons that gued Matali were different, somehow.
Their reputation is well earned, Tia whispered, fury dancing in her eyes. Unbridled, burning hatred. I''m not the only one to have lost family to those savages. Not even close to it. Believe me, this isn''t just personal revenge. Ask anyone in Matali, they''ll sing the same song. Every demon killed makes this world a safer ce.
With just those words, Virs dreams of kinship crumbled to dust.
Chapter 103: Avi—City of Water
Chapter 103: Avi¡ªCity of Water
Vir soon learned that Ranis peace and prosperity made for some very boring journeys. While thepany was appreciatedeven in light of their conversation the first nighteverything else was monotonous.
The same perfectly maintained road led them the entire way south, making the navigation simple. No highwaymen osted them, demanding ransom, and the weather was mild and temperate the whole way. Even Neel had begun itching for some action, and he ran alongside the Ashvas more often than not these days.
Hed learned much during that time. Tia and her friends were good people, despite their views on demons. For one, Haymi and Vason didn''t harbor nearly the same level of distaste for demonkind as Tia did. And, as he''d heard more, Vir was starting to think they had good reasons for their hatred. The beings they described sounded like horrific barbarianskilling and piging with absolutely no concern for life. While not quite a demon himself, demons were the closest things Vir had to his own people. It saddened him to hear of such atrocities.
Despite that, he found himself getting along well with the party. The group was tight-knit, and there was a loyalty there that simply couldnt be bought. Loyalty and trust, built up over a lifetime of friendship. While Vir would never truly fit in, they made for good travelingpanions; he couldntin.
And now, after more than a week of travel, theyd arrived at Avi. The City of Water. River City. Hed heard the stories, but nothing had prepared him for the glorious sight ahead.
Avi wasnt like the other ces hed visited. Normally, a city had roads leading up to its tall walls. Avi had waterways. The entire city butted up against the South Legion mountains to the west. On all other sides, water surrounded it, and small canals led into the city, bisecting the walls. And while the walls were tall and manned, the waterways had no gates on themanyone could enter, provided the boat was small enough to fit.
That gave Vir pause. How do they fit ships inside the city? Those canals look way too small.
They currently stood at the north shore nearby. A great moat separated them from the city, and the only way in was to charter a canal boat.
They dont, Tia said, pointing to the southern shore.
The haze was thick on Daiya Lake, and Vir had to strain to see silhouettes in the distance. But there was no mistaking the tall masts of ocean-going vessels.
Ships enter via the Avi canal to the south, which leads out to the ocean. Then they put in at the docks to the south, where they offload supplies. Crates are then transferred to canal boats and sent into the city that way. I know, it sounds inconvenient, but they have enough of those boats that its actually not much of a bother. And it makes attacking the city incredibly hard.
It surprised Vir that such a peaceful economy would build their capital with military defense in mind, but it was a smart decision. Diplomacy only went so far, after all.
Besides, Avis waterways are a feature of the city, said Haymi. It makes the city incredibly unique, with its hundreds of bridges. I just booked us passage on a boat. Were to gather over by those piers.
A dozen small jetties jutted out into the clear blueke, along which several dozen small canal boats sat. Long enough to seat twenty people and just wide enough to amodate a few Ashva at the center, they looked custom-designed to fit through Avis waterways.
The ride over was awe-inspiring as Avis tall walls loomed ever closer. A mist had settled upon theke, limiting visibility and making the journey feel a little eerie. Shadows would sometimes appear suddenlyother boatsbefore veering away. Both Neel and Bumpy fared well, remaining quiet during the entire journey. It was as if the fog had muted the entire boatno one spoke, and when they did, only in hushed whispers.
It was a wonder how the boats never crashed into each other, but their Magic Lanterns ced high atop a post helped identify them in the fog. Only two rowers were needed to propel the Lighten Load-equipped boat, which seemed to glide atop the water, rather than cut through it.
Then they crossed through the canal into the city, and the fog lifted almost immediately. Under a bright blue sky, canal boats thronged, negotiating around both each other and the tight waterways. Innumerable short bridges soared overhead. At only twenty paces across, they arced heavily in the center to allow boats to pass underneath as Ranians bustled above them, going about their business.
And above it all loomed not only a glorious Vimana, but several dozen hot air balloons of all colors, idling above the city.
The city immediately felt like an upsized Zorin. The multicolored roofs were present here too, though the dominant themes seemed to be red and pink. Roses decorated the bridges, and Avis denizens wore all manner of outfits, many of which were even zanier than the ones Vir had encountered in Zorin.
After spotting two dozen, Vir lost count of the number of bridges. Even generally cing where they were within the city became a chore, as their boat took turn after turn, navigating the many crisscrossing waterways. It seemed nearly all parts of the city were essible by boat.
They finally put in along the side of the canal. A stone tform at water level allowed them to debark, and a stone ramp led up to the street level.
Vir followed Tias example and led Bumpy, rather than riding him. With the number of people who thronged Avis streets, the poor animal wouldve had a rough time.
Lets check in at the Brotherhood first. They can stable our Ashva. Just hope they have rooms left for us. Never seen this many mercs in Avi before.
True enough, warriors in armor filled the streets. The uing mission seemed to have drawn in mercenaries from all over, just as it had them.
Vir did his best not to gawk at Avis opulence. Unlike Dahas castle district, Avis wealth was far better distributed. Nearly every street boasted immacte roads and multistory buildings of stone construction. Painted artwork wasmon, and roses were everywhere, decorating anything and everything.
Each major city he saw, Vir swore to himself that he wouldnt be so easily impressed. And yet each city hed visited was impressive in its own way. Except, unlike the country bumpkin he used to be, at least now, he could analyze the various features and cross reference it against his experience. It made hime across as just a little less of a bumpkin.
The Brotherhood Sanctum was no less impressive than the one in Daha. Built with nearly identical architecture, it seemed the Brotherhood cared little for local customs. There were no roses adorning the Sanctum, though some locals had certainly tried to decorate the buildingtrampled rosesy on the ground immediately in front, making Vir wonder whether the Brotherhood actively removed them when people ced them on its carved stone sculptures and busts.
Inside, the building was downright packed. Chatter andughter echoed across the stone, creating a lively din. The receptionist spoke with three parties at once, and mercenaries pushed past each other.
Unlike the one at Daha, there was a bulletin board here with arge piece of paper. Vir let Tia handle the amodations while he meandered over to the board.
On Behalf of the Avi Mining Company:
We seek talented Mercenaries to rid the Nihira Mine of dangerous prana and ash beasts that have appeared recently. Suspected to number in the several dozens, this contract is open to all willing to brave the danger.
Stolen novel; please report.
Rewards will be issued per confirmed kill, as follows:
Prana Beasts ranking Br 1-5: 10 coppers and 5 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking Br 6-50: 3 silvers and 50 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking 51-100: 7 silvers and 100 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking 101-150: 25 silvers and 300 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking 151-200: 40 silvers and 700 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking 201 and above will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Please feel free to attend ourplimentary banquet on the eve of the extermination.
Vir whistled upon seeing those figures. Sure, a Br 200 Ash Beast was beyond the means of the vast majority of mercenarieshimself includedbut those rewards sure were something. And if someone managed to take down several beasts? Theyd be swimming in cash. While he wasnt in this for the money, itd certainly help. With nine silvers in his coin bag, he wasnt exactly strapped for cash, but didn''t have nearly enough to afford better weapons and armor. Maybe after this, he would.
He regretted having to burn Minas robe, but carrying it was a danger to him, and selling it without having it traced back to him was a risky proposition, even if he found a reliable fence.
I got us a room! Tia said, her eyes twinkling.
How? Vir asked. With this many people here, I was sure theyd be booked out.
Our wily leader has her ways and her connections, Vason said with a sly grin.
The room was situated on the second floor, and wasnt just a room at all. It was a suite. They entered to amon dining and lounging area, with four doors each splitting off into their own room. Overlooking a canal, and with Magic Lanterns set into the vaulted A-frame wooden joists, it was a bright, open room.
Ill pay my share, Vir said, but immediately regretted it. He couldnt even fathom how much a room like this must have cost. It even had its own private bathtub.
Nonsense! Id have rented this room even if you werent here, so its no sweat off my back. Now! Tia said, eager to change the topic. About the banquet. I think we oughta attend.
Haymi and Vason both nodded.
Good food at these banquets. Free food, said Vason.
An opportunity to make connections, and to scope out ourpetition, said Haymi.
And! Tia added, a chance to dress up!
Vir narrowed his eyes. I, uh, dont have any clothing suitable for such an asion.
Even if he hadnt burned Minas robe, it was far too conspicuous to wear.
Well then, you know what this means! Tia said.
The glint in her eye forced Vir to step back unconsciously. Tia? What are you nning?
Its time for some shopping!
After several hours of perusing stores, Vir concluded that Avi had far more shops than was reasonable. Theyd been to a dozen already, and there was no end in sight.
Vir initially looked forward to the asion. Hed never shopped for formal wear, so he went in with an open mind. But the moment heid eyes on the prices, his excitement became dread.
Ten silvers. Twenty silvers It was more expensive than armor!
Sure, the designs were smart and made him look like a different person entirelydisguises in their own rightbut at what cost?
Tia volunteered to pay for the clothing as a gift, but Vir shot her down. The thought of being so indebted to her made his skin crawl.
At least Neels having a ball The Bandy soaked in all the sights, happily epting pets and scratches from passersby. For the first time in a very long time, Vir had to put his friend on a leash, lest he run away and get lost in the crowd.
Luckily, his guide incorporated food and sightseeing into their shopping trip. Tia showed him around the various city districts, all of which were impressive and unique in their own right. Some areas bustled with open-air markets while others boasted gardens, jesters, and live musicians. Bridges were ubiquitous, but what Vir didnt see was any hint of poverty. Either they were well hidden, or there really just werent any slums around.
Tia said it was thetter, which Vir found somewhat hard to believe.
The Sawai maintained their own section of the city, walled off and abutting the Legion Mountains to the west, but it was the castle that impressed Vir the most. At the very heart of the city, and also backing up against the Legion mountains, two enormous waterfalls flowed on either side of the castle, depositing their water into ake that acted as a moat around the castle.
The only way in was via an incredibly long drawbridge that reminded Vir of Daha. The castles bridges, battlements, towers, crentions, and other design elements all seemed built with aesthetics in mind, and they each looked like pieces of art to Virs eyes. It was a fantasy castle, straight out of the myths and tales hed heard growing up in Brij.
Finally, Vir found a viablepromiserenting an outfit for the banquet. At two silvers a night, it was aplete ripoff, but slightly less of a ripoff than spending fifteen silvers for it. Vir chose a formal ck center-buttoned long suit that extended to his knees.
It had more gold iys and designs in it than he could count, but retained a certain elegance despite that. Underneath, hed wear ck pants, flowing into ck-and-gold suede slippers that curved up at their pointed tips.
That was the fashion these days among Avians, or so Tia said.
To cap their tour, Tia took them to a formal ffel sit-down restaurant she loved.
Virs eyes popped when he put one in his mouth. With the savory garbanzo bean sauce itd been dipped in, the tastes assaulted Virs taste buds.
Well? Tia asked, a sly smirk on her face.
Delicious. This might be the most delicious meal Ive ever had! Vir said, helping himself to more. The dish was paired with an equally irresistible sd full of the freshest vegetables Vir had ever tasted.
Another Avi specialty, Haymi said. There are certainly no shortages of those.
I honestly cant believe how prosperous this city is, Vir said between mouthfuls. It feels unreal.
Its all thanks to the queens lineage, and the policies that have been honored for centuries, Tia replied. Turns out, a few centuries of bloodless transitions of power and a dedicated effort on maintaining a neutral economic powerhouse does wonders for a country.
Its the countries that constantly get invaded, or whose thrones are regrly usurped, thatg behind, Vason said with a frown.
Haymi nodded, swirling her ss of wine. No one wants to do business in an unstable war-torn country. Trust takes time to foster, and that goes doubly true for countries.
Its so different from Hiranya, Vir thought. And it was little wonder; Mina Hiranya plotted to kill her brethren while King Rayid allowed roads to go undeveloped and unmaintained for decades. Thergest slum Vir had ever seen ringed the monarchs capital cityif he couldnt create prosperity in his very capital, what chance did the rest of the nation have?
Vir didnt doubt that Rani had its dirty secrets as well, but its prosperity was obvious. People liked living here. They were friendly to one another; they helped each other out. And they walked with such an absolute sense of security, knowing that their country hadnt been attacked in centuries it was hard to put into words the kind of multiplicative effect such a country had upon its citizens.
How can Hiranya possiblypete with this?
Vir ruminated on the topic for the rest of the meal, and it was just as they left that things took a surprising turn.
Upon leaving the stained ss doors of the dining establishment, they found a half dozen knights d in Ranian navy blue and aquamarine te armor waiting for them.
Leading them was a woman with long tinum-blonde hair that had been intricately tied into a bun. She wore a one piece robe that had more jewels and embroidery than any garment Vir had ever seen.
Her long sleevespletely hid her hands, which she sped together in front of her.
To Virs immense surprise, this Sawai woman curtseyed and bowed her head.
Mydy, you are expected.
Tias eyes widened in panic. She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
Ha-ha. How polite of you! Ha-ha! Well, if someone as important-looking as yourselfs asking, I cant possibly say no, can I?
Thedy smiled demurely, but said nothing.
Tia turned to Vir. Why dont yall head back to the Brotherhood and get ready? Ill join you all at the banquet.
Virs eyes narrowed. He doubted she was in any danger with this Ranian delegation, but it did seem like they were strong-arming her into doing something she didnt want. He cocked a brow, as if to say, you sure?
Oh, yeah, Ill be fine, Tia said, waving her hands in front of her. Something was definitely up; shed never behaved like this before.
Cmon, friend, Vason said, pping a hand on his shoulder. Shes got leader-business to attend to. Lets head back to the Sanctum.
Right, Vir said, his eyes lingering on Tia. Both the knights and the woman treated her with deference. The kind of deference youd give to someone very important.
Guess we both have our share of secrets, dont we, Tia?
Chapter 104: The Road To Vir (Maiya)
Chapter 104: The Road To Vir (Maiya)
Maiya fell to her knees. She looked upon the empty dune in front of her, searching for the faintest sign of familiarity. There was none to be found.
This has to be the ce! Maiya said through gritted teeth. She picked up a handful of sand, allowing it to filter through the gap between her fingers.
So why is it gone? How?
Riyans abode was missing. Not destroyed, not ransacked simply gone. In its ce was an ordinary sand dune, identical to all those that surrounded her.
She knew she was in the right ce. Shed navigated here dozens of times on Bumpy, if not more.
It was as if she was caught in a nightmare. A reality that looked identical to the one she knew, but was slightly different. A warped, twisted reality.
Maiya mounted her Acira. The ck beast pped its mighty scaled wings and took to the skies.
No longer did she travel via AshvaAcira were many times faster and could fly straight, reducing travel times significantly, even with the bi-hourly rest stops they required. Not to mention the power they symbolized.
Acira were a luxury only the wealthiest Sawai could hope to afford, but her new station afforded her a slew of privileges unavable to the masses. One of which was an Acira at her beck and call. While she didnt own it, she could use it as she pleased. Mostly; all flights had to be scheduled well in advance, and she shared the beast with several others.
What wouldve been a twenty-minute journey to the caves south of Riyans home took only five, and when Maiya saw the pockmarkedwork of holes in the side of the rolling hills, Maiya breathed easy.
At least thats still there. At least she wasnt going insane.
Maiyas Acirawhich shed named Frumpyset down gently at the opening of a cave that was all too familiar to her.
Maiya lit up a Magic Lantern and ran through the caves, tracing the path to their secret stash. Losing no time, she tossed aside the rocks that covered the hole and reached in.
Maiya let out a breath. The supplies were all gone, as was the coin. She was happy hed taken them. No doubt he needed them more than she did. But in their ce was a note, hastily scrawled on charcoal.
Daha Brotherhood Sanctum. Ask for Apramor. Introduce yourself as Maiya. Mission failed. On the run, but safe. Dont know where Ill go from here, but theyll know by the time you find this. Want to find you. Riyans home burned to the ground. Riyan missing. Find me, Maiya. Miss you.
Before Maiya realized it, tears began trickling down her face. All this time, shed missed Vir. She knew she missed him. But now, as she read his note, her heart throbbed. It was as if a void in her chest had formed. One that only Virs presence could fill.
With renewed vigor, she rose, clutching the note as if it were an S Grade orb. When Riyans abode had disappeared, shed despaired. But now? Now she had a lead. And shed be damned if she didnt pursue it.
Less than an hourter, Maiya circled high above Daha, giving its hot air balloons and its Vimana a wide berth.
Whereas Vimana Kinjal was elegant and somewhat austere, Vimana Hiranya was opulent andvish beyond beliefandrger, too. The entire superstructure glinted with gold, and Maiya suspected countless other precious materials and gems also went into its construction.
The city beneath was a different story. Even from this altitude, the garbage-ridden Warrens ringing the city tarnished the view with its ramshackle structures. She felt like she could smell the stench of sewage and unwashed sweat.
It was ironic. Just six months ago, shed have been dazzled at Daha. But now? It felt dpidated and small. The city was only a fraction of the size of Sonam. The entire city could fit into Sonams Stadium Quarter. Perhaps her sense of scale was offSonam was thergest city in the Known World, after all. Larger in poption than even The Altanis crown jewel, Alt Ashani.
But the situation inside the city was only marginally better. Maiya swooped low, looking down at its many slums. The District of Internal Affairs and the Royal Grounds were, of course, immacte, but boasted far too much gold for Maiyas liking.
Maybe they modeled the city after their Vimana? she thought. It was as if someone had just pped gold onto buildings to pretty them up. It felt hollow. While Sonam was more stark and bare, it had a sense of military beauty, and even its Sawai residences were built with security and strength in mind.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Or maybe the Kinjal way of thinking is just rubbing off on me
Regardless, Maiya wasnt here to critique Daha. Shended her Acira directly in the Brotherhood Sanctums stable, flipping a silver to the stablehand to take care of her prized beast.
Good thing I packed my cloak, Maiya thought, flipping up the hood of her simple brown garment. Dahans preferred drab colors; her handmaiden outfit would have stuck out like a sore thumb. Then again, raising attention might not have been a bad thing for what she was about to try.
Sure enough, her arrival had already attracted the attention of the Brotherhood officials.
A veiled greeter wearing a ck cloak stepped forward. How may I help you, esteemed visitor? the man said with a small bow.
I have business with your Prime Executor. Take me to them.
Im afraid the head Prime Executor is quite a busy individual. Do you have a prior appointment?
Maiya sighed, tossing the man a handful of silvers. Trust me, Ill make it worth your while.
The veiled figure paused for a moment. This way, please.
Maiya had heard many things about the Brotherhood of Mercenaries. That they were apetent organization, known as the Keepers of Secrets in some Sonamite Sawai circles. But were they truly Keepers of Secrets? Or merely Keepers whose tongues became loose the moment their coin purses filled up?
For her sake, Maiya sincerely hoped it was thetter.
The veiled man led her through a courtyard to a small door that looked chiseled out of the stone.
The Prime Executor will see you now, the veiled man said, ushering her into a barebones, cave-like room. If this was where their highest official lived, Maiya never wanted to join this organization.
Behind a stone table sat another veiled figure, though their ck robe boasted more embroidery and design than the one who had ushered her.
You have business with me? the Executor said.
Im looking for someone. A mercenary who was here recently.
Im afraid the details of our internal affairs are a closely kept secret.
Maiya produced a seric coin andid it on the table. Until recently, such a sum wouldve made her faint, and even now, it represented all of her earnings. But no price was too heavy when it came to Vir.
The veiled figure went silent for a moment, and Maiya could almost feel his disdain.
We cannot be bought. If you knew anything about our
His name is Apramor. He came here recently and joined your group. Please. I need this.
Apramor Apramor. Why does that nameah.
The Executor rose from his desk. Wait here, he said, disappearing behind a curtain to rummage around.
After several moments, he returned with a folder. Untying the fabric that held it shut, he slowly opened it, keeping it out of eyesight.
Your name? the Prime Executor asked.
Maiya.
You gave this mercenary a gift when you twost saw each other. What was it?
A beaded bracelet, Maiya said immediately. I spent a lot of time making that, yknow?
It took everything she had not to smile. So he did find the bracelet But if he had the bracelet, why didnt he know where she was? The letter shed left behind shouldve pointed him to Sonam. Was there some reason he couldnt search for her?
Very well. Redheaded teen. You match the description. As I said, we take our members privacy very seriously.
But? Maiya asked.
But the mercenary in question asked us to convey their information to you if you ever came asking. Even so, I shall divulge nothing they have not explicitly asked us to say. We are extending this service as a special favor to your friend.
Maiya gulped and leaned forward, eager to soak up every word.
Your friend rose from Initiate to Acolyte here in Daha, but has since moved on.
How long ago? Where?
They departed some weeks ago in great haste. The note here says they were bound for Zorin.
Zorin? Maiya asked. The little town on Ranis western coast?
The same, the Executor said with a nod.
Why would he go there?
What else can you tell me? Is he safe?
I am afraid that is all I can tell you, the veiled man said, sliding the seric coin shedid down back to her. We appreciate the gesture, but the Brotherhood cannot be bought. Not by you. Not even by royalty.
Maiya nodded, rising from her chair. I apologize for the offense.
None taken.
Could you ry a message to him for me? It''d be short. Just want to tell him I''m safe, and ry a time and location to meet up, if possible.
The Executor shook his head. I''m afraid I cannot. The Brotherhood has not offered courier services for centuries. Not after such practices led to war between countries.
A war!? Maiya thought. Sheesh... Well, I guess it was never going to be that easy.
Then I''ll be on my way."
Happy hunting.
Spinning on her heel, Maiya left the Sanctum. Rani was fartoo far for a flight today, and her duties would not allow it. She was due back at Sonam, and she dared not bete, lest they revoke her flight privileges.
Unlike what the head handmaiden had implied, Maiya had returned to Sonam only to deal with more chores and training. But eyes were slowly taking notice. Important eyes. The day she would meet with Princess Ira drew nearer and nearer.
But she couldnt bring herself to be sullen. After all, shed found Virs trail. And, like Neel, shed relentlessly pursue it. The world wasntrge enough to keep the two of them apart for long. Not nearly.
Just a little longer. Iming for you, Vir.
Chapter 105: The Banquet
Chapter 105: The Banquet
Spears Edge, party of four? the well-dressed greeter said, eyeing Haymi, Vason, and Vir.
Our leaderll join uster, Vason replied. Just us three for now.
Vir stood star struck at the ballroom theyd just entered. Enormous crystal chandeliers hung from the four-story ceiling, illuminated with a myriad of Magic Lanterns.
Red and blue velvet curtains covered the stained ss windows that stretched upeach window was at least two stories in height.
At their base stood the longest tables Vir had ever seen, covered in white cloth andden with enough food to feed all of Brij. The dazzling disy of opulence was staggering.
Several dozen small circr tables were ced nearby, with white cloths and between four to six padded chairs surrounding them. Each of these also had refreshments and wine bottles ced upon them, and off in a corner sat a full orchestra, ying soft, melodic tones.
How much did all of this cost?
Adding to the grandeur, dozens of pairs danced in the middle of the hall, each looking like princes and princesses. Were these warriors, or high ranking Sawai nobility?
And yet, none of the women were as stunning as their own Haymi. Her long dark hair flowed over her one piece emerald dress, which dragged slightly upon the hardwood. With her makeup, the already-pretty woman had transformed into a vixen. Only princess Mina might have outstripped her beauty.
Vason himself cut a dashing figure with his formal white-and-gold attire. Simr to Virs getup, Vason wore a single, center buttoned coat that stretched to his knees, draped over pants of the same color. Like Virs, his shoes also curled up at their toes. In fact, most of the men at the banquet wore a simr style, just in different hues and with varying amounts of decoration.
The Spears Edge group meandered to the circr table that had their names on it and took their seats.
About half the people in attendance sat at their tables, while the rest either danced or conversed with one another. By their prana signatures, Vir determined that only about a third in attendance were mercenaries. The rest looked like guests theyd brought along.
Rx, Haymi said, seeing Vir fidgeting.
Sorry, just not used to wearing clothes like these, he replied. Despite being mostly silk, he found them strangely itchy. They were the finest clothes hed ever worn, and yet he couldnt wait to be out of them.
Well, lets go get some food, Vason said, pping his shoulder. Bet thatll take your mind off the clothes!
Haymi rolled her eyes, but apanied them regardless. Vir felt as though her every movement was practiced to be as dainty and elegant as possible. Though refined in their daily life, shed clearly stepped it up a notch for this asion, and she looked every bit a Sawai. Vir had to wonder whether someone could so easily step into such a role without enormous practice.
His thoughts were interrupted by the dizzying array of foodid out in front of them. From the rice dishes that came in a variety of colors, stir-fries, condensed soy dishes, to the assortment of breads and the desserts! Vir had never even heard of most of the dishes before him, and so he made sure to sample each and every one.
You do know you cane back for seconds and thirds, you know? Vason said, eyeing the heaping of food on Virs te.
O-Oh, right he replied, flushing.
Vir savored each of the delectable tastes and textures, and before long, his te had run empty. Just as he rose to get more, she arrived.
Announcing the arrival of Tia, leader of the Spears Edge, party of four, said the greeter.
Virs eyes turned to the entrance, and he wasnt the only one. She had half the eyes in the entire ballroom looking at her as she walked to the Spears Edge table, her arm hooked around an impressively built man wearing the Ranian navy-and-aquamarine colors.
If Haymi had refined her appearance and mannerisms for this party, it was as if Tia had undergone aplete transformation.
Gone were all traces of her boyish mannerisms. The freckled blonde wore a magnificent white backless gown and walked with the dainty steps of a Sawaidy.
With the crystal tiara that rested atop her head and her enormous hooped earrings, she looked downright divine to Virs eyes.
Dont fall for her all at once, Vason said, jabbing Virs rib. Trust me, you wouldnt be the first.
She just she looks so different, Vir choked out. It wasnt just the clothing or her steps. Shemanded a kind of authority he hadnt seen from anyone else in the ballroom. It was as if shed just stepped into her natural habitat, like she was born for this.
Yeah, well, thats Tia for you. Shes cut from a different cloth.
Is she Sawai?
Vason frowned. Well, itsplicated. Earn her trust, and she might even tell you one day.
The warrior''s message was clear; he wasnt about to betray Tias secrets.
After chatting with several people along the way, their glorious leader finally arrived. She threw them a small wave, and the man escorting her bowed and took his leave.
Sorry for the dy, everyone! I trust you werent waiting too long?
Like Haymi, even Tias speech and mannerisms had changed to suit the asion, and Vir could swear he detected a slight ent in her voice that wasnt there before.
Not at all. Param and Vason were just gorging themselves on the food like pigs.
Tia smiled gracefully. Half the people are here for the food. Tis hard to me them. She looked around, eyeing several men whod approached the table. Nowe. Lets make the rounds.
What do they want? Vir asked, having noticed the crowd forming nearby.
What else? To ask me to dance. Im well, Im not in the mood. Rejecting them all would be tiresome.
Happens every time, Vason said. They usually leave her alone when they see shes with us, but tonight Well, youre looking especially smashing, Tia.
Thanks, Vason. You as well.
The group meandered for a bit until they came across an elderly bearded man with wrinkled tan skin. Out of everyone here, he seemed the most out of ce.
Ser Ahi Ajune! Tia said. What a delightful surprise!
The man in question nced briefly over Tia, then did a double take, his eyes widening. M-Miss? II was not expecting you here! To what do I owe this honor?
You overreact. Im just a mercenary. The honor is mine. And please, call me Tia.
Tia, then. I take it these are your bodyguards?
Tiaughed demurely. In a manner of speaking. This is my party, the Spears Edge.
Ah, yes! Ive certainly heard of your group. Then no, it couldnt be. Dont tell me you mean to take part in tomorrows raid!?
Tia nodded. Of course! Its why were here.
With respect, your
Tia, she said, cutting him off. Please, no formalities. Im sure you understand.
Stolen novel; please report.
Tia, mydy, please rethink this. What would your brother say if he knew the danger youd be in?
What my brother doesnt know cant hurt him, can it? Ser Ajune, I assure you, my bodyguards are quite capable. As am I. No harm will befall any of us.
Ajune stared Tia in the eye for a moment, before bowing gracefully. Of course. May Vera be with you tomorrow.
With that, he took his leave, walking away to mingle with others.
So, who was that? Vir asked as the party returned to their table, taking their seats.
Mm? Oh, hes the leader of the Merchants Guild, Tia replied casually.
The leader!? Of one of the most powerful organizations in the Known World!?
And that man over there is the owner of the miningpany whos issuing the contract, Tia said, gesturing to a man with a handlebar mustache who stood high atop the raised balcony that dominated the rear of the hall.
Vir shivered upon realizing just how many bigshots were in attendance.
This is gonna take some getting used to, he thought.
The man cleared his throat and spoke, holding up a ss of white wine.
Thank you all for attending this banquet, he said. His magic-amplified voice filled every corner of the hall, and conversations immediately quietened. Dancers stopped and desperately sought sses with which to toast.
Tomorrow will be a great day. Not only for mypany, but for everyone gathered in this room. Tomorrow will be a day of plunder, of riches, and personal gain. For too long, these beasts have harassed and murdered my employees. Avians, much like many of you, whose only crime was seeking an honest living. But no longer! Tomorrow, these beasts shall die! To a fruitful hunt!
The room raised their sses and echoed, To a fruitful hunt!
No mention of the people about to die tomorrow, Vason said quietly.
Thats why theyre hosting this banquet, Haymi replied, swirling the wine in her ss. At least those who sacrifice their lives will be well fed.
Its more of a publicity stunt, but Haymis more or less right, Tia replied. By hosting this banquet, even if several mercenaries perish tomorrow, theyll be seen as having given back to themunity. Itll soften the blow for the miningpany.
Alright, well, Im gonna get some more food, said Vason, heading off to the tters of food.
Oh no, Haymi said, just as he left.
One mercenary whod been eyeing Tia earlier finally mustered the courage to approach their table. The man was built like an Ashva, and only the barest veneer of courtesy veiled his true naturethat of a brute.
Hey there, pretty thang, the man said in a drawl. Hows about I honor you with a dance? He extended his arm out, expecting Tia to ept.
She ignored him, making him turn red. Now look here. Just cuz yave got a pretty face dudnt give ya the right to act like a chal. Now cmon and dance with me.
I refuse, Tia said calmly as she leveled her gaze with the man, forcing him to take an involuntary step back.
Y-you cant refuse me! Do you have any idea who I am?
The man reached out to grab Tias shoulder, but before anyone could react, Vir appeared in between them, grabbing the mans wrist, holding it in ce with Empower.
Didnt you hear her? She doesnt want to dance. Back off.
Oh? You think you can take me, little man? Lets see about that! The burly man raised his voice. I challenge you to a duel! If I win, the prettydy dances a round with me.
Vir stared nkly at the man, hardly believing this was happening. Not even two days ago, Vason had joked about this sort of thing, mentioning how some Sawai had incredibly short tempers. Apparently, these bouts weremonce at balls like this, and even expected.
But why did it have to be me? he thought, resigning himself to the unpleasant task.
And if I win, youll not bother us again. Deal?
eptable. We do this right here, right now. We fight to first blood.
Out of nowhere, stewards appeared with steel rapiers.
A duel has been announced! the owner of the miningpany said, his amplified voice betraying his excitement. Im only surprised it took so long! After all, you are all warriors, are you not? Come! Let us enjoy this spectacle!
Well, that guy clearly has his hinges loose, Vir thought.
Look at you, defending my honor, Tia said with a wink. I dont doubt youll win, but please dont injure yourself for my sake.
Vir smirked. Dont worry, I got this. Hed already analyzed the mans prana signature. He was a mejai with lesser affinities for Wind and Fire. It just so happened Vir was practically built to destroy mejai.
I couldn''t have hoped for a better matchup.
The man began precharging his orbs on the sly, but Vir hardly cared. This would be over before it even began.
People cleared the dance floor to give the twobatants room. Vir hefted the rapier, but found it to bepletely at odds with his preferred fighting style. Nevertheless, hed make good use of the weapon.
The fight shall be to first blood, or surrender, the miningpany owner announced. Combatants, are you ready?
They each nodded in turn.
Then let the better man prevail! Fight!
Virs opponent sheathed his de and brought out his orbs, one in each hand, but Vir hardly noticed.
The moment the fight began, Vir switched his grip on the rapier,unching it with an Empowered thrust at his opponent, who stood gawking in shock.
Vir then followed the de, Leaping right after it.
His opponent dodged the de, but he couldnt avoid the human projectile right behind it.
Vir kicked his enemy, sending him crashing to the ground. Giving the man no time to react, he took his back and snaked his arms around the mans neck.
Then he squeezed. Tighter and tighter. The man writhed desperately to escape, but there was no escape from Virs chokehold.
His enemys spasms slowly petered out, then stopped altogether as he fell unconscious.
That was a bit anticlimactic Thought hed put up more of a fight.
Vir got to his feet and dusted off his coat, carefully inspecting for damage. If I messed anything up he didnt even want to know how much the rental ce would charge him.
And we have a winner! W-well fought?
Looking around, Vir found no cheers, and only a few solitary ps. The crowd regarded him with looks of awkward amusement. As if they were embarrassed for his sake.
Vir shrugged and returned to Tia as the crowd dissipated.
Im, uh, thankful that you defended my honor, Param.
Vason was less diplomatic. You do realize that duels are supposed to be fought honorably? he said, prompting Tia to look away awkwardly.
Whats that supposed to mean?
It means you either fight with magic, Talents, or your rapier.
Thats what I did, didnt I? I used Talents!
You, uh grappled with the enemy, Param, Haymi said. Thats how barbarians fight. At least, ording to the Sawai.
Oh, came Virs reply.
Giggling, Tia took his hand. I loved it! That wasnt so much of a duel as a one-sided beat-down. My favorite kind. For a moment, her boyish smile shone through, and Vir found himself returning it.
Thank you for defending my honor, Param. Now, may I have the honor of a dance? Tia said with upturned eyes, and just like that, Virs tion was forgotten.
I, uh, dont really know how to dance, Tia, he said, hooking arms with her and walking to the stage. Guess I dont have much of a choice.
Just rx, Tia said, holding his hands.
So soft, he thought, his mind going nk. Not only was Tia drop-dead gorgeous tonight, but all eyes were on the pair as the music started up.
Follow my lead, Tia said, guiding him through strange movements.
The motions came awkwardly, stilted, and he could swear he heard snickering from behind him.
Just think of it likebat, his partner whispered into his ear. Flow from one move to the next.
Vir refocused and pretended he wasnt dancing, but rather practicing a Kri form. Almost immediately, his movements changed. His steps grew slightly more polished.
Thats it. Thats good. But dont look at my feet, Tia said.
Easier said than done
Param? Look into my eyes. Look up!
Vir found the experience incredibly diforting. Without his eyes on her feet, he was afraid hed step on her toes. Not only would that hurt her, itd be incredibly embarrassing.
Trust my lead, Tia said. Ive done this a lot. Itll all be fine, so long as you trust me.
Vir ceased resisting and allowed the beautiful blonde to guide his steps. It wasnt hardall he had to do was stare into her bright blue eyes, and everything else just seemed to melt away.
Before long, they were dancing as if it was their hundredth ball together.
But after gazing into her eyes, Vir found something he hadnt seen before. Sadness.
Tia? he whispered. Can I ask you something personal?
Sure, but I cant promise Ill answer.
Have have youe across any other demons? After, yknow
For the first time, Tias steps faltered, but Vir covered for her, taking the lead. She allowed it.
No, she whispered. No, I havent. Not sure if I ever want to.
I-Im sorry, Tia. I shouldnt have brought it up.
His partner shook her head. It was a long time ago. But Ive never forgotten. Demons may be considered Ash Beasts, but theyre far more cunning. I''ve seen them kill adults and children without batting an eye. The look of hunger in their eyes. It seems their only goal is the destruction of humanity.
Ash Beasts? She thinks demons are Ash Beasts?
Vir fell silent for a moment. She probably harbored simr feelings to demons as he felt toward Hiranyan royalty. Then again
Demons are used asborers, arent they? Even if these feral ones exist, they can''t all be bad, right?
One would think. Matali ouwed very and indentured servitude long ago, so we do not use demons for that purpose. And we''ve gone to great lengths to negotiate with the demons in our country. Every time, it ends with the ambassador''s head on a pike. After a few centuries of this sort of behavior, one... gives up. Who''d bother, knowing the effort would result in their deaths? Is that unreasonable? she asked, staring into his eyes, sadness etched onto her face.
I couldn''t say, Vir said, breaking his gaze. Looks like their history runs deep. No wonder she had such a violent reaction to the topic earlier.
They spent the rest of the dance in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Thank you, she said atst.
For what?
For defending my honor. For being someone I can be open with. Haymi and Vason are great, but there are things even we dont talk about. Its nice. I dont get that opportunity very often.
And what would you say if I told you I was a demon, Tia?
Would she retaliate, abandoning him? Would she strike him down where he stood? Or would she be reasonable, recognizing that the person before her was no different from anyone else?
Vir wanted to know. He wanted to know more than anything. Because if she epted him hed finally have a ce to belong. People he could call true friends.
But tonight was not that night. It was far too risky to divulge his secret. Perhaps one day
He could hardly believe how lonely he felt, being right next to those who couldnt ept him. Far more lonely than when he traveled alone.
We should head back to the Brotherhood, he said atst. Weve got a long day ahead of us.
Chapter 106: Ekavir — Dungeon Diver
Chapter 106: Ekavir ¡ª Dungeon Diver
Vir stood alongside Neel and Bumpy, surrounded by dozens of mercenaries at the mine entrancea gaping hole in the side of the South Legion Mountains. The crack was old enough to look natural, though the mining cart tracks that led inside told a different story.
By his count, nearly fifty had shown up for this contract, all idling around. Many shivered or rubbed their arms to warm up. The sun had only just peeked above the horizon, leaving a lingering chill made worse by idling around. Vir didn''t mind it. Once he''d learned how to keep his prana from leaking out, the elements bothered him less than the average human.
ncing at Tia, he found her embroiled in a tactics and strategy discussion with her party.
Ultimately, shed kept silent about her invitation by the Avi royal knights and her arrival at the party escorted by an Avian official. Vir hadnt pried, either. It was hardly fair to dig into Tias secrets when he kept so many of his own. Even so, he wondered whether it was safe, or even sane, to travel with them. The sensible part of him knew that the more time he spent with Spear''s Edge, the more likely it was that they''d learn his secret. Vir couldn''t see that ending well, given Tia''s stance on demons. Logically, he ought to leave them at the first opportunity.
And yet, something stopped him. He enjoyed theirpany, sure, but it was deeper than that. The past week had only proved it. They were the friends he never had, growing up. For so long, he''d watch Camas and hisckeys hang out together, wondering what if? What if he wasn''t Ashborn? What if he was normal? He''d longed for that so badly, and without Maiya, he might very well have sumbed under that pressure. But now, Maiya was gone, and he''d grown closer to Tia and her party, almost automatically. It all felt so good. Which, of course, only made it harder to walk away from.
At the center of the congregation was a raised wooden podium, upon which a miningpany representative now stood. The man cleared his throat and addressed the crowd.
Thank you, all, for attending. Before we begin, Id like to share further details that may help you. The mine behind me was devoid of life until our miners prated through the lowest level, unearthing an ancient tunnel from which beasts poured out of. Your goal is to eliminate every beast that roams within.
Will you guide us to this tunnel you speak of? someone asked.
The representative shook his head. Im afraid it would be far too risky for whoever guided you. Instead, we have prepared maps for each of you, he said, gesturing to a stack of paper beside him. The maps will be your guide.
Guess I wont be needing my charcoal this time, Vir thought.
Note that the maps only cover the tunnels weve dug. The ancient tunnels we bored into remain uncharted, so please exercise caution.
Maybe I will, after all Vir doubted many other mercs would bother charting out those tunnels, and the miningpany would probably pay a pretty penny for a map of that region.
Now, as for the rules of engagement, each hunter will be given badges to ce on their kills. This will inform us of who each kill belongs to, once our people retrieve the corpses. We im all the corpse materials, though we willpensate you appropriately for the material worth. To prevent foul y, we encourage you to leave a hidden mark of your own on each kill. Our people can determine the freshness of the wound, so should two or more partiesy im to the same kill, we can identify the oldest one.
Thats pretty specific, someone said.
Not the first time theyre issuing a contract like this, the mercenary beside him replied. I hear things really used to get out of hand before they firmed up their rules.
Vir was hardly surprised. If there was even the slightest chance someone could lie and im a kill that wasnt theirs, he was sure theyd do it. Especially when so much coin was involved.
Contested kills shall be handled on a case-by-case basis, and witness ounts will be considered, the representative said. That is all. May Vera be with you.
Seems like theyll let us in soon, Tia said, walking up to him. You sure you dont want to join us?
Ive always fought alone, Vir replied with an awkward smile. Id just drag you down. Besides, Ive got Neel with me. Isnt that right, boy?
Aroo! Neel replied, eager to be going on a hunt with his master.
It wasnt so much that he wasnt a team yer, but that hed have to hide Dance of the Shadow Demon and Prana Vision for fear of raising suspicions. He couldnt afford to watch his back while also fighting off enemies. Especially considering how much Tia hated demons.
What a load of Ash, Tia said, grinning. I saw you move against Aryan. I think youd be a great fit But I get it. I hate it when people push me around, so Ill spare you.
Stay safe in there, yeah?
Vir nodded. You too.
Spears Edge looked ready. Vason was decked out in his armor and Haymi had more orbs on her than any mejai hed ever seen. Tanya used to carry orbs on her waist, but Haymi had orb sockets strapped to her forearms, shoulders, and even her thighs.
Does that mean shes charged her orbs without touching them with her hands?
It always seemed like a limitation to Vir that mejai had to hold their orbs to charge them. Sure, some orbs had to be aimed, and those needed mejai bracers, but the others? As Vir understood it, a mejai ought to be able to create a prana suction anywhere in their body. Vir did exactly that when channeling ground prana, after all.
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Virs thoughts were interrupted by the horde of mercenaries who flocked into the mines.
Everyone wants to be first, Tia muttered.
Apart from Vir and Spears Edge, only a handful of other mercenaries hung back. The smart ones.
Rushing headlong into a mine known to be teeming with dangerous beasts struck Vir as foolish. If there really were as many creatures in there as thepany imed, thered be plenty to go around. By allowing other teams to go ahead, Vir would learn about what kinds of monsters theyd encountereither by finding monster corpses, or by asking those advance teamster.
Vir used the time to analyze the map. Though basic, it urately depicted a side profile cross section of the mine, highlighting its four floors. Each stretched horizontally and was connected by a central mine shaft. A hoist allowed miners to descend, but Vir had Dance of the Shadow Demon; descending through the levels would pose him no trouble.
A red X marked the very edge of the lowest level, indicating the source of the infestation. That was Virs destination.
Soon, the rush abated, and Vir stepped up to the yawning crack, clutching his map. Goosebumps erupted across his body as he peered into the dark abyss. Though it lit up just fine to Prana Vision, it reminded him greatly of the sewers beneath Daha.
Would he find a Prana Swarm lurking in these depths? Or perhaps some other Ash Beast that was just as horrific?
There was only one way to find out. Vir stowed his map, and with a deep breath, retrieved his iron katar, giving it a skeptical nce. The weapon would be his greatest weakness. Being merely iron, hed have to be very careful about how he used it. Empowered thrusts against tough hide could very well break the de, and it wouldnt hold an edge for very long.
Though hed contemted buying a better de, his finances simply couldnt support ita situation he hoped to rectify after this raid.
Lets do this, boy.
Neel couldnt see nearly as well in the dark, so Vir had affixed a Magic Lantern orb to his cor, which hed had Haymi precharge for him. Itd be an issue if he got stuck down here, but the charge ought tost for a few hours. While the bandy didnt strictly need the lighthe could follow Vir by brushing up against his legsNeel was far more useful in a fight where he could see.
Vir was torn between bringing Neel and leaving him behind. On the one hand, the bandy truly was a useful ally in a fight these days. With the training Vir had given him, he wouldnt be surprised if Neel had a nonzero Br Rank.
That said, the bandy was also his most loyal friend, and moreover, one of his only mementos of his vige past. Losing Neel would devastate him... But hed never been great at resisting those pleading eyes. All that meant he had to ensure no harm befell his trusty friend.
Though the mine shaft branched off into several tributaries, it wasnt long before they encountered the scene of their first battle. Two prana wolf carcassesy arranged off to the side of the tunnel, gaping spear wounds in them. Prana wolves, while dangerous toymen, posed most mercenaries little threat. They were a far cry from their more lethal Ash brethren.
If prana wolves are all thats down here, thisll be a walk in the park! Vir thought, though he dared not believe in that hope.
If this was anything like Daha, the prana density was bound to grow the deeper he went. Which meant only the weakest beasts wouldve made it to the surface. From that perspective, it might have made sense to rush in, but Vir wasnt worried. He was sure thered be juicier prey down below. Besides, prana wolves hardly fetched any coin at all.
Vir soon came across another party engaged in battle with a pack of prana wolves. Judging from their spears, Vir suspected they were the same ones whod dispatched the ones hed seen earlier.
They seemed to be doing alright, so Vir Danced by, pulling Neel into the Shadow Realm with him. The tunnel had enormous shadows, so bringing him along wasnt an issue. The bandy had startled the first few times, but had soon grown used to the sensation of being stuck in suspended animation whilst inside the Shadow Realm.
Vir passed several more groups this way. Thus far, hed only seen prana wolves, though some wererger than others.
It was right as he came to the central shaft that led below that he found a beast hed only read aboutin Dahas bestiary.
A lone Raptor fought against a party of three male mercenaries, and held its own. None of the mercs had Talents or magic, but they were each dressed in full te armor, wielding spears and tower shields; they were no pushovers.
And yet, the bipedal ck-skinned beast that stood barely three paces high had them at a stalemate, and Vir could see why. Its razor-sharp tail and toothy maw werent its only weapons.
Its using Ash prana to enhance the sharpness of its ws!
Ash Beasts seemed to use Ash prana like he didwhich was a bad thing. It meant they werepeting for the same limited resource.
Then, as the two sides eyed each other, everything changed. The partysnterns only illuminated the tunnel for a handful of paces so they failed to notice the approach of a swarm of new enemies. But Prana Vision highlighted them clearly. A dozen lizard-like creatures made their way through the darkness, and even climbed up onto the mines ceiling, hoping toy an ambush for the unsuspecting party.
Vir had seen these in the bestiary, too. Zards. Lesser Zards, by their prana signature. While merely prana beasts, and harmless individually, Lesser Zards swarmed their prey, taking small bites of flesh. They were small enough to crawl into the gaps between armor tes, and quick enough that only fast reflexes and Lightning attacks could strike them.
If left alone, the party was doomed.
Sic, boy! Vir ordered, sending Neel to deal with the Zards while he took on the Raptor.
Embroiled in battle as it was, itpletely failed to notice Vir as he sprinted into a shadow, slipping into the shadow realm, and back outright behind his enemy. Virs momentum shot him forth, and his katar plunged into the back of the Raptors soft neck, nearly severing its head from its body.
But there was no time to rx. A scream told him the zards had made contact. One mercenary went down, writhing as the zards wriggled into his armor, biting off small chunks of flesh whenever they found an opening.
Neel was on them in an instant, crunching into their scaly hide, or swiping them off the mercenaries with his paw.
Spears made for poor weapons against these beasts, so the remaining mercenaries switched to their knives, haphazardly trying to fend off the creatures that attempted to crawl up behind them.
Of course, they couldnt hold a candle to the unseen shadow who dispatched zard after zard with his katar. By cing only half his body within the Shadow Realm, Vir slowed time by half, allowing him to surgically extend his katar from the shadow, skewering zards before immediately retracting back to the shadows, where his enemy could not pursue.
Methodically, he attacked, and with each second, more and more died until eventually, only silence remained.
Vir walked out of the shadows.
W-whore you? a mercenary said, quivering in fear at the sight, and if Vir wasn''t mistaken, the man had pissed his pants.
Im the guy who just saved your lives. And these, Vir said, pointing to the corpses, are my kills.
Chapter 107: Ash Biter
Chapter 107: Ash Biter
The party stared at Vir in shocked silence.
I think you ought to abort, Vir said, nodding to their downedrade. The man was injured and bleeding, but not yet dead. If you get him to a healer quickly, he might live.
They scooped up their friend, nodding solemnly to Vir as they hoisted their rucksacks and headed back. Vir thought hed have to fight to wrestle the kills from them, but his concern was unwarranted; whatever fight they''d had in them had gone right out the window after their close call.
Once he was alone in the tunnel again, Vir started marking his kills. There were far too many zards to put a badge on each, so he made a V shaped incision in their corpses and piled them up at the side of the tunnel. Though, even when summed together, he doubted theyd fetch very much. They simply weren''t strong enough to warrant a decent payout. The Raptor, on the other hand, ought to bring in a bit of coin. He badged and carefully marked its corpse, jotting down the position and approximate time before continuing on.
Vir found it somewhat surprising that his first Ash Beast kill had been so simple. He dared not assume the rest would go down as easily, but he did breathe easier knowing hed actually killed a beast of legend.
Neel led a handful of paces ahead, on the prowl for any enemies, but they found only marked corpses; the previous parties had done a thorough job.
Soon, they arrived at the central mining shaft, where a line had formed. The mining elevator could handle only three people at a time, and had to be manually raised and lowered via rope. With two dozen people ahead of him, itd be at least an hour before Vir had his turn.
Luckily, Dance of the Shadow Demon gave him a better option. Scooping up Neel, he quietly sank into the shadows. The mineshaft extended down, far past Dances range, but that wasnt an issueVir popped out of the wall of the dark vertical shaft before immediately re-entering another shadow. In this way, only a small part of his body ever left the Shadow Realm, allowing him to swim through the shadows with Neel in tow.
His descent went unseen, but to any observer, hed have looked like a worm, burrowing into the rock, only to reappear some distanceter.
The prana density had initially worried Vir; rapid invocations of Dance dried up the ambient prana, but his concern had proven unwarranted. Not only was he deep underground where Ash prana was denser, the overall prana density in the Rani Queendom was greater than what it had been in Daha. He had far more fuel to burn.
Down he went, past the second level, then onto the third. The mineprised four levels, and while he briefly considered stopping at an intermediate level like most of the other mercenaries had, he knew hed find the strongest beasts at the deepest level of the mine. The stronger the beast, the greater the reward. It made him wonder how those beasts ascended to the higher levels; the walls seemed impossible to scale.
The dark depths of the lowest level had a different feel. The mine shafts werent nearly as well dug, and the brightness of the prana spoke of powerful beasts. Perhaps the other mercenaries had sensed it as well, for he was the only one down here.
Smart. Theyre nning on farming the less dangerous beasts higher up.
The ce reminded him so much of the depths beneath Daha that it made him freeze up. He recalled the horror of that beast of pure Ash prana, devouring everything in its path. Every instinct within him screamed at him to run. Only when Neel brushed up against his leg, looking up at him with his beady eyes, did he break out of his mental prison.
This isnt Daha. There are no Prana Swarms here. Or so he desperately forced himself to believe.
The illusion was broken when a blood-curdling scream prated the silence.
That wasnt an Ash Beast
Neel, cmon! Vir said, running to the source of the sound. Luckily, the tunnels at this lowest level were far more linear and lessbyrinthine than the ones above. He arrived at the scene before long and wished he hadnt.
Ahead was a wider room, made to amodate multiple mine carts. In it, a lone mercenary dueled a human? Vir thought. But as he drew closer, he realized he couldnt be further from the truth. The creature only vaguely resembled a humanoid. It was, in fact, a horror straight out of a nightmare.
Though it walked on two humanoid legs and had two humanoid arms and a head, that was where all simrities stopped. Its skin was translucent, allowing one to gaze at its deformed skeletal structure. Its head was a caricature of a humans. Thrice the size, its blood-red eyes burgeoned from their sockets while rows upon rows of sharp teeth lined its mouth. Itcked a nose.
Its gangly, overly long arms ended in hands with fingernails a foot long, and d in Ash prana.
Once again, it wailed, and Vir had to sp his hands over his ears to keep himself from being disoriented. Neel took the attack less favorably and stumbled in a daze.
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The worst part? This Ash Beast wasnt in Dahas bestiary. Apart from its considerable Ash prana signature, Vir had no bearing on how powerful the beast really was.
Hey! Vir called out. The man fighting the beast turned slowly, his face devoid of life.
Oh, no Its you? Why did it have to be you? Vir groaned.
The man was none other than the mercenary whod challenged him to a duel the previous night. And if his performance that evening was any sign, he was far out of his depth. Vir hoped to find an ally to aid him, but instead, he found a liability.
Just stay back and try not to get yourself killed, Vir growled, stepping up to confront the beast. Whether or not the guy recognized Vir, he obedientlyplied.
In fact, he ran away entirely, screaming Ash Biter! as he fled, leaving Vir and Neel alone with the enemy.
Well, I guess I know what its called now
He had just one advantagethey werent in the Ashen Realm. The prana was denser down here, yes, but it shouldnt be anythingpared to the Ash Biters natural habitat. That made it weaker, or at least it should.
The creature lunged at Vir, biting at him viciously with its oversized maw. Without Prana Vision, he wouldve lost his head. Or a limbthose fingernails were sharp.
Despite being shrouded in darkness, and although Neels light should have been the only thing the Ash Biter could see, Vir found himself targeted with pinpoint precision.
Vir threw himself aside, barely avoiding his end. It felt like every ash Beast he encountered had mastered dding their limbs with pranasomething he still hadnt figured out.
Neel was upon the Ash Biter in an instant, wing at the creatures back, trying to take a chunk of flesh out of it.
Unfortunately, its skin was far more durable than a humans, and so Neel settled for plunging his fangs into the creatures back,tching on as the Biter wailed and snapped its jaw into the air.
Guess thats why they call it an Ash Biter
That was all the opening Vir needed. Prana Vision told him that the Biter had no heartthat its primary organ seemed to live within its head. But if it was anything like a human, its skull would be difficult to pierce through, especially for his iron katar.
So instead, he aimed for its neck.
Vir Leaped into the Shadow Realm and appeared directly in front of the Ash Biter, surging upward at incredible speed.
And yet, the Ash Biter somehow noticed. It twisted away at thest moment, deflecting Virs de away from its throat and into its chin.
The de prated, ramming upward through its mouth but the damage was superficial. Where a normal human wouldve been writhing in agony, the Ash Biter calmly swiped at Vir, forcing him to let go of the stuck de and Leap to safety.
Two chakris flew out of Virs hands before the Ash Biter could follow, but its prana-armored limbs stopped them dead in their tracks.
Neel! Vir cried, ordering his friend back to his side. The bandy was still desperately clutching onto the Ash Biter, but Vir didnt want his friend that close to an enemy who could bisect him in a single strike.
Neel disengaged and came running back, and the Ash Biter finally went on the offensive. It Leaped to Vir, forcing him to defend. His steel bracers caught the brunt of the Ash Biters assault, deflecting blow after blow, but Vir knew it was only a matter of time before the beast broke through his guard.
Neel chomped down on the Biters leg, distracting it, which gave Vir the perfect opportunity to grab his katar. He twisted the de as he brought it out.
This time, the Ash Biter roared in pain, biting at the empty air. It switched its attention back to Vir, but it was toote. Hed already Leaped into the Shadow Realm.
If a single Leap wasnt enough to take it down, that just meant he needed more. Vir exited a shadow several paces away, directly behind the Ash Biter.
Once again, Neel distracted the beast, biting its legs and darting off before his opponents ws could hit him. It was a dangerous gamble; eventually, the Biters ws would connect, and that would be the end of Neel.
Vir wasnt about to let that happen. Having Leaped into the shadow, he leveraged the momentum to shoot back out. But instead of attacking the Ash Biter, he kicked off the ground, Leaping again, quadrupling his speed.
His katar mmed into the back of the Ash Biters neck with superhuman speed. Against such force, not even the Ash Beasts prana-empowered skin could hold. The de struck true and sunk deep and kept going until it severed the Ash Biters oversized head from its body.
The beast paused, and for a horrifying moment, Vir wondered whether it could survive without its head.
But then it copsed to its knees before falling over, dead. This Ash Biter would bite no more.
Yesssss! Vir shouted, pumping his fists in the air.
Aroooo!!! Neel howled in victory, running circles around him happily.
Then Vir fell to his knees, echoing the Ash Biter just moments before, fatigue oveing him. He let out a long breath and let his katar slip out of his hands.
For the second time in as many hours, he''d felled an Ash Beast. An Ash Beast! And, for the second time that day, heprehended just how tiny, weak, and insignificant he truly was.
With that realization came the understanding that if he dared press on any further, he needed to be stronger. He needed Prana de. That morning, he had no leads on how to obtain it. But after witnessing the Ash Beasts up close, he''d gained a few ideas.
And what better ce to train than the depths of an infested mine? An infested mine... where Ash prana ran strong.
Chapter 108: Prana Blade
Chapter 108: Prana de
Prana can do damage, Vir thought. Or rather, pranabined with intent could do damage.
Riyans de Projection flung Earth prana from the de, extending its reach. Kamnas de Launch took the concept even further, firing off a concentrated burst of prana that ripped through the ground. And Ash Beasts wreathed their bodies with prana to toughen their hide and sharpen their ws.
Vir had already finished marking the Ash Biters corpse. He looked around the pitch ck space, illuminated only by the Magic Lantern that hung around Neels neck.
Most would call him insane for training at the bottom of a dark mine where arcane horrors roamed, but then again, it was the most ideal training ground Vir had ever had. While the prana density wasnt quite what it was at Vka Amarathe hidden outpost of the gods under Dahait was noticeably greater than at the surface.
If there was any ce that would help Vir master the secrets of Prana de, it was this ce.
Keep an eye out, Neel. If anythinges close, you let me know, he said as he crossed his legs on the cold stone and closed his eyes.
The bandy barked in acknowledgement, slowly patrolling a perimeter around Vir.
Sinking into thought, Vir trained Prana Vision inward. He already knew from prior experiments thatunching his bodys Ash Prana outward aplished littlethe prana merely dissipated the instant it left his body. He also lost control of it the moment it exited, making it quite useless.
And with Ash Prana being such a limited resource, he couldnt afford to waste it inefficiently.
Buttely, hed been thinking about ways to counter that. An arrow thrown by hand dealt minimal damage, but whenunched by a bow, it became a lethal weapon.
What if Iunch prana out of my hand?
Granted, Vir doubted this was how Prana de actually worked, but it was the only lead he had to work with.
The only reason this worked was because of his bodys prana saturation. Most creatures existed in equilibrium with their surroundingsAsh Beasts excluded. They seemed to do what he did, though he suspected it came naturally and subconsciously to the beasts.
Most Talent wielders had to channel prana from the ground to fire off a Talent, but with the amount of prana he kept trapped in his body, unleashing his stored up prana as a weapon became viable. Or at least it ought to be. Except for Toughen, all of his existing Talents relied on ground prana to operate.
Vir held out his arm and inhaled. He allowed the prana in his hand to dissipate, but this time, he actively pushed the prana out of his hand.
To no effect. If the prana went any further, he certainly didnt notice.
But as Vir had learned, it was far more effective to allow prana to flow as it wanted, rather than force it to go somewhere. Thinking back to his first experiments with prana, Vir released his hold on the prana in his palmbut only through a tiny opening in the very center. By restricting the size of the opening, prana rushed out at a much faster rate.
This time, he could see the prana shoot forthbut even then, it only extended a handspan away before dissipating.
Vir targeted a nearby rock andunched his prana attack, willing the prana to slice through.
The prana surged out of his hand and into the rock, carving a small line through it.
It worked but as it was, the ability was hardly useful. Even his katar could do as much damage, and the katars de was longer.
Well, if it was that easy, I wouldve figured it out already.
Feeling like hed overstayed his wee, Vir stood up. Though no other mercenaries had bothered him, it was only a matter of time. He needed to press on.
Cmon boy.
With Neel leading, they set out deeper into the mine.
As they walked, Vir ruminated over what he was doing wrong. He wondered if it was simply a prana density issuemany Rare Tier Talents like Blink had been off limits to him due to the low Ash prana density. Could it be that? Or was there some fundamental difference between how Ash prana worked that hed overlooked? Hed assumed it operated the same as Earth and Shadow prana since he could use Talents from those affinities, but maybe there was something he was missing.
After seeing how naturally Ash Beasts wreathed their bodies in prana, he had to wonder what prevented him from doing the same. After all, they used the same prana he did, and it wasnt like Ash Beasts were especially intelligentin fact, the Dahan Bestiary imed the Ashen Realm had broken their minds, making them incapable of higher thought.
Vir wasnt sure if that was true, as the ones hed fought until now showed at least some intelligence, but he was confident they werent using someplicated strategy to pull off their Talents.
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The end of the mining tunnel came sooner than Vir had expected. But instead of a dead-end, it led into a cavernous space, several stories tall and wide enough to fit a half-dozen Ashva. borate carvings decorated the walls, but it was the blue-and-white lighting that gave it away.
This is an Imperium ruin
Once again, memories of Vka Amara flooded into Virs head. He focused on Prana Vision, searching for a Prana Swarm
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Whatever was out there was
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Vir braced himself, readying his chakrams.
It wasnt a Prana Swarm that rounded the corner, thumping on its four paws.
Hundreds of obsidian-like spikes covered the beasts back. While not asrge as its footfalls had made it seem, Vir identified the Ash Beast instantly.
Phantomde Alpha.
Hed read about it in Dahas library. Br rank estimated between 150 and 250 in the Ash. He doubted it''de even to the lower end of that scale here, but even so, it was a fearsome opponent. Resembling an oversized tortoise, it moved rather slowly. Unlike a tortoise, it could shoot the spikes on its back like projectiles, making them highly dangerous. In addition, it wielded prana as a weapon, firing a concentrated beam from its maw.
Vir wondered whether itd be able to use that attack without the prana density of the Ashen Realm, but he wasnt about to take any chances.
One look at its back told him hed be at a disadvantage if this battle ran long. The Phantomde had nearly a hundred spikes, all of which were potential weapons.
How do I even hurt the thing? Vir wondered. The spikes functioned not only as weapons but as armor, too. It looked incredibly durable.
Neel boldly dove in, running circles around the slow-moving beast. The Phantomde kept turning to match Neel, but it was no match for the bandys speed.
Growing frustrated, itunched its attackfour des fired off with far more force than Vir wouldve thought possible. One nearly nicked Neel, making the bandy whimper.
To me, boy, Vir ordered. The bandy obediently returned to his side, tail between his legs.
My turn.
Vir Leaped, putting him behind the beast, but the Phantomde anticipated his move. It fired off three spikes, forcing Vir to dodge them with micro-Leaps, but he didnt break off his attack.
With another Leap, he closed the distance and plunged his katar into its back. He aimed precisely at the spots where the Phantomde had fired its spikes.
The katar struck hide and stopped dead in its tracks. It was as if hed struck a rock.
Then itunched a half-dozen spikes at point-nk range. The distance meant Vir had no chance to escapehe barely managed to Toughen his forearms before a spike mmed into his bracers, sending him flying back.
The impact rattled his very bones, stunning him.
Several more spikes followed, but Vir rolled into a shadow and sunk into the Shadow Realm.
This is bad, Vir thought, analyzing the battle. Prana Vision showed him no weaknesses, and his attack had confirmed it. Even if he couldst until the Phantomde exhausted all of its spikes, he still wouldnt have a way of harming the beast.
He considered all options. Virs katar was ineffective, and he feared to Empower it, lest the de break on impact. Nor could he bring the beast into the Shadow Realmthe beast was far too big and heavy to fit. Neel was a good distraction, but that was it.
Vir reached an arm out of the Shadow Realm, allowing time to proceed at a crawl.
The Phantomdeunched another spike at Neel. Vir wasnt worried; the bandy was already reacting, but there was something about the way the spike flew that intrigued Vir.
It didnt fly straight. Rather, it spun. Like a drill. An air drill.
Its using the spin to make its spikes even more lethal.
Simr to how Vir spun his chakrams, though the axis it spun upon was different.
And that gave him an idea.
If projectiles became more lethal when spun What about prana?
With time still slowed, Vir tested it. He fired his prana de from earlier, but this time imparted a spin to it, spiraling the prana through his hand before allowing it to leave his body.
And this time, the prana went double the distancenearly a pacebefore dissipating.
I can work with that, Vir thought. While it wasn''t the real thing, it felt lethal. More lethal than just an Empowered katar, at least.
Using the precious few seconds he had left within the Shadow Realm, he snaked his hand out from beneath the Phantomdewhere there were no spikesand fired his prana de.
His prana met little resistance, scything through the Phantomdes hide. Clearly, though its hide appeared tough, it wasnt anywhere near as solid as actual rock.
The Phantomde roared, attempting to find the perpetrator, but it had no eyes in its belly.
Vir struck again and then his prana ran out. While in the Shadow Realm, it was as if the rest of his body didnt exist. The only prana he had ess to was what hed stored within his arm, which wasnt much.
The timer ran out and Vir was ejected from the Shadow Realm, but he wasnt worried.
He now had a means to defeat this monster, and he was going to exploit it.
The best part? There wasnt even a need to ce himself in danger to do so. He sunk back into the Shadow Realm, and this time extended his left arm, gouging the Phantomdes belly three times before the prana in his arm ran out.
Luckily, he had two more limbs. He extended his left leg, kicking the Phantomdes belly as henced out with his prana discharge.
With his leg being farrger than his arms, the discharge was proportionallyrger, skewering deep into the Ash Beast.
He got six strikes from his left leg, and another six from his right.
By the time he exited the Shadow Realm, the Phantomdey in a pool of its own inky ck blood. The light from its eyes slowly winked out.
Yeesssss! Vir roared, pumping his fists.
Arooo! Neel echoed, as the Ash Beast breathed its final breath.
Vir looked upon the corpse and saw only silvers and brotherhood karma. Refilling his body with prana from the ground, he etched his mark into the beasts hide, iming it as his own.
Lets go see what else this ce has in store for us, he said, cracking his neck.
Then an enormous roar filled the entire ruin. Vir froze in his tracks, filled with fear.
The confidence Vir had just mustered snuffed out like a candle against a hurricane.
Whatever that was it scared him nearly as much as the Prana Swarm.
Chapter 109: Narapazu
Chapter 109: Narapazu
A part of Virs mind told him to run. To flee with all haste. To get as far away from the thing that emitted that bloodcurdling roar as possible.
But another part spurred him on. He ran neither for glory nor Brotherhood karma. He ran because hed heard another crya human cryand one that sounded awfully familiar.
With Neel in his arms, Vir Leaped through the incredibly tall and wide Imperium hallways, all illuminated by crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling, burning with blue-white fire. Chandeliers that had stayed lit for millennia, fueled by prana.
When he saw the enormously long hall before him, he despaired. The distance would cost him several precious seconds. Resolving himself, he stepped into the hall.
Except the ground he stepped on was no mere stone. The moment he entered, the ground beneath him shone bright white. zing to life, the te jerked upward, hovering a pace off the ground and nearly throwing Vir off bnce.
Then it shot forth at several times Virs prior speed, whisking him across the long hallway with incredible speed. Unwittingly, hed stepped onto a liftone that moved sideways instead of up and down. And one that ran off of pure prana, rather than men hauling ropes.
The beast roared again, and this time, the sound was much closer. Braced for it, Vir resisted the impulse to freeze up.
Where have I heard that sound before?
It was familiar, yet Vir couldnt ce it. Until he jumped off the moving tform and rounded the final bend.
At first, he couldnt quite ce what he was seeing. Two thick tree trunks stood before him. The sight was highly unusual, seeing as he was in a passage of sthere wasnt a single tree around.
Then he looked up and up. And realized that those werent trunks at all, but the rather enormously thick legs of a colossal bipedal beast.
A beast that stood forty paces in height, nearly touching the vast ceiling. When Vir saw its head, he immediately understood why its roar had felt familiarits head was that of an elephants.
An enormous, oversized elephant. Twin ivory tusks ten paces long jutted from its massive trunk, which came nearly to the floor.
That head was attached to a very human-like body, except its legs were that of an elephants. Its four giant, burly arms were each as thick as tree trunks. A three-fingered hand gripped an oversized ax and the other a noose. The lower two arms remained free to pummel the tiny peons it fought.
Prana Vision showed an immense amount of Ash prana coursing through the beast. And no weaknesses he could exploit. At least, nothing he could get toits neck and head were far out of reach.
Param!? Tia shouted, spear and Ember orb in hand, fighting side by side with Vason. Haymi stood several paces back, charging her next spell. All looked haggard and pale.
How How did they get here? Why were they fighting this beast alone instead of retreating? A dozen questions sped through Virs mind, but this was not the time.
Vir scooped Neel up and Leaped over to Tia.
Whats the situation? he asked.
Thank Vera, youre here! Tia shouted, rolling out of the way of the beasts hoof swipe. We could really use your help.
She fired off an Ember spell, but the magic merely dissipated against the beasts leathery gray hide.
What is that thing? Vir shouted back, Leaping to avoid the creatures enormous elephant trunk. Not only was the trunk a danger, but its tusks reached nearly as low. A blow from thateven a ncing onewould be fatal.
Only Neel was safe; his low stature protected him from most of the beasts attacks.
A Narapazu! Param, listen. The only way to take it down isgah! Tia screamed, activating Haste to barely avoiding a tusk. Is to attack its legs! If we can bring it down, we can kill it.
Things were happening too quickly for Vir to process it all. His perspective on the ground was extremely limited; devising a strategy while dodging for his life turned out to be harder than expected.
Vir drew a deep breath and immediately sank into the Shadow Realm. Tias eyes bulged, but hiding his powers now would only get them all killed.
Instead of stopping timepletely, Vir extended both arms fully out, allowing events to proceed at a fraction of their normal speed. In this way, Vir could stay an entire minute inside the shadows if he chose to.
He saw Tias face, her mouth agape at Virs disappearing act. Vason and Haymi were too upied with the beast to have noticed.
Fundamentally, Vircked information about this new enemy. What were its powers? What were its weaknesses? All he had was a name: Narapazu. It wasnt one that had appeared in Dahas bestiary book, but this creature was clearly in a league of its ownpared to the beasts hed encountered. Attempting to fight such a foe without prior knowledge was suicide. Luckily, Dance of the Shadow Demon allowed him to gain that exact knowledge.
The first thing he noticed was how the Narapazu struggled with its size. The hallway, while tall, wasnt nearly wide enough to allow the creature to freely wield its ax. It was likely why Spears Edge was still alive.
That, and it didnt seem to be too bright. Or rather, it behaved as if addled, unable to concentrate on a single task. It would strike with its ax, only for its arm to graze the stone, making it cry in pain. Itd then stomp around, attempting to squash Tias party, before trying again with its axseemingly forgetting its prior failure just moments before.
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Unfortunately, that didnt make the beast any less lethal.
Vir watched as Haymi fired off a C Grade Water Dart, which sshed harmlessly upon the beasts face.
That was a waste of an orb, Vir thought, until she fired a C Grade Arc spell right after it. The lightning collided in the same spot the water had. This one did have an effect.
The beast jolted and squeezed its head with its two free hands.
Is that why its behaving like that? Because Haymi keeps shocking it?
If so, it was an incredibly clever ploy on her part.
Vason jumped in, swiping with his de. Vir hadnt seen the warrior use any offensive Talentsit seemed like Parry, Leap, and Bulwark were his only Talents. Still, while Parry and Leap were Common, Bulwark was Umon. In addition, Prana Vision showed Vir that his de was anything but ordinary. It glowed with Haymis support magic, and while a normal cut wouldve bounced off the elephant creatures thick hide, his sword actually sliced into its legs.
The cut was superficial, and only angered the beast, which swept its enormous trunk at Vason, sending him flying like a rag doll. Vir glimpsed Earth affinity prana fire just before he was sent flying. The man crashed heavily into a far wall before slumping down.
Without Bulwark, hed be a dead man, even in his full te armor. With it, Vir suspected hed live, albeit with a few broken bones.
Vir had to disagree with Tias assessment. Maybe they could get the Narapazu to fall to its knees if they crippled its legs, but at what cost? They were as likely to be trampled as they were to hurt the thing.
No, he had a better n.
In all this time, the beast hadnt used any other attacks. It was dangerous to assume it had none, but Vir could work with what he saw. He only hoped his katar was up to the task.
Vir slipped back out of the shadow, and time returned to normal. Vason had just about recovered from his blow, but as Vir feared, the man cradled his left arm.
Losing no time, Vir Leaped into a shadow, then Leaped out, flinging a chakram at the beasts face. Only his chakrams had the momentum to reach the Narapazus faceits only real vulnerability. Chakris were too small. The problem was, Vir only had three chakrams. He had to conserve each one.
The Narapazu predictably guarded against the flying disk, deflecting it without issue.
But its moment of distraction was all Vir needed. Leveraging his momentum, he dove in, attacking its hooves. This was Tias strategy, but it was merely Virs opener. A distraction to allow him to execute his true attack.
At thest moment, Vir red prana out of his arm, cutting into the Narapazus thick hide. Unfortunately, this beasts hide was even tougher than the Phantomdes. His attack failed to prate. Vir followed up with a swipe of his katar, but that did even less damage.
Vir clucked in irritation, Leaping away just before the Narapazu crushed him to death. Despite having avoided the attack, the tremor of its hooves nearly sent Vir tumbling.
If only the shadows were longer Vir cursed the bright illumination of the room. The chandeliers cast their light up and down, illuminating the ceiling and the ground.
The most optimal strategy would be to attack the Narapazus head. There was no shortage of weak spots in that areafrom itsrge, floppy ears to its eyes. Even its neck would be a target. But getting up there was difficult. High Jump, in conjunction with Dances momentum trick, might get him up that high, but tond on the beasts shoulders? That would be tricky.
Hed hoped to rely on a ceiling shadow to drop onto the Narapazu, or barring that, to get the thing to its knees so he could run up its arms.
Could use a little help here, Shardul. Ekanai.
But of course, true to their statement, his past incarnations voices remained silent. There would be no help from either of them until he entered the Ashen Realm.
It was when Vir prepared for his next attack that the tides turned.
Haymi, look out! Vason roared, pushing the mejai aside as she was charging another spell. Haymi went tumbling, her orbs spilling out onto the ground and Vason went flying as the Narapazus tusk mmed into him.
Vason! Tia shrieked, activating Haste and running off to tend to him. With Haymi down and Vason out of the fight, only Vir and Neel were left to distract the beast.
Vir immediately dove in between the giants legs, discharging prana hoping to prate that thick hide.
But it was of no use. He needed more power.
Param! Haymi shrieked. The Narapazu steadily moved toward the injured party. Haymi still hadnt collected her orbs, and Vason was unconscious.
This is bad Grak it! What can I do? Vir thought frantically.
Neel! he shouted, an idea forming in his head. He pped his hands together and pointed up.
The bandy barked, and he could only hope his friend understood his intent.
The Narapazu was only ten paces awaya single step would put it right at Tia and her group. Just as it was about to take thatst step, Neel jumped up onto its thick leg, bounding his way up the monster.
The Narapazu paused, surprised to see a foreign object climbing up its body.
Neel continued up the Narapazus legs, deftly avoiding its arms. Up he went, to its chest, and finally, its shoulders.
Thats my boy! Vir roared, though he hardly had a moment to spare.
Neel wouldnt be able to do much other than harass the Narapazu, buying them a few extra seconds. Seconds which Vir intended to put to good use.
Slowing time by entering the shadows, he extended his katar arm. His heart beat frantically and his mind was a hairs breadth away from panicking, but he wrestled his thoughts under control. Only with a level head would he find a way out of this. Panicking would only spell Spears Edges doom.
Virs mind cleared as he concentrated. The emotions faded away, allowing him to devote his all to the task at hand.
The issue with his prana de was that it wasnt a de at allit was merely a prana discharge. Itcked anything totch onto. Virs will only went so farwill augmented by a physical de would deal far more damage.
Or so he believed. This time, instead of allowing his prana discharge to float away, he willed the prana to perfectly contour to his katars de, wreathing the de with prana.
His first strike failedguiding the prana after it left his body was useless, as always.
So instead, he angled the prana before it left his body, while he still had control over it. Instead of willing it to do damage, he willed it to augment the metal on his katar de.
And then he made the opening even smaller, forcing a tiny trickle of prana out of his body at high speed.
The prana stuck to his de like glue, coating it in ayer of deadly magic.
Vir swiped and felt his de prate the thick hide as easily as cutting paper.
He could hardly believe itfor so long, hed striven to unlock Prana de, and now, fighting a monster of the Ash, he finally had.
But when Haymi screamed, all of his tion evaporated into thin air.
From the shadows, Vir stared in horror as the Narapazu reached down and grabbed the mejai in its massive hand.
Then it squeezed, crushing her.
Haymis wail sent shivers down Virs back.
Shes going to die.
Chapter 110: Way of the Giant
Chapter 110: Way of the Giant
When Haymi lost consciousness, her magic ceased powering Tia and Vasons armor and weapons. The superhuman toughness that had allowed Vason to survive his earlier blow was now gone; the party had reverted to mere mortal strength again.
That was as true for Haymi as it was for the rest of her party. No longer protected by her armor, Vir could hear her bones creak as the Narapazu increased its pressure.
In a few short seconds, she would be dead.
Vir was in motion the instant the Narapazu grabbed her. He ran through the beasts legs, running his Prana de katar across the elephant-beasts legs.
No good. While his de prated the hide, it was simply too thick. The beast lurched, but only became more angry.
All the while, Haymi was being slowly crushed to death.
Not gonna let that happen!
He needed a distraction. Something painful enough to get the Narapazu''s attention off the mejai for even a moment.
And he happened to have exactly that, in the form of a four-legged friend, currently barking loudly on the Narapazu''s shoulder.
Dance of the Shadow Demon activated. Neel''s shadow wasn''t nearlyrge enough for Vir to pop out of it. But it was enough to slip his katar through.
Vir plunged the Empowered Prana de ruthlessly into the Narapazu''s shoulder from the shadow. While there wasn''t much prana in just his arm, it was enough to prate its much softer shoulder.
The damage would be superficial, but he hoped itd at least react to the pain.
React it did, but not in the way he expected. Realizing the noose it held in its hand was useless, the beast flung the weapon aside, then gripped its ax with its free hand and swung in a blind rage, taking a chunk of the surrounding wall with it.
Debris rained down upon them, forcing everyone to flee for their lives.
Retracting his arm, Vir micro Leaped through the raining debris, barely even slowing, despite the danger it posed. Shrapnel cut into his face, but he hardly noticed.
The moment he was in position, he High Jumped. Using his upward momentum, Vir sailed past Haymi, gouging his prana-augmented katar into the creatures wrist. The de wasnt nearly long enough to render its hand inoperationalhed need de Projection to do that kind of damagebut it was enough to get the beast to drop the mejai.
Haymi plummeted to the ground, but Vason was there to catch her. He whisked the unconscious mejai away while Tia and Vir distracted the enemy.
Unfortunately, distractions werent going to fell this beast, and with Haymi out of the picture, their chances of wresting a victory looked grim.
Once again, Vir looked up at the ceiling, but there were no shadows up there. Though he now had a weapon that could hurt the Narapazu, it did him little good if he couldnt reach its weak spots. He briefly considered dding his chakrams with prana, but he had no idea how to make that work. His prana refused to obey him the moment it left his bodygetting the prana to wrap itself around the disk until it had struck its target seemed impossible at the moment.
No, hed have to do this the hard way.
Tia, go tend to Haymi.
What about you?
Im gonna take down this grakking chal.
Tia hesitated, ncing back at her injured friend. Then she bit her lip and nodded. As soon as weve stabilized her, Vason and I will re-engage.
If you do, just distract it. You dont have magic armor anymoreyou cant take risks.
Neither can you, Tia whispered under her breath, but Vir didnt hear her.
Facing the beast, who was currently trying to yank Neel off its shoulders, Vir cracked his neck and took a deep breath.
Lets do this, he whispered, Leaping straight at the giant. It tried to grab him as he approached, but Vir was far too quick for the ungainly beast. He darted right past its arms, sliced into its legs, and stopped only when hed cleared its back.
Before it could turn, Vir High Jumpedall the way up to the Narapazus waistand drove his prana Prana ded katar into the beasts back. Where before, its hide was far too durable to prate, his katar now had no issue digging in. That said, there was still a need to baby the weaponthe basic iron couldnt hold up to extreme stress, even when coated with prana. He only hoped it held up long enough to do the job.
Vir doubted the Narapazu even noticed, but his goal wasnt to do damageit was to create a handhold.
Kicking the toe de out of his boot, he simrly wreathed it in prana, allowing him a foothold. Using his other hand to grab onto existing handholds on the beasts back, he slowly made his way up. The katar anchored him in ce, keeping him attached even when the Narapazu lurched and bucked, trying to throw him off.
Vir held firmly on, making his way up one step at a time until the elephant realized bashing Vir against the walls was more effective than iling around madly. Without Haymis Lightning attacks to its head, it was thinking more clearly now, and that made it dangerous.
Vir braced, Toughening his back as the Narapazu mmed him against the wall. He held the first time. He held the second time, but when the third blow finally arrived, his world turned white.
He was no longer himself. He was, instead, a giant, in a world of red soil. A world of perpetual sunset.
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Another memory fragment? Vir thought. But this was neither Shardul, nor was it Ekanai. It was someone else. Someone more ancient. Narak the Destroyer.
Unlike the other memories, this one had gaps in it. As if parts of the memory had been irrevocably lost to time, leaving the barest thread for Vir to follow.
In front of him was another giant. Both stood about fifteen paces highfar shorter than the Narapazu hed just been fighting. Vir felt the giants rage. He felt his unbridled power. Prana shrugged through the giant in quantities Vir could only ever dream about.
But mostly, he felt Naraks grief. Narak wept. In one of his four arms, he held a newborn child. And behind him was a woman. His wife of several decades. Now dead.
Intuitively, Vir understood. The one Narak fought had killed his wife.
The symbol of the Akh Nara on Naraks chest glowed, activating a beautiful blue tattoo that connected to one prong on the giants chest tattoo.
And suddenly the giant weighed as little as a feather. He roared and kicked his enemy. The kick came at superhuman speed, but at thest minute, Naraks leg grew in weight tenfold, pummeling his foe. Except, his enemy didnt go flyinghe remained in ce, his weight having increased fivefold. The enemy giant took the brunt of the impact and Vir could see the force of the impact addle his brains.
He was dead before he even hit the ground.
Comprehension dawned upon Virhe possessed the same chest tattoo, and both Shardul and Ekanai had the same. Until now, hed thought of it as a source of power, but now he realized that wasnt quite true.
Vir fought through the grief that assaulted Narak. It was as if the giants thoughts bled into his own, confusing him. Were these his feelings from an era long passed? Or was Narak someonepletely unrted to him? Janak had rified that Shardul and Ekanai were Virs prior incarnations.
If that was true, then werent they all just him? Werent they all the same being, merely separated by time?
The realization hit him with the impact of a falling Godhollow. If true, what did that mean? Had his struggles with Ekanai and Shardul simply been struggles with his own self? Who was he?
Vir shook off these thoughts and stared at the tattoo on Naraks chest. The white tattoo was identical to his own, but the blue geometric tattoo that snaked from his shoulder into a prong of the chest tattoo was something Vircked.
Its a receptacle for other powers! With the memory came understanding; the blue tattoo powered Bncer of Scales, the Baira tribes bloodline art that manipted weight.
Vir could scarcely believe such an obscenely powerful ability existed, but the proof was before his eyes. And he only had half of the puzzle. Without the intricate geometric tattoo to slot into his chest, Vir knew he had no hope of unlocking this great power.
Reyi, Narak whispered, gazing at his wife.
Vir never knew a being could feel such grief in his life. Vir had felt much the same when Rudvik passed, and then again when hed discovered Apramor and Aliscia had been executed. But the intensity of Naraks emotions far outstripped anything hed felt before.
Was it because giants felt emotions more strongly? Or was that simply the strength of his love for his dearly departed wife, Reyi?
The vision ended as abruptly as it had begun. Vir found himself in free fall, back in the underground tunnel, fighting the Narapazu. His body reacted before his mind did, instantly driving his katar into the Narapazus back, gouging a line into it as he fell.
Finally, he came to a stop, right at the Narapazus waist. His fall had undone all the progress hed made.
But that wasnt what bothered him the most. A torrent of thoughts flooded through his mindthe foremost of which being the realization that this memory fragment hadnt imparted any special powers. With each prior memory, hed gained something. First, Prana Vision, then the chakram arts from Ekanai, and finally Dance of the Shadow Demon from Shardul.
Though hed worked to earn those abilities, Vir somehow sensed that this time was different. Without that blue tattoo, there was simply no way he could use Bncer of Scales. The knowledge buried in Naraks memory had made that abundantly clear.
There must be something! Something he could use in this situation.
When Vir stared up at the massive beasts back, he noticed something. It wasnt anything he could put into wordsmore like a hunch. It bothered him that he couldnt ce it, like an itch he couldnt scratch.
Then, when the Narapazu moved, it finally clicked. Narak had shown him how giants move.
Not through words, but by allowing Vir to live through his memory. Unlike Shardul and Ekanai, Narak hadnt spoken to Vir in the memoryhadnt even acknowledged his existence. Perhaps it was due to the passage of time and the eroding of his memories. Perhaps it was all Narak could impart.
It wasn''t nearly as useful as his previous memories. Vir would not gain any obvious power from this, but perhaps that was okay.He felt like he''d gained something else from it. Something precious.
And it wasn''t all useless for his current predicament, either.
Suddenly, Vir understood. Large beasts like the Narapazu couldnt move as quickly as smaller creatures. Doubly so for such a confined space. Their every move was telegraphedthey couldnt move subtly or deftly, and therger the beast, the more true that was.
To a giant, smaller creatures like humans appeared to move excessively fast. Vir realized the same was true when he gazed at small rodents.
But what was it like for the rodent? Humans must seem ungainly and slow. And so it was for the Narapazu. Vir couldnt believe he never noticed it before.
Its as if its announcing its every move!
And so, when the Narapazu arched its back and raised its arm to strike at Tia and her party, Vir was ready for it.
He High Jumped from his position at the Narapazus waist,nding steadily upon its shoulders, rejoining his furry friend.
Awoo!
Nice work, boy! Now lets end this!
Woof woof!
Truthfully, Vir hadnt known whether he could channel ground prana through another living being. Vir suspected it worked so well thanks to the Ash prana that flowed within the Narapazus veins. If it were any other affinity, Vir doubted hed have been able to pull it off.
As an added benefit, pulling Ash prana through its body seemed to upset the bnce of prana within the Narapazu, causing it to stumble.
Vir might have forced the beast to abort its attack, but he knew he didnt have long; every second counted.
Leaping along its shoulder, he closed the distance to the elephant-beasts neck. Its arteries glowed brightly to Prana Vision. Leaping again, Vir drew his prana-coated katar across its jugr, severing it.
Then he turned around and hit the other one.
In conjunction, Tia and Vason had grabbed the noose the Narapazu discarded earlier, and were currently running around, binding the beast with its own weapon.
Their efforts proved fruitfgainst thebined assault, the Narapazu fell to its knees. It was dead, it just didnt know it yet.
But that wasnt enough for a certain scorned mejai.
Die, you abomination! Haymi croaked as shey on her back, weakly stretching out her arm. In her hand was a Lightning orb. That wasnt what surprised Vir. What surprised him was the size.
Thats a B Grade spell!
Haymi couldnt charge B grades in the field, which meant it was precharged. She must have been saving it for maximum impact, but shed been blindsided before she could use it.
And now, she had every reason to.
The thunderp of the precharged B Grade Lightning Burst was so loud, it made Virs ears ring. The blindingly bright light seared his eyes.
She must have paid a mejai to precharge that orb, Vir thought as he looked away. With only a lesser Lightning affinity, Haymi ought to have been incapable of charging such an orb. Which meant she''d paid an enormous sum to have this ability.
Lightning attacks behaved differently from those of the Fire affinity. While Fireballs left scorch marks and soot, Lightning magic leftparatively little in the way of aftermath.
When Vir''s vision returned, the Narapazus eyes had simply rolled into the back of its head. It swayed heavily for a long moment before finally crashing to the ground.
Vir and Neel jumped onto the Narapazus enormous trunk as it fell, and rode it down like a slide, flipping in midair beforending lightly before Tia and her party.
Tia could only stare at Vir, her mouth agape.
Who are you?
Chapter 111: Party Time
Chapter 111: Party Time
Vir stood nkly in front of Tia as a torrent of emotions overwhelmed him.
Are you alright? Tia asked, her expression tinged with concern as she looked him over. Are you hurt?
Wiping away the tears that flowed down his cheeks, he shook his head and turned away. More out of concern for his face paint than embarrassment. Luckily, hed learned a few tricks to make the paint slightly more waterproof. It didnte off nearly as easily as it used to.
But why am I even crying?
These werent his tears, but Naraks. The giant whose memory hed seen. His prior incarnation.
But unlike with Shardul or Ekanais memories, Naraks had been far less coherent. Vir had to dig deep to gain anything of value from the memory at all. Rather, he mostly felt like hed been left with the heavy burden of grief.
Reyi, he whispered. Naraks wife had passed centuries ago. Perhaps even millennia. And yet, the pangs of guilt and regret coursed through him as if it were just yesterday. To grieve for someone long dead for someone hed never even met. It felt ridiculous, and yet there was undeniably a connection there.
Vir took a deep breath and cleared his thoughts. The Narapazusir was no ce for such feelings.
Lets go.
The journey back up was far more arduous than the way down. Not only because Tia and her party had to use the liftwhich was always in high demandbut unlike on the way in, they were all spent.
The wait for the lift was agonizingly long. After all, few mercenaries descended to the lowest level. Unfortunately, Haymis condition went from bad to worse. Shed been teetering on the edge of consciousness, but her pulse was now rapidly fading.
Let me take her back, Vir said. I dont need the lift to get back.
Using that power you used back there? Tia said cautiously, in a tone that suggested she didnt want to pry.
Vir nodded. If he let Haymi die because of some twisted desire to keep his powers hidden, he wouldnt be able to live with himself.
Please do. We leave her in your care, Tia said, backing away from Haymi.
She looked incredibly pale and was covered in sweat. Vir scooped her up as gently as possible, then walked off into the darkness before sinking into the shadows.
Thats a neat trick, Vason grunted.
Tia merely frowned and bit her lip.
Vir rushed to the surface as fast as he could manage, invoking Dance repeatedly. Between the battle with the Narapazu and his prior invocations, he could feel the prana begin to run thin, even in this prana-dense region.
Moreover, he strained under her weight. She wasnt a heavy girl by any means, but with her armor and Virs fatigue, he found he needed to Empower parts of his body to keep her in his arms.
I never did finish mapping out the Imperium ruins Vir thought btedly. Hed diligently mapped the area until the Narapazu encounter. There had been no time to finish it. He at least hoped the iplete map would gain him some favor.
But next to Haymis life, none of that mattered. It took several activations of Dance of the Shadow Demon to make it to the mine entrance, but despite that, the journey only took a few minutes.
Vir immediately handed Haymi over to the white tent that housed the miningpanys Life mejai, exining the situation. They went to work immediately, rudely pushing Vir out of the tent, saying he was in the way.
Unhappily, he walked to a nearby bench, but stopped when he saw it was upied. By a familiar face, no less.
Vir took a seat beside the haggard-looking man. With his hair disheveled and a stare that looked as though hed witnessed Death itself, he was nearly unrecognizablepared to the man who had challenged Vir to the duelst night.
Holding up alright? Vir asked.
His question was answered only by silence. The man next to him slowly turned his head to stare at Vir. Then, several secondster, his eyes widened in recognition.
You! he breathed.
Me. So you made it out alive.
I How?
Vir raised a brow. How, what?
Everyone hears the stories. From the Ash Wall. Hideous monsters But I never thought they could be that bad. The Ash Biter How can it exist?
The mans words were barely louder than a whisper, hoarse and broken.
Trust me, there are fiends out there worse than that Ash Biter. I killed it, you know?
Thank Vera, the man said, looking at Vir with true appreciation. And, Im sorry. For yesterday.
Vir could scarcely believe this was the same overconfident man fromst nights party.
I guess its true that near-death experiences change you. Vir just never imagined it could be so drastic.
He only hoped the change was for the better.
Just then, a haggard-looking healer exited the tent, interrupting their conversation.
Vir rose to his feet. Will she
Shell live, dont worry. Good that you got her to us quickly, though. Much longer and there wouldve been little we could do for her. Never seen that many broken bones and ribs in my life. What happened down there?
Ever heard of a Narapazu? Vir asked.
The Life mejai shrugged. Cant say I have.
A giant beast with the head of an elephant and four arms. We fought it on the lowest level. Barely made it out alive.
And yet, the fact that they had lived, let alone bested the creature, was a revtion to Vir. Tia had guessed the Narapazus Br Rank to be in the several hundreds. Even with his powerups, Vir doubted hed rank over a hundred, and though they fought as a party, their cumtive rank was nowhere near that of the Narapazus.
It went to show just how wed the Br Scale was. Or at least, wed when gauging the results of a duel. The scale was built for militarybat potential application in mind, but Vir doubted a single number could urately gauge rtive strength with a single number alone. After all, Maiya had ranked higher than him in their duel at Riyans ce, though shed have easily lost unless she carefully curated the conditions to Virs disadvantage.
And yet, when considering who could wreak more havoc in less time on a vige, or on apany of soldiers, Maiya had the advantage. Itd take Vir far longer to cut down buildings, and he simply had no way of eradicating a group of enemies in one attack, while higher tier magic could do that with ease.
Well, if her wounds are any sign, Id say you got lucky, the Life mejai said, shaking Vir out of his thoughts. Shell need several days of rest, but shell be back on her feet soon enough.
Vir nodded. Thank you.
Its what we do, the Life mejai replied with a small smile. Do you have any injuries that need to be looked at?
Im good, thanks.
Tia and Vason arrived a half hourter, looking even more haggard than when Vir had left them, and once Vir assured them that Haymi would be alright, whatever energy they had left fled them.
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They each spent the next hour taking quick naps while Haymi was readied for transport. Vir didnt even remember the ride backhe spent much of it nodding off atop Bumpy. It wasnt even thatte in the day, but the continuous subsequent fights and the stress had drained them all. They all fell asleep the instant they reached the Sanctum and their heads hit their soft pillows.
Dreams of giants and loss gued Virs sleep, and morning came earlier than it ought to have.
Though it was before dawn, try as he might, sleep no longer came, and lying in bed never made him feel better. Only action ever had, and so he got dressed and snuck out of their room well before anyone was awake. The hardest part was getting past Neel without rousing him, but his friend was fast asleep after his hard days exertion.
Wish I slept as well as you, Neel.
Few people were up at this pre-dawn hour, allowing Vir to visit the Executor booths in peace. The Executors maintained a twenty-four-hour rotation, so finding one was never a problem, even at this hour.
Balindam booth. Enter, the Executor said in a low, gruff voice.
Again Balindam, Vir wondered idly. Either the Executors were all in on some borate prank, or Fate itself frowned upon him.
Acolyte Apramor. Do you seek a new contract? I advise you to pace yourself, lest your me be prematurely extinguished.
Oh, believe me, Im not taking on another contract anytime soon. Rather Id like to redeem some of my karma. For a favor.
Very well. Acolyte Apramor, your current karma stands at zero, Im afraid.
What about the karma from the mining raid? I know the results arent out yet, but I shouldve gotten something.
The Executor fell silent for a moment, and Vir wondered if he was somehowmunicating with his Collective as theyd called it.
Very well. While I cannot tell you your amount, I can say whether you have enough for your favor.
Alright. First is there any word on Maiya? Id left instructions with Dahas branch to tell her where Id gone.
Checking yes, it seems that one by that name has visited the Daha branch. They directed her to Zorin.
Virs eyes bulged. Maiya came looking for me!? Shes alright! The weight of a mountain came off his shoulders in that moment, and he nearly slouched back in his chair. An inner warmth filled his chest. One that hed not known for a very, very long time.
No. I cant assume shes alright.
Can you tell me about her? Was she in distress?
Such information will cost you fifty karma.
Fine. Just tell me.
Very well. On the contrary, while she dressed in in clothes, she flew into Daha on an Acira, and produced a seric coin to bribe our guildmaster there. Naturally, we declined. But I would say that this Maiya is doing quite well.
An Acira!? And Seric?? Virs mind spun. How could she possibly have gained all that?
Now he wanted to know more. Where had she been? What had she done to have met with such sess? The seric coin was incredible, but Acira cost dozens of serics, and only Sawai and royalty had ess to them.
A sudden thought overcame him. Did she steal it? For her sake, he sincerely hoped not. Though I wouldnt put it past her.
I need you to leave a note with Zorins Brotherhood branch. Direct her to Avi when she visits there. Or, wait has she visited already?
That information will cost another two hundred karma. The Brotherhood does not normally y messenger like this.
Fine.
No, she has not. For an additional hundred karma, we can leave instructions with her.
Can you contact her? Did she leave behind any information?
Im afraid not, the Executor replied.
Alright. Ill pay. And, Vir paused. He desperately wanted to know if she was alright, but asking for too much information might be a risk in case anyone found out. Ask her to leave a note saying if shes alright. Or if she needs help.
Consider it done. Was there anything else?
Yes. Information on the Pagan Order. I want to know what theyre truly like. What secrets do they hide? Why do they hunt demons?
The Executor paused for much longer this time, and just when Vir was about to ask him if everything was alright, he replied.
Im afraid this will cost you 5,000 karma, and is more than you will have, even ounting for your mining contract rewards.
Five thousand karma!?
Thats absurd! he blurted. Why is it that much?
Im afraid I cannot say.
Vir sighed. I understand.
Looks like Ill need to do some more contracts, after all. If its that expensive, then theyre definitely hiding something. Something big.
Vir returned to his room, both ted about Maiya and saddened that they couldnt meet right away. Despite having slept more than he ever had, he still felt groggy, rousing before dawn and feeling like hed just aged ten years.
He wasnt the only one, it seemed. Vason was already up, rustling up some breakfast for the group, while Tia sat at the dining table in a daze. Her hair was so disheveled that for a moment, Vir wondered what blonde tentacled monster had invaded their room.
Ten mercs, Vason muttered, handing her a cup of hot tea. A heavy loss.
Wouldve been worse if theyd gone all the way down. They were right to understand their own limits. Even so Tia replied softly.
What happened? Vir asked, pulling up a chair himself. Vason silently handed him a cup of tea as well.
The miningpany hasnt put anything out yet, but the Brotherhood did. Ten mercenaries died in the raid.
Heavy indeed. Fifty had entered. One in five was a startlingly high death rate. Then again, few knew exactly how powerful Ash Beasts were. Even weakened by the rtive dearth of prana outside the Ashen Realm, they were horrors in every sense of the word.
When are the rewards announced? Vir asked.
Later today, Tia responded. Theyre tallying everything now. I know what youre wondering, but I dont have an answer. No one knows how powerful that Narapazu was. I think we ought to temper our expectations, just in case. Better to be happily surprised, right?
Vir nodded. Between the Phantomde, the Ash Biter, and the raptor, his bounty would already be impressive. But with the Narapazu added to the mix? Vir couldnt wait to find out how much hed earned.
Maybe Ill be able to afford some new gear
Itd help ovee his disappointment with his newest memory fragment. Bncer of Scales was the ability Narak had used to manipte the weight of objects. But unlike Dance of the Shadow Demon, Vir didnt see any way of replicating that abilityhed tried. Without the tattoo that slotted into the icon on his chest, it seemed all but impossible.
He couldnt even get de Projection to work, let alone manipte objects far away from him.
Apart from the knowledge hed gained about giants and the way they moved The memory was a bust. Vir didnt know how many past incarnations he had swimming around in his head, but he suspected the memories from the others would be just as uselesscorrupted by time.
Param, Tia said, staring directly into his eyes. Gone was her sleepinessreced by resolve. From the tone of her voice, Vir knew this wasnt going to be a light conversation.
You saved Haymis life.
I just
No, she said, cutting Vir off. You did. If wed waited for the lift, she wouldve perished. The Life mejai said as much. We owe you a great debt, Param.
Vir didnt know how to reply. The whole conversation was awkward for him. Hed done what any decent person wouldve done. In his eyes, he didnt need any reward.
I know you rejected my earlier offer. But Ive been watching you, Param. That Narapazu fight? We worked so well together. And I get the sense that you enjoy it as well. Its as if youre searching for something, and every time you see us together, you get this look in your eyes.
I dont Vir began, flustered at where the conversation was going.
Look, I understand. You use strange Talents Ive never seen before. You have secrets. So do I. I will never ask you to divulge anything you dont want to and Ill never pry. Im just offering you a chance to fight in a party. To fight with mejai support, and all the benefits that brings. Enhanced armor. Enhanced weapons. A Life affinity mejai at your side at all times. Plus, parties can take on more lucrative contracts than a solo operator. We split our rewards equally. There are a lot of benefits.
As much as Vir wanted to deny it, he realized she was right. He did want to fight in a party. He did want mejai support and mejai-enhanced weapons. And hed always wondered what itd feel like to fight while augmented. Plus he was jealous.
Besides, he needed the contracts. The Brotherhood Karma hed rue from the raid wouldn''t be enough to allow him to ess the information he needed about the Pagan Order.
Besides, what were a few more weeks now that hede this far? Surely Shardul and Ekanai wouldnt mind if he fought in a party. Hed earn coin, hone his skills, and learn more about fighting with others. Surely, that couldnt be a bad thing?
The more he mulled it over, the more he came to believe it wasnt a bad decision. The Pagan Order wasnt going anywhere, but with the coin he earned, he could deck himself out in the best armor. The best weaponspossibly even seric weapons. Given how fearsome Ash Beasts were, hed need every advantage he could get. Hed need those weapons if he were ever to venture into the Ashen Realm.
But the danger remainedif Tia ever found out he was a demon, he didnt know how shed react. Then again, he had saved Haymis life. Tia owed him a debt. Even if the worst came to pass, surely she wouldnt turn on him?
Alright, Vir said. But only for a few weeks. I have business Ill need to attend to before long.
Tias face lit up. Anytime you want to leave, just say the word. But until then Wee to The Spears Edge. Now, let me tell you about this contract Ive been eyeing.
Vir had seen that glint in her eyes. Maiya had often given him the same look. Right before she sprung a trap.
Not that I mind this little tour you are bringing me on, but why exactly are we here? Cirayus, the four-armed giant, asked the mejai beside him.
They, along with their retinue, had traveled to the Kinjali countryside, where they based their operations. Cirayus couldnt set foot in civilization owing to his great size, so this was the best they could manage while Hiranyan operatives scouted local towns and cities for any information that might lead them to Minas assassin.
Believe you me, I am taking a great risking here. The Kinjals will not be happy to learn of Hiranyan forces in theirnds, though none of us are wearing anything that would tie us back to Hiranya. And you better not say a word, or Ill activate your subjugation cor.
That still doesnt answer my question. Why are we here?
Weve traveled south to Parul, and even north, but have found no trace of the princess assassin. The next logical ce to flee to would be Kinjal. They do not suffer Ashborn, but we know he is well versed in disguise.
Disguise, is it? Cant say thats a skill I ever picked up myself. Handy for a demon wishing to disappear in a realm polluted with humans, though.
The Mejai of Realms turned around. I understand you begrudge humans. But as I see it, Im the one in control here. So you will mind your tongue, or else
Or else, what? Cirayus said, rising to his full height, where he towered over the little mejai. Dont think for an instant that you have authority over me, little mejai. For it will be thest mistake you ever make.
Chapter 112: Pure Seric
Chapter 112: Pure Seric
Name? asked the Brotherhood Executor.
Vir had been dreading this moment. To register in Tias party, hed need to provide his Brotherhood nameApramor.
He should have told Tia in advance. That would have been the smart thing to do. And yet, he found himself unable, fully realizing the pointlessness of hiding it until thest moment.
Apramor, he said, earning him an appraising nce from Tia and Vason. Haymi was thankfully still resting in the room, but that just meant Vir would have to confront her about itter.
Never felt like Param suited you, anyway, Tia said with a grin.
Vir smiled sheepishly. Sorry he said. His chest burned with shame.
Vason pped his shoulder. So, Apramor, then? Thatll take some getting used to. A names a powerful thing. Dont me you at all for using an alias.
That they forgave him so easily only made his chest burn hotter.
But Virs apology wasnt for lying about Param being his name it was for lying about Apramor being his name. He still wasnt willing to risk exposing his true name. As Vason just said, it was a powerful thing. While he doubted Hiranya had the resources to send pursuers after him, one could never be too safe.
Very well, the Executor said. Acolyte Apramor is now registered as part of Spears Edge. Leader TiaShadow, VasonAcolyte, and HaymiAcolyte.
Vir was surprised to learn Tias rank. Shadow was a decently high rank within the Brotherhood, and not one that came easily.
Wee aboard, Apramor, Tia said, squeezing his shoulder. Were gonna need you.
She wasnt kidding about that. The contract Tia had described sounded nearly as dangerous as taking down the Narapazu.
South of Aviy the vast Aranya Forest. Recently, a monster had made it its dena being that the locals referred to as the Lord of the Forest.
Nobody knew what it looked like, or even how dangerous it was, but wildlife had been going missing at an rming rate, and so the Brotherhood wasmissioned to put an end to it. Vir didnt enjoy venturing into the unknown blind, and hed never have considered undertaking such a contract by himself. He couldnt have, even if he wanted to. Such contracts would only have been assigned to parties, or High Shadows working individually.
But he wasnt alone. He now had a party and mejai support. Rather than feel anxious, he was even looking forward to it.
Vason, Tia, and Vir ambled to the courtyard, where arge bulletin board had been erected. Soon, it would disy the results of the mining operation and the rewards doled out.
Rewards will be issued per confirmed kill, as follows:
Prana Beasts ranking Br 1-5: 10 coppers and 5 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking Br 6-50: 3 silvers and 50 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking 51-100: 7 silvers and 100 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking 101-150: 25 silvers and 300 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking 151-200: 40 silvers and 700 Brotherhood Karma
Ash Beasts ranking 201 and above will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Such rewards would normally be divulged in secret, but the miningpany wanted to recognize the efforts of those who had taken part, so it had been announced beforehand that the results would be public. Any mercs who didnt like that always had the option not to participate.
The crowd of forty mercenaries gathered around, each vying for the best spot.
I mean, I doubt anyone couldve beaten us, right? Vason said. That Narapazu was the strongest monster down there.
Vir wondered about that. Depending on how much importance the miningpany ced on that beast, they could very well be overtaken by mercenaries who took down numerous weaker beasts.
That said, weaker was rtive. All Ash Beasts were formidable foes, so Vir doubted anyone had rued too many valuable kills. Even so, his heart beat faster and faster as the Executor walked up to the bulletin board and unfurled oversized sheets of parchment with the names, starting with the lowest positions first.
Unfamiliar names revealed themselves, one after another, and with each entry, Virs hopes rose. The halfway point passed, and still, neither his name nor Spears Edge appeared.
Virs heart beat faster and faster. The number three position was announced, then the number two.
And yet, neither name showed up. Something was wrong.
Then, finally, the first position was revealed. The one who had aplished the most, whod earned 65 silvers and 3,000 Brotherhood Karma was Spears Edge.
Tia yelped and sped arms with Vason, but then immediately realized Virs name was missing.
There must have been some mistake she began, but was cut off by the Executor, who projected his voice via a utility orb.
You have all performed well. But there is one among you I wish to call out. One who rose above the call of duty. As you may have heard, the lowest level of the mine contains an ancientpound, likely built by the gods themselves. Within it lurked a very special and rare Ash Beast. A Narapazu.
Whispers of confusion sounded out among the crowd. ''Narapazu?'' ''What''s that?'' ''Never heard of it.''
It is likely few of you have heard of it. Even in the Ashen Realm, it is said to be rare. We know not what it was doing at the bottom of that mine, but we certainly intend to find out.
Acolyte Apramor not only assisted Spears Edge in taking it down, but ording to them, felled the beast nearly single-handedly.
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The whispers grew louder.
Furthermore, he brought the injured mejai of Spears Edge up to the surface, just in time to save her life. For his contributions, the client has issued a reward of 70 silvers. But to honor his valiant acts, the Brotherhood awards a further thirty silvers and a total of 5,000 karma to Acolyte Apramor.
A seric''s worth of silvers!? It was Virsrgest haul ever. Maybe I can even afford a seric weapon now!
Tia began pping, and others soon followed suit. Soon, the entire courtyard was filled with the sound of ps and cheers.
I Unused to being the center of attention, Vir found himself overwhelmed. The recognition moved him more than hed ever expected. Tia, why? All of you contributed to taking down the Narapazu, and Haymi even delivered the finishing blow.
That beast was already on its way to the grave. Haymis blow just brought it a few moments quicker. Honestly, Apramor, without you, wed have been forced to retreat or worse. You deserve every bit of that recognition. Besides, you saved Haymis life. Were not even close to equal.
T-thanks, Vir replied, finding himself unable to look Tia in the eye.
When the cheers finally died, the Executor continued.
The contract imed the lives of ten Brotherhood mercenaries. They will be remembered. He paused for a moment of silence before continuing. Each of you has emerged stronger than before. Continue to proudly serve the organization.
With those parting words, the veiled Executor left, and the crowd began to disperse.
Well, now that were all rich, what do you say we get drunk at a good bar? Vason said with a grin that stretched across his entire face.
Without Haymi? That seems rather rude, dont you think? I have a better idea, Tia replied, smiling impishly. All that coin must be weighing you down, eh Apramor? How about we go lighten your pockets on some new gear?
So, first off, we gotta get you some armor. And uh, I hope youre not too attached to that iron katar? Tia said, appraising Vir.
Not at all, he replied. The soft iron had given him a lot of trouble in the mine, as hed had to baby it to prevent it from breaking or chipping. The sooner he upgraded, the better.
They stood within thergest arms market in Avi, and was the word for it. The building stood four stories tall, and every inch was filled with weapons and armor. They started at mundane iron and low-grade steel on the ground floor, and became progressively more expensive the higher up one went.
Of course, they stood on the fourth floor. Virs wealth now amounted to one hundred and nine silversthe most he had ever owned. He walked into the store feeling like a Sawai.
Yet by the time he ascended to the fourth floor, he felt like a pauper. Vir wondered whether it was just him or if fate was ying a game. The more money he earned, the more expensive items became.
Take the Brigandine cuirass, for example. Mundane varieties sold for ten silvers, and even the most highly crafted ones went for only twenty.
But the cuirasses engraved with magical conduits? Those were in another league entirely. The brigs boasting a single orb slot started at thirty silvers, and the ones that had two went for forty-five.
Those were regr steel examples. Vir didnt even want to look at the prices of the seric ones. Those were priced in seric coins, not silvers.
Even the slotted seric katars had gone for a hundred silversor one seric coin. He could afford it... barely.
So, I think for now, well want a cuirass and a katar, said Tia, perusing the wares as if she were looking over vegetables at a market, and not exquisite gear.
Tia, Vir said in a low voice, ensuring to keep the store attendant out of earshot. This is a little embarrassing for me, but can we look at some of the stuff on the lower floors? I dont really need gear this good.
Rather, he couldnt afford it, but he couldnt quite bring himself to admit that.
Tia frowned. Im sorry, Apramor, but thats not going to work for me. If youre gonna be in our party, we need you to equip magic gear. Trust me, once you use this stuff, youll never want to go back.
I understand that, its just
Tia smiled at him. I know, its expensive. But you dont need to worry about any of that. Just pick out the gear you like, and well figure it out. Okay? she said with a wink.
So shes nning on bargaining hard, then? But even with steep discounts, Vir doubted he could afford both a cuirass and a katar.
In the end, he settled on a simple steel cuirass with two magical slotsTia insisted one simply wasnt enough. Even if Haymi only powered a single orb at a time, having the option to switch from shing Protection to Piercing Protection could very well determine the oue of a battle. Or so she said.
The cuirass retailed for forty-three silvers.
The katar was a more agonizing decision. Hed never evenid eyes on a seric katar before. The weapon locked inside the ss case was more a work of art than a weaponthough its de was as devastating as it was beautiful.
No matter how much he forced himself to consider the mundane steel katars, his eyes kept drifting back to that seric one.
How much for this one? he asked the attendant at length.
An exquisite item, isnt it? the impably dressed man said. Pure Seric steel, and a magical slot to boot. Capable of epting orbs up to B grade. This piece is on sale for 120 silvers.
Vir nched. Over a seric coin for that de. There was simply no way.
Were interested in both the cuirass and this de, said Tia before Vir could respond.
Tia! Vir hissed. I cant afford that.
No worries! Just watch, Tia said, winking.
Give us your best offer, she said.
Mdy, Im happy to negotiate on pieces on lower floors, but the items you see here are all exquisite. Im afraid theres little room for!?
Tia did something, but Vir wasnt quite sure what. Shed reached into a pocket and shed an item at the attendant, but by the time he noticed, the item was already back in her pouch.
You said your name was
Tia, she replied with a sly grin. Just Tia.
Tia the mans eyes went wide for the briefest instant before he regained hisposure. Of course, of course.
From that moment on, his mannerisms changed entirely. He kept bowing his head and averting eye contact.
Thats the second time this has happened, Vir thought, regarding his party leader. First, when theyd first arrived at Avi, Tia had been taken away by someone who very clearly looked Sawai. That man had treated her with deference.
It all but confirmed that Tia was secretly a Sawai of some sort. And if Vir was right, a high-ranking one.
Miss Tia, for you, we could do a hundred silvers for both the cuirass and the katarbined. Would that be eptable?
Vir thought hed heard incorrectly. A hundred silvers? That was still an incredible amount, but considering the katar and the cuirass together wouldve cost 163 silvers, it was a steep discount. And with practically no haggling, too.
Ny. Surely, you recognize the benefits of making this sale.
The man fell silent.
Tia cleared her throat. Fine, I can do ny-five, but throw in that set of steel chakris on the wall over there.
While Vir had reced his chakrams in Zorin with good steel ones, hed never regained his chakris, and hed missed them dearly.
Tia winked at him. Hed mentioned this only once to her, back when theyd first met.
To think she remembered
Done, the man said instantly.
Before Vir could object, the deal had been settled. There was just one problem.
Vir immediately pulled the freckled blonde aside. Tia, I cant afford this! Im sorry. That''s nearly all I have! Admitting that fact made him flush with embarrassment, despite owning more than he''d ever had in his life.
Tia gently ced a hand on his shoulder. Remember I said we werent even? That I still owed you for saving Haymi? The katar and the cuirass are on me.
What!? No! Vir responded. Hed die of shame if he allowed Tia to pay for his gear. No way. I cant let you do that, Tia.
The girl sighed. I figured youd resist. But cmon, do you really want to start a scene? Look at how that gentlemans looking at us.
Sure enough, the attendant was looking at their conversation with rapt attention. The man tried to disguise it, but Vir noticed his subtle nces.
Thats thats underhanded, Tia, he whispered.
Uh, huh. Why do you think I waited until now to tell you? she replied, beaming.
At least allow me to give you everything I have.
And leave you broke? Thats hardly fair. Look If you want to pay for the cuirass, I wont stop you. But Im paying for the katar. And Id like it if you allowed me to pay for it all.
Vir paused for a moment. To refuse her offer was foolish; he knew that. But if he epted, they wouldnt be equalhed owe her. A great deal, in fact. She might not see it that way, but Vir would.
Fine, he said at length. Ill pay for the cuirass, then.
Tias grin widened. Excellent. I just knew youd listen to reason.
Chapter 113: Force Multipliers
Chapter 113: Force Multipliers
The coolkes wind ruffled Virs hair as he stood on its sandy white shores south of Avi. Thanks to Daiya Lake, the region kept a temperate climate throughout the year, so it was a pleasant breezeone that reminded him of the Godshollow in spring.
Neel bounded around, excited to finally stretch his legs in a new space after being cooped up in the city.
At Tias request, hede d in his shiny new armor. Bracers, greaves, and, of course, his brand new crimson-and-ck brigandine cuirass. His prized seric katar was in his hands, as usual. Though he hadnt yet had an opportunity to use it, he spent hours staring at the de and polishing it.
Are you holding a weapon? Or a rare gemstone? Vason asked. He, too, wore his armor, as did Tia. Only Haymi was dressed in her regr one piece.
Why not both? he replied.
Vason returned his quip with a frown. Best not to get too attached to your de. Its a tool, nothing more. Perhaps a valuable tool, but a tool nheless. Babying it will merely get you killed.
Vir nodded, surprised to hear such serious words out of the normally jovial man.
So, why are we out here? Shouldnt Haymi be resting? Vir asked.
The mejai had healed well over the past few days, but still wasnt in fighting condition.
As he learned, B and A grade Life orbs healed wounds much faster, but once a wound had been treated by an orb of any grade, it couldnt then be further healed by another orb. The miningpanys healers had used primarily C and B grade Set Bone, Mend Bone, and Mend Flesh orbs, so Haymis injuries hadnt healed up immediately. Apparently, A Grade Life magic could get a crippled warrior back to fighting condition in mere hours.
Though Vir wanted to hunt the Lord of the Forest, doing so before their party was whole again would be foolish. So it came as a surprise to him that theyd all gathered here on the white sand beach south of Avi. The citys walls were visible in the distance, and a steady stream of ships passed by, bound for either Avis Harbor Town, or the canal that would take them south to the open sea.
You fought well against the Narapazu, Tia said as she approached him, taking long steps through the sand. But fighting in a party has some ground rules. Tactics and strategies that allow the party to leverage each other''s strengths whilepensating for their weaknesses.
Like the fact that Haymis physicalbat capabilities are less than yours?
Haymi blushed, looking away from Vir. Ever since the Narapazu incident, shed been giving him odd looks.
Thats not quite fair, Vason said, sticking up for the mejai. Shell probably beat you in a duel, you know? Maybe she cant use Talents, but her magic more than makes up for that!
Sorry, I didnt mean it that way. But Haymis usually busy supporting the party, isnt she? I just assumed she relied on you to protect her from physical threats.
Thats right, Tia said. Haymi is our most valuable member. As Spears Edges only mejai, if she bes unable to augment us Well, you saw what happened back in the mine. Our offensive capabilities decrease drastically.
But thats not to say that we dont each have our own strengths and weaknesses, Vason said. Take me, for example. What would you say my strengths are? And dont say my dashing looksthat goes without saying.
Haymi rolled her eyes.
Vir took a moment to analyze Vason. Hed, of course, done a simr exercise when hed first seen the man inbat. It was practically a habit at this point.
Your Talents are optimized for defense. Bulwark makes you incredibly strong, and your choice of a tower shield augments that. Leap and High Jump also mean youre pretty mobile on the battlefield.
Vason nodded smugly with his arms crossed.
But you dont have a lot in the way of offense. No offensive Talents, and no magic.
And? Tia asked.
And range. Vason has no ranged weapons.
Thats actually a pretty urate assessment, Tia replied, impressed. Vasons skills mean hes great at defense. Whenbined with Haymis magic, he can take hits that would severely injure Haymi and me. We tend to throw him at the enemy to upy its attention. Now, what about me?
Youre well, youre like Vason in that you can use Talents. Leap, High Jump, and if Im not mistaken, Haste. And though you im that Haymis your only mejai, I saw you use Ember against the Narapazu.
Lot of good that did Tia said with a scowl. That beast was practically impervious to fire. Ive regretted this affinity for a long time. Its one of the hardest offensivebat magic to use. And far too shy.
Vir suppressed a smirk. What Maiya wouldve given for even a Lesser Fire affinity. Though he had to agree with Tia. Lightning and Wind both seemed far easier to deploy effectively than the slow-moving Fire magic. It was by far the easiest magic to dodge.
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I know you like going on the attack, Tia, Vir said. While Vason upies the enemys attention, youre the one who goes in and deals the killing blow.
Well, maybe not the killing blow, but I certainly try to injure the enemy.
Your weakness well, apart from your Ember spell, you have little in the way of ranged offensive capability. And unlike Vason, youre not equipped to take a whole lot of damage.
Nor would we allow any harm to befall her, Haymi replied. Shed taken a seat on a piece of nearby driftwood, crossing her legs elegantly. She somehow made the act of sitting on a log look refined.
And it wasnt just her. Vir suspected even Vason was secretly a Sawai. What three Sawai were doing out adventuring, he had no idea, and he wasnt about to ask.
Now, time for the hardest question of them all, Tia said with a glint in her blue eyes, staring at Vir with her hands on her hips. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
That would have been a hard question, had Riyan not drilled home Virs every weakness. He could go on for hours about theints the man had in his form, or his tendency to strike from the right instead of the left.
But he doubted Tia was interested in such details.
Well, I don''t have any magical affinities, for one. Divulging that he couldn''t use magic wasn''t a big deal; only mejai possessed affinities, and they were rare. It was another thing entirely, however, to reveal that he was prana scorned. Whether or not hed continue to keep it hidden, he couldnt say. But that was one thing he refused to divulge unless he absolutely had to.
So that prevents me from doing a lot of things. But well, youve seen my Talents. Ive got Leap and High Jump like everyone else. Also Empower and Toughen. And uh some other stuff that gives me some pretty good mobility. Among other things.
Tia looked at Vir like shed just unearthed a diamond in the rough. One that everyone else had dismissed as worthless, that only she knew the true value of.
If she knew the truth about Dance of the Shadow Demon, Vir felt like shed faint from euphoria.
Unlike you two, I dont have as much of an issue with ranged offense, Vir said, gesturing to the chakrams around his neck. They arent perfect, but between my chakrams and chakris, I manage alright.
Anything else? Tia asked.
Well, I dont have Bulwark, so I cant take hits as well as Vason here. But Toughen lets me take a decent amount of damage, regardless. Id say Im pretty good at attacking enemies. Not so much at defending.
Tia nodded the entire time, and Vir wondered whether her head might fall off. Youll be our strongest attacker. With me and you on the offense, our enemies arent even going to stand a chance. And as good as you are now, just wait until Haymi augments you with her magic. Youll feel like a god.
Virughed. He wondered what Ekanai, Shardul, and Narak had to say about that.
So, to that end Haymi? I hate to ask this of you while youre still healing, but could we have a fresh blood rod?
Blood rod? Vir asked.
Haymi promptly handed Tia two thin ss vials, each two handspans in length.
Mejai have to touch orbs to perform magic, yes? Haymi said, addressing Vir.
Right Ive seen you mount orbs on your shoulders and legs too, though.
Thats still touching. Only inexperienced mejai have to hold orbs in their hands. But fundamentally, a mejai needs to be in contact with their orbs to power magic.
And by inserting blood rods into armor and weapons, youre technically still in contact with them! Vir said, understanding. But how do you keep the blood uh, alive? Wont it die off after leaving your body?
There are utility orbs that assist with keeping the small amount of blood in a blood rod healthy, Tia said. The blood does need to be reced eventually, but it can live for up to a week at a time with the aid of an orb.
And the prana in the mejais blood powers the utility orb! Vir realized. It was genius in a way. The blood powered the orb which kept the blood alive. Of course, power was a deceptive term. Vir knew that in reality, the prana in Haymis blood merely attracted the surrounding prana, which is what really powered the orbs slotted into weapons and armor.
He wondered if he could use a simr mechanism, but without apatible orb to keep his blood alive, it seemed impossible. Still, the fact that blood remained in her control even after leaving her body intrigued him greatly. It gave him a few ideas about de Projection and other simr abilities. If he could shoot his blood out, then he might briefly get prana to bend to his will, even outside of his body.
Of course, that would involve injuring himself, which didnt sound too pleasant. He hoped there would be a better way.
So, now that the boring stuffs out of the way, lets get your cuirass and katar slotted! Tia said, grinning.
Liberation. Power. Overwhelming superiority. These were the sensations that rushed into Vir the moment Haymi activated her magic. Vason shed at Vir with his talwar, but he merely shrugged off the blow. It was as if hed suddenly gained Bulwark, such was the might of Haymis shing Protection orb.
And its only a C grade orb!
And when he attacked, it was like hed learned Tias Haste. That was another ability that required a tremendous amount of pranaessentially Leap, but permanently activated, and which affected all parts of his body.
Vason whistled. Aprabombs more potent than I thought!
You do understand what a bomb is, yes? Haymi said, narrowing her eyes. Apramor is not a bomb. And let us hope he does not be one, for his sake.
Sure, Vason said with a shrug, but it sounds seric, doesnt it?
Haymis support orb only made Virs katar swing faster, but even that was an incredible sensation for him. The first few times he swung, he missed, not expecting the added burst of speed.
But after a few rounds with Vason, Tia had to jump in, just to make Virs pummeling of the man a bit less one-sided.
And Im not even using Prana de or Empower. The seric katar, with Haymis speed enhancement, with Prana de, all boosted by Empower? Vir shuddered. He could scarcely imagine what devastation such a weapon would wreak.
Or he could double up on the damage aspect by slotting Haymis Enhance Sharpness. He doubted the seric de would benefit much from Enhance Durability, but it could be an option against especially hardened foes while using Empower and Prana de.
Adding Empower to Haymis speed magic was far more difficult than Vir imagined. It wasnt that the prana interfered with each otherthe affinitiesrgely kept to themselvesbut rather mastering the timing. Enhance Speed was hard enough to control, but whenyered with another ability that increased his speed, it was almost too fast for his mind to process.
The de would blur in front of him, and the attack would finish the moment he initiated the attack, startling him.
Even after practicing for an hour, he wasnt much better, and he had to wonder if he needed an Enhance Mind orb just to control his ridiculous power.
Sadly, no such orb existed, but Vir wasnt overly worried. If there was one thing no one could beat him at, it was dedication. Hed unlock those secrets, soon enough.
Alright. Now that youve had your fun, lets get down to the serious business, Tia said after Vir bested Vason for the twentieth time.
Now? Vir asked. The sun had grown long in the sky, and there wasnt much daylight left.
No time like the present! Lets start on some team-basedbat tactics. I got a few ideas I think youre gonna like.
Vir had seen that glint before. Maiya had the same face, right as she was about to propose something vile. Something devious. Every instinct Vir had told him to run.
I call it the Aprabomb.
Chapter 114: Breakthroughs
Chapter 114: Breakthroughs
Yes. Yes! Show me the might of the Aprabomb! Vason roared as he hunkered down behind his tower shield. An onught of des struck his shield, forcing him to defend with all his might.
Im not a bomb! Vir roared. Internally, he cursed at this pointless approach. Better to Leap around the big warrior, or sink into the shadows and strike from behind than to take Vason head on. Hed beaten the man repeatedly, but then Tia had handicapped him. No Talents.
With only Haymis Enhance Speed orb to augment his attacks, their duels had once again be far more equal.
That wasnt quite urateVir still used Prana de. More out of necessity than anything else. He knew just how easy it was to ruin a de by banging it on steel armor. Even Seric was no exception to that. Prana de not only augmented his attacks, but protected the de against damage when striking hard things.
He wouldnt have dared use such a strategy were it not for Vasons Bulwark, but thanks to the mans Talents, they could spar without issue.
Tia had insisted he understand each members strengths and weaknesses firsthand, and Vasons strength was his defense. With Bulwark active, and with his armor enhanced by Haymis magic, the man was frustratingly difficult to harm. Even a surprise attack wouldve had trouble prating all thoseyers of defenses.
ng ng ng!
Frontal attacks are going to have a hard time. But if you had no other choice, what would you do? Tia asked from the sidelines, where she watched.
If I didnt have Leap or Dance I need to deal with that shield. Ill never get through with that in the way.
Right.
Vir had an idea. They were currently on a beach, and he had an old trick that seemed to always work.
Calling a quick timeout, he knelt to fix theces on his boots. Then he lunged at Vason, taking the man by surprise.
Or so hed hoped, but the warrior was ready. He brought his shield to bear, but then Vir ducked low and punched straight at Vason.
The man didnt bother to moveVir was too far to make contact.
But at thest moment, Virs fists opened, spraying a shower of sand into Vasons face. Though he wore a full te helm, it offered little protection against the fine sand.
Agh! Sand!?
Vir had to give the man credit. Even blinded as he was, he kept his shield in front, anticipating Virs next attack.
But as good as his instincts were, he was unable to predict Virs next attack. Using this opportunity, Vir knocked Vasons shield aside and plunged his katar up against Vasons neck.
Alright! Now both of you against me, Tia ordered, twirling her spear. The first thing to know is that humans fight very differently from monsters. Sadly, I cant turn into a monster for you, but I can mimic some of the attack patterns Ive seen them use before. I want you to work together to take me on.
Cmon, Aprabomb! With ourbined might, defeating Tia will be a cinch!
Im not a bomb, Vir muttered. Tia had had the brilliant idea of sending Vir charging in, katar zing, to upy their enemies. Previously, Tia had taken that role, but with Virs katar, he could attack far faster than any of them could. With Leap and Dance, he could evade any enemys attacks, allowing Tia and Vason to nk and destroy their opponents.
At least, that was the idea, but it was one thing toe up with a n, and another entirely to execute it in perfect harmony with your team.
Tia began by activating Haste, allowing her to move even faster than Vir when he micro Leaped.
Use whatever Talents you like! Tia said as she flitted around them.
Aprabomb, go! Vason roared as he activated Bulwark.
Vir rolled his eyes. Fine. But if we lose, you owe me one.
Ahaha. You got it, friend! But if we win, the first drinks on you!
Deal.
Maybe I oughta lose on purpose But if he did, both Tia and Vason would chew his ears off. That option was strictly off the table.
Haymi? You ready?
Go for it, the convalescing mejai replied from her log nearby, where Neel kept herpany. They kept these duels brief to avoid stressing her too badly; using magic took a toll on her recovery.
Deploying Prana de and activating micro Leap, Vir matched Tias agility, striking with a flurry of attacks.
After endless hours of repetition, hed finally begun to grasp the timing of Haymis Enhance Speed orb. The real issue was alternating between quickened and mundane attacksthe way he used his muscles and positioned his body varied drastically between them.
Shes really fast, Vir noted. But shes only attacking with simple strikes. Guess shes trying to imitate an agile beast.
Whenever he Leaped to her, shed simply run away, jabbing at him with her spear. The weapons long reach kept Vir from getting close; where Vasons shield protected him, Tias weapon acted like a shield of its own.
Apramor! I cant help like this. You need to pin her down! Lets attack from both sideWait! Dont act alone!
I got this! Vir shouted back.
There was one critical weakness that all spears possessed. Unlike swords, their de was only on their tip. Get close enough, and the weapon would be rendered useless.
Vir pretended to retreat while he charged a fully powered Leap.
Tia struck him with her spear, but he activated his Talent before she could react, surging right up to her.
If he was fighting alone, hed have gone in for an attackwhich likely wouldve missed.
But he wasnt alone. He grabbed the shaft of her spear, pinning her in ce, and awaited Vasons charge.
What now, Tia? Take Vasons attack, or abandon your weapon?
Only Vason was a moment too slow.
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Apramor, back away! Vason replied, but Vir was unable to react in time.
Tia darted forward, smashing into Vir and taking him to the ground. Vason, not having expected such a move, charged right past where shed been.
Straddling Vir, she then did something no one couldve expected. She snapped her teeth together and lunged for Virs neck, stopping just short of it.
There. If I was an Ash Beast, Id have bitten your neck off.
Vir just stared at her, too shocked to even reply. Then he burst outughing.
Hey! Im being serious here! Tia said, pouting.
Sorry. Just didnt expect that. If you really were an Ash Beast, I could always escape with my shadow ability.
Hmm. True. Still have no clue how that works. But its fine, I wont pry.
T-thanks, Vir said. Now, do you mind getting off me? Haymis giving us dirty looks.
O-oh, she said as she stood up, blushing. Sorry.
Vir took her hand. Guess this ones our loss, Vason, he said.
The warrior hung his head. Guess so. Guess so.
That was a good show, Apra, but you need to synchronize better with Vason. He was trying to match his movements to you, but you need to coordinate better with him.
Yeah sorry. Still working on that.
Its fine, Tia replied. Weve all fought a lot together, so we kinda understand each other without having tomunicate. Until you get there, make sure youre both aware of each other at all times. Ash Beasts rarely useplex attacks. Theyre fast and theyre sturdy, but by working as a team, we can take them down.
I really thought the Aprabomb would work, Vason said, scratching its head.
Maybe it can.
Vason, Vir said, huddling next to the warrior. Can I have a word?
He exined his n, ensuring Tia couldnt overhear.
Yes? Oh. Oh! Thats a fine idea, Apramor, Vason replied. Yes. Lets go with that.
Done strategizing? Im up for a rematch if you are. Haymi? You good?
The mejai waved tiredly. Im good, but lets call this thest one, okay? Oh, and please dont mount Apramor again. Im afraid I might identally cut your magic at the worst possible moment, Tia, she said with a smug smile.
Uh, noted
Lets go, Vir said, facing off against Tia.
This time, the first thing he did was Leap away, allowing Vason to charge.
Hed had a realization after thest fightuntil now, Vason had been responsible for keeping the enemy upied. True, Tias Aprabomb strategy with Vir blitzing the enemy could work, but not against such an agile opponent.
Theyd been chasing their prey instead of letting here to them. Vason simply wasnt as agile as Vir or Tia, and so such a strategy was doomed to fail.
This time, Tia faced off against Vason, and their familiarity with each other''s styles became immediately obvious.
Tia would predict Vasons actions, and Vason would predict Tias. Their duel became less and less violent until slight movements from each other would cause the other to reposition in turn. To an untrained observer, it would''ve looked as though they stood still, but each was focused on the minutia of each other''s bodynguage.
Tia finally broke the stalemate when she lunged at Vason.
Leaping at her from behind, Vir fired off one attack after anotherthis time without Prana de to avoid injuring her.
Against the deadly onught, Tia immediately aborted her attack to defend, but Vason then Leaped into her, hurling her back right at Vir. Right into the Aprabomb.
His thrusts contacted with her Gambeson armor, slicing through the thick fabric.
Tia twisted her body, avoiding the brunt of the force, but then Vason swept her legs, sending her crashing onto the sand.
Stop! Tia shouted, panting heavily, but grinning despite the exertion. Good! That was good! Nice teamwork there. Gotta admit, I got too preupied with Vason, there. Good usage of the Aprabomb.
Vir rolled his eyes. Thats such a terrible name for it, Tia. All Im doing is attacking really fast.
But it just sounds so seric, doesnt it? Aprabomb! Itd have been tragic to waste such a great name.
Uh, huh.
Well, Im pooped, Vason said, removing his helmet to reveal a sweat-covered face. What say we head back, get cleaned up, then hit the pubs?
You all head back, Vir replied. Think I want to work on some stuff on my own. Ill join up with youter.
Suit yourself, overachiever! Vason said. Cmon, Haymi. Lets head home. You too, Neel! Youve been such a good boy. How about some treats for the good Bandy?
Neel wagged his tail excitedly. Awoo awoooo!
Tia? Vir asked.
Im gonna stay back with you. Curious to see what youll get up to.
Vir shrugged. Suit yourself, but its gonna be pretty boring for you.
Oh, dont you worry about me. Pretend like Im not even here! Tia said, kicking off her boots and digging her feet into the sand.
Vir nced at the horizononly a couple of hours of daylight remained. Time enough to work on Prana de.
Hed wanted to experiment with it more upon learning it during the mission in the mine, but with all the squad training, hed just been too exhausted.
Plus, he needed appropriate targets. The Talent was far too dangerous to practice in his room; an errant swing could easily slice furniture in two.
Vir trudged up to the edge of the forest where it met the sandy beach and began.
HIs first strike was as normalleveraging the prana density in his body, he released a small burst of prana, spinning it so it clung to his katars de as he shed into the tree trunk.
Tia sauntered up to look at the damage.
This is odd, she said.
What do you mean?
Prana Blade isnt supposed to leave such a rough wound. Every time Ive seen it used, its more like a scalpel, razor-sharp and great for slicing. Yours seems I dunno, blunt? Youre doing quite a lot of damage with it. It''s just not concentrated.
Interesting, he thought. If she hadnt pointed it out, hed never have known. Vir didn''t fail to notice how she called it Prana de.
What''s so funny? Tia asked, drawing close to Vir''s face. Too close. He took a step back.
Oh, nothing. Just that it''s called Prana de, even though Talents don''t use prana.
Oh, that. Yeah, couldn''t tell you why.
Was it a holdover from an age when people had more knowledge? Or was it simply a misnomer, because it gave the de a simr effect to that of a magic Enhance Sharpness orb? Either way, it was just a curiosity for Vir.
ring Prana Vision to its max, he sliced again, paying careful attention to the prana that coated his de.
Once, twice he kept his eyes peeled for anything abnormal.
By the twentieth shand after felling tworge treeshe finally noticed it. Prana was dissipating from his de. Compared to the total amount, it wasnt significant, which was why Vir hadnt noticed until now, but it almost looked like excess prana, bleeding off the de.
Am I using too much prana? Vir had been so obsessed with making the ability as powerful as possible, hed always poured as much prana as he could into the ability, but perhaps that strategy worked against him here.
With each subsequent sh, he lessened the amount of prana used bit by bit, until the ability failed to function entirely.
The results were surprising. Instead of a weaker attack as hed anticipated, his slices prated deeper and deeper, leaving less of a visible wound behind.
Thats more like it! Tia eximed. Thats now looking a lot closer to the Prana de Im familiar with. What did you do?
Just uh, allowed things to flow actually. You were right, there was too much effort before.
It was a lie, of course, though Vir couldn''t say he''d adjusted the prana.
Hmmm. Curious. Im not aware of anyone who can modte Prana de like that. Thats a pretty unique ability, yknow?
Is it? I dont know why Id ever use the old version, though.
Not only was his new variant deadlier, but it consumed nearly a third less prana. With Ash prana always being in such short supply, that was an advantage he couldnt ignore.
Hmm. I dunno about that. Go back to your original version. I wanna see something.
Virplied, pouring more prana into the attack than necessary. As expected, the des pration was far shallower than his optimized strike.
Okay, now put even more force into it, if you can.
Sure but I dont think thatll help.
Vir sliced again, pouring more prana, spiraling it faster so that it clung to the de. Even then, much was wasted but the result surprised him.
The attack was even shallower than normal, but his swipe took a chunk of the tree with it. Almost as if vaporizing the area around the de the wound looked like it had been caused by a far thicker, heaver weapon.
This is amazing, Tia said, inspecting the results. The sharp versions great for piercing flesh, but you could easily use this blunter version against armor. See how wide the wound is? Its almost like youre hitting it with a maul or something. shing attacks are nearly useless against tough armor, but blunt force works really well. Its why most polearms have hammers on them.
Shes right, Vir thought. In fact, this discovery allowed him to ovee one of his primary weaknessesdealing with armor. Mundane armor was rarely ever a problem, but against Vason and his Bulwark, Vir had little recourse. But this augmented, blunt Prana de might very well be exactly what he needed.
Thanks, Tia. I dont know if Id have discovered this without your help. This is seriously useful.
Tia pped his shoulder. Hey, what are friends for? she said with a smile. Just d I could help.
Its not just that, though. Ive never really been able to bounce ideas with anyone before.
Even with Maiya, their discussions were one-sided, with Vir exining his breakthroughs, and Maiya listening. With Tia, things were far more equal and constructive.
Which made him wonder just how many insights hed missed. Friends, huh He felt like hed just glimpsed a whole new world.
Well, if you really wanna thank me, why dont you buy me a drink? I dunno about you, but Im just about ready to get mmed.
Vir sighed. This is going to be a long night, isnt it?
Chapter 115: Princess Ira Kinjal (Maiya)
Chapter 115: Princess Ira Kin''jal (Maiya)
Whatever you do, dont make eye contact.
Maiya sat at the handmaidens mess with her colleagues. If there was one thing the group of young women enjoyed, it was gossip. And giving out unsolicited advice.
And dont speak unless youre spoken to! In fact, its better not to speak at all, lest you make a fool of yourself.
Gee, thanks, Maiya thought. Through sheer willpower alone, she managed not to roll her eyes. Such unbing behavior wouldve earned her a fresh round of advice and snooty gazes.
Ordinarily, shed have retorted, but the knot in her stomach kept her lips sealed. Today, shed finally meet with Princess Ira, and with all the warnings and instructions shed been given, she wondered whether the princess was some rabid beast, liable to bite her head off at the most minor breach of etiquette.
Truthfully, Maiya didnt know what to expect. Only the head handmaiden had met the princess, and by how much shed drilled Maiya for this meeting, Maiya had to wonder whether Ira might just be the demon everyone feared.
Either that or a frail, sickly girl, which was her generally epted persona. But given that shed personally created the handmaiden audition fight, Maiya doubted she was as weak as everyone thought.
She could only hope she gleaned some useful information from this meeting. Tanya had been pestering her for updates, and her tone had be strainedtely. Whenever Maiya confronted her about the state of Riyans abode, Tanya merely replied that this was all ording to Riyans n.
Maiya very much doubted the man would destroy his own home, so she suspected something had gone horribly wrong. Princess Mina hadnt been sightedtely, and she was now almost certain that the man had Vir assassinate her. Vir mentioned in his note that he''d failed, but whatever had happened, it seemed the cost to Riyan had been steep.
At least Virs safe. She tookfort in that fact, yet her still anxiety grew with each passing day. She hadnt yet found an opportunity to sneak over to the Rani Queendom, a fact that nearly drove her mad.
Promise youll share the details? a handmaiden asked as Maiya rose from the table.
Only if it wont get me killed, she responded with a smirk, walking over to the refreshment cart that the castle chefs had prepared for her. Though she was due to meet with the princess, as a handmaiden, she was expected to serve.
Waiting for her was none other than the head handmaiden.
Maiya promptly got to work making tea. While the chefs had prepared the food, it was the handmaidens job to brew the tea. And unlike every prior evaluation, this time, itd be the princess drinking her tea.
She carefully manipted the Magic Heat orbs, measuring exactly the right amount of tea leaves and steeping them for exactly the right amount of time before pouring into two cups. One for the head handmaiden to taste test, and the other for Princess Ira herself.
The stern woman took a sip then another. Maiya waited with bated breath.
eptable. Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not make eye contact with the princess. Understood?
That wasnt just idle gossip? Maiya thought, rmed.
Understood, she replied.
This is an honor few handmaidens ever receive. I expect you to exceed your best behavior. Now go, before the tea cools.
This is gonna be a painful meeting, isnt it? She thought as she wheeled the cart down the castles narrow hallwaysnarrow to hamperrge invading forcesto the west wing. Shed never been to this side of the keep before, and ended up asking for directions to the princess room.
Turning thest corner, she spied two impressively armored Brian Royal Guard in parade rest, standing tall in front of a door.
The wooden door looked the same as all the others in the castle, and had it not been for the guards, Maiya might have walked right past it.
Handmaiden Maiya, here at Princess Iras personal request, she said, addressing the guards.
The guard said nothing, but turned and knocked on the door. A visitor here to see you, princess. A handmaiden by the name of Maiya.
A long pause ensued, and Maiya began to wonder if the princess had heard her guard.
Just when the silence turned awkward, a delicate voice replied from within the room. Enter.
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Iras guard swung open the door. Maiya pushed the cart inside, and the moment she was through, the door shut behind her, leaving her alone with the princess in a space that stunned her.
So much pink!
The walls were painted pink. The bed was pink. The carpet was pink and white, but mostly pink. Even the ss windows were stained in pinkish hues.
For some reason, the explosion of color only made the small room feel even smaller.
upying a full corner of the room, a giant stuffed toy bear sat hunched over as if its back was broken. Surrounding it was an army of its smaller brethren, as well as several other plushies of Ashva and Acira. Altogether, they took up nearly a third of the rooms space.
Maiya didnt recognize many of the others, though she suspected they were plushie versions of various Ash Beasts.
So cute!
If Maiya wasnt currently serving a royal princess, shed have immediately run over to y with them.
Instead, she kept her eyes lowered, and with perfected motions that had be as familiar to her as breathing, wheeled the cart up to the princess.
The princess was a small-framed tinum-blonde teen who couldnt have been any older than Maiya herself. Her emerald green eyes looked out of her window onto the courtyard below, and she sat in a very unrefined pose, with her head propped up on her elbow.
Rather than frail, she merely looked bored out of her mind. Rumors abounded about Princess Ira. Unlike her siblingswho both espoused the valor and military prowess that defined KinjalIra was said to be antisocial, aloof, and isted due to her weak constitution. She refrained from all royal activities and was rarely ever seen in public.
I see youve taken a liking to Lord Ser Mister King Bear, she said, still looking out the window.
Maiya was about to reply when she remembered the head handmaiden''s wordsDo not speak unless asked to.
Good taste, Ira continued. Hes one of my favorites.
Maiya silently removed the cover over Princess Iras refreshments and efficiently transferred them onto her table, before setting the tea down in front of her.
Are you always this quiet? Ira asked, shifting her gaze to Maiya for the first time.
Unlike the princessnguid demeanor, Maiya had nearly burst out in sweat. What do I do? What do I do!?
Was the princess expecting a response? Was she allowed to speak?
Thankfully, her Highness realized the issue. Those maids. I know its partly my fault that theyre like that, but they told you not to speak with me, didnt they? she said with a sigh.
You may speak.
Thank you, your highness.
Call me Ira when were alone.
Once again, Maiya hesitated. Was this a test? Was she supposed to decline?
I wouldnt dare, your highness, Maiya said, keeping her eyes averted and head bowed.
I insist.
Understood, Princess Ira.
Good! Now have a seat. Ive been wanting to chat with you for some time! Ahyou didnt bring a cup of your own! No matter.
The princess produced a cup from under the table and calmly poured Maiya some tea from the pot, making the redheaded girl freeze.
If the head handmaiden finds out the princess poured me tea
That would be the end. Her life would be over.
Biting her lip, she gingerly took the seat across from the princess.
Those who know me know that I dont care for formality and etiquette. That stuff has its time and ce, but like all tools, bes a hindrance when misused. Here, in private, Id appreciate it if you treated me more like a friend. Alright?
I shall try, your highPrincess Ira.
You poor thing. They really have done a number on you, havent they? Ira said, gazing at Maiya as she sipped her tea.
Maiya, deciding it would be rude not to apany her, took a few measured sips herself.
Do you know why I have asked you here?
Maiya shook her head. Forgive me, Princess Ira, but surely someone like myself isnt of any note to someone of your standing?
Truly? Are you being humble? Or do you actually believe that? Oh, no. You believe it, don''t you?
The princess sighed. Maiya, I have never witnessed talent such as yours before. Did you know? Half our handmaiden recruits fail to ever be full-fledged handmaidens, she said, calmly plopping a cube of sugar into her tea. Then another. And another. The ones who do normally take years.
Maiya did her best not to cringe. All that hard work brewing it perfectly ruined by sugar! The head handmaiden would surely have a heart attack if she knew how the princess defiled her tea.
And yet, Ira continued, you managed that feat in just a couple of months. Not even the head handmaiden herself was as gifted.
The princess paused a moment before continuing. No doubt youve heard that I personally developed the handmaiden audition and training regimen. My maids are quite multitalented. No doubt you have asked yourself why we train handmaidens to be stronger than our elite warriors? Why the minimum bar is Br 100, and why we scout elite mejai into their ranks?
I expect all royalty to surround themselves with people of high caliber.
Caliber! Ira eximed, snorting in a very un-princesslike manner. No, most royalty isnt that crazy. Not even my brothers do that. Yes, we have our bodyguards, but not a small army of them.
Why, then? Maiya asked. Not only did she genuinely want to know, but this might be the sort of information that would be valuable to Tanya. Maiya held plenty of reservations about giving away state secrets, but her arms were tied at the moment. Shed spent long hours contemting whether to tip Princess Ira off to Riyans n, but in the end, she hadnt been able to do it. What if Riyan retaliated against Vir? She wasnt about to take that risk.
You see, my handmaidens are far more than their names might suggest. They are my elite warriors. They are my scouts, my spies, my arms and legs, my eyes and ears. They are my trump card, and nobody can raise a finger against them.
Maiya had suspected there was an ulterior motive for Iras battle maids, but how deep did Princess Iras ambitions go? The frail, sickly princess facade was crumbling before her eyes. Ira wasnt an ambitionless loner at all. That was merely a carefully crafted image. All to give her an edge.
I will be open with you, Maiya. This country is destined for oblivion. My parents seek to rekindle another war with the Altani. A war that will bring great misfortune upon Sai, Hiranya, Rani, and most of allourselves. They will not listen to the voice of reason, and sadly, both of my siblings take after them. If my father, Imperator Andros Kinjal is left in power, or if either of my siblings ascends the throne, this country will meet its ruin, and soon.
How do I
You, and the rest of my handmaidens, will help me ensure that never happens.
What does that mean, exactly?
I intend to oust my father and exile my siblings. And you, she said, pointing her stirring spoon at Maiya, will be the scalpel that cuts through the obstacles in my path.
Chapter 116: Aranya Forest
Chapter 116: Aranya Forest
Though Haymi insisted shed recovered enough to fight, the rest of the partyincluding Virdisagreed. While her bones had mostly been mended by the Life mejai, Haymi still flinched when she walked. Powering orbs took concentration, and any distraction could break that. Losing their armor or weapon enhancements mid-battle could very well spell the partys doom.
But Vir and the rest of Spears Edge didnt waste their time. They continued to train on the shores south of Avi. Theyd sometimes fight with Haymis magical enhancement, but more often than not, theyd fight only with their own powers to ease Haymis burden.
Soon, theyd fallen into a routine. One that Vir appreciated far more than he expected. After a morning meal, theyd head out and practice untilte afternoon, trading blows and learning about each other''sbat style.
Virs was by far the most nuanced, but both Vason and Tia were masters of the Matali school ofbat. While Vir preferred to stealthily attack his opponents, leveraging the speed and mobility of the Kri Arts, theirs focused far more on party-basedbat. Whether Tia attacked, defended, or distracted an enemy depended more on what the enemy was doing, rather than some preset style.
Sometimes, shed be stealthy, and at other times shede in charging like a madwoman. Vason was the same. Though his role was defense, his attacks were polished and strong, and he never hesitated to take advantage of an opening.
It reminded Vir a bit of the tactics Minas scouts had used against him in the Godshollow, after hed taken down the Clutch Rachna. Those two hadplemented each other perfectly, acting more as a single unit than two individuals.
Though Vir still had a long way to go, he was beginning to learn the basics of fighting that way. It had been an incredibly jarring experience. Sometimes, hed be forced to let openings go to focus on defending his ally. At other times, hed opt to take a hit for a teammate, rather than disappearing into the shadows. It was counter to his instincts and training, and so it took Vir some time to adapt.
Tias favorite tactic was to have Vir charge ahead using his incredible speed, attacking with an Enhance Speed orb slotted into his katar in a whirlwind of destruction. The Aprabomb.
Vir wasnt a fan of the Aprabomb. First of all, the name struck him as dumbhe wasnt a bomb and he had no intention of bing one. And the tactic didnt sit right with him. He really didnt enjoy lunging headlong intobat, preferring the use of shadows instead. Old habits died hard, and hed developed that habit for a reason; it had kept him safe.
It took a whole week for Tia to sign off on Haymis health. At times like these, Vir felt like Tia acted as the partys mother, rather than just its leader. She certainly had a tendency to dote on those she cared about.
While some may have found it stifling, her behavior reminded Vir of Maiya, and that always made him feel warm inside.
But time marched on, and Vir stood with Neel and Spears Edge at the edge of the Aranya Forest south of Avi. Time was running out for their subjugation contract; Vir itched to put his new weapons to use. Neel felt no different, eager to be around so many people who petted and pampered him.
Apramor, can I have your blood rods? Its been some time, and I want to refill them going into battle, Haymi said, extending her hand out.
The katars rod was easy to remove, but the one in his cuirass was less so. It was positioned on his back in a pocket sandwiched between his body and the metal, so he needed Vason to help remove it.
Thanks. Use these instead, the mejai said with an embarrassed look, handing him a fresh pair. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Not at all.
Vir still hadnt gotten used to the idea of carrying around vials full of Haymis blood. But the results were irrefutable, so he ignored it.
Since were up against an unknown, I want us prioritizing healing over a specific defense, said Tia. We can only protect against one type of damagepiercing, shing, or blunt forcebut a Life orb will heal any wound within its capacity.
Vir slotted a Grade C Heal Skin orb into his armor, and a Grade C Enhance Speed orb into his katar. All members of Spears Edge could use the partys orbs whenever they wanted, so long as another member didnt also need that same orb. Luckily, they had multiple copies of most C grade spells, so that was rarely an issue.
Just remember that Heal Skin can repair cuts, but it wont mend bones or heal deeper injuries. So please do your best to remain uninjured, said Haymi.
Even with those restrictions, the power was incredibly useful. Wounds that wouldve forced him to retreat before would only be a small distraction now.
I want everyone on their guard. Todays goal is reconnaissance. Were not trying to attack the enemy, we only want to find out more about it. How does it attack? What are its capabilities? Where are its weaknesses? Apramor, well be relying on you here. With your scouting skills, Im hoping we can find this monster by the end of the day.
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Easier said than done, Vir thought. The Aranya Forest was massiveeasily as vast as the Godshollow. The beast in question was said to make itsir deep within the forest, so theyd need to travel a good distance before encountering it. And the forest was simply too unwieldy to bring their Ashva, which meant walking.
Even worse, unlike the Godshollow, Aranya was packed full of trees of all sizes,peting for dominance. Critters, moss, and vines covered the ground, while the trees themselves were packed densely. Strange animals made constant sounds, and Prana Vision zed with a myriad of different affinities. The colors nearly overwhelmed Vir until he learned to tune them out.
The minutes turned into hours as they prated through the brush. Vason, Vir, and Tia took turns clearing out the foliage, making for slow progress while Neel followed behind with Haymi. Just a year ago, hed have fainted from exertion.
As it was, the task was more of an annoyance than anything. With Dance of the Shadow Demon, he couldve raced ahead, but the others didnt have that option, and bringing them would be difficult. The shadows werent dark enough andrge enough during the day to pull others along with him.
Its odd, Vason said upon arriving at a small brook. Theyd passed several simr features on their way inrivulets and sometimes even streams that flowed from the great Legion Mountains into Daiya Lake near Avi. Weve seen so much water, and so little in the way of animals. Beasts always hang out around watering holes.
I noticed that too, Tia replied, frowning.
You think
Tia nodded. Its likely the Lord of the Forest, thinning out the local fauna.
I thought it had made its residence deeper into the forest, though? Haymi asked. Has it been moving?
I dont know, Vir replied, just as Neel started barking. But I expect were about to find out. Look sharp! Weve got iing!
Prana Vision had picked up a group of somethings, headed their way. They were heavilyden with Life and Water affinities. Whether the beasts could use powers from those affinities or not, Vir didnt know.
What is it? Can you tell? Tia shouted.
One moment. Vir sank into the shadows. From within the shadow Realm, he gazed at the beasts who rapidly closed in on the partys position.
For a moment, he wasnt quite sure what he was looking at. The only feature he immediately identified was the sharp pincer w that protruded from the front of their bodies. But everything else was it was almost like a Prana Swarm. Indistinct and amorphous. But unlike the Swarm, these beings absolutely had a physical form.
Vir exited the Shadow Realm.
Theyre blobs? With ws.
What color were they? Tia asked immediately.
Crimson. A deep red.
Tia paled. No. How is that possible?
You know what they are?
Haymi! Lightning orbs. Now!
I only have two Arc spells. Where should I deploy them? asked Haymi. Vir barely followed the conversation.
Apramor. Slot his katar with Arc! You wield the other.
Before Vir could ask Tia to rify, the first of their enemies burst forth out of the foliage.
Broodling scouts! Tia shouted as the rest of its friends emerged. Theyre impervious to most physical damage. Only blunt force and magic works. Vason!
On it! the warrior said, charging the enemy with his tower shield while Haymi tossed Vir a C Grade Arc Orb.
Neel was right beside Vason, sinking his teeth into the nearest broodling. But while his fangs easily sank into the liquidy hide, it seemed to do no damage. The same was true for his w swipes.
Vir squelched his desire to ask Tia for more details about their enemy. She knew what needed to be said and whenif the information was relevant, shed say something. His curiosity would have to wait.
Leaping into the fray, Vir joined Tia battling against them. Like Neels attack, her spear prated their soft bodies easily enough, but left nosting damage. Vasons talwar fared no better, but then Haymi fired an Arc spell,ncing right through one of them.
The beast spasmed the moment it was hit, flipping upside down, snapping its pincers futilely.
But it wasnt dead.
Apramor!
Vir shed through the spasming beast with his katar. The instant before he did, the de became wreathed with Lightning prana.
Its like Prana de but made of Lightning Affinity.
Virs de bisected the beast, but instead of dying, each half began moving independently, asionally spasming from Haymis attack.
Dont cut them! Tia yelled. They can divide and multiply. And stick together! Dont let them split us up!
That doesnt leave me many options, Vir said. His Chakrams were useless, as was his katar, which could only pierce. Prana de only augmented his katars sharpness, and while Haymis Arc orb allowed his de to do some damage, he had to do it without cutting them apart.
Vir thrust directly into a Broodling, careful not to bisect it in half.
Initially, nothing different happened. The Broodling seized up from Haymis Lightning magic, spasming uncontrobly. If left untouched, it would eventually recover like its brother had.
Then he activated Prana de, surging Ash prana out of his hand, coating his katar. It weaved with the Lightning affinity prana from Haymis spell, augmenting it.
The Broodling exploded in a shower of goo.
Virs face went white. Did I just make a bunch more enemies?
But no such thing happened. The pieces stuck to trees, bushes, and dirt, but they no longer reconstituted.
Vir moved like a ghost, blurring between enemies, exploding them one by one.
But when he arrived at the fifth enemy, Haymi shouted an order.
Everyone back! Now!
While Vir had been dispatching his opponents, Vason, Neel, and Tia had corralled the remaining foes.
Into the stream.
Haymi fired an Arc spell, but not at the broodlings. Into the stream.
Apramor!
Vir immediately grasped her strategy and plunged his katar into the water. Lightning prana dissipated through the water body and spread to the remaining five gtinous beasts.
They instantly spasmed but Haymi wasnt done. She fired Arc again. And again.
By her third spell, their foes spasmed no longer.
That was hard, Tia said, plonking down on the ground as she wiped sweat from her brow.
Tia, what are those things? Vir asked. Those were a little weak to be Ash Beasts, but Ive seen no prana beasts like that either.
Im afraid were up against a Brood Matron, and they are very much Ash Beasts, Tia said. Therger their domain, the stronger they be.
Br Rank? Vir replied, gazing at the blob-like corpses. Their gooey bodies had already begun to lose cohesion, dissipating into the stream. Only their chitinous pincers remained.
Somewhere between 400 to 700 in the Ashen Realm, depending on their size. And its already dominated this forest.
Chapter 117: Monsters Of The Deep
Chapter 117: Monsters Of The Deep
Theyve prated this far? Then Haymi said, her face pale.
Vason grimaced. Then this is going to be a difficult fight indeed.
Br 400 to 700 was far beyond even what the Narapazu had been. Individually, Vir wouldve had no choice but to tuck his tail and run, but even with a party to support him, it felt like a tall order.
What do you know about these Matrons? How do we fight them? Vir asked.
Tia shook her head. Not now. First, we need to establish a fortified base of operations. Preferably somewhere farther back where its safer. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for more enemies. Were dealing with a mature Matron here, not some neophyte.
Making camp was easier said than done. It took a full hour of bushwhackingand several close callsto find a suitable location. Vir relied on Prana Vision to warn of iing enemies, forcing them to detour around enemy positions more than once.
And then, once theyd found the spot, they had to secure it. The location they picked was a densely vegetated area marked by four tall trees at each corner. Corners they could build palisades out of, thus fortifying their base.
They each got to work immediately. Haymi swapped out the orbs in their weapons for C Grade Enhance Sharpness. Together with Prana de, Vir had little issue dicing through nearby trunks, stripping them of their bark, and sharpening their tips. Against Broodlings, a tall wall wasnt necessary, but Vir cut them tall enough that even an acrobat wouldnt be able to vault over it easily.
Overkill, perhaps, but when wood was so abundant, Vir didnt see any reason to skimp.
Vason dug trenches for the palisadesa much harder jobalong with Tia.
They worked smoothly, and after only another three hours, they had a camp with palisades on all sides. The vegetation had been culled, and a fire ring installed.
The party of four currently huddled around a small fire as the sky darkened and the forest cooled. Unlike at Brij, the temperature never fell enough to cause any real worry, but a fire was a nicefort, nheless. Plus, most animals feared fire. It acted as a safety measure as well.
So, these beasts. What do we know? Vir asked.
Not much, Im afraid. Details of Ash Beasts are exceedingly scarce. From what Ive read, Matrons use their hunter-gatherers to kill and bring back food to the Matron, who produces more offspring. I believe scout Br Ranks are around ten to twenty each.
Virs eyes narrowed. Scout? Are there different types of beasts?
There are. Scouts bring back information about hostiles and sources of nourishment, which the hunter-gatherers then kill and haul back. It was good that we killed them all today. If even one got back to the brood, wed have been beset by their stronger brethren.
How strong are we talking?
Tia shrugged. The records I read didnt say. Only that they were the warriors of the brood, so we can expect them to pack a punch.
More a question of how many, Vason said, stoking the fire. We can handle a handful. Maybey a pit trap and wait, or separate them and pick them off one by one. But against thirty? Sixty? Thats another matter entirely.
Vasons right. Weck critical information about the enemy, and yet venturing deep into their hive is far too dangerous, Haymi added.
Wed be asking to get surrounded, Tia said with a nod. Except, were on a timer now.
You think the Matron will know her minions are missing? Vir asked.
Its only a matter of time, she replied. I dont believe the Matron canmunicate with her workers, or thered be no need for the scouts to report back as Id read. But Im sure shed notice ten of her scouts going missing all at once.
Kinda odd for scouts to operate in packs, dont you think? Vason said, ripping off a piece of cooked tbread and dipping it into the vegetable stew that Haymi had graciously whipped up. Theyd do better by splitting up.
Vir shook his head. If they cantmunicate, then at least one of them has to survive whatever they encounter to report back. They lose that ability if they travel individually and are injured or killed.
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Right, Tia said. We should expect groups. I suspect the workers and the hunter-gatherers all operate this way as well.
But we ought to confirm it, Vir thought. It made sense logically, but a mistaken assumption here could very well get them all killed.
Which means we need to move fast. If we do end up staying in the forest, well likely have to build several more fortifications and move between them to keep the enemy from discovering our camp, Tia said with an awkward smile. I trust your fortifications, Apramor, just that Id rather avoid an ambush if we can.
Id rather not be attacked in my sleep either, he replied. But that did leave them in a predicament. They needed more information about the enemy, and they needed it fast.
Vir dug into his stew and experienced an unexpected explosion ofplex vor. Hed been expecting mediocrity, but instead found the work of a master chef.
Vason cracked a grin. Best perk of Spears Edge Haymis cooking.
This is seriously good, Vir said, relishing the mashed bean and lentil broth that bled into the perfectly cooked vegetables. He didn''t notice the satisfied smile creep across Haymi''s face.
Wed be an even more efficient party if she only cooked more, but s, not even Janak could convince her, Vason said, holding his palm to his forehead.
His words earned him a C Grade Arc spell, fired right between his boots.
Vason yelped and jumped back, but Vir noticed he didnt allow even a drop of his food to spill.
They really do get along well, Vir thought as he ate his stew.
How do you fight so well together? he asked. I know youve known each other awhile, but theres got to be more. When we fight, it almost feels like youre a single entity rather than three people.
Vason chuckled, while Haymi smiled slightly.
A half dozen life-or-death situations will do that to you, Apramor, Tia said softly. Like how we fought that Narapazu? We all just kinda knew what to do. You included. Bes second nature after a while.
I still feel like Im just fighting independently, rather than gelling with you three, though.
Naw, you did great today! That was your first actual fight in a party. Trust me, Ive seen people do far worse.
Far worse, Vason echoed with a chuckle. As Tia said, itlle in time. Theres no need to rush it. We have the benefit of sharing a martial style, after all. Your arts are quite different, so itll take some time to integrate. Might even give you a reason to stay on with us, eh? he said with a wink.
That said, itd be best if you remained closer to me when we fight, Haymi said. Its harder for me to use my magic the farther away you are.
So that was why they were all bunched up, Vir realized. Neither Vason nor Tia ever stepped more than a few paces away from their mejai. Though they probably did that to protect her as well.
Wouldnt it be best to disguise Haymi? Either as a warrior, or have her hide nearby?
Haymi nodded. Right. Militaries disguise their mejai as soldiers, but mercs usually fight beasts. Theyre not intelligent enough to target me specifically. Not unless I start hurling offensive magic. At that point, a disguise would be useless, anyway. Besides armor gets itchy.
Vir suspected Haymis dislike of armor was the real reason, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
But, yknow, its fine to operate on your own and all, but if you do see one of us struggling, we sure wouldnt mind if you lent us a hand!
Of course, Vir replied immediately. Thats the least I could do.
Vason hadnt expected such an earnest response. W-well, great! he said, smiling awkwardly.
So, uh, do we get any reward for killing off the Broodlings? Vir asked. Theyd collected the scouts pincers, but none of them knew whether they were worth anything.
Unfortunately not. The Brotherhood considers the Lord of the Forest as a singr beast. Either we kill the Matron, or we get nothing.
In that case Vir said, taking a deep breath. Let me handle this.
Uh, what? Tia asked.
I think he said he wants to take on the entire brood alone.
Vir frowned at Vason. Of course not. But its a fact that I have the best scouting skills in this party.
You may be skilled, but youre not invincible. Thats out of the question, Tia said firmly.
Actually I kinda am. Ilook, will you trust me when I say that I can spy on enemies from a position of absolute safety?
Tia nced at Haymi and Vason. Apramor, there isnt a Talent in the world that makes you invulnerable.
As much as Vir wanted to withhold information on Dance of the Shadow Demon, if it meant lowering their chances of sessor worsesomeone''s death, he''d never forgive himself.
This is hard to prove, but you know how I sink into the shadows? Well, I can stay there for some time. I cant stay in there forever, but when Im inside, nothing can touch me.
Apramor, I''ll be honest. Ive never heard of a Talent like that. Shadow Blend allows you to blend with the shadows, sure, and Shadow Movement can camouge you amongst the shadows, but you can''t sink into shadows as you do. Let alone stay there! Shadow Blend is an Umon Tier Talent, and Shadow Movement''s Rare. Yours sounds even stronger.
Vir scratched his neck. Now you know why I havent said anything about this before.
Wonder what she''d say if she learned it can manipte time... He didn''t n on divulging that secret anytime soon.
You''re serious?
Vir nodded. Its not just that. I have other skills that help me scout. I can make it to the Brood Matronsir and back without being detected.
Tia sighed. I suppose youll just sneak out of bed in the middle of the night if we refuse.
Sorry, Vir replied, grinning.
Very un-party-like behavior, Apramor, Vason scolded, also grinning. But I like your guts.
Fine. But you have two hours. If youre not back, were gonnae searching for you. And take a re utility orb with you. If youre in distress, fire it and well know where you are.
Vir obediently epted the orb. Hed already revealed some details of Dance of the Shadow Demon. He didnt really feel like divulging he was prana scorned as well. The utility orb might''ve been useless to him, but it made Tia feel better, so he pocketed it silently.
Well then, Ill be off.
Do not engage the enemy. Retreat at the first sign of trouble, even if you end up leading them back here. Well deal with it. And Tia said, hugging Vir and smiling wryly, Good hunting.
T-thanks.
Chapter 118: Reconnaissance of the Shadow Demon
Chapter 118: Reconnaissance of the Shadow Demon
Vir flew through Aranya Forest. Not on the floor, but up on its many branches. Not only were the treetops far easier to navigate, but taking the high road saved him invocations of Dance of the Shadow Demon when skirting around enemies.
While Ash prana was rtively abundant in this area, it was always a scarce resource, and Vir didnt see that changing soon. Not unless he went to the Ashen Realm itself.
After his harrowing experience of infiltrating Dahas castle, Vir swore never to prematurely deplete Ash prana ever again. His escapades that night had only been so harrowing because he couldnt use Dance, having already depleted the Ash prana in that area.
Prana Vision and his elevation kept him safe, but it was nheless a stressful experience. The Brood Matrons scouts had an uncanny ability to sense even the slightest motion, and only by straining Prana Vision to its maximum was Vir able to avoid the groups of scouts.
At least initially. As he prated deeper into the forest, enemy units became more and more dense. The only reason he could proceed was because there were fewer scouts and more workers and hunter-gatherers.
While Haymis healing orb still protected his armor, it was only good for a ime activation. The orb in his weapon was simr. Without Haymi nearby to power them, theyd spend themselves after a single use.
Vir paused on a branch to analyze a group of a dozen workers as they went about their business. Resembling oversized ants, they had none of the gtinous features of their scout brethren. In fact, if Tia hadnt told him about the Brood Matron variants, hed never have guessed they were rted.
The workerscked pincers or sharp limbs of any kind and looked heavily specialized for transport. Even their senses wereckingVir had no trouble slowly approaching to within ten paces without them noticing.
He didnt risk going any further, but he didn''t need to. After sizing them up, he determined they werent a threat. In fact, he doubted whether they had a Br rank at all. Their prana signature was a hodgepodge of various affinities, and they didnt even have armored hides.
It made sense; workers were built forbor, not battle. That was left to their far more impressive brethren, the hunter-gatherers.
Vir soon came across a group of six, and this time, he hid with Dance. Knowing that they specialized inbat, he couldnt risk being detected.
The hunter-gatherers walked on six, ded legs, had thick tes of natural armor, and a segmented tail that ended in a point suited for prating objects.
Virs ten counts of time ran out, ejecting him back into the world. He quickly reactivated the ability but this time, he moved slightly further away and left his legs out of the Shadow Realm.
Time passed at a third of its normal speed, allowing him to observe their behavior in detail.
It was only after watching these beasts for several minutes that Vir realized the true danger of their tails. asionally, a drop of green liquid oozing with Life, Earth, and Shadow prana would fall to the ground, sizzling when it touched the foliage below.
Venom.
And a potent acid at that.
Theyre gonna be tough to deal with. Vir felt confident he could defeat one of these in istion, but they never moved in groups of less than six. Only rarely did they ever split up far enough to ambush one, but it was still close enough for the others to respond to.
He also learned why they were called hunter gatherers. Several of them carried corpses on their backs. Because of their size, they made good beasts of burden, and Vir suspected it was the hunter-gatherers who retrieved corpses from the front lines, bringing them back to safer zones for the workers to break down and carry the rest of the way back.
Which meant they were incredibly sturdy. While Vir was no expert at estimating Br Ranks, he put them well above the scouts, which Tia had said were in the ten to twenty range. These hunter-gatherers couldnt have been anything less than double that.
The only deficiency Vir found was that their sensory range was less than those of the scouts; hed snuck up to within twenty paces of them without detection.
What intrigued Vir the most about their behavior was how theymunicated with the scouts. asionally, a group of scouts would meet up with the hunter-gatherers, forcing Vir to retreat.
From afar, he saw the two ck and gesture to each other. Possibly the scoutsmunicating the locations of new prey.
Which means theyre at least semi-intelligent.
Every Ash Beast Vir had encountered until now seemed to possess a level of intelligence that simply wasnt seen among run-of-the-mill Prana Beasts. Not only did they boast absurd Br Ranks, but they were intelligent, too. A deadlybination. But every record hed seen said that Ash Beasts in the Ashen Realm were mindless. Perhaps the prana density of that realm simply addled their minds.
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It meant that while Ash Beasts outside the Ashen Realm were naturally weaker due to the lower prana densities, they could think far more clearly.
Vir left the hunter-gatherers and pressed on. It wasnt difficult to know which way to goat this point, Prana Vision zed with countless enemies. Vir merely headed toward the area with the greatest density.
As he did, he was forced to rely on Dance of the Shadow Demon more and more to avoid detection. Tia might have considered his mission a sess already, but Vir wasnt yet satisfied. When they eventually fought the Matron, the more information they had, the better. Did it boastbat capabilities of its own? Or was it more of a queen that needed to be protected by its minions?
Vir didn''t have to wait long to find out. A familiar series of wooden spikes came into view, and for a moment, Vir wondered whether hed gotten turned around. But the swarm of hunter-gatherers and workers told a different story.
The Matronsir is fortified!
Just like their own base, an array of palisades surrounded the Matronsir, though her wallscked the spikes Vir had crafted.
Even so, this level of organization spooked him. It spoke of intelligence near to that of humans, or perhaps even on par with it.
Wonder if we canmunicate with it?
He quickly banished the thought. One look at the number of enemies that surrounded him quickly squashed that idea. He didnt have a death wish.
Vir sank into the shadows and settled into the pitch-ck realm, observing the Matron inside herir.
Hed expected arge, bloated creature capable of churning out minions, but what he found instead looked more like an oversized hunter-gatherer. Standing higher than Vir, its six pincer legs connected to a long, slender body that had even thicker armor than the hunter variants. Two tall antennae protruded from the Matrons head, which Vir assumed it used for detection. Based on their size, the Matron might have had better senses than even her scouts.
Whats more, her prana was pitch ck, without even a trace of the other affinities. That was in line with all the other Ash Beasts Vir had encountered, except hers was several-fold denser. He noted her minions didnt share the sameposition. In fact, they usually had several ordinary affinities, ranging from Life to Shadow to Earth. But not Ash.
Is it because shes eating regr prana beasts to birth them?
Right now, the Matron was preupied with her food. A pile of Ashva, Bandy, deer, and other animal corpsesy beside her. Judging from the pile of excrement behind her, it looked like she didnt move overly much.
Then again, her body allowed her to move as freely as she liked, so Vir suspected it was a choice rather than a limitation.
The Matron was supposed to have a Br Rank between 400 to 700, but that figure represented thebined might of her entire Brood and applied to the Ashen Realm and the prana densities there. Vir doubted this Matron would be over two hundred, but that didnt mean he could take her lightly.
While he''d have loved to analyze her behavior, it was far too dangerous to leave any portion of his limbs outside of the Shadow Realm this deep into enemy territory. There was only so much he could learn with time stopped, but one thing was obvious. Tia''s estimate of a few dozen opponents had been woefully inadequate. They were up against an army of two hundred or more. Many of those were workers and scouts, but while the former might be safe to ignore, thetter certainly was not.
Between the scouts and hunter-gatherers, Vir estimated there were a hundredbat-capable foes. Plus the Matron herself.
Once his ten counts were up, Vir chose a shadow at the very edge of his range and retreated. Hed seen enough; being discovered might set the entire Brood after him.
Activating Dance repeatedly, Vir covered ground quickly, but he didnt return straight to camp. There was still some time before he was due back, and there was still something he could do.
Vir jumped from branch to branch, taking his time to locate a suitable candidate for his experiment.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally found it. A group of six hunter-gatherers, isted from any of their brothers. Except these six were currently stalking a group of deer. Theyd spread out, with twenty paces between them, and their attention was focused entirely on the hunt.
Vir chose the hunter-gatherer at the very edge of the group and moved in for the kill.
With his Talents, there was no need for a shy charge or the warrior-like roar Vason was so fond of. In his case, he wanted to attract his enemies attention. Vir was the opposite.
He Empowered his legs and shot into a shadow, emerging with an Empowered Prana de right under the hunter-gatherer.
Even with a seric katar, he normally couldnt prate the beasts thick armor, but with prana wreathing his de and Empower elerating his thrust,bined with the momentum he carried through the shadows, his de sunk deep into the hunter-gatherer.
Unfortunately, while it prated the armor, the de wasnt long enough to reach the prana nexus buried inside it. It was a brutal reminder of the deficiency of his reach.
Maybe I ought to consider getting a longer weapon. But that was easier said than done. The only reason his Prana de worked was because of the short length of his de. Any longer and it destabilized.
Vir rolled out of the way and Leaped in for another attack. The hunter-gatherer immediately repositioned itself, opening its maw. In it, Vir saw green liquid, ready to shoot out.
He threw himself aside, narrowly dodging the acid that flew through the air andnded on a tree, burning away its bark.
So it can throw venom from its mouth, too? Apparently, the Brood Matron wasnt a picky eater. He didnt imagine acid-washed corpses tasted any good.
Vir Leaped again, using the momentum to throw himself into a forward roll. Right under the hunter-gatherer. Vir extended his Prana ded katar to the side, rotating as he rolled.
The spinning de sliced into the hunter-gatherers foreleg, then its midleg, and finally, aided by an Empowered thrust, bisected its hind leg as Vir exited his roll.
With all of its legs on one side out ofmission, the beast slowly fell over. Its massive weight meant it couldnt right itself, making it vulnerable.
Vir jumped up onto its back and drove his katar down, right into its heart.
The beast quivered for a moment, theny still. The forest was silent for a single moment.
Its remaining five brethren had noticed the fight and had surrounded Vir while hed fought.
It hardly mattered. With Dance, no enemy could ambush Vir.
ring at his foes, Vir sunk into the shadows.
This, too, had been a probing test. Not only had his fight shown him the capabilities of the hunter-gatherers, but if the Brood Matron was as intelligent as he thought it was
Then she ought to send reinforcements to this area of the forest, where a threat lies.
Except, Vir was currently far south in the forest. Their camp was to the north. If the Matron sent her hunter-gatherers here, it would mean less resistance for Spears Edge. It meant the Matron would leave herself open to attack.
With a satisfied smile, Vir set a course for due north to return to base.
It was only then did he notice a strange smell. Its source was none other than his own upper arm, which burned as searing hot acid numbed his pain and ate into his skin with each passing second.
Chapter 119: Predator And Prey
Chapter 119: Predator And Prey
I told you to be careful! Haymi chided as she applied a Treat Minor Burn orb. While it was a B Grade Life orb, it still wasnt capable ofpletely healing Virs acid wounds, which had eaten deep into his flesh. But a deluge of water along with her Heal Skin orb neutralized the acid, allowing Haymi to patch up Virs bicep.
Neel looked on with worry.
Sorry, but would you mind looking away for thisst part? Vir asked as his skin began to painfully reform. It''s kinda embarrassing.
Haymi rolled her eyes but obliged.
Youll have to wait for your body to do the rest, she said. I couldve healed you fully if Id been present when you received your wound, but the acid had continued to spread.
Thanks. I dont know what Id have done without your magic. Is, uh do you know of any non-magical ways of healing, Haymi? Vir asked.
All Life mejai carry salves, balms, and alcohol with them, but there is a limit to what herbal remedies can do. Against such a strong acid Im afraid there would have been little to be done other than waiting for it to dissipate naturally.
That was about what Vir had figured. But what Haymi said next came as a surprise.
The Pagan Order might have something to treat acid, though. Their non-magical medicine is said to be the most advanced in the Known World, but that isnt saying much. Magic can do things the Order could never dream of.
Makes sense, I guess. When youre forced to live without magic, youde up with alternatives.
Vir wondered what life was like in the Voinds. He supposed hed find out soon enough.
So? asked Tia. Shed been walking around the camp with a furrowed brow ever since Vir returned. Was your foray worth putting yourself in such jeopardy?
Vir cracked a grin. Actually, it was.
He proceeded to tell them all hed learned, and though initially Spears Edge remained skeptical, they grew more and more impressed with each tidbit he divulged.
You learned all that in just two hours? Vason asked. What Talent do you have and how can I get it?
The Talent helped, but I was mainly moving around on the treetops.
Wait. You jumped from branch to branch? Tia asked. The others wore the same shocked expression as her.
I have my reasons, but yeah.
Uh, Apramor? You do realize thats not a normal thing, right? Vason said with an awkward expression.
Most people cant run on trees, Haymi added.
Thats, uh Ive had a lot of practice, Vir replied sheepishly. Anyway, whats important now is that wee up with a n. And I think I have just the thing.
Oh? Were all ears.
Vir took a deep breath and began. First, the scouts. As we saw earlier, theyre not that hard to take down, but they have excellent senses. They find food for the Brood Matron. Then the Hunter-Gatherers move in. Tia was right. Theyre tough. Venom, hard armor, and sharp pincers.
Br Rank? asked Tia.
I actually fought one. That''s how I got my wound. I bested it, but Id say around thirty to forty. Hard to say, but theyre strong, and they always move in packs of six or more.
Each of the members reacted differently to his words, though respect at his feat shone through in all of them. Haymi gave him a concerned look, while Tia looked contemtive. Vason whistled in appreciation.
Thats going to be troublesome, Tia muttered, tapping her hipbone with a nervous tic that reminded Vir of Maiya.
What about the workers? Vason asked. Anything we need to worry about?
Vir shook his head. Not that I can tell. They dont seem to have any offensive abilities at all. Its the Matron herself we need to worry about. Shes like a bigger hunter-gatherer. I didnt feel safe fighting her
As you well should! Tia said. Youre telling me you saw her?
Only from afar. Didn''t feel safe going any closer. The thing is, she can move. And I think shes powerful. Probably much stronger than her hunter-gatherers.
Thats bad news, Vason said, his expression grim. If these hunter-gatherers are as strong as you make them out to be, well have our hands full just dealing with them.
Not to mention the scouts, Tia added. If they pile on And if the Matron joins in
We wont stand a chance, Virpleted. Which is why I think we should target her scouts and workers first.
The scouts I understand, Vason said. But why the workers? Arent they harmless?
If we kill her scouts, the hunters cant kill prey, and so the workers cant bring them back. But with enough workers, I figure the Matron could use them as substitute scouts. As long as the Matrons receiving nourishment, she can create more offspring.
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You hope to starve out her brood, Haymi said. Shed been silent until now, but shed heard every word. Not a bad n.
Thanks. Vir looked at each of them in turn. If we can iste the hunters and pick them off one by one, we can eventually whittle down the Matrons Brood. I doubt well ever kill all of them off, but if we can get the Matron down to just her and a few guards, we might stand a chance.
I like it, Tia replied. Lets do it!
They each took turns guarding the base overnight. Vason was the happiest about having Vir onboard; with four people, each watch was shorter, making the burden lighter for everyone.
Prana Vision allowed Vir an unfair advantage when it came to guard duty. Despite the nightor rather because of it; the contrast against the darkness highlighted prana signatures better than during the dayVir could see threats well beyond what the others could.
Only one threat came nearby during his watch, which was thest of the night. Just as dawn broke, he noticed a team of workers amble nearby. The thought crossed his mind to Dance out there and kill them, but he ultimately decided against it. Not only would killing off workers alert the matron, causing her to send forces to investigate, but it also went against their n.
After a full hour of getting a sleepy Tia awake and food in their bellies, they set out.
With Vir in the lead, they headed due southto the same vicinity hed taken out the hunter-gathererst night. By raiding locations in this region of the forest, they would make the Matron believe their basey to the south, rather than the north.
A task that was easier said than done; none of the other party members could vault across branches like Vir could, so the going was arduous and slow.
Vir passed several groups of hunter-gatherers and workers, forcing the party to detour around them.
Seriously, though, I dont know how wed do this without you. Wed have walked headlong into the enemy several times by now, Tia said, wiping sweat off her brow. Vir had been careful to expend as little energy as possible to avoid that problem. It helped that his new, improved makeup was more resilient than before, but hard exertion would still cause it to run.
Wed likely have aborted this contract, Haymi said in agreement. Having someone specialized in detection is invaluable.
Im sure there are a bunch of others with simr abilities, Vir lied, scratching his neck. Just takes practice, is all.
Uh, huh, Vason said, his doubt inly clear.
Vir cleared his throat. So, it looks like theres a group of scouts up ahead. Well go with the strategy we talked aboutincapacitate, then kill. Haymi? Youre up.
Tia smirked. Well make a leader out of you yet, Apramor!
S-sorry, Vir said, immediately realizing what hed just done. I didnt mean to
Its fine! Im ostensibly the leader of Spears Edge, but I want us all to be leaders. Just means we have a stronger party that way. Haymi? If you will
The group sneaked to within thirty paces of the scout group, guided by Vir, using hand signals hed practiced while Haymi was convalescing. Thirty paces was the minimum distance Vir wasfortable pushing. While hed gotten closer to them before, it seemed like scout squads could link their senses togetheror perhaps they merelymunicated with each other. Their sensory range was more robust than the rare smaller groups hed encountered.
Haymi retrieved her C Grade Ssh spell and held it in her left hand. Ssh could hardly be considered abat spell, but it used as much prana as other C Grade orbs, so ity in the same category. More a utility spell, it shot a stream of water in a spread. Useful for creating drinking water out of thin air and for annoying people.
In her right mejai aiming bracer, shed already slotted a C Grade Arc spell. For this engagement, she wore Life and Water orbs on slotted pauldrons and greaves besides her bracer, but Lightning spells demanded pinpoint uracyit was nearly impossible to use them without an aiming device.
Incidentally, Haymis aiming bracer was unlike those hed seen Tanya and Maiya wear. Hers had two slots, allowing the mejai to slot two C grade orbs in the palm of their hand, or optionally, onerger B grade orb instead. Right now, Haymi had two Arcs, both pre-charged.
Must be nice Vir thought, longing to shoot one spell after another in rapid session. Mejai really are impressive.
Wait for my mark, then go, Vir whispered, nodding to Vason and Tia. Each of them snuck off in different directions into the brush.
Virs strategy relied on his enemies senses. Scouts were first and foremost information collectors. When faced with a threat, they fled more often than they fought.
When Vir approached, the spread-out scouts immediately moved away before immediately stopping.
Neel and Vason waited sixty paces away, on the other side of the squad.
They then moved left, but found Tia. Haymi was on the right.
Boxed in, the scouts clustered together for safety, pressing their gtinous forms against each other, pincers all pointed out.
Now! Vir shouted.
Haymi charged forth, holding out her Ssh orb in her left hand, and firing it high into the air.
A stream of water sprayed out, hurling in an arc to their foes. Even before her first spell had doused the scouts, she retrieved another precharged Ssh and fired it, sending more water at their enemy.
When the two spells hit, not only were the scoutspletely covered in water, but the surrounding ground became wet as well.
Thunder cracked at that very instant, but Haymis aim was not the scouts themselves. She had only two spells precharged, and there were six of them. Leveraging the tactic she used in their previous encounter, she targeted the ground next to their foes. This time, though, she fired both Arcs simultaneously.
Bunched up as they were, they made for the perfect target. The entire squad writhed as Lightning magic coursed through their bodies.
Spears Edge did not waste the opportunity. Vir Leaped into the nearest foe. His seric de was so sharp, he didnt even need Empower. The beautiful katar sank into the enemys gtinous torso as if it was water. Haymis slotted Arc spell only heightened the scouts spasms, and Prana de did the rest. As before, the scout exploded into nothingness.
Tia took a simr approach, opting to wreathe her de with Fire prana. Magic orbs didnt quite imbue their physical effects when slotted in such a manner; only their prana. Tias de was augmented with Ember, but without Prana Vision, Vir wouldnt have known. Just that when her de ripped through enemies, it did so with a deadliness akin to Virs own Prana de.
Realization dawned upon him in that instant. Prana de and orb augmentation were identical. Most Talent wielders used Earth or Shadow affinity to wreathe their des, while mejai used one of the five known affinities. Vir, on the other hand, used Ash prana. Owing to its natural potency, he figured his Ash Prana de was superior to the normal kind, but hed have to do some tests to be sure.
Tias scout simrly exploded, while Vason took a different approach. He understood that these scouts couldnt be cut so he didnt even use his talwar. He simply Leaped at his enemy with his tower shield, smashing it with the full force of his body.
Crushed under the impact, the blob simrly exploded and failed to reconstitute.
Guess thats one way to do it, Vir said with a smirk as he dispatched his second foe.
Neel did what he could, distracting the enemies and biting into them, but he was unable tond a fatal blow on his own. Even so, he bought time for Vason and Tia to finish off the rest in no time, annihting the squad.
A rush of adrenaline coursed through Vir. Theyd perfectly ambushed their prey and had executed a wless victory. What wouldve been arduous for him alone became trivially easy with a party. More than that, it felt good to share the victory with friends.
Friends, huh? Vir didnt know when he started thinking of Tia and her crew that way. Yes, they disliked demons, but even so. They were good people. Theyd done right by him, and he got along with them nearly as well as he did with Maiya.
Maybe Ill stay on just a bit longer
Chapter 120: Guerrilla War
Chapter 120: Guerri War
The days blurred by as Spears Edge steadily conquered Aranya Forest, one bit at a time. Virs strategy worked like a wonder, and the party grew more proficient with each enemy squad crushed.
Their tactics had be so smooth that words were no longer necessary between them. Upon finding a squad, theyd move into formation and act more like different parts of a single body, rather than four individuals.
This was the feeling Vir had sought his whole life; to be a part of a greater whole. To be on the inside, rather than an outsider looking in.
Since they took out the entire scouting squad every time, the Matron never heard from her scouts. Which meant she couldnt adapt to their tactics.
Theyd even begun timing themselves. At first, it took fifteen minutes to take down a squad. Then twelve, then ten. Theyd brought it down to merely seven minutes when theyd hunted all the scouts to extinction. Or at least, the vast majority of them; it was difficult to say if there were any stragglers in a forest asrge as Aranya.
Even Neel had gotten better at corralling their enemies, distracting them while the others worked.
To avoid ambush, they erected a half dozen bases all around the forest after theyd killed off most of the scouts. While supplies had run out, they decided to press on, rather than to return to Avi for resupply. Haymis Ssh orbs kept their throats wet, and the Forest provided a bounty of wild edibles to eat, leaving them able to conduct raids throughout the day.
As Vir had suspected, the Matron had been using her workers and Hunter-Gatherers to find new prey, in ce of her scouts. They couldnt hope topete with their better-equipped brethren, but they had far more numbers.
Until Spears Edge started targeting the workers. Vir had felt that without her workers, the Matron couldnt consume enough nutrients to reproduce. While they hadnt confirmed that, it did seem like it took the Matron more time to create workers and scouts than it did to kill them.
The workers stood no chance; even Neel managed to take down several. There was always a danger of running into a Hunter-Gatherer patrol, but thanks to Prana Vision, Vir always skirted around the warriors, targeting only the vulnerable ant-like workers.
Unfortunately, the Matron had adapted to this strategy soon after. Shed begun surrounding her workers with Hunter-Gatherers, making their raids far more difficult. Whats worse, unless they killed off both the workers and the hunters, the matron would learn of their tactics and adapt.
Theyd avoided that until now but only barely. Raiding at least a dozen enemieshalf of which were usually the durable Hunter-Gathererswas no easy feat.
But by building several bases around the forest and alternating between them, theyd avoided a counterattack, allowing them to raid with impunity, as they were doing now.
Vason! Tia shouted.
On it! Over here, you lumbering louts! he cried, activating Bulwark.
Three of the Hunter-Gatherers who protected the dozen workers immediately focused on him and Tia. Initially, theyd all go after the biggest threat, but after Spears Edge had annihted a few worker squads this way, the Matron wised up. Now, half defended the workers while the other half engaged the threat.
Even so, that left gaps in their coverage, allowing Haymi and Vir to sneak around from behind.
The dense foliage made hiding easy, even during the day. Without the superior senses of their scout brethren, the workers werepletely blindsided when Vir and Haymi reaved into them, roasting and slicing them apart.
Vir flew like a wraith, lunging to another ant-like workerimmediately after decapitating the previous one.
Haymi supported him with her Arc spells. Every crack of thunder signaled the death of another hapless worker. Unlike their scout cousins, workers were easily killed, either via magic or with a de.
Neel pounced on another and chomped its head, gnawing on it until the thing died.
Surrounded by fingers of Haymis lightning and with his de speed augmented by her magic, Vir felt invulnerable. Huntersshed at him, hurling their venom, but the lumbering beasts were far too slow to catch him.
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Vir kicked off the ground, somersaulting in midair tond on the carapace of a Hunter before Leaping off, spearing his de through the nearest worker before his foe even knew what hit it. He left behind him a trail of death and decapitated ant heads.
Haymi was more vulnerable, so she retreated, firing spells from a safe distance.
In just moments, all the workers were just corpses littering the ground. And soon, their warrior brethren would join them.
Vir Leaped into the nearest Hunter-Gatherer. upied with Vason and Tia as it was, his attack went unnoticed.
The Prana ded seric katar prated deeply into its armor where it was thinnest, but even that spot was too far for his katar. After having killed a dozen of these beasts, he knew what it took to kill them. Vir withdrew his de and pierced the armor again, and again, carving out a bit at a time.
Only then did he go for the kill, driving his weapon into the hole hed just gouged. The Hunter spasmed for a moment, then crumpled to the ground.
While Hunters were deadly and durable, they didnt seem especially smartunlike the Matron. Nor did they adapt to situations gracefully. Vir knew what would happen next, having used the same trick on them before.
The Hunters engaged with Tia and Vason turned around to face the new threat presented by Vir and Haymi. And in doing so, earned themselves an Ember spell to their rumps, along with Vason and Tias sharpened des.
Vir backed away, which caused the Hunters to turn back to Tia. Then he and Haymi moved in again, firing spells and digging into their carapaces.
All the while, Neel ran around, sowing confusion amidst their ranks.
One by one, they were whittled down until there was just one left. With thebined might of Spears Edge focused on one enemy, the poor Hunter had no chance.
The first couple of encounters had resulted in injuries, but after learning the optimal strategy, the party hadnt taken a single hit after.
Or at least, that should have been the case.
How many more do you reckon there are? Vason asked, wiping the sweat from his brow as he eyed the remaining beast.
At least a few dozen more, Vir replied. Were getting close, but were not!?
But when Vir took a moment to scan the area, he froze.
What is it? Tia asked, drawing her spear.
Were weve been surrounded? Vir said in disbelief. How?
Granted, Vir hadnt been paying attention to the forest while he was engaged inbat, but still. It hadnt been that long since theyd engaged this group. Certainly not enough time toy an ambush.
Which means the Matron nned this. She nned this encounter with the hunters and the workers.
How many of them?
FifteenNo! Twenty Hunters. And. Oh, no
What?
All color drained from Virs face. Hidden behind shrubs was a figure that zed brightly to Prana Vision. A Hunter that was farrger than other hunters.
Hed seen that signature before. Pure Ash, as ck as the prana in his own body.
I think the Matrons here.
We run! Tiamanded.
Where? Apramor just said were surrounded! Vason shot back.
Apramor, is there an opening in their encirclement? Or a weak spot? Anything we can exploit? Tia asked in desperation.
Vir scanned their surroundings. He doubted the Matron would make a mistake like that but, in fact, he did find an opening. Two, in fact. It was possible that it was a trap. Either that, or the Matron had simply lost too many Hunters to encircle thempletely.
But whatever it was, the party had little choice. Their window shrunk with each passing moment as the Matrons noose grew tighter and tighter.
I think we have a chance! Follow me. Quickly! Vir shouted, running for the weak point nearest them.
Running was a generous word for what it was. Vir half-stumbled, half-dove through dense foliage, using his katar to cut through vines, shrubs, and branches in his way. Of them all, Neel was the most dextrous, often running ahead, thinking it was some kind of game.
The noose continued to close. At this rate, they wouldnt make it.
Im going ahead, Vir announced. While it was trivial for him to escape any ambush so long as hard shadows were present, the same didnt hold true for the rest of them.
But that also meant he could escape the encirclement and attack their enemies from behind, giving Spears Edge an advantage.
Vir sunk into the realm of shadows and analyzed his options. It was currently daytime, and while the dense forest let little light through, the shadows were just soft enough to make them useless for Dance.
As such, there were only a handful of exits avable. Vir picked a location at the edge of his range. His feet had only just touched the ground when he activated Leap and charged at the back of the nearest Hunter-Gatherer.
Taken entirely by surprise, the beast struggled to defend itself against Virs Prana de katar. Even without Prana de, his de was sericsharp, and durable enough to hold that edge. Then he had Haymis Enhance Speed orb, and on top of all of that, Prana de.
Vir doubted there was anything he couldnt cut through with thisbination. With superhuman movements, Virs de blurred, slicing into the Ash Beasts carapace, and dicing it apart.
When Spears Edge arrived, the poor beasts fate was sealed. Arc, Water Dart, and Ember shot out, gouging deep into the wound Vir had created. Without its armor to protect it, the spells dug deep, mortally wounding the beast.
It froze for a moment before copsing in a sprawl of ded limbs.
Nice work, Apramor! Tia said, pping Virs shoulder. Are we clear, now?
Vir nodded. Should be Wait.
More enemies?
No I dont see the Matron anymore.
Think she retreated? Vason asked.
I Just when Vir was about to agree, some primal instinct urged him to look up. Whether it was Ekanai or Shardul, or just his own innatebat senses, it saved his life.
Because above them all, distributing its immense weight across several boughs, was the Brood Matron herself. In the blink of an eye, she dropped upon them.
Virs blood ran cold.
Right on top of Tia.
Tia dodge! NOW!
Chapter 121: Brood Matron
Chapter 121: Brood Matron
Tia looked up just in time to see the Brood Matron descending upon her, all eight of its ded limbs poised to skewer her.
Reacting instinctively, Tia allowed herself to fall, turning her momentum into a roll.
It wasnt enough. She narrowly avoided the matrons devastating limbs, but she hadnt rolled far enough away to clear the matrons enormous body.
Gaaaaaaaaaah! Tia screamed as the matrons weight crashed down upon her. It was all she could do to wrench her torso away but it came at the cost of her arm.
Her left army crushed and maimed under the Matron. Tia gritted her teeth against the immense pain.
Shes not going to make it, Vir thought, observing from ten paces away. The Matrons ambush happened so quickly, none of the other party members had time to react.
But theyd been in fights before. Lots and lots of them. Whereas a lesser party might have frozen or fled, Spears Edge did nothing of the sort.
Neel weaved through the enemy Hunters, confusing them, while Haymi fired Ssh beforeshing out with twin Arc orbs. Vason activated Bulwark and Leaped forth.
Both attacks would have ended a human. Both attacks failed. Haymis Lightning spells harmlessly cracked against the Matrons tough carapace, failing to shock her target. Vason didnt even make it to the Matron. For the mother whod spawned so many beasts had note alone. Over a dozen Hunter-Gatherers surrounded the Matron in a circr formation, guarding her against physical assault.
Vasons tower shield smashed into the formation. While the Hunter took some damage, their defense held, and the warriors momentum came screeching to a halt.
Worsethe Matron hadnt paid them an ounce of her attention. Her ded limb raised, ready to decapitate Tia, whoy crushed under her immense weight.
Despite the agonizing pain, Tia mustered her willpower and fired an Ember spell right into the Matrons face, forcing the beast to abort its strike. It bought her a precious few seconds, but that was all. She remained stuck under the Matron with nowhere to escape to.
Left alone, she would die there.
Not if I can help it.
Vir hadnt been idle, either. The moment he saw Tia fall, hed started charging Dance of the Shadow Demon. With the current prana level of this area, it took only a handful of seconds to activate, but even that felt like an eternity to Vir.
The moment it did, he sunk into the shadows. Instead of looking for an exit he could escape to, he looked straight at the shadow cast by the Matron. Though hed never tried it before, shadows were an absence of light, and so it made sense that the ground under the Matrony in shadow.
He was right. From the Shadow Realm, he saw Tia, sandwiched between earth and beast.
All he had to do was create an openingrge enough. After all, hed done it before with Neel.
Vir attempted to take a deep breath, but of course, his body waspletely unresponsive within this Realm of darkness. Before his ten counts were up, he exited.
Right next to Tia. Right under the beast.
To say that the sensation was ufortable was an understatement. The Matrons immense weightpressed his torso, and he could feel his armor straining to retain its shape under her weight.
Even ten seconds of this would no doubt crush his Brigandine, causing his chest to implode. But Vir didnt need ten seconds. He only needed four.
Tias face warped from pain to horrific shock as she saw Vir emerge from the ground, right under the Matrons torso. Her surprise was so great that her lips moved, but she was unable to form words.
And then Vir grabbed her arm, and they disappeared.
Back into the Shadow Realm. The Matrons crushing weight immediately disappeared. Vir searched and found Tias prana signature right beside him, her body frozen just as his was.
Remembering his first experience in the Shadow Realmand the panic attack that had ensuedVir did not linger long, instead choosing an exit near the group.
The long rays of dusk gave him several options, and in the next instant, theyd both resurfaced behind Haymi and Vason.
Tia gasped desperately for air, as though shed been submerged underwater. The sensation was eerily simr, until one learned they couldnt possibly drown in the Shadow Realm.
Tia! You alright? Vason shouted, immediately falling back to her position. Haymi also scurried over, cing herself on the opposite side, while Neel barked and raced between the enemys legs, keeping them upied. His efforts and Haymi''s magic bought the party a much-needed respite, a brief moment of calm in the storm of battle.
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Apramor saved me, she replied, nodding subtly at Vir.
So shes not going to ask. Well, not like we have the luxury of discussion right now, anyway.
Hed hidden the true power of Dance from them until now. But was that secret worth Tias life?
No Badrakking way.
Tia, your arm! Haymi cried, immediately dropping to her knees and bringing out her B Grade Mend Bone orb.
No big deal.
No big deal!? Vason asked in irritation. First you fight a monster too powerful for us, and now you ignore your own mortal wounds? Come on!
Tia rolled her eyes. Haymi, do what you can, but Im not expecting a miracle, Tia said, grimacing as Haymis orb went to work. The mejai always kept her Life orbs precharged in case of a medical emergency like this. In fact, Haymi tended to keep nearly all her orbs precharged for emergencies.
What now? Vason shouted as he fended off a Hunter. Vir was right beside him,shing out at Hunters who strayed too close as he kept watch on the Matron.
So far, the beast had been content to watch its minions harry the injured party. Did she think they were doomed? Or was she simply cautious, gauging them for weaknesses?
Shes intelligent. Highly intelligent, Virmented. Shes using tactics like humans would.
And my magic ispletely ineffective. With Tia out ofmission
I can still fight, Tia said, scrambling to her feet. It was obvious to everyone just how much pain she was in, even with Haymis Numb Pain orb.
No, you can''t. Stop pushing yourself. We should flee, Vason said, bashing another Hunter. Whatever respite weve earned wontst long. That Matron is eyeing us like prey.
Vir shook his head. We have no chance of outrunning her. You saw how fast she moved. If it was me, alone, I might manage something. But with you
Take Tia and flee. You can move through the ground, cant you? Haymi said.
And leave you behind? Youd be as good as dead. No, we need a better n. We need towatch out, venom!
Aroo! Neel cried, jumping in front of the Hunter. The Bandy possessed no means of harming these creatures, so Vir had Neel run around. The Hunters limited intelligence made this n possible, but against the Matron? Vir didnt want his friend anywhere near her.
Neel, back! Protect the others!
Awooo! Neel barked, returning to Haymi and Tia.
Vason moved into position, taking the Hunters venom with his tower shield.
Vir was on the enemy even before Vason had recovered. Jumping onto its back, Vir drove his Prana de katar into its carapace, beginning the process of gouging into its armor. For the Hunters, he needed only Prana de and Empower. Hed opted to slot Haymis Enhance Speed orb to get more strikes in, rather than Enhance Sharpness. Itd proved to be the right decision.
Though hed done this dozens of times, it was still a slow, cumbersome process, even with his speed. Hed tried swapping out for Vasons talwar in the past, but to no avail. Prana des limit was about the length of his katars de. Without it, he had no hope of dealing damage to the hardened chitins.
Another st of acidic venom flew through the air, but this time, it was aimed for Vir.
Hed been expecting as much, and Leaped out of the way, deftlynding on another Hunters back. Hended katar-first, gouging a deep wound in its armor before using his momentum to flip off its back and onto another. Acid sailed in an arc, but so long as it was all directed on him
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spied the Matron, charging at Vason, Tia, and Haymi.
Badraks Balls!
Shed waited for the moment Vir took action before acting, showing just how cautious she was of Vir. How long her caution wouldst, Vir couldnt say. All he could do was give her even more reasons to fear him.
Vir hurled a chakram, which bounced harmlessly off the Matrons carapace, before Leaping directly onto her back. Like her spawn, she possessed no defenses that guarded her back, and so Virid into her.
Augmented by Haymis Enhance Speed orb, Vir sliced faster and more viciously than ever before.
Innumerable marks appeared on the Matrons carapace, but his strikes did little to chip it away. As befitting a creature of her Br Rank, her armor was even sturdier than her Hunters.
The Matron, finally noticing the entity on her back, roared.
Immediately, half the Hunters present fired their venom. Green acid arced into the air, all aimed for Vir, but he knew better than to press his luck.
Vir was gone the moment the Matron screamed for help, already on top of another Hunters carapace. One which hed already gouged before.
Apramor! Whats taking so long? Vason cried, tanking another burst of venom. The Matrons got that acid too, he said in desperation. And shes got a lot more of it than the others. I dunno how long my shield willst.
Vir nced at Vason to see his shield corroding before their very eyes.
That acid can eat through steel!? Vir gulped. The Matrons attention was still solidly on Vason and the rest of the crew. He had to change that.
Luckily, he had a way to do exactly that. After having bounded from Hunter to Hunter, gouging away at their armor, hed finally exposed them all.
Virnded atop a Hunters back and thrust his katar into the hole hed dug. This time, the de dug deep enough, and with a shudder, it copsed.
Having used this tactic so many times before, Vir didnt even wait to check his results. From one Hunter to another, he bounded. One by one, the Hunters copsed.
In his wake, he left only a trail of death and destruction. And in doing so, earned himself the attention of their Matron.
The massive beast screeched in anger.
Or so he thought.
But that screech wasnt born of frustration or hatred. It was a deration of victory.
For the moment Virs feet touched the ground, pain assaulted him. His boots melted off. The acid continued to melt his flesh, leaving him reeling.
Badraks Balls the ground!
The continuous sprays of venom Vir had dodged werent aimed at him. They were aimed at the ground.
To turn the ground into a festering pool of acid that crippled all who walked through it.
Apramor! Look out!!
Distracted by the pain, Vir failed to notice the Matron open her venom nd and spray a deluge of acidright at him.
Vir ducked and turned, but could not dodge in time.
He took the full brunt of acid to his back. His armor heldfor nowbut the rest of his body was not so lucky. The acid ate into the back of his head, his biceps, and most of his legs, consuming his clothing as if they werent there.
APRAMOR! he heard someone cry, but it was difficult to say who. Virs world had be one of all-consuming pain. He no longer knew which way was up or down, or even if he was standing or had fallen.
Had he fallen into the vat of acid that covered the ground? Was he being attacked?
Ah. This isnt good, he dazedly realized as his vision grew dark.
But it was not the gods he prayed to as his consciousness ebbed. It wasnt Janak, or Adinat, or even Vera.
Ekanai? Shardul? If youre there, I could really use some help right now
Chapter 122: Parai The Ancient
Chapter 122: Parai The Ancient
Vir awoke to a forest, but not the one hed just left. A thin haze hovered just off the ground, giving the forest an ethereal, serene feeling.
Peaceful, but also eerie. None of the trees in this forest had leaves, nor even branches. Bare trunks stood tall, piercing the mist-hidden sky high above.
Where am I?
Confused, Vir stood up and checked himself over. No wounds to speak of. Either some god had healed his wounds and spirited him away to this forest, or
Ash Prana popted the air. There was only one ce Vir had seen such a phenomenon.
So, Im experiencing another memory.
But if it was a memory, it was unlike all the others until now. Those had all featured one of his predecessors, usually embroiled in a battle of some sort. There was never anything so blissful.
Vir walked through the silent forest in a daze. So silent that the crunching of his boots sounded loud in his head. Before hed realized it, hed started softening his steps to avoid disturbing the peace.
He didnt wander for long. The ferocious prana signature emanating from the clearing ahead was hard to miss.
Vir cautiously wandered into the small meadow. At its center sat a being dressed in pure white. With a flowing white beard, Vir initially mistook him for Janak. But his facial features were different. Wrinkled and old, where Janaks had been taut and powerful.
The gray-skinned man sat barefoot in a lotus position, with his arms resting on his knees and his index fingers pressed against his thumbs. His eyes were closed in apparent meditation.
Um, hello? Vir asked, approaching the figure. But there was no response. Though Vir hesitated to interrupt the mans meditation, he needed to know what was going on. He reached out to shake the man, but found that his hand went right through.
Of course Im in his memory, arent I? Im not really here.
After pacing around the meditating man, he took a seat opposite him, crossing his legs. When Vir had asked for help, this wasnt exactly what he had in mind. But he knew little about how his past incarnations memory fragments functioned. Could they choose which one they showed him? Or was it random?
After his vision with Narak the Destroyer, Vir had learned that the older his incarnation, the less transmitted. The first to go was will and awareness, leaving these memories far less useful.
While it could be mere coincidence, Vir wanted to believe there was a reason his prior selves had shown him this memory. Shardul and Ekanai generally intervened when his life was in danger, and it was little wonder why.
Theyd made it abundantly clear that he had some destiny he was supposed to fulfill. One thaty in the Ashen Realm. It was in their best interest to keep him alive. Hed even tried abusing that, back in Daha, but help was not forting.
Which likely meant they knew more about him and his thoughts than they let on.
But why are they helping me now? Or are these memories of older incarnations beyond their control?
Or were Shardul and Ekanai recognizing his journey south as progress toward the Ashen Realm? They werent wrongone of his goals was to collect as much information on the Ash as possiblebut whatever it was, Vir wasnt going to question it.
He had so many questions about how this all worked, but he feared he wouldnt find the answers anytime soon. Not until he ventured into the Ash.
For now, all he could do was to learn what he could from this bearded old man. Since he couldnt converse with him, he could at least watch him. Maybe hed glean something.
Vir red Prana Vision to its maximum and gasped.
Prana flowed through the man in ways Vir had never seen before. Now that he was close, he could see the details of the streams and the eddies. The tributaries and the raging currents. The man manipted prana in a way Vir could only dream of.
Whats more, prana was bound to blood, which meant the old mans blood was moving in these strange ways as well.
Vir immediately thought back to his first foray into prana maniption. Twice, hed cked out, teetering on the edge of death. And hed only tried to grab the prana in his neck. What his past incarnation was currently doing was in another realm entirely.
How is he not dead? Moreover, how did he ever attain such mastery without first killing himself? The path to such great skill was fraught with peril. If Vir attempted it, he was sure hed kill himself. The body liked to maintain its natural blood flow. Altering it was not only risky, but could cause adverse effects as well.
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And yet, proof existed right before his very eyes. It was mesmerizing. The flow of prana was unbelievablyplex, and Vir didnt rightly know why.
Thus far, Vir had skirted around the edges of prana maniption; the most hed ever done was for Empower, widening his pathways to allow more blood to flow through his body. He now realized that this was mere childs y.
But why? Whats the point of manipting prana like that? Whats it doing for him?
There was something different about the man. Something that spoke of great power, but Vir couldnt quite put his finger on it.
With nothing else to do, and no obvious way out, Vir focused on the various swirls and flows of the mans prana. After half an hour of pondering, a name came to him. Parai the Ancient. It came with vague memories, but they were all disjointed. All he knew was Parai had forsaken the path of the Primordial to cultivate his own prana. Hed been an ascetic, renouncing worldly desires and material wealth.
But that was all. Who he really was, when, where, and why he lived These details were all lost to Vir. As his name suggested, the man must have existed long, long ago. What was life like back then? What did the world look like?
Excuse me? Vir said again, but again received no reply. It seemed he wouldnt be getting those answers.
After one hour, Vir began to have an inkling of what the man was doing. After three hours of intense scrutiny, he was sure of it.
The prana in his body flowed in patterns. Patterns that initially seemedplex and useless on their own. But then he began to notice things. Like how the same pattern repeated itself in ces, except inverted, or flowing in opposite directions.
And at their intersection something was formed. The closest analogue Vir could think of was how sucking prana from his legs created a suction effect, like a straw would. In a simr manner, this prana current attracted nearby prana. Ash prana popted both the air and the ground in this memory fragment, just like all the others.
The knowledge struck Vir like a Grade A Lightning spell. That prana could be pulled by methods other than simply starving his extremities of prana led to several interesting conclusions. For one, Parais method seemed vastly stronger than his own. It was just a hunch, but based on how rapidly the prana flowed through the mans body, Vir suspected his vitality had improved greatly.
Simr to how Vir elerated prana and blood flow to heal injuries quicker, moving that much prana through his body would no doubt have significant restorative effects. It reduced the restrictions on where in his body he could create that attractive effect. But there was something else, too.
The Ash prana in the air coalesced around Parais body, enveloping him. Unlike with Virs suction, the prana didnt enter the mans bodyafter all, why would it? Parais body was in equilibrium with its surroundings. Instead of entering, the prana formed a thinyer around his skin. Ayer Vir had seen before.
Every Ash Beast hed ever fought had a thinyer of prana coating it. While it hadnt been dense enough to protect them from him, it had made the task of prating their skin much more difficult.
Prana Armor, Vir whispered, doing his best not to get excited.
Because while Parais techniques were impressive they were too impressive. Vir was looking at a grandmaster. An expert whod spent years, if not decades, honing his technique to the very apex of perfection.
It was art. But like any finished product, Vir had no clue how it was made. How did Parai learn this art? What was the first step down this road?
The patterns were far tooplex and many for Vir to memorize. There must have been dozens, if not hundreds of patterns. Some small, othersrge. And it wasnt like he could experiment blindly, either. That was a sure path to idental death.
What can I do? What can I take away?
Vir wracked his mind. At this rate, hed learn nothing of consequence. Only that Prana Armor was possible, and that cycling blood produced incredible results if done right.
Attempting to absorb it all was futile. So instead, Vir focused on one single pattern.
But which one?
The patterns at Parais arms and legs likely enhanced those parts. But what Vir really needed was a means to heal himself. Something to boost his vitality against the acid that was eating its way into his body.
While time must function differently in this memory fragment, Vir knew his time wasnt unlimited. Hed be forced to return, and if he didnt have a means to stop the acid, hed surely die.
Vir searched through the many patterns, looking for anything that might help solve his problem. Hed no doubt the answer was there, buried in the myriad of flows, but which was right?
Unfortunately, his wound constrained him. Vir wasnt about to experiment or modify Parais patterns, and right now, he needed something for his back. That limited where he searched. But even on the mans back, there were several.
One pattern looped in a very convoluted,plex figure eight, while another looked more like an oval, circling around Parais entire backside. Another was soplex, Vir didnt even know how to describe it.
Lacking a reference, Vir picked the oval. Not only did the blood in that pattern move the fastest, but it was also the simplest, and the least likely for Vir to mess up. For all he knew, they might all boost his vitality, or perhaps none of them would.
Vir focused inwardly and attempted to replicate Parais pattern. Though he braced for the pain, it still made him reel. And because hed attempted to move so much blood, he nearly cked out.
Luckily, it seemed like cking out was actually impossible in this space. In fact, he doubted whether he could die here.
Vir grinned. If thats the case
Then all he had to deal with was the pain. And Vir was no stranger to pain. If it meant he could experiment in a safe environment, he''d grin and bear it. Such an opportunity would likely nevere again.
And so he practiced. He mimicked Parai''s cycling pathways, only to find discrepancies. Issues that should have killed him, rupturing blood vessels in his body. Except nothing of the sort happened. Vir felt pain, yes, but nothing he couldn''t handle.
Vir pressed on, unrelenting. Rather than be demoralized by the pain, he thrived in it. Where most would shy away and fear the pain, he used it as a guide to correct his errors. A brutal instructor that pointed the right way.
And slowly, he made progress. His cycling pattern mirrored Parai''s closer and closer, and details he never even knew to look for initially were now mimicked near-perfectly.
An agonizing hourter, his time was up.
If only I had more time...
There were so many more patterns to learn. So much power to obtain here.
Yet whatever rules the memory fragment operated under had determined that he must leave. The fragment dimmed, and the man seated across from him grew hazy and incorporeal.
I dont know if you can hear me, Parai. But thank you. I owe you one.
Chapter 123: Retribution
Chapter 123: Retribution
Virs return to the world of the conscious was not nearly as pleasant an experience as his arrival into the dream world.
His entire body zed with debilitating pain, and it was all he could do to not ck out again. Gritting his teeth, he forced his blood to cycle in the pattern hed practiced.
Praying to Janak that it wasnt all some weird delusion he had, he willed the prana to move through his back.
The pain grew even more intense, making Vir question whether hed messed up. But no, there was no error. Vir pushed through it, and finally, the pain began to subside. He could feel the acids destruction wane. Whether or not this technique could fully neutralize it was anyones guess, but at least it allowed Vir to move.
Once again, his past incarnations had saved him. Until now, he''d operated under the assumption that they''d simply turned their backs on him for not fulfilling his end of the bargain. But what if it was something else? What if they couldn''t intervene? Or worse, what if it cost them something to?
Apramor!!! someone shouted.
Vir opened his eyes to see the ebbing light of dusk, and the silhouette of a giant ded leg poised to swipe down. Without even thinking, Vir sunk into his shadow, narrowly avoiding the limb that would surely have ended him.
There was a time when such mortal danger wouldve fazed Vir. Not a year ago, hed have frozen stiff, unable to move, stricken with panic.
But now? Vir barely even registered it. His mind had moved on to the more pressing matterhow to end the Matron.
From the Shadow Realm, he saw Vason, frozen in time, having just tried and failed to Leap onto the Matrons back, while Haymi prepared another Lightning spell, though she knew full well it would do nothing.
Tia looked like she was trying to sneak around the Matron from behind.
Pointless. Only Vasons tactic had any chance. Magic was futile, and what good was sneaking up on an enemy you couldnt even hurt? They might annoy it, though that was all. Vir couldn''t help but think it was so like Tia to boldly do something so reckless,pletely confident it would work.
At least gouging through its thick back armor was a sound strategy, but Vason wasnt capable of pulling it off. On his own. Together, though? They might just stand a chance now that the Matrons Hunters were gone.
It was a window of opportunity, but a small one. No doubt, the Matron had other Hunter-Gatherers in the area. If the Matron was still alive by the time they arrived well, Spears Edges chances of victory would plummet.
Not only that, with the ebbing light, the party would be at a severe disadvantage. Vir didnt know how well the Matron could see in the dark, but herrge antennae likely meant shed be fine, while Virspanions would be essentially blind. The fall of night meant failure and death for the party.
But Vir wasnt about to let ite to that.
He surfaced from the shadow realm, a handful of paces away from the Matron. Thanks to the long shadows of dusk, the entire forest was his yground now.
The pain returned in full force. Even a moments distraction could mean the difference between life and death. And so, he tried not to dwell on the fact that the only thing keeping him alive right now was Parais cycling technique.
A single Leap put him atop the Matrons back. Vir pulled Ash prana through the Matron into his legs, channeling it through his body to his arm to Empower his chakram.
Simultaneously, he released his own bodys prana through his palm. It wasnt quite Prana de, as hed never been able to get the prana to wrap all the way around the chakrams ringed edge. Instead, it arced, covering part of the disk before shooting off. it couldn''t be thrown like this, but it was enough to make it deadly when wielded as a melee weapon. Deadly enough to gouge the Matrons carapace.
Chakrams couldnt even dent the beasts armorat least this way, theyd be of some use.
With the chakram lodged into the Matrons back, Vir thenshed himself to it with some rope that was tied to his waist belt.
Vason! Jump! he cried as the Matron fought off Tia and Haymi. The warrior failed to gain the Matrons back, but now that Vir was atop it and anchored, he could help.
Therge-framed warrior Leaped up to Vir, who caught his arm and pulled him the rest of the way.
Tie in! Vir shouted, right as the Matron bucked, sending them both off bnce. Vir stayed on his feet, but agility had never been one of Vasons strong suits. He fell to all fours, nearly slipping off the Matrons carapace, but Vir once again stabilized him long enough for him to loop himself to Virs chakram.
There was now just onest piece of the puzzle.
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Haymi!
The acid! Haymi cried. She was currently kiting the Matron, firing magic before circling behind the beast. Your back! Do you need healing?
She sounded distraught. For good reason; without Parais cycling technique, hed already be dead.
Soon. But Im fine for now. Keep distracting it! he shouted back. Enhance Sharpness! If you have any, toss them here!
Haymi immediately retrieved an orb and scurried over to Tia, handing it to her.
Whats she doing? Vir thought as the Matron moved, slicing at Tia and Haymi with a ded limb, forcing the two to dodge.
Tia dove, rolled, and then threw the orb perfectly to Vir, just as the Matron swiped at her again.
Guess Haymis not too confident in her throwing skills, Vir thought, catching the orb. No wondereven C Grade orbs cost a pretty penny.
Hang in there, you two. Were almost there!
Vir removed his katars Enhance Speed orb, pocketing it and inserting the Enhance Sharpness orb in its stead. Haymi would keep the orb charged thanks to the blood rod.
Hope this works.
Vir mmed his katar into the carapace, and this time, aided by Empower, Prana de, and Enhance Sharpness, he finally did some damage.
With firm footing, they both went to work, taking turns gouging into the Matrons back. While Vasoncked the Talents to augment his strikes, hisrge frame, Enhance Sharpness, and his longer sword allowed him to nick the carapace when Vir wasnt attacking it.
They worked as one, falling into a rhythm despite the Matrons jarring movements.
Right until the Matron learned of their n. Screeching, the eight-legged beast started moving far more violently, crashing into trees in an attempt to throw them off.
Vir looked at the chakram. Each time the Matron crashed into a tree, it dislodged slightly. It was only a matter of time now.
Vir and Vason did their best to ignore her movements and work as hard as they could, but it proved impossible. The Matron was simply moving too erratically for them to get good strikes in.
Vir exchanged a nce with Vason. I have an idea. Stay here and hang on, if you can, he said, cutting himself free of the rope. Vir High Jumped off the Matron and grabbed hold of a nearby branch as the rest of Spears Edge watched.
Using his momentum, he hurled himself up to the highest tree top, some forty paces high. Taking a deep breath, he created a prana suction in his legs, but didnt allow himself to sink into his shadow just yet, thus deferring Dances activation. Hed done this once before, against the proctor for his Br rank exam in Daha.
He hadnt done it again because it was an incredibly painful, risky ploy. But extreme situations called for extreme solutions, and so he High Jumped, gaining another ten paces of height before he plummeted back to the earth.
Vir somersaulted in midair so that hed hit legs-first and forced his eyes to remain open despite every instinct telling him to shut them.
The wind rushed past as he picked up speed. Faster and faster, the ground rushed up to him at an rming pace.
Vir fired Prana de as he fellone of the few Talents that relied on his own bodys prana, rather than ground Ash prana.
And in the split-second before he hit the ground, he activated Dance, allowing himself to fall into his shadow.
Perfection was a lofty goal, and he fell short. His leg splintered under the force just before the Shadow Realm embraced him. At least in here, he felt no pain. Not from his broken leg, nor from his burning back. It was a small reprieve, but one that Vir appreciated.
Taking his full ten counts of time, he carefully chose his exit location; a spot a handful of paces away from the Matron.
This better work.
Virmitted, and Leaped out of the shadow, augmenting the momentum he carried from his fall.
Hed never moved as fast in his life. In fact, it was all he could do to sh his de in time, and he barely activated Empower before his strike hit the Matrons ded limbs.
Augmented by three magical abilities, and cut by a razor-sharp seric de, even the Matrons limb stood no chance.
Vir didnt even feel the impact. His de passed through one leg, then two, before digging itself into the third.
Losing no time, Vir Leaped away, fully aware of how easily he could be crushed under the Matrons weight.
The Matron did not react well to the sudden loss of two of her legs. With her bnce gone, she pitched back and fell on her rump.
Vason! Now oh. The warrior had fallen off the Matron at some point. He was now hunkered down behind his tower shield, Leaping at the beasts maw repeatedly. The constant bashing didnt seem to do much to the ded monstrosity, but it did keep her upied.
Ill distract the fell beast. You finish it off! Vason shouted.
A task easier said than done. The Matron was wounded, but so was he. Vir could pull blood away from flesh wounds to clot bleeding, but there was little he could do for a broken bone. And against thebined pain of his back and his leg, he could barely even stay upright.
And yet, he could not falter here. Not until the Matron had been vanquished.
Gritting his teeth, and cing all of his weight on one leg, Vir climbed up onto the Matrons back. He couldnt risk jumping, let alone Leaping, lest hend on his broken leg. Hed no doubt the pain would send him immediately into thend of the unconscious.
The Matron screeched and got back upafter all; she had eight legs. Missing two would limit her mobility, but it wasnt as though she was incapacitated.
To Vir, every action drove needles of pain into his body. The simple act of hefting his katar took all the willpower he could muster. He looked for his chakram, but found only a gash where it had been.
Right. Mustve been pulled off when Vason fell.
Vir fell to his knees and continued slicing open the Matrons carapace. Each strike had little strength behind it, but it did have an abundance of magic. Small chips of the Matrons armor flew at an agonizingly slow pace, and Vir began to wonder if they''d make it in time. Their luck held, and its flesh was revealed.
Vir had positioned the hole right above where the prana concentrated in the beasts bodylikely its heart.
With every ounce of strength he could muster, he drove his Empowered de in, eliciting a bloodcurdling screech from the maimed Ash Beast.
But Vir knew that one strike wouldnt be enough. He withdrew the de and plunged it back in, twisting it for maximum damage.
The Matron juked and bucked, but Vir forced himself to stay on.
After the fourth strike, the Matrons energy began to wane.
After the tenth, the Ash Beast finally fell, copsing on the forest floor, just as thest of the days light vanished.
W-we did it? Vason asked, stupefied.
Never doubted it! Tia eximed.
But Vir couldnt hear them. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as the pain faded and blissful nothingness enveloped him with open arms.
Vir slumped off the Matrons back and crumpled next to the dead beast. Not dead. But not quite alive, either.
He did not hear the cries of the Hunter-Gatherers all around them. They were the wails of children whod just lost their mother. Children who were out for blood.
Chapter 124: The Princess And The Ravager
Chapter 124: The Princess And The Ravager
Vason! Tia cried, intercepting the nearest Hunter-Gatherer whod swarmed upon them. The beasts raged like theyd gone mad. She suspected they might actually have. Their behavior seemed less like addled fury and more like theyd broken down, somehow. Without the Matronmanding them, Tia could see why.
That made things both easier and harder for Spears Edge. No longer did they have to worry about ambushes or even about Hunters grouping together to attack, but the Ash Beasts attacked them with reckless abandon. Seemingly with no regard for their own self-preservation.
On it! Vason replied, bashing a Hunter with his shield before rushing to Apramors position. Haymi and Tia joined him, forming an encirclement around their downed friend.
Can you carry him? Tia asked, firing an Ember spell into a Hunters face, which caused it to run around blindly and crash into its brothers.
Sure, but we oughta grab those first, he said, pointing to the Matrons severed limbs. Brotherhood will be wanting proof, yeah?
Tia nodded. Grab them. Well hold them off until youre back.
Yes, maam!
Vason darted off to the Matron. Whether out of deference or fear, the Hunters maintained some distance from their fallen mother, allowing Vason to gather the ded limbs and ce them into his rucksack. He needed Bulwark for that act, due to how sharp the limbs were.
Even in death, youre still a threat to us, arent you? Vason muttered as he did the deed and slung his rucksack across his back.
He lost no time in returning to Tia, bashing another Hunter from behind. Haymi used the opportunity to fire an Arc spell right into its maw, making it spasm.
Vason Leaped to their unconscious friend, scooped him up, and threw him on his shoulder in a firemans carry.
Sorry, bud, but this is the best I can do, he said.
Alright! Combat retreat! Tia ordered. Haymi at the rear. Vason in the middle. Ill take the front.
Working efficiently, they took their positions, with Haymi firing Lightning and Water spells to keep their foes at bay while Tia hacked through foliage in search of their nearest base.
You think we can lose them? Vason asked.
Think so, Tia replied, furiously shing shrubs and fronds with Empowered shes. Without the Matron, I doubt theyll be able to mount an organized search. Were already gaining on them.
While the vegetations density slowed them, it slowed theirrge pursuers even more. The sounds of addled screeches slowly began to dissipate, and a terse half hourter, they found themselves once more in a silent forest.
Lets stop here, Haymi said. I need to treat Apramor. And you, too, princess.
Were not that far away from our nearest encampment. Id feel a lot better if we stopped there. And I told you not to call me that.
The wee sight of palisades came into view just momentster, and it was with a collective sigh that they each entered, locking the gate behind them. The wooden logs wouldnt stop a horde of Hunters, but Tia doubted theyd have to worry about that now. Theyd won.
Haymi checked over their injured friend the moment Vasonid him on the ground. She worked quickly to strip away his leg armor and clothing while Tia and Vason kept watch for iing enemies.
How bad? Tia called from the entrance of the encampment.
Not good. But nothing I can''t handle, Haymi said, regarding the mutted flesh with a concerned expression.
After probing various points along his leg, she set her B Grade Set Bone orb to work.
Once the bones were healed, she activated her Mend Skin orband gasped.
Whats wrong? Is everything alright? Tia called.
N-No. Its fine, Haymi replied, turning pale as she witnessed skin reform before her very eyes. Gray skin.
Haymi gawked for a moment longer, before jolting herself into action. Before anyone could see, she hurriedly wrapped his skin with fresh bandages.
You sure? Vason, I think something''s wrong. Go take a look, she heard Tia say. I''ll keep watch.
There was no time. Nothing she could do. She hadn''t been fast enough.
The warrior walked in, his eyes taking in Vir''s Ashborn skin. His eyes flicked to Haymi.
Vason, I- she began, but the warrior held up a palm, nodding once before turning around.
Everything''s fine, Vason called back to Tia. She''s almost done. He lowered his voice. I''ll make sure she doesn''t see. But hurry it up.
Haymi''s mouth opened and closed several times before she nodded back, returning to her work once the warrior rejoined Tia.
We should let her finish in peace. I hear some sounds from the forest. It''s too early to rx.
I know, Tia replied, gazing intently for any sign of pursuers.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Haymi moved on to the back of his head, and finally his arms, which had taken the brunt of the damage.
In all cases, gray skin reformed in ce of healthy tan.
Haymi''s heart pounded, her thoughts rampant and chaotic. Her hands worked on their own, guided by her wealth of past experience.
Hows it look? Tia asked, finally returning once Haymi had finished.
The mejai gazed at Tia nkly before pursing her lips.
Princess. Your arm. Now, Haymi said, bringing out her B Grade Set Bone orb, along with her Mend Skin orbs. Hes worse off than you, but helle through.
Tch, Tia clucked. You really shouldnt call me that. Maybe Apramors only pretending to be asleep?
Haymi said nothing as she got to work, but Vason wasnt so considerate. After gently cing his injured friend on the ground, he marched up to Tia.
What is it, Vason?
Haymis right, Princess. Id held my tongue in front of Apramor, but I can remain quiet no longer. Not only have you endangered your own lifea life that, need I remind you, is far more precious than all of oursbinedbut you even put Apramor in danger! What were you thinking, epting a quest like this?
Tia averted her eyes. I mean it sounded lucrative?
Haymi scowled, irritated at the princess'' recklessness. Tia, money never has been, nor ever will be, a concern for you. You did this purely for your own selfish enjoyment, the same as always. The same reason you invited a stranger to our party. I agree with Vason. As your bodyguards, we can only do so much. If you wish tomit suicide, Im afraid even our lives will not be enough to save you.
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Haymi, cmon, thats not fair. You know I care about you two! More than my own life, even!
Then pleaseport yourself as one befitting your position.
Tia snorted. That ship sailed a long time ago, dont you think?
Princess Tiyana, you are royalty! And not some second or third princess, either!
Hey, it''s me. When have I not done things this way?
Yes, your serial recklessness has caused no end of trouble for us. I am sure there are those who might find it charming. That is, until you get someone killed. What would your brother say if he saw what youve been up to? Hed lock you up in the castle, and for good reason!
Tias expression soured, and only partly from the pain of having her crushed bones repaired. What my brother doesnt know wont hurt him. Besides, look at me. Im hardly princess material.
Nheless, you are royalty. And with your parents gone, you and your brother are all our country has left. Please think of us!
Fine, Tia said, moping. Fine! Badraks Balls! Ill... I''ll try to be more careful.
And mind your manner of speech, too.
Yes, yes. Sure, Tia said with an enormous yawn. Just too tired right now.
Haymis expression softened. You need rest, princess. Vason and I will keep watch.
Just heal Apramor she said as she drifted off to sleep.
You ever regretted all this? Vason asked.
What, you mean guarding such a selfish brat? Haymi grinned. Never. But sometimes, I do feel like pping her across the face.
A hard p, Vason said, nodding.
Yes. Nothing but the hardest ps for our dear princess.
Please stop.
Mejai of Realms were supposed to be near the apex of magical power. Respected, even revered wherever they went. And yet, this particr Mejai of Realms had suffered abuse after abuse at the hands of the four-armed half-giant demon who was his charge.
It should have been the other way. He was the master here. The one with all the power. And yet, he felt more like a steward for a problem child. A problem child who would tear him limb from limb were it not for the subjugation cor around his neck. An invaluable Artifact from the Age of Gods, reserved for those who absolutely needed it.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The demon Cirayus wore a ck cloak that covered his body, hiding his four arms, but his head was exposed. The ck tattoos that traced across his red skin gave him away as someonesomethingnot from this Realm. But there was no point hiding it. Even if they hid his face, who would ever believe such a giant was human?
Thump. Thump. Thump. Each step the giant took shook the ground, rattling windows and sending shivers down everyones spine.
Do you have to do that? the Mejai of Realms said, nodding at the vigers they passed, doing his best to dissuade a mass panic. Adinat save them if the giant ever showed off his four arms.
Do what? the giant replied, continuing to thump his way along Brijs thoroughfare.
That thumping! Its some power of yours, isnt it?
Now that is simply rude, mejai, the demon boomed. Among my tribe, Im considered small, but as you can see, I am quite a bit more weighty than the average human.
And yet, you manage to walk around making no noise when you choose. Dont think I havent noticed, demon!
Oh, that, Cirayus replied, as if that answered the mejai. He continued walking, uncaring.
Parading you around like this will only create unwanted attention! It goes against our interests! the Mejai of Realms hissed.
Against our interest, is it? the demon boomed. Tell me, mejai, how has your search been going, hmm? Located our errant gray demon yet? No? After all this time?
The Mejai of Realms could only grind his teeth in frustration. From Parul to even Kinjal, his agents had found no trace of Minas Ashborn assassin.
Princess two-face sounded quite angry during yourst report, you know? And as much as it irks me, I am in agreement with the little wench. You have pored over maps, you have searched far and wide, and yet, you are still no closer to locating him than you were weeks ago.
We know he is affiliated with the Brotherhood of Mercenaries. Lady Kamna confirmed as much while she spied on him. If only theyd talk But they dare to deny our inquiries!
As they should. Tis only natural for them to protect their own, the demon responded, eyeing the vige buildings with keen interest. There is something familiar about this ce.
The demon took a great sniff at the air. Its the smell. It feels nostalgic, though I am quite sure I have never been here.
The mejai beside him grumbled. Im no urchin off the streets! I have a royal decree! A decree! And yet that Brotherhood scum thinks they can get away with it.
It seems to me that is exactly what is happening. Has your king punished them? No? Then they are above thew. They simply understand that fact. Perhaps your kingdom isnt as great as you seem to think? Hm?
The mejai beside him ground his teeth even harder. It was all he could do.
These are the vigers you want to see, the mejai said irritably. Weve rounded them up for interrogation, but they dont know a thing.
Tell me about this Guardian of Ash, human.
Mere rumors and spection. Her Highness the Princess believes this was the doing of our assassin. The timing of the rumor coincides, but Ive yet to see any other evidence supporting that theory.
Hmm.
Cirayus paced around the densely packed circle of vigers. Theyd stood out here for over an hour, and though some showed signs of fatigue, there wasnt a trace of defiance in any of them. Only confusion. Resignation.
And when they spotted the giant fear.
All except for one.
Cirayus knelt down in front of a child. A scrawny boy, the type that might be bullied in a vige such as this. Cirayus knew well thew of small societies such as these. After all, the vast majority of demonkind cloistered in small settlements not too different from human viges.
Youre the one, are you not? Cirayus asked in a low voice that couldnt be overheard. His tone was unlike anything hed ever used with the Mejai of Realms. Instead of a fearsome incarnation of war, he spoke like a kindly old uncle, full of warmth.
The boy shook his head.
Please, a child? The Mejai of Realms said, scoffing.
Cirayus turned and met the mejais gaze. It was all he needed to drive the man into silence. The mejai took an unconscious step back. Do not interrupt me.
The giant then reached a hand out to the boy, who closed his eyes and quaked in fear. But Cirayus did not fail to notice his balled fists, or the defiant expression on his face.
Extending his enormous hand, he ruffled the boys head gently and smiled.
Dont worry, Im on your side, Cirayus whispered with a wink. I know your friend. Likely better than you do. He wielded strange powers, did he not? Strange, scary powers?
The boy nodded. Can you tell me where my friend went? I wish to know that he is safe.
I-I dunno, sir. I really dont, the boy whispered back. But maybe the Godshollow? Just a hunch, sir, nothing more. Perfect ce to hide.
The Godshollow? Cirayus asked gently.
The Forest, sir. The one west of the city. With the big huge trees!
Big... trees, you saw?
Cirayussughter thundered through the za, stunning everyone present.
I see. I see! Youve done well, child. Thank you. Truly, he said, wiping away tears that welled up in his eyes. The smile the demon wore could not be bought with any price in the world.
The giant stood back up and thumped to one of the lesser Mejais apanying him.
Kneel, Cirayus thundered, and the mejai kneeled. In fact, he fell all the way to the ground, ttened as his weight multiplied several-fold.
What do you think youre doing!? The Mejai of Realms shouted. Cease this immediately! Else, Ill activate your cor!
Cirayus ignored the man and rifled through the hapless mejais belongings until he found what he was looking for.
Retrieving the sack, he returned to the boy and gently ced it in his hands. The boys eyes went wide as he realized just how much coin was inside. Likely more than hed ever even seen in his life.
Take this, boy. And spread the word of this Guardian of the Ash, you hear? Tell his tale to all.
The boy nodded vigorously, too shocked to reply.
Cirayus ruffled his head once again, then returned to the Mejai of Realms.
Was that truly necessary, the man said, eyeing his subordinate who was just now recovering from his ordeal.
The demon cracked his neck. Show me a map.
With no reason to deny the demon, the mejai obliged, and some minutester, they gathered in Brijs za around a table with a detailed map of the Known World ced upon it.
Weve searched here, Cirayus said, pointing to Parul, on Ranis northern border. Weve searched here and even here, gesturing to Kinjal and the northern parts of Hiranya.
But let us trace this demons actions, shall we? He fled from Daha after failing to assassinate princess two-face.
She has a name! Ill not allow you to
Then he came north, here to Brij. Why? To resupply. To stock up on supplies. The armorer and the baker both spoke of their wares mysteriously disappearing that night, did they not?
They did, yes. We know he nned for a journey. This is not new information.
But, having gone north, you expected him to either double back to Parul or continue north. What if, instead, he went west? To here?
Cirayus pointed to the stretch ofnd west of the North Legion Mountains.
There? There is nothing there! Hed have to travel far to the south. To Zorin, before he found his first town.
And what better route than for someone on the run?
The Mejais eyes went wide. Do you think
Weve been anticipated, mejai. This assassin of yours. Hes a smart one. So is your princess. Im surprised she never called this out.
The princess, she shes not quite right in the mind these days, Im afraid. She seems obsessed with catching her old nemesis, General Savar, even failing to sleep or eat. Or so I hear.
Well then. I suppose wed best get to it, mejai.
The Mejai of Realms went silent for a moment. You helped us. Why?
Its been a while since Ive enjoyed a good fight, mejai, the demon replied, cracking his neck. I find myself wanting a distraction.
Gatik. Call me Gatik.
Very well, Gatik. I am Cirayus. Centuries ago, I was called Cirayus the Ravager, but most who knew that name have long passed. For now, I am simply Cirayus, of Baira.
Gatik regarded the giant with new respect. Cirayus, then. Let us pray for a good hunt. For both our sakes.
Chapter 125: Of Bonds, Broken and Forged (Maiya)
Chapter 125: Of Bonds, Broken and Forged (Maiya)
Maiya groaned at the monstrous pile of tomes in front of her. When Princess Ira had said that her chores would be reduced from now on, shed jumped for joy.
Now, shed give anything to get those chores back. Anything was better than this.
Once again, she peeked at the Magic Clock in the corner. Still another ten minutes to go.
It wasnt like anyone was forcing her to spend every waking hour of every day sitting in front of her tomes. Except, she didnt want to disappoint the princess. As childish as it sounded, her determination came neither from a sense of duty, nor from her desire to be useful to Tanya. She just wanted to impress.
Theyd met twice more after her initial meeting, and it was bing clear that Ira had something very arduous in store for Maiya. Her Highness hadnt yet revealed what that task would be, but Maiya doubted itd be anything easy. Nothing that required as much training as shed had could be easy.
The Children of Ash most closely resemble a religion, albeit a twisted and profane one. These cultists worship a Prana Swarm, said to circle around some long-lost city of the gods deep within the Ash. As one might assume, confirming the existence of such a being has proven both foolhardy and dangerous. The goal of the children is to eventually enter the Ash. Those who do are revered and respected. However, we do know that few who enter the Ash ever return. Those who do say the very air is poisoned. That an agonizing death is all that awaits us there. Why the Children continue to send their members into that hellish realm is beyond us.
When Princess Ira asked Maiya to expand her worldview, shed been thrilled. Herey new, privileged information, and Maiya absorbed it like a sponge. If it made her a more cultured individual, she was all for it.
Yet, every tome the princess had given Maiya was on the Children of the Ash. Her father had often warned about the cultists back in the vige, but her only experience with them was through Vir. Hed run into one, just before the Hiranyan Knights had arrived, and everything hed told her about them made her want nothing to do with them.
Nevertheless, she suspected the Children would y arge role in her future. A thought that made her despair.
Ping! The Magic Clock sounded the end of her study session, prompting her to stretch in a very udy-like fashion. It was a good thing the Head Maid didnt frequent the royal archives where she currently sat. Only a select few were allowed in here, and no tomes could ever be checked out. The Brian Royal Guard at the entrance made amply sure of that.
Sadly, if there was one thing Maiya dreaded more than spending hours researching the crazy cult, it was the bitter task she was about to undertake.
Returning to her quarterswhich had been recently upgraded to a two-story room with a beautiful balcony right inside the castleshe threw off her handmaidens clothes, tossing them hurriedly onto her bed, and changed into an unassuming Kinjali robe.
Comfortable, simple, and easy to walk around in, she wished she could wear it all the time. Her royal handmaiden outfit attracted attention andmanded respect wherever she went, but when she wanted to blend in, she owned nothing better.
The only downside was she had to go the distance on foot; using an Ashva would attract too much attention for what she was about to do. Distance-wise, her destination in the Southern Quarter wasnt that far. What ought to have been a fifteen-minute walk instead took over an hour as she navigated the castle walls, then the walls of the Brian Guard, then the walls of the Royal Quarter.
Walls after walls after walls. Getting around Sonam was beyond infuriating. It was designed that way in case of invasion, but no general in their right mind would ever consider invading such a fortress, even if it wasnt the capital of one of the most powerful nations in the Known World.
Would it kill them to just knock a few holes in these walls for passages? On more than one asion, shed wished for magic that could disappear the walls, but she doubted even S Tier magic could pull off such a feat; Sonams made those of other cities look like toys.
With throbbing feet, she finally made it to the alley in the Southern Quarter that had be familiar to her. Ducking into a trapdoor that led into a cer, she followed a hallway that led to a dead end, with only adder rising to another trapdoor. Knocking thrice, then four times, then thrice again. She waited until thetch on the other side of the door clicked.
Pushing it up, Maiya ascended into a small home with only one other upant.
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Well? Anything new to report? Tanya asked.
Plenty. Just a question of how much I want to tell you, Maiya retorted.
You will tell me everything! Tanya demanded, but her words rang hollow.
Gone were the days where Tanya ruled over her. With Maiyas station, she could order a dozen Brian Guard toe and jail her former instructor, and no one would bat an eye.
The only reason she didnt was because of the debt she felt she owed Riyan. And for the training Tanya gave her even if most of her advancement was thanks to Vir, and not Tanya.
Maiya shook her head; shede here today not to report on Princess Iras secrets as shed always done, but for something else.
Shes having me research the Children of Ash, Maiya said, observing Tanyas reaction.
The Children, is it? Tanya said. Puzzling. But Im sure General Savar will wish to learn more.
There, Maiya said, pointing at the other woman. Thats it, isnt it? The past few times weve met like this, I always thought there was something off. Tanya, youre unable to contact Riyan, arent you?
The woman in ck leathers narrowed her eyes. I do not know why you would think that, but I assure you, you are
See, if you really had been in touch with him, youd have scoffed at me and hurled some insult. Something like Please. Your pathetic attempts to foul his ns are merely that. Pathetic. Thing is, I know you havent heard a word from himtely.
Oh? And pray tell how you know this?
Tell me. Have you been back to Riyans house?
Of course. Several times, in fact.
Maiya crossed her arms in victory.
Tanya gave Maiya a death re, but when she refused to wither, the woman finally relented. What do you know?
Tanya, Riyans abode burned to the ground. Dunes filled it in so you cant even tell there was a home there anymore. I flew there, saw it myself. Ah, right. I have an Acira now. I can fly ces, she added, rubbing salt into Tanyas wounds.
Themander did her best to hide her surprise, but Maiya had been trained to detect such things.
Hes gone, Tanya. Princess Mina finally did him in.
We do not know that, Tanya said, her desperation finally leaking onto her face.
Maiya continued her assault. Bet yourmunication orb isnt working either, is it?
How did you
Ive got my ways. Maybe I cant sneak around as well as Vir can, but Riyan taught me himself, remember? You didnt think Id check your possessions?
Thats
The two fell silent for a moment.
Say isnt this all useless now? My espionage. Meing here, feeding you information? What are you even going to do with it? You were operating under Riyans orders, werent you? With him gone, whats the point? Whats the point of any of this? Maiya said, gesturing to the home.
No. No, you must continue to
Go look for him, Maiya said, cutting her off. Its what you want to do, isnt it? Staying in this ce is a hazard to you, and Im also taking a great risk spying for you. Lets just end the farce and each go our separate ways.
...What will you do? If I leave?
Tanyas question came as a surprise to Maiya. Shed nned to give the woman an ultimatum today. To break away from the chains that had bound her until now. She hadnt really thought about what came after.
What should she do? Her role as handmaiden was voluntaryshe could walk away from the job anytime she liked. Maybe shed burn some bridges with the Kinjal, but it wasnt like anyone was forcing her to stay. Not anymore.
As she reflected on her current situation, she came to realize that it wasnt that bad. In fact, shed achieved nearly all of her childhood goals.
Yknow? For the longest time, I just wanted to move to a big city. To be a somebody. To be wealthy. To be someone significant, doing meaningful things. I well, its hard work, and I dunno if I like where the princess is going with the Children of the Ash, but I think Im happy here. I really do.
I figured as much, Tanya said, smiling wryly. When I said this job had everything you ever wanted, I said it only partially to coerce you. So youll be a true agent of Kinjal. An agent of our enemy.
Hiranya killed my parents. I''ll dly help burn that country to the ground. But honestly? If Iras the sort of person I think she is, I dont know if Kinjal will be Hiranyas enemy for long. There are things. Things I havent told you, Tanya. But if they go Iras way, Kinjal could be a very different ce soon. A better ce, I think.
Ill believe it when I see it, Tanya said with a scoff. So
So
This is it, then.
Emotional moments werent a strong suit for either of them, but Tanya seemed especially bad at it.
It is, Maiya replied stiffly.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, Maiya replied softly. And Tanya? Thanks. For training me. I cant say I like you. But, well Im grateful for some of the stuff youve done.
Tanya nodded. Now go.
Maiya turned and left through the hatch through which she came.
Im probably never going to see her again, huh?
The thought brought her down. But then it was gone. Because her next task was a far more enjoyable one. Her next Acira time slot was in just a few hours. And with it, she would fly to Zorin. To Vir.
Just wait, Vir. Just a little longer.
With a deep breath, she set out.
Chapter 126: Pagan Summons
Chapter 126: Pagan Summons
And then he said, Im not dead? Vason said, doing his best Vir impersonation.
Haymi giggled, while Tia burst outughing, spitting her mead all across the table in a very udylike moment.
But all four of them wereughing too hard to reprimand herVir included.
I wasnt that shocked, he said with flushed cheeks. Besides, if I remember right, you cried like a baby.
Did not, Vason retorted, clearing his throat.
Oh yes, you did! Haymi replied, outing him immediately. Your eyes were all red and puffy when Apramor finally came to.
Haymi! Times like these, you gotta back me up!
But instead of sympathy, all he received was Haymis cold smile.
Vason sighed. Sadists, the lot of you. I''m warning you, Apramor. Stick around long enough and the women of this party will trample all over you.
Oh? Tia asked, cocking a brow. Is that right, Vason? Tell me more, why wont you?
Id best not, mdy-who-spits-mead-over-her-table. Dont worry, Ill not breathe a word of this to your brother.
Good. You wont, if you value your head, Tia said, leveling a death re at Vason.
All joviality evaporated in an instant, and Vir worried a fight might actually break out.
Then they both burst intoughter and pped their mugs together, spilling yet more mead on the table.
That was good! I thought I had you!
That''s my line, you blonde brute!
Vir gave the waiter passing by an apologetic look.
Itd taken Vir two full days to wake after his ordeal in the forest. While his crushed leg had been mended by Grade A healing orbs, he still bore a slight limp. He could fight if he absolutely had to, but itd take another week for him to mend fully. At least, without his efforts to cycle blood and prana through his injured leg. The blood there simply refused to circte as well, so hed been aiding it with his own prana maniption efforts.
At this rate, he expected hed be good as new in just a couple more days. The only problem was...
Vir caught Haymi ncing at him, but she broke her gaze the moment their eyes met.
She knows, doesn''t she?
The mejai hadn''t breathed a word of it, and based on Tia''s behavior, Vir suspected she didn''t know, either.
I''m gonna have to confront her about this at some point.
The thought sucked all the merriness out of him.
To celebrate, Tia had taken them to one of the finest eateries in Avi. Not the fanciest, but ording to her, the most delicious. Sadly for his four-legged friend, Bandies werent allowed in, so Neel sat waiting at home.
They upied an entire long table, upon which a bevy of food was arranged. From delectable desserts to mounds of the freshest fruit, rice dishes, stir-fries, barbeque skewers, and more; the dizzying array was almost as impressive as the banquet the miningpany had hosted for them.
But where the variety and quantity mightve paled to the banquets food, the taste was iparable. Vir had never experienced such a vast range of tastes and textures in his life. vorspounded upon one another, and just when he thought it couldnt get any better, the dishes synergized with each other in a way Vir never knew was possible. This wasnt merely sustenancethis was art. Taken to its limit, and perfectly executed by master chefs.
Why so glum, Apra? Tia said. Ever since the Brood Matron battle, shed taken to shortening his name as a nickname, and the others had followed suit soon after.
Just thinking that Im never gonna enjoy regr food like I used to. I mean, after tasting this stuff. Its unfair. Now Im gonna have to splurge on expensive food.
Vason burst outughing again. Wee to our life, friend. Our Tia over there loves herself a good meal. Brought up on only the finest food, ysee? She wont even touch standard fare.
Well, sorry. Not my fault my parents spoiled me silly, the freckled blonde replied, pouting as she stuck a fork into a kebab.
Vir had to admit, the Matron fight was one of the most exciting battles hed ever fought, and it wasnt just because of the danger. Fighting in a party was something new to him, and if he was honest with himself, he enjoyed it. Far more than he thought possible.
Wonder how good itd be if I told them who I really am Vir idly thought. Of course, he wasnt nave. He wasnt about to take that risk, knowing how much Tia hated demons. While he desperately wanted to prove her wrong, he understood where her feelings came from.
Vir hated the Hiranyan Knights for what they did to Rudvik, Apramor, and Aliscia. Given a chance, hed dly end their lives. Then again, he knew they werent evil. Hed heard the tales of their great deedsof lives saved, and famine-stricken towns receiving their aid. If hed been one of those people, maybe he wouldve felt the opposite. Maybe hed have admired the knights.
One thing was for sure, though. People didnt change. Not easily. Convincing Tia of the benevolence of demons was likely to be a doomed endeavor.
And how did Vir know that demons were good in the first ce? His only experience with them was on old man Bakuras ving ship. The demons there hadnt seemed evil, though hed spent little time with them.
These thoughts filled Virs mind as they wrapped up at the eatery, as well as thoughts of Parai the Ancient. The man hadnt spoken a word, and yet Vir had learned so much from him. Perhaps as an older incarnation, his personality had washed away. Perhaps that was all he could do.
The prana cycling technique he learned had certainly saved his life in that situation, but what else could it do? Unless he suffered a grievous back wound again, as it was, the ability was useless.
But if he could adapt the cycling pattern and make it safe, hed have yet another defense mechanism. While Toughen helped, its effect was akin to light armor; it wasnt nearly as effective as magically enhanced armor. And while he could stop his wounds from bleeding, nothing he had elerated his recovery rate.
Taken to an extreme, he might even close wounds during battle. Such an ability would be incredibly painful, but also incredibly effective. Itd allow him to take risks hed otherwise dare not consider.
Boosting his vitality wasnt the only benefit prana cirction could yield. From what hed seen of Parai, the demon might''ve used it to strengthen his attacks as well.
The issue was Vir, as always,cked an instructor. Someone who could guide him safely through the steps to attain those abilities. And until someone like that came along, Vir hesitated to experiment, recalling what happened when he was learning Prana Vision.
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Before they left for the Brotherhood Sanctum, Vir packed some food for Neel; the bandy had helped so much in the forest, hed felt terrible for leaving his friend behind. The least he could do was bring him some treats.
Sure enough, Neel was there to greet them the moment they entered the room, wagging his tail and running circles around their legs with excitement.
Rejoice, Neel! Vason said, petting the Bandy. Your masters brought back some delicious food!
Are you sure he can eat that, though? Haymi asked. Wouldnt want him puking all over the floor, would we?
Dunno! Never given him food this fancy. Guess well find out? Vir replied sheepishly.
Well, he seems to like it, at least? Tia said with a yawn, smiling at the bandy who tore into the food the moment Virid it before him.
Filled and sleepy, the rest of the party retired to their beds, while Vir walked to the Executors booths with Neel in tow.
Enter. Balindam booth, an Executor said soon after Vir arrived in the waiting area.
He entered the booth and shut the door behind him and the Bandy. Neel obediently sat on his haunches in a corner, eyeing the veiled figure with suspicion.
Im here to redeem my karma for more information about the Pagan Order. And a means of transport to get there, if possible.
While he couldve ridden Bumpy, Vir was leery of taking the injured Ashva on long journeys.
Maybe now, with this money I have, I can heal the poor beast. Something to look into.
The Executor paused for a moment, then replied in a deep baritone. Your actions to date have been exemry, Acolyte. In fact, your feats have been mentioned in Executor circles. You''ve certainly rued enough karma for your promotion to Shadow. You need onlyplete more contracts to obtain it. Your current karma stands at 9,745. This is more than sufficient for the favors you seek.
Vir nodded. The Brood Matron subjugation had earned him a great deal of both karma and coin. With his earnings, his coin purse now held a seric coin, sixty-two silvers, and thirty coppers, and hed amassed nearly ten thousand karma. More wealth than hed ever owned in his entire life. Enough for a trip to the Pagan Order, and onward to the Ashen Realm by way of Matali. If that was his destination.
How much to charter an Acira? he asked.
Though the Executor wore a veil, he could swear the man grinned.
How very curious that you ask. Im afraid we will have to defer your request regarding the Pagan Order.
Vir cocked a brow. Defer? Why?
Because a contract hase in for you. Asking for you. By name. A most lucrative and rare contract, in fact.
Sorry, but Im not really looking to take on any more contracts right now. Just want my information on the Pagan Order.
Would you say the same, knowing that this contractes directly from Lord Reth?
Reth? The ruler of the Pagan Order? Vir couldnt hide his surprisewhy would the Pagan Order, who had no rtions with him until now, ask for him by name? How did they even know who he was?
Your surprise is understandable. So, too, were we surprised when the contract came in. The Tribunal does not lightlymission contracts. In fact, thest one was years ago.
What do they want me to do? Vir asked.
Assassination. But unfortunately, they will only divulge the details in person. This seems to be a highly sensitive manner. As an organization that values the importance of secrets, the Brotherhood obliged. Of course, you are free to decline this contract
Another assassination? Did they know of Virs previous exploits? But how could they, unless the Brotherhood bbed, Vir thought. He doubted very much they had.
But Id incur a penalty, wont I? I wont be able to take on any new contracts for some time.
The Executor nodded. I believe this contract aligns with your interests.
Vir gave it some thought. Traveling to the Pagan Order would be a great way to learn more about the organization. But the risk was correspondingly high.
Or was it?
Magic didnt function in the Voinds, where the Pagan Order was located. But that only impacted mejai, not Talent users. Riyan himself said that Talents worked there, and that made sense to Vir. Ground prana seemed to exist everywhere. The concentration differed, but not nearly as much as air prana.
Which means Ill have the advantage. With his Talents, only other Talent wielders posed a threat, and with Dance, he could escape if need be.
Do you think this is a trap? Vir asked.
The Executor paused. I presume you possess little knowledge about the Pagan Order, based on your desire to learn about them. We have dealt with them many, many times. They have never betrayed us. Not once. As an organization, they are respectful and prompt with their payments. Only demons need fear them.
Gee, thanks. That really helps.
Vir mulled it over. The contract intrigued him, but what of Maiya? What of their reunion? He''d been leading her to him, giving her breadcrumbs to follow. She had to be close, but he kept moving. Always moving. Would he leave her behind again?
He could always just wait and go to the Order together with her. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Surely the Order could wait a few days?
Instead, this was a perfect opportunity to gain some information about them. He had an abundance of karma, after all. It was time to use it.
Ill have to think about this, but I have some questions in the meantime. Im willing to pay karma for it.
Very well. We shall answer to the best of our abilities, though keep in mind certain details cannot be bought. For any price. Also, you should be aware.
Aware of what?
The Pagan Order has already sent an Acira for you, awaiting your favorable reply. Had you note to us, we would have sought you out. The trip to Balindam will take half a day; they would like you to board immediately.
Oh Huh. Wow.
Thisplicates things.
Hello, sister. Crown Prince Erhan Matali spoke with a cold frustration that tinted his every word. Enjoying gallivanting in the woods of Rani?
Oh, yknow, Tia spoke into themunications orb, rolling it around on her table as she spoke. Its a good time. Risking my life to fight fell Ash Beasts, keeping the world order. Just living the easy life. You should try it sometime.
Dont be coy with me, Tia, Prince Erhan snapped. Do you have any idea how hard I work to keep this country from falling apart? The least you could do is lend me a hand from time to time. Im not even asking for all of your time. Yet you refuse toe home.
Silence.
Id be no good to you, Han, even if I wasnt in hiding.
Hiding? You think thats what youre doing? You were supposed to keep a low profile, not create legends of your exploits!
Legends, huh? Really?
Yes, be proud, little sister. Be so proud of your little aplishments while our rtionship with Kinjal hangs by a thread. Your mere presence at some of our meetings would go so far.
What do you want? You couldn''t have taken time from your busy schedule just to berate me, Tia replied. Her words were harsher than shed intended. She did feel for Erhans plight. The boy worked himself from dawn to well past dusk, barely even stopping for food. His hair had grayed and had already started to fall out, despite his young age.
She knew all these things. She wanted to help and yet, shed never been able to bring herself to assume that role. Shed turned her back on her people. Shed chosen a different path.
I need your help.
Im noting back.
Look, its just one thing. I need this. Kinjal theyre putting pressure on me. They want Matali support at one of their garrisons. Dont ask me why, they didnt say, and Im in no position to demand answers from them. You know that. Anyway, its in southwest Kinjal, near where youre at.
You want me to y a guard at a Kinjal garrison.
Itll only be for a few days.
Sorry, not interested.
Tia
I have business in Avi.
She heard Erhan sigh. I didnt want to resort to this. I really didn''t. If you dont go, Ill have to halt your allowance.
Tia snorted. I can provide for myself, thank you very much.
A pause.
I can have Rani restrain you and bring you back. Queen Akalpa would be only too happy to oblige.
She wouldnt dare.
Do you want to take that bet? Ill win.
Tia ground her teeth. He was right, and he knew that she knew.
Ill consider it.
Consider fast. I need you there in a few days. Princess Ira Kin''jal''s right hand will be personally overseeing the operation. Do what she says, and be careful. Don''t ask questions. You cannot mess this up.
Ira? That sickly girl? What''s she doing, poking her head into our business? Have we fallen so low that an invalid is ordering our country around now?
Do you really want me to answer that? Look, I don''t like this any more than you do, and believe me, you''re the person I want to send there, but she''s insisting. At least, if you go, it''ll get the Kin''jals off my back for a spell. Please?
I said Id think about it. And Han? I love you, but dont ever ckmail me again.
Tia cut the call.
Chapter 127: Shattered Edge
Chapter 127: Shattered Edge
Vir prepared to use Dance of the Shadow Demon to enter his shared bedroom suite. Partly out of a desire not to wake anyone, but with as big as the space was, that was hardly a concern. Rather, he wanted to grab his things and get Neel with no one noticing.
At least, that was the n, until Prana Vision showed that everyone was awake.
Youre all up? Vir asked with a broken voice, entering the traditional way. I thought you went to bed?
Well, we were about to, but then Haymi asked where youd gone. I said you were just off getting some fresh air. Haymi disagreed, and so we ced bets, Vason said, looking at Vir with ravenous eyes. Theres a lot of money on the table, so you better have been out for a walk. You were, werent you?
I uh. Vir debated lying, but itd only raise more attention when he packed his things to leave. I was speaking to an Executor.
No! Vason roared, pounding his fists on the table.
Told ya! Tia said smugly, holding out an open palm.
Chs Knees, Tia! Ugh. As if you need the money. Let us paupers be, will you?
But Tias smile remained unchanged. A bets a bet. You too, Haymi.
Each took out a silver and handed it to Tia. Just a year ago, Vir wouldve balked at how people would be so frivolous. Now, it was just spare change.
I, uh. I have some business to attend to. I dont know how long Ill be away, Vir said, hoping they wouldnt ask too many questions.
Oh, perfect! Tia replied. We were just thinking about a change of scenery. When do we leave?
Uh, sorry? Vir asked. I, er, was nning on going alone.
Youre leaving the party? After everything weve been through? Tia asked, all joy leaving her face. Her reaction made Vir want to immediately retract his words, but he stood firm.
Tia,e on. You yourself said you wouldnt pressure me to stay. Truthfully, I like working with you all. And to be honest, Id nned on staying a bit longer. Yeah, the Matron fight was incredibly dangerous, but it was fun, too.
But this is more important? Tia asked, leveling her gaze at Vir. There was no judgment in her eyes, nor scorn.
It is. There is something I must do. Something that I must know.
I understand. We wont badger you, then. Just where are you going? Id at least like to know youre safe.
Vir thought it over for a moment. Though Tia might ask questions if he told her he was going to the Pagan Order, it wasnt bad to have an insurance policy. Especially with such vtile actors as the Order. The Executor gave him his word that Vir wouldnt be harmed, and that counted for a lot, but one could never be too sure, given the Orders reputation.
Also Id rather avoid bringing them into enemy territory. Hed feel terrible if something happened to Tia and the others there. This felt like a goodpromise.
The Pagan Orders capital. Balindam. I might only be gone a week, but Ill write letters. If they stoping Well, Id appreciate it if you coulde looking.
The room fell silent upon hearing the words Pagan Order. Hardly a surprise, given their infamy.
I see. Apramor, be careful. I know you use Talents, but still. The Voinds are strange. It saps your very energy. Dont expect to fight at your full strength there. And beware of the Order. Im sure youve heard the rumors. They might do the world a favor hunting demons, but I wouldnt trust them as far as I could throw them.
Tias casual words were like icicles to Virs heart, but he didn''t allow a single trace of his anger to show.
Trust me, Ill be careful.
Wait. How are you getting there? Vason asked. Itll take weeks just to travel there? How are you expecting to be gone only!? No way. An Acira?
Vir smiled. The Orders sent one. Its waiting on me as we speak.
Impressive, Haymi said softly, giving Vir a pointed look. They must want you badly.
Yeah, its odd, Vir replied, scratching his neck.
Its more than just odd, Apramor, Tia replied. Most people dont even see an Acira in their lives, let alone ride one. Even most Sawai dont get the opportunity. Do you have any idea how much Acira cost to buy and maintain? Were talking serics. Im honestly shocked. For the Order to send an Acira. Its unheard of.
Yeah. I dunno what to think.
I dont think theyd harm someone theyre extending the red carpet to, but be vignt.
Believe me, I fully intend to. But uh, that leaves Bumpy. Would would you mind looking after him for me? Hes a good boy. I feel bad about leaving him behind like this?
Tia smiled. Bumpys the finest! Hell live like royalty while youre gone. No expense will be spared. You have my word. And, um, when youe back, maybe think about rejoining the party?
Thanks, Tia. I will.
Fearing an awkward silence, Vir left for his room and packed his gear. He didnt have much; packing didnt take long at all.
Then well be off, he said, returning to themon room with his rucksack. Haymi, Vason? Its been a pleasure.
Aw, cmere. No way youre going off just like that! Vason said, enveloping Vir in a great bear hug that forced him to Toughen his chest to avoid being crushed. Gonna miss you, Apramor. Had my doubts about you at first, but youre alright.
Haymi gave him a more reserved, tight-lipped farewell. Goodbye, Apramor. Ive also enjoyed our time together. I-its a shame we wont be able to get to know one another better, she said with aplicated look.
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Vir averted his eyes. She knew he was a demon, and yet there was more to her expression that he couldn''t quite ce.
L-Likewise, Haymi. Ive learned so much from you. From all of you, Vir said, flustered at her scrutiny. I really owe you a debt.
Please, Tia said, rolling her eyes. You were the one who took on the Narapazu, mostly. Younded the killing blow on the Brood Matron. Dont sell yourself short.
Vir smiled. I wont. Cmon Neel. Were leaving.
The Bandy perked up, obediently following Vir out of the room and down the stairs to the Sanctums Aciranding area. Vir had never had reason toe to this side of the building, so it was all new to him. The lone Acira upying the open space caught his eye immediately.
Jet-ck and scaly, it looked fearsome, though he knew Acira were docile, domesticated, and posed no danger to anyone. They were strictly mounts for transportation. The best mounts, capable of traveling faster than anything other than an Altani Fast Attack Skyship.
Apramor, I presume? a man in an ornately tailored robe said, bowing lightly as Vir approached.
Thats right, Vir replied. Are you the one who will take me to Balindam?
Indeed. We appreciate your timely response, and sincerely apologize for the urgency of the situation.
Its fine, Vir replied, somewhat surprised at the mans refinement. The Pagan Order was supposed to be awless ce, full of barbarians, but if Vir didnt know their reputation, hed have thought this man was a Sawai from Rani or some other civilized country.
I see you have brought along your Bandy. Will he be joining us on our flight?
Yes. Will that be a problem? Vir didnt know how much weight Acira could carry, but he doubted it was a lot. Unlike Ashva, they had to defy their own weight.
Not at all. Our Acira are bred for carrying burdens, unlike many others. So long as he behaves, of course. The flight will be rather long, at five hours. We shall take frequent breaks, but if your Bandy grows restless
Hell be fine. Hes well-trained. Arent you, boy?
Awoo!
Excellent. Then let us be off!
The Aciras pilot guided Vir up its back to a saddle that had been positioned behind the pilots seat. Vir had Neel sit behind him, and the pilot tied a tether to Neels cor. In case the bandy slipped, at least he wouldnt go falling off. Vir and the pilot both tied their own tethers around their belt.
Do people ever fall off? Vir asked.
The man smiled. Rarely. But idents can happen.
Great
Worse, in the air, Vir couldnt use a single Talent. While Light Step would soften his fall, hed never fallen from great heights before. For all he knew, he might end up a sttered mess on the ground. Luckily, the tether was there to prevent that grim demise.
The beast pped its mighty wings, kicking up a cloud of dust and wind. For a moment, Vir wondered whether it was overloaded, but then it lurched up into the sky, making Virs stomach drop.
Blergh, Neel groaned. The experience hadnt suited the Bandy any more than it had him.
The ground fell away rapidly, and for the first time, Vir got an aerial view of Avi. Hed thought the city beautiful from the ground but he realized hed only been seeing a small sliver of its beauty. With itswork of waterways, bridges, and waterfalls that fell from the Legion Mountains, Avi was breathtaking.
The sightplemented the cool wind to make for an idyllic ride.
All things grew old, however, and after several minutes of travel, the refreshing breeze became increasingly intolerable. He noticed the pilot had wrapped his entire face in a turban, and Vir copied him, tying some cloth wraps, leaving only his eyes open to gaze upon the scenery that blurred underneath.
Avi fell further and further away until the Acira was nearly at the same height as the lowest clouds.
Then they leveled out and sped forth. Vir had been expecting a whoosh of speed but other than the butterflies in his stomach and the wind sting against his face, the result was quite underwhelming. In fact, it was hard to tell that they were making forward progress at all. Thend underneath crept by at a cial pace.
Are we really going so slow? Vir wondered, before realizing it was an illusion caused by their incredible height. Its the same as looking at a far-offndmark while on an Ashva!
Soon, the North Legion Mountains crept up under them, forcing the pilot to ascend to avoid their peaks.
Navigating those mountains would have taken weeks, but the Acira passed them over in no time at all. Vir could scarcely believe such a mode of transport existed.
Wonder what its like on an Altani skyship. Or any skyship, for that matter. The idea of walking around the deck of a flying ship made him giddy with excitement, though he doubted hed have that chance anytime soon.
Hed hoped to pepper the pilot with questions, but the noise of the wind squashed those hopes. So instead, the hours dragged on in silence, allowing Vir to ponder the nature of the mission the Order had given him.
Assassination, huh? Hed honestly thought his days of killing people were behind him. But Fate, it seemed, had other ns. Vir thought back to Janaks words at Vka Amara, deep beneath Daha. Hed mentioned beings known as Fateweavers. Entities older even than the Gods. Which, Vir now knew, was known as the Prime Imperium.
Hed never really thought about it, but the fact that all the worlds coinage was Imperium coinage now made sense.
So our money hails from the Age of the Gods
After a while, Vir realized his thoughts had drifted. Hed no idea who the Order wanted him to assassinate, but he did have one fear.
The Pagan Order hunted demons. What if they ask me to kill a demon?
Could he manage that? Vir wasnt strictly a demonLord Janak had said he was something more. A Primordial, whatever that was. That he was the seventh of his line. Despite that, Janak mentioned he shouldve been born in the Demon Realm. He at least had some amount of demonic blood flowing through him.
Truthfully, Vir knew precious little about them. The ones hed met in Bakuras hold seemed alright, but he didnt doubt Tias words that demons had murdered her parents. Much the same as when hed arrived at Daha with instructions to kill Mina, hecked information.
Were demons truly evil? Or were they good?
Vir steeled himself for what was toe.
A war raged within Haymi''s mind. On one side was her duty to Tia. As the princess'' sworn bodyguard, Tia was her top priority, no matter what. Her loyalty was unquestionable. At least it had been. Then Apramor came along and threw all of it into chaos.
Why? Its so silly. Its so juvenile. This feeling.
She hated it. Her heart had been in shambles ever since she found out he was a demon.
Haymi, you look like you ate something nasty. What''s up? Tia said, sticking her face right up against the mejai, causing her to yelp in surprise.
I-It''s nothing, Tia, Haymi said, unable to return her lieges gaze.
Well, princess? Vason asked. We gonna just let him go off to thend of barbarians like that?
Tia fell silent. I did say he was free to leave whenever he wished
Except, hes going to the Pagan Order, Vason said, meeting Haymis gaze. Thend of crazies? Im not saying we shouldnt honor his wishes. Just, yknow we could give the guy a bit of support? Maybe check on things, make sure its all going alright for him? As concerned friends, I mean.
Haymi understood what Vason was getting at. Vason knew what Apramor was. A demon. And he was walking into a country that hunted them.
Though as much as she wanted to support Vason, her guilt prevented her. What right do I have to counsel Tia, having withheld such a secret?
The princess sighed. Wish I could, Vason. But my brother
Did he contact you? Haymi asked immediately.
Tia ruffled her hair. Yeah. Heaped his dirtyundry on us. Wants us to head to Kinjal for some guard duty.
Kinjal throwing their weight around again, Vason spat. They are no different from the proverbial vige bully.
Be that as it may, we cant simply ignore a request from the Crown Prince, Haymi said.
Eh, I told him Id think about it. Im thinking about it. Ready our Acira, Tia ordered. Were following Apra. Well check on him, then maybe well head for Kinjal.
Yes, your highness, Haymi replied, barely suppressing a smile.
Ill get to see him again!
Chapter 128: Balindam
Chapter 128: Balindam
Balindam was not what Vir expected. Not at all. In fact, he was half-convinced the pilot had lied, and that hed fallen prey to some borate trap.
The only ability he could use in the air was Prana de, but Vir doubted he needed any Talents against the pilot; hecked affinities of any kind. Then again, even if he did incapacitate the pilot, Vir didnt have any faith he could fly the Acira himself.
Yet there was no doubt they were in the Voinds. The air, which usually abounded with Wind, Water, and a smattering of other prana, was now a barren void. Prana Vision showed not even the tiniest morsel of prana, and Vir thought the ability mightve malfunctioned somehow. A quick nce at his own body and the Acira he rode told him otherwise.
Not that the pilot was prana scorned; the air had sucked it all out of him, much as it had to Vir during his vige days.
Long ago, Vir had mastered the ability to contain his own prana, preventing it from leaking out. Hed mastered it to such a degree that it had be subconscious. And yet, he now found himself having to concentrate on keeping his prana locked within his body. Ash prana was nonexistent in the air everywhere in the Known World, but somehow, the prana in his body was being sucked out faster than usual.
Vir nced down at the city below him. Hed expected slums like the Warrens that surrounded Daha. Possibly even worse. A city run by barbarians and savages, where thew of the jungle ruled.
Instead, he found a city that rivaled Avi in its beauty. In fact, its design appeared carefully manicured to look beautiful when viewed from the air. Its walls, though not as tall or as wide as Sonams, were well maintained and formed aplex geometric shape that pleased the eye.
While the city bordered the Runean Ocean to the west, a moat fed by the sea water followed the lines of the city walls all the way around the city, cutting sharply ind. Directly inside those walls was a stretch of green that ran the perimeter of the city.
As they descended, Vir realized it was a garden. Thergest Vir had ever seen and carefully manicured.
An inner set of walls separated the main area of the city from what appeared to be the aristocratic district, where the buildings wererger and less dense. Finally, the castle sat within its own set of walls inside that smaller district.
Each set of walls was geometric, and slotted into ce perfectly, as if an artist had shaped them to please the eye. Nevertheless, the city was highly defensible. The walls, while not nearly as high or as thick as Dahas, didnt need to be. Without magic to worry about, only archers and siege weapons could be used, and the moat that defended the city would hamper those efforts significantly.
Only the port town southwest of the city, and the fields thaty east of it, would be vulnerable.
Seems like a protracted siege would be the way to go, Vir idly thought, unsure why he was even considering an invasion. Yet even a siege would have to deal with the fact that the city bordered the ocean. Theyd need a naval blockade to prevent supplies from entering the city.
The pilot dropped the Acira even lower, and Vir found not a maze of dirt paths, but orderly cobblestone roads arranged in a grid-like pattern. Not even Avi was this organized with its city nning.
As the Acira slowed and the winds died down, the pilot spoke for the first time in hours. Wee to Balindam, friend. The crown jewel of the Pagan Order.
Its honestly not what I expected.
The pilot turned and smirked. Thought youd find a city full of crime and grime, did you?
I, er
Good! Tis the image we want, after all. The pilot caught Vir staring at the immense garden thaty just within the walls. Ah, the Green Ring. Few other cities boast such a garden, I think. I invite you to tour it! The Green Ring West is especially tranquil. I often wander there just to listen to the sound of crashing waves. The view atop the Promontory is something to behold.
With every detail, Vir grew more and more confused. What was the Pagan Order, really? Crazed demon hunters? Or something else? Even if they maintained a facade over the true glory of their city, they couldnt do the same for their demon hunting. Vir hoped to uncover the truth while he was here.
The Acira flew directly into the Castle Grounds, whose gardens were even more well-manicured than the Green Ring. For a country thaty in a prana-starvednd where crops and nts could hardly grow, the amount of greenery staggered Vir. It spoke volumes about the Orders level of sophistication and power, more than any gilded buildings ever could.
It wasnt just the level of sophistication that impressed him. The sheer size of the city seemed unfathomable to Vir. Forget Daha. It was evenrger than Avi. To think so many people would make their homes in such a prana-devoid region Then again, the citys opulence and sophistication might very well have offset any inconvenience brought by the totalck of magic.
The Acira slowed to hover above a circr set of walls that adjoined the castle. Unlike most of the castle, however, this area was open to the air, allowing the Acira to set down softly next to its brothers and sisters that wandered on the lush grass that nketed the ground.
Neel hopped off first, keeping a wary eye on the ck-scaled beasts that eyed him inquisitively.
Vir let out a breath after alighting from the beast. While the ground prana density here was lower than usual, it wasnt devoid of Ash prana. Hed have to ration his Talent usage, but he could use them here.
An attendant dressed in the Pagan Orders signature white-and-ck colors approached to greet them.
Wee to our humble capital, esteemed guest, the tall, spindly man said with a self-deprecating smile. He was both clean-shaven and bald, and Vir wondered whether that was the popr style in Balindam. You must be quite tired after your long journey. Would you like me to show you to your temporary quarters? Weve arranged a tour of the city before your meeting with Lord Rethter this evening.
Lord Reth, huh? The infamous ruler of the Pagan Order. Supposedly, he was the one whod promoted the Orders fanatical demon hunting policies.
Sorry, temporary quarters? What do you mean? Vir replied.
A slip of the tongue, the man said, smiling awkwardly. Please, follow me.
Vir allowed the man to lead him through the castles halls. While itcked the domes and arches of Dahas pce, the structure was overall quite simr. Rectangr stone hallways led to courtyards and rooms of various sizes, with a myriad of doors on either side.
Size-wise, Balindams castle was undoubtedlyrger than Dahas pce, though itcked the intricate carvings and the gold. This was a fortress, pure and simple. It did nothing to hide that.
Virs third-floor room was one among many doors embedded into the side of the hall. Without the number carved into the stone on top, he was sure hed never find it again. A small, simple affair, it contained afortable-looking bed, a simple wooden table and chair, a mirror, and a window overlooking the courtyard.
Please take your time. I shall be back in an hour to guide you around our city.
With a bow, the attendant departed, leaving Vir and Neel alone.
Well, boy? What do you think?
Awoo? Neel replied, tilting his head up at Vir. No doubt the Bandy had food on his mind. Vir brought out a few pieces of dried apricot and tossed them at his friend, who snatched them out of the air with incredible dexterity before munching contentedly on the snack.
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The level of hospitality should have made him feel at ease, but it had the opposite effect. They were treating him well. Too well. Nobody would give a random mercenary such a warm wee.
Which means they know something about me but what? That he assassinated Ravin in Daha? Or perhaps that he attempted to kill princess Mina? But unless the Brotherhood had bbedsomething he doubted they would dohow could they know?
Vir threw open the wooden louvers covering the window and breathed in the fresh outside air. It helped him clear his mind; there was little point worrying about hypotheticals. All he could do was maintain his vignce and gather as much information as he could. The rest, hed have to leave to Fate.
Only question is do I scout the castle? Or should I stay here? he muttered. To do reconnaissance, hed need to leverage Dance. But using up the prana prematurely sounded wasteful.
Instead, he brought out some ink and paperan upgrade from the charcoal and parchment he used to useand mapped out the hallways and courtyards hed seen on the way here. Though it was just a partial picture, itd still help if he ever needed to retrace his steps to the Acira. Perhaps he could steal one if the contract went south, though the issue of knowing how to ride them remained.
The hour passed quickly, and the same bald attendant returned to lead Vir and Neel to the Royal Grounds.
We take great pride in our gardens here at Balindam, and nowhere is this more true than the castle gardens. I doubt even the Ranian gardens hold a candle to our own.
Vir hadnt ever seen Ranis gardens, but he had seen Dahas. It wasnt even aparison. While Dahas garden wasrge, there was simply no taste to the nts there. It was as if shrubs and nts had been nted for the sake of having them there.
But here? Each hedge had been trimmed into borate shapes, and flowering nts ced carefully toplement them. The gardeners had even transformed one bush to look like an Ashva,plete with pink roses for its snout, and long leaves for its ears.
Wonder how Bumpy would react if he could see this. Would he be happy? Or would he grow confused at the bizarre likeness to his brothers and sisters?
The path through the grounds wound in such a way that it passed by several attractions. From a series of small waterfalls that fed a pond filled with multicolored fish, to a rose garden, and even trellis-covered arch walkway that looked like it was from another, the gardens left asting impression upon Vir.
Little did he know that was only the beginning. From there, they mounted up on two Ashva and left the gates to the next part of the city.
Balindams Strong Quarter is where the wealthier citizens reside, his guide said as they trotted down the immacte cobblestone road.
The Sawai, you mean?
The man shook his head. No, the Pagan Order does not use the feudal system so popr in other kingdoms. There are no knights here. No lords who own and maintainnd. The entire country is run and owned by the government. Residency in the Strong Quarter is avable to all who can afford it.
So everyones amoner, then?
One could say that, his guide said with a smile. But we prefer to call them citizens. Equals. No matter how poor or rich, all have the same rights here.
That actually sounds pretty nice.
That only applies to humans, though. Right? Vir ventured. What of demons?
I think Lord Reth would be better suited to answering those questions, his guide said. Though he wore a smile, it was a strained one.
Definitely a hot topic around here.
From the Strong Quarter, they rode to the Promontory, west of the castle, passing a small market. In Daha, the Commons had been dirty, crowded, and bleak, while Avi was clean and colorful.
Balindam sat in the middle. Though its buildings werent painted in bright colors, instead preferring natural stone colorations, its roads were clean and orderly, and even the foot traffic seemed to obey a stricter set ofws than Avians or Dahans did. Despite the poption, their unspoken rules ensured that no collisions or traffic jams urred, and Vir mirrored his guides movements to avoid breaking them.
They passed a number of open-air stalls along the way, with merchants politely hawking all manner of goods.
Many vegetables and fruits were smaller and less colorful than the prana-enriched ones hed grown ustomed to, but there were bigger, plumper ones on sale as well, though theymanded a higher price.
How do you get all this? Arent you, er isted from the rest of the Known World? No one wanted to do business with the Order, but Vir thought it prudent not to bring that up.
We trade aggressively with the Rani Queendom, who in turn trades with the rest of the world. We can get nearly anything from anywhere for those willing to pay. For everyone else, while our own produce may not quite is this stuff? Does it really work? Vir asked.
I''ll not have you underestimating my wares simply because theyck magic, child. Here, youll find many remedies not known to the rest of the world. Its a point of pride, if I do say so myself. Down with the flu? This ointment will fix you right up! Break a bone? This salve will heal you straight away!
Virs eyes narrowed. Truly? That sounds unlikely. If it works so well, why wouldnt the rest of the Known World use them?
Ahem, his guide said, clearing his throat. Our herbal remedies do function in lieu of magic, however, Im afraid this finedy might be overselling their efficacy.
Vir smirked. Of course she was.
Even so, she did have a variety of herbs and salves that Vir used, of which he was always in short supply. Most stores only carried the bare minimum, since magic worked so much better. To Vir, a ce like this was a treasure trove, so he stocked up, and even bought a few tinctures and theriacs the woman imed to counteract poisons. Of course, he corroborated with his guide before making any purchases. The wily olddy could lie without batting an eye.
A most impressive view, wouldnt you say? his guide asked, his chest full of pride. Theyd just left the market and had arrived at the Promontory, which boasted sweeping views of much of the city and the ocean beyond.
It was no deception. Vir got the sense the man was genuinely proud of his city. And from what hed seen so far, he had every reason to be. The discrepancy between the Pagan Orders public image and reality was still something he couldnt get over. He feared there was more to this act than met the eye.
They stood at a grassy park at the peak of the Promontory hill. From here, the city sloped down around them, offering an unobstructed vista of the western wall and the endless Runean Ocean that stretched to the horizon, broken only by the silhouettes of ships, their white sails full of wind. Bordering the wall was the storied Green Ring hed seen from the air. It appeared even more impressive from up close, and he couldnt wait to explore it.
Several families and couplesy on the grass, enjoying the view or just making small talk. Over half had clean-shaven heads. Vir couldnt say he approved of that fashion style, but it was certainly distinctive.
Their next stop was the Green Ring itself. Several cobblestone paths had beenid out, though these stones were far smaller and were arranged closer together than the ones on the main roads. As if made for foot traffic, rather than Ashva and wagons.
It was like a vast park that circled the whole city. Here again, Balindamites sat on the many benches ced all around the Ring, with small ponds and fountains of water dotting thendscape. The sound of crashing wavespleted the idyllic scenery, and after an hour of trotting along the Ring, Vir concluded the city was even prettier than Avi; a feat hed thought impossible just a day earlier.
By the time they returned to the castle after crossing through the Grand zaa ce brimming with vendors selling everything from healing balms Vir had never seen before to exotic foodsVir was well and truly exhausted. The sun had just set, casting the ocean and the city in a gorgeous amber glow, plunging the city into darkness. Though its denizens lit candles andnterns where they could, it failed topare to the myriad of Magic Lamps that bathed Avi and Daha at night.
As hed just learned, Balindamites did many things differently to cope with theck of magic. They werent backward, per se. Just that their technology varied drastically from the rest of the world. As one who couldnt use magic, Vir itched to learn more about their medical technology, but that would have to wait.
Lord Reth was ready to see him. His guide led him straight to the audience halls great double doors, in front of which a half dozen warriors in full te stood like statues.
Im afraid I will not be following you into the audience chamber, his guide said, backing away with a bow. I wish you the best, and I hope your stay in our city is a pleasant one.
With a deep breath, and Neel in tow, Vir stepped forth into the audience chamber, fearing the details of his assassination contract.
From the moment hed entered the city, hed suspected this was a trap. A ruse to lure him into the enemys den. Little did he know that the events about to unfold would change his life forever. And not in a way hed ever dreamed.
Chapter 129: Lord Reth
Chapter 129: Lord Reth
The moment Vir stepped foot into Lord Reths audience chamber, he knew hed made a mistake.
The ruler of the Pagan Order sat on an ostentatious throne that fit the man like a glove. Vir guessed even King Rayids throne in Daha couldntpare to the dizzying array of jewels, gold, and carvings that adorned his massive seat, positioned high above a flight of steps.
The man himself sported arge, bushy mustache and greased ck hair. He looked like the sort of man no one would trust. Sleazy, fake, and maniptive. He wore an opulent, form-fitting robe that did little to hide his lean and muscr body. The product of intense training, and without the benefit of prana, he must have truly toiled to achieve such a physique.
But it was the red demon woman kneeling next to him that made Virs blood boil. A woman whose neck had been chained. Kept like a sick sort of pet.
Vir nced at the dozen armored knights that stood within the room. Only the tiniest traces of prana ran within them. Though they were no doubt veterans, taking them out would be childs y for him.
Then again, he was here on Brotherhood business. If he assassinated Lord Reth and caused a scene in the Pagan Orders capital, he might as well kiss his Brotherhood membership goodbye.
But that didnt bother him overly much. What stayed his hand was the bounty the Brotherhood would no doubt ce on his head if he acted out. Thest thing he could afford was to cross even more people. One kingdom was enough.
Vir strode up to the foot of the dozen stairs that led to Reths throne, but he did not kneel. Nor did he avert his gaze, staring Reth in the eye. A gaze which the monarch returned with a look of mild amusement.
Wee, Apramor. Or should I call you Neel, perhaps? A man of many names. And many faces, he said with a smile. First your assassination in Daha, then your recent beast subjugations You truly are a man of many talents!
Vir reconsidered his n. Itd be an uproar if he took the first action, but if the guards attacked him? He could eliminate the head of the snake that hunted demonkind in self defense.
Just try it, Vir thought, subtly bending his knees and charging Dance of the Shadow Demon.
How do you know all this? Vir asked, forcing his voice to remain even.
Fear not. The Brotherhood has not told us anything. Weve been monitoring you for some time, you see. But I assure you, we mean you no harm. You are here as our guest of honor, and we take our honor seriously out here. There shall be no bloodshed today. Well, except for one. The one we wish you to kill. They await in just the other room, he said, idly fondling the chain that connected to his demon ves neck. The demon womans eyes contained not a trace of life. It was as if Reth had beaten her identity out of her, leaving a broken husk behind.
Once again, Vir forced his boiling blood under control, relying on every ounce of training he had to keep his face from betraying his anger.
Why? Why would you fly me all the way out here to kill someone you already have in your custody?
Lord Rethughed. Well, consider it a token of good will. Should you do this for us, we shall know you as a brother. Youll have earned our trust. Further missions will be avable, should youplete this contract. Not to mention a seric coin and immediate promotion to Shadow. Weve already seen to the preparations.
Virs eyes widened before he could stop himself. A Seric coin? And a promotion? All for killing someone who was likely bound in chains?
Whats going on here?
No deal is this good, he replied. What are you really after?
Reth cracked a smile. Your suspicion is healthy, but unwarranted, friend. Come, let us relocate to the prisoners chambers. We shall talk more there.
The slender, mustached man rose, yanking on his ves cor. She yelped in pain, and Vir nearly activated Dance.
Not yet.
shes of Bakuras hold flooded his mind. Back then, he was powerless to do anything about those ves plight. Hed ground his teeth and swallowed his emotions. But now?
Vir was no longer the same person he was back then. Now, he had the power to do something about this.
Brotherhood standing be damned to ash! So what if the Order hunted him? Let them try. If he could kill Reth and free his ves, hell have done some real good for this world. Maybe demons were a species of evil people. He didnt know. But no matter what crimes they were guilty of, no one deserved such treatment.
Vir silently followed Reth and his dozen guards through the narrow castle halls. Gone was any trace of conflict or anxiousness. What remained was the stone cold mask of a killer. Even now, he mapped the path theyd taken,yering it on top of what he already knew. Already calcting his escape path.
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Riyan was right. The first time was the hardest.
It never became easier to live with the fact that hed killed men before, but the act itself came more naturally. A skill that hed honed over his prior encounters. A skill he wished he never had.
Reth stopped before a wooden door nked by a pair of guards in full te and armed with poleaxes, who stepped aside in tandem to admit their lord. They neither spoke nor acknowledged the group.
Theyre well trained. Vir expected the others to be just as disciplined. He made a note not to underestimate them, despite theirck of prana.
Inside the low, rectangr stone room, he found only a single upant. A scrawny gray individual whod had his head and hands bound in a wooden pillory, and whose ankles were chained together.
A gray-skinned demon with red eyes, just like Vir. Another Ashborn.
I think people call these things Ashborn? Lord Reth said, keeping his distance from the filthy demon. Truly disgusting.
What was this mans crime? Vir asked, buying time toe up with a n. Killing the guards wasnt especially problematic, but killing them while keeping the demon safe as well? That was trickier.
His crime? Hes a demon! Cant you see that? And a filthy one, at that. Doesnt he deserve to die?
You wouldnt kill him merely for being a demon. You keep a demon ve by your side, so clearly, youre not killing them.
Vir couldnt help it. Anger seeped into his voice.
Not yet! He had to keep his cool if this was to work.
But does it matter? Reth said, giving Vir a piercing look. Your contract is to kill. Why worry about who, or what crimes theyvemitted? The rewards are surely worth ignoring any of these minor details?
Those minor details are important to some of us, Reth, Vir replied. Some of us have morals, though I doubt youve heard of it.
Vir expected the man to anger, but instead, Reth merelyughed. I may have heard of such frivolous things, yes. But tell me, Apramor, do you apply morals to insects? To Prana Rats? No. You kill them without batting an eye, dont you? So it is with demons.
Vir stared at Reth. For the first time in his life, he felt he might actually enjoy killing someone.
You there, Reth said, read out this ones list of crimes.
Yes, my lord, an armored guard said, unfurling a piece of parchment.
The crimes are as follows. One count of thievery.
Vir waited for the man to continue, thinking there must surely be more. But when the guard put away his parchment, Vir could remain silent no longer.
Thats it? You would kill a man for thievery? What did he steal?
A demon, friend, Reth replied. Careful how you speak. Some may think you a demon sympathizer, after all.
Right. Wouldnt want that, would we, Vir said sarcastically, but if Reth noticed, he didnt show it.
This man stole a loaf of bread, the armored guard replied. To think he dare steal from us humans. Despicable.
Vir fell silent. Alright. Fine. Ill do it.
Reth cocked a brow. Excellent, he said. Please. Whenever you are ready.
Vir nodded, taking slow steps to the prisoner as he retrieved his katar. The demon looked up at him, his eyes wide with fear.
Thankfully, the gallery stood near the entrance, some distance away from the prisoner. Ensuring no one overheard, Vir crouched slightly and whispered to the prisoner.
Dont move. Im going to cut your bindings. Then Im going to kill everyone in this room. tten yourself against the ground and dont move. Understand? Blink thrice if you do.
The prisoner acknowledged.
There was no turning back now. No room for hesitation. Vir prepared himself and raised his katar, Empowering the de. In another moment, the room would turn into a bloodbath. Not one he''d enter into by choice, but he refused tomit such an atrocity. That wasn''t the kind of person he was, nor was it the person he ever wanted to be.
He swung his de.
With ease that surprised him, he bisected the pillory, freeing its upant. Then he was gone, having sunk into the shadows before anyone could react.
Lunging out of an armored guards shadow, he mmed his de into the mans neck with a Prana ded, Empowered strike.
The guard didnt even know what hit him. His head crashed against a wall and he slumped over. Whether unconscious or dead, Vir didn''t know. He couldn''t bring himself to care, Leaping to his next target like a machine, he brought the full force of his de down upon his enemy.
ENOUGH! Reth roared, stunning everyone in the room.
Does he really think that''ll stop me?
Vir paid the man no mind, continuing onto the next opponent. This one put up more of a struggle, blocking Vir''s blows.
No choice. I''ll have to kill him.
Vir charged Empower and shot prana out of his arm, wreathing his de. He swung... but his aim was off. Rather, someone had mmed into him from behind, throwing him off bnce and disrupting the arc of his attack, which passed harmlessly by the guard.
Using his momentum as he fell, Vir wrenched the de to the one who''d tackled him, then stopped.
Because grabbing his ankles was none other than the gray demon prisoner. Vir''s mind ran in circles, confused.
Stop, friend! It was a test! the gray demon prisoner roared, pleading with Vir. A test!
Vir nced at Reth, then did a double take.
A stream of people flooded into the room, armed to the teeth with maces, polearms, and battleaxes. Except Each and every one had red skin. These were no emaciated prisoners, eithertheir healthy muscles bulged and they wore steel and wielded seric. They moved in formation, as only an elite squad could. They took up positions all around the room, surrounding Vir.
Commanding them was a being the likes of which Vir had never before seen. A gangly, deformed gray demon with overlyrge arms and wisps of patchy white hair.
By Janak himself, you are quick! Reth said with an exasperated look.
You think you have me surrounded? Vir said, Leaping away.
Vir looked back to the gray demon to find him chatting amicably with a demon whod stormed into the room.
I, uh. Im sorry. No, truly. Wait. WAIT! Please dont! I didnt mean to!?
It was not the prisoner who delivered those words, but Reth.
Whats more, the one he addressed was none other than his female ve, who calmly unsped the cor around her neck and then proceeded to punch the man in his face. Hard.
You allowed this farce tost far too long, Reth! I told you this was a bad idea. You! Get that guard some medical attention! she ordered. And you! Stop dawdling!
Healers rushed to the guard Vir had downed and removed his helm. And under that armor was yet another red demon.
One by one, the guards in the room removed their helms in suit.
Youre all demons? Vir asked. He felt as though reality had yed some cruel prank on him. His sanity was quickly breaking down.
What in all the realms
Friend, a thousand apologies for putting you through that, Reth said in a voice far deeper and with less airs than the one hed used until now.
What is the meaning of this? Vir asked, his katar ready to cut anyone who approached.
Congrattions, Apramor. You passed. Wee home, brother.
Chapter 130: Sanctuary
Chapter 130: Sanctuary
Somebody better start talking, Vir said, cautiously eyeing the dozen soldiers in the room. Dance of the Shadow Demon was ready to go anytime.
Allow me, Reths ve said, tossing her cor aside. This was a test. Perhaps a foolish one, but one designed to determine your loyalty. I fear far too many demons have sumbed to human brainwashing. This would not be the first time weve been betrayed by such agents.
You couldve just asked, Vir replied, still confused about what exactly was happening.
Talk is cheap. Actions resound loudest.
Gone was her meek ve demeanor, reced by overwhelming confidence. The type of attitude a supreme leader would have.
Who are you?
Ah, my apologies. Im Disanna. One of the three leaders of the Pagan Order.
Lord Reth isnt the ruler?
Well, I am, Reth said, his cocky, arrogant demeanor having vanished without a trace. But only one of three. Together with Disanna and Zora over there, we form the Tribunal. The governing body of the Order.
Reth is our public image, but Zora and I have equal authority, Disanna said. We just prefer to govern from the shadows.
I had no idea, Vir said, eyeing thenky gray demon. At first nce, she looked deformed to Vir, but upon closer inspection, he realized she was just... different. She stood hunched over with her too-long arms, enting her strange appearance, but what caught Vir''s eye was the purple tribal tattoo that surrounded her eyes. Flowing and symmetric, the beautiful art felt somewhat out of ce on her body. So thats Zora, huh?
First time seeing a Ghael? Reth asked. Dont me you. Most humans consider them monsters, exterminating them on sight. They survive by staying hidden.
Is what are they? Vir asked, immediately regretting his words as Zora narrowed her eyes at him.
Demonkin, Disanna replied. Brothers and sisters of demonkind.
Pleased to meet you, Zora said in a hoarse, gravelly voice. It was as if her body simply wasnt built for human speech. Im not offended at all.
Vir flushed with shame. Im sorry. Truly. Erm, h-howd you know I was a demon, though? Since when? he asked, desperately trying to change the topic.
Since Daha, Zora said. And no. We did not see through your disguise.
Vir waited, expecting her to say more, but no exnation was forting.
Reth coughed to break the awkward silence. The GhaelZoras kindhave an innate ability to sense prana. Or at least, some of them do.
Vir raised a brow. They can see prana?
Not see, no. But they can sense it somehow.
We taste it, Zora replied.
Taste? Must be like how Prana Visions colors manifest as an addition to my regr sight.
Tasted your Ash prana, the Ghael continued. Knew you weren''t normal. Never seen anything other than Ash Beasts with that affinity.
You know of Ash prana? Vir asked, shocked that anyone in this realm was aware of it. Does that mean
Does that mean we know Talents are merely Earth prana? And that humans live in blissful ignorance of Shadow and Ash prana? Disanna asked with a smirk. Yes. Yes, in fact, we do.
Virs head spun. Youre supposed to be primitive barbarians. How do you know Ah. The Ghael?
Disanna nodded. Without the Ghael, wed be no better off than humans in this regard. It is thanks to them weve made several advances in the field of prana research.
Then your fanatical demon hunting
Its all to bring them back, Apramor. To bring them home. To give them a sanctuary unlike anywhere else in this realm. A ce where they can live freely, without need for disguise or subterfuge.
Virs mind churned through all that had happened. It still sounded unbelievable for a nation to pull such a rug over the worlds eyes. But if what they said was true
What if Id killed your guards? Or that prisoner, for that matter? This was awfully dangerous, dont you think?
Reth merely chuckled. Oh, dont worry. That demons far stronger than you realize. Even your seric de wouldve been no use against him.
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Oi! Dont go spouting lies like that! I was taking a risk, Reth! the gray demon said from a corner.
Yes, of course. And you were wellpensated for it, Reth replied.
Vir found it hard to believe the demon would have fared well against him. Without any prana within him, what hope could he have had? Even if his demonic constitution was better than that of most humans, he was being sapped of prana. Everyone here was.
Youre among friends now. A healthy amount of skepticism is a good thing, but theres no need for such wariness.
Thats That sounds nice and all, but I didnt see any demons walking around in the streets. Seems like things arent much different here from the rest of the world.
Vir so badly wanted to believe them. Even now, his heart throbbed at the possibility of a demon sanctuary. For the first time in his life, hed be among his people. Hed finally have a ce to belong. He could walk outside without face paint a luxury hed not known since his vige days. And even there, hed always worn a hood to hide hisplexion.
But he also knew from experience to distrust anything that sounded too good to be true. There had to be some catch. Some secret, dark side of the Order. Otherwise
Otherwise, what reason would I have for seeking the Demon Realm? The very idea of braving the Ashen Realm made his stomach knot up. If he found kin here maybe he wouldnt have to ever take that risk.
Show him, Reth said, gesturing to Zora, the Ghael.
Come with us, Zora said, leaving the room.
Vir nced at the myriad of guards before following after her. Disanna followed behind. Prana-starved as everyone was, Prana Vision couldnt pick out their affinities. Not unless Vir got right up next to them.
Which meant that Vir couldnt discount the fact that they mightve been Talent wielders. Abundant Earth affinity prana coursed through the ground. More than usual, Vir noticed. It meant that despite theck of prana in their bodies, they could execute Talents without issue if they possessed Earth, Shadow, or Ash affinities.
In fact, due to their bodiesck of prana, they might even be able to execute Talents quicker than those in prana-dense regions. Prana sought equilibrium. Itd flow faster to a body with little prana than a body saturated with it. Vir had seen these effects back in Daha when hed purged his body of prana to fight the Prana Swarm.
But depriving the body of prana wasnt a pleasant experience. While it mightve boosted his Talent invocation speed, it robbed him of his stamina and energy.
Still cant believe I didnt think of that. It was a tactic he could use in a pinch.
While Vir ruminated over the workings of prana, the entourage passed several halls until they arrived at an unassuming door that looked like it led to a bedroom.
What we are about to show you is highly confidential information, Disanna said, staring Vir in the eyes. This knowledge is to stay with you.
I understand, Vir replied. If the Order really was who they imed to be, Vir wouldnt even think of betraying them.
Very well then. Zora, please show him down.
The Ghael nodded, then beckoned Vir to follow her through the door.
The room on the other side wasnt much of a room at all. It waspletely empty, save for a rectangr rope lift that dominated the center of the space.
The wooden lift wasrge enough to fit three Ashva side by side, but it was the amount of rope that caught Virs eye. Looped on both corners of the room, there was an immense amount of it.
Which means this lift descends far. Very far.
Virs suspicion was soon proven correct as they boarded the lift and began to descend. Half the guards apanying them stayed back to man the mechanism, lowering them slowly down into the abyss.
There were no lights on the way down, plunging the lift into darkness. Only Vir and Zora maneuvered around the lift naturally, thanks to their Prana senses. The others sat down and waited.
Im, uh, sorry for earlier. Really am, Vir said softly. I know what its like being reviled. Ive always had to hide my appearance out of fear of how people might react if they saw how I really looked. Its never pleasant.
I know, Zora said, and Vir thought he sensed her smile, though he was likely imagining it. Prana Vision simplycked that level of granrity. I take no offense. This ce when the Pagan Order found me lets just say if I believed in the gods, I would have called it a blessing.
They took you in, then? How long have you been with them?
Young. Every demon here was taken in by the Order at some point, she replied, sweeping her gangly arm around them at the sitting guards. Either as children, or as adults. The younger we bring them in, the better off they are. I was one such.
Vir went silent. Zoras prayers had likely gone unanswered. He could scarcely imagine what life she must have lived before the Order picked her up. Despite whatever Ash-hell she must have endured as a child, she must have been one of the luckier ones. As he knew well, there was no love for demons and their ilk in the scriptures.
The Order raises children? Vir asked. The image hed had of this country was quickly crumbling away, one piece at a time.
Yes. Many. The adults Some are too far gone. Brutalized by men, their minds broken. We seek as many children as we can. A life here is far superior to any theyd have elsewhere.
Vir remained unconvinced.
You say that. Reth said the same thing. And I understand that its nice to live in a country where you wont be ostracized if people find out how you really look. But you still hide. You still disguise yourselves.
A guard whod overheard their conversation chuckled.
Why do youugh? Vir asked, genuinely puzzled. Then he noticed that the guard was actually the very same prisoner he was supposed to kill during the test. The other Ashborn.
Vir had so many questions for the man, he didnt even know where to start.
Well, youll see right about now.
The column of rock that surrounded their lift finally gave way to a vast open space. For a brief moment, Vir thought he was peering into a bottomless abyss, but then he saw the lights far below.
There, at the bottom of a cavern of iprehensible size,y a city. An entirely subterranean city, zing with bright white lights.
Wee, friend, to the Undercity, the guard said, standing up.
The city above is a facade, Zora said. Merely a sham for prying eyes and bigoted humans who seek to hurt us. This is the true face of the Pagan Order. Our hidden city, built by demons, for demons. A ce where no one ever has to hide who they truly are. The name Balindam means strength. And so I wee you to our stronghold. Our sanctuary. The real Balindam.
Chapter 131: The Undercity
Chapter 131: The Undercity
When the lift finally stopped against the rocky earth of the great cavern, it wasnt the four-armed demons bustling around that caught Virs eye first. Nor was it their looks of happiness and joviality.
Thesemps theyre not magical, are they?
Thats the first thing you notice? his Ashborn friend said. Names Badal, by the way. Thanks for not killing me back there.
I, er Vir scratched his head and looked away, causing Badal to burst outughing.
Correct, Zora said tly. These use an alternate source of energy. Something most of the Known World has no concept of.
Vir crossed a cobblestone thoroughfare to stare up at the light on themp. It was true, Prana Vision, which hede to rely on to divulge secrets of the world, was dim to his eyes. Dim, but not nonexistent.
How is that possible? Vir looked around and noticed that the prana in hispanions body was already growing strongerpared to when theyd been at the surface.
I thought the Voinds were devoid of prana? Vir asked. I feel stronger here. Like I do when theres prana.
While not entirely trueVir always contained the prana inside his body, something Zora might very well have noticed with her Ghael sighthe wasnt ready to divulge Prana Vision just yet. Not until he knew beyond a shred of a doubt that the Order could be trusted.
Correct. But not correct. We have many secrets here. Secrets you will soon learn. Come this way, she said, leading him down the main street of the underground city.
Whats going on? Vir thought. There was prana down here. Were the Voinds only at the surface? But that made little sense to Vir. Air was air. And the air down here did have more prana, though it was still less than Brijs prana levels.
Vir walked up to another streemp and stared into the light. Though he had to put his eye right up to the light source, nearly blinding him, he saw tiny motes of Lightning affinity prana.
Except they werent static. The motes of prana moved in a loop at speeds Vir could scarcely believe. But what made Virs heart nearly stop was that unlike all prana he had ever seen, this prana wasnt bound to its carrier material. It moved freely across a thin metal strand, producing light, before proceeding through the rope-like material that connected to it on both sides.
It was the same as with magic. Lightning prana transferred from the air into an orb and was then fired out as a spell. Vir didnt know why he never realized it before: Prana wasnt bound to its carrier!
Except for one casehis blood. No matter what hed done until now, his Ash prana refused to separate from his blood. He hadnt particrly cared until now; other than Parais channeling technique, there hadnt seemed like much of a use for it.
But when he saw that Lightning prana cycle through themp he wondered what would happen if he replicated that technique in his body. If he could cycle prana independently of his blood, and do it faster than ever? What would happen?
Well, its not like Ive ever managed that before, though. I wouldnt even know where to start.
We call it electricity. A most recent invention, and one of our own, Badal said, looking proud, as if he were the one to invent it.
How how does it work? Vir asked.
Badal shrugged. Ask our Thaumaturges. It all feels like magic to me, but you know, its not. Even if there wasnt a shred of prana down here, the Thaumaturges say itll work just fine.
Vir nced at the Ghael.
Im afraid I do notprehend the details, Zora replied. Suffice it to say that much steam is required. Luckily, this area is rife with geothermal activity. Our Thaumaturges harness this energy and route the power a great distance to power the city. With those, she said, pointing to ck ropes that connected all the lights together.
Hope I get to talk to one of those Thaumaturges someday. The light was more magical to Vir than magical light, and it piqued his curiosity. Moreover, it might very well lead to a breakthrough with his own understanding of prana.
Tearing his eyes off the lights, he forced himself to consider the city itself.
Demons roamed everywhereindividuals, couples, and even families. Most were red skinned, though Vir did spot one or two gray demons like himself.
Something the matter? Badal asked.
No, its just Ive never seen demons walking around like this, without disguise. It feels strange to me.
Badalughed loudly, earning him stares from passersby. Strange only because of humanitys hatred for our kind. Fear not, itll grow familiar. And then, when you walk on the surface, youll loathe covering yourself.
Vir said nothing. It was true; demons ought to be able to walk freely without disguises. He doubted such a day would evere. But even if that wasnt possible, this city was
Its a marvel, Vir said. The buildings werent all that fancy, with most being square, two or three-story affairs constructed of stone excavated from the cavern itself. But the fact that there wasnt a single human in this entire city shocked him. It truly was a city of demons, where all were weed.
They soon arrived at a great za, with a circr fountain dominating the center of the space, around which demon children ran, ying a game of tag as their parents chatted nearby, keeping an eye on them. Couples shopped for food manned by four armed demons. Another red demon with enormous horns that protruded straight up joked with a gray demon.
Vir did his best not to gawk. Though he knew there had to be other four armed demons, he couldnt help but wonder if one of them was the one Rudvik had told him about. The one whod brought him to Brij.
But that one was a giant, and this one was just normal-sized for a demon. There were a small handful of giants that caught his eye, but thus far, Vir spied none that sported four arms.
That it is, friend, Badal said, pping his shoulder. That it is.
I, uh gimme a sec? Vir asked, stepping over to the fountain. In it, he saw his reflectiona pale skinned, average looking human.
And suddenly, he hated that visage. Hated what it represented. There was no need for that here. Suddenly, he felt as though he was suffocating. Drowning.
Scooping up the fresh, clean water, he sshed it against his face paint, rubbing vigorously to remove it as fast as he could. Finally, he removed his eye color lenses and ced them back into their carrying case.
For the first time in a very long time, Vir stared at his own reflection. His true face.
Vir took a deep breath and returned to hispanions.
Even now, it felt wrong. He felt like he was exposing himself. That someone would see him and cry, Ashborn fiend!
But when he returned to hispanions, they greeted him with smiles. One after another, they nodded to him. Out of respect. And pride. Demon pride.
A gray demon, eh? Wasnt expecting that! Badal said. Youre like me!
Vir stared at the man. With red eyes, ck hair, and gray skin, they truly were simr.
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My name''s Ekavir, by the way. Vir for short. Apramor''s just an alias.
Well, then, wee, Vir, Badal said, pping him on the shoulder. d to have you.
There wasn''t even a moment of suspicion or hesitation in his voice. Vir figured that as demons, they were plenty used to this sort of thing.
Does... the term Ashborn mean anything to you? Vir asked hesitantly.
Badal snorted. Yeah, sure. Means absolutely nothing. Its what the humans call gray demons like us. Were rare, even among demons, sure. But ultimately no different.
Vir took a moment to process that revtion. For nearly sixteen years, hed thought he was human, just different. To think this whole Ashborn business was a sham, born from a misunderstanding
Guess I shouldnt be surprised, Vir thought, staring at the Ash prana within him. Humans are wrong about a lot of things.
Do, uh do you have a tattoo on your chest?
Hmm? Nah. Never been much into body art, myself.
I see.
So that might be unique to me. The Symbol of the Akh Nara.
Vir had wondered if there were others like him. Others with past reincarnations. Perhaps, if the Pagan Order proved worthy of his trust, he might ask some of those questions. If he was lucky, maybe theyd even have some answers.
He did his best not to get excited but failed spectacrly.
Come. We are nearly there, Zora said, leading them. Though her gait must have felt normal to her, it looked to Vir like she was skulking, trying to avoid detection.
From gray demons to four-armed demons to Ghaels, Vir would have some getting used to.
So, what about the Upper City, then? Vir asked. Wont the humans there panic if they learn whats down here?
Were very careful with who we allow down here, and who we allow to know about the existence of the Undercity, Badal said.
Many humans live in the upper city, yes, Zora replied. Along with demons in disguise. But we select everyone who lives there.
Human immigration to Balindam is extremely strict, Badal added. We choose them based on their personality and their perspective on demons. Demon haters are weeded out, except those we carefully select to preserve our deception.
They''re your agents?
Nah, just bigots who flock to our cause. You won''t believe how many fling themselves at us, wanting to ''help the cause''. They''rergely kept in check by the other humans living topside, and we monitor them like hawks. As for spies? Well Badal gestured his thumb across his neck.
But why take the risk? Why not make Balindam exclusively a demon city?
We shall. One day. When we are ready, Zora replied. The humans in the Upper City can be easily killed if need be. Just a few more years. Perhaps a decade. Then well have enough forces and inroads with other nations to prevent bacsh. We''ll be ready. For the Purge. Then the Pagan Order will truly be a sanctuary for demons. A ce where we can roam under the sun without fear of persecution.
A country for demons sounded nice and all, but Vir nched at their methods. Purge? Is there such a need for brutality? Why not just ask them to leave?
We shall. Some of those humans hate us, however. We''ll allow everyone to leave, regardless. Those that refuse will die. Its more than they would do for us, yes?
Thats
Our goal is not merely a sanctuary for demons, but a Demon Empire, right here in humannds, Badal said quietly. Some sacrifices must be made.
They werent wrong. Even so, the thought of murdering innocents whose only crime was refusing to abandon their homes? That didnt sit right with Vir.
There has to be a better way
But Vir was in no position to lecture them. Not yet, anyway. Certainly not until he understood more about their eventual ns.
They soon passed through a market, almost a duplicate of the market above ground. It was eerie, in a way. Vir was being given a tour just like he had upon arriving at Balindam. And he wasnt very far from the market where thedy had sold him medicinal herbs. Even the building arrangements were simr.
And yet, the difference was as stark as night and day. In one market, no demons dared tread. Or if they did, they hid it. But here, no humans roamed. One was brightly lit by the sun. The other was plunged in darkness, lit by the strange non-magical lights the Order had cooked up.
Soon, the bustling city buildings fell away, and the group walked through a series of tunnels that cut through the cavern walls. These, too, were lit by the same strangemps Vir had seen earlier. A kind of thin rope connected them all, but Vir couldnt fathom its purpose.
The nexus we were just in contains the merchants, eateries all the public stuff. The residences are all in here, Badal said, gesturing to the myriad of closed wooden doors they passed.
You live here, too? Vir asked.
Sure do, the gray demon replied. In fact were gonna be neighbors!
Uh,e again?
Zora stopped in front of a door and inserted a key. Your home, she said, gesturing him to enter.
Inside, Vir found a cozy hollow carved out of the rock and brightly illuminated by the same non-magical light that powered the city. Not too small, but notrge either; its domed ceiling made it feelrger than it was. In a corner was a clean,fortable-looking bed, with a wooden side table next to it. On the wall was a most strange contraption. A tiny lever with two set positions. When raised, it filled the room with light and plunged it into total darkness when lowered.
It''s like a water valve but for light! Such luxury, Vir thought. To have light without magic had never been this easy for him.
A work desk and a chair upied another corner, while a basic round table sat in the center, with seating for four.
I already have amodations topside, though? Vir said, hesitantly touring the room. I appreciate the offer, but is this necessary?
Not amodation. This is your home. From now on.
Im not sure I understand you. Youre saying this is a permanent residence? Youre just giving it to me?
Zora extended her gangly limb to Vir. You are one of us now, brother. You are family. You will always have a home here.
Thats I dont know what to say. Thank you, Vir said, barely getting the words out. Emotions flooded him, and it took everything he had to keep them in check.
Theyre practically strangers. And yet
But that wasnt exactly true. There was a bond they shared. The bond of the oppressed.
There isnt a demon in Balindam who doesnt know how bad life can be outside. Every brother and sister we bring here, we offer a home. Its your choice to stay or to leave. But so long as youre here. You will have a ce to call your own, Badal said, staring Vir in the eyes.
Nowe, Zora said. There is onest ce I wish to show you.
Part of the wee tour? Vir asked, wondering what else there was to see.
Not exactly, Badal said.
What I am about to show you must be kept to yourself at all cost, Zora croaked, giving Vir a fierce stare. Our very survival depends on it. I show this to you as a sign of good faith.
Vir nodded. I understand. What is it?
It is the reason prana does not exist in the Voinds. It is the Pagan Orders greatest weapon. Follow me.
Chapter 132: Voidlands
Chapter 132: Voinds
Zora led Vir through the maze of tunnels, away from the Undercity, descending as they went. Vir rightly grew anxious as they descended deeper into the bowels of the earth. Virs history with deep, dark ces hadnt exactly been sterfirst with the Prana Swarm, then again with the Narapazu.
It was almost as if the realms most horrifying denizens imed the abyss as their territory.
And yet, the well-lit hallways told a different tale, as did the dozen checkpoints they crossed.
As if this maze isnt enough. Vir thought. Hed given up on memorizing the tunnelworksyout after the twelfth junction. Not only did it stretch far and wide, there were severalyers as well.
He pitied any poor souls who gained ess to these tunnels; theyd die of dehydration long before they ever found an exit. That was assuming they somehow entered the Undercity in the first ce.
They walked for so long that Vir began to suspect Zora had lost her way, but the steadily growing levels of prana told him otherwise. The air remained devoid of it, as usual. But the ground? Vir couldnt recall if hed ever seen such density in his life before.
Zora eventually halted in front of an unassuming door.
Through here, she said in her gravelly voice.
Vir followed, expecting to enter another tunnel, or perhaps a small room.
What he found was an enormous domed cavern, easily stretching six stories in height, and nearly that in girth.
The bare rocks were well-lit, with non-magical light going all the way up, highlighting the enormous contraption that sat in the center of the room.
Having seen Vka Amara and the Hiranyan Vimana, Vir immediately recognized the cylindrical device as Imperium technology. Its blue-white rings spun faster than the eye could track, but what stunned Vir was not its physical appearance, but rather its pranic signature.
At the very top of the device, Earth affinity prana flowed into it, along with a smattering of other affinities. Life, Water, Wind, even Lightning was present in trace amounts.
How can those affinities be present in the ground? That makes no sense!
Then he spied the dozens of holes in the ceiling. Like a honeb, hundreds of tiny holes had been drilled into the earth.
Holes that lead to the surface!
Vir doubted the Order had the means to pull off such a feat. Which meant it was the Imperiums doing.
But while the top of the device was surprising, the bottom was downright shocking. Prana exited out the bottom of the enormous cylinder, but there was only one affinityEarth. All the other affinities had disappeared.
Its converting prana!? Vir thought. Hed never have guessed such a feat was possible. So thats why the ambient Earth prana density is so high. But wait, if it can convert those affinities Does that mean Ash prana can be converted as well?
Behold the Pagan Orders greatest weapon. The Prana Siphon sucks prana from the air and deposits it into the earth. Not on a local scale, but a regional one.
Regional? No. No way
Then, Vir whispered, barely daring to ask. The Voinds are your doing?
Did you know? The Voinds were once called the Voided Lands. Voided by this very Artifact. Since the Age of Gods, this device has siphoned prana. Eventually, anyone who knew of its existence died off, and now, people believe the Voinds to be a natural phenomenon. Helped along by our own misinformation, of course.
Hadn''t Riyan theorized something simr? Vir had barely registered it at the time, but now it struck him just how astute the old warrior really was.
Vir could scarcely imagine what it must have taken to aplish such a feat. Riyan once mentioned that strong mejai acting together could drain the prana from a battlefield. But to do so for an entire country? Once again, the might of the Prime Imperium left him in awe. To have attained such great heights Vir genuinely wondered what they were like.
What cmity could have brought down such a powerful civilization?
Vir wasnt sure if he truly wanted to know.
But why? Youre starving your people of prana. How can that be of use to your people? Vir asked.
Have you ever wondered why the Kingdoms and Empires leave us alone? Zora asked. Why they allow us to raid their countries and steal their demons?
They allow you to? Vir asked. Wait. Does that mean Do they know of the true nature of the Order?
Vir doubted such a big secret could be kept from other nations. No matter how good the Orders security was, leaks were bound to spring.
They know, yes, the gangly Ghael replied. Though it is a tightly kept secret among royalty.
Why would they Oh.
Nobody likes demons, Vir said. By allowing you to steal them, they avoid having to keep them in camps.
Or kill them off, Vir thought, his stomach growing queasy.
Some demons be ves. Those are the lucky ones. Or the unlucky ones, depending, Badal muttered. Most die, some violently. But genocide isn''t a great public image for a country. Even if we are just demons.
Sheltering and feeding demon prisoners burdens the country. They neither wish tomit mass murder, nor are they keen for demon very to be too widespread. Not after the demon uprisings and rebellions of the past. They have learned that their despicable practice works best in moderation. With our agreement, we rid them of this problem while allowing them to maintain their image.
But why would they just let you to build your forces? Vir asked. Isnt that dangerous for them?
We cant hide who we are from the other kingdoms, but we can deceive them, to an extent. They all believe the Order to be a pranaless dumping ground for demons and nothing more. They see the Upper City, and they content themselves knowing we are no threat. Yes, Upper City residents live well, but there is no army there. No danger. Without prana, we are nothing. Or so we have them believe.
And the reason they donte to destroy you is because doing so would give them a demon problem. Theyd have to figure out what to do with all those demons theyve sent to you for so long.
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Not quite, Zora said. Were they to invade, we''d simply slip into the shadows, infiltrating their society. Then they would have assassins wearing human faces, living in their midst. I can assure you, the thought terrifies them. With the Pagan Order exerting influence on demons throughout the Known World, we can keep such behavior to a minimum."
Interesting. So they think the benefits of sending demons your way outweigh the downsides.
Yes, but insurance is always wee. The Prana Siphon ensures no mejai can siege ournds. Only warriors with Talents, but they would not have mejai support.
And you have your own Talent warriors, Vir replied. Itd be really hard for them to attack you. Really hard.
Without magic, countries would lose much of their offensivebat potential. Talents were powerful, but A and S tier magic could kill hundreds or thousands in one go. Without that, their invasion would be a painful siege.
We survive by making our downfall difficult for our enemies. Both during the invasion and after, Zora said.
Its genius, in a way, Vir thought. Not only would it be a pain for the invader, resulting in arge loss of life, but thered be little benefit in doing so. In fact, there would only be downsides, since the Order actually provided the other countries with a valuable service.
Where the Rani Queendom ensured their security by supportingrge parts of other countries economies, the Pagan Order was more like a porcupinemore hassle than it was worth to kill.
Vir stared up at the whirring contraption that zed brightly. He still couldnt believe something like this actually existed, or that it continued to function many millennia after the fall of the ones who built it.
So the prana in the Undercity. Is it because the machines effects dont reach that far down?
Zora nodded. One could call it a weakness, but it is one weve exploited. The machine converts prana in the air to prana in the ground.
You wouldnt happen to have a portable version of this, would you? he joked. With one of these, he figured crossing the Ashen Realm wouldnt be nearly as dangerous. Without their precious prana, Ash Beasts would prove far less of a threat. Hed beaten several of the weakened monsters on his own, after all.
Zoras expression sagged. All attempts to study it have ended in failure. Whatever means the Gods used to build this device, it is beyond us.
Figures.
Acting on a whim, Vir rxed his control over his bodys prana, allowing some to leak out.
If it can convert affinities can it convert Ash Prana too?
If so, itd open doors for him in the future.
He watched as the tiny motes of prana drifted through the air. But after a moment, it became clear that they werent being sucked to the top like the other affinities. The device had no sway over them.
Vir shook his head and sighed. Of course it wouldnt be that easy.
Youve taken a great risk showing me this, he said. Why?
Consider it a show of good faith, Zora replied. The Pagan Orders reputation is not a good one. While it is a deceptiona carefully crafted facadeno doubt youd have reservations about us.
But youve given me a home. Youve shown me this secret. You must want something in return. Nobody does any of this out of the good of their own heart.
Badal squeezed Virs shoulder. There are no strings attached, friend. Truly.
However, Zora began.
Here ites, Vir thought.
We would be overjoyed if you aided us.
Aid, how? Vir wasnt averse to helping the Order out, so long as it was for a noble cause. He disagreed with their callous disregard for the value of human life, though he could understand where they wereing from. Humans universally hated demons. There was bound to be some resentment.
Even so, they had confided in him. And they were the only bastion of demonkind in the Human Realm. That was worth celebrating. It was worth protecting. And yet, something continued to bother him.
When Tia had first shared her hatred of demons with him, he hadn''t known what to make of it. Were demons evil? Or was there more going on?
There was definitely more. While the Pagan Order''s disturbing talk of purging humans was a good reason for her hatred, that was a secret, and they''d done nothing of the sort yet. Rather, demons were intelligent and behaved much the same as humans did.
It was more likely to be an empty threat to force their enemies to reconsider messing with them. Vir had doubts whether they would truly go through with it. At least, he hoped.
Some members of my party believe demons are... feral. That they go around ughtering humans. Even razing viges. They say demons can''t be reasoned with. Why? What''s giving them that impression?
Humans are quick to hate, Badal began, but Zora interrupted him.
No. They are right to think as much. Long ago, when the Pagan Order first started raiding other countries to bring ves home, we had something of a civil war. One faction wished toy low until we amassed enough power to force the humans to respect our sovereign right as a nation of demons. The other... held more extreme beliefs.
The moderates won. The other side fled, forming a splinter faction in Matali. They prefer shock and fear to cow their opponents. While these tactics have their uses, they must be used carefully, at the right time and ce. Our Matali brethren believe otherwise, I''m afraid. They feel they must return the wrongs they''ve experienced a hundredfold, and that no amount of savagery is enough.
Are they really extreme enough to bebeled as feral?
That was the part that confused Vir the most. Tia seemed to think some demons akin to Ash Beasts.
Badal exchanged a strained look with Zora.
Some of them grew weary of living in humannds. Some sought the Demon Realm.
So they brave the Ash?
Indeed. Most perish. Some might even have made it, though we wouldn''t know. The ones who return are... addled. Not quite right in the head. Unfortunately, that only makes them even more aligned with the Matali demons'' ethos. They be their champions, more often than not. Suicidal maniacs who behave more like animals than intelligent creatures.
When these demonse into contact with humans, Zora said, the result is often disastrous. We do what we can when we find them, but...
There aren''t many of them. But there are enough to be a problem. We think Kin''jal helps them out in secret, to destabilize Matali. Allows them to cow the country into submission and hasten their downfall. Won''t be surprised if Matali ends up part of the Kin''jal Empire someday soon.
Vir fell silent. The demon situation was turning out to be far moreplex than he''d initially thought.
Demons are stronger than humans, on average, Badal continued, but there are more of them than there are of us. Every brother and sister rescued bolsters our cause. Especially those ted for death row.
They''ll be executed? Virs stomach sank, while his resolve hardened. When? Where?
Kinjal, and tomorrow, in the dead of night. Fifty of our captive brothers and sisters will lose their lives. The males and children will be executed. The females will suffer worse than that unless we act. Our raiding party could use an experienced warrior. Especially one so experienced in stealth and subterfuge like yourself.
Vir clenched his fists. The thought of those like himself being subjected to such cruel fates made his blood boil.
I
Theres no obligation, friend, Badal said, squeezing Virs shoulder. Wed love to have you, but youve only just arrived. Even otherwise, wed never demand that anyone join us. Its risky, and theres a good chance some of us wont make it back. Think it over.
Vir nodded. Thanks. Ill do that.
Truthfully, he was about to agree. But mulling it over wasnt a bad idea, either.
As Badal says. We are always short of help, and we would reward you greatly for any aid you could give us. But there is no obligation. We invite you here with open arms. Simply as you are.
T-thanks, Vir said. If he was honest, it felt good. A warm,fortable feeling ballooned within his chest, and for the first time in his entire life, he felt like he belonged. Like hed finallye home after an arduous journey.
Tears began to stream down his face before he realized it.
Thank you, he whispered. I do you mind if I head to the surface? I have a lot to think about.
Of course, Zora replied. Badal will show you the way.
The Undercity, while a safe havenperhaps the only demon haven in the Known Worldwas still a strange environment. One Vir might grow used to, but for now, he longed for the crashing of the shores and the sight of stars overhead.
The n is to fly in with a fleet of Acira, Badal said as they ascended back to the surface. There were several exits, and not all led through the Undercity proper. Theyre being held in a fort in the southwestern countryside, just east of the Endless ins. We sneak in, break them out, and leave. No bloodshed. Hopefully.
How many of us? Vir asked as they ascended a ramp.
With you? Well be fifteen. Need space on the Acira to bring our brothers and sisters home. Having someone with your skillset would be a huge boon, if Im honest.
Vir fell silent. His skills would be valuable here. Dance of the Shadow Demon could get him into ces inessible to most, and his other abilities ensured he could hold his own if it came tobat.
Well, here we are, Badal said, opening a door that led out to the castle grounds. Sleep on it. And explore the city. Both parts. Im here if you need me.
The demon left Vir at a small room adjoining the grounds, where he took a few minutes to reapply his face paint.
Soon, he found himself on the Promontory west of the castle grounds, at a park that overlooked the Runean ocean. The same park his guide had taken him to just hours earlier.
Here, hed hoped to find solitude but instead found the park filled with people, despite thete hour.
And among them was a group of three. A man and two women. A blonde and a brte that looked all too familiar.
Vir approached them from behind.
Uh, Tia? In Adinats name, what are you doing here?
Chapter 133: Unexpected Company
Chapter 133: Unexpected Company
O-Oh hi, Apra! Fancy seeing you around here! Tia said, waving energetically.
Does she know? was Virs first reaction.It seemed unlikely; Haymi hadn''t given him up when she''d healed him. Why would she now? Besides, Tia was much too friendly for having learned he was a demon. He''d have expected her to level her spear at him if she did.
Tia, youre not gonna convince me that this is a coincidence. Why are you here?
Well, you wont believe it. Haymi missed you dearly. Nearly bit my ear off with all her begging. Whats a party leader to do? Gotta make my crew happy, dont I?
Normally, Vir wouldve expected Haymi to admonish Tia, maybe even kick her shin. Instead, the mejai averted her eyes, a look of guilt etched on her face.
A knot formed in Vir''s stomach. No way! Did she really tell her?
He''d deferred chatting with Haymi for too long. He had to speak to her. In private, and as soon as possible.
Vir narrowed his eyes. Youre right. I dont believe it. Haymi wouldnt do something like that. Howd you even get here, anyway? Itd have taken you far longer to ride an Ashva.
Ah ha ha! Well, yknow? Tia said, standing up and dusting off her skirt. If Im honest, it wasnt just Haymi who was worried about you, yknow? Vason here got all sulky. He does that when hes worried.
Hey! Vason shouted. Theres a limit to how much you can lie, Tia. Apramor, pay no attention to her words. She came here despite us discouraging her. I can only apologize on behalf of our overly nosy leader here.
Its not just nosiness! Tia said. Were here to make sure youre safe. And dont worry. Bumpys being well-cared for. No issues there.
You have an Acira, dont you? Its the only way you couldvee here this quickly.
We promise not to get in the way, Apra, Tia replied, patting Virs shoulder. Though even as she did, she stared deeply into Virs eyes. As if searching for something. Just think of us as moral support.
You shouldnt be here, Tia.
Vir could tell she cared for his safety and was honestly touched she followed him. He was also disappointed; she was poking her head into matters she had no business with. Then again, it was exactly like the reckless warrior to pull something like this.
Well, I could say the same for you? This ce is full of crazies! Havent you walked through the streets? Though I gotta say its nicer here than everyone says it is.
Crazy? That wasnt even close to the impression Vir had gotten. Though, Reth had mentioned that they nted bigots among the humans living in the Upper City to maintain the ruse.
Cmon, why dont you have a seat? Tia said, sitting and patting the ground next to her. The way the waves reflect the moonlight is really something, isnt it? Matalis southern coast has a few beaches, but hardly anyone ever goes there anymore. Too dangerous with all the Ash Beasts flooding past our wall.
Promontory Hill did have amanding view of the ocean below, but Vir knew she was just trying to change the topic. He wasnt going to get anything further by pressing the point, though. Once Tia made up her mind, few things could change it. She was here now, and he doubted shed be easily convinced to leave. The best he could do was learn what he could.
Why do the beasts get past your wall? Isnt that what the walls for?
Well, sure, but its not that simple, she replied.
Our section of the wall has gone under-manned for decades, Vason said, gazing out at the ocean. Some beasts vault right over it, while others pound their way through. When holes open up, it can be years before theyre fixed.
Not enough funding for that, Haymi said softly. But even the Kinjals deal with this issue, and they have no issues with funding. The Ash boundary is not what one might expect. It looks like an enormous opaque barrier that stretches all the way to the sky, but in reality, Ash Beasts may pop out anywhere near the barrier. Sometimes, even a mile or more away, behind the wall. Nobody understands why.
That sounds awfully inconvenient. And dangerous.
Why dont they just build the wall farther back?
They keep rebuilding it every several decades, Vason said. Incredible expense. But there are homes, fields, and people living there. Relocation can getplicated. So theyre forced to build the wall as close to the Boundary as possible, even if it does mean needless deaths.
Long ago, the Ashen Realm was merely a source of myths and campfire stories for Vir. Now, it felt more real than it ever had.
But do I really need to go now?
Vir allowed the soothing sound of waves to carry away his thoughts. The gentle nighttime breezepleted the picture. With few city lights to ruin the darkness, the Pagan Orders buildings shone under the moonlight in a way few other cities did.
Vir had never fit in at Brij. Hed worn a hood wherever he went, and even then, he was an outcast, with only Maiya and Neel to call friends.
Then hed found Spears Edge, and while he enjoyed his time with them, he could never truly belong.
He nced at Tia. Not when Tia hates demons as much as she does. Not while I keep my true identity a secret.
Haymi might be alright with it, but he doubted Tia would be so open-minded. Vir longed to tell Tia. Toe clean. But he knew full well what it would mean. In the best scenario, he''d never see her again. At worst... he might very well make an enemy out of her. Thest thing he needed was more people chasing him.
Was it so wrong to cling to what they had? True, he might not adventure with them in the future, but they''d at least still be on good terms. Maybe it wouldn''t ever be a deep friendship, but why rock the boat? Why threaten what they had going?
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Vir''s guilt at not telling her warred with his desire to belong. That meant a lot. For Vir, it meant more than it did for most people. They were the only friends he''d had, other than Maiya.
And now, hed found the Pagan Order. So much had happened in just a few short hours. Hed scarcely had the time to digest it all.
To think theres an entire city right under our feet.
A city of demons. For demons. Possibly the only demonic sanctuary in the Known World. This was a ce he truly could call home. A ce hed truly fit in. Now that hed experienced what it was like to walk around in the open without makeup, to be epted, he didnt know if he could give it up.
Yes, the Demon Realm Janak asked him to seek would be simr. Better, perhaps. But at what cost? How likely was it hed survive the Ashen Realm? How would he even get across? How would he know where to go?
The risk was too great. Maybe the Pagan Order had some extreme views on humans, but with time, perhaps he could help temper those. There were good humans in this worldpeople like Rudvik, Apramor, and Maiya. People whod be happy to coexist with demons.
The more Vir thought about it, the more his priorities shifted. He could find Maiya and bring her to the Order. Maybe her magic wouldnt function, but it was a big city, and Maiya always wanted to live in one.
This could work!
Getting a little chilly, dont you think? Tia said, shivering. Lets head back. Apramor, you got a ce to stay?
Uh, yeah. Theyre putting me up at the castle.
Fancy. But it must be a cold stone room somewhere. Why dont youe over to our nice, warm inn instead?
Vir had nothing to do until tomorrow night, and while he wanted to explore the Undercity, spending time with Tia didnt sound so bad, despite himself. It may very well be thest chance hed have to spend time with them.
If you insist.
On their walk back, Vason and Tia struck up a conversation, debating the merits of prana-rich Ashva. Vason preferred them, while Tia felt the performance differencepared to their prana-starved brethren wasnt worth the added cost.
Haymi hung back and quietly approached Vir.
Apramor, I
You know Im Ashborn, dont you? Vir said, too quietly for Tia to hear.
Haymi nodded. I know what that really means, too.
Did... does Tia know?
Of course not! You think she''d be so casual if she did?
Vir shook his head. Then what was with that look earlier? Wasn''t it guilt? Or was it something else?
True enough. Thank you. For keeping the secret. You even healed me up.
"I, that''s..." Haymis expression strained, and that same look of guilt shed across her face. Not all of us hate demons the way Tia does. She watched her parents be butchered before her very eyes as a child, Apra. Please understand what sort of impact that might have on a person.
Ah. So that''s it. She''s so thoughtful... Vir''s eyes flickered to the blonde walking in front of them.
Hard to believe she turned out so normal after going through something like that, Vir admitted.
Shes strong. Sometimes, too strong, Haymi said, before hesitating. Apramor, I must warn you. My duties are to Tia. Ive known her since we were children. I should have told her right away. I didnt because well I didn''t want to hurt you, but if we ever find ourselves in conflict I
I know, Vir said quietly.
Just, please do not let ite to that. Please dont make me harm you.
Vir smiled sadly. If anyone does, itll be her. Not me.
I fear you might be right.
Hey, Apra! What do you think? Tia shouted over her shoulder. Cheaper Ashva? Or the prana-rich ones?
Well, Bumpy grew up in Hiranya and hes got a limp, but hes done right by me. I think all Ashva are good, so long as theyre well trained and cared for.
See, Vason? See?
Vason threw his hands up in defeat. Fine. Fine! I can never win.
Vir smiled despite himself. Even knowing Tia''s animosity toward demons, Vir still cherished their time together. How could he taint those precious memories?
Tias ce wasnt far. Near the western Green Ring rose a district of three-story brick buildings. The inn nestled within was a simple affair, though tapestries livened up the walls and rugs warmed the floors. For fifty coppers a night, the three-bedroom suite was a steal, though it was a little dark. Thanks to the low ceiling, it served to give the ce a cozy mood.
Candles were expensive, after all. Even for a premium suite like this, only a handful could be lit at once. The magic-less light that lit the Under City was nowhere to be seena privilege reserved for demonkind alone. The thought uplifted Vir, though he couldnt say why.
Worst part of the Voinds is no magical cooling. Its a wonder how they keep anything preserved here, Tia said, rummaging around a sack of dried food.
Salt, Vason said. Lots and lots of salt.
Tia wrinkled her nose as she poured some local mead into four sses and handed them to everyone. So? Howd you enjoy that Acira ride? she asked, setting down a te of nuts and dried fruit on the table, around which the four of them sat. Pretty amazing creatures, arent they?
Vir nodded, sipping on his wildflower mead.
Maybe it was foolish. Maybe he ought to have returned to Badal straight away, but the cozy mood prevented him.
I''m gonna miss this, he thought. Maybe we can meet from time to time.
That they are, Vir said with a wry smile. Never knew anything could feel so terrifying and exhrating at the same time.
Yeah, well, dont get used to it, Vason said. Most people never eveny eyes on an Acira, let alone ride on one. The Order extended you quite the honor by flying you here.
Right. Says the guy who owns an Acira, Vir countered.
Not me! Its all her! the warrior said, pointing at Tia.
Yknow, its pretty obvious by now youre Sawai, Tia. Theres no point hiding it.
Ha ha, yeaah, well. Itsplicated, Tia said smoothly. She mustve guessed Vir knew as much. Anyway, if you think Acira are great, just wait until you see the Altanis fast attack airships. Those things are even faster, and you can walk around the whole deck while its in flight! Really incredible. Plus, theyre invincible.
Thats just a rumor, Vason replied. No ones seen them in action.
Kinjal did, Haymi said. The One Days War. Banshis Folly? Their power is no rumor.
You sound like youve ridden them, Vir said, feeling the drinks effects take hold. Hed never been a fan of alcohol, but he couldnt deny the drink was delicious.
Tia mustve splurged for the good stuff. Is she trying to get me drunk?
Maybe just once or twice, Tia said meekly, staring at her ss. So, uh, you gonna do their mission?
And there it was.
Think I am, yeah, Vir replied, meeting her gaze and taking another sip.
What do they want you to do? Tia asked sweetly.
Tia, Haymi said. Dont be nosy. If Apra doesnt want to tell, its none of our business.
Its a rescue operation. Some innocent people are going to die. They want my help in saving them.
Well, that sounds somewhat noble, if you ask me! Vason roared, pping Virs back, making him cough out a mouthful of drink.
How much has this guy drunk? Vir thought. Vason was refilling his ss, but there was no way the warrior was inebriated after just a few sips.
It is honorable, yeah. I dont really have a reason to turn them down.
Tia stared at him for a long moment. Then she sighed.
To tell you the truth, I have an obligation I have to see to. Hate it, but thats like, yeah? Cant do much about it.
Someone strongarmed that bullheaded girl? I have to meet this person.
So anyway, well be leaving shortly. Just wanted to check up on you, yknow? Well be back in a few days, so dont go anywhere!
Ill be here. For all her faults, he was happy for Tias concern, and thankful she wasnt insisting on following wherever he went. Perhaps he''d been a bit premature in condemning her nosiness. I''m afraid I have preparations to make, he said atst, standing up. No one rose to stop him.
When he finally left the inn, it was with a sense of remorse. In another world, perhaps Tia wouldnt have hated demons as much and they might''ve continued adventuring together for years toe. Still, even with all her prejudice, Vir couldnt bring himself to hate her. Spears Edge had done so much for him, and theyd been truly good friends. Tia was just a product of her unfortunate circumstances, and after what Zora said, her hatred was perhaps not unwarranted, which only saddened him more.
He could hardlyin aboutpleting this mission alone. And he wasnt alone; hed be fighting alongside the Pagan Order. While they''d only just met, they were the first demonmunity he''d encountered. Perhaps the only one like it in the whole realm. And that was worth fighting for.
Chapter 134: Raiders of the Night
Chapter 134: Raiders of the Night
Vir awaited his summons for the raid by meditating cross-legged in the subterranean room the Pagan Order had given him. His room. One that would remain his possession, even if he left.
Come to think of it, I havent had a ce to call my own ever since Brij
He was just a temporary visitor at Riyans abode, and since then, hed either slept in inns, or under starlight. Now that he thought about it, he understood how much he missed having a home. It wasnt just the home itself; it was the people, too.
Vir had spent the past day exploring both the Undercity with Badal, and the Upper City with Spears Edge. True to their word, they hadnt pried anymore about his uing mission. Theyd visited merchants, parks, pubs, and had even watched a y put on by local actors.
In that time, Badal filled him in on how the Undercity society operated. All demons living there were given a small stipend of food. Enough to subsist on, but not much more. Gainful employment was expected of all demons, though no restrictions were ced on what jobs anyone could take on. Overall, it sounded quite idyllic to Vir. Brij never had a stipend like thatif you couldnt feed yourself, youd starve.
All the touring had left him exhausted, and he was d to return to his room to relish his time alone. It allowed him an opportunity to consider his own abilities and advancement, which hed neglected due to all the goings-on. If he was honest, he missed the days of training with Riyan, each day focused solely on strengthening his body, tempering his mind, and delving into the mysteries of prana.
As hed soon found out, though, progress with prana grew more and more difficult the more proficient he became. The breakthroughs came rarely these days; a fact that irked him.
The best leads he had so far were Parai the Ancient and Narak the Destroyers visions.
For the longest time, Vir had wondered how to attain the effects Narak achieved with Bncer of Scalesmanipting the weight of objectswithout his tattoo, but came up short every time. Whatever those tattoos were, they gave the wearer abilities beyond anything that could be aplished by mere prana maniption. Of that, Vir was sure.
Prana de, de Projection, de Launch these were all things that weaponized prana itself, and were rtively straightforward. But Bncer of Scales affected physical objects. Even objects at a distance.
It really works like orb magic, doesnt it?
Vir shook his head. Hed been down that line of reasoning many times, and it always ended in a wall. There was nothing to be gained by banging his head against it.
Instead, he turned his thoughts to Parais cycling technique. Even now, he kept the technique active, though apart from boosting his recovery time, he wasnt sure what else it did. And even its ability to elerate his healing process was really just a matter of increasing the amount of blood that circted around his back, just via an unconventional pathway.
There wasnt anything there that leveraged the prana itself, though Vir knew Parai had several other cirction paths as well. Hed seen how his past incarnations'' techniques sucked in prana from the surroundings, gluing it to his body like armor.
As always, however, the issue was how to safely experiment with those. Done incorrectly, Vir would rupture blood vessels, cause internal bleeding, and very possibly kill himself.
On the other hand, ying around with small amounts of blood did little to help him learnhed been experimenting with that ever since he left Riyans abode.
Parais body had felt like a raging river, with prana surging through his body. Vir had thought himself proficient with prana maniption, but after seeing Parai, he now understood he was just an amateur. His prana felt like a gummed-up damfull of prana, but one that refused to flow.
Then there was the Pagan Orders non-magical lighting, where Lightning prana flowed at unbelievable speed, decoupled from its carrier objectin this case, metal. Electricity, theyd called it.
This differed starkly from how mejai used prana. They formed a suction to pull ambient affinity prana into their orbs, which trapped it to power spells. Prana maniption didnt even seem to be part of their training regimen.
Or perhaps it was but only at the higher ranks?
Right as Vir began to grow frustrated at hisck of progress, he heard a series of knocks on his rooms door.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Neel, whod been sleeping on the floor, immediately perked up and ran to the door, looking up expectantly at Vir.
Sorry, boy. Youre gonna have to sit this one out. No telling how dangerous this will be, and well need to be stealthy.
Neel tilted his head at Vir, prompting a sad smile.
Vir opened the door to find Badal waiting for him, dressed in a robe that was as ck as the night.
It is time.
Vir nodded. Ill just grab my weapons.
You are sure you want to do this? Badal asked. I will not lie to you, Vir. You are the lynchpin in todays n. With your powers, we will find the prisoners faster, and with less blood spilled. But this will be a great risk to you.
Im sure, he replied, staring Badal in the eyes. I want to help them.
Understood. I shall question your resolve no more. Forgive me.
Thanks. Truly.
Vir cinched down his greaves and bracers, donned his cuirass, collected his katar, slung his chakrams around his neck, and wore his chakris as bracelets. He gave Neel onest Im sorry look before shutting the door behind him.
There will be thirty-five of us on this raid, twenty pilots flying twenty Acira, and fifteen raiders, Badal said as they proceeded down the tunnel. Our beasts are bred for carrying weight, unlike most Acira. They''re slower and require more frequent stops, but in return, each can carry five, including the pilot. Enough for all fifty of our brothers and sisters.
Vir nearly balked at that figure. Twenty Acira was an incredible force. He wondered why they needed so many to rescue fifty prisoners, but realized it was optimistic to assume all Acira would be filled to capacity. Depending on how heavily defended their prison was, it was possible theyd have to take off before they were full. Having excess not only allowed them arger raid force, but also gave them a margin of security.
It sounded like a well-thought-out operation. A fact that was corroborated when Vir finally emerged through the maze of tunnels, leading to adder that led back up to the surface. Right into the castles Acira berths.
Vir wasnt sure which was more impressivethe sight of twenty Acira lined up in a perfect square grid, their ck wings glinting off the moonlightor the squads of demons beside them, all dressed in identical ck robes.
This was military might the likes of which Vir had never seen from Hiranya. Only the Altanis skyships had invoked such a sense of professionalism and power within him.
The training and upkeep costs, the fact that most of the warriors wielded seric weapons It spoke not only to the depth of the Pagan Orders treasury, but to the high degree ofpetence with which it was run.
Projecting such a force well away from their own borders could note easily.
Theyre elites. Theyve done this before. Many times.
Vir immediately understood that despite theirck of prana, these warriors were not to be underestimated. All boasted Talents, and their prana-starved bodies made their abilities more potent, drawing a stronger suction from the prana in the Earth.
As Vir scanned the disguised faces of his brothers and sisters, he saw neither fear nor excitement. Only cool,posed determination toplete the mission and bring everyone home. This was a group of veterans. Like him, each wore face paint, sporting the tan shades of the Kinjals, and unless Vir knew they were demons, hed never have guessed.
It was a secret force that the world knew nothing about. A force that wasnt supposed to exist.
Vir swelled with pride as he nodded to each in turn.
You must be our guest of honor. Well be counting on you this night, a demon said, grasping his forearm in what Vir had learned was a kind of demonic handshake. Fare well, brother.
And you, Vir replied, genuinely wishing the man well, despite never having met him before.
Hed known the Order for only a handful of days, and yet he already felt more at ease than he ever had around Tia and Spears Edge. Because, though they all wore disguises, these were his people. Individuals who recognized him and epted him for who he truly was.
Vir boarded an Acira with Badal at the head of the flight. Their pilot shot his finger up into the air, and without even a word between the squads, they took to the sky, ripping the silent air with the beating of scaled wings.
The dust swirled around them, as the Acira built more and more force. Then they lurched into the air, clearing the tall castle walls in seconds.
Aciras took off one by one, with each avian creature slotting seamlessly into its position. Before long, theyd organized into a V shape formation, tearing across Balindam as they climbed ever higher.
Each aerial turn was executed in perfect synchronization as if performed by master acrobats.
The night wind swept past their faces, and before long, theyd crossed the South Legion Mountains, flying over Ranian airspace. It made Vir wonder whether Rani knew of the Orders operations. He figured they must know, and that they were implicitly alright with it. He guessed the Order ran these sorts of raids regrly.
The Acira flew at less than their maximum capacity, and as such, required fewer breaks than they would on the way back. As the minutes turned into hours and Ranis lush valleys and forests fell away beneath them, a feeling grew within Vir.
I could see myself among their ranks, he thought. What if he joined the Order? Working with them to build a home for demons? I might be able to make a real difference here
It was a thought hed had several times over the past day. Though regardless of what came after, he had to survive this mission first. Not just survivehe had to bring those demons home.
Badal had briefed him earlier on theyout of the ce, since conversation in-flight was difficult with all the wind. The prisoners were kept in a structure built like a castle, out in the middle of the Kinjal countryside within the Eternal ins.
While all the demons on this raid wielded Talents, Vir doubted any would be more effective than him within theplex. It was a strong reason why he''d volunteered to join them.
Hed Dance inside, breaking prisoner shackles and cutting down jail doors, assisting the other demons as they filtered through thepound.
At least, that was how it was supposed to go. But Vir knew from experience that these ns rarely ever went as expected.
See those mountains? Badal shouted, pointing down to the snowcapped peaks that blurred beneath them. The Bulwarks. We just crossed into Kinjal territory. Five minutes until we descend!
Vir took a deep breath. Lets do this.
Chapter 135: A Clash Of Red & Gold
Chapter 135: A sh Of Red & Gold
Maiya descended upon Kinjal Garrison Nihira at dusk, anxious about what was toe.
Princess Ira had seemed innocent enough, at first, with her teddy bear collection and pink room. Someone with a soft spot for such cute things couldnt possibly be a monster underneath, could she?
As it turned out, Maiya had been very, very wrong. Ira was pure evil. An Ash Beast in disguise, capable of heaping such a monstrous workload upon Maiyas back that her spine had nearly failed her.
The princess had Maiya running around the whole country, overseeing her personal operations, silencing her opponentsusually via stern threats and shows of forceand there seemed to be no end in sight.
As hertest punishment, Maiya had been saddled with the unsavory task of breaking Matalis back. Or rather, asserting Iras influence in Matali for what was part of some grand scheme to get the country to recognize the princess power before she extended an olive branch, winning the country over to herand her alone.
It sounded unlikely, but it wasnt Maiyas duty to question. This time around, her job was to y the viin, and she hated it. Absolutely loathed it. But she could act out the part if she had to. She was even good at it.
Maiya spiraled down slowly, enjoying the cool arid air while she observed Garrison Nihiras fortifications. As far as Kinjali outposts went, it was bog standard. Which was to saydisgustingly overbuilt. More a citadel fortress than a simple jail, there was no rhyme or reason behind its design. Other than projecting Kinjals singr obsession with strength, of course.
Its all such a farce, too, Maiya thought, descending into the left of the two Acira hangarsthe one for visitors. It wasnt empty. Another ck-scaled beastzed on the grass, and Maiya couldnt take her eyes off it. If she hadnt been expecting visitors, shed have been surprisedeven in a nation as wealthy as Kinjal, precious few owned one. The garrison had three in a separate hanger for aerial defense, though most countries would consider thatvish for an outpost such as this.
Alright, Frumpy. Easy does it, yeah? she said, more to soothe herself than anything else.
Hes gonna be here! I finally get to see him!
After her fruitless visit to Zorin, which ended up being a waste of time as Vir had already moved on, she''d resorted to using something a bit more reliable. Especially since the woman at that branch had been quite unhelpful in giving her information about his whereabouts.
Through Kin''jal''s vast intelligenceworkbecause the Brotherhood told her nothingshe''d learned of a certain Apramor who''d signed on with the mercenary group called Spear''s Edge. While she knew Vir was operating under that alias, it was amon name so she couldn''t automatically assume it was him. Still, a mercenary operating in the same general area as Vir bearing the same name gave her a hint. The fact that he used a katar and chakrams all but confirmed it. She did wonder how Vir ended up in a runaway princess mercenary party, but she wasnt about to question her good fortune.
Frumpy red her great ck wings and settled gently on the grass, cooing, expecting praise.
Thats a good girl. Youre such a good girl, arent you, Frumpy?
The beast nuzzled Maiya, who patted her snout.
A receiving party appeared through a hallway, and Maiya jerked back.
Oops! Nearly blew it there. Gotta be angry. Time for some Head Handmaiden chalface. Cmon, Maiya, you got this!
The Brian Guard marched up to Maiya and ced their spears. The Garrison Commander bowed respectfully. Esteemed madam Handmaiden, wee to
Yourete.
P-pardon?
You are ten secondste. Is this the level of discipline that passes at Garrison Nihira?
N-no, madam, it does not. Our visitors, er, have taken issue with some of my orders. I was merely
Excuses? Youete and give me excuses?
The Garrisonmander paled. I wouldnt dare, madam.
Maiya sighed. Do not disappoint me again. Princess Ira is not nearly as forgiving as I.
Understood, madam Handmaiden, themander replied, a bead of sweat trickling down his brow.
Phew! Think I managed to pull it off, Maiya thought nervously, her eyes darting around the courtyard.
May I lead you to our mercenary visitors?
Yes! Maiya said slightly too excitedly, nearly breaking her act.
No need, a freckled woman with long blonde hair called out from the hallway. She was nked by a male in brown gambeson, and a female wearing a dress.
Maiyas heart pumped so hard, she thought itd burst.
A warrior and a mejai. Where is he where is he where is he?
The armored woman strode up to Maiya with the confident steps of someone who always got what she wanted. In her case, that couldnt have been more true.
So youre the one whos bullying my brother.
Maiya wanted to shake the princess and ask her where Vir was, but instead she narrowed her eyes. Ordinarily, Princess Tiyana Matali would be so far above Maiyas station, she wouldnt even dare look her in the eye, let alone address her.
Now, though, Maiya wasnt merely Maiya. She was a royal handmaiden and a direct representative of Princess Ira. Shed been given nearly all of Iras authority, and her words carried royal weight. Still, to the princess, she was a lowlymoner.
Which made for a very ufortable situation. She didnt rightly know how to address the princess.
Watch your tongue, mercenary.
Ah, shoot. My Head Handmaiden chalvoice slipped out. Shes gonna hate that.
Tia leveled a death re at Maiya.
Yep. She hates me now. She''s clearly not used to having people boss her around. Well, nothing to do but roll with it, I guess.
You know who I am, Tia said coldly. You dare speak to me that way?
Yes, Im aware youre the leader of a B-ranked Party, Spears Edge. Behind you are your two bodyguards, I presume? Though, you appear to be missing your newest member, a Maiya nearly slipped, but caught herself, an Apramor?
Sadness and rage still filled her head when she recalled the name of her father. The name Vir had used as an alias. For a brief moment, she imagined Hiranyas capital burning to the ground, the knights who killed her family ughtered.
Princess Tiyana took a half step back, and only then did Maiya realize how she mustve looked.
She wiped her emotions, silenced by her professionalism. She had a job to do and errant thoughts of revenge had no ce here.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Please tell me hes here
Have we met? Tia asked, suspicious. Youre awfully well informed.
Cmon, just tell me where he is!
I dont believe we have. She posed her question again. Id expected a party of four. Is your fourth missing?
He had matters to attend to, Tia replied, He will not be joining us.
Maiya stared nkly for a second. Then two.
Is something the matter? Haymi asked when the silence grew awkward. I can assure you we are quite capable as a party of three.
No, nothing. I feel as though we got off on the wrong foot. You may call me Maiya.
Tia. And were not done here. If you think you can strongarm me and my brother into
How about we have this conversation elsewhere? I do not wish to sow discord among the ranks, and I believe you also have cause to appreciate a degree of privacy?
Thest thing Maiya wanted was to talk to the princess right now. She wanted to be alone, so she could hole up in a corner and cry. Of course, she let none of her emotions show.
Tia bit her lip and nodded. Her bodyguards averted their eyes.
Good. Then you can apany me as I make the rounds. Commander, er Maiya said, looking at the still-bowing Garrisonmander.
I am Rohin, madam.
Commander Rohin. As you were. You are well versed in what is toe, yes?
Thats correct, madam. This isnt the first time weve had some special guests over.
Princess Tiyana frowned in confusion but kept her silence.
Good, Maiya replied. Carry on with your business. If I find any issues with the garrison, Ill find you.
As you wish, madam Handmaiden. Commander Rohin retreated with his guards, leaving Maiya alone with Spears Edge.
Walk with me, Maiya said curtly.
You know exactly who I am, so drop the attitude, Tia replied. You will treat me with the full respect I am due.
Ugh. This is gonna suck. Why did I even go through all that effort, if this is how things were gonna turn out?
Whatever excitement Maiya had about this opportunity evaporated the moment she learned Vir wasnt present.
Of course, Maiya said, doing her best to humor the princess. I am happy to afford you the respect you deserve, so long as you reciprocate.
See, I try to do right by my friends. Ask these two; they''ll attest to that. Just, I have a thing against people who ckmail me. You want my respect? Then you shouldn''t have manipted my brother.
Maiya turned abruptly, bringing her face within inches of Tiyanas.
Tiyana held her ground.
Maiya couldn''t let this go on. Tiyana had to recognize Maiya as her superior in this engagement. Anything less, and Maiya would have a prana mine on her hands.
Tell me, Princess Tiyana Matali, what respect is that, hmm? Your country is in shambles. It may fall any day now, and if it does, who will your brothere running to for help? Who will restore order when chaos breaks and crime runs rampant in your streets?
Tia red.
Us. Kinjal. The most powerful empire in the realm. And you Look at you. Youre a princess in name only, adventuring like somemoner. Arent you ashamed of yourself? I am, just looking at you. Youre a failure, Tiyana. A reject. You want my respect? Earn it.
This is so bad. Im gonna die.
Tiyanas mouth opened and closed, but she said nothing, backing away slowly, keeping her eyes locked on Maiyas.
Ill remember this, she said softly.
Maiya sighed internally. She was seriously about to punch me.
If Tiyana did punch her, shed of course defend, but then what? Despite her words, Maiya couldnty a hand on a princess, broken kingdom or not. She couldnt really even order her around, which was why shed yed up her Head Handmaiden attitude so much. It gave her authority even when she had none.
Still, that didn''t mean Tia couldn''t make her life miserable. Maiya would bet good money the princess would do something stupid to strike back at her somehow.
I''m definitely gonna pay for that at some point.
Erm, apologies, madam handmaiden, the mejaiHaymisaid, speaking up for the first time. We fully intend to help and abide by your orders.
The princess shot her mejai a re, but she ignored it.
Id appreciate that, Haymi, Maiya said, earning a surprised look from the mejai.
You know my name?
Of course, Maiya said simply. What of it?
No, just I didnt expect someone of your station to memorize a mere bodyguards name.
So are we expecting trouble? Tiyana asked. Or is all this just for the sake of appearances?
Maiya didnt answer immediately, leading them down a hallway. One benefit of Kinjal utilitarian design was that all their garrisons shared identical floor ns, making them easy to navigate.
A bit of both. Were expecting a raid tonight.
Whos attacking?
Nobodys attacking, per se.
How am I supposed to exin this?
Maiya hade up with a n beforehand, but with Tiyana being how she was, Maiya doubted shed ept it so easily.
Maiya led them to a guard room, where she introduced herself to the jailors.
Show them to me, she said.
Show what? Princess Tiyana asked, growing confused. Why am I even here? Whats going on?
The door opened, and even before Maiya spied them, she knew itd be bad.
The putrid stench forced her to cover her nose. It was the smell of unwashed bodies and feces.
More than twenty demons sat shackled on the cold stone, the light all but gone from their eyes. There were two-armed demons, four-armed demons, red demons, and one gray demon among them.
Maiyas heart bled.
How could they do this
This wasnt the first demon jail shed seen, of course, but it never got any easier. Every bit of her urged her tomand the guards to unbind them, to set them free. She wanted to cry.
But anger suppressed her tears. This was the true face of the world. The dark, dirty side everyone pretended didnt exist. More demons existed than people knew. Kingdoms and Empires just did a good job of keeping them hidden.
Disgusting.
This was what Princess Ira was trying to change. Maybe this was the real reason the princess had assigned her here. To get her to hate the status quo so much that she made Iras mission her own.
If so, itd worked. Maiya raged at thoseplicit in these crimes.
Disgusting, Princess Tiyana said from beside her, and Maiya''s rage burned no less brightly.
She feels the same! Maiya thought. Maybe shes really not as bad as I thought?
Why havent you ughtered these demons already? Why do you keep this filth alive?
Maiyas hope doused the moment itd been lit.
Or are the Kin''jal merely squeamish? Allow me in there. I''ll eradicate them myself.
Figures. But I have my part to y. I hate you, Ira.
You are shortsighted for a princess. It would be so easy to kill them, wouldnt it? To dump them in a hole and burn their bodies? But what would this do to the other demons? The radical ones who ravage yournds? Would they not redouble their efforts?
Tia glowered. An unnecessary concern. We can handle them. Weve suppressed those terrorists for centuries already. Whats a few more suicidal maniacs to eradicate?
Kinjal does not see it that way. Tonight, raiders from the Pagan Order will arrive at this Garrison to break these prisoners free. We will let them.
Tia whirled. Tell me why I shouldnt spear your gut right this instant? Thats treason, handmaiden.
In fact, these are my orders. Orders that apply to you, as well. You are to put up a fight, yes. But when ordered, you will stand down. Is that understood?
Tia red at Maiya, saying nothing, but Maiya calmly shifted her eyes to a more reasonable target.
Didnt you just say you would cooperate? Maiya asked Haymi, giving her a pointed look. Am I to believe that was a lie?
No, of course. We will obey your orders, handmaiden. Wont we, Tia?
You want the Pagan Order to eliminate them, is that it? You cant even do your own dirty work.
Maiya nodded. It is more efficient to have those zealots dispose of the demons. That is all. Why waste our resources when another country will dly do it for us?
Let me make one thing abundantly clear. I dislike you, Maiya, Tia replied. And I dislike this n. Were it up to me, I''d have killed them all already. When I see those demons, I see killers. Murderers, who don''t think twice about ending the lives of women and children. Better to kill them now than take risks.
Are you saying you refuse to cooperate?
Oh, Ill cooperate, but only within reason. Only for my brothers sake. And I make no promises that no demons will die on this night.
Tia''s expression supported her words. This was her ultimatum.
Guess that''s about all I''ll get from her, Maiya thought, sighing mentally. Locking Tia up in a cell would be a politically disastrous move, so Maiya would simply have to control the damage as best she could.
When shed coerced Prince Erhan to send help, shed had him promise to send Tia. For one, it was a bigger askand thus more of a show of Kinjal forcebut it had been an unnecessary risk. The real reason she did it was to get Vir to a location and time of her choosing. Over the past months, shed followed his trail, but shed always remained one step behind. Always missing him.
She''d of course tried getting the Brotherhood to ry a meeting ce and time, but they''d refused every time, just as they had at Daha. The Dahan Executor hadn''t been lying when he''d said he had done Vir a favor by rying his note to her. Owing to privacy and security concerns, they explicitly refused to y the part of courier. Maiya felt the Brotherhood''s obsession with secrecy bordered on paranoia, but then again, they''d ousted most governments. Who was she toment?
When Princess Ira had dumped this Matali mission on her, Maiya saw an opportunity and had quickly devised a n. At first, she''d thought about simply asking Erhan to put her in touch with Tia, and thus Vir, but for the Princess'' personal agent to do such a thing would be suspicious. So she''d disguised her personal desire with a professional one. The hardest parts had gone off without a hitch, too.
Ash damn it, Vir! Whyd you have to stay behind!
She wanted to rage at her friend. Maybe shake his shoulders and shout at him. Virs presence would have offset the significant downside of this nTiyana herself.
When Erhan had confided that he''d issued a gag order around Tiyana with respect to the Pagan Order''s true nature, Maiya had dreaded being unable to keep the princess under control. She figured she could rely on Vir to help keep her in check.
That is all I ask, Maiya said, wondering at Tias words. Could she really hold the reins of this notoriously bullheaded princess?
A guard rushed up to them, breathless. Madam handmaiden, Commander Rohin has deployed our Acira. Its raiders, ma''am! Were under attack!
Maiya smiled. Then let us be gracious hosts and put on a good show, shall we?
Her true test began now.
Chapter 136: Counterstrike
Chapter 136: Counterstrike
We have iing! Badal shouted over the wind as they soared above Kinjal territory. Clouds obscured the moonlight, darkening their surroundings, and Vir wondered how the pilot flew the Acira without Prana Vision.
Whats wrong? Vir asked.
Aciras on our tail.
Kinjal?
Likely.
Why? I thought you said they were expecting us.
They are! Doesnt mean they wont pick off as many of us as they can.
Great.
Vir supposed it made sense. Kinjal had to have a usible alibi in case they ever got k for allowing the Order to steal their demon prisoners. If they injure or kill some raiders, they can at least im they did everything they could.
The raiders had stopped only twice on their way to Kin''jal. Once, for rest, and the second to obtain precharged magic orbs from their agents. Though none of the raiders were mejai, anyone could activate C Grade precharged orbs. Just that it was impossible to precharge an orb in the Pagan Order, so they''d had tond in Rani to collect them.
Kinjalbat air patrols operate in groups of three! Badal yelled above the wind. Keep your eyes peeled. Were moving to engage.
Engage? How?
As far as Vir knew, Aciracked offensive capabilities of any kind, and none of the Order raiders were mejai.
Badal retrieved a crossbow from a holster down by his ankles. Can you use one of these?
Vir nodded. Riyan had trained him in a variety of weapons. While hed spent little time on bows, crossbows were far easier to operate.
Badal handed Vir the weapon and retrieved another, which he loaded up.
Fire on my mark. Aim to harass, not kill.
Vir kept his eyes peeled for any sign of other Acira, but all he saw were the ones behind himthe other Pagan Order Acira.
It was only when Arc, Ember, and Wind de spells hurled from the clouds and the pilot threw the avian beast into a dive that Vir spied them. Though Prana Visions resolution was poor at long distances, Acira wererge beasts. The signature grew brighter and brighter as they approached, and Vir locked on with his crossbows sights.
Vir dug his boots into his stirrups as their Acira rolled to avoid their enemys spells. It wasnt just them, eitherseveral Acira dove, while the ones not being targeted climbed, seeking higher vantages from which to bombard the enemy.
The pilot juked the beast, narrowly dodging an Ember spell. An enemy Acira emerged from the clouds on a collision course.
Were going to crash! Vir yelled.
We wont. Hold your fire, Badal ordered.
Vir couldnt have shot even if he wanted to. Maintaining a lock on another moving target proved far more difficult than Vir imagined. Though he tried topensate for the movement of their Acira, his aim was thrown off whenever the beast pped its great wings, buffeting the riders.
The enemy drew closer, and Vir braced for a midair collision. Even if he had to bail, Light Step would soften his blow. Hed grab Badal before jumping off, but the pilot would have to fend for himself.
Vir made to unhitch himself when a rain of arrows descended upon their enemy like a cloud, forcing the opposing Acira to spiral into a dive.
Brace yourselves! the pilot shouted, diving after them without even a moments pause.
Their Acira folded its wings, plummeting at an incredible rate that made Virs dinner threaten toe back up. Never in his life did he imagine a beast traveling so fast. The wind, which was loud before, deafened him, blowing his cheeks back, and it took all he had just to keep his eyes open.
No wonder the pilots wearing goggles.
It was terrifying but if he was honest, also a little fun.
He really knows what hes doing, Vir thought with a pang of envy. He wanted to be the one executing death-defying stunts in midair.
A wild grin crept up on his face, and Vir thought he could get used to the thrill of flight.
Their enemy, perhaps assuming the Order demons werent that crazy, opted for a saner, safer dive. The distance between them rapidly closed, as did the ground, which rushed up under them. Vir didnt think theyd catch their prey before they crashed.
Fire! Badal ordered, and Vir immediatelyplied.
Badals crossbow bolt shot forth, but ast-minute juke by the opponents pilot set it sailing harmlessly by.
Virs aim, however, was true, and his bolt sank into the rump of the Acira. His attack was followed by four more bolts from the others, one of which clipped the beasts wing, causing it to screech in pain and abort its dive.
Were you aiming to hit its vitals? Badal asked, panicking slightly.
Definitely not. I just cant aim that well when were moving so fast.
The demon nodded. It should be fine. This one is retreating. Two more to go.
An Acira tumbled from the sky, and Vir watched with horror as it plummeted lower and lower and crashed with a sickening thud.
Badal looked on with concern, worrying it might have been an enemy Acira.
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It was worseitd been one of theirs.
Ally down. Descend and secure a perimeter! Badal ordered the pilot, signaling nearby Acira to do the same. Were going in.
With two enemies still in the air, half the Order Acira remained airborne to pursue them. The Order had the benefit of numbers, but Kinjal had mejai aboard, forcing the Order to mind where they shot, lest theynd a lethal blow.
It was the only reason the Kinjal Acira even stood a chance. They knew the Order wouldnt harm them.
The Aciras dead, Vir shouted as they descended. Prana Vision showed no life at all from the beast. Too far to tell if anyones still alive.
Vir unhitched and jumped off, Light Stepping to absorb his impact before Leaping to their downed ally.
It was a gruesome sight. The Aciras head had hit the ground first, and its neck was clearly broken. Ity upside down, pinning the Order demons under it.
Theyre alive! Vir thought, rushing up to them. Alive, but unconscious. He couldnt be sure how bad their injuries were until theyd been freed, but Vir didnt worry himself with things he couldnt control. Instead, he got to work, cutting the rope that bound the riders to their dead beast.
Badalnded and came running over. Vir hailed him, but stopped when he saw a jet of red fall from the sky.
Badal, dodge! Vir roared, pointing up.
Badal reacted instantly, hurling himself aside and diving into a roll, just as the Ember spellnded, setting the tall reeds nearby aze.
Vir pushed against the Acira with all the force he could muster, even Empowering his arms and using Leap, but the beast simply wouldnt budge. Vir could hardly believe such a heavy animal could lift itself off the ground.
A rod of ice plunged into the ground a few paces away, forcing Vir to scan the skies for more.
The Ember spell from earlier acted like a beacon, lighting up the downed Acira, and more Ember and Icicle spells quickly rained down. Whoever the Kinjal pilot was, he was doing a great job of avoiding the dozen Order Acira who heckled him, providing his mejai ample opportunity to rain fire on them from above.
Ice and Fire magic not only had the longest range of the orb-based affinities. When fired this way, they could beunched from miles above. Gravity pulled them down, drastically boosting their range.
Only the mist that nketed the ground helped to shroud them, but with fire zing, that advantage was lost.
Help me push it off, Vir shouted as Badal finally arrived at his position, hunkering next to the Acira and putting a finger to each of the downed demons necks.
The pilots dead. The other rider is still alive, but barely. He will not survive long.
One by one, Order Acira touched down, dropping off more raiders before immediately taking off, though Vir barely noticed. There was something about Badals tone that knotted him with worry.
Vir stared at the gray demon. What are you saying? We can save him!
Badal returned Virs gaze. It''s too dangerous. We have only a small handful of precharged healing orbs. If we use it now... That''s assuming we can push the Acira off of him.
No way. Just because they didnt have healing magic?
Youre not even going to try to save him?
An Ember spell crashed into the ground, just a single pace away from another Acira as it dropped off a demon. The Acira panicked, veering to the side, but the pilot took to the air just in time, aborting hisnding.
Look around you. This is a battlefield.
Thats
Badal grasped Virs shoulder. It is amanders duty to make the tough choices. To decide who lives and who must die. My duty, and I do not bear it lightly.
You''re not even trying! Vir shouted, panicking. Every second they wasted, the trapped demon inched closer to death.
He''s wrong. It''s not toote, Badal. We just need a few people!
How many lives would you have me risk to save a brother with a mortal wound?
Vir bit his lip. He had no response to that.
Do you think I want this? Badal roared, breaking his calm mask. Vir knew then that he''d been wrong. Badal did care. He just never let it show.
I want nothing more than to return home with all those brave souls who left. But war doesn''t care about our feelings! It doesn''t care whose lives it reaps, or why. That''s my job. It''s up to me to minimize death wherever I can. Badal took a breath, then continued in a lower voice. I swear to you, his sacrifice will be remembered.
Order Acira were already taking to the skies, narrowly avoiding bombardment spells that continued to rain from above.
Vir turned away. Fine. I''ll get him out. If I do, can you have a healing orb on standby?
Badal hesitated, then nodded. But be quick about it. We''re sitting ducks against this bombardment.
That was all Vir needed to hear. Vir brought his katar to bear and cut off the straps securing the stuck demon''s armor, letting it fall free. Then he activated Dance of the Shadow Demon, sinking into a shadow beside him and pulling the demon down with him. The only reason this worked was thanks to the demon''s diminutive size, just about Vir''s equal. Without his armor, he fit... barely.
Vir exited from the shadow of Badal''s Acira. The demon raised a brow at Vir''s ability, but asked no questions. Instead, two Order healers hauled the injured demon onto their Acira and took off.
They''ll treat him in the air. Too risky down here, Badal said, before bringing a whistle to his mouth and blowing three times, piercing the night with a high-pitched screech.
An Acira descended momentster through the mist, and Badal scrambled on the instant it touched the ground, retrieving a crossbow.
Forgive me, brother. We cannot retrieve your body, he whispered, before firing it at the dead demon.
Badal then withdrew an arrow that had been dipped in oil and mounted it onto his crossbow. Striking it with some fire steel, he lit it aze, then fired at the grass next to the dead Acira.
Vir Leaped aboard, barely staying on his saddle as the Acira took off. The fire spread wildly, quickly enveloping the Acira in a ring.
A necessary evil, to ensure the Kin''jals don''t find his body, Badal said softly.
The aerial bombardment broke off as both Kinjal Aciranded near the one Badal had just abandoned, careful to stay out of range of the fire.
Ordinarily, it would be a supremely foolish tactical decision tond when their enemies circled the skies in such numbers, but the Kinjals knew they wouldnt be touched.
Lets go, Badal said softly.
The Order Aciras rejoined their V formation, this time with one fewer Acira to their number.
So this is what war looks like, Vir thought as they flew the rest of the way, his mind lingering on the demon theyd nearly abandoned. Tough choices indeed. Could I ever make such a hard call so easily?
Vir wondered what thoughts ran through Badals mind. Did he grieve for his fallen friends? Or had he done this so many times that it no longer bothered him?
We have arrived, Badal called, ordering the pilot to set the Acira down. Theyer of mist from earlier covered the ground here as well, reducing visibility to near-nothingness. Perfect conditions for approaching unseen.
The great beast beat the wind and touched down in the golden ins that ringed the garrison fortress. Theynded out of sight, but not so far that the demons would be unable to reach it.
Best of luck, brothers, the pilot said, sping Vir and Badals arms before they debarked.
And to you, Vir murmured back.
Then the others arrived.
Vir heard the raiding force before he saw them; the sound of dozens of Aciras wings beating heavily to slow their speed was truly something to behold.
The force was so great, they dispersed the mist, creating a small pocket of visibility.
Vir had expected them tond, but none did. Their warriors jumped off when they were a few paces off the ground, reminding Vir of the Altani elite soldiers whod rappelled off their skyships in Daha.
Whod win, I wonder. The Orders Demons? Or the Altani?
He didnt need to think long. While demons possessed superior physiques to humans, the Altanis mejai advantage was insurmountable. Vir hoped the Order never went to war with them.
Or Kinjal, Vir thought, sneaking a nce at the castle. The Brian Warriors sheer numbers would overwhelm the Order in an instant.
Any concerns, raise them now, Badal said, addressing his troops.
Silence was their only reply.
Then you have your missions. Execute.
The Balindam and Tash squads broke off without a word, disappearing into the mist like ghosts.
That just leaves us, Badal said. You have free reign on this one, Vir. Show us what you can do.
I will.
Vir wasnt flustered. The opposite, in fact. It was night. The ground was rich with prana and he was acting alone on a mission to save innocent demons.
An inner warmth filled him, like an untameable fire that burned with confidence and hope.
A wraith of the night, Vir Leaped into the mist, disappearing from sight and sound. Aboard the Acira, hed been a useless bystander. But as a demon of shadows, this was his element.
Lets go save some lives.
Chapter 137: The Raid
Chapter 137: The Raid
What would you suggest we do, madam? Garrison Commander Rohin asked, head bowed deferentially.
Dont ask me! Thats your job, isnt it?
Only through pure strength of will did Maiya suppress the sigh she wanted to let out so badly. It had been this way ever since the raid began. Her presence seemed to have turned this veteranmander into a meek man-child incapable of making decisions.
Commander Rohin. I am but an observer, here to inspect the garrison and ensure Kinjals interests are met. Nothing more. You are still inmand. What would you suggest we do?
In fact, Maiya would ordinarily only have been here to keep an eye on the situation and ensure that any Order raider casualties were disposed of swiftly and without prying eyes intervening. The Order generally took care to retrieve their dead, but sometimes they needed a little help. Plus, she figured that Tiyana would need some supervision.
Understood, madam. I simply thought someone of your position would want to take control more directly.
I really dont! Stop pestering me!
Give me your assessment of the current situation, Maiya replied.
The raiders have attacked the garrison from three of its four cardinal entrances. West. South. East. Our forces are holding up well, slowing their progress.
Casualties thus far? Maiya asked, though she already knew. Runners had been reporting every minute on the current situation.
No deaths, only minor injuries. The raiders have been careful to ensure minimal casualties. They disengage quickly and avoid conflict where possible.
Just then, another runner arrived to make his report.
Sir, madam, report. East wing, were holding ground. Nothing amiss. Shall I ry new orders?
Oh great. Here ites.
Madam Handmaiden, Commander Rohin began, what would you do in this situation?
I think this is your decision to make,mander, but if you must know, I would reallocate some troops from the eastern wing to the west.
True, the western wing is falling a bit too quickly, dont you think? Very well. Ry orders to have six troops relocate from the east to the west.
Of course, Commander Rohin didn''t have an inkling as to the Order''s true nature, but he did know that Kin''jal was offloading ves to them. As did most in the garrison who''d worked here long enough. That part was a bit of an open secret.
Yessir! the Brian runner said, forming a fist to his chest in salute before running off as another runner took his ce.
Sir, madam. Report from the southern nk. Im pleased to say weve nearly driven off the invaders.
Both Maiya and Rohin furrowed their brows.
How are they being driven off? We left a skeleton crew there. Even with Spears Edge, they shouldnt be able to aplish such a feat. At best, I expected them to slowly give ground.
Got a bad feeling about this Maiya thought, thinking of a certain blonde princess.
Yes, sir. Tia and Spears Edge have sessfully driven them off. She personally injured a half dozen invaders. After that, they seem to have abandoned their attack, instead focusing on the other wings.
Madam, I thought youd instructed Spears Edge on this
Oh, believe me, I did, Maiya replied, grinding her teeth. She didnt even have to feign her anger this time. That princess really knows how to get on peoples nerves, doesnt she?
I will deal with this myself, she said, storming out of themand room.
Swiftly navigating the halls, it took her less than a minute to arrive at the scene.
Injured Order raiders nursed their wounds while theirrades shielded them from her attacks.
Tia fought recklessly. Her attacks were swift and brutal, and her party stood well back.
Tia! Maiya shouted, but the princess didnt respond. She''d been ignored.
Im sorry, Haymi said, running up to Maiya.
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You were supposed to keep her in check.
We tried to stop her. We really did. She always gets hotheaded when ites to demons.
Is it the demons? Or is it me? Maiya asked, but the mejai didn''t reply.
Nobody keeps our princess in check when she gets hotheaded like this, Im afraid, Vason replied. Not unless we outright attack her. Were bound by an oath, Im afraid. Cant exactly cross des with our liege, either.
If I restrain her, will you interfere?
Haymi and Vason shook her heads.
Then stay back and instruct any Brian Guards whoe this way to divert to one of the other wings.
Maiya didnt bother pulling punches. She opened with an Icicle spell aimed directly at Tias cuirass.
The spellnded, and while Tias armor bore the brunt of the impact, Tia fell face-first.
Leave us until I have this sorted, Maiya said, addressing the man who looked to be the raider leader. Take your injured with you.
The leader nodded to the others and they broke off the attack, retreating away with their injured.
Tiyana Matali! Stand. Down.
Tia rose to her feet, ring at Maiya. Maiya walked up to her, putting herself in the middle of the princess vision.
I gave you an order, Tia.
Oh, right! You did, didn''t you? Well, what can I say? They attacked me first! It was self-defense. What would you have me do? Roll over and die?
Ahhhh shes insufferable! She''s just doing this to piss me off, isn''t she? She''s not used to being ordered around, and she''s trying to get back at me for it. Vir, why in the realms did you join a party with her at the helm!? Wait. No.
A sudden fear shed across Maiyas mind. Does he like her?
Vir had never shown much of an interest in Maiya, and to be honest, neither had she. Not really. Theyd never seen each other that way. It was his business to like whoever he wanted. Just
A knot formed in Maiyas chest as her thoughts ran rampant.
Why her? Whats she got that I dont?
Well? You gonna stand in my way all day? Tia asked, breaking her out of her reverie.
Grak it, why am I even worrying about this? And now, of all times?
Yet try as she might, she couldnt squash the feeling. Like she was about to lose something terribly precious.
You said youd cooperate, Maiya said softly, before firming her tone. You dont seem to understand your position here, princess. A word from me to Princess Ira, and I can make your brothers life such a nightmare, hell be begging to fling himself into the Ash. I can easily send your countrymen into poverty. I can bankrupt your coffers and cripple your economy. Do you really want to make an enemy out of me?
Maiya could do none of those things, of course, but Tia didnt know that.
Sure, sure. What do you want me to do?
Go protect Commander Rohin.
I doubt hes in need of any protection, with all the Brian Warriors youve posted there.
I didnt ask, Maiya said, fed up with the spoiled brat. Tiyana Matali truly was a princess in every sense of the word, except for the one that mattered.
Shes nothing at all like Ira Maiya thought as Tiyana spun on her heel and stormed away.
Maiya sought the west wing. Having just received reinforcements from the east, the soldiers were actually pushing the invaders back, though theyd retreated far enough to yield several jail cells to the raiders, who worked swiftly to break the prisoners free while their frontline warriors fought valiantly.
She paused, taking a moment to appreciate the Pagan Order warriors form. Where the Kinjali arts were utilitarian in a basic manner, the Order fighters were equally streamlined, just that they used a range of tactics, from firecracker grenades to smoke gas to screeching whistles and even sand.
Vir would get such a kick out of this, she thought.
One-on-one, the Order troops likely held the advantage against the Brian Warriors, a feat few could ever aplish. Moreover, the raiders moved with a beautiful efficiency Maiya had only seen among the Brian Elites. They had done this before, and they were very good at it.
Despite this, their numbers were spread thin to attack three wings. While the raiders goal wasnt to destroy, the jails were distributed evenly throughout thepound. To free all the prisoners, theyd have to prate deeper.
Fully staffed, even Altani forces would have a tough time cracking Garrison Nihira. To have held up so well with a skeleton crew barely a tenth of the norm, it spoke volumes to Kinjal fortifications.
And were not even using the ballistas and traps.
You, you, you, and you! Maiya said, picking out four guards. The southern nk is unattended. I need your help.
As youmand, madam.
The warriors swiftly disengaged and retreated, disappearing through the hall Maiya had arrived in. With a portion of their forces redeployed, the warriors began to give ground to the invaders.
Satisfied with the situation in the eastern wing, Maiya followed her new warriors back to the south, but the Order raiders were nowhere to be seen.
Backtracking, Maiya returned to the central corridor that led to Commander Rohinsmand room. She was halfway back when her ears picked up sounds of conflict nearby.
Odd, she thought. There shouldnt be any raiders this far inside.
Taking a hallway, Maiya followed the sound to its sourcethergest jail room, containing twenty-five demons.
...Just kill them... now. Simple.
Maiya recognized that voice. Tia!
She broke out into a sprint. The sounds grew louder and louder.
Maiya stepped through therge door that led to the guardroom.
Tiyana stood with her spear pointed at a raider Maiya didnt recognize, along with the rest of Spears Edge.
The raider wore a hooded ck cloak that concealed most of his body. Demon prisoners huddled behind him, looking scared and lost. Half had their shackles broken.
Tia must have found him when he was in the middle of breaking them out.
The raider held his weapona katarslightly behind him, as if hiding it.
Foolish, Maiya thought, her gaze passing over his exotic choice of weapon.
Hes facing down three armed opponents and he doesnt even have his guard up. Hes not even in abat stance. Amateur.
Perhaps her impression of the Order raiders being elites was wrong, after all.
Maiyas sudden appearance broke their confrontation, and all parties turned to look. Haymi and Vason both visibly rxed upon seeing Maiya, while Tia Tchd and scowled.
That much was expected. What she hadnt expected was the look of pure shock from the Order raider, who stumbled a step back before righting himself.
Whys he looking at me like that? Is he targeting me?
Maiyas eyes narrowed, and she reached for her dagger then froze.
Her eyes drifted down to the raiders weapon. To the hand holding it. There, on his wrist, he wore a bracelet.
A beaded bracelet that was much too familiar.
Chapter 138: Yesterday’s Friends
Chapter 138: Yesterday¡¯s Friends
For the longest moment, Maiya simply stared. It was akin to walking into ones home and finding a Prana Swarm lurking in the corner. Or an Ash Gate. Or something equally as ridiculous.
How?Why? No. Maybe its a mistake. Maybe its only a bracelet that looks familiar. But look at him! He clearly recognizes me. Those beady eyes of his. It has to be him! Oh, gods. Whats going on?
Maiya struggled to piece the puzzle together. Why was Vir here? How did he end up raiding for the Pagan Order? Why was he helping free demons?
No, its exactly like him to do something like this, isnt it?
Having gained ess to Princess Iras entire intelligencework, Maiya was privy to many secrets. She knew that Ashborn was simply a misnomer for a rare type of demon with gray skin and red eyes. And she understood the true face of the Pagan Order. That they worked to create a sanctuary for demons. Vir was a demon.
They must have offered him a job.
Maiya quickly intuited the series of unfortunate circumstances that led to this moment. The Pagan Order had learned of his nature and divulged their secret. Vir, being the sweet soul he was, couldnt say no to rescuing his fellow demons.
Maiyas gaze turned to one of pity, and Virs to confusion.
What are you doing here, M he began, but Maiya shook her head, hoping against hope Tia didnt notice.
Get the hint! Please get the hint!
Tia? he blurted, pivoting awkwardly.
Oh, no.
Excuse me? How do you know who I am?
Oh, I, uhwell that redhead over there said your name earlier, didnt she?
No, she didnt, Tia said confidently, pointing at Maiya. That insufferable wench didnt say a word.
She certainly didnt, Vason added, growing suspicious. Who are you? I dont recognize your face.
Oh grak. This is my fault, isnt it?
Vir would never have made a mistake like that normally. Her presence would havee as a shock to him.
It''s over, a demon behind Vir said dejectedly. Should''ve figured this was too good to be true.
I can exin Vir said, facing Tia.
Exin how you know my name, Tia said, edging closer to Vir with her spear.
Virs eyes darted between Tia, Haymi, and Maiya.
Tia, Im ordering you back, Maiya said. Step down. Ill handle this.
Grakking Ash I will!Theres something suspicious here and Im not budging until I find out what. You ought to have realized it too. Whats going on? Do you know this man?
Maiyas heart pounded madly in her ears.
Weve never met, Maiya said, leveling her gaze at Vir. Please understand. She hoped her thoughts would reach him.
The look of longing Vir gave her told her they hadnt. She wanted to forget everything and just run over and hug him. But she couldnt. She had a part to y in this.
Im sorry, Vir. I cant help you right now.
I''ve seen you around, Vir said, trying to salvage the situation. Your mercenary exploits have really gotten around.
Oh, well, thanks?
I''m sick of this, a four-armed demon snarled from behind Vir. I don''t care if it kills me. I''ll fight my way out.
Stop! Vir shouted, restraining the demon. Don''t resist. We don''t have to
Apra!? Tia said suddenly. That katar. Is that you?
Vir whirled, his eyes wide, instinctively moving his katar behind him.
Haymi, Vason, that''s the katar we bought him, isn''t it?
Er, I dunno, Tia? Vason said, scratching his nose. Might just be a simr one.
Y-yeah! Haymi squeaked. I''m sure it''s a different one.
Okay, Vason''s one thing, but Haymi? You''re a terrible liar. You two know something, I don''t, don''t you?
No! It''s not like
Tia extended her spear to Vir. What are you doing with our friend''s katar? Either you''re Apra in disguise, or you stole that weapon from him. Or worse. Because I know he''d never sell it. If you''re not him, I''ll be retrieving that weapon.
She might be a chal, but she''s pretty perceptive, Maiya thought. Doesn''t look like he''ll be able to talk his way out of this.
Vir deted, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse. You''re right. Tia. Its me. Its Apramor.
Uh, nice disguise, there, Apra! You sure fooled me, she said. Even to Maiya''s ears, her voice sounded put on. As if she''d already known, and was trying to hide it.
Tia turned to the mejai in confusion. You even knew about this? What haven''t you two been telling me?
S-so, er, what are you even doing, Apra? Helping out the Pagan Order? Haymi nervously nced away.
Thank you, Haymi! Maiya thought. The question had been at the tip of her tongue, but she couldnt have asked it without appearing suspicious.
The Pagan Order!? a four-armed demon behind Vir shouted. Youre with the Order?
Maiya felt Virs panic.
Did I ever say that? Vir shouted back. You need to trust me.
Trust you? A demon woman spat. Why would we take a risk like that? Ill not die at the hands of those Order maniacs. If you wish to kill us, do it here and now, that I may meet my end with some dignity.
The woman was so emaciated, Maiya wondered how she was still alive. And yet, she spoke with iron resolve.
Even if you are telling the truth, how will you free us against so many? an elderly demon said. That woman is out for blood.
Give me a reason, Tia said, addressing the old man. Just give me a reason to end you. Go on. Keep talking.
Both Vir and Maiya cringed at her words. It was no secret that Tia loathed demons. But to know about her prejudice and experience it firsthand were two different things entirely.
Tia... Vir said pleadingly.
Sorry, Apra. So this was the contract those zealots heaped on you, Tia said. Gotta say, I never thought you''d ept a mission like this. I avoided demon subjugation contracts as a favor to you, y''know? We should talk about taking some on when you''re done.
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Whys she saying these things? Why would Vir ever harm No.
Understanding dawned upon Maiya.
She doesnt know Virs a demon! Oh, no. Vir, youve gotten yourself into a fine mess, havent you?
Vir remained silent, which was likely the best thing he couldve done. Unfortunately, Tias next words ruined everything.
I''ve... made things difficult for you, haven''t I? Tia said, frowning. You need to take those demons back to the Order, but that''s gonna be tough at this point. Why dont we just kill them here and give them the bodies? Safer for you, too.
Dont lose it, Vir. Stay calm. Peace.
Maiya could scarcely listen to Tias words. They sounded like a joke. Like dark sarcasm. Except, they werent. From her expression to the way she shivered and held her spear with white knuckles, the princess radiated pure, unfiltered loathing. She would kill those demons without blinking an eye, and shed sleep peacefully after, thinking shed done the world a great service.
Vir asked. I never knew you to be this callous, Tia.
Tia looked confused. You know how dangerous these things can be. What if they escape on the way back? Can you guarantee they won''t harm another human? I''m not being callous. I''m being rational. There''s no reason to leave them alive, and every reason not to. Less hassle than taking them back, right? Why are you
That''s enough, Tia, Maiyamanded. Allow him to take them.
This is a private conversation. Don''t get in my way.
That''s not how this works, Tia. You
I''ve put up with quite enough of you tonight, handmaid, Tia said, speaking over Maiya. If you intervene, or if those Brian Guards outside get in my way, therell be war between our countries. Are you willing to start a war, little bandy?
This grakking chal!
It was a bluff. It had to be a bluff. But it was one Maiya didnt dare call. She had no authority tono right. It mattered little; Maiya would not be the tinder that ignited a war between two nations.
Stay! Good. Keep that up and I might even throw you a treat!"
Vir jerked. It was such a subtle thing that would have gone unnoticed if Maiya hadnt known him so well.
Hes furious. But not for himself. For me. He wants to hurt her.
Vir might have grown stronger since they parted, but Maiya knew. He was still the same soul. The same kind of person who cared more than he should.
C-Countries? Vir said, stuttering. Not out of cowardice, but indignant anger.
Sorry, Apra. Shes just some chal whose head has grown too big for her shoulders. You neednt bother with her.
Virs breaths camebored. Maiya could see it even standing a dozen paces away.
No way those demonsll follow him if he admits hes here to kill them.
Hell have to give up ande back some other time. Right. Thats what hell do
So? Any objections? Tia asked. Let''s take them out together.
Like grak, you will! the four-armed demon said, squaring off against Tiyana with two other demons whose shackles had been broken.
I was hoping you''d say that, Tia said, moving far faster than Maiya had thought her slim frame could muster.
ng!
It was not the sound of metal piercing flesh; metal-on-metal echoed through the room.
What are you doing? Tia asked.
I wont let you kill them, Tia, Vir said softly, standing in her path, having deflected her speartip with his armored bracer.
What''s your n, Vir? As far as Maiya saw it, Vir was stuck between a rock and a hard ce. He''d never let Tia kill them, but if he admitted to working with the Order, he''d lose any chance of escaping with those demons. If he fought Tia, he''d have to incapacitate her to escape. Haymi was currently powering Tia with her magic, and with Prana Vision, Vir would''ve known that. Maiya didn''t know how strong he''d be, but those weren''t good odds, even if Maiya stood aside. Which she wouldn''t, and Vir had to suspect that, too.
Exin to me how its any different, killing them now orter? Or... hang on. Did the Pagan Order say they wouldnt pay you unless you brought them back alive?
Vir narrowed his eyes. Of course, I need them alive! They''re no use to me dead.
Tia rxed visibly.
Well, you should''ve said something earlier! What are they paying you? she asked with a sly grin. I''ll double it. Look, I won''t lie, I''ve never been a fan of this n of hers, Tia said, nodding to Maiya. Sure, I get that the Order''s gonna kill them, but seeing them here, right in front of me? All I see are the faces of my parents'' killers, Apra. Would you feel nothing, were you in my boots?
It''s not that simple, Tia. I have reasons for my actions.
You''re not going to budge, are you? Alright, fine. Do what you want, she said with a sweep of her hand.
Nice acting, Maiya thought. Vir had gotten Tia to stand down without ever admitting he worked for the Order. He''d walked a tightrope... but would the prisoners see it that way?
Vir breathed out, then turned to the demons. Come with me.
Get grakked! a demon raged behind his back.
Anywhere''s better than here! Vir shot back, his face contorted with frustration.
Pagan Order''s worse, a frail elderly demon man croaked.
What''s with that look, demon? Tia said, addressing the four-arm demon who red daggers at her. You''re one of them, aren''t you? You''re one of the ones who wouldn''t bat an eye murdering human children. You want to kill me, don''t you?
Tia approached, hefting her spear.
So his n failed... Maiya thought bitterly. The demons weren''t willing toe along. Short of incapacitating them all and hauling them out, Vir''s options were extremely limited.
Oh, I''d like that, the demon snarled. Juste a little closer so I can break that thin neck of yours.
What are you doing? Vir asked in exasperation. Didn''t you hear her? She''ll let us go! Just calm down.
With pleasure! Tia fired back. But it''ll be your neck, and it''ll be on a pike!
They inched closer. Tia crouched, ready to thrust her spear, while the four-armed demon drew his fist back.
Enough! Vir roared an instant before they attacked. He faced the demons earnestly. Im not here to kill you, alright? I''m here to save you!
Can you prove it? a demon said.
Vir hesitated, ncing at Tia, then firmed his expression, standing tall.
I can, he said. But first, Tia? I want you to know that I''m really sorry about this. Do you trust me, Tia?
Um, that''s a little out of the blue. But yeah, of course, I trust you, Apra.
Vir took a deep breath.
Im a demon, he said softly, turning to the prisoners. You wanted me to prove it? I''m one of you. You keep saying we''re with the Pagan Order, but do you see, now? We''re not with those demon haters, and I''m not here to take you to your executions. I''m here to bring you to safety. A ce where you can lead a better life.
So that''s his angle, Maiya thought bitterly. Truthfully, Vir had few options left. His only other choice was abandoning the prisoners, and Maiya now knew he''d never even consider that.
Tia watched with a bemused expression, assuming Vir was bluffing them.
Wow. This might actually work? Maiya thought. Well done, Vir.
The words of a demon prisoner brought everything crashing down.
Talk is cheap. If you''re wearing a disguise, remove it.
Tia scoffed. Just listen to their entitlement, she spat. What right do they have to make demands of you?
Maiya bit her lip. It wasn''t Tia who''d called his bluff, but the very demons Vir was trying to save. He had no choice now. He''d either have to abandon them, or...
Vir brought a hand to his eyes and removed his lens, then smeared off his makeup, revealing gray skin.
Well? he said tiredly. Do you believe me now?
His only hope now is that Tia stands aside out of respect for their friendship, Maiya thought.
The blonde stared on in shock. This is a joke, right? Tell me this is some sick, twisted joke.
Then, whirling, she red at Vason and Haymi. You knew. You knew! And you kept it from me! she shouted, boiling over with rage.
I know you hate demons, Tia. I know why you hate them. But did I ever tell you what happened to my father? Vir said softly. My father adopted me. He raised me from birth by himself, despite his meager means. He was just a hardworking lumberjack who worked himself to the bone to put food on our table. He''d never harmed a soul.
Vir stared at Tia grimly. Do you know what they did to him?
The princess leveled her spear at Vir, but her hands trembled. Her expression was one of equal parts shock and confusion.
Hiranyan knights murdered him. Right before my eyes. They killed my best friends parents, too.
Maiya twitched, her fingernail digging into her palms.
Humans did this, Vir continued. Knights whose oath is to protect life, not destroy it. So tell me now. Tell me that humans arent evil. Say it to my face. Because isnt this exactly what happened to your own parents? But I dont hate humans like you hate demons. Knights, maybe. But I understand that everyones different. That hating all demons because of the actions of a few is something only an ignorant child would do. I know you, Tia. You''re smarter than that.
Vir swiped Tias spear aside, and Maiyas heart throbbed. Tears welled up in her eyes, but they contained no pity.
You''re one of the few friends I''ve ever had. So I''m asking you to stand aside. I don''t want to fight you, but I will help these demons. Or by Vera, I''ll die trying.
Maiyas chest filled with something warm. Tears flowed freely down her cheek.
Gods, I missed him!
Chapter 139: Today’s Enemies
Chapter 139: Today¡¯s Enemies
Youre not just saving these demons, Princess Tiyana seethed. You''re allowing humans to die because that''s exactly what''ll happen if you free them. I''m sorry, Apra. I''ll not stand aside and watch this tragedy unfold. I was powerless to prevent the deaths of my parents. Never again.
Vir looked shocked. Maiya could practically read his mind because she felt the same.
After hearing all thatafter listening to his storythats what you say!?
What had happened to the princess was cruel, yes, and the demon radicals in Matali were practically savages. Ones that Kinjal had helped groom and foster to ensure permanent infighting within Matalis walls. All to hasten their already-inevitable demise.
It was a despicable strategy, and when Maiya had learned of it, shed nearly retched. Then shed learned the other countries in the Known World were no better, and then shed been depressed for a good while. But not all demons were that way. Wasn''t Vir living proof?
Tia, please. Just stay out of my way. Didnt you promise you would? Are you gonna go back on that now?
I''d like to me you for keeping secrets, but then I''d be a hypocrite, Tia said, ignoring him. Apra, my name is Princess Tiyana Matali. Second to the throne of Matali, and though it tears me, I shall not let you pass.
Virs eyes widened in surprise.
Oh, great. So he didnt know she was a princess, either. Just how dysfunctional is this party?
Princess, huh? I''d figured you for a high-ranking Sawai, but I admit, I didn''t think a princess would ever run around risking her life as a mercenary.
Tiyana leveled her spear in response and rushed forth.
Vir cursed, narrowly deflecting her blow.
The princess didnt stop, attacking him with thrusts faster than what she ought to be capable of.
She moves like that because of her Talent, Haste. But why is Vir being pressured so hard?
Tias attacks were incredibly fast, yes, but Maiya felt even she could deflect them. If so, there was no way Vir would be struggling.
Unless Ive grown stronger than him? No way. That cant be right can it?
True, shed learned the Kinjal Brian arts, and with her magic, she might actually be stronger, though shed always doubted it. It was Vir whod shown her the secrets of prana maniption. He was the one experimenting, pushing the boundaries with magic. She was merely a student, following her instructors advice.
For her to have grown stronger
No! Its not that at all! Maiya realized suddenly. His heart isnt in this. He doesnt want to fight her. Ach, Vir!
Vir hadnt returned a single strike. Not because he was pressured, but because he didnt want to harm Tia.
On the one hand, it was adorable. On the other, Maiya wished hed poke a few holes in her, just to dete that enormous ego.
Its what I would do. Come on, Vir! You just delivered those seric lines! Dont ruin it now!
Youre really going to fight me, Vir said, clearly in denial. Youre willing to kill me?
Tia didn''t reply, instead backing several paces to retrieve a red orb.
Tiyana, dont you dare use Fire magic in here, Maiya shouted. Do you mean to destroy Kinjal property?
Illpensate Kinjal for damages incurred.
A part of Maiyas mind recognized this as advantageous. Perhaps Princess Ira wouldve allowed ithaving Tia in her debt would be more valuable than any property damage incurred.
But Maiya wasnt Ira, and this wasnt eptable.
We will consider this an act of aggression against Kinjal. Fight if you must, but you will do no damage to this garrison. Is that understood?
Tia didnt reply, and Maiya only rxed when the princess pocketed her orb.
Vason, Haymi. Back me up. Haymi, support magic. Now. Vason, pressure him.
Maiya stole a nce at Vir, who stared back, looking like hed been abandoned.
Why aren''t you helping? his expression seemed to say.
Maiya bit her lip and averted her eyes, maintaining her Head Handmaiden chalface.
Fine, Vir spat. If this is how itll be, then Ill do what it takes. Im not leaving without these demons.
Virs words ripped like an arrow through Maiyas heart. For, while hed directed his gaze at Tia, Maiya knew.
Those words were meant for me, too. I gotta say something. I have tothats it!
Vir was embroiled in his fight against Tia, but Maiya spoke loud enough to make herself heard.
The fighters of Saran stick together!
Both Tia and Vir turned. Tia, looking like Maiya had just gone crazy, and Vir, who frowned in confusion.
He didnt get it, did he?
Virs actions were no longer lethargic. Hed made his resolve, and now he put pressure on Tia, Vason, and Haymi at the same time, though he kept stealing expectant nces her way. A detail the princess didnt fail to miss.
Whats wrong? Cant keep your eyes off the redhead? Why dont you keep your eyes on me, instead!
Maiya couldnt keep her lips from turning up.
He certainly has good taste.
Tiaunched a flurry of attacks, hoping to capitalize on Virs distraction, but to no avail.
Vir was a ck blur, moving from enemy to enemy, striking and leaping away before they could engage. Vir had instantly shifted the tide of the battle, but what now? Maiya didnt truly believe hed kill Tia. Nor would she ever allow it.
Winning isnt his goal, though. Hes only trying to get those demons out. The moment they are, hell disengage. I can help with that!
Based on how the battle was going, she doubted itd be resolved anytime soononly Tia was actively trying to harm Vir. Haymi hung back, powering Tias armor and weapon, butunched no offensive magic of her own. Vason stepped in halfheartedly to block strikes, but Maiya could tell the warrior wasnt fighting anywhere near his full potential.
When Maiya slipped out of the room, only Haymi noticed, giving her a slight nod.
Maiya ran the moment she was out, traversing the hallway adjacent to the jail room. This particr room sat at the corner of two hallways, which meant its walls, while thick, werent imprable.
And Maiya had the perfect tool for cutting things. She rounded the bend, only toe face-to-face with Order raiders who stormed down the hall.
Maiya raised her hands. I mean you no harm. We have a bit of a problem. Demons are trapped in the chamber on the other side of this wall and a battle rages there. Do not interfereyoull only make things worse.
What would you suggest? a demon asked.
Thank the gods theyre reasonable. Maiya didnt fail to note the irony of how she was able to negotiate with an enemy more easily than a princess on her own side.
Ill cut open this wall with my magic. Free the prisoners and bring them to safety. Ill ensure no one interferes.
eptable, but please move quickly. We are short on time.
Wow, hes even polite
Maiya produced three precharged C-Grade Wind de orbs and unleashed her magic upon the stone wall.
A half dozen Wind des would ordinarily be sufficient to destroy most stone walls, but of course, Kinjal wallseven internal oneswere far from normal.
Maiya quickly recharged her orbs, taking only a handful of seconds. The sounds of battle could be heard even out here, the sounds of strained shouts apanying the ng of seric and steel.
Come on! Faster!
It took twenty attacks to break the wall open, nearly saturating Maiyas blood.
Go! Hurry!
The order demons snuck through the rectangr hole shed gouged with professional efficiency, surprising her with how effortlessly they maneuvered their bodies through the small space.
Hard to even tell they live in a prana-starvednd. Just goes to show that training can ovee even the worst impediments.
Maiya didnt linger, rushing back to the fight to find itd devolved into a shouting match between Vir and Tia.
They ughtered my parents! Why dont you understand? You cant negotiate with demons! Look at the way that one stares at me! Hed kill me now if he could.
Youre ash-damned right I would! a four-armed demon said from behind Vir.
Youre not helping! Vir snapped.
Tia swept low, and Vir jumped to avoid it. Using the opportunity, she thrust, catching Vir in the chest with a magically enhanced attack.
His seric armor protected him, but Vir was thrown t on his back. Tia brought her spear down to skewer him, but he sunk into the shadows before he could.
Tia, I get it. Demons did horrible things to you, Vir said from an unknown location, his voiceing through distorted. It took a few seconds for Maiya to find his upper body popping out from behind Haymis shadow.
Where are you? Come and fight! Wheres your honor?
Maiya kept shifting her attention between the battle and the escaping prisoners. Come on. Come on. Just a little longer!
I dont know what theyre like in Matali, but they sound pretty bad. Look at me, though. Am I that kind of person?
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I dont know what you are! Tell me true, Apramor! Was everything we had a lie? Tia seethed. I was going to tell you I was a princess, yknow? Someday. But you? You never even nned on revealing your secret, did you? Youd have kept us in the dark,ughing at my human stupidity all the while.
I was about to tell you after we met! But then you had to go and say you hated demons. Id have to be daft to tell you after hearing that. Who in their right mind would?
Someone with backbone, at least. Coward!
Tia finally found Virs hiding spot, but her attack found only cold stone; hed disappeared again.
No! Tia shrieked, making Haymi flinch.
Erm, Tia?
What?
You might not want to hear this, but those prisoners? Theyre, um, gone.
Tia whirled in horror. Where there had once been a prison filled with shackled demons, now there were none.
Tias face warped. You did this! she screamed, pointing at Maiya.
Are you using a Kinjal Royal Handmaiden of treason? Maiya said calmly. I do hope you have ample evidence to back such nderous ims.
Ha! Take that, you little brat.
Panic shed across the princess face, but she immediately turned to Vir. Im gonna make you pay.
Tia redoubled her attacks,ing at Vir with everything she had. Vir matched her blow for blow, and the situation devolved rapidly.
Hed improved more than shed imagined. His blows were heavy and fast, and whenever Tia countered, hed slip into the shadows.
Why isnt he breaking off? The demons are gone!
They were lost in their own world, exchanging blows, shouting insults at each other. Even their verbal battle had broken down into something more fitting for children than fully grown warriors.
Why wont you just stop!
Im gonna kill you, filthy demon!
You couldnt kill me if you tried, Tia.
Shut up, chal!
Maiya cringed. This is so embarrassing.
Haymi and Vason apparently felt the samethe warrior wasnt even interfering anymore.
Then it happened.
Tia deflected Virs katar and feigned a retreat. Vir pursued, and Tia reversed course, driving her spear forth. It found the small gap in Virs armor between his leg and torso, and prated, plunging deep into his abdomen.
Vir roared in pain, and the room froze.
Maiya expected Virs injury to force him to retreat. But instead, his anger redoubled. He drew back his katar, and Maiya could almost feel his bloodlust.
If Maiya was honest, she''d sleep alright at night even if Tia died here. She''d be happy to stand aside and let it happen.
But there were two reasons why she couldn''t. For one, she knew Vir would never live down the guilt of having acted in rage. Whether justified or not, he''d feel like he''d done something wrong.
The other, more pressing concern was that if Maiya allowed Princess Tiyana to be injured here, it may very well spark an international incident. It could very well undo Kin''jal''s ns for Matali, turning them from a pawn into an enemy. Moreover, it would thwart Princess Ira''s efforts.
Not happening.
Maiya rushed in, shielding the princess with her body and deflecting his katar with her daggerat least, it should have deflected it. But this was no ordinary attack. Empowered by some invisible Talent, Virs katar sliced her dagger in two.
Where did he learn that!? Hes way too strong. I cant stop it!
Time seemed to slow as Maiya watched the de touch her armorand then effortlessly pass right through. Handmaiden armor wasnt designed to be especially thick, favoring mobility over pure defensiveness.
It stood no chance. The katar punched through, and pain bloomed in her stomach.
Vir froze in horror, realizing what hed just done.
I... I didn''t. No!
Youve made your point, demon, Maiya choked out through the pain. The prisoners are gone. Retreat, or suffer the full consequences.
She could have exined herself, but that would reveal his connection to her, and for his own sake, she wouldnt let that happen.
Vir backed away, nearly stumbling. Tears welled up in his eyes. Why? he asked, eyes flitting between Tia, Vason, Haymi and Maiya.
Please! Dont look at me like that. If it was anyone else, she mightve borne it. But not Vir.
Then he was gone, escaping through the hole in the wall.
I want to cry Maiya didnt cry, despite the pain. But she did fall to the ground. Blood flowed from her body, staining her gambeson skirt.
Haymi! Vason cried.
On it! Haymi replied, kneeling beside Maiya to administer her Life magic.
Where do you think youre going, my liege? Vason said, barring Tiyanas path. The princess looked about to storm off after Vir.
Isn''t it obvious? I''m going after him.
Maiya was just about done with this overgrown child.
Miss Handmaiden, Vason said, would you consider ordering your Brian Guard to restrain our princess, should she step outside this room?
I would.
Tia halted in her tracks. Vason? Dont you dare.
And, in your report to the esteemed Princess Ira, will you mention how Tia disobeyed orders, actively working to foil Kinjali ns?
What in the realms are you trying to pull? Panic crept into Tias voice.
Absolutely, Maiya replied, understanding Vasons intent.
And, Vason continued, locking eyes with Tia, Will youmention how her reckless behavior led directly to Princess Iras Right Hand incurring a mortal wound?
But of course.
Youre serious. Youre both abandoning me? Tia said in disbelief, turning to Haymi.
The mejaiher friendlooked away.
Only doing what we shouldve done a long time ago, princess. Because youre too blind to see for yourself.
Tia dropped her spear, allowing it to tter to the ground, before sitting cross-legged. Fine. Whatever. I see I have no friends here. Have it your way.
You truly are blind. You cant even see how much they care for you.
I gotta go, Maiya said, rising to her feet. I gotta make things right.
Youre not fully healed, Handmaiden! Please, rest!
If she wasnt drowning in a million thoughts, Maiya mightve realized her chalface voice had dropped, and that her face showed her emotions like an open book.
Go where? Vason asked. Make things right with whom?
The warrior never got an answer. Maiya was gone.
Vir stumbled through the mists as if in a waking dream, half-conscious, and with only the vaguest idea of where he was.
Brother, you have returned, the gray demon said with open arms, but then he saw Virs limp. Youre wounded! Quickly, let me see to you!
Viry on the grass and allowed the demon to apply antiseptics and bandages, keeping the woundpressed. Luckily, itd been clean, and the damage looked worse than it was. Hed sucked the blood away from the wound, leaving just enough to clot it, but that did nothing for the agonizing pain. The demons are safe?
All fifty. Theyll need nourishment, but weve already given them enough water for the journey home. Ive patched you up the best I can. Well want to rece your bandages and get you to a healer when wend for our first break.
Then lets go.
Badal ced a hand on his shoulder. What you did must have been hard. Of that, Ive no doubt. Take pride, at least, in knowing that you personally saved the lives of those souls this night.
I will, Vir whispered, epting the demons help to climb onto the Acira, his mind a maelstrom of anger, guilt, and sadness in equal parts.
This is a nightmare, Vir thought. His focus ebbed in and out due to the wound, and his mind ran rampant. Delirious.
Hed lost everything. Why couldnt he just wake up? But there was no waking from this nightmare. No euphoric release. He was trapped, crushed under a mountain from which there was no escape.
He needed someone. Someone to talk to. Someone to listen while he poured out the chaos in his heart. Even Neel wouldve sufficed. In the past, Maiya yed that role. Perhaps Tia. Now, Vir was alone. Lost in his mind for hours as the wind deafened his ears and chilled his cheeks.
A fitting mirror for how he felt inside.
Virs thoughts shifted nonsensically from one to another, spurred by the pain of his wound. Reying events over and over again, despite his best efforts to avoid exactly that. He trieding up with scenarios where things could have yed out differently. Tia was one thing. Her words had burned him, though at least he knew where she came from. Hed gone through something analogous, hadnt he? How could he me her for her hatred of demons when Vir harbored the very same hatred toward knights?
But Maiya
Why was she there? How? She was with Kin''jal, so she''d have known what the Order was doing that night. Why hadn''t she helped? Was it because she didn''t know the true nature of the Order? Did she disapprove of his actions? But that didn''t make sense either. She knew he wouldn''t help demon haters.
No, she must''ve had somerger agenda. Something I don''t know about.
When she appeared, Vir had been so euphoric, he nearly jumped with joy. Which was, of course, what made him blurt out Tia''s name when Maiya had shaken her head. The embarrassment of that moment was still fresh in his chest.
When Maiya pretended not to know him... Even knowing she must''ve had a good reason for it did nothing to alleviate the pain in his chest. It was stupid to feel that way, Vir knew, and yet the emotions refused to abate.
Vir shoved those thoughts aside, but his other thoughts were hardly more pleasant.
Really thought I could show Tia
Vir was living proof that not all demons were evil, wasnt he? Theyd shared mead, fought together, and even saved each others lives. Wasn''t there a bond there? Something that couldnt be broken by revealing he was a demon. What difference did it make? He was the same person underneath.
How wrong hed been. Vir was now surenothing he said or did would have changed Tias mind. It was like arguing with a brick wall.
Perhaps if Id approached it differently
Maybe in some pub after a few drinks. Or after hed saved Haymis life? Maybe then? Tia might have been more reasonable. But after all theyd said to each othershed stabbed himcould there ever be peace between them again? Did she even deserve it, after what she''d done?
As bad as that was, hed stabbed Maiya.
No, that wasnt right. Maiya had forced her way into his attack. What was he supposed to do?
How could she have taken Tias side? Where was she when Tia speared me? She defended the princess, why didnt she defend me?
He was her best friend. Hed grown up with her. He left bread crumbs for her to follow.
This isn''t like me, Vir felt, feeling his consciousness dip in and out.
He felt ridiculous for harboring such thoughts. Maiya was undercover and clearly had good reasons for it. There was a simple reason for his anguish. He''d hurt his best friend, and no rational logic cut through that guilt.
I don''t deserve her.
He''d hurt the girl whod remembered his birthdays, whod defended him when everyone else had abandoned him. Shed been with him through thick and thin. And he hadnt even ensured shed be okay after. Yes, Haymi wouldve healed her wound, but Vir couldnt say for certain. What if Tia turned on Maiya? What if she was bleeding out on the floor at this very moment?
Gods, I need to go back for her!
It was impossible, of course. Badal would never turn their Acira around, and Vir wouldnt be able to fight in the condition he was in. Hed simply have to live with the consequences of his actions, even if he could never ept what it meant.
Like the consequences of attacking Tiyana Matali.
And then it all made sense. Maiya''s actions. Her intervening on Tia''s behalf.
Vir knew exactly what happened when one harmed a princess. He already had one country out for his blood. Thest thing he needed was another. Impoverished as they were, Vir somehow doubted the Crown Prince of Matali would allow his transgression to go unpunished. Not to mention Haymi and Vason. If they didnt hate him before, they certainly would after hed harmed their charge.
That was why she stopped my attack. She was trying to protect me. The realization only served to make his guilt cut deeper. Why did it take me so long to notice?
Even with Maiya''s intervention, Vir half expected a new bounty out for him. Unlike Princess Mina, Tia knew Virs Mercenary nameshe could make life quite difficult for him if she chose to. Maybe shed even pursue them back?
The lingering worry had Vir ncing over his shoulder, in case any Acira pursued.
What a fine mess this is.
Vir would never have guessed Tia was royalty. Shed never once acted like it, after all. Hed always assumed she was the tomboy daughter of a high ranking Sawai family, whod run away from home in search of adventure. What princess would be insane enough to fight a Brood Matron?
It took some time for Vir toe to terms with the nights events, but the night was long and the demons stopped often to regroup and allow their Acira to rest.
At their first break spot, Vir allowed an Order healer to treat him. To his surprise, the healer was actually a Life mejai whod brought along a dozen orbs. Far from the Voinds as they were, the healers C Grade Mend Flesh made short work of the damage. Without it, Vir would have been looking at weeks of recovery.
The relief from the pain helped clear his mind, restoring his mental state to something resembling normalcy.
The group took to the skies again, and Vir returned to his thoughts. Once the shock wore off, there was only one emotion that remained in his heart. Loneliness. Like a gaping hole in his chest.
Hed been so desperate to make friends, hed ignored the warning signs Tia had given off. The red gs, the obvious danger of signing on with demon haters. But at least hed always had Maiya. She was his anchor in the ocean. His safe harbor from the storm.
After the night''s events, he couldn''t say when they''d meet again, and that fact was not one he could simply ept. Itd linger like an anvil, weighing down his every action. Like losing Neel, only worse.
And while hed found the Pagan Order, they couldnt truly take her ce. Nobody could. There was something different about his rtionship with them. He hadnt ever been to a pub with Badal. Hadnt shared in the revelry like hed done with Spears Edge. He hadnt chatted for hours under starlight like hed done so many times with Maiya. It felt stiffer. More transactional.
Hed just have to give it time. He knew that. He knew, and yet he yearned. For Maiya.
But Fate was never so kind, was it?
By the time the Acira set down in Balindam, Vir was barely conscious. The nights toil, his injury, and the long flights had all taken their toll, and all he wanted now was to sleep.
Then his boots touched grass, and when he beheld the crimson-haired girl that waited for him, the raging emotions that had just quieted came rushing back.
Hey, you.
Maiya!
You took it too far, Tia, Vason chided, casting a worried nce over the princess. Hours had passed after their battle, and Tiyana hadnt budged from the jail. Brian Guards had blocked the hole in the wall, and Vason stood guard at the entrance. She was trapped.
You did, Haymi piled on. I cant believe you said all that.
Tia ground her teeth. I just I guess I got a little angry.
A little!? Vason eximed. You stabbed Apramor, Tia! That was low, even for you.
Hes a demon. You cant... You can''t trust their kind. And you two shouldn''t have kept secrets from me. If there''s me to be had, you share it equally.
He wasnt just some demon, Vason snapped. This is the guy who saved Haymis life! Who, need I remind you, also saved our butts fighting the grakking Brood Matron? You know, the monster you recklessly pitted us against?
How could you treat him that way? Hes done so much for us. What of his feelings? What of my feelings? Haymi shrieked in anguish. Now he hates me too. I''ll never get to
I get it, Haymi. I know you had a thing for him. I''m sorry.
Its not me you ought to be apologizing to, Tia, Haymi said with a sigh.
You think well ever see him again? Vason asked softly.
Haymi looked crushed. Would you want to see us again? After something like that?
No. No, I dont suppose I would, Vason said, casting his eyes over the princess.
Tia bit her lip, face scrunched up in anguish. She couldn''t meet his gaze.
Chapter 140: Whole Again
Chapter 140: Whole Again
What are you doing here? Vir whispered. Why are you!?
Before he knew it, Maiya had enveloped him in a hug, his thoughts blown away by a crimson wind. And when her sweet-smelling, nostalgic fragrance touched him, he lost all capacity for thought.
Im so, so sorry. I couldnt reveal I knew you because it would be bad for you to have any connection to me because then youd have even more people after you so I wanted to avoid that but I screwed up and now you hate me, dont you?
What did she just say?
Vir took a moment to piece together Maiyas torrent of words.
Wait. I know you stopped me from harming Tia to protect me. You''re saying that exposing you knew me would''ve put me in danger?
When Maiya broke her embrace, her cheeks were wet with tears.
She nodded. I thought youd pick up on it. But you were too angry. Thats why I said that thing about Saran. Yknow? The Fighters of Saran Stick Together? Remember your words to me back then?
Er, not exactly.
Well, I do. Even when the entire realm turns against you, Ill be there by your side. Fighting until the end. So dont tell me to leave you behind.
Did I really say something so dumb? Badraks Balls, that''s embarrassing.
Its not embarrassing, Vir. And no, I''m not reading your thoughts. Your face says it all! she said, poking out her tongue. Those words really touched me. They had all of your emotions packed in. Well, I guess maybe Im the dummy for thinking that.
Maiya looked him up and down.
N-no. I did mean it.
You did?
I do, Vir admitted. Also, why are you looking at me like that?
Your injury! Did you get a mejai to heal you?
Vir nodded. All good. The wound wasnt that bad in the first ce.
W-well, good, then. Thats good.
Um, what about you? That was a pretty nasty wound... that I gave you, Vir said, looking away.
Haymi patched me up. No worries, yeah?
Ive been such a chal, havent I?
Maiya flicked him on the nose. You have. And Ive missed you. This. Everything.
I said such horrible things to you. I hurt you! I''m so sorry. I can''t even... How do I possibly make this up to you?
Hey. It''s alright. Everything''s alright.
Just like that, the storm in Virs chest parted, and calm seas returned. Gone was the angst and anxiety and regret.
And all it took was one word. I feel so stupid for doubting her.
For the first time that night, Vir took some time to actually look at Maiya. Things had been so intense earlier, he hadnt had the chance.
The flowing red hair and hazel eyes Vir had always known struck him as much the same, yet she was markedly different. For one, her body was far more sculpted than when theyd separated. Maiya was never particrly chubby, but now, it looked like she didnt have a shred of fat on her. She wore borate half te, half fabric exotic armor, which contoured perfectly to her torso and ended in a gambeson skirt.
More than anything else, it was the light in her eyes that captured his attention. Eyes that exuded utter confidencesomething that Maiya hadcked beforealong with a genuineness that Vir had so sorely missed.
Here was someone who epted him fully for who he was. Someone he could confide in.
Vir grasped her again and squeezed tightly, and now it was his turn to shed tears. Something had been wrong with him ever since theyd separated. Now he understood. It was the hole in his heart left by Maiyas absence. A hole hed tried to fill with Tia, only for it to have grown evenrger after shed turned on him.
Now that hole was filled. Not just filledhis chest threatened to explode with the feelings that coursed through his body. He had a million questions for her; how was she? Where had she been? What did Riyan make her do? Howd she end up at the Kinjal garrison when he did? But before all that, there was something that had to be said.
I missed you, Maiya. More than you could know.
Liar! Maiya whispered into his ear, tickling him. I missed you more. And yknow? Pretty seric, the way you stood up to Tia back there.
As if to prove it, she pecked him gently on his cheek, making them both blush and break their embrace.
I, er, uhm, Maiya stammered. Sorry. I didnt mean tothat just kinda
N-no. My pleasure. I mean, its fine! So, uh, Vir replied.
Not to ruin your awkward reunion, but why is she here? Badal asked, pointing a finger at Maiya. This is no ce for strangers, let alone Kin''jali Handmaidens.
Lord Reth, whod stayed several paces away, sighed. Badal, cant you see they were having a moment? Youve gone and ruined it!
I presume you have a good reason for this?
Reth lifted an open hand. Of course! It''s been so long since we''ve had a human visitor! I simply couldn''t resist divulging our greatest secrets to aplete stranger. That''s all. I fail to see the issue!
Commander Badal was not amused.
Reth sighed. Do you believe Id allow her here without vetting her first?
No, of course not. Just that this is very unusual. For an outsider to witness our Aciranding Its unprecedented.
Right. Badal never saw her at the garrison, did he? Otherwise, hed be freaking out right now.
You may be at ease, Badal. Shes a bit special, Reth said with an awkward smile. She already knows all about us.
She knows the true nature of the Pagan Order? Vir thought. Only royals were supposed to know that. Vir wondered if that knowledge had something to do with why she was at the garrison.
I vouch for her, Vir said immediately. Shes been my bestand onlyfriend ever since I was little. And she knows Im a demon.
Badal raised a brow. What do you think of demons? he asked Maiya.
What, interrogating me now? Maiya asked with a sarcastic smile, causing Badal to narrow his eyes.
Rx. I have nothing against demons. I truly wish they were treated better. Vir being a demon has absolutely nothing to do with our rtionship.
Vir was only half-listening, more concerned with the pounding of his chest. Maiyas presence had never made him feel anything other thanfort. What had changed?
Im just excited to finally see her again. That has to be it.
Maiya nced in his direction, but the moment their eyes met, his head grew hot and he looked away. She did the same.
Okay, definitely not normal.
Vir panicked. What if its because weve grown apart? Have we drifted away from each other?
If both Lord Reth and Vir vouch for you, then I suppose I have nothing further to say, Badal said, nodding slightly at Maiya, then turning to address Vir. Be sure not to stay up toote. Youve been through a taxing ordeal. You need rest.
I concur, Lord Reth said, approaching. Even at thiste hour, the tall man was d in an ornate golden robe, giving him a regal bearing. No doubt you two have much to catch up on, but Vir, the Tribunal would like to meet with you at noon. There are several matters to discuss.
Should I be worried? Vir asked.
Reth returned a smile, but if Vir wasnt mistaken, there was a hint of concern in it. Not at all. Please enjoy your time together. Youve done your brothers and sisters a great service tonight. Be proud of that. And do try to get some rest, Reth said with a wink that made Maiya blush.
As for what we discussed earlier, Maiya... Reth said, trailing off.
I''ve taken care of everything, Maiya replied.
Reth nodded and walked away, leaving the two alone with the Acira and their tenders.
What was that all about? Vir asked.
Oh, just about you revealing to Tia, Haymi, and Vason that the Pagan Order might not be the demon haters they im to be.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Vir''s eyes went wide. I never admitted I worked for the Order, though? Tia just jumped to that conclusion. I denied it if you remember.
She knew. I''d told her the raiders were from the Order. Was the only way I could get her to agree to the n.
Wait. She''s royalty, though. Shouldn''t she have known?
Actually, no. Her brother had a gag order for her. He was worried that if she came to know their true nature, she''d wage a holy war against demons on her own. After witnessing her behavior, I can''t say he was wrong.
Oh. Grak. The Order''s not gonna be happy about that.
Don''t worry about it. I smoothed it over. You might get a talking to in that meeting of yours, but they''re thankful you freed as many demons as you did.
O-oh. Thanks.
Sure, Maiya replied, and silence fell upon them.
So, um Vir was at a loss for what to say, despite all the things he wanted to ask her.
S-so, uh, why, dont we go somewhere more suitable? Vir reached for her hand, but suddenly stopped when his heart started pounding madly. Er, j-just follow me, okay? he blurted awkwardly, guiding her out of the open-air space, into the castle walls.
Maiya
Vir
You first, Maiya said, giggling.
Well, er. You look nice, Vir replied.
Thats the first thing you say!? Vir thought, panicking. Good job, you chal.
Thanks? Guess all my Ash-damned training was good for something, she said, smiling.
Maiya fell silent for a moment before squeezing his hand. You holding up alright?
I am now, he said with a wry smile. And, sorry. For everything I did back there. For thinking youd abandoned me. For hurting you. Just really sorry.
Maiya let out a breath. I was worried too, yknow? Thought something had changed in you in these past few months. Im d.
Youre d about that fiasco?
No. d youre still you. I like you.
Vir panicked. What did you
Oh no! No, I didnt meannot like that! Ah hah ha. I mean, I like you the old you. I was just worried. Yknow.
O-oh! Right. Yeah.
The two friends fell into another awkward silence, and Vir wondered what he was doing wrong to cause such a bizarre atmosphere between them.
So, anyway. Crazy coincidence, huh? You being there at the garrison the same time I was?
Maiyaughed, and again, Vir found his thoughts going nk.
Was herugh always so melodic? She sure has matured
Thats because I was the one who got Tias brother to send her there, silly. When I learned through Kin''jal intelligence that youd signed on with Spears Edge, I knew I had the perfect n for us to meet!
You orchestrated all that? By yourself?
Be proud! she said, beaming.
Vir beamed back. Maiya, whereve you been? What was your favor to Riyan? Are you alright?
Thats a lot of questions! Ive got plenty of my own, yknow? How about we each take turns?
Of course. Sorry.
Leaving the confined of the castles narrow halls, he led her out the royal gardens and to the Promontory.
This is really nice! Maiya said as a gentle breeze ruffled her hair. Gotta say, I never expected Balindam to be so nice.
Right? Vir said, feeling the initial awkwardness ebb away. Thats the same reaction I had. Say, how do you know about the Pagan Order? Or wait, that would be another question, wouldnt it?
Sure would! Maiya replied with a grin. They sat down on the grass, and Maiya kicked off her shoes, leaning her head against Vir. Remember when we used to hang out like this under the tree at Rabbit Hill? And then under the tree at Riyans ce?
How could I forget? Honestly felt we might never get to do that again. Especially after Riyans ce burned down.
This was the sensation Vir had missedthe sense of warmth that came just from chatting idly with his best friend. His worries that they mightve drifted apart began to ebb, though it made him wonder what that awkwardness was all about.
Still cant believe that. I thought Fate was ying tricks on me, or something. It was like someone had just erased his home. There wasnt any trace of it!
Guess the sands mustve filled Riyans ce in by now. When I went there, the ce had burned to the ground. Wait. That means you found my note! Vir said excitedly.
Sure did! Went to the cave right after. I was never as good at navigating that dang maze as you were, but I managed alright. After that, it was Daha, then Zorin, then Avi, she said, counting the towns and cities on her fingers. Its been quite the pain finding you, yknow? You couldve made it easier by not jumping around like a prana frog!
Maiya punched Virs shoulder lightly, earning her a chuckle.
Sorry. Ill tell that to the people who were hunting me next time. Itd really inconvenience Maiya, so would you please stop following me?
Maiya broke into a fit of giggles. Theughter passed, and her expression turned solemn.
And yet, here we are, Maiya replied.
Here we are Vir echoed. His mind still couldntprehend that Maiya was back. Actually back! After so long apart, shed just popped up in his life again, albeit in a most unexpected way.
Never in a million years did I think wed reunite as enemies.
Youre surprisedwhat about me? I literally hired you for help! At least, I thought I was hiring you. Imagine how I felt when I got the baggage without the cake!
Virs cheeks flushed immediately.
O-oh, I mean, not that youre a cake, Maiya hastily added. I dont want to eat you or anything. I mean, not like that!
Huh? Whats that supposed to mean? So you do want to eat me?
No, likeagh! Just forget it!
Virughed so hard, he teared up.
Bully, Maiya said, pouting.
You honestly did that to yourself.
They fell into afortable silence, leaning on each other as they watched the world wake up.
Riyan sent you to assassinate Princess Mina Hiranya, didnt he? Maiya asked quietly.
How''d you know that?
Id suspected for a while. Riyan was obsessed with the princess. He genuinely hates her, Vir. I figured your mission would be rted, but when he started training you to be an assassin? And an assassin that specialized in fighting mejai? I was almost sure of it. Of course, not like hed ever admit it to me.
And you never shared that with me because you didnt want me to worry.
It was just a guess. I could very well have been wrong, and making you worry wasnt gonna help anyone. Wed already decided to escape, anyway.
Lot of good that did us, Vir remarked wryly.
Oh, Riyan knew. Tanya told meter that hed been tailing us to our secret meetings. He even knew of our cave stash. We just never noticed.
Yeah, he wasnt happy about that cave stash. To think he spied on our conversations too
I never even noticed, Vir thought. Prana Vision was great when used actively, but like regr sight, it missed things if Vir wasnt paying attention. Especially if they were behind him. Something to work on.
Anyway, youre right. I went to Daha, but killing her was impossible. Shes way smarter than I''d thought. I don''t think Riyan ever really expected me to seed. She knew I wasing andid a pretty nasty trap.
Thats wow. I cant believe I havent heard of that yet. Hiranya must really be keeping news of that locked down tight. All we know is she was crippled somehow. Pretty nasty work you did there, or so I hear.
Sorry, what? I couldn''ty a finger on her.
You''re kidding. That wasn''t you? Then
Riyan! they said together.
Had to be, Vir said. It all makes sense now. He never nned on having me kill Mina. He was going to handle it all along. I was just... a distraction."
Virughed wryly. He didn''t know how to take this news. For one, it meant Riyan would know Vir had made an attempt on her life. He''d know Vir had held up his bargain. Assuming the man was even alive.
How did he hurt her so badly, though? Vir wondered. Is he really that strong?
Distraction or not, you did well just getting out alive, Maiya said. I dunno how you managed to kill Head Priest Harak despite that!
Figures you''d know about that too, huh?
I know everything about you, Vir, Maiya said with a creepy face, before bursting outughing. Sorry. Sorry! I probably oughta exin how I came to be in charge of the realm''srgest spy organization. Hmm, where to begin, though?
Seriously? Vir asked, visibly shocked. Uh, maybe from the beginning?
Well, the gist of it is Riyan sent me to spy on Kinjal. Between sending you after Mina and me feeding him information on Hiranyas biggest enemy, hed have countered two of thergest threats. Or at least, thats likely what he was thinking.
I see So what happened? You went with Tanya to Sonam?
Right. Tanya lied and said we were going on a training trip to bait me out. She set me up. Had me audition as a Royal Imperial Handmaiden, of all things. Can you believe that? Me, acting all girly and proper?
Virughed. Yeah. Nope. Cant picture that at all!
To his confusion, Maiya frowned at him, despite having just admitted as much.
Anyway, its Kinjal, yknow? To get in, you need to either excel at etiquette and chores or simply eliminate yourpetition.
Eliminate Vir said nkly.
Yep. By any means possible. Short of killing or permanently maiming them, of course.
That is insane.
Truly is. Wee to my life.
The grin on her face told Vir she might not hate that life quite as much as she let on.
And thanks to Riyans Kri arts and Tanyas magic, you managed to win?
Yeah, kinda swept the floor with them actually, Maiya said,ughing. They werent very strong.
I think you were just too strong, Maiya, Vir thought. While the prana coursing through her blood hadnt undergone any drastic changes, he sensed fewer other affinities in her blood, making her Ice and Wind affinities a bit purer.
He wasnt about to be fooled by that seemingly minor change, though. He knew just how far even a small amount of prana could go with the right training.
Oh, grak! Maiya sat straight up. Oh no. This is bad. Really, really bad.
Why? Whats wrong?
I kinda locked Tia up in that jail before rushing here.
Yeah? And?
And I never gave orders to the garrisonmander to release her. I think shes still there
Vir looked Maiya in the eyes, and their lips crept into grins at the same exact time, right before they burst outughing.
Serves her right! Vir said.
I mean, can you just imagine her face right now? Gods, Id pay good money to see it.
As hrious as that is, wont it be a problem? Vir asked.
Eh, nobody can keep that brute locked up. Im sure shell figure something out. I''ve already sorted things with her brother, so there''s no need to worry about her. So anyway, after the interview battle, my life became a living hell. Theres this head handmaidenshes an Ash Beast disguised as a human, I swear. Chores after chores, and everything has to be absolutely perfect, or its even more chores as punishment.
That does sound brutal.
Oh, it was worse. There wasbat, too. And it wasnt like that was any easier. Nope. They had us fight the Royal Brian Guard! Now you might be thinking that''s not so tough, but you''d be wrong. They''re not just lowly Br one footsoldiers. More like twenty to fifty, depending. And then they had us fighting Ash Beasts at the wall. Ash Beasts! And after that, I had to lead a whole squad! Me! Leading people! Can you even imagine?
Actually, I kinda can. You were always popr back at the vige.
To Vir, it sounded like Kinjal suited Maiya more than Hiranya ever had.
Yeah, but Vir, do you have any idea how much work it is? Ugh. I feel like my hairs gonna turn white. Seems the higher ups thought I did really well so Princess Ira Kinjal recruited me to be her right-hand woman since she wants to overthrow her parents. Mmmm yup, thats about everything.
Vir stared at his friend, open-mouthed. There were more than a few things sprinkled in her words that sounded dangerously like national secrets. Youre telling me that youre not only living in the Kinjal castle youre working directly under one of their princesses!?
I know, right? Who wouldve thought? When I found out Riyan was gone, I confronted Tanya. Convinced her to go look for him. So Im not even spying now. Im actually a real handmaiden! You wont believe how much I get paid. Never thought sries would be measured in seric.
Seric!? Thats So thats how you bribed the Daha Brotherhood''s Prime Executor.
Itd worried Vir how shed ended up with so much coin. Hed feared she had stolen it. But the truth was even crazier.
No, he wouldn''t ept it. It''s basically impossible to bribe the Brotherhood. And dont get me wrong, its not like I can just go around spending serics, but yeah. Money will never be a problem for us again, so long as I stay on with Kinjal. And, yknow? Theyre not that bad. Rough around the edges, kinda crude, but theyre strong. No nonsense. I kinda like that. Im sure youll love them too, when youe back with me.
Come back? Vir asked, straightening up and looking her in the eyes.
Well, of course. I get that you have fellow demons here, and thats great! With my Acira, you can visit whenever you like!
Thats I dunno, Maiya.
How was he supposed to tell her he didnt want to leave? The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to stay on with the Order, rather than undertake a suicide mission into the Ashen Realm.
But none of that mattered right now. He was with Maiya again, and after being broken for so long, all was right with the world. The details were just thatdetails. Theyd figure it out. He was sure of it.
They remained there in afortable silence for several minutes, before Virs eyes slid shut and his head fell onto Maiyasp.
Oh, you, Maiya said, tenderly brushing Virs hair away from his eyes. Been a while since we slept under the stars, hasnt it?
Maiya gentlyid Virs head on the grass, then snuggled up next to him and shut her eyes.
After several near-death experiences, after months apart, the two halves had finally been made whole.
Chapter 141: The Same, Yet Different
Chapter 141: The Same, Yet Different
Im sorry, Vir. The Pagan Orders heresy must be brought to light, Tia said, standing in front of the leaders of every major nation in the Known World. Tell your people. Tell everyone that the Order is a haven for demons. They plot to overthrow you even as we speak!
No! Tia, stop! Vir shouted, but his voice wasnt heard by any of those assembled.
To arms! they cried.
The scene rippled, like a drop of water falling on a perfectly calmke. Now Tia stood in front of an Executor.
Did you know? Your Acolyte not only failed toplete his contract, but he actively went against your wishes. He helped the Pagan Order. That band of evil demons!
We shall excise him at once. The Brotherhoods doors will be forever barred to him. Issue the bounty for his head immediately!
Wait! It was just a test! Vir shouted, but yet again, his voice fell on deaf ears. They didnt want me to kill the demon! I swear!
The scene shifted again, and this time, Virs heart nearly stopped.
No. Dont, he whispered. Please.
You betrayed me, Vir, Tia said, pressing her spear against Bumpys neck. If only youd told me who you were, we could have avoided this.
Stop! Vir screamed, right before Tia plunged her weapon into the Ashva. Bumpy squealed in pain then went deathly still.
I did him a favor, Vir. Now hell no longer have to serve demon filth.
No! Vir roared, shooting up with his hand outstretched.
Whats wrong? Maiya asked, startled awake by Virs cry. Vir? Are you alright? Gods, youre drenched in sweat!
Vir looked around dazedly.
With a great sigh, he brought a hand to his face. Sorry. Just nightmares.
Still bothered by what happenedst night? Maiya asked, holding his hand. You can tell me anything, you know?
There was no lie in her eyes, and Vir knew that he truly could talk about anything and everything with her. Unlike Tia.
Tia was more than just the leader of Spears Edge to me, Vir said, gazing down at the waves that crashed against Balindams walls in the distance. The city was still waking up, with the sun having just poked its head above the horizon, painting the sky amber. Under any other circumstance, hed have gazed at it, enraptured.
As in you liked her?
Huh? Oh, no. She was a friend. A good friend. Now shes gone.
Friends with a princess in hiding. Look at you! Maiya teased.
I never even suspected, Vir said, frowning. Sawai, sure. But royalty? Never. She never did exin why she was gallivanting as a Brotherhood Mercenary, though. I got the feeling Rani knew who she was, but I never guessed she mightve been doing it to hide from some threat.
Was she hiding to protect herself? Like me
Maiya shook her head. No, it makes perfect sense. With the death of her parents, her brother took the crown, but Matali is a dying kingdom. There are plenty of people out there whod love to hasten their demise. Hate to admit it, but Kinjals one of them. Just that they have their own way of going about things.
Theyll move in and take over when Matali finally falls, huh? Vir said grimly.
Its how the Kinjals are. When Matali does copse, itll be chaotic and dangerous. The Kinjal Empire might actually restore order and save some lives in the process. They might even leave Erhan in charge.
Theyll save the lives they themselves put in jeopardy by precipitating their downfall? What a mess.
Truly is. But a princess, huh? You have a thing for princesses, Vir? Im Im afraid Im not a princess, milord, she said, batting her eyelids, pretending to look bashful. I might be but a in vige girl, milord, but Ive my own charm, I assure you.
Vir punched her lightly on the shoulder. Believe me, Im d youre not. If theres one thing Ive learned, its that royaltys nothing but trouble. I want nothing to do with them.
You are so fabulously right about that. Shes like an overgrown baby. That girl seriously needs to grow up.
Sure does. Though she did have her redeeming traits.
Oh yeah? Such as being an entitled chal?
Vir rolled his eyes. She was daring and strong, though she bordered on reckless.
I can be daring! Maiya said, just before stomach grumbled, making her blush and look away. You heard nothing.
Right, Vir said with a grin. How about we go grab something to eat? Still some time before my meeting with the Tribunal, and Id love to show you around the city.
Works for me, Maiya said, taking Virs hand to help her up. Can we go see Neel, though? Been dying to see him!
Vir thought for a moment. Sure, but I cant take you with me. Not yet, anyway. Mind waiting out here while I fetch him?
Oh, what? In this terrible ce? With that awful sunrise and that annoying breeze? Maiyaughed. Take your time. I could spend all day here.
Vir rolled his eyes. Be right back.
Vir Leaped away, just barely catching Maiyas Show off! before he was out of earshot.
Rushing to the nearest entrance checkpoint to the Undercity, Vir rubbed off some face paint to prove his identity, then Leaped through the tunnels, powered by a sense of inner warmth he couldnt quite exin. Arriving at his home in just minutes, he found Neel sleepingzily in a pool of his own dribble.
The moment Vir entered, the bandy sprang up, wagging his tail and running circles around Vir, howling in joy.
I missed you too, buddy, he said, kneeling to scratch his friend behind the ears. Hey, wanna go meet a friend you havent seen in a while? Promise youll like it!
Awoo Awooo!
Good boy! Race you there! Vir said as he locked the door behind them, then took off Leaping again. There was a time when Neel wouldve beaten him handily, looking back at him with smug satisfaction. These days, the bandy had no chance. Worse, the Voinds sapped the poor bandys strength. Vir didnt even need his Talents to give his furry friend some stiffpetition.
They slowed only when approaching the hidden trapdoor that led to the surface checkpoint. Strategically ced inside a locked building, and guarded by Order demons, nobody was getting in or out without approval.
Vir waved to the guards before hastily touching up his face paint, then rushed back to Maiya.
Neeeeeeeeel! Maiya shouted, running up to the bandy with open arms. Neel jumped, tackling her and sending them both crashing to the ground.
Hahaha! Still as energetic as ever, arent you? Maiya said, as the bandy furiously licked her face.
She embraced him in a deep hug, rocking gently back and forth. Its good to see you again, boy.
Aroooooo!
Surprised he hasnt forgotten you by now, Vir said sarcastically, eliciting a scowl from Maiya.
Hed never forget me! He loves me the most out of anyone in this whole wide realm. Right, boy?
Woof woof.
See?
Hes just excited to find someone wholl y with him.
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The two of them entertained Neel a while longer, ying fetch on the grass, before the bandy had had his fill and tired out. Given theck of prana in the area, Vir felt the bandy put up quite an impressive showing.
Youve really grown close to the Order, huh? Maiya asked as they waited for Neel to recover. I get that theyre demons, but you havent even known them all that long, have you?
Just a few days, actually, Vir replied. But, well theyve created something amazing here, Maiya. I wont lie. Some of the stuff they say scares me. Theyre far too extreme with humans, but everything else? Its like a dreame true.
While he couldnt wait to tell her all about the Undercity, he wouldnt dare without obtaining permission first. He nned to ask the Tribunal about it during their meetingter.
I imagine it is, Vir. Im d that youve found some people who ept you.
Me too. Hasnt been an easy road getting here, though. Theres more to that Tia story. A lot more.
Tell me, Maiya said, hooking her arm in his as they walked down the hill into town.
I ran into Tia and her party, Spears Edge, back at Zorin.
I still think Spears Edge is a terrible name, she said. What kind of name is that?
Inside joke, Vir said with a pained smile. He still didnt know how to treat all the fond memories of his time with Tias party. Was he to banish them from memory? Or was it okay to value them for what they were?
Easier said than done. Recent events had tainted those joyous moments for him, serving as a reminder of all that had gone wrong.
Anyway, Vir said, shaking off the thought. I traveled with them for a time, and eventually joined their party after we arrived at Avi.
Id normally ask what drove you to do such a thing, but, well, Maiya said, ncing at Vir. You never did have many friends at Brij. I imagine you must have been overjoyed to finally find people who didnt ostracize you.
Thats exactly right, Vir said, raising a brow.
Ive known you your whole life, silly. Why are you even surprised?
Virughed. True. Youre right, it was a stupid decision, in hindsight. After that, most of what Ive been doing since fleeing from Daha is collecting information about the Pagan Order. Mainly by umting enough karma with Brotherhood contracts, though I ended up not needing it.
Howd you even know to seek the Order, though? Their identity might be an open secret among royalty, but its definitely notmon knowledge. The Order does a lot to run interference, drowning out any rumormongers with their propaganda.
Thats interesting. I wasnt aware, Vir said, mulling it over.
Its not just them, either. Pretty much every country in the Known World is in on it, too. You can never keep such a big thing a real secret, but nobodyll ever believe the rumors when Kinjal and Rani say otherwise.
I didnt know a thing about the Order, to be honest. Not until Daha.
Daha? Maiya asked.
Thats Vir lowered his voice. I found something. Deep beneath Dahas sewers. An ancient Imperium outpostan outpost of the gods, Maiya!Intact and functional.
Maiya stopped walking. No way. Thats how? Thats seric! Did you find a powerful Artifact?
Vir narrowed his eyes. No, sadly. But I did find the avatar of Lord Janak. Or, the avatar of a copy of Janak, anyway.
Lord Janak? As in the god? Maiya whispered.
Lord Janak, Vir confirmed. A bunch of stuff happened, but he said I should seek the Pagan Order.
Kinda weird hed direct you here, though. Still, this is insane. The Kinjal have no records of anything like that!
Vir shot her a nce. You sure seem to know an awful lot.
Well, yeah. Its kinda my job. I work directly for Princess Ira, so I have ess to quite a lot of sensitive Kinjal intelligence. If Kinjal knows about it, chances are I can get my hands on it. You have no idea how many hours Ive spentbing over intelligence reports. Its mostly just boring and awful, honestly.
Still. The princess must trust you a lot.
She does, Maiya replied with a concerned frown.
You havent told the princess you were working for Riyan, have you?
Of course not! I dont have a death wish. But if she does find out, thats probably whats gonna happen to me, anyway. But hey, tell me more about this outpost. What was it like?
Magical. Prana was everywhere. And not just randomly. I think I think the gods could see prana like I do. The way they iid prana into their buildings, it had to be that way.
Theyd just entered the hustle and bustle of Balindams city streets, though there werent quite as many people out at this hour, allowing them a leisurely stroll down the cobblestone paths.
Seric, Maiya breathed in wonder. Yknow? I didnt believe you way back when we arrived at Riyans ce. When you said you could see prana. But Id be lying if I said I havent benefited immensely from it. Your prana maniption techniques, Vir The Kinjal think Im a prodigy for progressing so quickly with my magic.
Vir had peered at Maiyas prana earlier, finding it to be mostly the same as before, so what she said came as a surprise.
I can manipte it so much more freely now. Im at the cusp of bing a Greater Mejai of Ash! Its all thanks to you. You cant know how much your instruction helped me.
Thats seriously impressive. Whats your Br Rank?
Well, around a hundred, Maiya said. Probably more, now.
Virs eyes bulged. V-very impressive, Maiya! he said tersely.
Whats um, whats yours? Maiya asked, looking at her feet.
Virs head fell slightly. Sixty. Ive gained some power since then, though. Still, dunno if Id rank a hundred. Look at you, racing past me.
Its not apetition, Vir.
Maiya, if youre gonna lie, at least try to do it without a grin stered all over your face?
O-oh. Sorry. Ha! I mean, Ive been weaker than you for so long. Allow me my moment in the sun, will you?
Im happy for you. Really, Vir said. Must feel great, knowing youvee so far.
It does, Maiya said with a smile so dazzling, Vir bumped into a passerby.
Oi! Watch it,ddie!
Vir mumbled an apology, thankful for the makeup that hid his flushed face.
Maiya said nothing, but Vir didnt miss the smirk on her face.
Lets be honest, Vir, she said. Im just practicing your technique. When you make your next breakthrough, youre gonna Leap past me again, Maiya quipped, prompting a chuckle from Vir.
Really, though. You should be proud. Vir said. He meant it. Sure, he was a little jealous, but he also beamed with satisfaction. To havee so far meant shed slogged for it. If she was Br 100, shed earned everyst digit. All while learning the Kinjal Brian arts, too.
She must truly be a force to be reckoned with now, Vir thought. Maybe well fight side by side one day.
What is that? Maiya said, gawking at an apothecarys assortment of healing implements. It was the same stall Vir had stopped at on the day hed arrived at Balindam. That''s a bone, isnt it? That looks awfully like a bone. Yep, thats definitely a bone.
Metatarsal, dearie, the kindly woman said. From the toe. Cures all kinds of poisons. You need only dip it into your drink before consuming it.
Vir wished he couldve captured Maiyas look of absolute revulsion.
Does that really work? Maiya whispered in Virs ear.
If it did, wouldnt everyone be using it? he whispered back.
Good point.
But some of their stuff is quite effective, Vir said after theyd thanked the woman and left the stall behind. They have to live without magic here, so theyvee up with some really innovative ways of doing things.
The non-magical lighting that illuminated the Undercity still awed him.
Cant wait to see Maiyas reaction to that, he thought.
At some point, theyd begun holding hands, just like they did in the old days. It was more a habit than anything intentional, though Vir still felt giddy, feeling her palm in his. There was something different about it this time around.
Her hands so soft.
Vir! What about that one? Look at those pastries! Dont they just look so juicy? Maiya said, pulling him along. This, too, hadnt changed one bit. Shed always led him around, back at Brij. At the time, hed found her annoying and pushy, but now
Kinda cute.
Vir shook his head. Why do I keep thinking of stuff like that? It was terribly distracting.
And yet, while the mannerism mightve remained, Maiya had changed. Grown. She was working for a Kinjali princess now. Working for those who would happily gobble up Tias country without a second thought. The very country Riyan considered a mortal enemy.
Say, Maiya? Vir said as Maiya chomped down on a grilled veggie skewer.
Mmhmm? she said with her cheeks full of a fried sugar pastry she still hadnt swallowed.
Do you ever feel bad about working for Kinjal? I mean, I dont have any love for Hiranya, but Kinjal seems I dunno. I wouldnt call them good guys, you know?
Owo shuzzies. Wirash gunnashput nend todat.
Iras going to put an end to that? Vir rified with a bemused expression. Herck of etiquette ought to have felt unsightly to him, but instead, her puffy cheeks reminded him of an endearing chipmunk. He wondered how her handmaiden colleagues would react if they saw her like this.
If only I had that moving painting device at Vka Amara. If he could capture this moment, thered be no end to how much he could torment the girl.
Maybe its for the best that things like that dont exist, Vir thought. If they did, everyone would walk around with peoples worst moments. That sounded downright terrifying.
Thats right, Maiya replied, having swallowed her snack. Princess Ira wants to end Kinjals expansionist policies to establish better diplomatic ties with its neighbors. She wants to oust Imperator Androsher fatherto make that happen. And she wants me to help with all this. Can you believe that? Me, of all people.
Maiyas eyes went as wide as saucers and she put her hand over her mouth. Grak!
Vir froze, looking furtively around. Luckily, the crowd had thickened to where any conversations would be lost in the noise.
Maiya, that is not the kind of thing you ought to be telling me in public! What if someone overheard?
I know! Trust me, I don''t normally slip up like that! I dunno what came over me, Maiya said, her cheeks turning red. I just... lost track of where I was. It''s not like me, I swear.
Vir understood. After all, he''d been feeling all sorts of weird sensations. Maybe it was the same for her? We should be alright. But be more careful, please? For your own sake.
Maiya nodded.
Vir mulled over her words. If Princess Ira wanted to change Kinjals policies, it would represent a windfall for Riyan. Had the man ced Maiya there knowingly? Or had this been mere luck?
There was something else that bothered Vir, though.
You like working there, dont you?
A pang of pain shot through Virs chest, though he couldnt exin why.
I do. I truly do. Its You know how I used to fantasize when I was little? This is literally my dreame true.
Guess you got your big city life, Vir replied, chuckling.
Sonams the biggest city in the Known World. Its staggering, honestly. And Ive got magic now, even if its not fire magic. I live in the royal castle, Vir! And I work directly for a princess, though shes kind of a workaholic. And the money? The prestige? If you told me Id have all of these things a year ago, Id have thrown myself into Riyans arms and begged him to send me there.
Wish I could say the same, Vir thought. Hed grown stronger, sure, but he was now a fugitive. Vir doubted he could ever return to the country of his youth. Hed even been forced to kill people. Yes, hed grown from those experiences, but he felt as though hed lost something along the way. Something precious.
Vir, trust me. Youll love Sonam. And you could live in the castle with me! If, erm, yknow if you wanted to.
Vir smiled. How about we deal with thatter? Lets head back to the castle. You wont be able to attend the Tribunals meeting with me, but Id love to show you the grounds after. Maybe even some other stuff, if were lucky.
Id love that, Maiya said, brushing her hair out of her eyes.
It was such a simple, benign action, and yet, once again, Virs capacity for thought sailed away to the horizon.
G-good, then.
Chapter 142: Shackles of the Past
Chapter 142: Shackles of the Past
When Vir entered Balindams audience chambers, he expected hed meet with the Tribunal alone. Instead, all seventeen surviving raiders fromst nights raid stood in a row, hands sped behind their back. His first reaction was to panic seeing so many exposed demons.
Theyll be discovered!
No longer in disguise, they wore a variety of casual clothing that showed off their red skin. Then Vir suddenly remembered where he was, and the panic washed away, reced by relief. Relief and pride.
These are the demons who saved fifty soulsst night.
The Tribunal stood at the foot of the stairs of the audience chambernot at the top. As if to signal that they were all equals here.
Lord Reth, with a prim but understated teal robe. Disanna with her flowing ck hair done up behind her head, and Zora, the gangly Ghael.
Wee, brothers and sisters, Disanna said with a genuine smile. Youll be pleased to know that the fifty you saved are settling in well to their new lives. As usual, several refused to believe the Orders true nature and tried to break out. After some soothing and a hot meal, theyvee around as well. I fear our front works too well at times.
Several demons chuckled, while others shook their heads in exasperation.
Youve done them all a great service. Many were bound for very. Others, death. But now, they have a new lease on life. A chance to lead normal lives. Or as normal as citizens of the Undercity can lead, anyway.
One day, Zora said in her gravelly voice, all demons will know the light of the sun on their skin. Needing neither paint nor disguise. One day soon.
Hear hear! Badal said, pumping his fist, prompting others to do the same.
Vir nearly raised his fist alongside them, but remembered their talk of the purge. He doubted it would be peaceful, and he doubted the Order would care. Would the nation of Zoras dreams recognize humans as equals? None of it sat right with Vir, roiling like a snake in the pit of his stomach.
On the other hand, he did agree with the raids. Rescuing demons and giving them a better life was a cause worth fighting for. Of that, he was sure.
As per usual, we willpensate each of you handsomely for your aplishments. And let us not forget the deeds of our neer, rescuing fifteen prisoners on his own! We are proud to wee him to our Order.
A round of pping and hoots echoed through the hall, and Vir nodded awkwardly to everyone who looked his way, surprised to suddenly be put on the spot.
It wasnt just on ount of bashfulnesswhile hed rescued those prisoners, he couldnt have done it without the demons help. Hed botched his role, and the events ofst night weighed heavily on his back.
If the raiders bore him ill will, though, they certainly didnt show it.
Go rest now, all of you. Ah, but Vir, would you mind staying back a moment? We have much to discuss.
Here ites, Vir thought. Instinct told him bad news was headed his way. Instinct, and that strained smile Reth had given him earlier.
Several demons pped his shoulder or nodded at him as they filtered out, and Vir found himself reciprocating. It felt so right being here, amongst friends.
The warmth in his chest only bolstered his confidence that he was making the right decision, staying on with the Order. With time, hed convince them that demons could coexist with humans. Hed failed to so with with Tia, but it was not a mistake hed make again. Hed be smarter this time.
Disanna spoke up once the others had filtered out, and when she did, it was in a softer voice than the one shed used with the crowd.
I know you must be worried about the one who betrayed you during the raid. Princess Tiyana Matali.
Im sorry, Vir said, lowering his head. I told her who I was. I nearly gave away the Orders secret. I knew Tia bore no love for demons, I just never thought shed react so violently. I have no excuses.
No need, friend, Disanna replied, gently lifting his chin. You could not have known she would be there. As a royal, shed have been privy to our true nature, eventually, and your friend Maiya has seen that Prince Erhan will keep Princess Tiyana in check. Rather, despite facing such adversity, you still brought those demons home.
Only with a lot of help, Vir said in anguish. Badal was running into a lot of resistance, so he had me go ahead. I wasnt supposed to break them out, but I saw the chance and took it. Just didnt expect to run into her there.
No operation is without its snags, Vir, Reth said. If the Pagan Orders secret were so easily learned, wed have been made a long time ago. Nations around the world work with us to disseminate our propaganda. A few voices here and there spilling the truth will never pose a threat. Well, not unless the wordse from a princess mouth, but as Disanna said, Crown Prince Erhan Matali will keep his sister in check.
Now, let us discuss the reason we summoned you, Disanna said.
We wish to invite you into our ranks, Reth continued. Youve hardly known us a week, and youve already contributed more than most. We would be honored to have you.
That much was expected, Vir thought. Hed figured they would extend an invitation at some point, and hed given the decision a great deal of consideration. He already had his answer, but first, he wanted a few rifications.
Why me? Vir asked. You flew me here on an Acira. You showed me the Undercity. You even showed me your Prana Siphon! Why take such a risk?
Vir had initially suspected they might do something simr for everyone they recruited, but after seeing the scale of their operations, after seeing the Undercity, he knew that simply wasnt true. Hed been given preferential treatment.
No one knows how demons ended up in this realm, Reth said. Some say they were here when the Age of Gods ended, and have simply been hunted ever since. Others say there were never any demons here to begin with, and that our ancestors came through the Ash, back when it was smaller and less deadly. We know precious little about the Demon Realm. We do, however, have some tales, passed down through generations of demons.
What do they say? Vir asked.
Zora spoke up for the first time in their exchange. They speak of one who carries the prana of Ash Beasts, she rasped. A being of great power who will usher in a new era for demonkind.
Vir waited for more, but the Ghael fell silent.
Thats it?
Perhaps the details have been lost to time, Reth said. Perhaps they are nothing more than rumors. However, Im of the belief that if theres even a one percent chance of it being true, then we ought to heed it.
You think Im this being from your tales, Vir said.
Vir, you are the only demon in our recorded history to have an Ash prana affinity. An Apex Ash Affinity, Disanna said.
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Vir had wondered if theyd known about his identity as the reincarnation of the primordial. It was either that, or they simply saw his prana as exotic. The truth was somewhere in between.
They know Im someone special, but they dont know of the Primordial. Thats interesting, though. So the Primordial is someone wholl usher in a new era for demonkind?
That was news to Vir, but it made sense why they were willing to go to such lengths for him now.
Vir took a deep breath. Theres something else you should know, he said. There might be some merit to those rumors, after all.
Vir spent the next hour narrating his experience as a prana scorned, telling them about the Hiranyan Knights and his training at Riyans, and finished with his meeting with Janak at Vka Amara and his attempted assassination of Princess Mina.
Our operatives had suspected you were behind Head Priest Haraks death, but to think you made an attempt on Mina herself! Disanna said. Well, you might not have killed her, but the state you left her in is almost worse.
That was Riyan, not me, Vir said, shaking his head.
Forget the princess! Vir met Lord Janak himself! Reth said in awe. Do you understand what this means?
Reth exchanged a nce with Disanna and Zora, and all three nodded, as if theyd had some unspoken conversation.
Vir, about our invitation Disanna said.
I ept
Hold, Lord Reth said, cutting him off. We feel that, in good faith, we must warn you before you reply.
Warn me? Of what?
The Pagan Orders intelligencework runs deep and wide. We have operatives in every country in the Known World, feeding us information daily. Including Rani.
Vir had a bad feeling about this.
Im afraid you have a hunting party on your tail, brother. A Mejai of Realms and his entire retinue, apanied by what we suspect is a demon whos been brainwashed or coerced into their service. A powerful giant, by the looks of it. Exceedingly powerful.
Virs stomach dropped.
Well not lie to you, Vir, Disanna said. They are an unparalleled force.
Mina, Vir said, his expression darkening.
After what you have told us, yes, that would make sense. For Hiranya to send such a strong party across borders, Princess Mina truly wants you dead.
Vir opened his mouth to reply, but Disanna continued before he could.
It is not our way to judge our demons pasts, Vir. We have all lived hard lives. Take sce in knowing you have done demonkind a favor in ridding the world of Harak. Mina was hardly any better.
It is our way, however, Reth said. to defend our own.
Your own Vir replied, understanding his meaning.
We will fight these hunters, Vir. We will do what it takes to protect you, especially now that we know what you are. What you represent. No cost is too great. However, Reth said. We must ask that you join us in return. Permanently.
Thats Vir had always been nning on staying. He was about to agree, but the words caught in his mouth. His mind lingered on Reths words.
No cost is too great.
Lives will be lost, wont they? Vir asked.
Most certainly, Disanna said. Our Ghael spies have confirmed Talent wielders among them. Strong ones. Ignoring them, there is the demon, whose prana is stronger than any being weve everid eyes on. We suspect that demons Br Rank may even exceed 700.
Vir paled. Wouldnt that put the demon higher than the strongest Talent wielder in the Known World?Hiranya had such a hidden weapon?
When Riyan had ordered Vir to assassinate Mina, hed feared this exact situation. He feared that nowhere in the Known World would be safe, despite Riyans assurances.
And now Riyan was gonelikely deadand the Order was promising to protect him. At any cost.
Can I ept that?
How many demons would have to sacrifice themselves for his botched assassination? How many souls would Vir have to save to bnce that scale?
Vir shook his head. It was impossible to weigh lives so mathematically. Rather, he refused to. People were precious. The Pagan Order would protect him, yes. But what right did he have to put the Orders warriors in that position?
Can I have some time to think about this?
Of course, but you should know that your pursuers are currently at Avi. Our operatives are doing what they can to dy their efforts, but we fear they will learn of your location soon. The earlier you decide, the better we can prepare.
I understand, Vir replied. Ill have my answer by this evening.
In the course of a few moments, with just a few words, the future that Vir had thought etched in stone was now once again nebulous and fraught with peril.
Onest thing, Vir said. May I show Maiya the Undercity? Shes known I was a demon, or Ashborn, ever since I was little. She defended me when others sought to do me harm. I swear on my life that she can be trusted.
The Tribunal nced at each other, exchanging unsaidments, before replying.
This is highly unusual. Can you swear to us that she will not leak this information back to Kinjal?
I swear it on my fathers name, Vir said immediately.
Still, she must take an oath of secrecy. If she does prove an enemy of our people, there will be no escape for her. We have operatives in all countries. Even in the courts of Kinjal. Furthermore, you are not to breathe a word of the Prana Siphon. Know that we extend this privilege as a special favor to you.
Vir nodded. I understand. You have my gratitude.
The implications were dire, but he wasnt worried. Maiya would never betray him.
It wasnt her he was worried about. It was what Vir''s pursuers would do once they arrived at Balindam. Time was running out, and he had a decision to make. One that would alter his fate forever.
Vir walked out of the audience chamber to find Maiya leaning against a stone wall with her arms crossed, and Neel sitting on his haunches, looking up at her.
You look like youve just seen a ghost, she said.
I may very well have, Vir replied tiredly, kneeling to pet Neel.
Thought theyd summoned you for des. What happened?
Well, they did. But there was more. Walk with me? Vir said, beckoning Maiya to follow.
Sure.
Its Princess Mina, Vir said in a low voice as they walked the castles narrow halls. Shes sending a hunting party after me. A Mejai of Realms with a retinue of mejai. And a powerful demon. Really powerful. Like Br 700, if theyre to be believed.
Thats not possible, Vir. How can Hiranya have anyone that powerful? The world wouldve known! Kinjal wouldve known! Unless I wonder if the Altanis helping them keep this hidden.
I dont know, Maiya. I really dont know. But they sound like a real force to be reckoned with. Depending on their size and strength, I could be up against abined Br rank of anywhere from 1500 to 5000.
Less, here in the Voinds, Maiya said. Maybe you ought to just wait for them toe here? Those mejai will be powerless. Trust me, it feels horrible to be here. I feel naked.
Vir shook his head. They have Talent wielders too, apparently. And that demon alone is enough to end me. I struggled against the Brood Matron, and that was with a full party to back me up. That monster was only Br 200 or so. I cant fight them, Maiya.
But the Order would defend you, right?
They would. If I agree to stay here, which Id nned to, anyway. Thats exactly the problem, Vir said, guiding Maiya through the castles halls. Many would die.
Come with me to Kinjal. We can hide you there.
I dont think you can, Maiya. They followed me all the way to Avi, which means theyre tracking me somehow. Theyre good. Very good.
Still, they wont dare follow you there.
Im not so sure about that. They pursued me to Rani, and I doubt theyll have any qualms abouting here. If I were trying to assassinate someone, I wouldnt wear anything incriminating. I doubt anyone would know Hiranya sent them. If you didnt know about that Br 700 demon, I doubt anyone else does, either.
Maiya nodded slowly. True. Which means they could strike anywhere. Theyre a disposable, autonomous force, as crazy as that sounds.
Right.
Thats good, then! Maiya said with delight.
Sorry? How is that good?
Because Kinjal can just crush them to dust.
Yep. Those military nutshave definitely been rubbing off on her. Not that its a bad thing, Vir thought with a smile. He liked this new, tougher Maiya.
Maybe, he said. Or maybe they just slit my throat in my sleep. Im so sick of running, Maiya. Of being a fugitive. When I fled from Hiranya, Id look behind my back whenever I went outside, wondering if that was the day assassins finally came for me. Whenever I ate outside, Id worry my meals were poisoned. I cant live like that. Not anymore.
Hey, she said, squeezing his hand. Well get through this together. I promise.
Vir nodded, entering the elevator shaft. He gestured to the operators, who began priming the lifts mechanism to lower them.
Where are we going? Maiya asked as they stepped onto the lift. Neel nted his butt down and looked around with enthusiasm, tail wagging.
Youll see, Vir said with a sly smile. But first, I need you to swear to secrecy with these demons here as your witness. What you see cannot be revealed to anyone. Not to Kinjal, not anyone. Let alone Princess Ira. Is that understood?
Noticing the shift in his tone, Maiya stiffened and nodded. Id never betray you. You know that. Kinjal pays me well, but Im certainly not divulging all my secrets to them. I swear on the names of my mother and father that I wont share what I see today to anyone.
Does that suffice? Vir asked the demon guards, who nodded back.
We hear and ept your oath. We shall record this in our tomes, along with the names of all who have served as witnesses here today.
The lift began to descend, plunging them into darkness. Maiya subconsciously huddled closer to Virsomething shed always done when she was afraid.
The Order would defend me, Vir said softly, mainly to keep Maiya distracted from the darkness, but theyd lose a lot of lives doing so. Thats equally true if it came to blows in Kinjal. A Br 700 warrior is going to cause death. Lots of it.
That would be hard to live with, I suppose. But at least its Kinjal. You dont even like them.
Sure. Still...
Fleeing would just dy the inevitable, bringing innocent people into his pursuers'' crosshairs.
That had always been true, but Vir had hoped he could deal with whoever Mina sent on his own. Now, that was starting to feel like a pipe dream.
Perhaps when you see this, Vir said, gesturing at the dizzying array of lights that suddenly appeared under them, maybe youll understand why I like the Pagan Order so much.
Maiya stood stock still, staring at the underground city that loomed below them. She stumbled, but Vir caught her before she fell.
Maiya? Wee to the Undercity. The true face of the Pagan Order.
Chapter 143: Destiny
Chapter 143: Destiny
What is this? Maiya said in wonder, prompting Vir to chuckle.
That was my exact reaction, Vir said. This is the real Pagan Order. It seems most other royals know that the countrys a demon sanctuary, but few know of the Undercity.
But theres so much light here! Magic isnt supposed to work. Whats going on! Maiya said, practically jumping off the lift as it touched down.
That is electricity. A form of non-magical lighting the demons here developed. They say it can have a myriad of other uses, but theyre keeping its invention a tightly guarded secret. Needless to say, none of this can reach Kinjals ears.
Of course. I have no intention of betraying anyone you consider a friend. This is just Maiyaughed softly. Just when you think youve figured the world out, it throws you a surprise like this, huh?
Right? Its miraculous. Although magic does actually work down here. But I dont think the Order would like me to divulge any more without gaining permission.
Virs eyes lingered over the electricity, admiring the flow of prana. It reminded him of Prana Channelingthe way prana flowed in an endless cycle along a pathway was simr.
At the same time, electricity felt like something more. Its ability to decouple prana from the carrier medium was something Parai hadnt been able to aplish. Vir couldnt exin why, but it felt superior to him. More elegant.
I understand, Vir. I really do, Maiya replied. But this is so unique, she said in wonder, eyeing the variety of demons who ambled about contentedly. This truly is a demon sanctuary, isnt it? A ce where they can exist without hiding who they are.
Exactly. Cmon. Let me show you around.
Vir led Maiya through the streets, showing her the analogues to the shops and homes aboveground. To his surprise, hardly anyone gave her dirty looks, despite being the only human around. Very few humans were privy to the Undercity, which meant seeing one down here was quite rare.
Maybe its Neel, he thought. The Bandy bounded up to nearly everyone, wagging his tail and looking up at them adorably. His efforts always paid off, resulting in pets and the asional treat.
Or maybe theyre just mistaking her for a demon in disguise?
The Undercitys checkpoints required demons to remove enough face paint to confirm their identities, so most opted to go without it in the Undercity. That said, demons exiting the Undercity sometimes applied their makeup in thefort of their homes. Either way, their tour proceeded unmolested until Vir led Maiya to the passage that led to his home.
Theres more? This ce is massive, Maiya said, looking off into the distance. Her eyes had been bulging the entire time, just like Vir when hed discovered the Imperium outpost of Vka Amara.
Vir unlocked the door with his iron key, taking a moment to appreciate its non-magical nature, and showed Maiya inside.
Wee to my abode, Vir said, ushering Maiya to a seat by the simple wooden table, taking his ce across her. Nothing like Riyans ce, but better than Brij, at least.
Neel promptly took his ce on the floor next to the chairs.
You bought this? Maiya asked, looking around the small space with fascination. While the bed was in a room of its own, the living and cooking areas were part of the same medium-sized space, so there wasnt much to explore.
The Order gave it to me. Seems they give homes to all demons they bring in.
Oh wow. Incredibly generous. Yknow, for most of my life, Id thought the Order was a bunch of savages living primitive lives. This non-magical lighting is simply incredible. And they even came up with it themselves? That puts them ahead of Kinjali magical Thaumaturges. They just copy the inscriptions handed down from the Age of Gods. Not like they invented magic.
Vir had always wondered about that. He figured sooner orter, someone wouldve had the itch to experiment, despite the risk. Which likely meant there was something preventing them. Some secret to the workings of magic that humans werent privy to.
The Orders medical technology is quite impressive too, Vir replied, even if a bunch of it seems dubious. Theyve found workarounds for a lot of what magic does. It might not be as effective, but it works. Usually.
I feel like the rest of the world could stand to gain by learning from them.
Agreed.
The conversation drifted off, and a silence descended upon them. Afortable silence; Vir had never felt awkward just being near Maiya. At least, not until recently.
Youre thinking of leaving, arent you? Maiya said atst.
I am. Howd you know?
Maiya rolled her eyes. Cmon, Vir. Ive known you a long time. You always frown and stare at the ground when youre worried about something. But why, though? I can protect you!
Im afraid you cant, Maiya. He raised his hands when Maiya was about to retort. Its not your strength Im worried about. I have every faith in that. Its just
I don''t understand. You worry for the demon lives that would be lost, so you don''t want to stay. You don''t think you can hide, so you don''t want to escape with me. What else can you do? Give yourself up to Mina?
What? No, of course not.
There''s another option, he thought. Though, you''re not going to like that one much better.
Okay, good, Maiya said, visibly relieved. Because then I''d have to p some sense into you.
Vir winced. Theres... something I never told you. About those voices in my head. You remember that?
Back at Riyans ce, yeah. Wait, youre still hearing them? The demons that possess you?
Theyre not demons. Well, they are, but not the sort that want to possess you. Well, uh, not usually. Theye out when I''m in mortal danger, and... they''re not all that reliable.
Maiyas look of concern only grew deeper at his confusing exnation.
Theyre my prior incarnations, Maiya. Past versions of myself. Wed suspected as much before, but now I have proof. And they want me to go to the Ashen Realm. At all cost.
The Ash. You''re kidding. No. No, you''re not kidding. That''s your n? There are easier ways of killing yourself, Vir. Trust me, Ive read enough reports on Kinjals forays into the Ash to know. Only the strongest mejai and Talent wielders stand a chance, and even if the prana poisoning doesnt get you, the monsters in there are beyond the best of us. Its insanity.
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I know. As a demon, I stand a better chance of surviving there, but Ive fought Ash Beasts. Even weakened as they were outside the Ash, none of them were easy opponents.
I can attest to that. So, why?
Well, a few reasons. For one, because Reaper Ekanai wont let me stay.
Ekanai. Thats the name of one of your past incarnations, right?
Right, Vir said, dreading what was toe. Back when we fled those knights in the Godshollow, Ekanai wanted me to kill you. Said you were dead weight. He took control of my body and nearly hurt you.
But You stopped him, Maiya said. She was doing her best to keep calm, but she was obviously shaken.
I did, he said. And again, that night I fought the wolf above Riyans abode. I came this close, Vir held up his thumb and index finger, to hurting you with my chakram. Ever since then, Ive been terrified of being around you. Never knowing when I might lose control.
Maiya was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was barely more than a whisper.
Why didn''t you ever tell me?
I... I should have. I know! I just... couldn''t. I can name any number of excuses, but none of them will make it right. I-I''m sorry, Vir said.
Grak it, this is frustrating, Maiya said, pacing around. You didn''t tell me because you didn''t want me to worry. Right? It''s so like you to do something like that.
Vir bit his lip. There was nothing either of us could''ve done. Short of running away. But...
But you couldn''t stand the thought of leaving me alone with Riyan.
If I ran away, Riyan might have... He might''ve hurt you. He might have punished you in my stead. I couldn''t. I just couldn''t do it.
Maiya embraced Vir. He was too stunned to resist.
Hey. I''m not angry, she said gently. Just... You didn''t have to bear that burden alone, Vir. I wish you hadn''t.
She really is incredible, he thought, doing his best not to get distracted by her huga task easier said than done.
Anyone else would''ve held it against him for keeping such a deadly secret. Not Maiya. She forgave him without batting an eye. Because she was Maiya. Irreceable.
But hey, I''m stronger now, right? I''m not dead weight anymore! I take offense to that, y''know?
Vir gave her a pained smile, breaking the embrace before it grew awkward.
Im afraid your strength matters little to him. As a human, you cant follow me into the Ash. And Ekanai wants me to enter the Ashen Realm as soon as possible. To fulfill my destiny, whatever thats supposed to mean.
So thats why you dont want toe to Kinjal with me. Youre afraid Ekanai might try to hurt me again? I feel like your concerns unwarranted, Vir. I can defend myself just fine. Even against you.
Sure, when youre awake. How about in your sleep? Against a Talent that cannot be detected or defended against? Also, you know my abilities. Im pretty much the perfect weapon against mejai.
Youre not a weapon, Maiya said softly, but didnt press the issue. It was obvious to both just how dangerous Dance truly was.
I cant let that happen, Maiya. I wont. Besides, its not just Ekanai saying these things. Another past incarnationShardul the Vicioustried to bargain with me. He promised me power in return for going there.
You declined?
Vir shed an impish grin. I kinda reverse-engineered that power on my own. Doubt hes thrilled about that.
Maiya rolled her eyes. Thats so like you.
And also one other. Someone I neglected to mention before. When I stumbled upon Vka Amara, I mentioned Lord Janak, right?
Hard to forget about the literal god.
Not the actual god. I dont quite understand, but he said the real Janak died millennia ago with the other gods, and that he was like a copy? Not even that. His real bodys in the Ashen Realm. He keeps an eye on the world via the Vimana, but he had no power.
I still dont know what to say. Do you have any idea what this means? It means that the gods are real! It means theyre not just myth and legend.
We knew that already, right? The Vimana and the orb inscriptionse from them. So does our currency.
Yeah, but everyone thinks they left those behind! To think they still have a presence in the world Even if it was an avatar, you met a god, Vir! A copys still a god, as far as Im concerned.
Well, it certainly felt like meeting a god. Janaks avatar was made entirely out of prana.
Huh. So I wouldnt have been able to see him?
Probably not. Vir shed her a pained smile.
Oh well. Not like I was there, anyway. He said something, didnt he?
He told me to journey to the Ashen Realm. He wanted me to travel through it to get to the Demon Realm, which is apparently on the other side.
On the other side Maiya said nkly.
Yep. I didnt even know there was anything on the other side.
This is all too much to take in, Maiya said, clutching her flowing crimson hair, tangling it up. But okay, I get why youre so bent on going to the Ashen Realm now. If a god told me to do something, Id probably do it, too. Even if it did sound suicidal.
Yeah. Well, he did guarantee I wouldnt die. At least, not by the prana poisoning. But where do I go? How do I find food to eat and water to drink? What strategys best for avoiding the worst monsters there? I dont know nearly enough.
Is there anyone here who could help? Maiya asked. Theyre demons after all. Maybe some have been to the Ash?
Theres one such person, apparently. The custodian, responsible for the tomes the Order keeps stashed here in the Undercity.
Well, what are we waiting for? Maiya said, standing up. Lets go!
I was nning on it, Vir replied, but youre okay with this? Me going to the Ash, I mean.
Ill admit I have a million concerns. But I also know that you know what youre doing. Im worried. I really am. But if thats what youve decided, Ill support you. You remember my parents note? They told us to support each other and to stick together. Maybe I cant follow you through the Ash, but I can at least help. Ive learned a thing or two from poring over Kinjal reports. And
And?
And when you eventually return, Ill be waiting. For you. No matter how long it takes, Maiya said with a blush, staring at her feet.
T-thanks Maiya.
The library wasnt difficult to find. Not only was it taller than most of the other Undercitys brick buildings, its ornate carvings and its central location at the fountain za made it impossible to miss.
Having left Neel at home, Vir and Maiya strolled through the open doors, but gaining ess to the information they wanted proved more difficult. No matter how hard they searched, they found no trace of the custodian Badal had mentioned, so they did the next best thingfind every tome on the Ash they could, ande up with a n.
After hours of poring through difficult-to-read wording, theyd made little progress.
This is hopeless, Maiya said. These records arent even close to the quality of the Kinjal intelligence reports. Just superstition and exaggeration. This one journal by this demon researchers the best of the bunch, and it just goes on aboutmuning with the seven spirits.
Theres a lot of information on the monsters we might find and some on which flora can be eaten safely, but nothing in the way of they of thend. Its so frustrating. Not one mentions a safe path through.
That there was even food to eat in the Ash was good news. It seemed nts abounded there, fueled by the excessive prana density. Some of the tomes even mentioned water sources.
That is because such a route does not exist, a deep, growling voice thundered from behind them, causing them both to spin around.
A tall gray demon dressed in an ornate jade robe that nearly touched the ground loomed above them. Not quite a giant, but two heads taller than even Riyan. His most striking aspect, however, was his enormous white beard, well groomed and dressed, that reached nearly to his waist. His eyebrows and long hair were simrly white, with his hair being tied back into a ponytail.
He red at the two with the same piercing red eyes Vir had, but when he spied Vir, his expression softened and his posture ckened. Where before he had the aura of a fierce warrior, now he looked like a stern uncle.
A gray demon? Quite rare indeed. What brings you to my library?
Sir, Vir said, subconsciously treating the demon with deference, I need to cross the Ashen Realm.
Vir flushed even before he''d finished his sentence. The librarian''s long, silent regard only made it worse.
This was dumb. He''ll think I''m crazy.
Then you havee to the right ce. I am Amarat. Some call me Amarat the Immortal. Immortal because I once braved the Ash and returned to tell the tale.
Youve been through the Ash Vir breathed in disbelief. And you survived?
Now that is a tale indeed. I would not wish that ce upon my worst enemy. Though it was decades ago, the nightmares still gue my dreams. Only fools dare venture there.
If theres any way, then I must, Vir said. There was fear in his voice. Fear and determination. Just a few hours ago, hed decided to remain with the Order, to aid their cause. But now it wasn''t so simple. Lives were at stake.
Even if he made peace with that somehow, Vir knew he was merely dying the inevitable. That one day, he would find his way to the Ash. Janak''s words would continue to gnaw at him, if Ekanai didnt force him first.
To Vir''s surprise, exploring the viability of venturing through the blighted realm brought on a sense of relief. Like a great weight had been lifted.
Like the weight of expectation. It was an errant thought, gone in an instant. But there was something there. A deep-seated fear, and not only of Ekanai.
Vir recalled how Reth, Disanna, and even Zora had looked at him, once he''d divulged his tale.
Awe. Reverence.
It was how he imagined most demons would react. Those who were aware of that oral tale, anyway.
They weren''t just looking for a warrior. They were looking for a champion. For the being from their legends. The Primordial.
What would that mean for Vir? What would it entail?
He didn''t know, but the notion terrified him. He couldn''t say why.
There is a way through that infernal realm, Amarat said, interrupting his thoughts.
Will you tell me? Vir asked. He still couldn''t say which path he''d choose in the endbut perhaps Amarat''s words would guide him.
Oh yes, I shall tell you. And then we can discuss the dozen ways you will die before ever reaching it.
Chapter 144: To Cross The Ash
Chapter 144: To Cross The Ash
How did you survive? Vir asked.
I nearly did not, Amarat said, taking a seat at their table. The custodian leaned back, rested a bony elbow on the table, and narrated his tale, his eyes wandering to a distant memory. A century and a half ago, I joined a Kinjal expeditionary force. Times were desperate, and the promise of freedom too tempting. I knew the risks. Least, I thought I did. Call it the brashness of youth.
A century and a half? Vir thought in surprise. He''d known that demons lived longer than humans, but Amarat looked to be in his sixties. Just how old is he?
What happened? Vir asked.
The forceposed of mejai and Brian warriors was tasked with mapping the Ashen Realm near the Ash Boundary. For future missions.
Wait, I remember reading about this, Maiya said, prompting the elderly demon to raise a brow. There were no survivors.
You are privy to some very secret Kinjal information, girl. Yes, that was likely the expedition I was in. They thought to take a demon along to see how Id fare. I fared well enough, I suppose.
The report said the group never returned. That everyone had died.
Amarat chuckled.
You never reported back to them after? Vir asked.
I owed the Kinjals nothing. Less than nothing, in factI was a ve. It became quite clear to me soon after entering that theyd knowingly sent us on a suicide mission. We had no Mejai of Realms. No mejai worth anything, in fact. Just Mejai Sorcar. The rest were Brian warriors, and none very strong. Perhaps they thought to send disposable scouts through, on the off-chance they might strike gold.
Thats exactly what the mission was for, Maiya said softly, averting her eyes. It said so in the notes.
I see. Then I must thank you for confirming suspicions Ive held for half my life, girl, Amarat said, stroking his long beard, looking wistfully into the distance. No matter. Most sumbed immediately to prana poisoning. Ill not subject you to the details. Suffice it to say, its a miserable way to go. Were I not dealing with the poisoning myself, I mightve fainted at the gruesome sight.
Yet you survived, Vir stated.
Hardly. When we think of thick prana, we think of magic. Of vitality and strength. When one visits Kinjal, one feels empowered, being so close to the Ash. But too much of a good thing is lethal in its own right. The prana in the Ashen Realm isnt merely thick. It suffocates. The sheer force of that magical energy rips your body apart, seeking equilibrium.
Vir exchanged a knowing nce with Maiya. If the density was far higher there, it made sense Ash prana would try to worm its way into the body of thoseing from a less dense region.
I could not even walk, such was the pressure. Relegated to my knees, I crawled as I bled from my very pores. The others mightve had it easier, perishing rtively quickly. Not I. My agonysted for hours.
Why didnt you just turn around? Maiya asked. I always wondered about that. Enough high-ranking mejai make it back that it seems possible. Yet I never find any record of why the others dont just abort their mission at the first sign of trouble.
Amaratughed. It seems the Kinjal have scrubbed certain details from their records. I cannot imagine those survivors would all have omitted that detail.
What detail? Vir asked.
There is no Ash Boundary on the other side, the demon said, scoffing. If only there were. Do not make the mistake of assuming the Ash operates under the same rules as the Known World. It does not. There is no night or day there. It is a ce of continuous twilight where Ash falls eternally, from gods-know where. The Ash Boundary that cuts across our world like a scar is nowhere to be seen.
Thats so theres no way back?
No reliable way, no. You can imagine our panic when we arrived there. As far as I can tell, Ash Gatesor Ash Tears, as the unstable ones are calledopen and close at random. Some lead deeper into the Ash while others may spit you into an abyss. A precious few lead back to the human realm. I simply happened upon a gate that led back to safety. It was a one in a million chance.
It led back to Kinjal? Maiya asked.
No. To Sai, of all ces. Dropped me high in the air, too. I hobbled back to civilization with legs full of broken bones. Nearly died, too. Twould have been such cruel irony, to have survived the Ash only to die in the Human Realm. For the longest time, I thought Fate was ying games with me.
Ouch, Maiya hissed, wincing.
Theres more. The Ashennds shift. I saw only glimpses of it in the distance, but reality is broken in that realm. It fits well with the theme of deranged beasts. If one were to chart a course through, I fear it would be rendered useless before long.
None of this was mentioned in the record, Maiya murmured. This must be a secret of the highest order.
I know not why they would hide this information, but this is yet another reason the Ash is so dangerous. On top of the Ash Beasts. Only half of my expedition perished to prana poisoning. The other half died well before then, fighting Ash Beasts. The only reason I slipped by is because the monsters were too busy gorging on Kinjal flesh to bother with me.
Ive fought Ash Beasts near the Wall myself, Maiya said. They were the most terrifying opponents Ive ever encountered. I cant imagine how much more fearsome they must be within the Ash.
Though shed mentioned it earlier, her exploits still came as a shock to Vir. To think shed not only fought off Ash beasts, but had fought more than he had Not that it was apetition, but Vir was somewhat proud of his growth. Now he didnt know how to feel.
Regardless, Virs thoughts echoed Maiyas. The Narapazu and the Brood Matron were in a different league than other foes hed encountered. Even the Phantomde was a tough foe.
Ash Beast strength in the Ashen Realm is iparable. I can assure you, their lofty Br ranks are well-earned. To fight oneeven a smaller oneis to risk death for all but the truly strong.
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A knot in Virs stomach began to tighten. So when you said theres a way through
I meant finding an Ash Gate that leads you to your destination. If you can survive the poisoning, the possibility is there. Ash Tears open and close continuously. You might even get lucky and find a gate soon after you enter that blighted ce.
And to think MahadiJanaks homeis deep within there. Vir shivered. And yet, Janak, Shardul, and Ekanai all believed he would survive there.
Theres no other way? Vir asked.
Not that Im aware. Youll find no one else in the Pagan Order whos been to the Ash and survived, Im afraid.
Well, its not much, but its something, Vir said softly.
If you must go, enter near Matali, Amarat said. The beasts are weakest there, which leads me to believe it leads to a less dangerous region of the Ashen Realm. Of course, I could very well be wrong.
The elderly demon gazed at Vir. You are still young. You have your whole life to live. Do not throw it away in search of glory.
What if its not glory Im after?
Then I would advise you to act in a manner that leaves you with the least regrets. There''s not a soul alive without regrets. All we can do is seek to minimize them.
Vir didnt reply, and the demon said no more.
I am here if you need me.
With those words, Amarat stood and left, leaving Maiya and Vir alone.
Several minutes passed in silence.
What will you do? Maiya asked.
I have to go.
Even though its suicide?
I dont think it will be. Not for me.
Because youre a demon?
Thats part of it, Vir replied. But theres more.
There was only one fact about the Ash that led him to believe themAsh Prana.
You know how I use Ash prana, right? Its why people think Im prana scorned. Because my affinitys different from the ones humans know about.
Right. Well, the Altani might. They definitely know more about magic than the rest of us, but no one knows how or why.
Maybe. Theres another nation who knows of it, though.
Oh?
You know how I can see prana, right? Turns out some of the Order demons have a simr ability.
I gotta stop being surprised by all the impossible things the Order can do. Thats wild.
Tell me about it, Vir said. Anyway, humans usually have an assortment of affinities within them. The stronger the mejai, the fewer of those other affinities they possess.
So
So every Ash Beast Ive fought had Ash prana. Only Ash prana. No other affinities.
The only exception was the Brood Matron, though that was because she consumed animals of the human realm to produce her offspring.
Youre saying that you have the same affinity as Ash Beasts do. And Ash Beasts are weakened considerably outside the Ash, Maiya said, her eyes lighting up inprehension. Which means Youd also grow a lot stronger in the Ash!
Right. I mean, Im pretty sure there''s more Ash prana in the Ashen Realm than there is here, or those beasts wouldnt be that strong. I dunno if its the dominant affinity there, but its enough to strengthen Ash Beasts. It ought to do the same to me. Hopefully.
The question was by how much, and whether his strength gains would be enough to deal with the threats there.
Vir, thats incredible! Leave it to you to be stronger in the Ash when everyone else is off dying of prana poisoning.
That might still happen. I cant say. But the custodian survived. Demons just seem to weather its effects better than humans.
Yeah, Maiya said, her expression turning sour. Id die the instant I set foot there.
Vir wasnt oblivious to Maiyas feelings. After being separated for so long, he wanted nothing more than to be together.
Yes, hed found a ce with the Pagan Order, but the more he thought about it, the more he came to appreciate the bond he had with Maiya. As she said, nothing stopped him from visiting the Order whenever he wanted.
As he stared into Maiyas beautiful hazel eyes, he imagined that lifeliving in Sonams castle with Maiya, going on adventures, or even just exploring the city and Kinjal together. Enjoying a night at the pub, or snuggling on a cold night like they used to.
The weight of temptation nearly crushed Vir. But he knew well what would happen. One day, hed wake up to find Maiya dead beside him, her throat slit by Ekanai. Or worse, his makeup would slip and Kinjal would prosecute him for being a demon. Maiya might lose her station for being seen as a demon sympathizer.
Vir shut his eyes, purging that future from his thoughts. Until he came to terms with his past incarnations, there would be no peace. No happy, idyllic life with Maiya.
And even if none of those came to pass, Lord Janaks words would haunt him. The Demon Realm. What was it like? Who was he? What was the purpose of the Primordial?
Vir knew at that moment that he had to do this. Not for the Order, or for Maiya. For himself.
Ill return. This, I swear to you. I will find a way to silence these voices in my head. This destiny, whatever it is, Ill finish it. And then Ille back.
Maiya held his gaze, even as her cheeks flushed. As I said. Ill be here.
You say that, but even I dont know how long this might take. It could be years, Maiya.
This is the part where you say dont waste your life waiting for me, Vir. You were about to say it, werent you?
I
You honestly, you oughta be a bit more selfish from time to time, Maiya said. You can tell me to wait, yknow?
I Guilt plugged his words, but he forced through regardless. Then wait for me, Maiya. Until I return.
Maiya smiled. And squeezed his hand. I will. And I have a solution. Maybe. Not like we can be together in the Ash, but maybe we can have the next best thing. When are you leaving?
Soon. As soon as possible, I think. Id rather not endanger the Order any longer than I have to.
Okay. One day. I just need a day. Can you give me that?
Sure? What are you nning? Vir asked.
Maiya cracked an impish grin. Youll see. Whatever you do, do not leave without me, okay? Ill never forgive you. Well use my Acira. Who knows? Maybe the Kinjal markings will drive away your pursuers.
No way. I wont put your life at risk. Stay out of this.
Too bad. Im gonna follow you, one way or another. If ites to a fight, you could use some mejai support. So? Whatll it be?
Vir was about to retort but then remembered Haymis Enhance Speed orb and how much stronger itd made him inbat.
You can do support magic now?
You bet I can!
Itd mean getting to fight alongside Maiya, too a small voice in his head whispered, but he ignored it. Keeping Maiya out of danger trumped any selfish desires he had.
But knowing her, she really would follow me on her own.
If he couldnt keep her away, he could at least keep her close, couldnt he? Keep her where he could protect her if needed. In the worst case, he could always force her to flee on her own.
Alright, he said at length.
Ill follow you into the Ash if I have to.
Alright! By Janak! I swear I wont leave before you return!
Good, Maiya said, rising from the table. Now, show me the way out. Weve got so much to do, and so little time!
Vir stared at his friend, feeling very much like hed been conned.
Chapter 145: The Era Of Demons
Chapter 145: The Era Of Demons
Like a monsoon rain, Maiya left as quickly as shed arrived, racing into the skies on her Acira and leaving Vir with a sudden sense of loneliness.
Forming his resolution, Vir marched to the Tribunals audience chamber, where hed called a meeting. Like Maiya, he had his own preparations to make. Supplies had to be gathered, weapons sharpened.
Most importantly, he had to inform the Order.
At his appointed time, Vir stepped into the audience chamber, empty, except for the three rulers of the Pagan Order.
Vir had meant to broach the topic of his departure immediately, but upon seeing the sight, other words slipped from his mouth.
Dont you... have any guards? Vir asked. Even if its just me, I feel like you should keep some guards around.
He felt awkward lecturing the leaders of a country, but it had been puzzling him ever since he took their initiation test.
The rulers chuckled. We have our defenses.
Such as? Vir asked when none volunteered further details.
Well, youre aware of the Siphon, Reth said, as if that exined everything.
Er, yes?
Well, you dont think that was the only Artifact we found down there, do you? he said, holding up an orb.
A jet-ck orb.
Ash prana? Vir asked in shock. The orb was devoid of prana so he couldnt confirm it, but it was ck. ck orbs didnt exist. Hed thought that was true... until now.
Dont get too excited, Reth said. Wed have given you one if you couldve used it. These things dont do what youd think. Theyre not normal orbs. Theyre more like an extension of the Siphon itself. When activated, they suck the life out of anything they''re pointed at. Violently. Quite a painful experience. Or so it seems when we have to use it.
I see... Vir said with disappointment.
They only work in proximity to a Siphon, though we dont know why, Reth continued. Weve tried bringing them on our raids, but s, they only work here.
Well, it makes sense why youd feel safe, with something like that, Vir said. May I see it?
Reth nced at the others, then shrugged and walked over to Vir, holding the orb in front of him.
It activates like any other orb, only it works in reverse. But it isnt just prana it sucks. Or perhaps it sucks you so bone dry that it feels that way. Quite the bizarre specimen, he said.
Vir peered into the orb with Prana Vision, and to his amazement, found trace amounts of every single affinity present. Including Ash.
I take it not everyone knows of these things? Vir asked.
Well, of course not, Reth said, pocketing it. Only the Tribunal and a handful of our most devout demon raiders.
Guess that exins why Reth was so confident I couldnt hurt Badal back when they tested me.
Even knowing he couldnt take the orb with him, it heartened Vir knowing that orbs containing Ash prana did exist. Perhaps hed find more in the Demon Realm. Or in the Ash.
You have made your decision, then? Disannathe ck-haired red demonasked. Will you stay with us?
Im afraid I cant, Vir replied, though even as he said those words, he second-guessed himself. Was he really going to do this?
The Tribunal nced at one other.
Can you exin why? Disanna asked. Rather, how will you survive this threat on your own?
By escaping to a ce no one would dare follow, Vir said, hardening his expression and standing a little taller. I intend to flee to the Ashen Realm.
Silence fell across the hall.
Friend, we admire your consideration for us, Lord Reth said. Lives will be lost if you stay, but you need not sacrifice your own life. Youve proven yourself a trusted brother of our people. You may very well be the one from our legends. We will protect you, Vir. And we are far better suited to the task than you would be, alone. We can deceive your pursuers. We could trick them into following a false trail.
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I know you would, Vir replied. I thank you. I truly do. But I have other reasons I cannot stay. I never mentioned this, but I believe I was brought to this realm as a child. I think I was born in the Demon Realm.
A hushed silence followed his words.
Did Lord Janak tell you this? Zora asked, her voice even more hoarse than usual.
Vir nodded. He implied it.
For any demon to cross the Ash, let alone while caring for a child It is inconceivable, Zora said.
I have this on good authority, Vir replied. At any rate, I believe I can survive. If Im correct in my assumption, Ive already braved it once, and that too, as an infant.
You would bank your survival on a guess? Disanna asked.
I have other reasons to believe Ill be safe. I possess the same affinity Ash Beasts do. Like them, Ill be stronger in the Ash. And I also wish to seek our people. The other demons in the Demon Realm.
The Tribunal had shown expressions of concern until now, but Vir thought he sensed a subtle shift.
You seek the Demon Realm. Why?
Janak told me to go, Vir admitted. I wish I could tell you more, but thats why I need to go. I need to learn who I am. What I am.
For centuries, we, too, have sought to reunite with our kin, Disanna replied. Were but an ind of demons in an ocean filled with sharks, after all. To establish a line ofmunication with the Demon Realm would give us an enormous advantage. Even if travel to and from is impossible, we could exchange knowledge, magic, perhaps even weapons that might further our cause.
Vir picked up on what Disanna was implying.
If I do make it there, Ill see what I can do. If theres a way ofmunicating between the two realms, Ill do everything in my power to make it happen.
Thank you, friend. Can we at least send some warriors to protect you until you reach the Boundary?
Vir shook his head. Ill be leaving with my mejai friend. Well be faster on a single Acira.
Then go, with your blessings and our prayers.
Vir stood silent for a moment.
Is something the matter? Reth asked.
Youre letting me go? Vir asked skeptically. I thought youd do everything you could to get me to stay.
Disanna chuckled. And what could we do, young Ekavir, to convince you to remain voluntarily?
Nothing, Vir said, shaking his head.
Then there you go, Disanna continued. Wed have to be backwater chals to restrain you against your will. Even if we couldwhich I doubt we can, what with your shadow abilitieswed lose something far more precious. An ally. A friend. And potentially, the figure from our legends. No, Vir, I do not think we wish to make an enemy of you.
I see Vir said.
Disanna sighed. We fear for you, Vir But we understand. After all, who are we to stand in the way of Fate? Whatever supplies you need, whatever armor or weapons may help you, our arsenal is open to you. Take what you need.
I appreciate the gesture, Vir replied. And everything else you have done for me.
Lord Reth cleared his throat. While this may be useless to you where youre headed, you might be pleased to know that your promotion to Brotherhood Shadow has been processed. Consider it a parting gift for the aid youve rendered.
Ithank you, Vir said. When did they submit that request? While they were rightBrotherhood ranks meant little in the Ashthe gesture still touched him. Or rather
How did you make that happen? I didnt evenplete a contract.
Reth chuckled. The Brotherhood and the Order have a long, long history together.
They know your secret? Vir asked.
Oh, yes, Reth replied. The Brotherhood is a powerful organization these days, but it was not always so. Theyve had their share of dark hours.
So you helped them out in their time of need, Vir said.
Many, many times, yes, Reth said. Unlike other countries, we never asked for anything in return. We never sought to control them. We''ve built on the rtionship ever since.
Vir thought he understood. The Brotherhood hated being beholden to anyone. They wouldnt have epted aid with strings attached.
Of course, the Brotherhood does notpromise their morals, even for us, Disanna said. But they do hold us in high esteem. Thates with certain... privileges.
Vir chuckled.
Is something the matter? Disanna asked.
No, its just I was so wrong. About the Pagan Order. About Princess Tiyana. About a lot of things.
Reth smiled. Good! It means our propaganda is working as it should, then!
Vir nodded. Thank you. For everything.
May Adinat be with you, Zora rasped.
May Janak be with you, Disanna said. Though it appears he already is.
May Hmm. May your pretty friend be with you! Reth said, earning annoyed looks from his peers, and a chuckle from Vir.
It was official now. He was leaving. And it terrified him.
Do you think its true? Disanna asked the Tribunal after Vir left. That he was brought over as a child?
He has no reason to lie to us, Lord Reth replied.
Why would the demon ns brave the Ashen Realm? They must know how dangerous the Ash is. To deliver a child here Can anyone remember thest time such a thing happened?
Never, Lord Reth replied. Not once in recorded history.
It seems events have unfolded within the ns that are beyond our knowledge, Zora rasped.
Im afraid theyll remain that way unless Vir returns with news, Disanna replied. None of our agents have ever sessfully entered the Demon Realm.
Or if they have, theyve never returned, Reth said. I cant decide which is more disconcerting.
He must have had guardians, Disanna said. Protectors who saw him across the Ash as a child. What of them? Have they all perished?
Many mysteries surround this child, Zora rasped. He is one worth watching. But was it wise to leave the girl alive?
The Matali princess? Reth asked.
I said it when we killed her parents, Zora said. It was a mistake to leave her and her brother alive.
Weve been over this, Zora. Killing her now would serve us no purpose, Disanna said, her voice barely more than a whisper. Matali poses us no threat anymore. They never will again.
Also, they mightve had a falling out, Reth said, but I sense Vir harbors some lingering attachment to Princess Tiyana. He might fashion himself an assassin, but there is a pure-heartedness to him thats impossible to conceal.
As he is to us, Vir may very well be a special existence to the denizens of the Demon Realm, for them to have gone to such lengths, Rethmented.
But the dangers of the Ash
As elders, we ought not to keep our young birds in their cage longer than necessary, Disanna said. Yet it is also our duty to ensure they do not die meaninglessly. We cannot follow him into the Ash, but we can at least protect him until he reaches it.
If he survives. If he returns, Zora whispered.
Which is why he has our full support. If it means linking us with our brothers and sisters Disanna said. Call it misguided hope, or call it intuition. I sense the dawn of a new era upon us. The Era of Demons.
Chapter 146: Upgrades
Chapter 146: Upgrades
Two red demons faced off in a ring, though one was considerablyrger than the other. They wore only loincloths and stood barefoot atop the sandy floor, appraising each other, each sure of his own victory.
Fight! the referee shouted, jumping away just in time to avoid a haymaker. Therger demon had made the opening move, but the smaller one easily avoided it, ducking low for a counterattack.
See? Isnt this a spectacle? Badal said, munching on some fried flour snacks while Vir sat next to him with a concerned look.
Look, even your bandys enjoying this! Badal said.
It was true; Neel gazed at thebatants with rapt attention, his tail swinging energetically. Which was especially incredible, considering Badals bag of sweet treats right nearby.
Even now, my pursuers near Balindam, Vir replied. I dont have time for this! Every moment wasted made him increasingly anxious.
Exactly why you should make some. Youll be off to the Ashen Realm soon. The Ashen Realm, of all ces! Trust me, you can use every bit of normalcy you can find before venturing into that ce, because I assure you, you will miss this life.
I dont doubt it, Vir said softly. Hed been in the middle of packing his things when Badal had barged in and demanded they go watch the fights.
A popr sport here amongst demons in the Undercity, fights weremon, as was betting. More than that, it was the feeling of safety Vir knew hed miss. Nowhere was safe in the Ash. How long would it be before he could let his guard down like this again?
So? Who do you think will win?
Vir thought for a moment. Therger demon was no doubt stronger. Both were in great shape, but the bigger foe simply had more muscles, and by his movements, knew how to use them.
The smaller demon, Vir said. It wasnt just that he was partial to mobility and dexterity; the smaller demon had anticipated nearly all his opponents attacks.
Aye, the big guy over there winds up a tad too much. Lets on that a punch ising. But Ive seen him fight before. Hes got a trick or two up his sleeves.
Just then, the smaller demonnded a hit. While it didnt look like anything special, therger demon stumbled back, encouraging the smaller demon to press his attack.
Its a trap, Vir whispered.
The big demon suddenly righted his bnce and threw a vicious punch to his opponents gut, sending him tumbling away.
He did not get back up.
And we have a winner! the referee announced.
Vir couldnt helpparing this fight to the one he might very well have against the Hiranyan Mejai of Realms and his cadre. He fully nned on avoiding a confrontation, but fate seemed to enjoy foiling him.
Nowe, let us see the armorer. Badal rose and beckoned Vir to follow.
Vir was nning on visiting there himself, but based on what hed seen in the Upper City, he kept his hopes in check.
They left the giant cavern for one of the many tunnels that connected to it, and after a solid ten minutes of walking, finally arrived at a nondescript wooden door.
Unlike the door, though, the room inside was hardly nd. Weapons and armor covered the walls, and racks of steel glistened in the light of a forge that ran hot, casting a warm glow upon the room andplimenting the electrical rope lights that brightly illuminated the entire space.
With the subterranean construction, it all made for a cozy space, despite itsrge size.
And unlike the Upper city, here Vir saw plenty of high quality steel weapons, including some seric ones. Even seric armor.
While Neel wanted to bound around, Vir grabbed his cor, restraining his overeager pet. He couldnt afford Neel knocking over stands and scratching up armor.
Looks like the demons keep the best stuff for themselves, Vir thought, growing excited at the weapons on disy. The Tribunal had evenpensated him for his help during the raid, bringing his total wealth to just over two serics.
Only a year ago, the idea of having a seric coin to his name seemed unthinkable. Hed surely have swooned. Yet now, both he and Maiya had aplished that feat. Sometimes, he pinched himself to make sure this wasnt all just a dream.
Ho, Akar! You around? Badal shouted.
A sooty-faced four-armed red demon popped his head up over the racks and waved back. Badal! What brings you ere?
Looking for weapons and armor for this guy. Vir. You got the message from Lord Reth?
Disanna, actually, the cksmith, Akar, replied. Came down ere herself!
Whats this all about? Vir asked.
You get a discount, Akar replied. A hundred percent off.
A hundred isnt that
By order of the Tribunal, youre to take whatever you need for your trip. Free of charge.
Virs eyes bulged. Anything?
Anything. Well, anything you can carry on ye! Akar said,ughing. Can have you clearing out my shop now, can I?
Thats but why?
Only the Tribunal could tell you that, friend, Badal said, but if I had to guess? They see in you a promising ally. They might not dissuade you from venturing into the Ash, but the least they can do is to help youe home safely.
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I honestly dont know what to say. Thank you.
Akar shrugged. Thank the Tribunal. Im jus doing my job. So, whatll it be?
Seric chakrams and chakris, Vir said immediately.
Hmm. Chakrams, eh? Not amon request. Dont have any on handId have to forge em from scratch. How long you got?
As soon as possible. I want to leave within a day.
Akar exhaled. Sorry, friend. Im good, but Im no miracle worker. Dont think I can make that happen for ya.
I see Vir said, doing his best to hide his disappointment. Truthfully, Ive already got some good kit. My katars seric.
What about armor? Why dont we outfit him with some seric pieces? Badal offered.
Aye, I could do seric bracers and greaves to rece the ones you got there. Make em less gaudy, too. As for your cuirass hmm. Might have just the thing, if itll fit, he said, beckoning them to the racks of armor disyed against the wall. With the electrical lights ced inside them, they glowed, as if alive.
Virs eyes immediately went to a ck-and-blood red brigandine. Not only did it look menacing, its craftsmanship was exquisite. Upon closer examination, the ck pieces werent ck at all, but an exotic seric metal pattern, veiled by ck chainmail that sat in front of the tes. Instead of leather to bind the tes, it used mail, allowing for more flexibility. And unlike most brigs where the metal was fully hidden, this piece left sections exposed to show off the metal underneath, using mail only where necessary.
Noticed that oddity, did ya? Akar said. With seric being as strong as it is, theres hardly a need to protect all of it with more leather. Keeps it lighter this way. More supple, but it doesnt lose any strength. One of my masterpieces, if Im honest.
Though itcked carvings or gold, the way the seric tes wove into the ck mesh mesmerized Vir. It was the most beautiful piece of armor hed ever seen, and suddenly, he felt very insecure.
How much would this go for? If I had to pay for it?
Armor like this? A seric and a half, easy.
Once again, Vir felt like no amount of wealth in this world was enough. In the vige of Brij, a seric wouldve made anyone a king. Most there hadnt even seen a seric coin their whole life. Here? Even with ten serics, Vir doubted hed feel rich.
Right, then. Ive got seric bracers, pauldrons, and greaves, ready to go. Jus take yer pick, Akar said, pointing to the small selection of finely crafted pieces.
They varied slightly in design, with some beingrger to cover more area, and others prioritizing ease of movement.
Vir normally wouldve opted for the lighter, smaller pieces in an instant, but this was the Ashen Realm he was venturing into. A single swipe from an Ash Beasts ded limb could sever his whole arm. More protection was probably not a bad thing.
And if theres as much Ash Prana there as I think there is, I can use Dance of the Shadow Demon all I want.
He wouldnt have to rely only on his parkour and Kri training to evade enemiesDance would give him a better option.
Ill take this one, Vir said, pointing to arger pauldron. Not thergest, but enough to fully cover his shoulders. Likewise, he opted for slightly longer bracers that covered his entire forearm, and segmented greaves that ran from his boots all the way to his cuirass. That one would take more getting used tothough it articted surprisingly well, the extra weight required more effort on his part.
Luckily, he could abuse Empower to speed up his movements in the Ash. Almost like a second set of muscles. As fearsome as the Ashen Realm was, Vir was more than a little excited to see just how strong hed grow there.
Right. Come back tonight. Should have all this tailored to ya by then. We can do some final adjustments, and ye can walk right out wearing em, if you like!
Thanks Akar, Vir said, bowing his head to the four-armed demon. This might very well save my life in the Ash.
Hope so, friend, Akar said. Tis why I make this stuff. So warriors like youe home safe n sound. Now, if youll excuse me, youve just given me a lot of work and not much time to do it. Best get to it.
After being chased out of Akars shop, Vir was about to bid Badal farewell when the gray demon stopped him.
That money you have. What do you n to do with it?
I didnt really have any ns.
That was a lie. He was thinking of giving most of it to Maiyacoinage would be no good in the Ashen Realm, and assuming he made it to the Demon Realm, theyd likely use their own coinage. Silvers would be quite some extra weight to lug along on the off-chance that the demons used the same currency. While he could solve that problem by exchanging the currency for a seric coin, hed kick himself if he took it with him, only to find out it was useless. Or worse, if it was destroyed or lost in the Ash.
Instead, he was nning on using it to pay her for a service hed hope she could render. Neither Neel nor Bumpycurrently stabled in Avicould follow him into the Ash. He hoped Maiya could care for them in his absence.
The only coin he nned on bringing with him were Rudviks coppers, which were tucked safely at the bottom of his rucksack.
I have a proposition, if youll hear me? Badal asked.
How long will this take? I really need to prepare.
Trust me, itll be worth your time, Badal said, guiding Vir through a tunnel that led back to the Upper City.
The tunnel led to a trapdoor that opened into a guarded room. Exchanging nods with the demons posted there, they exited to an empty alley and the blinding brightness of daylight. Though the tunnels were all lit with the Orders non-magical light, their output was iparable to that of the sun, and Vir and Neel both took a minute before they could fully open their eyes.
Badal led Vir through the streets to a location very near the Promontorythe hill with a view of the Runean oceanstopping in front of a house before rummaging around for a key. With a click, the door opened, and inside Vir found an empty, though spacious abode.
What do you think? Badal asked, gesturing at the tall ceilings. The third floor of the house boasted amanding view of the ocean below, and the home itself was situated upon a clean, wide cobblestone street. The neighborhood was on the nicer side of those Vir had seen in Balindam.
Its nice? Vir said. But I already have a home in the Undercity. Besides, this ce is much toorge for me, and Ill be leaving soon. What use do I have for another house?
Badal smiled. Oh, no. This wouldnt be for you to live in. You see the homes on these streets? Theyre all owned by demons.
Demons live in there? Vir asked in surprise. Not the Undercity?
Few demons live here. They merely own the ces. Human families rent these homes, paying a fixed amount each month. You could leave your money here, sitting idle. Or you could invest it while youre gone. By renting out the home, youll rue ie, and when you return, youll have a small fortune waiting for you. Especially if youll be gone for a while.
Thats I dunno, Badal. This all sounds nice, but I dont have the time for this. It must be a lot of work going through the formalities. Not to mention all the work involved with renting it out.
No need. Give Lord Reth your coin and hell handle everything. The Order has a program for this very thing. By increasing the wealth of its demons, the Order increases its own power. A win-win situation, yes?
I see. Even ignoring the free weapons they gifted him, the Order had done so much for him. Theyd given him a home in the Undercity, and more importantly, had weed him as one of their own. They were even willing to defend him against the Mejai of Realmsthe highest rank mejai below the Prime Mejai himselfas well as the powerful demon hunting him. Trusting them with money he no longer needed came easily.
How much does a home like this go for?
These homes are subsidized by the Order. Itd normally cost several serics, but thanks to the government program, they sell for a single seric to demons. If you had more, Id have suggested purchasing a business, but even with subsidies, the upfront cost is steep.
Do you own any?
Oh, yes. I have several houses and a couple of businesses, Badal said.
Vir would never have guessed Badal was that wealthy. Neither his behavior nor his clothing betrayed a trace of it.
Very well, Vir said. I''ll take two. But only on one condition. Id like the proceeds to go to my friend Maiya. For safe keeping.
Im sure that can be arranged, Badal replied with a nod.
Vir nodded, his thoughts already drifting away. The whole time Badal had been showing him around, Vir had been distracted, thinking of only one thing. His power, and how to improve it. If he was venturing into the Ash, he''d need every advantage he could get.
He''d been mulling over how to progress for a while, and now, finally, he had the time to pursue it.
Chapter 147: Prana Channeling
Chapter 147: Prana Channeling
Vir returned to his Undercity home exhausted. Though as much as he envied Neel, who promptly curled up on the floor and fell asleep, there was far too much left to even think about resting. Most important of which was growing his power.
If there was one thing he knew for certain about the Ashen Realm, it was that no matter how much strength he possessed, it would not be enough. Perhaps it was foolish to wish for more power at this eleventh hour, but he had to at least try. Because it was equally foolish to enter it without having grown far, far stronger. He knew that, and yet, he still wanted to go.
No matter how much he trained in the Human Realm, the gains he made here would be iparable to the Ash.
Vir sat down on the earthen floor and crossed his legs. Deep inside the ground, the Orders Prana Siphon had little effect, allowing him to practice unimpeded.
Clearing his mind of distractions, he focused on his prana. Hed given more thought to Parais channeling techniquetely. While he regretted not being able to learn de Projection, Parais vitality-boosting technique might be exactly what he needed in the Ash. More than offensive power, the ability to heal ones woundsespecially once his stock of healing medication ran outwould be critical to his survival.
After all, it didnt matter how hard he hit if he couldnt survive long enough to make it to the other side.
Hed learned something after observing Parais technique for hours on end; the prana in his body had a particr alignment, and by grouping motes of the same prana alignment together, their strength grew dramatically. It was the basis of Parais channeling technique and the reason why his cycling pattern worked.
The concept of prana alignment was new to Vir. Until now, hed thought that it didnt matter how prana was channeled, and that flowing it to where it was needed most was the extent of its power. But by circting it in specific patterns, he noticed the prana in his body had something akin to the poles on a ma. That by aligning it incorrectly, the motes of prana repelled each other.
It was so subtle that he hadnt sensed it before, but after seeing the results of aligning prana properly, it was now unmistakable to Prana Vision. Even so, Vir had no sess at aligning his bodys prana without Parais technique. Controlling individual motes of prana was impossiblethere was far too much of it in his body for his brain to manage. Thus, while alignment seemed like the key to further advancement, he was forced to rely on conventional options to achieve it.
Virs aims for this session were two-fold. He hoped to boost the existing techniques efficiency, and also experiment with copying the pattern onto other parts of his body. While the technique had stopped the Matrons poison, he felt he hadnt unlocked its true potential.
Though he had no basis for it, Vir simply couldnt shake the awe-inspiring image of healing rapidly during a fightpossibly even closing up mortal wounds.
Hed had a few thoughts on how to aplish that. The technique relied on moving bloodand thus pranain a very specific pattern. He didnt understand the principle behind it, only that this particr pattern dramatically boosted his bodys regr healing mechanisms, clotting and closing wounds faster than normally possible. It also gave him more vitality, as if hed supersaturated his body with prana.
There was more; the faster he moved his blood, the more effective it was. Hed already reached the limits of how quickly he could safely channel blood and prana with his current body, so that part wouldnt pose a problem.
Likewise, expanding his blood vessels was a skill that had be very familiar to Vir after mastering Empower. He never stopped practicing, even after learning the ability. Now, it took mere days to expand hisrger pathways. The smaller ones only took hours. Doing so came with its risks, but he was well past ying things safe.
Vir took a deep breath and started with the smallest pathways on his back, expanding only those used by Parais technique.
The whole time, he kept a keen eye on his bodys Ash Prana with Prana Vision. Because prana was locked to blood, if he did rupture a small pathway, Prana Vision would be the first to tell him; any leakage where it shouldnt be immediately meant something had gone wrong.
Vir took his time, carefully nudging the pathways open bit by bit, allowing more blood to flow through them.
Meaningful expansion would take time, but even a small improvement would tell him whether this strategy bore fruit.
Once hedpleted, he activated Parais technique, sending blood flowing faster and faster.
With no wounds to heal, the technique did little apart from tingle and make him feel full of life, but there was no denying it; his blood now cycled slightly faster.
Yes!!
From now on, hed work on expanding his pathways during every waking moment until he entered the Ash.
While pathway expansion was a slow process, it wasnt his only idea. Cycling blood faster was good, but ultimately, Vir suspected it was the total amount of cycled prana that determined the abilitys efficacy. In which case, supersaturating his blood before cycling it ought to boost the skill as well.
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Of all the ideas hed had, this was among the safer ones, and so Vir boldly sucked prana out of his feet, creating a suction that drew Ash prana from the ground into his legs. Carefully guiding the supersaturated blood up his legs into his back, he cycled the blood ording to Parais technique. The result was instantaneousthe tingling sensation grew stronger, and his sense of vitality soared.
If only I could do this to my arms and legs!?
Empower, Leap, and High Jump flooded his limbs with prana. Parais technique cycled prana ording to a pattern.
Could it be that my existing Talents and Parais Technique are rted?
Rather, Leap and Empower now felt like a brute force applicationakin to an amateur bashing away at a sculpture with crude tools. Parais technique merely took that prana and channeled it in a more efficient manner, aligning the blood flow to maximize the effects of the prana like a master would.
No, that wasnt quite right. If the Talents he knew were the beginner version, then Parais channeling technique would be an intermediate step at best. What really excited him was decoupling prana from blood. That would allow him to cycle prana through his body as rapidly as he wantedalmost like the electricity the Pagan Order used for their non-magical lights. Unfortunately, Vir couldnt be sure if that was even possible, or if it was merely a delusion on his part.
Working on the assumption that Parais channeling technique was an evolution of his existing augmentation Talents, he flooded prana into his legs as he would when using Empower. But instead of triggering the ability, he allowed the prana to dissipate.
When activating Leap, High Jump, and Empower, prana selectively filtered into certain muscle groups. Or rather, hed learned early on that channeling prana into certain muscles yielded far better results than others.
What if I use that as the foundation, and apply the pattern on just those muscles?
There was a certain form to Parais technique. Almost like the runes that were inscribed within magical orbsthe overall structure was both geometric and beautiful in a way. It reminded Vir of the prana lines in Vka Amara. At the time, they appeared to serve no purpose other than being beautiful, but now Vir wondered whether their form actually supported their function.
The structure made it simpler for Vir to copy the general form. The details were another matter entirely. Parais back technique had blood travel along tiny pathways, and Vir had found in the memory vision that the technique failed to function very well unless most of those smaller pathways were intact.
Regardless, he began with therger pathways since they were easier, moving the blood in his calf muscle ording to Parais technique.
The first issue he hit was that the pathways in his leg didnt match those of his back. At all. Which meant replicating the technique was impossible.
Instead, Vir sought to preserve the overall form of the cirction path, even if the exact details werent quite correct. To do this safely, he first had to omit smaller parts of the pattern from his back technique one by one, analyzing which omissions caused the ability to cease functioning, and leaving out only the ones that had a small impact on its efficacy.
After many dead ends and backtracking, he finally had a simplified version of Parais technique that was only about two-thirds as efficient, but less than half asplex.
Nowes the hard part.
From experience, hed learned that moving blood in a localized region along smaller pathways usually bore little risk; it was the experiments near his heart and head that could kill him. But even if it didnt kill him, the pain of forcing blood where it didnt want to go wasnt anything to dismiss.
Vir gritted through the pain, aborting his attempts when his body refused to do what he asked.
Slowly, just as hed done in the memory vision, he carefully molded the cirction of his legs blood to Parais pattern, copying over one detail at a time, modifying it as little as possible to work with the blood pathways already there.
He augmented this by expanding some of the paths to better fit the technique, and after several hours, managed something that more or less resembled the pathway he used on his back.
Dunno what itll do or even if Im about to destroy my leg.
Vir didnt have the luxury of convalescing if he did injure something. Then again, neither did he have the luxury of entering the Ash without every advantage he could muster.
Gritting his teeth, he went for it, channeling a trickle of his bodys own prana into the pattern.
Hed been fully prepared for agonizing, debilitating pain. Nothing of the sort happened. In fact, nothing much happened at all; his muscle behaved as normal.
So he tried channeling more prana through. Then even more.
Something was wrong. He was channeling nearly as much prana through his calf muscle as he did for his back, yet he felt only the barest tingle from his legs.
Instead of injecting even more prana, Vir stopped and analyzed his blood cirction with Prana Vision.
At first, he saw nothing, but as he cycled his blood, it became obvious what was happening. Blood was moving along the path he wanted, but not all of it. In fact, much was being lost to the blood outside the pathways, bleeding off.
It was the same issue hed had when he first learned to suck prana from the ground. The same issue that reared its head when he first tried Empowering his arms.
Luckily, he already knew how to fix this problem. By saturating the blood lining the pathways, he trapped the blood inside, preventing it from leaking out.
Hed learned to do this subconsciously for his torso long ago, which is why itpletely slipped his mind.
Vir once again cycled prana through his calf muscle, and this time, the tingling sensation nearly made his leg spasm.
On a whim, he activated Leap, but instead of simply dumping prana into his leg, he channeled it through Parais pattern.
The effect was both surprising and predictable. Instead of hurtling forth, he tumbled and fell over, but he fell over,ughing in pure glee.
It was obvious why it hadnt workedhed only boosted a single muscle with Parais Technique, while Leap relied on several muscles working in tandem.
But it also meant that whatever ability Vir had before was now augmented even further. Even better, this upgrade took no additional prana at all. Rather, it made his existing usage even more efficient.
And unlike an individual Talent, this evolution boosted nearly every Talent he had. Leap, High Jump, and Empower all leveraged the same fundamental principle, and so it stood to believe that all would improve.
Vir only hoped it would be enough.
Needs a name, Vir thought. Calling it Parais Technique was cumbersome, and inurate, since Parai had many. Since the ability involved channeling prana through a set pattern, Vir decided on Prana Channeling.
Now he had to replicate the same pattern on all of his major leg muscles, then again on his arms. Having the benefit of a temte to follow, he hoped it wouldnt be much longer until he had a full set.
When Maiya returned hourster and knocked on his door, Vir opened his eyes. He was feeling less and less excited about his uing journey. Anticipation had given way to anxiousness and doubt.
What terrors will I witness in that blightednd? He wondered.
Vir would soon find out.
Chapter 148: The Hardest Farewell
Chapter 148: The Hardest Farewell
You ready? Maiya asked, standing proudly in Virs doorway. It wasnt quite the look hed expected. In fact, it was just about the opposite. While training, Vir had thought of several ways of cheering up his best friend, though none of that seemed like itd be necessary.
I dunno if Ill ever be ready for this, Vir replied nervously.
While hed worked as fast as he could, hed only inscribed Parais simplified cycling technique onto the muscle groups on both legs. The arms hed have to do on the flight over.
But my bags packed. Picked up my new armor and Ive got all my supplies, so I guess Im as ready as Ill ever be. Say, why are you so happy?
Oh, youll see, Maiya replied with a smile, though Vir felt it was a bit forced. But not yet. Only when the time is right.
Vir shrugged. Cmon, Neel. Lets go.
Maiya lost her smile in an instant. Vir, um Maybe its best if you didnt?
You agreed to take care of him, right? He can ride with us to the wall.
Thats the thing. Ive been to the Wall. Fought along it for weeks. We patrol the walls diligently in Kinjal, but even then, Ash Beasts slip through. Some just appear on the other side without warning. Its not a safe ce, Vir. Not for a bandy like Neel. Especially not if you get into a fight.
Thats true.
Dont worry! Ill return here for him right after I drop you off. Same with Bumpy. Ill bring them both back to Sonam. Theyll get the royal treatment, so dont worry about them.
Yknow, you were a lot sadder about me leaving before. What changed? Youre not nning on following me into the Ash, are you?
If I could, Id be jumping up and down with joy. No, its not that. Youll see, Maiya repeated, again with a sly smile. But for now, its probably for the best if you say your goodbyes to Neel.
Virs mind went nk. It hadnt really sunk in that he was about to leave his four-legged friend behind. Until now.
Dropping his bulging, oversized rucksack, he knelt and stroked Neel behind his ears.
You like that, boy, dont you?
Awooo! Neel said, rolling over to expose his belly.
Yknow, I normally wouldnt spoil you like this, he said, rubbing his friend''s stomach. But Im afraid this might be thest chance I get. At least for a while. Im leaving, Neel.
The bandy couldnt understand his words, but he picked up on Virs tone. Righting himself, Neel began whimpering, as if asking what was wrong.
Look, I want you to be a good boy, alright? Maiyas Maiyas gonna take care of you. You like Maiya, dont you?
Awooo! Neel replied, hearing a familiar name.
Thats right. So dont cause any trouble for her. Im gonna be gone a while, but I promise Ill return. So you better protect her, okay?
Arooo?
Having freshly reapplied his makeup, Vir had done everything he could to hold back the tears, but as he hugged his best friend of many years, they rolled down his cheeks, anyway.
Im sorry, boy. I cant take you. I wish I could take you.
Neel whimpered again. His tail was t on the ground, unmoving.
Wiping his tears and steeling his face, Vir picked up his rucksack and left. When Neel followed him, he nearly cried again, but Maiya squeezed his arm.
Dont worry. Hell be happy with me, she said softly. I promise.
With a nod, Vir locked the door behind him, meeting Neels pleading eyes onest time.
Vir led the way with heavy steps, all excitement about his recent advancement gone without a trace.
If saying goodbye to Neel was this hard, then he stole a nce at his crimson-haired friend, but immediately purged the thought. Dwelling on separating with Maiya might very well break him.The hole in his heart Maiya had plugged mighte undone.
Her timing had been impable, appearing right when hed lost Tiawhen he was at his lowest. Her mere presence had fixed everything. Their short time together had been so full of contentment. Of inner peace.
With each step, Vir second-guessed his decision. More than the Pagan Order, more than the dangers of the Ashen Realm, it was leaving Maiya that tore at him the most.
Will I ever see her again? How long will it be?
To survive years without her, when even a few months made his heart ache
Dont get so down, yeah? Maiya said, squeezing his hand. Youll see Neel again. Promise.
Vir forced a smile. Right.
Lord Reth, Disanna, and Zora waited for Vir at the Acira stables, discussing amongst themselves.
This is quite the sendoff, Vir said as he approached. Wasnt expecting the whole tribunal to show up.
Not every day one of our own ventures into the Ash. Let alone someone as valuable as you, Lord Reth said with a tight smile.
Youremitted, then? Disanna said.
I am. Youve been incredibly gracious. I dont know how to repay you for all youve done.
Repayment is neither required nor desired, friend. Youve done just as much for us.
I I need to know who I really am. I have to understand why I was brought to this realm as a child.
And I want to know more about this destiny Lord Janak spoke of, he thought. Not to mention dealing with the murderous voices in his head.
This is what you want, isnt it, Shardul, Ekanai? You better help me out in the Ash
The tribunal nced at each other ufortably.
You may not like the answers you find, Zora rasped. To brave the Ash is to face death itself. The denizens of the Demon Realm would not have done so lightly.
Chances are high that you wont be weed there, Disanna said. Knowing this, you still wish to go? Knowing we will protect you?
I have to. Believe me, I understand how crazy this looks, but I have no desire to ce your people in harms way for the consequences of my actions. The people hunting me have good reasons for doing so.
Very well. If youve made up your mind, we shall not dissuade you any further. You face what is likely the greatest challenge of your life. Yet no matter how deeply the skies darken, rememberyou will always have a home here. Friends who care about you. You are not alone.
I thank you. Truly.
Take this, Lord Reth said, giving Vir a small steel medallion. For when you return. Show this anywhere in Pagan Ordernds and youll be treated as a guest of honor.
Vir took the medallion with a gracious nod.
And consider this a congrattory gift for attaining the rank of Shadow within the Brotherhood, Reth continued, handing Vir a small bag of coin. While it may be dead weight in the Ash, it would be good to have some coin when you return.
Er, thanks, again, Vir replied, growing shy at the amount of support the Order had given him. You really didnt have to do any of this.
And you didnt have to save fifteen demons just days after you arrived here. We value our citizens. Especially those whove contributed to the cause.
Wed best get going, Maiya said gently. Want to get a full day of flying if we can. The journeys gonna take two days at a minimum. Id rather it not stretch to three.
Vir thought of a fitting farewell, but in the end, only managed a Till we meet again.
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May all the gods be with you, Reth replied.
It took an activation of Empower to hoist Virs rucksack onto Maiyas Kinjal royal Acira, though with his recent efficiency gain, he needed far less prana than before. The effect was simr to Haymis speed enhancementfrom running to jumping, every action came more easily. To the point where he felt superhuman.
The rucksack itself was an oversized one that stuck up past his head when worn. In it was apass rose, a vast array of healing ointments, herbs, and salves, and as much dried food as he could fit, though the bulk of the weight was the water. Hedbed through all the tomes in the Orders library pertaining to the Ashen Realm, and hed grilled both Maiya and the librarian for information, but none of them knew of any water sources inside the Ash.
There had to be watereven Ash Beasts had to eat and drinkbut until he could locate one, hed be on his own. Therge jugs he carried were his only lifeline until he did.
The number of hazards boggled him. Those who lived through the prana poisoning had to contend with the beasts. Even if you emerged victorious, without magic to heal you, your chances of survival were low. On top of all that, youd have to find food, water, and shelter to survive.
Parais cycling techniques may very well save Vir in there. That, and knowledge. Hed studied all the cataloged beasts mentioned in the Orders tomes, and had tentative countermeasures for them all, though most times, his strategy was just to run away with his superior mobility and Dance of the Shadow Demon.
Hold on tight! Maiya yelled, ordering her Acira to lift off. Higher and higher they soared under the morning light, and Vir gazed down nostalgically at Balindam, knowing fully well it was thest hed see of it for a long time.
Wind made conversation tedious, so while Vir wouldve loved to spend what time he had left chatting with Maiya, he instead focused on copying Parais technique to his arms. Benefiting from the experience of having done the tediousand painfulexercise on his legs, he found his arms to be less challenging. Not only were the blood pathways smaller, allowing him to more aggressively expand them without fearing injuries, but they werent too different from his legs. The hardest part was understanding which muscles were used and in what proportions.
That took experimentation, but if Maiya minded him throwing punches into the air, she didnt show it.
By the time the suns rays grew long in the sky and they flew over the beautiful waterways of Avi and crossed Daiyake, hed done most of one arm. When they crossed the barren Bulwark mountains and put down on eastern Raniannds, hed finished his right arm and had made good progress toward the other.
How long do we have to wait? Vir asked, stretching his legs and soaking in the fresh scent of the forest. It had been too long since hed stepped foot in one. At Brij, it was a rare week when he wasnt exploring the Godshollow.
Wonder if therell be forests in the Ashen Realm
Weve been flying all day. Well want to stay here overnight, Maiya said. Thats why I picked this forest. Easy ess to firewood, and it keeps us hidden.
Good thinking.
Vir got to work fetching firewood while Maiya cleared the camp. Observing her, Vir couldnt help but be amazed at how far shede from their foray with Rudvik nearly a year ago. Back then, shed been clueless, and somewhat spoiled, finding camping rough and icky.
Now? She looked like a veteran, calmly clearing vegetation with her bare hands, identifying the camp perimeter, and shoring up entrances where potential attackers might gain entry. In the middle, she assembled a fire ring and built a spit from which they could hang pots.
Thats some nice gear youve got there, Vir said, eyeing Maiyas fancy tent. It had metal poles that attached to each other and slid into stitched canvas inserts, forming a sturdy, lightweight frame that went up in minutes.
Right? A far cry from that stupid tarp we used in the desert on our way to Saran, isnt it? Maiya said with a nostalgic smile. Her hands were ck with dirt, but she didnt seem to mind one bit.
Youve reallye a long way, Vir whispered to himself.
T-thanks, Maiya said, blushing.
Vir grew hot, and he was saved only by his face paint. He hadnt intended for her to hear.
Kinjal trains its handmaidens in wilderness survival, she said, her voice stiff.
O-oh? Vir asked, staring at some nearby dirt as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Y-yeah. Wasnt my first choice, but we werent exactly given one. Hah!
Vir opted to go without a fire in the end. The risk of detection was too great on the off-chance they were followed. Luckily, with Ranis temperate climate, it was hardly necessary.
Instead, Maiya lit up a Magic Candle orb, which they sat in front of, huddled up next to each other. The orb softly illuminated the immediate area, making for a cozy,fortable setting.
This is thest time well get to chat like this, isnt it? Maiya whispered into Virs ear, leaning against him, but there was something different this time. Almost as if she was desperate to be close to him.
Iming back, Maiya.
I Maiyas words caught in her throat, and she clutched Vir just a little tighter.
You think Im gonna die in there, dont you?
Her silence said it all, even without the tears that welled up in her eyes.
Vir faltered.
Its not easy for me, either, Maiya, he said. But I have reasons to believe Ill survive.
Because Lord Janak said so?
Him and Shardul and Ekanai, Vir said. They wouldnt all be urging me to step right into my death. Plus, I have Ash prana, so whatever benefits Ash Beasts get, Ill get too. Its not as hopeless as it looks.
Vir bit his lip. Even to his ears, his words felt forced. As if he was trying to convince himself. He was. Maiya already knew all of this, after all. They''d discussed it.
Maiya clutched him even tighter.
Dont go? she whispered. Her eyes went wide, and it was obvious she hadn''t intended Vir to hear. Sorry, I didn''t mean I want to support you, Vir. I truly do.
Tell me, Maiya.
Its your wish, she said, averting her eyes. You need this.
Tell me, Vir repeated.
She paused, clearly unsure whether to continue. Vir gave her time, allowing the silence to continue.
Youll be alone in there, she said atst, pulling away to look into his eyes. Youll be alone, and I wont even know if youre alive.
Her voice wasden with panic.
I just have this feeling, Vir, she said.
Vir knew she was trying to keep her emotions in control. For him. She didnt want him to worry.
I feel like Ill never see you again, she said, sounding very small.
The tears now fell freely down her face, and when she looked Vir in the eyes, he saw terror. And anguish.
Her words made him freeze. Was he making the right decision? This was the Ash, after all. Who could say what would happen to him in there, even with Janaks assurances?
Dad, mom not you, too, she said, her head drooping. Her tears dripped onto the ground. Just not you.
The voice in the back of his head grew louder. The one that told him he wasnt ready. That he was reckless. Just wait a little. Just a little longer, it said.
Can you wait? Just a little longer? Maiya asked, wiping away her tears. Do you have to go now?
Theyll find us, he murmured halfheartedly.
Well deal with it, she said, grabbing his hand. Together.
Vir stared into her eyes. There was an earnest hope there. He found his resolve crumbling. It was desperate of him.
Would be good to train a bit more before heading in, he said. Theyd only just reunited. Maybe he didnt have to leave so soon.
Maiya nodded vigorously. If they do find you, you can always leave. Right? Youll still be stronger.
Vir let out a long breath, feeling the weight of a mountaine off his shoulders.
I never did know how to say no to you, huh? he said, chuckling.
Instead of the smug grin hed expected, he saw something else. Something hed never seen before. Longing.
Maiya looked up at him, cing her hands gently on his chest. Dont leave me?
Vir found himself transfixed, unable to break away from her hazel eyes. His heart roared in his chest. Something about her captivated him. Mesmerized him, and slowly, their faces drew closer,pelled by an irresistible force.
He panicked. Every instinct told him to pull away but he didnt. There was something right about this. Something he couldnt exinbut he felt it. Deep inside.
This was what hed so desperately sought. A ce to belong. To be loved. Hed been so blind. Shed been right here, all along. Right in front of him.
They drew close and Vir felt her warmth. His thoughts went nk.
Then their lips touched, and fire zed through his body, blowing away the nights chill.
It was that simple, after all
His arms wrapped around Maiya, and he held the kiss.
The knots in his stomach untangled, reced by a sense of calm and inner peace. It was a warm, fuzzy sensation that told him everything would be alright.
And, holding each other in their arms, they fell blissfully into thend of slumber, where calm seas and white shores awaited.
Chapter 149: Hot Pursuit
Chapter 149: Hot Pursuit
Which is why I want you to have this, Maiya said, thrusting an oversized orb the size of a grapefruit into Virs hands.
Is this what I think it is? Vir replied.
Kinda?
This thing is priceless, Maiya! How can I possibly ept this? I cant even use it!
You only need magic to turn it on and off. Anyone can use it once its active.
I still can''t activate it! And what about when I do eventually journey to the Ash? Should I go up to the nearest Ash Wolf and politely ask it to turn it on? Theres no one in that realm, Maiya.
Its for once you get to the other side! You want to end up in the Demon Realm, don''t you? Im sure youll find nice people there whod be willing.
How do you know it works across realms?
I dont. But its worth a shot, Vir. And its a bit different from the norm. This is an experimental unit, apparently. Please? Just take it. For me?
Vir heaved a sigh. Maiya had sprung this gift on him soon after theyd awoken at dawn. Though hed wanted to stay nestled in her arms all night, the chill forced them to migrate to the tent, where Maiya promptly snuggled up next to him, wrapping her arms and legs around him like a stuffed toy before promptly falling asleep.
Despite the inconvenience of being locked into a single position for the whole night, he never found the courage to wiggle free of her grasp, leaving him bleary-eyed.
You could be gone for years! Maiya whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. Dont tell me the thought of spending so much time apart doesnt terrify you. Because it terrifies me. At least this way, well be able tomunicate. This way we wont be apart.
Vir closed his hands over Maiyas, squeezing gently before taking the orb. Trust me, Im as scared as you are. This is an incredible gift, Maiya. I dont even know what it must have cost you.
Communication orbs couldnt be bought by anyone. One had to have connections, and a certain level of prestige to obtain them. Not to mention the price Maiya mustve had to pay. Vir was sure the orb was many serics. He doubted even his illustrious friend had that kind of coin lying around.
H-Haa!
Vir stared Maiya in the eyes for a full ten seconds. You stole this, didnt you?
N-no?
Maiya
What did you have to do to get this?
Maiya averted her eyes. Dont you worry about that. And it wasnt anything big. Trust me.
Her behavior was all sorts of suspicious, though it came from a good ce.
I suppose Ill have to, Vir said, gently pocketing it within his backpack.
Seeing how tenderly he handled the orb, Maiya spoke up. Theyre not nearly as fragile as they look. I mean, dont hurl them at an Ash Beast, but a tumble or two isnt going to break it.
Thats a relief.
After packing up their tent and erasing all evidence of their presence, they took to the air once again, and this time, Maiya mounted first, giving Vir a hand up.
With luck, well be back to Sonam by sundown, Maiya shouted over the wind. I''ll go get Neel after I drop you off.
Like the previous day, Vir used the time to transcribe Parais channeling technique onto his other arm, sinking deep into meditation to concentrate as they crossed the border from Rani to Kin''jal. It was why, hourster, Maiya detected the other Acira first.
Were being followed, Maiya shouted over the wind, pointing at an Acira some distance away. We''ve crossed into Kin''jal territory now, but that''s not a Kin''jal Acira. Whoever they are, theyre after us.
Vir''s stomach sank.
Maiyamanded their Acira to fly faster, and the beast beat its wings heavily against the wind, buffeting its riders.
Vir leaned forward to Maiyas ear. How many? he asked, scanning the horizon.
Just the one.
It was too far to tell who exactly was on it, but Vir hardly had to guess.
No, Maiya. Not just one.
One by one, Aciras appeared from the clouds behind them, elerating hard. They numbered six in all.
How did they find us? Had they been tracking them since they left the Pagan Order? Or did they have scouts patrolling the skies?
Why now? Why couldn''t they haveeter? Just when he''d decided to stay back with Maiya. Vir cursed Fate.
Can you outrun them? he asked.
Im going as fast as I can. Frumpys trained for long-distance flight, not speed!
Frumpy!? Vir thought, cringing at the name shed given the sleek, elegant beast.
He nced nervously at their pursuers, searching for a way out. Up here in the air, he had preciously few options. None of his ground-prana Talents worked.
That left him with Prana Vision, Toughen, Prana de, and Parais cycling technique. Dance, Leap, Empower, and High Jump were all unavable.
Then again, the same was true for their pursuers. Only magic would function, and Maiya had plenty of her own.
What the enemy didnt have was Kri training and supreme agility.
Maiya! Let them catch up to us! We cant outrun them, anyway.
You got a n? Maiya shouted over the wind.
Vir shed a grin. Im gonna board them.
You what!?
Just get us as close as you can! Like, touching close.
They forbid us from flying like this, yknow? Maiya muttered too softly for Vir to hear. Good thing I like breaking the rules.
Maiya tugged on the Aciras reins, slowing the beast. The Acira that had been so far away closed the distance in seconds, slowing as it approached. But Maiya wasnt done.
Hang on tight!
She flipped the Acira upside down and charged right at them.
Uh, Maiya? I cant jump if were upside down!
I know! Hold on.
Just when the two Acira were about to collide, Maiya violently juked their beast, righting itself.
Fire magic flew at them, but Maiya was ready for it. She dodged, returning fire with Wind and Ice magic of her own, all while flying the beast.
That''s what you get for trying to attack a Kinjal Acira! she shouted.
Badraks Balls, Maiya! Whered you learn to fly like that?
Maiya shed a grin.
Continuing her disy of extreme skill, she ordered their Acira to bash their pursuers, temporarily tangling their wings, and sending them both into a spiraling dive.
If done improperly, itd have doomed them both, but Maiya broke off at exactly the right time, freeing them from their enemy''s clutches.
The close encounter purged all doubts about their attackers identity. Their enemy bore no country markings, and theyd attacked a Kinjal Acira in Kin''jal territory, which meant they didnt care about political ramifications.
Unhooking the tether that bound him to the beast, Vir jumped just before Maiya broke off, fleeing another Acira.
The other Aciras pilot jerked away, but not soon enough. Vir sailed through the air, smashing into the mejai riding behind and severing his tether in one smooth movement. In less than a second, the mejai was falling to his death, far below.
Vir brought his de to the pilots throat. He contemted killing the man but concluded that doing so would doom him as well. He didnt know how to fly an Acira, and while he was confident in his learning speed, he doubted hed be able to master the skill in the few seconds before the beast crashed.
Maiya!
Onmand, Maiyas Acira swooped in, and only then did Vir slip his katar through the mans back and into his heart, ending his life.
Vir timed his jump perfectly, soaring back to Maiyas Acira as the pilot slumped forth on the reins, sending the enemy Acira into a perilous dive.
The beasts self-preservation instinct kicked in far toote, and it crashed into the fields far below.
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One down, five to go! Maiya shouted.
Lets just do the same thing for the!?
Whats wrong? Whats theoh. Oh, no.
When Vir spied the riders pursuing them, his blood froze. Atop their closest pursuer was a mejai holding a melon-sized orb in both hands and, towering over him, a four-armed, half-naked giant demon, covered in dark blue tribal tattoos.
Rudviks voice echoed in Virs ears, telling the tale of the one whod brought him to Brij as a baby.
The descriptions were simr, yes, but there was no reason to believe they were the same person. Hed seen both giants and four-armed demons at Balindam, after all. There was, however, every reason to believe that the being in pursuit was one of the strongest beings in the Known World.
They drew closer. Fifty paces. Thirty. Twenty.
Vir didnt need Lord Reths intelligence to know that; Prana Vision zed in his eyes. The demon was bursting with Earth, Life, and Fire affinities. In fact, hed never seen a being with so much Earth prana in his life.
Apex Earth. Greater Life. Greater Fire, he told Maiya.
Thats impossible. The more affinities you have, the weaker they are. There are exceptions, but a triple with Apex Earth and two Greaters? Thats unheard of!
It isnt just him. I think the mejai next to hims a Mejai of Realms, too. Hes got Apex Lightning.
No. No no no. Grak! Maiya shrieked. Vir, Apex affinity means he can use A-Grade orbs!
Are they really that strong? Vir asked, thinking back to Tanyas demonstration of the A Grade Blizzard. It was certainly an impressive spell, but quite slow to cast.
They are. And Lightnings the worst of them all. Locution Field is a death sentence. Its impossible to avoid. Just one hit and youre dead. We cant get anywhere near them!
Vir nodded. Then we fleewait. Enemy reinforcements!
Maiya wordlessly threw their Acira into a dive.
A half-dozen new Acira descended from clouds above, merging with their allies.
Grakking chal, Vir. This is bad! We dont stand a chance against that many!
I know! Virs mind raced for options. If theynded, hed have more options, but would their pursuers let them? Landing was slow and dangerous unless they abandoned Frumpy and relied on Light Step to break their fall.
Virs thought process ground to a halt.
Because instead of falling into formation, the new Acira dug their talons into their pursuers. Blindsided by the attack, two pursuing Acira fell to the ground, while the others tussled in a midair dogfight.
What theDo you think Maiya asked, trailing off.
Its the Pagan Order! Vir shouted. Those crazy chals actually came to help!
Which means theyve tailed us ever since we left, Maiya shouted over the wind. And we never even noticed. So did our pursuers, apparently. So much for covering our tracks.
Vir didnt know how theyd been followed; hed only been on an Acira a handful of times. There were likely tactics and strategies he wasnt aware of. Both for avoiding detection, and for following stealthily.
The Order forces engaged with all but one Acira, preventing them from pursuing. Unfortunately, the one that did pursue had the four-armed demon and the Mejai of Realms onboard.
We cant maintain this pace for long! Frumpys getting tired!
We have to! Can we can oust them to Sonam?
Maiya shook her head.
Forests blurred by underneath, but Frumpy tired and began to slow, and despite Maiya''s best efforts at coaxing the beast, their pursuers drew ever closer. When they began hurling B Grade Lightning Burst spells, Maiya had no choice but tond, staying clear of the tall cliffs that loomed nearby.
Vir was cycling prana through his arms and legs even before they touched the forest floor. The instant they did, he supersaturated his blood, forcing as much prana into him as he could to prepare for the uing battle.
The enemy Aciranded just momentster. Both the demon and the mejai took their time dismounting, and Vir noticed the demon had an oversized cor around his neck.
Are they controlling him?
If so, Vir might remove his most dangerous foe by destroying it first.
Youve been a difficult one to track, the Mejai of Realms said calmly.
Did Mina send you?
Well, I wonder. Perhaps it was Sai? Or maybe were bounty hunters, after your head?
Youre here to kill me, arent you? Vir asked, eyeing Maiya, whod slotted her most powerful orbs.
That we are, Im afraid. Will you go peaceably? Or will we have to do this the hard way?
What do you think, chal? Youve got another thinging if you think well just lie down and die.
The Mejai of Realms sighed, while the giant beside him gazed at Vir intently. In fact, he only looked at Vir, paying Maiya no mindas if she wasnt even there.
If you will, Cirayus, the mejai said. You wanted some exercise? Well, here you are. Go wild and have fun.
Much obliged, the demon giantCirayusreplied, cracking two of his knuckles as he walked, his thundering steps causing the ground to shudder.
Each oversized hand wielded a menacing implement of war. In his lower left, he hefted an enormous tower shield that was taller than Vir by a head. His lower right grasped a polearm. Ordinarily, a two-handed weapon owing to its size and weight, the giant twirled it effortlessly with only one. Finally, in his upper two hands, he wielded a massive greatsword the likes of which Vir had never seen. Half as long again as a regr greatsword, and twice as thick, Vir doubted a human could even lift such a weapon without the aid of Talents.
Well, at least he isnt wearing any armor Maiya said shakily.
Dont assume that. How much you want to bet hes got Talents that negate the need for it?
The sheer force of the giants presence made Vir and Maiya take an unconscious step back. His fearsome arsenal, hungry, vicious expression, and thundering steps only augmented his otherworldly aura.
How much does he have to weigh for the earth to shake like that? Maiya said in a strained voice.
He must weigh several tons wait, no. That cant be right.
If he was that heavy, how could their Acira have hefted him? Forgetbat maneuvers, even taking off shouldve been impossible.
Maiya, go. This is my battle, you dont have to Virs eyes bulged.
Those tattoos!
Markings covered the red giants body, but only one lit up brightly to Prana Vision. The one that overflowed with both Life and Earth Affinities. No orb in the world used two affinities at once, and yet, Cirayus blue tribal did exactly that.
Bncer of Scales!? Vir blurted. He recognized it immediately.
The four-armed giant stopped in his tracks.
Ha! Hahaha! HA HA HA HA! he roared.
Cirayus, are you right in the head? What are you doing? the Mejai of Realms shouted. Destroy him, or face the consequences!
Ah, apologies, Cirayus said, but it was not the Mejai he spoke to. He bowed his head to Vir and Maiya. I often let my excitement get the better of me. Old habits and all that. But s, who can truly enjoy themselves with insects flying around, ruining our fun? May I trouble you to wait just a moment?
The demon plunged his polearm, tower shield, and greatsword into the grass. Then he grasped his cor with all four arms. As if handling a toy, he casually crushed the relic from the Age of Gods, crumbling it to dust. Then he cracked his neck.
Do you even know how itchy that infernal thing was? Id be well within my right to end you for the difort alone, the giant thundered, eyeing the mejai with the hungry eyes of an apex predator eyeing his next meal.
The mejai opened and closed his mouth, but only a hysterical squeal came out. T-That was an Artifact, the mejai whispered. An Artifact! How can you just
Human, ignorance is in your blood, so Ill allow you these words before I kill you. No device, be it human or godly, is enough to restrain me. Mejai, the demon spat, here, you might be considered strong. But where Ie from, demons of your strength wouldnt even survive the prelims at the Bairan tournaments. Allow me to show you what true power looks like.
The demon did nothing as mundane as running. Nor did he jump. He simply disappeared.
Maiya gasped. For a moment, Virs mind went nk. Then it raced to understand what Talent the demon had used. Leap? Blink?
Neither. The demon had sucked in a torrent of Earth prana just before he moved, but hed also sucked in Life prana.
Bncer of Scales, then? From Narak the Destroyers memory, Vir knew this ability was incredibly versatile. It could alter the weight of anything the wielder touched, but could it really elerate someone to such a degree?
Vir thought back to how the ability functioned. A swinging de tips weight could be made as light as a feather, then multiplied a hundred-fold right at the moment of impact. Enemies could be ttened to the ground with just a thought.
And he just used it to move blindingly fast. By reducing the weight of every part of his body except his legs, the giant mustve flung his body straight at the mejai.
No human shouldve been able to respond to such a fast attack, but the title of Mejai of Realms was not so easily earned. The mejai showed no hesitation, instantly aiming his precharged A Grade Locution Field spell.
Vir! Run! Maiya screamed, pulling Vir and sprinting in the opposite direction.
Sensing the panic in her voice, Vir activated Leap, picking her up in his arms.
Theyd been twenty paces away and gained another five before the mejais spell activated.
Vir couldnt know what happened. His ears rang and the next thing he knew, hed hit the ground along with Maiya.
His arms and legs didnt respond, and his body spasmed, out of control.
Maiya fared no better, her limbs twitching involuntarily.
So this is what an A-Grade is like, Vir thought as he endured the pain. She was right. If we were any closer, wed be dead.
Theyd been on the very edge of the spells effect, where it was weakest, and even then it did this much damage.
All this time, hed been worried about the demon. Yet it was the Mejai of Realms he shouldve feared. He''d thought his powers were well suited for killing mejai; he hadn''t regarded the mejai as a threat. How wrong he''d been. For this was no Mejai Sorcar. This was a Mejai of Realms.
At least that demons toast
Vir doubted the attack would outright kill the demon, but he wouldnt be walking away from something like that unscathed.
The spasms passed as quickly as they''d begun. When Vir regained control of his body, he found Cirayus, unharmed, clutching Mejai of Realms by his head, lifting him into the air with one arm.
No damage!? Impossible!
The Mejais feet iled under him, but even in this state, he fired B Grade Lightning Bursts one after another.
He might as well have been a mosquito. A spell that wouldve roasted most mortals merely fizzled away as another tattoo on his body roared to life.
Its absorbing the spells prana? How?
Just when you think youve gained a bit of strength Maiya said softly.
Theres always someone more powerful, Virpleted. At some point, hed grasped Maiyas hand, tightly locking his fingers in her own.
A Grade spells were considered borderline strategic. Capable of freezing entire swaths ofnd and incinerating wholepanies of troops with a single spell, they were weapons of mass destruction, and the highest tier found in actualbat.
And the demon had simply shrugged it off.
The Mejai of Realms screamed as Cirayus increased the pressure on his head. He reached for another orb, but Vir knew hed already lost. Nothing he brought out now would matter.
The mejai fired and missed. His spells soared sky-high before bursting into a thousand brilliant embers.
re!
Its a signal! Maiya said. Hes calling for help!
The Mejai stared defiantly through the gaps in the giants fingers, even as his skull caved. You might kill me. But will you also kill the hundred mercenaries hunting the boy?
There was no hope against an enemy who could ignore A Grade magic, let alone someone who moved so blindingly fast, and who possessed ten times the physical might of Vir and Maiyabined. This was nothing more than ast act of defiance.
I do whatever it takes, human. I always have. With a sickening crunch, Cirayus caved the Mejais head in. The cries silenced.
Should we run? Maiya asked softly.
Despite her panic, shed neither frozen up nor curled up in a ball, as she mightve only months prior. She stood bravely in the face of certain death, and Vir couldnt help but admire her, despite the danger they were in.
Theres no running from that. You saw how he moved. He can manipte his weight freely. Hell butcher us before were halfway to your Acira.
This is the end, isnt it?
It doesnt have to be. Look, Ive never begged you for anything before. But I am begging you now. Please escape. Live! You dont need to die here. Hes after me, not you.
Thump. Thump. Thump. The demon loped closer.
Maiya stared him in the eyes, tears flowing down her face. Cmon. Youve known me, what? Sixteen years? As if Id ever agree to such a stupid suggestion. Didnt you say it yourself? That you wanted to fight beside me? Well, Im here. Right now. And Im fighting. So you better give this everything you have, because I swear to Vera, Ill reincarnate as a Prana Swarm and haunt you if you dont. Got it?
Vir found himself at a loss for words. Just a moment ago, hed been fully prepared to argue back, but his rebuttal died on his lips against such overwhelming determination. It was both shocking and touching that his friend would go so far for him.
Guess Ill get to test out my new abilities, then, Vir smiled sadly. We stick together. We fight him as one.
Good. You attack. Ill back you up from behind.
Sorry to break your little moment, but now that were done with that annoyance, how about a nice, light fight to the death? You two against me, the giant said, cracking his neck. Believe me, you cant know how much Ive looked forward to getting some exercise. Do put on a good show? I wish to relish our time together before the humansckeys ruin our fun.
With a steeled expression, Vir and Maiya turned and faced the demon. Maiya leveled her bracer, while Vir retrieved a chakram from around his neck, and pointed his kataralready loaded with Maiyas Enhance Speed orbat their foe.
Bring it, they said together. Not as childhood friends, nor as lovers. But as mejai and warrior. United as one.
Chapter 150: The Ravager and the Shadow (One)
Chapter 150: The Ravager and the Shadow (One)
Vir made the first move,unching an Empowered chakram at the demon, further augmenting his throw with Parais channeling technique. His new upgrade sent the disc ripping through the air, almost as if the chakrams had a mejai speed enhancement on them.
They didnt; only Virs katar had the benefit of Maiyas Enhance Speed, but he hardly even saw the disc before it collided with their enemy.
It bounced off, doing no damage at all, but Vir never expected it to. While the demon blocked the attack, Vir Leaped into the fray, exploiting the opening to deliver an upward sh. This attack had four augmentations boosting it. Empower, Prana de, Maiyas C Grade Enhance Speed orb, and finally Parais channeling technique. It was the most devastating attack Vir could muster
And it was blocked by the giants tower shield, pinging off, and leaving Virs arm vibrating from the force of the impact.
Maiya covered Virs escape with a C Grade Wind de. The very spell that had nearly ended Virs life in the Godshollow now tore through the air at his enemy, but the demon didnt even bother to block it as Vir Micro Leaped away, narrowly avoiding the greatsword that shed down. Its force sent a shockwave of wind crashing into Vir as it passed just inches away from his face.
That couldve easily decapitated me
Oho? Kripayattu, is it? Surprising. Where did you learn that, boy?
Youve got no reason to know. Virs words hid his surprise; Kri was hardly amon artform.
Vir dodged another attack, then a third. The strikes came right at the edge of his limits, though they were nothing he couldnt handle.
The poleax was dangerous, but the greatsword the giant kept poised above his head was the real danger. Whenever Vir moved in, either the shield or poleaxe would block him, while the greatsword swung from above. It was an absolutely perfect defense that leveraged the giants inhuman strength and size.
True, I suppose, Cirayus said, taking one hand off his greatsword to stroke his ck beard. If the weight of the oversized weapon strained his arm, he certainly didnt show it.
Just how strong is this guy?
Merely attempting to attack the demon was like walking into a gauntlet of desVir danced with death every time.
To think hes only blocking Forget Bncer of Scales or any of the demons other powersthe giant hadnt evenunched a single offensive strike of his own yet.
Thats interesting. Why is that?
Vir shook off those thoughts. Thinking of how fearsome his opponent was would only lead to his loss. First, he had to get past the shield.
He was sure his attacks were deadly enough to do damage to the giants skin; the demon wore no armor, and it didnt look like his skin was any different from a normal demons. If only he couldnd a strike.
Despite his size, the giant moved with the same grace Vir did, even without the aid of Bncer. For such a heavy,rge opponent to match himpossibly even outmatch his agility It was truly an unfair advantage.
Vir Leaped in, firing off strike after strike. He came in low with an uppercut. Bounding from the side, he shed with every ounce of his strength. He even jumped and attempted aerial strikes.
Each encounter was a maelstrom of seric on steel. Attacks, blocks, counterattacks, dodges. All within the blink of an eye. And yet, Cirayus shield was there to meet Vir every time. No matter what the angle, no matter how fast Vir moved, the demon stopped every offensive heunched in its tracks.
Mobility was Virs greatest strength. A point of pride hed honed and perfected, and with Maiyas Enhance Speed, he was faster than ever before. He stood at the very apex of his strength and speed and it wasnt enough. It wasnt even close to enough.
Worse, the tattoos that snaked around the demons body had yet to light up; he was doing all this unaided by magic.
Im being toyed with.
Is this all you have, boy? Weak. Pathetically weak! Show me what you can do!
Vir wasnt about to be swayed by his taunts. He tuned out the giant, searching for a way to deal damage.
Such a heavy opponent shouldnt be able to move like Cirayus did. Yet, after a half-dozen exchanges, Vir was forced to conclude the demon was simply that skilled, relying on preternatural intuition and unfathomable amounts of experience to predict and counter Virs every move.
How many hundreds of battles has he fought?
Your form is passable, the demon said. Though even aided by magic as you are, youck strength. And youck the experience to make up for it. Your movements are far too predictable.
Can he read minds, too!?
I am no mind reader. I leave that mystic art to our seers. Though, after centuries of fighting, experience bes its own form of prescience, I suppose.
Youre centuries old? Vir asked, allowing his shock to ovee him for a split-second.
The opening earned him a shield bash to the face.
Acting instinctively, Vir crossed his arms in an X and sent prana to his limbs, absorbing the impact with Toughen. Further augmented by Parais channeling technique, he could now tank strikes that wouldve broken bones just days ago.
He went flying nheless.
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Vir! Maiya shouted, sending a barrage of Wind and Ice magic at Cirayus, who allowed them all to hit. A tattoo red to life, and Maiyas spells died out without so much as grazing his skin.
Four hundred fifty-three, I think, the demon said as Vir impacted a nearby tree with a sickening crack. Though I could be off by a decade or two. The years tend to blur together when you get to my age, Im afraid.
Vir Leaped beside Maiya. Im alright.
This was well before my time, but there was one who could fight above his weight ss, so to speak, the demon said. Parai the Ancient. Heard the name?
Virs eyes widened. How do you
Once again, the distraction earned him another blow.
Vir! Get your head in the fight! Maiya berated, firing a Wind de to counter Cirayus attack. Her orbs, while ineffective at hurting him, served as a useful distraction.
You should listen to your pretty friend. You are far too easily distracted.
Vir got back to his feet, more confused than angry. Why was the demon toying with him to this extent? Why hadnt he simply gone in for a lethal strike?
And why hasnt he attacked Maiya?
Cant even use my ice orbs, Maiya grumbled. Ice magic moved too slowly to urately target fast-moving foes. To an outside observer, their battle mustve looked like a blur. Wait, Vir, look out!
An Ember spellunched out of nowhere, forcing Vir to break off and dive for safety. Cirayus allowed it, casting his scornful gaze on the neers.
Mercenaries poured out from the forest, and not just one or two. Vir counted a dozen prana signatures, with more likely on the way.
It would seem we have some unwantedpany, Cirayus said, dissatisfaction practically oozing off him.
Why dont we take a break, then? As you said, theyre a nuisance. You wont be able to enjoy our fight this way.
Kill my enemies for me.
Aye, you speak the truth,d.
Good. Itll give us a chance to regroup and strategize, too.
However, the giant said with a knowing smile, warriors rarely have the luxury of picking the time and circumstance of their battles. Consider it an added challenge!
There was no warning. Cirayus thrust his polearm with unbelievable speed. Vir called upon Toughen and Empower, Leaping at the ground to throw himself out of harms way.
Maiya! Take out the mercenaries! And time your magic to my attacks if you can!
Already on it!
Virs world was consumed with Cirayus. A single moment of distraction meant his end; he couldnt spare time to check on the mercenaries. Maiya would have to keep them off him on her own. There wasnt a shred of doubt in his heart that she would.
Confident in Maiyas backup, heunched a flurry of attacks at the giant, but it wasnt just more of the same; hed learned something from their prior exchange. Just a few times, hed attacked without Prana de, did block all of Virs Prana ded attacks.
Can he see prana like I can? Or is it his incredible intuition again?
Either way, it meant the demon feared Virs attacks. Enough to block them.
Lass, it takes grit to defend your friend to the death. I respect that. Ive no intention of harming you. But if youe in our way, Im afraid Ill have to end you, too. Spare me the guilt of robbing this world of a fine warrior like yourself, will you?
I appreciate the ttery, but if you really feel that way, end this fight. Im here until the end. So why dont you just get grakked, you Ash-damned chal!
Just as Vir was about to admonish Maiya for riling up an enemy who could end them whenever he wanted, Cirayus roared withughter. That is indeed the correct response. I apologize for questioning your resolve, human. May I have your name?
Maiya, she replied whileunching a pair of Icicles at a mercenary drawing his bow for a shot at Vir.
The man didnt even see the attacking. Her darts impaled him and he screamed out in agony. The mercenarys mejai healer went to work, but Maiya took that one out the moment hed started to administer care.
Brutal, Vir thought with a shiver. Badass.
Maiya Cirayaus said, nodding. A good name. I shall remember it.
And Ill remember yours, Cirayus, when my friend and I are standing over your cold corpse.
Shes a good one, Cirayus shed a grin at Vir. Too bad youll both die here today.
Will we? Vir said, Leaping at Cirayus. It was a feint. Using his momentum, he disappeared into the giantsrge shadow, freezing time.
Hed refrained from using the ability until now, hoping to save it for an opportune moment, but he now knew he was mistaken. He didnt have the luxury of holding anything back against an enemy like this.
The daylight restricted his exit options, but luckily, the forests treespensated.
With time frozen, Vir saw a nearby mercenarys C Grade Wind de spell ripping at Cirayus.
Hell ignore that. The demon shrugged off A Grade magic. A Wind de would be as lethal as a kiss. There was only one gambit that had a shot of working.
The demon sensed him, but Maiya fired an Icicle at the demons eyes, distracting the giant just long enough to give Vir his opening.
Vir shot out of the demons shadow, his four-fold enhanced strike zing to Prana Vision.
The katar plunged into the demons back and Vir twisted the de for maximum damage.
The instant he pulled the de out, Maiyas own Wind de gouged into the same spot, erging the wound even further.
YES! Vir shouted. Nice, Maiya!
The wound wasnt deep, but just a few more, and the demon wouldnt be able to ignore them.
We can do this. Theyd finally found a strategy capable of harming the demon. All they had to do was keep up the pressure.
A blue tattoo on the demons back red, and the wound closed before Virs very eyes, undoing all of their effort.
Even worse, it was the same ability Vir covetedhad hoped Parais channeling technique would grant him.
It was a cruel irony that his enemy had that exact power. Not even A Grade healing orbs worked so quickly.
Vir paled. How are we supposed to defeat a monster that can regenerate?
Dance of the Shadow Demon? To have learned the Iksana bloodline ability without its tattoo! Or perhaps not quite Hmm. I wonder, Cirayus remarked with a hungry smile. You might be pathetically weak, but youre full of surprises, arent you? Show me more! Show me everything you have!
You talk too much! Vir shouted, Leaping in for another attack.
Cirayus bellowed inughter, defending his strikes casually. Easily. Maiya continued to fire off Wind and Ice spells, timing them to Virs attacks as best she could, but it wasnt enough.
Vir! Maiya shouted, throwing him an Enhance Sharpness orb even as she fired an Icicle at another group of mercenaries, forcing them away.
Vir caught it and swapped it with the Enhance Speed that was currently slotted.
Good call. Speed was his strength, but Cirayus negated that advantage. What he needed most was prating power. Maiya understood this, and without even needing to be prompted, sent Vir exactly what he needed at the perfect time.
That wasnt just her skill as a warrior; it meant shed been monitoring the state of the battle, analyzing Virs attacks, all while fending off opportunistic mercenaries. It was the hallmark of a good leader. Amander.
Youre amazing, Maiya.
True. I admit, Ive been quite casual about this bout. I wanted to test you. To witness your limits. Such opportunities are hard for me toe by, you understand? Youve done well, but Im afraid youre far too weak. It is disappointing. I came here for some exercise, but I fear this wont even serve as a warmup.
Vir jumped back to Maiya, sensing a change in the demons attitude.
As a courtesy for a fellow demon in these wretched humannds, Ive refrained from attacking. Now, it is my turn. Do try not to die too quickly.
Cirayus expression was neutral, but there was no mistaking the insatiable hunger in his eyes. A zealous, feral craving that wouldnt be satisfied even if he killed a thousand people.
Every hope Vir had about the giant not intending to harm them went out the window.
You alright? Vir asked.
Vir, listen to me. Whatever happens next? Whatever heunches at us we will deal with it. Together.
Together, Vir confirmed. To the death Cirayus words rang in his ears.
Yet as he braced himself for the impending destruction, some force pulled his eyes up. To the white cliffs that towered above the forest.
Or maybe not to the death
Hear me out. I think I have a n.
Chapter 151: The Ravager and the Shadow (Two)
Chapter 151: The Ravager and the Shadow (Two)
We need more firepower, Vir said. Its obvious we arent hurting him.
Right. So whatVir!!? Maiya shouted in panic, right as Cirayus pummeled Vir with his tower shield, sending him flying.
Theyd both kept their eyes on the four-armed giant the entire time, yet it was as if their enemy had used Blink, giving Vir no hope of dodging.
Despite that, hed concentrated his bodys prana into his arms, cycling prana just in time. Parais technique acted like Empower for offense, and Toughen for defense, except its effects were superior to both.
Instead of recing those Talents, the cycling technique worked in tandem; Vir simply couldnt Channel all the blood he could shunt to his limbs. Some of it had to be dumped in the crude, old-fashioned way. Perhaps eventually, hed learn how to channel it all, but for now, this was the best he could manage.
Vir guarded with his arms in the nick of timemore out of reflex and instinct than any intentional actionbut even with his defenses, his arms still throbbed with pain. Without his defensive abilities, the bones in his arms wouldve been crushed to dust.
You really think Id let you strategize in the middle of a deathmatch? Nave. Far too nave.
This guys really trying to kill me
Whyre you after me? What have I ever done to you? Were both demons, arent we? Vir said, stalling for time as he recovered his bearings.
It didnt work. The demon was upon him in an instant, stabbing with his poleax, bashing with his shield, and sweeping down with the oversized greatsword.
The tide of the battle shifted in an instant. While Vir hadnt been able to deal meaningful damage to the demon earlier, he at least inflicted some wounds.
But now, it was all he could do to stay alive, deflecting, dodging, and blocking when he had no other choice.
Even redirecting the demons attacks took a toll on his body, such was the force behind each strike.
The demons attacks, the dodges, the feints They had changed. Gone were the direct, to-the-point movements. Now, they flowed from one to another. In a most familiar pattern.
No way. Kri!?
Ha ha ha! the demon roared. The real Kripayattu. Not the watered down form you know.
It was true. Cirayus used the same thrusts, leaping attacks, feints, and blocks as Vir, but eachnded with such pinpoint precision, it was as if an unseen force guided them. Each strike was honed to the absolute pinnacle of perfection, and, despite fighting for his life, Vir couldnt help admire the beauty of Cirayus form.
He thought hed mastered Kri under Riyan, but this demons technique was in another realm entirely.
Just when you think youve grown strong Vir thought bitterly. Rather than fighting this demon, he wanted to train under him.
Forget getting a strike in, Vir was being pushed back. Farther and farther from Maiya, opening him up to strikes from the mercenaries. That went equally true for the giant, but while Vir had to dodge iing magic, Cirayus simply allowed them to bounce off his skin.
There was no winning such an encounter. Charging Dance of the Shadow Demon, he sunk into the shadows
But not fast enough.
Cirayus grabbed his arm, preventing him from entering the Shadow Realm.
The Iksana are slippery foes, but Ive fought more than my fair share, Cirayus said with a vicious grin. You cant sink into the world of shadows if any part of you is stuck. And now, I have your arm.
Cirayus squeezed slightly, sending blinding pain ripping through Vir.
For a moment, he merely stared at his arm, before his mind spun into action.
What can I do? How do I get out of this?
Never before had anyone caught him, preventing him from entering the Shadow Realm.
Not just thatCirayus was pulling him back out.
If you think this is bad, just wait until you fight a demon with the same ability. Have fun fighting in that Shadow Realm of yours. I would not tread there unless my life absolutely depended on it!
Others!? Vir thought, panicking. Of course, the moment Cirayus identified the ability, Vir shouldve guessed that others could use it. That the Shadow Realm might not be an invulnerable safe haven. Terrifying, though his current crisis overrode all other concerns. He couldnt use Dance, and he couldnt Leap away.
Vir threw a chakram with his free hand, but the weapon harmlessly bounced off the demons skin, as expected.
While his katar could deal damage, the tower shield blocked most attack paths. Time ran out. Cirayus greatsword swung in for the kill, and Vir was forced to brace his katar.
The de sped, and panic took over.
There were no options. No ways out.
Or so he thought.
I can fight too, you overgrown oaf! Maiya shouted, driving her dagger into the demons back.
She hit Cirayus with every bit of finesse Vir had, except her attacks blended both Kri and the Kinjal Brian arts, striking at Cirayus in ways he couldnt possibly expect.
Though aided by Enhance Sharpness, it wouldnt be enough to prate his hardened skin. Vir thought Cirayus would ignore her attack, but the giant instead aborted his strike and twisted, deflecting her de.
Maiyas Wind de and Icicle spells fired at the same time, bouncing harmlessly off the demon as well.
Of course! If her de had struck at the same time as her magic, she wouldve prated.
Cirayus recognized her tactic and had reacted ordingly.
Except, turning to face Maiya exposed the demons nk. Vir activated every ability he had and drove his katar into the exposed flesh.
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The de sunk deep, earning a pained grunt from his enemy. The distraction was enoughCirayus released his grip on Vir.
Instead of fighting on, Vir promptly sunk into the ground, and this time, did so unimpeded.
From within the Shadow Realm, he saw Cirayus aiming at Maiya, his greatsword sweeping on a course to decapitate her. She had no hope of surviving a blow like that. Nor could she escape; hed activated Bncer of Scales, pinning her in ce, preventing her from moving a muscle.
As if Ill let you.
Vir snaked his hands out and grabbed Maiyas ankles, sucking her into the Shadow Realm with him. Cirayus own ability drove Maiya down and out of harms way, pushing her into her shadow as the gleaming de blurred past, hitting nothing but air.
He rxed only when Maiya was safely inside the Shadow Realm with him.
This wasnt the first time shed been under, so he knew she wouldnt panic. He took the full ten counts to choose an exit.
While the forest afforded numerous hiding spots, Vir hesitated to choose the most optimal one. From what hed seen, the demon didnt possess any special sensory abilities, instead relying on his enormousbat experience to predict Virs movements.
Which means he knows the prime hiding spots. I bet he knows Dances range as well.
Cirayus didnt need Prana Vision or any other sensing Talent. He could simply deduce Virs choice.
So instead, Vir picked a less optimal hiding spot. Somewhat closer to the demon than hed have liked, but if he was right
Vir brought Maiya out of the shadows, inside a bush that hid them from view.
Hell find us in a few seconds. Heres the n
Tch. Iksana are always a pain to fight, Cirayus muttered as his opponent sank into the ground. Dance of the Shadow Demon wasnt an ability hed expected to see in this realm. It was a pleasant surprise, even if it was a pale imitation of the real thing. That he gained the ability at all without the Iksana bloodline tattoo and years of training was worthy of great praise. As far as he knew, no other demon had managed such a feat.
But he is sloppy. Simple. Among demons, Vir, as hed named himself, would be on the lower end of the strength scale, even for his age.
Far too weak. And he seeks the Ash? What utter folly.
Without looking, Cirayus swatted an iing arrow aside and crushed the mercenary archers neck with a slight application of Bncer of Scales.
Despite the boys shorings, Cirayus simply couldnt wipe the grin off his face. For the first time in over a decade, his heart pumped with excitement. His blood boiled.
Show me more! he cried, identifying where his foe would reappear in a split-second. A feat that wouldve been impossible with the real Dance of the Shadow Demon. Its range was iparable; if Vir had mastered it, not even Cirayus could guess where he might appear. Unless his opponent had intentionally deceived himpossible, but unlikely given his straightforward mindset and fighting style.
You cannot hide from Hmm? Cirayus said, thrusting his poleax into a bush, only to find it empty.
Oho. Good. Good! heughed.
Neither was his foe at the second most likely hiding spot. By the time he found Vir and his friend at the third spot, theyd concocted some kind of n. Not that it mattered. No matter how determined the boy was, he had no chance. His weaponry simply couldnt overpower Giant Hide, the Bairan bloodline tattoo that turned his skin into armor.
Few warriors ever could. It was one of the many reasons n Baira was feared and respected, in even the farthest reaches of the Demon Realm.
When they reengaged, the boy used different tactics. Instead of attacking fruitlessly as hed done before, he now dodged, ducked, bobbed, and weaved, giving up ground to avoid damage.
Itll keep him alive longer, but how does he intend to win?
Whenever Vir Leaped or Danced away, Cirayus was upon him in an instant. Bncer of Scales was not a simple ability to learn, even for those precious few given the privilege of earning Bairas Ultimate bloodline art. It took decades, sometimes centuries, of practice.
Most could only alter the weight of their own body in full. Manipting other objects,ying down suppression fields, and selectively altering the weight of parts of objects faster than the blink of an eye These feats were in another realm entirely.
But Cirayus was a veteran of thousands of battles. Barring a single exception, there was no demon, dead or alive, whod mastered it better than he had. The exception, of course, being the fabled Narak the Destroyer. That legend was in a league of his own.
When Vir escaped, Cirayus merely reduced the weight of his upper body, allowing his legs tounch him as he pleased.
When he swung his greatsword, he made it as light as a feather, increasing its weight a hundredfold at the moment of impact.
While only a crude human weapon, its force was nothing to scoff at. That Vir had weathered so many blows meant the boy had some durability. Not enough, though.
Cirayus held back, of coursehe wasnt about to let his first fight after sixteen yearse to a premature endbut even restricting himself to a fraction of his power, he corralled the boy, making him dance in the palm of his hand.
His friend, the mejai, while determined, was simply too weak to be a threat.
The mejai in this realm are all so pathetic. Yet they strut around, thinking themselves masters of their art. What a joke.
The battle went on, with Vir losing ground with each encounter, disappearing into the shadows. Cirayus let him. Dance made things more interesting.
No. Theres another reason, isnt there? he thought.
Another reason he let this battle drag on for so long. The boy showed ingenuity, adapting the moment his tactics failed him.
Cirayus found himself hoping yearning that, given enough time, Vir would show him something interesting. A strategy that might have a ke of Ashs chance of dealing some real damage.
Show me. Surprise me. Adapt! Ovee!
Cirayus thrust his poleax again, as hed done innumerable times in this bout. As expected, Vir sunk into the shadows, reappearing from behind.
With a sigh, Cirayus swiped, expecting the boy to dodge, but instinct forced him to pause.
The mejai held an orbbigger and brighter than any shed produced thus far.
Cirayus red Giant Hide, and even leaned slightly into Spirit of the Ravager before she fired her Hail Burst. It proved unnecessary. While this attack was undoubtedly stronger than her previous spells, it was still far weaker than the Mejai of Realms spells that Giant Hide brushed off.
He turned his attention back to the boy, half-expecting him to have jumped away again.
Instead, Vir moved in and stabbed his hand. Whatever prana-empowerment Vir applied to his de broke through the armor of Giant Hide, skewering his palm.
For a split-second, the muscles in his hand rxed, dropping the heavy polearm. Cirayus was already attacking, pinning Vir in ce with Bncer while his greatsword descended with the weight of an executioners de.
But the boy neither defended nor escaped into the shadows. He wrestled against the effects of Bncer of Scales and sliced the polearms wooden shaft in two.
Cirayus grinned. Good. Very good! You seek to disarm me. But did you forget? I have two more weapons. And if you think I need weapons to be lethal
Lightening his arm, he swung at Vir, canceling the weight that restricted his opponent while quadrupling the weight of his own arm at the moment of impact.
Vir wrenched his body, deflecting most of the blow, but the bit that hit him sent him tumbling to the ground.
Maiya, now! he shouted.
A flurry of Wind des ripped through the air, but Cirayus dodged all handily.
Im afraid your attacks cannot hurt me, girl.
You''re right. The crimson-haired teen stared back at him, undaunted. But who said I was aiming for you?
The cliffs bordering the forest were tall and vast and made of sandstone. Stone that easily broke apart.
Under the guise of fighting defensively, Vir and Maiya had lured the demonand their unwanted mercenary pursuersto this spot, directly under them.
Maiyas spells cut deep into the rocks, destabilizing them. Their weight did the rest.
Boulders crashed with terrifying speed, quaking the earth, crushing all underneath. The mercenaries, and Cirayus alike.
The mercenaries stood no chance, but Vir knew how fast the demon could move. If Vir could escape, so too could his four-armed enemy. So he charged relentlessly, attacking Cirayus with every opportunity, preventing his opponent from fleeing.
Right until the shadow of the boulders eclipsed them. Without a moment to spare, he used the falling boulders own shadow to sink into the ground, dodging death by a hairs breadth.
The demon was not so lucky. Boulder after boulder mmed into the giant, burying him under rubble.
Reappearing next to Maiya, Vir scooped her up in his arms and Leaped to her Acira. He never paused, nor did he ever look back. He simply propelled himself faster than he ever had, blurring past trees.
With every second, he expected the giant to catch up to them. To multiply their weight, sending them crashing to the ground.
The clearing finally came into view. Vir Leaped onto the Aciras back, and it was only after the great beast pped its wings and cleared the top of the tallest tree that he breathed easier.
We won? Maiya asked in disbelief. Vir, we won!
Vir sighed in relief. Well, we didnt win. But were alive.
He could hardly believe it. It almost seemed too good to be true. Too easy
A red figure blurred, and Vir felt their Acira shudder under the force of impact.
Im afraid you have not, Cirayus grinned, stepping lightly onto the back of their Acira. And now, you have nowhere to run.
Chapter 152: The Ravager and the Shadow (Three)
Chapter 152: The Ravager and the Shadow (Three)
The moment Vir glimpsed red in the corner of his eye, he threw on his rucksack, grabbed Maiya, and jumped, not waiting for the inevitable attack that was bound to hit them.
Not a second after hed Leaped off Maiyas Acira, Cirayus enormous greatsword sliced across where theyd just been.
Bncer of Scales is cheating. Its absolutely cheating! Vir thought as he plummeted to the forest, Maiya cradled in his arms like a princess. A somewhat panicky princess, though to her credit, Maiya never screamed.
Light Step broke his fall, and he gently set her down.
I thought we had a chance, Vir said through gritted teeth.
After all that Vir, what do we do?
You give up, Cirayus said,nding in front of them with the weight of a feather. Either way, this is where you die.
Bncer of Scales crushed them with the weight of an anvil, ttening them against the ground. Once again, Vir charged Dance of the Shadow Demon, but before he could activate it, three Acira swooped down from the sky, screeching.
Think again! Badal roared, diving on the giant. Not even the four-armed demon could ignore the new threats, bracing himself for impact. To his credit, his suppression field stayed active, though it held no sway over Dance.
Run, brother! Well keep him upied.
No, stop! Vir shouted at Badal, his face t against the dirt. He couldnt even turn his head. Such was the pressure from Bncer of Scales. Dont even think of fighting him!
If you really feel that way, then escape! Well leave as soon as youre safe.
There was no other choice. Vir and Maiya simplycked the offensive ability to harm Cirayus. That remained true even with Badals support.
So Vir sunk into the shadows and retrieved Maiya, bringing her into the protection of the Shadow Realm while Cirayus fended off Badal.
Then he fled. Hed long ago mastered Dance of the Shadow Demon, leveraging everyst drop of potential the ability had. When he used it in session, he didnt so much appear and disappear, but rather swam through the shadows, like a fish darting through an ocean of darkness.
The moment Virs arm left the Shadows, he charged the ability, reactivating it. At any moment, only a limb or two was visible above the ground. The rest was safely tucked away inside the Shadow Realm.
Maiya, though terrified, quickly shut her mouth, lest she give away their position to the giant.
Each Dance invocation put distance between them and their enemy. Though Vir spent several seconds within the shadows, to an outside observer, theyd simply disappear and reappear some twenty paces away.
Vir couldnt be sure exactly how fast they were moving, but it was definitely faster than an Ashva.
We might have a shot at this
If Badal kept Cirayus upied long enough, they ought to be able to escape, and because Vir was continuously moving in one direction, there was no risk of depleting the ground prana. In fact, the amount of prana increased as he drew nearer to the Ash.
Only when hed put several thousand paces between himself and Cirayus a half hourter did he stop and fully exit the Shadow Realm.
Were pretty far now, he said. Theyd left the forest behind and currently stood in a vast field of golden reeds that came nearly to their waists.
We are, Maiya said softly. So, what now?
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Vir frowned. I''ll use Dance of the Shadow Demon to get us to Sonam.
Will that work?
Vir sighed. I don''t know. We''d be traveling at night, mostly. Say, whats the nearest town to here?
We''re at the southwest of Kin''jal. We should be close to Jsa. Should be northeast of here.
Then that''s where we''ll
A bit premature to be making ns, dont you think? a familiar voice boomed. An almighty force ttened them to the ground.
Vir! Maiya shrieked.
You gave me quite the runaround, following you all this way. Unfortunately, youd never have escaped. Not unless youd fled into the Ash, and even then
Badal! Whatd you do to Badal?
Badal? Oh, your friends who valiantly stepped in to aid you? I killed them, of course. Decapitated them all, for good measure. Their Acira too. They hardly put up a fight, Im afraid.
You Ash-damned chal! Vir roared.
Woah there, Cirayus said, grabbing Virs arm as he sank into the shadows. You wont be pulling that trick again. Im afraid I cant leave any witnesses, you see. Im going to have to kill your girlfriend over there. Then Ill deal with you.
Vir squirmed under the immense weight, but nothing he did could counteract its effects. It was as if a great boulder had been ced on top of him.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Cirayus slowly approached Maiya. Pinned as she was, there was little she could do other than re at the monster. As he neared, she defiantly fired a volley of Wind de and Icicle spells, taking the giant by surprise. More as an act of defiance than anything that might hurt him.
Hah! You have quite the fight in you, girl. Fear not. I am no sadist. Your death will be swift and painless. How would you like to go? Shall I break your neck?
Dont you dare touch her! Vir shrieked.
Oh? If you feel so strongly, why dont you defend her, then? Or is this simply the barking of the weak?
Gaaaaaaaaaah! Vir roared, shoving as much blood as he could into his legs, pulling Ash prana from the ground, supersaturating his body. The blood cycled faster than ever before. Ash prana coursed faster and faster. Out of control.
Needles of pain shot through his legs as his supersaturated blood ran out of control, seeping into ces it shouldnt be, damaging his blood vessels.
Vir didnt care. The pain didnt even register. Even when his muscles burst under the pressure, he didnt relent.
Slowly, shakily, he forced himself up.
Mustering all of his strength he took a single step. Then another. Forget saving Maiya; he had no n, nor even the energy to lift his arms. Every ounce of his willpower was consumed with staying upright. Putting one foot in front of another.
Dont. You. Dare. Hurt. Her!
Far too upied with the task at hand, he failed to recognize Cirayus surprise. Nor did he see the faintest smile creep up on the giant demons face.
Agonizingly, he neared Maiya.
Vir, she whispered, tears streaming down her face. You dont have to do this.
Dont worry. He looks scarier than he is. He wont harm you.
Oho? the big demon said, amused. Bold words for someone on the brink of death. Where does this sudden confidencee from, I wonder?
Vir put himself between Maiya and the demon. It was a meaningless gestureCirayus could simply walk around him, and Vir would be powerless to interfere. But he refused to let himself be cowed by this demon.
Slowly, he stripped off his brigandine, each slight movement taking intense concentration. The metal nged to the ground.
Then he unbuttoned his shirt.
Cirayus expression morphed from amusement to one of awe. Of reverence, as he stared, transfixed.
That confirms it.
You recognize this tattoo Dont you? Vir said through gritted teeth. Because Youre the one who brought me to Brij as a baby. Youre the one who gave me to Rudvik. The lumberjack. You told him to raise me.
It was a gamble, pure and simple. Vir had no proof. But the signs were all there. For one, while Vir had seen a handful of four-armed demons in the Pagan Order, he hadnt seen a single four-armed giant. Let alone one covered in tattoos.
That wasnt all; the demon Rudvik described to him was supremely self-confident, and thudded whenever he walked. He possessed an almighty aura. Cirayus did the same.
Yet there was one fact that reigned above them all.
Youre so strong, and yet neither Maiya nor I have a single scratch on us. Even if youre here for a good fight, with your power, we should be injured by now.
Cirayus stared at Vir nkly. Then Bncer suddenly ceased, freeing Vir and Maiya from their prison, and the corners of the demons mouth curled upward into a full-on grin.
Caught on, did you? I honestly thought I made a pretty convincing bad guy.
Maiya frowned. How can you say that? You killed those Pagan Order demons!
Fear not,ss. I did try to reason with them, but they were having none of it. I was forced to knock them all unconscious. I suspect theyll be waking up right about now.
I have a million questions for you, Vir said. But first.
Virs words caught. He was about to ask who Cirayus was, but another question crept to his lips. One hed wanted to know his entire life.
Who am I? You know, dont you?
Aye. That I do. Allow me to apologize for my impudence, Cirayus said, plunging his greatsword and tower shield into the tall grass. I wished to test you. To see how strong youve grown. I er, sometimes take things too far. Especially in battle. Always been a bad habit of mine, hah!
Gone was the giants overbearing aura. As he scratched his head in embarrassment, he looked almost harmless, despite the menacing tattoos on his face and his fearsome physique.
There was no lie in my words. I am Cirayus. Known to some as the Ravager. But to you? he said, taking a knee and bowing his head, bringing his face even with Vir and Maiya. I am your sworn guardian and godfather, and I greet you now as your vassal. My liege, O Prince Sarvaak of Garga.
Chapter 153: The Akh Nara
Chapter 153: The Akh Nara
Virs mind went nk. Of all the words Cirayus just said, one in particr filled his head, drowning out all the others, but before he could ask, Maiya beat him to the punch.
Sorry? Did you just say Prince? As in royalty?
Vir shook his head. There must be some mistake.
Cirayus gave a pained smile. There was no lie in my words. You are royalty, Sarver, Vir. I assume that is the name the lumberjack bestowed upon you?
Vir nodded. Ekavir.
Ekavir, Cirayus repeated. Bravest of the Brave. A good name.
Vir had always suspected his birth name was something else, but to hear it Sarvaak?
So thats my real name, Vir whispered. Hed never meant the words to leave his mouth.
The name bestowed upon you by the RajaKing Maion and his queen, Shari Garga.
King? Queen? His parents. His real parents! For the longest time, Vir had wondered where hede from. Who he truly was. Hed given up on those answers until he reached the demon realm. And now, just like that, he had them.
Wonder what theyre like.
After losing Rudvik, he never thought hed have the chance to call anyone father again. Let alone mother. The thought made his head swoon.
Maion and Shari. My parents, do they live in the Demon Realm? Do they know Im here?
They must have been worried sick. Did they think him dead?
Cirayus smile fell. I am sorry, Ekavir. You cannot know how much I wish to say yes. You cannot know how much I miss them. They perished. Your mother during birth, your father shortly after. Maion was my closest friend of centuries. And a good man.
Virs heart threatened to seize.
No. No! Why!?
The me of hope in his chest extinguished just as soon as itd lit. It was cruel. Beyond cruel.
A spark of hatred lit in his chest as Vir cursed the gods. What did Fate have against him? Ashborn, Prana Scorned, losing Rudvik, Apramor, and Aliscia. And now this? What had he done to deserve any of this? Why did
Maiya threw herself around him, embracing him in a deep hug. She said nothing, and she didnt have to. Her presence alone stopped that dangerous train of thought in its tracks. That, and the precharged Life orb she pressed against him to heal the muscle damage he''d incurred earlier.
Vir squeezed her waist and met her eyes. Im okay.
He wasnt, not truly. Maiyas intervention helped, but itd be a while before he came to terms with this revtion. Still, thest thing he needed was Maiya worrying about him. Not when she already worried so much.
I fled here with you and a few other brave souls who volunteered to protect you, Cirayus said quietly. Im afraid Im the only one who survived.
I see.
So people died for me. All to bring me here.
Vir wasnt quite sure how to process that second bombshell, so he changed the topic for now.
What er, what is Garga? Is that a country?
My liege, I know you have many questions, and I fully intend to answer them.
My liege? Vir couldnt believe such words were being used to address him. Him! Of all people. He was the prana scorned Ashborn outcast. Viewed with suspicion, and sometimes hatred. How could he be a prince? It was all so very wrong.
However, Cirayus continued, this is neither the time nor the ce for such a conversation. For one, your demon friends will wake shortly, no doubt wondering where you are. Also, Cirayus said, pointing to an Ash beast that had just popped into existence some distance away. It happens in the demon realm, too. Wed best leave before we have a fight on our hands.
I feel like you could handle any threats that appear here, Maiya said, eyeing the demon with suspicion. How do we know we can trust you?
You cant,ss, and you are astute to mention it. But you can trust my strength. If I had wanted you two dead, I could have killed you a thousand times by now. I havent. As young Ekavir here said, I havent even scratched you. Thatll have to suffice. For now.
Its okay, Maiya. Im pretty sure hes the one who delivered me to Rudvik as a baby. Which means he risked his life to bring me here to the Human Realm.
If you trust him, thats enough for me, Maiya replied, throwing him a concerned look.
Shes still looking out for me. Even after all this time.
Thank you, Maiya, Vir replied. For everything.
Maiya smiled sadly, shaking her head, as if to say it was nothing.
Lets head back for now, Vir said, preparing to pick Maiya up. I dont want Badal and the others to chase after us. Ive made them worry enough.
But before he could hoist Maiya, he found himself being lifted by one of the giants hands.
H-hey! Maiya cried as she squirmed in the air beside him.
Dance of the Shadow Demon is a useful ability, but your version is heavily limited in its range. Better to let me carry you, Cirayus said, cing them on his shoulders.
Were going to ride on you? Vir asked in disbelief as he re-equipped the armor he''d removed earlier.
We are? Maiya said, her hesitance obvious.
Children love it! Cirayusughed. Rx a little, and you might, too,ss!
Maiya recalled how high Cirayus had jumped and nched. Can you, erm, start slow?
For a friend who risked her life for young Sarvaak? Im happy to oblige.
ttery wont get you anywhere, Maiya said, flushing.
Cirayus shot her a doubting look. Here we go!
The giant leaped into the air, soaring far higher than even what High Jump could do. From there, his steps only grew longer and higher.
This is incredible! Vir thought, ncing at his friend on the giants other shoulder. Her knuckles were white, but hed seen that look in her eyes before. She was enjoying this.
What had taken them a half hour took Cirayus a mere handful of minutes, and they soon found themselves back in the forest, where Cirayusnded lightly atop a branch, rather than allowing himself to fall to the forest floor.
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Hard to orient yourself on the floor, he said. From here, you can see exactly where you need to go.
I dont get it, Maiya said, staring at a branch that could never have supported his weight. You can make us light as well?
Anything I touch. Directly or indirectly.
But I dont feel light? I feel the same as normal.
Aye, you would. Ive made your entire body lighter, including your clothes and armor. Youd certainly feel that if I hadnt. But go to pick up an object when youre this light, and youll see what I mean. Would be near impossible.
Vir couldnt wrap his head around how the ability worked. Logically, it made no sense, though prana seldom did.
How do you use it in midair, though? You lightened your weight to ride the Acira, didnt you?
Observant. Good. Aye, I did. Bncer of Scales consumes both Life and Earth affinity prana. Doesnt work half as well in the air, but I can manage.
The more Vir learned about its nature, the weirder it became. It was more like a hybrid of a Talent and orb-based magic. And there was nothing he knew that consumed multiple affinities at the same time.
Cirayus must know so much about the workings of prana, Vir thought, eyes twinkling with glee. Until now, no one hed met knew more about prana than Vir did. Perhaps now that would change.
What breakthroughs would he have under Cirayus tutge?
Whatever doubts he had before about entering the Ash evaporated then and there. With Cirayus by his side, he doubted even Ash Beasts posed them much threat. And if what Cirayus said was trueif he was a princethen he absolutely had to visit the Demon Realm.
Not visit return. Home. But then, why did Cirayus brave the Ash to bring me here?
People had perished to ferry him across the Ashen Realm. All of whom were likely powerful warriors. Why would they sacrifice themselves like that? What was Cirayus fleeing from?
The Orders Acira came into view, along with a half dozen ck-clothed forms, arranged neatly on the ground.
Vir jumped off the giants shoulder and knelt next to Badal.
Badal. Badal! You alright?
The demons eyes slowly opened. What happened? Vir? Why are you here? I told you to escape!
Then he noticed Cirayus, and he shot up in a panic. You!
Its alright, Badal. He, uh hes actually on our side.
Did you hit your head? He tried to kill you! He attacked us!
What was I to do? You wouldnt listen when I told you I meant no harm, Cirayus said with a shrug, rocking Maiya, who remained perched on his shoulder.
Who would believe such a tant lie! Badal fired back.
Its true. He was testing me, believe it or not, Vir said. Hes well, Im not sure yet, but hes not an enemy, at least.
ept my apologies for rendering your group unconscious, Cirayus said, bowing his head and sping two fists in two palms.
This is difficult to ept, Badal replied slowly.
Virughed. Believe me, you dont even know the half of it.
One by one, Badals group woke up. Vir feared hed have to repeat his exnation again and again, but a single order from Badal silenced any reservations they had, proving just what consummate professionals they all were.
Meanwhile Maiya had sauntered off, returning with a handful of the dead mercenaries'' orbs, grinning. Can''t expect a poor vige girl to let such wealth go to waste, can you?
Vir rolled his eyes. Despite all her wealth, the viger-hoarding mentality still hadn''t left her.
Does this mean youll be alright? Badal asked after ensuring his forces were all uninjured. He kept a wary eye on Cirayus the entire time, as did his Order forces.
I think I will be, Vir said. Think I might be better than ever, actually.
That is both a surprise and a relief. I admit, I understand none of this, but its not my business to pry. All I ask is you return safely to us one day, brother. Whether it be a week from now, or a decade. You will always have a home here.
Thanks, Badal. Truly. Ill never forget what the Orders done for me. And I do intend to return, Vir said, locking eyes with Maiya. I swear it.
Then I shall be off. Weve another raid tonight, and the men could use a rest. More brothers and sisters to liberate.
May Yuma be with you, Vir said as Badal mounted his Acira.
May all the gods be with you, friend. Though I fear no amount of blessings will lessen your hardship, he replied.
The Order Acira took to the skies momentster, their scaly ck wings pping heavily. Then they were gone, the forests peaceful calmness reasserting itself as birds chirped and chipmunks poked their heads out of the ground. Few would guess a fierce battle raged here just minutes earlier.
Cirayus sat down and cracked his neck.
He really enjoys that, doesnt he? Vir thought it was an intimidation tactic at first, but now understood it to be more of a habit. Perhaps one that was centuries old. Though Cirayus looked like the sort of demon terror who might raze viges and eat babies, Vir wondered whether that was merely a carefully crafted facade. Cirayus was powerfulobscenely powerfulbut hed not only spared Badals fighters, he hadnt even injured Vir, let alone Maiya. All his taunts had been bravado, nothing more.
And yet, he didnt even bat an eye when he caved in that mejais head. The question is what does he want from me?
This ce should be safe enough, shouldnt it? Vir asked. Were a ways away from where you fought that mejai.
Well, that depends. What would you wish to know?
Everything, Vir said, staring up into the giants eyes.
Everything! Cirayus replied,ughing. How many days do you have,d?
As many as it takes.
Aye. But we do not. That mejai I killed was sent by a certain Hiranyan princess. When he fails to check in, shell no doubt send more forces. Theymunicate daily through a bizarre orb.
Honestly, I cant believe they sent you, Vir said. I didnt think theyd venture beyond their borders like this.
They sent a giant demon and a mejai with no Hiranyan markings, Maiya said. Only Cirayus mightve betrayed the truth if captured, but I suppose the mejai figured the subjugation cor wouldve prevented that from ever happening.
The man was a fool, Cirayus scoffed. Not only did he consider me an ally, he ced far too much faith in his Artifact. His overconfidence was his undoing. But I digress. That princess is not the type to give up,d. Shell send more forces, mark my words.
Maiya nodded. I can see that. I thought she''d hesitate since we''re in Kinjal, but, eh, who am I kidding? That princess wouldnt blink an eye before sending forces. This time, she might even send more of Hiranya''s military.
We can crush all whoe our way, but Id rather avoid the attention, Cirayus said. Besides, lingering in this realm any longer serves no purpose.
What do you suggest? Vir asked, dreading the answer.
Your name is Maiya, yes? Cirayus asked. Know any safe ces nearby,ss?
Still perched atop his shoulder, Maiya regarded the giant slyly. Whyd you think I would know?
You seem like youve a solid head on those shoulders. I figured youd have some relevant information. Unlike young Ekavir over here.
Hey! Vir bristled but found himself unable to retort. It was trueMaiya had forged far more connections and had a much better grasp of the geography than he did. Not to mention any ndestine Kinjal outposts only the princess confidante might know of.
Kinjal maintains several safe houses in Matalinds. The nearest one should only be an hour from here, with how fast you travel.
Guide me, Cirayus said, scooping Vir up.
Maiya looked around to orient herself, then pointed north. That way.
The safe house wasnt so much of a house as an underground cer, its entrance camouged so perfectly by vegetation that it would be utterly impossible to find. Unless, of course, one knew to look for the signposts that identified it.
Maiya did, but even then, it still took an hour to locate.
Maiya hopped lightly onto the ground and dusted off her armored skirt, opening the trapdoor.
Might be a tight fit for you, Cirayus.
The giant waved away her concern. Ive spent thest sixteen years cooped up in a jail cell barelyrge enough for a regr human. I can deal with short ceilings.
Vir red Prana Vision, but found nothing of note inside. Looks safe, he said, entering first.
There wasnt mucha table, a couple of chairs, and a rudimentary bed along the far wall. Next to the table was a shelf with some furled maps, dried food and jugs of water, and a couple of mid-grade steel talwars and daggers. The barest essentials for what a Kinjal spy might need if they ever found themselves in hot water.
Not even a single orb in here, Maiya muttered, lighting up her Magic Lamp, casting its warm glow upon the room.
Vir and Maiya took a chair, and Maiya brought hers close beside him. Closer than usual, he noticed. Cirayus sat cross-legged upon the floor. Thanks to the giants height, he came nearly to their eye level.
We should be safe enough here, for the time being.
Vir took a deep breath. This was the moment hed waited his entire life for. The moment when hed finally learn the truth of who he was. Lets start with how I ended up here. Why did you flee the Demon Realm? Whyd you risk everything to bring me across the Ash?
Cirayus face hardened. To truly grasp the weight of the events preceding your birth, we must start at the beginning. With the prophecy of your birth.
Prophecy? Vir asked. Demons can see the future?
Some, yes. Our seers and soothsayers. One of their kind, a woman by the name of Greesha, prophesied theing of one who would usher in a new era for demons. A demon born within the Ash. The Akh Nara.
Virs eyes widened.
Cirayus pointed at Vir. You.
Chapter 154: Sarvaak, Of Garga
Chapter 154: Sarvaak, Of Garga
There was so much packed into Cirayus words, Vir hardly knew where to begin. More than the mention of the Akh Nara, though, there was something else the giant said that caught his attention.
One born in the Ash. Youre telling me I was born in the Ashen Realm?
You are Ashborn, aye.
Huh. I''d thought Ashborn was just a misnomer people have for demons, Maiya said.
In this realm, yes. ''Tis but one of the many human misconceptions, Im afraid. Tis right in the name. Ashborn. One who was born in the Ashen Realm.
Is that even possible? Maiya asked. Only the greatest human mejai stand a chance of surviving the Ash. I know demons are stronger, but a baby? Wouldnt that be incredibly dangerous? Wouldnt it be dangerous for the mother?
Indeed. Cirayus eyes wandered to a faraway ce. He said nothing for a long moment. Virs parents took a great risk birthing him in the Ash. To this day, there are those who wonder if it was for the best, even with the Artifact they used to protect him.
Why? What happened? Maiya asked.
She died having me.
Maiyas fingers slid into his, and she squeezed, lifting him out of his depressing thoughts.
Aye. Shari received the very best healing demons possess, but the Ash is a brutal ce. We could only save one of you. It was her decision to prioritize your life over her own, Cirayus said softly, as a crushing weight fell over the room. A heaviness that Bncer of Scales could never hope to rival.
She sacrificed herself for me, Vir whispered. Why? All for a stupid prophecy? This tattoo has caused nothing but trouble my whole life! I wish I never had it!
Cirayus offered no counterargument.
Was it worth her life? Vir asked.
She certainly believed so, Cirayus said. And, if I might be so bold, so do I. Her death was a tragedy, I dont dare refute that. But what you are, Ekavirwhat you will be? There are no words to describe the importance you will have for the Garga. For all of Demonkind.
The Akh Nara, Vir whispered. Nearly all his prior incarnations had mentioned it. At least the ones who spoke. Do you know what I am?
In the old tongue, it means The Perfect Man, though most know it by the tattoo on your chest. A tattoo borne by each of your predecessors. Predecessors who each left their mark upon the Demon Realm. Bar none. Whether it be a golden age of prosperity, or all out war. From Parai the Ancient to Reaper Ekanai, each incarnation became the most powerful demon of their era.
So, the Akh Nara are powerful demons? Maiya asked.
Not just powerful. Tell me,d. You knew of Dance of the Shadow Demon. A power that should not exist in this realm. A gift from your past incarnations?
Well, not exactly a gift. Most of the abilities Ive seen in my memories, Ive had to learn on my own. Shardul offered to give it to me, once Id ventured to the Ash.
Interesting. I admit, I know little of the details of how youmune with your prior selves. Did Shardul relent, then? You clearly possess a form of the ability.
Not quite. I kinda learned how to do it myself, after seeing him use it in a memory.
From a mere memory, you say? How?
Your guess is as good as mine. It wasnt easy, and it took some effort, but I managed it.
Lad, it normally takes a tattoo, and years, if not decades, of training to learn that. Granted, your power is nowhere near as strong as the real thing, but Ive never heard of anyone doing what you have. Not even your prior incarnations.
Vir remained silent, hoping the giant would continue. This was the information hed wanted to hear for most of his life. Finally, it was actually happening! He didnt dare even breathe, for fear of missing Cirayus words.
Well, then it makes some sense. All beings reincarnate. Yet only the Akh Nara reincarnates with the memories and powers of his past lives. Some believe he appears to bnce the forces of order and chaos whenever the scales tip too far in one direction. Others say he appears during our darkest hours as a beacon of hope and salvation.
I never realized Shardul and Ekanai had such reputations. What of the others? Which of them had been forces of chaos?
What do you believe? Vir asked.
I believe, that if there is any hope left for the Garga, it is with you, and you alone. Its obvious to anyone that the scales have indeed been tipped too far in one direction. The wrong one.
The Garga My n? Vir asked, piecing the puzzle together. It wasnt the first time hed heard the nameBoth Shardul and Ekanais memories had mentioned it. At the time, hedcked the context to understand its significance.
So Im a Garga Or at least, my current incarnation is that of a Gargan Prince.
It was all terribly confusing, and made even worse by the memories he retained of Ekanai, Shardul, Narak, and Parai. Several of whom belonged to different ns.
Your n. A great and prosperous country. One of the best. Until the Chitran destroyed them.
The Chitran? Is that another n?
The worst of us, aye.
Ekanai was Iksana, Shardul a Gargan, and Narak had been Bairan. Parai he wasnt sure of, but hed never heard of n Chitran before.
It became too dangerous for you to remain in Gargannd. Together with a few other of your Gargan retainers and volunteers from the Iksana and the Panav, I came up with a n to hide you. We considered alternatives, but the Chits had agents in all ns. After much debate, we chose the one ce their reach did not touch. We chose the Ash.
Vir couldnt guess at the number of arguments that decision wouldve sparked. It couldnt have been an easy one.
It was, ironically, the safest ce for you. Then Samar Patag fell. Your father remained behind, fighting to his final breath to defend the castle. To draw the invaders eyes long enough for us to escape.
The weight of Cirayus words continued to mount until Vir felt like he was being buried under a mountain. How many people have died for me?
His fathera king. His retainers. Those volunteers from the other ns. His own mother.
Dizziness overtook Vir, and only Maiyasforting presence steadied him, the security of his hand in hers acting like an anchor in a vast, dark ocean.
Why? Why did the Chitran attack my n? What did the Garga do to them?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was greed. Pure and simple. The Chits are always plotting and scheming. Always eyeing the other ns for an opportunity. Never satisfied with what they have. They merely saw an opportunity and took it. Worse, they even roped in the other ns. Your father stood no chance.
The other ns? Howd they manage that? Why would anyone align with them?
Their bloodline arts. Demonic Overlord, Coercion, Warlords Domain they all deal with manipting and controlling others. Their schemes run centuries deep. It was merely a cruel irony of Fate that their uprising happened when it did.
Hardly a surprise at this point, Vir thought. Fate had robbed him of so much already, what was a ns demise added on top of all that? While Vir breathed easier that he hadnt been the cause of the war as hed feared, the fact remained: people had died to protect him.
My Gargan brothers and sisters fought valiantly, Cirayus said, but there was little hope against the forces the Chits mustered.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition.
Youre Gargan? Vir asked. I thought you said youre Bairan?
I am. Im only half-giant.
Half giant? Maiya said. Youre saying real giants are even bigger than you?
Cirayus chucked. Im a runt among my Bairan brothers and sisters. I might be half again as tall as a male human, but giants are easily double their height! Not that Id lose to any of them inbat, of course. Size isnt everything.
Vir tried tough at his joke, but couldnt find it in him. Not now.
So, fearing for my life, you took me and fled through the Ash?
''Twas the only way. The Garga arewerestrong. In the old tongue, Garga means bull. They more than lived up to the name. They were among the fiercest, most honorable warriors Ive had the honor of knowing.
Were? You make it sound like
Whatever became of the Garga, I cannot say. I wasnt there to see it. But I''ve lived through my fair share of wars. Im sorry, Vir. I fear most would have lost their lives like your father. Those who survived wouldve been forcibly converted to Chitran. They would not be treated well.
A heavy silence weighed on the room for a moment that stretched far too long.
So, Im the prince of a n that was sacked sixteen years ago? My mothers dead. My fathers dead. And my people are extinct?
Vir wondered whether hed done something in a past life to make fate hate him so much, or if the world just enjoyed heaping misery upon him.
Not extinct. Dormant. I wont lie, the Garga took a heavy blow on that day, yes. The worst in the ns history. But they are survivors. You are a survivor. So long as you live, there is hope.
Amp lit in Virs head. Ever since Cirayus revealed himself, hed wondered what the demon expected of him. Why hed gone to such lengths to keep Vir alive.
You want me to return to the demonnds To restore the Garga. Thats why you brought me here. Thats why you hid me. Isnt it?
Had I not been spotted by humans entering the realm, I would have raised you myself. s, for all my strength, one demon cannot fight an army. And... I''m not the most subtle of creatures, unfortunately. Cirayus'' eyes shone with such intense fervor, Vir nearly pulled his chair back. This is a great deal to absorb. Take some time to digest this while I scout our perimeter.
Vir and Maiya breathed a collective sigh the moment the demon left.
Grak, he wasnt kidding. That is a lot to take in. How are you holding up, my liege?
Not now, Maiya, Vir snapped back, though he couldnt prevent his lips from curling up.
Sorry. Sorry! Bad timing.
I I dunno? Its hard to believe. The prophecy, the Chitrans, the Garga war. My mother. It all happened so long ago, and yet, I cant shake this feeling. Like Im the one at fault here. Like this is all my responsibility.
Maiya crouched in front of Vir and held his hands in hers. Its not. Not like you wanted to be born with that tattoo, right? You said it yourself. Its caused nothing but trouble for you.
Virs fingers grazed the mark on his chest. It has. But tell that to my mother. Tell that to all the retainers who died in the Ash to protect me.
Come on, thats not fair.
I know, Vir said with a sigh. I know its not my fault. But still
What will you do? Maiya said after theyd been silent awhile. Are you... gonna go?
Though she did her best to hide it, Vir could feel her anxiety.
Vir stepped forward and embraced her tightly.
Perhaps eventually, he said softly. But there''s no rush. I''ll have Cirayus train me before heading in.
Maiya smiled. That would make me feel a lot better. Though... I guess this means you''ll really be going. One day.
I dont want to leave you, Maiya. You know I dont. Just if theres anyone left, I feel like I gotta meet them. I have to see how things are.
That destiny, or whatever. Thats Cirayus wish. Not yours. Dont let him bully you into doing what he wants, Maiya said, searching Virs eyes. You can say no.
I know. I dont think hed be too happy about it, but if I felt that way, believe me, I would. Im not the same bullied outcast I was a year ago. Just our interests align. For now. I want to visit the demon realm, and so does he. Thats all Im signing up for. I mean, look at me. Do I look like savior material to you?
Though she did her best to suppress it, the corners of Maiyas lips curled up.
Exactly. Whatever I decide, Im gonna need strength. And what better ce to gain it than the Ash?
Thend where I was born, Vir thought.
Even now, he found it hard to believe. Why was being born in the ash a prerequisite to the prophecy? Did the whims of the gods just work in mysterious ways? Or was there another reason? Maybe Ill be able to visit the ce of my birth
Well, Im still not happy youre leaving, but I gotta say, I feel a lot better about all this with Cirayus at your side. Hes strong, Vir. And I dont think weve even seen his full might.
Maybe if I get strong enough, hell be forced to go all out against me next time we duel, Vir said with a grin.
It''ll be exciting watching you two train together, Maiya said, looking up at him. Maybe I''ll learn a thing or two.
They moved closer, their lips just inches apart.
Im afraid that won''t be an option, Cirayus said, ducking back into the room.
Vir and Maiya immediately broke their embrace, as if caught doing something they shouldnt be. Cirayus smirked, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
We''re being followed, he said.
How? Maiya asked. I would''ve noticed if someone was tailing us! Unless...
Aye,ss. They''re tracking us, he said, lowering his head. Actually, I believe they''re tracking me.
I don''t understand, Vir said. You broke the subjugation cor, didn''t you?
That I did. I''d nearly forgotten, but when they fitted it on me all those years ago, it had pricked me. I felt... something foreign enter my body, but then it was gone.
Maiya''s eyes went wide. Grak it! Why didn''t I think of that earlier?
Think of what? Vir asked.
I read a report studying those things. Kin''jal also uses them. The cor injects something into the person it''s on. They usuallye with a controller that allows you to keep an eye on the wearer''s condition. It lets you know if they''re alive or dead. And...
And it informs them of your location, Cirayuspleted, scowling. I suppose it''d make sense for an Artifact to have such abilities. I was only able to defeat it after a decade of effort, after all.
Then what do we do now? Vir asked, ncing at Maiya in worry. If they''re tracking us, then no ce is safe.
Aye. I''d wished to train you here,d. To prepare you for the Ash. But even if I defeat those whoe after us, we''ll have no peace. ''Tis no environment for you to prepare.
Then...
The Demon Realm needs you, my liege, Cirayus said, meeting Vir''s eyes. Garga needs you. And time is running out.
There it is again. Hes assumed Im going to fulfill this destiny of his.
We must enter the Ash. We must journey to the only ce they cannot follow.
Maiya had turned rigid. She clutched her arms, staring holes into the floor. Her terror was palpable.
No, Vir said. I need more time. I can''t--
You should go, Vir, Maiya said stiffly. It was obvious just how much she didn''t want him to go.
Maiya? Vir asked. He''d never expected those words from her.
Cirayus is right, she said. You came with me to avoid unnecessary deaths, didn''t you? Do you really want Cirayus to kill dozens of mercenaries? And what about the Order? You can bet they''lle flying to your side the moment they learn you''re staying here. And even if the mercenaries eventually give up, Mina certainly won''t.
Vir had no response. She was right. Staying would be exceedingly difficult now. But how could he just leave Maiya behind, with how happy she''d been only moments earlier, knowing they''d still have some time together.
Maiya exhaled deeply and took a moment to collect herself. Look. Don''t ask me if I''m okay, because I''m not. I''m barely holding myself together here. But you know what I won''t do? I won''t jeopardize your future just to force you to stay with me, she said. Cirayus, will he survive the Ash if he goes now?
I would never suggest it if I didn''t believe he would, the demon replied.
You''re really alright with this? Vir asked.
Obviously not! Maiya said, biting her lip. But some things have to happen. Whether we like them or not. Yeah? C''mon, Vir. Don''t push me. I might break.
Vir squeezed her hand.
Perhaps this is for the best, Cirayus said. Weve precious little time left as it is. The longer we wait, the worse the situation in the demon realm grows. The Chitrans have had sixteen years to consolidate their power, and soon, we may have no hope of reversing the wrongs theyve wrought.
You really think I''m that strong? Vir asked, fully understanding the hypocrisy of his words. Just yesterday, he''d been nning on braving the Ash alone.
Cirayus stroked his beard. Not strong, no. Youve done well with the limited means youve had, but you are still weak. The failure is mine, for not being able to train you. I take full responsibility for your deficient growth.
Virs face grew hot. Deficient? Sure, hed been stunted most of his life, but hede far on his own, without a mentor.
But Cirayus held up a palm before he could retort.
I do not mean to demean you,d. As I said, your aplishments are impressive. Evaluated alone, I might even say more than impressive. However,pared to the average demon, you are weaker. This is a fact.
Vir averted his eyes. Still weak, huh?
Yes, whenpared to Cirayus, most would seem that way. But even an average demon?
Your weakness is my fault, and my responsibility alone, he said. Then he did somethingpletely unexpected. He kneeled before Vir. Please forgive me, my liege. Had I evaded the humans sessfully, I couldve raised you myself, in secret. I wascking.
No! Please, dont feel that way. You risked everything justing here, to a ce you knew nothing about. Thats hardly fair, Vir said, flustered, urging the giant to rise. The thought of someone so old and powerful kneeling before him agitated him greatly. It felt so wrong.
I''m afraid I must, Cirayus said. With the proper guidance, you ought to have been as strong as I by this time, if not stronger.
As strong as you? Vir found his words difficult to believe.
Lad, I dont believe you understand your own potential. I am strong amongst demons, yes. But should you develop your powers to the extent of some of your predecessors, even I will be no match. And rumors abound.
Rumors?
Aye. Rumors that none of your predecessors unlocked their full potential. Apparently, these words were spoken by Reaper Ekanai himself. Apparently, the power his prior incarnations wielded was but a small fraction of its full ability. The Reaper might not have wielded as much power as some of your other predecessors, but he was strong in his own right. For him to say such a thing I shudder to imagine what such power might resemble.
But thats all what-ifs, Vir said. Right now, Im weak.
Aye, though as I said, I believe you are strong enough to survive the Ash. Do not mistake survival for being able to cross the Ash safely. There are many monsters in that godsforsaken realm I wouldnt dare dream of fighting. But with adequate caution, I believe it will be the best approach.
Vir nced at Maiya, who smiled and nodded back.
Then I suppose we shouldn''t dy, Vir said, feeling his resolution growing. Lets do this.
Chapter 155: Into The Ash
Chapter 155: Into The Ash
There she is! Maiya shouted, pointing at the ground far below.
After searching for a moment, Vir spotted the ck, winged beast that was roaming around on the ground, looking lost and insecure.
Hold on! Cirayus said as he reached the apex of his jump and began to fall.
The warning was hardly necessary. The giants mastery of Bncer of Scales was so great that their descent was idyllic, and theirnding soft.
Once again, Vir wondered at the abilitys wealth of uses. Not only would it drastically amplify his strikes, but itd give him something he sorelycked right nowrange. While his katar attacks had grown deadlier thanks to Prana de, hed never been able to do the same for his chakrams. Based on his current understanding, the feat might very well be impossible.
Which meant that going forward, his discs would be less and less useful. Even in the human realm, against both the Narapazu and the Matrons Hunters, they did little other than to serve as a distraction. Against Ash Beasts? He wondered if theyd even be worth the added weight to carry them.
Gaining a power like Bncer would even those odds. Multiplying the weight of anyone nearby, especially if applied tactically when the enemy didnt expect it, would be devastating. It was then that something odd struck him about the ability.
Cirayus said Bncer affected anything he touched but how can he affect people dozens of paces away?
The answer came to him momentster. Ground prana. Hes got a way of remotely manipting ground prana!
Not only that, but the ability worked while he was in the air, which made it far more useful than Virs Talents.
He made a mental note to study it in detail sometime. Lacking the tattoo, Vir doubted he could reverse engineer it like he had Dance of the Shadow Demon, but perhaps there was some new insight to be gained by analyzing it.
Frumpy! Maiya jumped off Cirayus shoulder the moment they touched the ground and ran up to her frightened Acira. Im so sorry. The scary demon attacked us out of nowhere, didnt he? You mustve been terrified!
She talked to the beast like it was a bandy pup, though Vir could tell she was only trying to act tough. He knew, because so was he.
That would sound endearing, if that thing didnt look like it could destroy an entire vige, Virmented, standing some distance away.
Aww, Frumpys harmless! She wont harm a soul. Well, not unless they threaten her. Then she might chomp their head off.
Vir took a slow step back.
Just kidding! Shes more likely to fly away thansh out. Shes incredibly well trained.
We have them in the demon realm as well, Cirayus said, scratching the ck beasts belly. It seemed only too happy to receive his ministrations. Legends tell of avian beasts that breathed fire. Many believe them to be the ancestors of modern-day Acira. But it is true. These beasts are quite harmless.
I see. But whyd you have to name it Frumpy, Maiya?
Hmm? Well, because she looks kinda derpy, doesnt she? Besides, Bumpy, Grumpy, and Dumpy were already taken. Not a whole lot of other words that rhyme, yeah?
Why does it have to rhyme!? Vir thought, desperately trying to forget the goodbye hed have to say in just a few short moments.
This was thest time hed see Maiya for what might be a very long time.
His eyes lingered on her back, and he broke his stare only when she caught him looking. Fate truly is cruel.
Bncer is good for covering ground, but Acira are better still, Cirayus said, motioning to the beast. They fly higher, as well. Wed best get on and fly the rest of the way to the Ash Boundary.
Vir took the spot behind Maiya, with Cirayus riding at the rear.
How does that work? Vir asked, mostly to distract himself.We wont be in contact with the ground. Wont you be unable to use Bncer? Actually, how do you even jump so high? I understand you can reduce your weight, but Ive never heard of a Talent that continues to function even once its in the sky.
Cirayus grinned. Well observed. Suffice it to say, Bncer of Scales is a bit special. All the Ultimate Bloodline tattoos are.
Vir expected more of an exnation, but when the giant fell silent, he understood none would be forting.
Does he want me to figure it out on my own? Or is there some other reason he cant say?
Even after they took off,the tattoo was still very much active, though the rush of prana that had flooded into Cirayus upon activation had died off to nearly nothing. Instead, the Earth prana in Cirayus body circted rapidly, flowing in and out of the tattoo.
Wait! Isnt this like Parais prana channeling technique?
The giant''s Earth and Life Affinity prana moved in an unbelievablyplex pattern through every limb.
Youre using your own prana to sustain the ability.
Cirayus looked impressed. Did one of your past incarnations tell you that,d?
Vir shook his head. Hed taken some time to contemte just how much to trust Cirayus, but as the demon had said himself, if he wanted Vir dead, he couldve killed him many times already. After everything Vir had heard, there was little doubt the four-armed giant was indeed the same demon whod brought him over as a baby.
Which meant hed risked his life. If Vir couldnt trust people whod sacrificed everything for his sake, hed have serious issues. They dont help me out nearly as much as Id like. I have Prana Vision; I can see prana. Your technique looks very simr to Parais prana channeling.
Cirayus cocked a brow at his words, regarding Vir appraisingly. Another Iksana ability. Youve been blessed,d. Many demons would kill to have Iksana Sight.
Vir thought back to the experience that had yielded the ability, back in the Godshollow. Hed nearly lost his life, and Ekanai had nearly killed Maiya. The ability certainly hadnte without its risks.
It is as you say, Cirayus continued. Prana channeling is the very foundation of many demon arts. My ability being one of the most advanced variants. Though even as much as I rely on channeling, itd hardly suffice on its own. My ability uses both Earth and Life affinities. While Earth may not be avable to me in the air, Life certainly is. Ibine that with prana channeling to sustain the ability.
Ordinarily, Vir wouldve peppered the giant with more questions, but he just wasnt in the mood.
Im really leaving.
In a way, he felt like he was running away. From Hiranya and Princess Mina from Tia and Spears Edge. Even now,plex feelings roiled in his stomach. He wished for a chance to talk to her again. To show her that demons were just like humans. It felt wrong to leave with so much unresolved.
Nor did it end there. There was everyone he was leaving behind. The Pagan Order, for one. Just when hed found people to call his own, hed left, fleeing Cirayus. That threat was now gone, but after learning of his past, Vir knew there was no going back. Not when so much of his historyy in the demon realm.
And then there was Maiya. All the others, he could rationalize. He could get over them.
There was no getting over Maiya. For as long as they were apart, hed never feel right. The hole in his chest would return.
Shed been quiet until now, and while Vir had never minded the silence, this was truly one of thest chances he had to converse with her. To hear her voice one final time.
But when he tried to speak, the words wouldnte. It wasnt just the wind noise that made talking difficulthe just didnt know what to say. What was there to say? That hed miss her? That he felt awful leaving? Hed already said all that, and so had she.
In the end, he said nothing, opting instead to tightening his embrace around her waist, squeezing her with just enough pressure to let her know.
Maiya smiled, resting one hand on his when she wasnt giving Frumpy directions.
Their moment didntst long.
The instant they soared over the ramshackle Matali wall, the air changed.
Vir sensed it before the others. Prana saturated the air in quantities unlike anything hed ever experienced, exerting a heavy pressure, not unlike Bncer of Scales.
And in the distance, a shimmering blue-silver wall pierced the sky, extending to the heavens.
Were already so close? Vir shouted over the wind.
Its not that were close, Maiya replied. Just that the boundary is enormous.
Vir had read about this phenomenon in the Balindam archives. The Ash Boundary was so tall, it warped people''s sense of perspective. There were tales full of those who sought to venture close to it. They thought they were merely hours away, yet found themselves walking even dayster.
At our current speed, its still an hour away! Maiya called.
The Boundary wasnt the only mesmerizing sight. Ash prana floated in the air.
Tentatively, Vir activated Empower on his arm. Instead of sucking prana through his feet up his body, he pulled it from the air, just as a mejai would. The prana came slower than he was used to; there was simply far less of it in the air than there was in the ground.
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But the fact remained. For the first time in his life, hed drawn in ambient, airborne Ash prana.
It was a small thing, and entirely meaningless. It still filled him with joy.
The shimmering barrier grew steadilyrger, and pressure increased, growing ufortable.
Vir was about to ask Maiya if she was alright when she directed Frumpy to descend,nding a few dozen paces from the boundary.
Vir hopped off and gazed unsteadily up at the barrier, craning his neck until he nearly fell over. It went on forever, disappearing into storm clouds high above. The sky had darkened, and thunder roared in the distance. As if the Ash refused to be contained within its realm, and bled slowly into this one.
That might actually be exactly whats happening, Vir reflected, thinking of the Ashs relentless expansion.
There wasnt anything remotely like it in the Known World. Had it not been so dangerous, Vir might even have called the sight beautiful.
And also broken, a voice whispered within his head. There was a wrongness to the barrier. An unnaturalness that struck out to him, though he couldnt begin to exin why.
How long has the barrier been here? Vir asked as he retrieved his heavy rucksack off Frumpy.
Since the Age of the Gods, at least, Maiya said, looking slightly pale. No one knows for sure. It might even have existed forever.
Vir wondered what secrets it kept within its domain.
Within Mahdi. He only hoped hed gain a glimpse into those mysteries.
Lad, wed best get a move on. This close to the boundary, theres no telling when one of us might be snatched up. Just as the boundary deposits monsters, it can pull people into it, too.
Both Vir and Maiya shot him a stern look.
Hm. There is much I need to tell thed before we venture in. But, well, I suppose that can wait a few moments, the giant said, looking at Maiya with sympathy. Youd best say your farewells now.
The demon moved a dozen paces away to stare at a bush, as if it was the most interesting thing hed ever seen.
Dont go? Maiya blurted, before hastily covering her mouth.
The pain in her eyes nearly made Vir falter.
No, I didnt mean to. I dont know what!?
He didnt falter. He instead rushed up to her, embracing her in a tight hug before she had a chance to say any more.
Gods! Im going to miss you, Vir, Maiya whispered, tears streaming down her face.
I know.
Maiya was sobbing now.
Im going to miss you so much.
I know.
After Maiya sniffled. After we found each other again. Vir
Vir broke the hug and grasped her shoulders, looking her in the eyes.
Dont say you cant. Youre strong, Maiya. Look at you, youre the right hand of a princess! Just a year ago, you were an ordinary vige girl. Nobody gets to where you are without being strong.
Vir wiped her tears away, only to find that his own face had just as many.
This is just as hard for me as it is for you, yknow? he said.
Isnt there any way I cane? she asked. Take me with you.
Cirayus grimaced from nearby. Im sorry,ss. Youd be walking to your own death, he said softly, but with a firmness that allowed no rebuke. You''re far too young to throw your life away so wastefully.
But hey, at least I have your orb, right? With Cirayus around, we can talk whenever we like!
I truly dont mean to be the bearer of bad news,d, Cirayus said, but I do not believe those orbs will work in the Ash.
O-oh, Vir said, desperately wiping his tears before the demon saw. But they will in the demon realm?
I cannot say. I merely overheard the mejai I traveled with saying as much. Tis one of the many reasons humans know so little of the Ash;munication is impossible.
But can you power them? Maiya asked, sadness ebbing from her voice.
My captors never let me try, but I dont see why not. I possess Life, Earth, and Fire affinities, after all.
Vir, give him the orb! Maiya said excitedly, wiping away her tears. The other ones back at my room in Kinjal so it wont work, but well know if he can turn it on, at least.
Vir was also curious about that. He hadnt ever seen a demon power an orb. It should have been possible in Balindams Undercity, which wasnt as prana starved as the rest of the Voinds, but seeing Cirayus use it in person would prove without a doubt that demons could use human magic.
Vir carefully hefted the oversized orb with both hands, which fit neatly into Cirayus palm. Vir focused on Prana Vision, carefully observing the demon but nothing happened.
Er, this is rather embarrassing, Cirayus said, scratching his chin, but how does one activate these? Ive never had the opportunity.
Do you create a suction when powering your tattoos? Vir asked. Like, do you suck the prana into your tattoo somehow?
Suck? Ah, the vacuum effect. Yes, basic prana maniption technique. By creating a pocket of prana suction directly under the tattoo, we draw in ambient prana, powering the mark. I think of it more as pooling the prana, but what you describe is analogous.
Virs excitement grew. So tattoos do work like orbs then!
In that case, try focusing onoh. You already got it.
The giant pulled prana from the air, and a few secondster, the orb glowed faintly.
Yes! Maiya shouted. Yes! It works!
Aye. I suspected they might function simrly to our tattoos, but hmm. They can store a pranic charge, cant they? How curious.
That surprised Vir. Hed thought for sure tattoos could be precharged as well.
Of course, Maiya answered with excitement. Mejai practically rely on it. In fact, you dont even need to be a mejai to use magic if you have a precharged orb. Nearly anyone can activate abat spell thats already been charged. Once. After that, you need a mejai to refill it.
Vir smiled, happy her mood had recovered. So had his. Talking to Maiya gave him something to look forward to. Something precious.
I see. Demonic tattoos do not work in this manner. They cannot hold a charge, as you say.
Vir wondered what the difference was. Something else to investigate, he thought, smiling at Maiyas ted expression.
Looks like we might be able to chat, after all, Vir said, smiling at her.
Theres hope, at least, she said. I can live with that. Just dont take too long to get through the Ash, alright? Youll break my heart.
I wont, he said gently, hugging her. I promise.
Vir clutched her tightly, hoping the weight of his feelings would bleed into her the longer they held each other. Seeing how fiercely she clung back, he knew she felt the same.
I, erm, Maiya said eventually, staring at her feet. I guess this is it, then? Ill be honest, Vir. I dont want to do it. I dont want to say goodbye.
Then dont, he whispered. Dont say goodbye. This isnt farewell. I will return. So will you wait for me?
Maiya pulled back to look him in the eyes, allowing their foreheads to touch. I already said I Actually, no. I wont wait, Vir, she said, pausing just long enough for the look of shock on Virs face.
I-uh, t-thats fair. I dont
I wont wait, because Ill grow stronger. So I can be as strong as you when you return. Maybe even surpass you. Im gonna work my ass off. So that you dont leave me behind.
Vir stood with his mouth open for a long moment, then chuckled. Thats the spirit. Guess Ill have to make sure I dont ck off in there, he said, thumbing to the Ash Boundary.
Not like you can. Youll die if you do.
I suppose youre right, Vir chuckled.
They fell silent.
Dont take unnecessary risks. Its dangerous enough as it is.
I wont.
Keep your head on your shoulders.
I will.
Each time Maiya spoke, her words were apanied by more and more water welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Shed just stopped crying, too
And listen to Cirayus! Dont ever stray far from him.
I swear it.
There were no words that would console her, so Vir didnt bother with any. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It was only a quick, short peck, but it was enough.
Her tears halted in their tracks, leaving her flushed and gaping in shock.
Ill see you on the other side, Vir said, turned away before Maiya could see his flushed cheeks. Before he could reconsider, he grabbed Cirayus arm and strode through the boundary without a hint of fear.
At least he hoped it looked that way. He hoped shed see the back of a warrior, stepping boldly into the unknown, and not his wobbly legs.
He didnt hear her words as she stared holes into his back. Not fair.
Then he was gone. Into the Ash. To the Realm of myth and legend. To his destiny.
Princess Mina Hiranya bit her nails as she paced around her chambers, her wooden leg cking against stone. Her bedraggled appearance mirrored that of her room, where ck hair littered the floor and splinters of smashed cabryy strewn about.
The hunt for her would-be assassin had consumed her every waking thought. The princess dress was soiled and torn, and she hadnt bathed in days.
Where is he? Where is he!? she shrieked at Kamna. Her bodyguard knelt and lowered her head, avoiding the princess stare. Both out of respect and a desire not to look upon the soiled and shredded clothes the princess wore.
Im afraid hes betrayed us, your highness.
How!? He wore the subjugation cor! How did he escape? Mina''s eyes widened in understanding. Gatik. The chal has turned on me as well. Ill have his family killed!
Kamna shirked back under the princess hysterical words. The mercenaries we hired im Gatik died fighting to thest, princess. They say the giant crushed the cor with his bare hands.
Impossible. Lies.
Kamna shook her head. I do not believe so. We hired those unaffiliated mercenaries directly, bypassing the Brotherhood. Their loyalty lies with the highest bidder. That''s us.
Where was thest sighting? When?
From our spies, two hours ago. They are working with the mercenaries to find the demon and the Ashborn.
Have them work harder! Double our payment. We have to find them!
Minas face was twisted in rage, confusion... and fear. This was herst chance. If she failed here...
Three quick knocks sounded on the chambers door.
Your highness, permission to enter? I bring news from our spies.
Mina nodded, and Kamna showed the runner in.
The runner paled and took a shaky knee.
What word?
I-Im afraid the giant and the target have fled.
Where? To Kinjal? It matters not. Send more troops.
No, Your Highness. To the Ash.
Mina froze. Say that again.
They crossed the boundary. They fled into the Ashen Realm.
Mina whirled in rage, unleashing an Arc spell at the runner.
Kamna Blinked to defend the unarmed runner, taking the spell to her armor. Her body convulsed for several moments, but the lightning rods embedded into her cuirass absorbed most of the damage.
Out! Get out! NOW!
The terrified runner fled, but Kamna refused to budge.
You too. Leave me.
Her bodyguard nodded and limped away, casting a forlorn nce at the princess despite the pure loathing Mina leveled at her.
Mina crumpled to her knees, her wooden leg ttering on the ground. This was it. Her final chance. And now it was gone. Shed failed.
Her brothers had already stripped most of her powera task made easy owing to her admittedly erratic behavior ofte. Her connections had been severed, her influence shredded.
This was her greatest chance to kill the assassin. To capture Savar. Shed failed at both, and now she was doomed. Destined to fade to obscurity, or worse.
Why... Mina sobbed, holding her face in her one remaining hand. Why?
END OF ARC 4
Chapter (Arc 5) (Book Three) 156: The Abyssal Flats
Chapter (Arc 5) (Book Three) 156: The Abyssal ts
Vir crossed the Ash Boundary not really knowing what to expect. On the one hand, the Ashen Realm was a ce full of mythological beasts and terror. It was the stuff of bedtime stories and campfire tales. It didnt feel real.
On the other hand, Vir had good reason to believe it was ripe with Ash Prana. More than hed ever experienced in his life. When put together, delusions began to form in his head. Of him wielding prana like the greatest Mejai. Of fighting beasts with Br Ranks that had far too many zeroes.
A living god.
He wasnt sure when the idea really took root. Perhaps it was back at Daha, when hed first learned the names Prana Swarm, Mahakurma, and Wyrm. Or maybe it was when the idea of entering the realm became more than just a delusion.
For a moment, Vir couldnt understand what he was looking at. A thick haze nketed the air, almost pitch-ck. It was like a fog bank of death had rolled in, reducing visibility.
No. Not death. Ash!
The electrifying realization sent shivers down his body. The prana was so dense, it resembled a thick cloud. When he looked closer, he noticed prana of all colors present in far more abundance than they were in the human realm.
But dominating them all, by far, was Ash prana. It soaked the air, giving it a heaviness that couldnt be put into words. Perhaps those delusions wouldnt be delusions at all.
Vir turned and noticed the Boundary was missing. The mesmerizing wall that pierced the sky was nowhere to be seen. There was only ash. Endless fields of ash.
His boots sunk into the soft material,ing up to his knees. The ash was everywhere, nketing the ground, covering the jagged ck mountains that loomed in the distance, and falling from the dark thundercloud skies high above. He couldnt tell whether it was day or night, but such concepts held no meaning in this ce.
Ashen power! Ah, how I have missed you! Cirayus bellowed, raising all four of his arms to the sky. Now, as I was about to say before you recklessly rushed inside, expect pain. A great deal of it.
Vir had half a second to take in those words before the pressure pummeled him, as if Cirayus had just activated Bncer of Scales at its maximum setting.
No, worse. He couldnt breathe.
Virs knees buckled. He put a hand down to stabilize himself but found that it, too, sank deep into the ash,ing away ckened with soot. To make matters worse, small ash partictes entered his lungs, triggering a violent coughing fit.
Breathe,d. Just breathe, Cirayus said. Focus inward.
Despite willing himself to do exactly that, Vir found the task nearly impossible. It took all his willpower to suck in even a mouthful of air, but when he did, the ash entered his mouth, triggering another fit.
Mustering every ounce of willpower he had, he retrieved a cloth and tied it around his nose and mouth.
Breathing became even more difficult, but the mask at least blocked most of the ash.
Great. One debilitating problem down. Only a handful more to go.
His delusions of grandeur steadily slipped away like a dream that never had a hope of evering true. At this rate, he wouldnt even get the chance to fight Ash Beasts in gloriousbat. Hed sumb to the very air. That wasnt just tragic it was pathetic.
Vir didnt understand what ailed him. Andcking that knowledge, he had no hope of finding a cure. Was this the prana poisoning everyone talked about? Or was it something else?
In a fleeting moment between the throbs of pain and his other afflictions, Vir noticed Cirayus hadnt sunk into the Ash, but rather stood on top. Vir had expected the giant to sink to his waist, given his weight.
Ah, right. Bncer, he thought, gasping for air. Each breath came heavy and slow and brought in only the tiniest amount of air.
Cirayus wasnt looking at Vir. In fact, the giants back was turned to him, his attention upied with a swarm of ck creatures that encircled them.
Scorpions! These were unlike any hed ever seen. The one hed plucked out of Maiyas hair during their trip to Saran had been the size of a finger. These spanned easily two paces across, and there were dozens of them.
Were doomed, Vir thought. Not even a minute after theyd entered, Ash Beasts hade to consume them. To say nothing of the fact that Vir was slowly dying of unknown causes.
If Ide here alone He gulped. It wouldve been a pitiful, miserable end.
He threw a concerned nce at Cirayus.
Vir shook off that thought. Cirayus was beyond powerful. While Vir floundered on the ground merely existing in the Ash, Cirayus had crossed the entire realm. He didnt have the luxury of worrying about his guardian; if he didnte up with a way out of his predicament, he wouldnt be worrying about anyone, ever.
Control yourself,d! Its the prana. Its trying to get inside you! Focus on that!
Kinda hard to focus when youre suffocating. It wasnt just the drowning sensation, either. Pain wracked his entire body, like something was dissecting him with a million des. The torment nearly robbed him of his consciousness.
Then again, he was no stranger to pain and hardship. Vir fell into himself, shoving the pain into a dark corner of his mind. Through sheer willpower, he forced himself to think. To analyze.
With the barest hint of blood cirction, Prana Vision activated, surprising him how little prana was required. He turned it inward and immediately discovered that Cirayus was right.
Prana was rushing into his body at an rming pace. Worming its way inside. The skill hed developed to prevent prana from leaking out was now working to his disadvantage, pulling prana in at an rming rate. His blood wasnt merely supersaturated it was hypersaturated, and with every moment that passed, more and more of it filled him.
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Im going to burst at this rate.
Vir immediately canceled the technique hed dubbed Light Touch, which held his prana inside his body.
The pressure subsided, but it was as if hed closed the water tap to an ocean that weighed down on him. It was progress, but the ocean was still there, crushing him.
Thinking quickly, he attempted something hed never donenever been able to doin the past. He actively purged prana from his body.
When hed rid his body of prana against the Prana Swarm at Daha, hed simply canceled Light Touch and let the low Ash prana density in the air do its thing, sucking him dry.
Here, he had to actively push the prana out of his body. Learning new prana maniption techniques like Parais channeling pattern ordinarily took him hours, if not days, but times were desperate.
Wait, Parais technique? That might work!
He had no evidence to support his harebrained idea, though it certainly made sense. Prana Channeling boosted his vitality by pulling prana from the ground quicker than normal. If he reversed it
Vir activated the ability, but he did it backwards, flowing prana in the opposite direction the ability usually called for.
It wasnt easy. The pattern had grown into something like muscle memory for him, and changing it up took significant mental effort.
But he did it. And it worked.
Instead of improving his vitality, he felt even weaker than before, but sure enough, the rate at which prana entered his bloodstream slowed, then stopped, and finally began to purge.
Purge! Thats it!
Vir fired Prana de blindly, identally lopping off the head of an unfortunate scorpion. The power surprised him, but the scorpion had been a full five paces away.
Unfortunately, hecked the time to dwell on that feat. His body had had enough of being deprived of air, and darkness crept in at the edge of his vision.
Vir didnt allow it. He cycled Parais technique faster. First only in his back, then within his arms and legs as well. All while firing Prana des as fast as he could. There was no mistaking it; the ability had more than doubled in range.
It urred to him that Leap, High Jump, and Dance would likely have the same effect, helping to purge prana, but hed only ever activated those with ground prana, and never with the prana in his own body. There had never been enough to do so.
Vir couldnt risk identally drawing in more from the ground, so he forewent trying to activate them with just the prana in his body. For now.
Slowly, agonizingly, his breaths grew deeper, sucking in more and more air until the darkness abated and he regained his senses long enough to look around.
What he saw made himugh, though he instantly regretted it when it turned into a hacking cough.
Cirayus sat on the ash, watching Vir in the middle of a field of scorpion corpses. There was something off about the scene, though. Vir searched outward, looking farther and farther away, until he found the source.
No grakking way, he whispered.
The ash hadpacted a full pace wherever Cirayus had used Bncer. Except, its domain of influence was sorge, Vir hadnt spotted where its influence ended.
That has to be over a hundred paces in diameter!
Vir felt like hed be an ant in the Ash. Cirayus seemed to have had the opposite transformation.
Turning Prana Vision to the giant, Vir was unsurprised to find the Life, Earth, and Fire prana had all grown far denser and continued to do so even now. The total prana inside the giants body was iparable to before.
Compared to him, Vir felt stunted. Hed blocked out that very prana that desired to rush into him. Prana that would have strengthened him. Doing so had saved his life, but it also meant he received none of the strengthening benefits of the dense atmospheric prana.
Back at Brij, hed been weak and prana-starved. The moment hed learned to keep it from leaking out, his vitality and endurance had soared. He had more energy, and he could run miles without resting. With this much prana around, he could scarcely imagine the feats hed be able to achieve.
He didnt need to imagine. One look at the demon beside him showed him. In the Human Realm, Cirayus had been an apex warrior. Strong, skillful, but still mortal. Now? It was as though hed turned into a demigod.
You seem better now, the giant said.
Vir nodded. No thanks to you, he said in a voice that was harsher than hed intended. I mean, you couldve given me a tip or two.
And who was the one who let their hormones get to their head? Who was it who rushed headlong into the Ash, hmm?
Vir averted his eyes. Not the smartest move, admittedly.
Lad, everyone deals with the weight of the prana in the Ash differently. For most, it is merely an ufortable experience. Ive never seen someone have such a violent reaction. Im afraid nothing I said wouldve helped.
True enough. Vir had had to rely on his ability to purge prana from his body, as well as Parais techniquewhich Cirayus didnt even know about.
Are you better now? the four-armed demon asked, rising to his feet. Wed best get a move on. The Abyssal ts are no ce to linger.
You Vir coughed. You know where we are?
Aye, I recognize it. ''Tis both a lucky and tragic ce to wind up. Lucky, because we are somewhat nearby to some items I stashed before exiting this realm. Items we absolutely need if we are to make it across.
Whats tragic about it?
It is as far as we can be from all known Ash Gates. We have a long journey ahead of us, Im afraid. A long and arduous journey.
Vir tried to stand but found his legs buckling from under him. It wasnt that his weight was greater here, at least he didnt think it was. Rather, the prana in his body was out of bnce. By struggling to purge the prana from him, hed ovepensated and burned away too much.
And yet, if he broke his concentration for even a moment, the prana would rush into his body, triggering a thousand needles of pain and suffocation all over again.
It was like someone was trying to inte his blood, filling it to capacity, then stretching it until it burst.
Vir shuddered. If such a thing ever happened, he would surely die.
Taking a moment to center himself, he worked Parais Reverse technique, tuning it to allow just enough prana in to feel normal. It wasnt too difficultso long as he was sitting down, concentrating on it. But the movement he tried to get up, thepse in concentration sent prana pouring into his body again.
Over the next half hour, Vir stumbled and lurched, until Cirayus called out more dangerous threats approaching. Scavengers, hungry to gorge themselves on the feast of dead scorpions that ringed the ce, circled high above.
Cirayus picked Vir up gently, hoisting him onto his shoulder.
It is alright. You survived the initial few minutes. The rest is merely a matter of time, and we''ll have plenty of thatter. More than plenty.
There was something about Cirayus tone that piqued Virs interest. Like the giant was leading him on.
What do you mean? Didnt you just say we didnt have enough time? Isnt that why you wanted us to enter right away?
Aye. Its just that time in this ce does not progress at the same rate as the other realms. It is something only those of us whove spent a great deal of it inside are aware of.
You mean time progresses more slowly here?
Cirayus stroked his beard. Not quite. Time is... fluid, here. One day in the Ash is closer to one week outside where we currently are. But as we venture deeper, the opposite bes true. Deeper into the Ash, one week here is more like one day outside, though it is hard to measure. As I said, we have plenty of time to achieve our goal.
Our goal. You mean making it to the other side, right?
The giant smiled evilly. Oh no. That was never our goal, young Vir. Our goal is to forge you. To temper you. To hone you into a walking force of devastation so powerful that when we emerge, the denizens in the demon realm wont dare resist.
Vir shivered. There was a fanaticism behind Cirayus words that made him ufortable. That, more than the Ash itself, scared him. It terrified him.
What does he mean? Whats that supposed to mean?
Chapter 157: Acclimatization
Chapter 157: limatization
By the time Cirayus arrived at the base of the ckened mountains whose jagged peaks endured endless lightning, Vir had nearly cked out. And that was with being carried by the giant on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
If he had to walk? Hed have copsed long ago.
Theres no shame in it,d, the giant said. The Ash is not to be taken lightly.
Thought itd be easier here, Vir said through gritted teeth. The reason hed chosen Matali as his entry point was that the monsters in this area of the Ash were supposedly weaker, the prana less dense.
Aye, easier, not easy. The monsters in the Abyssal ts are among the weakest in all the Ash. You chose well.
Virs eyes were shut tight as he fought against the onught of prana in the atmosphere. Prana that even now sought to worm its way in.
Parais reverse channeling technique worked, but it consumed far too much of his concentration. Even a slight slip-up meant a deluge of prana would enter his body, undoing the efforts of several minutes.
Vir felt Cirayus jump and opened his eyes to see the ground fade away far below them.
Is he running up the mountains? From his awkward position, Vir couldnt turn around to see where they were headed. But the soot-ckened slopes were so steep, no average person would dare even attempt to scale them.
Of course, Cirayus was anything but average.
They soon arrived at a small teau that jutted from the vertical mountainside. Protected by a railing of ck stgmites and an overhang that prevented ash from building up, it was like a balcony that towered over the blightednd below.
Vir so badly wanted to look around. To take in sights that few ever had an opportunity to see. For now, though, the battle in his body took priority.
Cirayus set Vir gently down against a wall. Speak to me,d. Tell me what youre experiencing.
Vir searched for the words. Then took an extra few seconds to distill it down to the bare facts. Even talking disrupted his concentration, making him lose ground against the Ash that sought to end him.
Parai. Technique. Holding prana at bay.
Parai. As in Parai the Ancient? The prana master. I see so you bear his memory.
Vir squinted at Cirayus, who knelt in front of him, a concerned look on his face. He had so many questions for the giant, who seemed to know more about his prior incarnations than everyone hed ever met, except perhaps Lord Janak.
Have you tried allowing the prana into you?
Vir shook his head. Too much. Dangerous.
Then again, he couldn''t afford to take things safely. He didn''t have the time, not when it flowed so much more slowly here.
Hmm. Odd. All react differently to the Ash, but to have such a violent reaction
Does he think me weak?
Vir stole a nce at the demon, expecting to see disappointment. Instead, Cirayus eyes glinted, his expression nearly the opposite of disappointment. Was it hope? Expectation? And perhaps a bit of surprise.
Why, though? Is it significant that Im having this much trouble?
Im afraid were in uncharted waters, Cirayus continued. For now, focus on devising a solution that allows you to be functional. Were safe here. As safe as any ce in the Ash can be, anyway. As you see, even the very air seeks to kill you here.
Any other advice? Vir asked, grimacing as hispse in concentration made Parais technique falter, allowing a swath of prana into him.
Cirayus went silent for a moment. Think of the prana less as a poison, and more as hmm. Potent water that seeks to strengthen you. A little trickle is good. A tall wave can drown you.
Vir frowned. He wants me to ept the prana?
Granted, Vir hadnt even allowed a trickle inside him out of fear of supersaturation. Until now hed done everything in his power to keep his bodys prana levels consistent with what theyd been outside the ash, that is to say, far lower than the surroundings.
Perhaps that was a mistake. Clearly, all the other life forms here had adapted to these prana levels, and so had Cirayus. Which proved it was possible. Possibly even required to survive here.
The question was how. There was ash prana in the air! Just like hed hoped, and so much of it, too! As for the ground, well, that was on another level entirely. Vir did his best not to peer into its depths with Prana Vision, fearing he might get lost in the colossal abyss of prana that lurked there. Nor did he dare activate Talents that used ground prana, for fear of exploding the blood in his body from oversaturation.
Hands, then. It was a small limb, well suited for experimentation.
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Vir gingerly allowed Parais Reverse Channeling technique topse from his fingers. Ash Prana poured in. Too much of it; while he could feel his arm swelling with vitality, the pain that apanied it told him it was too much for him as he was.
Some pain is to be expected, Cirayus said, noticing Virs grimace. At least initially. Think of it more like your body stretching, expanding its limits. Too much, too fast, and it can be fatal.
Cirayus made a bursting motion with a hand, which Vir only caught through Prana Vision since his eyes were squeezed shut in intense concentration.
It felt exactly like that. Like his blood had a finite capacity, and that the ambient prana, seeking equilibrium, was desperately attempting to burst it.
Vir didnt fail to notice the irony. Hadnt he yearned for this exact situation?More prana than he could hope to ever use? And yet, even water was fatal if consumed too rapidly.
No stranger to pain, Vir allowed the prana to enter him, ying a delicate bnce between allowing more prana into his blood and keeping the levels within safe bounds.
He kept this up for the next minute. Then five. Then ten, but the effort quickly wore on him. It was one thing to deal with the pain of a de wound or a gut punch. These things, while intense, dissipated eventually.
Not the Ash. Unrelenting, the pain never lessened. Taking a break, he spun up Parais technique again, allowing the pain to subside.
Opening his eyes, he found Cirayus sitting cross-legged across from him on the other side of the ledge.
A break? Do you really have that luxury,d?
Vir was taken aback. Hed been spending every second fighting for his life. Just need a breather. Hard to keep this up.
Cirayus gave him a pensive look but didnt press the issue. How goes it?
Think Im getting the hang of it, Vir said slowly, managing a coherent sentence. It wasnt so much that maintaining Parais technique had gotten easier. Rather, hed just gotten better at multitasking.
With the ability active, Vir noticed his blood carried slightly more prana than usual. It was barely noticeable, but there was definitely progress.
Just, very slow.
Correct me if Im wrong,d, but this technique, it requires all of your concentration, yes?
Vir nodded.
Then tell me, how do you intend to sleep?
Grakking chal. Virs eyes went wide. I I cant. Ill die.
Then it seems you have until your energy runs out to master it.
The minutes turned into hours, and the hours passed steadily by, one after another, counting down to Virs doom.
Vir took no more breaks, working furiously to limatize to the prana, but soon understood the brutal truth: He wouldnt make it.
The problem was, the intense concentration hed been using drained his mental reserves. After only six hours, he was already exhausted. Worse, hed entered the Ash after a grueling battle with Cirayus, and had been awake for several hours before that.
Vir was nearing his limit, and the progress hed made wasnt nearly enough. At this rate, the moment he slipped into slumber, hed die.
More. I need more.
Until now, hed kept a margin of safety in case he slipped up and allowed too much prana into him. For good reason; he frequently messed up. Each slip had been a painful experience, though, over time, hed gotten better. The mistakes came more infrequently, and when they did, he caught them faster.
With grave reservations, Vir dialed back Parais reverse technique a smidge more, allowing even more prana to enter his body. The uptick sent a sharp pain ripping through his arm, but he gritted through it.
With as quickly as the body cycled blood, there was no need to do the same anywhere other than his arm. Rather, if he did, hed die in seconds from the excess prana entering him. At least, initially.
Another hour passed, then two. As his body limatized and the pain subsided, Vir dialed Parais technique back further. Then he began doing the same on his other arm. Then his legs and torso.
It was at the sixth hour that his consciousness began topse. It started first as daydreams. Idle thoughts that filtered into his head. Parais technique would stop, prana would assault him, sending him writhing on the cold hard rock, then hed reassert the technique, take a few moments to recover, and start all over again.
It was an endless cycle, and Vir fell into a daze before falling asleep entirely. Those bouts were far, far worse. Hed nearly doubled his bodys prana capacity, and even then, the full brunt of the Ashen Realms onught debilitated him. It took him nearly twenty minutes to recover from the pain each time this happened.
He never noticed the looks Cirayus gave him. Looks that had transformed from anxious irritation to appreciation, to outright awe.
Unfortunately, Vir drifted off with increasing frequency, the spikes of pain bing a familiar presence.
Im not going to make it, Vir whispered, struggling to keep his eyelids open.
Cirayus grinned. Lad, you already have.
I have? Vir asked, confused.
Ive never seen someone keep a technique active this long. Thats impressive in its own right, but when added to the pain you must be experiencing? Well, you truly are something else. And you know something else Ive never seen?
Vir grew somewhat irritated that the giant was leading him on when he was so fatigued. What?
Cirayus pointed at his chest. Nobody can maintain a technique when theyre as tired as you.
I dont get it. What doesoh, Vir replied,prehension dawning on him. Oh.
You arent cycling Parais technique anymore are you?
To his horror and amazementbut mostly horrorVir realized he wasnt. Quickly, he sought to grab control of his blood, to reassert Parais technique.
Huh? Thats odd The ability activated, the blood traveling through the same pathways as hed done for so many hours prior. But the pain never subsided. Wait. The pain!?
It was gone. Well, not gone, but the pain had subsided considerably. Peering inward with Prana Vision, Vir found that the Ash prana in the air that had rushed into his body only slowly trickled in now.
Youre through the worst of it, Cirayus said. From here, your body will adjust naturally, given time. Rest, now.
Deeper. Can go deeper now. Vir had meant to say the words out loud, but the next thing he knew, hed slumped against the rock, his consciousness fading. Vir allowed it, drifting blissfully off into thend of dreams.
Cirayus looked at the slumbering Ekavirno, Sarvaakwith pride. Pride and sadness. There had been no lie in his words. None had had such a violent reaction to the Ash. And none had kept a cycling technique active for that long. Even with his mastery of Bncer of Scales, honed over centuries of effort, Cirayus could barely keep it active for an hour. That was already considered monstrous.
It was no simple feat to hold a simple ability active for long durations. The moreplex the technique, the more effort required, and the shorter the active duration.
Cirayus knew not what Parais technique did for the boy, other than to hold back the prana that sought to rip his body apart. The mechanism likely wasnt very advanced; after all, Vircked even a single tattoo to align the prana. Yet such a technique had to have covered his entire body. If not, prana would simply leak in from areas where the ability wasnt active.
Which meant its size made it even moreplex than the Ultimate Bloodline arts.
And young Sarvaak had maintained it for half a day. That wasnt monstrous. It was divine.
The child of Maion and Shari Garga was weak. Far too weak. And yet, Cirayus beamed.
Lad, you will be a god, he whispered. Im just honored to have been here for it.
Chapter 158: ‘Limited’ Progress
Chapter 158: ¡®Limited¡¯ Progress
Vir awoke to aches and pains. Not anywhere specifichis whole body just seemed to throb, though whenpared to the torture hed endured, it was hardly anything.
How do you feel? Cirayus asked, handing Vir a waterskin.
Like a grakking fool who just entered the Ash with a death wish, he said, relishing the sensation of the cool water on his parched throat.
The demonughed heartily. Indeed. Those who brave the Ash can only be called fools. Yet sometimes, it is the fools who y everyone for the fool, is it not? When they return with great power, having witnessed sights that most dare not even imagine. Who is the fool, then, I wonder?
I suppose, Vir said, cracking a small grin. Say, how did I survive the journey as a baby? If I had this much difficulty now...
We carried with us an Artifact that protected you. Some of the other demons did as well. The bracelets were heirlooms of your n.
Sure would''ve been handy to have that, Vir said.
Aye. But not possible, I''m afraid. We couldn''t risk such precious Artifacts falling into the hands of humans. I sent them all back with one of your retainers.
Well, I suppose I won''t be needing it any longer. So, what now?
Now, you rest, the demon said, cing an oversized hand gently on Virs shoulder. I shall gather some food for us both.
Why? Weve barely even dipped into our rations.
Aye, and you packed food thatll keep. Thats good, Cirayus replied. I took the liberty of cataloging your food while you were asleep. I hope you dont mind.
Vir shook his head. Its fine. Then why bother going out?
Treat this food as emergency rations. There are vast swaths of the Ashen Realm entirely devoid of all life. Dark ces of eternal night, with clouds so thick that the meager light cant possibly prate. Well need to stock up as much as we can for the passage.
Vir had felt even this part of the Ashen Realm was depressing. It seemed the worst was yet toe.
Im kinda amazed there are even edible nts here, he said, gazing down at the field of endless ash below.
Most certainly. Most of the beasts here are carnivorous, but the lowest critters are always herbivores. Though, Im unsure if you could call what grows here nts.
What do you mean?
Theyre closer to monsters who cannot move. The same prana that makes Ash Beasts so dangerous makes the nts here grow to many times their usual size. Some even be aware of their surroundings, ensnaring those who dare venture too close. A defense mechanism, but one that can end you if youre not careful.
It hardly came as a surprise to Vir that even the nts in the Ashen Realm were lethal. He wondered what wasnt.
Ill be back shortly. I did not wish to leave you alone while you were asleep. Even up on this ledge where few Ash Beasts can reach, there are always dangers. Stay vignt, but try not to move overly much while Im gone. I suggest meditation.
I think Ill take you up on that. Moving anything hurts.
Good. Now, I know you must be hungry, but I''ll have to ask you to wait a while longer. Itll be worth the wait, I promise. Cirayus jumped off the ledge as if it were merely a single pace off the ground, gliding elegantly down to the base of the mountain, far below.
What a cheat, Vir thought. Bncer of Scales wasnt merely powerful, it was absolute power. Touching the tattoo on his chest, he wondered if he, too, might own that ability one day. He added it to the dozen other questions he wanted to ask the demon.
Until he returned, however, all Vir could do was sit still and wait for the pain to abide.
It took all of thirty seconds for Vir to abandon that n out of boredom, so instead he turned Prana Vision inward. The ability had always been active in a passive state, whether or not he concentrated on it. Normally, hed have to actively send blood to his eyes to maximize its potential.
Now, though, his blood carried far more prana than usual. Vir estimated his bloods carrying capacity had tripled since hed entered the Ash, and it continued to grow as prana slowly seeped into him. Even after all that effort, his body still wasnt at equilibrium with the surrounding prana, and he suspected this was the source of the lingering pain and soreness he felt.
The excess prana had exacerbated the issue with Prana Vision, clouding his sight to just fifty paces owing to the incredible prana density.
It was odd, seeing this much prana within himself. It reminded him of when hed first mastered Light Touchhis original ability to keep the prana in his body from leaking out. Even then, it had never been perfect. The more his prana built up, the more it leaked. Hed never been able to build up nearly as much prana before.
For several minutes, Vir just stared at the dense prana circting through his body, reveling in the sensation.
Wonder if its enough to power Talents now, he wondered, but soon determined that no, it wasnt. Even Leap consumed an incredible amount, and his gains simply werent enough to bridge that gap. At least, not yet.
Cirayus said this area had some of the lowest concentrations of prana in the entire realm. Which also meant the beasts here were the weakest. Rtively speakingthe weakest Ash Beasts were likelyparable to the strongest ones in the Human Realm.
But that also meant hed have more opportunities to stretch the carrying capacity of his blood as they ventured deeper. If he could power Talents like Leap, High Jump, or even Dance of the Shadow Demon with only the blood in his body
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For one, itd give him an emergency reservoir to tap into, in case the ground prana ever became scarce. Not a concern in the Ash, but itd serve him well everywhere else.
The other benefit was that he could use Talents midair. That opened up a whole slew of possibilities. For a moment, Vir imagined himself Leaping off skyships, or even air itself, flying through the skies on his own power.
He swiftly dismissed those delusions. It was likely Dance wouldnt work in the air at all, and he was sure thered be issues with the other abilities as well. Still, he looked forward to the day when he could experiment.
Until then, hed have to satisfy himself with the less exotic, but equally exciting, experiments.
Sorry, Cirayus, he said through clenched teeth as he rose. Im gonna have to ignore your warning just a bit.
The more he ruminated on his strength gains, the more it ate at him. Ultimately, hed sumbed to temptation. Who could resist wanting to test out new powers? Especially after suffering so much for them; he felt like hed earned it.
Ill start small. Just one Micro Leap. Shouldnt harm a thing.
Vir allowed a sliver of prana to enter from the ground through his feet and found himself in great misery. The pain from mming into the mountain face first was the least of it. He crumpled, holding his leg as the throbbing sensation turned into full-blown pain.
Definitely a bad idea, he hissed, wincing.
Out of habit, he directed prana to his leg, as that usually aided his recovery. This time, however, it was the worst thing he couldve done. The pain red even brighter, and darkness crept in at the edges of his vision.
Thinking quickly, he activated Parais Reverse Channeling technique, instead sucking the prana away from the wounded area.
That did the trick. The pain lessened enough for Vir to contemte what had just happened.
Peering at his leg with Prana Vision, he groaned.
The blood in his leg had ruptured. It was obvious, in hindsight. His body had undergone an incredibly stressful change only hours prior, tripling its prana capacity.
Leap worked by drawing in prana from the ground then supersaturated the blood in his body. That extra-dense flow of prana gave his muscles the explosive energy for the Talent. It was also what had hurt him.
His body was at max capacity before hed activated the Talent. By adding even more from the ground, hed rapidly and violently exceeded his bloods capacity. When hed activated Parais Reverse technique to limatize to the air, itd been a rtively slow, gentle process. Stretching, Not bursting.
Viry there for a solid ten minutes, allowing the pain to subside before righting himself.
Definitely not doing that again, he thought, chuckling wryly.
After a moments reflection, his expression darkened.
This means I cant use any Talents
Not unless he wanted to cripple himself.
Grak it! he shouted. Hed just grown stronger. Even injured as he was, the fresh prana flooding his body made him rip with vitality. His Talents had grown far strongera lowly Micro Leap had sent him as far as the fully powered version normally did!
And now he couldnt ess that power? No. That wasnt eptable. There had to be another way.
There was. A bad one. Like when hed first learned Empower, there was an easy solution to this. A hack. He could just expel prana from his body. In fact, he had two ways of doing exactly that. Parais Reverse Channeling technique, and Light Touch.
Except, instead of holding prana within him, hed focus on pushing it away, like a dam holding back a raging river. Between the two, Light Touch was far more preferable, as it was something he could turn into a subconscious habit with practice. As hed experienced earlier, Reverse Channeling took every ounce of his concentration. So much so, he wasnt able to even move while maintaining it.
Of course, he couldnt know whether this idea would work. It was just a guess; hed never tried actively to expel prana before.
Vir focused on taking hold of the prana in his body and actively pushed it out. After having done the opposite for so long, it felt bizarre. Wrong.
The task was more difficult than hed thought. Back in the Human Realm, he just let the dearth of ambient prana do the work, sucking prana out of him. Here, he had to push against the dense prana that dominated the surroundings.
To start, he mimicked the process from when hed learned Light Touch at Riyans ce. By focusing on controlling a small amount of blood, he could focus all his attention on the task. Controlling the blood was no problemit was second nature to him at this point. Pushing it out of his body, however, was harder. It wasnt just the pressure. The moment prana exited his body, he lost control of it as usual.
It turned out that merely pushing the blood to the very edge did nothing; it wasnt as if he was shooting his blood out of his body, after all.
But then, he already had a technique that forced prana out of his body, didnt he? Prana de did exactly that. And the key to making that work had been equilibrium.
Of course
All he had to do was boost the density near his skin, and the equilibrium forces would take care of the rest. Pulling on his prana, he concentrated it next to the edge of his skin, and sure enough, once hed attained a higher density than the surroundings, it escaped out into the atmosphere.
Which meant hed need a thinyer of supersaturated blood near his skin, all around his body. Itd stretch his bloods capacity to the max, but he felt he could swing it.
Vir spent the next two hours applying the technique to more and more of his body. Like Light Touch, it initially required active concentration, but unlike Reverse Channeling, it didnt upy every ounce of it. He was confident he could turn it into a subconscious process that persisted even while he slept.
The moment he reduced the saturation level of his blood within his body, all traces of lingering pain disappeared.
And that meant he could experiment with Leap.
Hed initially feared that lowering his bodys prana would weaken both his vitality and the ability. His fears were unwarranted. True, he had less prana now than before, but it was still several times more than what it had been in the human realm. He brimmed with energy.
Leap actually benefited. The prana suction effect was now active the entire time. He didnt even need to move blood from his feet up his legs anymore. Merely rxing his control of the supersaturated prana near his skin caused ambient prana to rush in.
By keeping his body at a rtively lower prana level than his surroundings and only saturating the thinyer of prana near his skin to keep the ambient prana at bay, hed essentially turned his whole body into a prana suction. And, because Ash prana dominated the air, he no longer needed to channel it from the ground up through his legs. It was there wherever he wanted ithis arms, his legs, even his head!
Virughed. He wondered if his past incarnations understood as much about prana as he did. If they came to the same solutions to ovee prana poisoning as he had. Or perhaps they had even better techniques for dealing with it?
Whats so funny? Cirayus asked, hopping up onto the ledge at that very moment.
Id always thought limitations were a bad thing, Vir replied. Guess sometimes, the workarounds end up being even stronger.
Oho? Cirayus said, a hint of pride in his expression. Show me what youve learned.
Chapter 159: Unlimited Potential
Chapter 159: Unlimited Potential
Im good, trust me! No pain at all, Vir said, throwing a few punches to prove it.
Very well. Then don your armor.
Vir did as he was told. So, now what?
Since you are so eager to get going, you can join me for a bit.
The demon moved so fast, Vir didnt realize he was falling until his stomach dropped from under him. Falling all the way to the bottom of the mountain.
Vir screamed until he noticed they were falling much too slowly.
Not falling.Floating, he realized as he hung by his cuirass cor. Bncer of Scales.
Oh,e on. What are ya, a littless? When you return to the Human Realm, you can tell your girlfriend how you peed your pants from a little fall.
Virs face went red. You call this a little fall!? And shes not my girlfriend, he added quietly.
Of course not, the giant said with a smirk.
He lowered them at a steady pace, slowing just before they touched the ground, and Vir felt like hed just ridden the lift to the Pagan Orders Undercity. Except, instead of a team of demons working a rope, mysterious, powerful magic did the heavy lifting. He was d to be down.
Well? Youve been wanting to stretch your legs, havent you? Have at it!
Vir looked around, noting the empty desert around them, littered by a field of corpses. The ubiquitous ash only came up to his ankles.
A nce at the giant confirmed his suspicion.
What can I say? Cirayus grinned, they were in the way.
Vir rolled his eyes. The man had just killed a hundred Ash Beasts that were in the way. Never mind that they were only scorpions; all Ash Beasts were lethal.
Vir braced himself for a Micro Leap. Hed misjudged its power twice already. He wasnt nning on repeating that mistake. Using only the barest trickle of ground prana, he sent it to his legs.
In an explosion of speed, he sprung forward, covering over ten paces, leaving a puff of ash in his wake.
Ten paces may not have sounded like much; it was only half the range of his normal Leap, after all. Except, hed used even less power than a Micro Leap normally consumed. And that was only supposed to send him a pace or two.
There was no point dying any longer. Vir crouched low, then sucked as much prana into his legs as he could fit without straining his body.
The Abyssal ts blurred as he shot forth. Despite anticipating the result, despite his best efforts to recover, he went tumbling end over end, unable to control his body.
Vir came to a stop in a heap, face ckened with ash. Coughing, he slowly righted himself.
No, I take it back. You can tell Maiya how you not only screamed, you managed to also facentically into the ash.
Vir scowled at the giant, who stood grinning, before ncing back to see how far hede.
Seventy paces Vir whispered. It couldnt be; it sounded too good to be true. This, with a body that was still limating?
Parais Channeling Technique, which hed started calling Prana Channeling, almost seemed useless now. With this much prana around, what need was there to be efficient? And that was just airborne prana. As dense as it was, it didnt even hold a candle to the titanic amount within the ground.
Vir Leaped again, this time with a better understanding of what to expect. The spectacle was no less thrilling. The feeling of moving so fast, blindingly fast! There was something intoxicating about it.
When the ability ended, Virs legs were ready. Instead of stopping, he ran, slowly bleeding off his speed, allowing the ash to suck up his momentum bit by bit.
Then he did it again. Vir Leaped over and over, covering absurd distances in mere moments.
Exciting, isnt it? Cirayus said, catching up.
At some point, Vir had startedughing. It was a pure, almost childlike exhration. Something he hadnt felt in a long, long time. Not since his adventures into the Godshollow with Maiya as a kid.
The exhration multiplied severalfold when he High Jumped for the first time. Because while Leaping seventy paces was one thing, jumping seventy into the air was another entirely.
It was fun until he began to fall headfirst back to the ground.
Panic took him. Could he even use Light Step to break his fall if his head hit the ground first? Hed never tried it.
Just when he was about to scream for help, Cirayus jumped into the air, grabbing Vir as he fell. A bit reckless,d. I know its good fun, but do think through your actions a little next time.
Despite his words, Cirayus tone was more amused than critical. The smile on his face only added to that image.
Even still, Virs face flushed with embarrassment, and it wasnt only on ount of being upside down.
Once back down, Vir took a few moments to shake it off before activating High Jump, this timewith only a fraction of the prana. He went only thirty paces, allowing him to Light Step to break his fall.
Good. Good. Now follow me, Cirayus said, falling into a brisk walk. While Vir had to Empower his legs slightly to keep up, it wasnt anything he couldnt manage.
I must admit, I was wrong, the demon said.
About?
Ive never seen anyone so afflicted by the prana density here. Ive also never seen anyone recover so quickly, either. When you said you had recovered I fear I didnt believe you.
Oh, that. Ive already learned how to deal with the ambient prana levels. But when I suck in extra to use a Talent
Your body cant handle it. Yes. Most take days, if not weeks, to truly limate. How did you adapt so quickly?
I just saturated the blood near my skin to match the ambient density, all over my body. That acts as a barrier that prevents prana from worming its way in. Like a dam holding back water. After that, I just expel prana from the inside of my body. Either by activating Talents or by supersaturating the blood close to my skin and letting it bleed out.
Cirayus stopped and stared Vir in the eyes. Say that again.
Uh, which part?
You formed a of saturated prana. Near your skin?
Yes?
And you also lowered the prana density of your blood everywhere else?
Thats right. Why?
Lad. Nobody has that kind of prana control. I mean nobody. Not even me. The best Ive been able to manage is to move prana at will around my body. That took four hundred years of training. Differentially adjusting density levels? Unheard of.
I see
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Vir thought back to Maiya. She, too, had issues getting the prana in her body to do what she wanted. At the time, hed assumed she was just on the slower end of the talent spectrum, and that other humans picked it up far quicker. Maybe hed been wrong. Maybe it wasnt so much that she was slow, but that he was fast.
What else can you do with that prana control of yours?
For the next half hour, Virunched into an exnation of how hed essentially inverted the process hed used in the Human Realmkeeping prana out, rather than trapped within his body. He mentioned Prana de, Empower, Toughen, and Prana Channeling, all of which had grown stronger in the Ash.
The more Vir spoke, the quieter Cirayus grew, and the more his pace increased until Vir had to Micro Leap to keep up with the demon.
Finally, the giant spoke. You see this tattoo? he asked, pointing to the blue tribal tattoo that snaked around his chest and onto his back.
Thats Bncer of Scales, isnt it? Vir shouted, falling behind momentarily. It wasnt hard keeping up with the giant, but Cirayus smooth gait differed from Virs bounding one. As they picked up speed, that difference amplified the distance between them, unless Vir matched his pace perfectly.
At least Im not falling over anymore, though. Thats progress.
It was easier said than done when each Leap So these are ancient walls. Built by the hands of those long dead.
It was like looking back through time. The deeper they ventured, the older the walls became. Theyd hopped over nearly half a dozen of them, and the oldest ones were so dpidated that only their foundations remained.
How many centuries ago were these built?
To answer your earlier question, this tattoo is indeed Bncer of Scales, Cirayus said. The Ultimate Bloodline Tattoo of n Baira.
Thats the n of giants, right? The one Narak the Destroyer hailed from.
Indeed. Demon tattoos run the gamut. Many can be used by any demon with the correct affinities. Take Aspect of Midwinters Embrace. It requires either Ice or Water as a base affinity, and optionally Life or Wind. Any demon possessing the base affinities can inscribe the tattoo on their body, and with practice, learn to use it.
Did you say either Ice or Water? Vir rified.
Aye. Either works. Depending on the power of the wielders imagination, Midwinters Embrace can be used to summon terrible winds,unch hail at opponents, cause snowfall, or even freeze enemies. Of course, the affinities y some role in determining the breadth of possibilities.
Thats interesting, Vir thought. It corrted with what hed seen when Cirayus activated Bncer of Scales; it had used both Earth and Life Affinities.
That was already a significant deviation from human orbs. But the variety of attacks it could conjure was on another level entirely. Human magic was based on a single, basic spell. Ember, Arc, Water Dart. Simple and well-defined. Midwinters Embrace, on the other hand, sounded far more abstract. Manifesting different powers based on the wielder''s imagination was a foreign concept to Vir. If his hunch was right, it sounded stronger.
Then there are the Regr Bloodline Tattoos. Each n possesses a handful of these. The onlymon trait is that ones blood must primarily be from that n. For example, your Dance of the Shadow Demon is an Iksana Regr Bloodline art.
Youre saying all the Iksana have it?
Not all, but many. Perhaps even most.
Well Hope I never have to fight any of them, Vir thought, recalling Cirayus warning about fighting others in the Shadow Realm.
Besides Bncer of Scales, I possess the Bairan Giant Hide, Giant Grace, and Spirit of the Ravager tattoos, he said, gesturing to each tattoo on his body.
Im guessing Giant Hide is like natural armor, and Giant Grace allows you to move faster? Vir asked.
Not quite. Youre right about Giant Hide. Its why Bairans forego armorjust gets in the way. Giant Grace allows us to move with better dexterity. Generally, therger you are, the more clumsy your actions seem to those of lesser size. Not so with us Bairans.
Vir imagined the Narapazu moving as fast and with as much dexterity as he did. Terrifying.
What does Spirit of the Ravager do?
Cirayus scratched the back of his neck, looking almost embarrassed, though Vir couldnt fathom why.
That one Well, it strengthens my attacks.
Vir waited for him to say more, bounding several times across the Abyssal ts, but the giant remained silent, almost like he hoped Vir would change the topic. The demon was hiding something, but Vir was more interested in the Ultimates, so he humored him.
And the Ultimate Tattoos?
Hmm. The Ultimates are quite special. Each n has only one or two. As their name suggests, theyre the most powerful arts, passed down through the generations.
And Im guessing not everyone can learn them?
Aye. You need the right affinities, and generally only the Rajathe nlordand their heirs inherit those powers.
Wait. Does that mean youre a nlord? Vir asked.
Nothing like that, Cirayus replied, casually squashing a swarm of scorpions who drew close. Thus far, they hadnt encountered any of therger terrors, and Vir began to wonder if the Ash wasnt as bad as everyone made it out to be.
His delusion was put to rest when an Ash Tear suddenly opened up just paces away, forcing Vir to dodge.
Dont get anywhere near it,d! Cirayus shouted, scooping Vir up and jumping far away.
A deathly scream emanated from somewhere deep within the tear before it copsed upon itself, sending a shockwave kicking up plumes of ash across the ts.
Ash Beasts arent the only danger here,d. Ash Tears open and close at random. Get stuck in one and thats the end of you.
Noted, Vir thought, cold sweat trickling down his face. Where do they lead?
Impossible to say. Some lead deeper into the Ash. Others, to the Human or Demon Realm. And some to spaces that are best left alone. Deep, dark nes, disconnected from reality and time. Tis where the real nightmares lurk, and to enter is to die. Or worse. Never venture into an Ash Tear,d. Promise me.
I promise, Vir replied. He didnt have a death wish.
Cirayus let Vir down, then continued, unperturbed. n Baira holds a fightingpetition every few years. The victors, if theyre Bairan, may ask the nlord for the tattoo. If theyre deemed of good standing, they get the tattoo.
And you won?
Aye. One-hundred fifty-six times.
Vir did his best not to trip and fall in shock. He barely managed it.
Did, uh did you misspeak?
It is as you hear. If Ipete, I usually win. In fact, my greatest losses were to your father. What a warrior, that man.
I see, Vir replied, not quite ready to ask about his deceased parents. There would be time for that. Later. Once hed trulye to terms with what it meant to be demonic royalty. So youre saying that if I want the tattoo, Id have to participate and win?
Aye, you would.
Would youpete?
Of course! the giant replied heartily.
Well, so much for that idea Vir thought, writing off the tattoo in his head.
Rest assured,d. Usage of Ultimate Bloodline abilities is strictly prohibited. I would not use Bncer of Scales.
Vir rolled his eyes. Oh gee, what a constion! Thatll be a walk in the park now!
Cirayus roared withughter. Youll get there,d. Youll get there. Patience.
What are the others? The tattoos, I mean.
Well be here all day if I were to go through each one. Suffice it to say, they are all staggeringly powerful in their own right. Some are less suited tobat. Others, frightfully more so.
But you have to carry the blood of the n to use them Vir replied. Something didnt sound right about that, though he couldnt put his finger on it. Not until Cirayusid a bombshell on him.
Ordinarily, yes. But you see, you are no mere demon, Cirayus said, pointing at Vir. You are the Primordial. The Akh Nara, as we demons call him. You possess Ash prana. And, if Im not mistaken, you have no other affinities? Not even a trace?
Thats right. Its why I cant use human orbs.
Apex ash prana affinity, then. The highest affinity possible for the most powerful form of prana. The root from which all other affinities stemmed. Lad, nobody else possesses that affinity. Not a single human or demon. Only Ash Beasts do.
No. No way. That means It cant be! Can it?
To receive an Ultimate Bloodline tattoo is the honor of a lifetime. Only the luckiest of us mortals ever earn one. But you? Lad, you can use all the Ultimate Bloodline Arts.
And with my Ash prana
Aye. Each will be stronger than their regr affinity counterparts.
Virs heart skipped a beat.
If that were all, youd certainly be a force to be reckoned with, true, but your past incarnations They were all forces of nature,d. Walking natural disasters, each and every one of them. Do you know why?
Vir shook his head.
Tis the same reason I predicted your moves in our battle. The same reason you thought I could read your thoughts, and why you quaked in fear, the moment you firstid eyes on me.
Cirayus paused, and his demeanor shifted in an instant. Hed done nothing that Vir saw, but suddenly, the demons very presence shifted. Fear rushed through Virs heart and his knees buckled. Cirayus felt heavy, and not just in the normal sense. It was as if his entire existence had grown more significant, like an aura that oozed off him.
Vir withered under his gaze, for it was the gaze of a god. How is he doing that?
Until now, youve fought your battles in the physical ne. Even his voice thundered with supernatural presence. The cradle of toddlers and infants. But there is another. Tis the domain of the metaphysical. A realm that cannot be seen or tasted or touched. But you feel it, dont you? There, in your very soul. Shaking. Resonating.
Vir gulped, and his words came out hoarse and broken. W-What do you mean?
I speak, of course, of the Chakra System.
Chapter 160: The Chakra System
Chapter 160: The Chakra System
Chakra Is that rted to my disks? Vir asked.
Rted in principal, yet entirely different in execution. But first, eat. A warrior cannot survive on an empty stomach, after all, Cirayus rummaged through his rucksack and tossed over a ckened melon.
Vir was about to protest, but one look at Cirayus told him the giant wasnt about to say another word until hed eaten.
This has no right being edible! he thought, gingerly hefting the oversized fruit in his hands.
Everything grewrger in the Ashen Realm, with its abundance of prana, and the fruits were no exception. The melon wasrger than his head, and it was still smaller than the one Cirayus was eating.
Cirayus wiped away the Ash that covered his own melon, revealing a lighter gray fruit that did all of absolutely nothing to whet Virs appetite. His mind simply couldnt fathom how this passed as food.
Dig in!
Vir watched with horror as Cirayus chomped down, squirting purple juice. The way the demon relished the thing only made the spectacle even more surreal.
Vir dusted off his own fruit, leaving his fingers stained ck with ash. Then, after intense mental preparation, he bit down.
He wasnt quite sure what to expect. Bitterness, or something awful tasting. Certainly not delicious nectar.
Virs eyes opened wide as he registered the incredible sensation that filled his mouth. He took another bite. Sweet,plex vors flooded his mouth. He couldnt stop himself. He tore into the fruit, desperate for another mouthful of this incredible fruit.
Noticing Cirayus eyes on him, he finally managed to stop himself. The demon was grinning.
Do you always eat that messily,d? Im afraid its no way for a prince to eat.
Prince, huh? Vir thought, staring at the half-eaten fruit in his hands. Even now, the idea seemed absurd to him. Wrong. As if someone had blundered and mixed up his name with someone elses. What did that mean for him? For his future? Was it a title in name only? Or would it someday be something more?
Dont dwell on it,d. Youlle into your position, just as one dons a fresh set of clothes. Just give it time. Though, er, perhaps clean yourself up?
Vir looked down and noticed the purple liquid that stained his clothing. The same liquid that covered half his face.
Flushing in embarrassment, he turned away, furiously wiping away the juices.
S-sorry. This is this might just be the best fruit Ive ever had.
Good! Cirayusughed. Well be living on it. That, and the vegetables that grow here, he said, chomping into something that looked like an oversized onion.
Youre not going to cook that? Vir asked, dreading the answer.
Cook? You see firewood nearby,d?
Sure enough, surrounding them was a sea of endless ash, broken by the asional ckened shrub that poked through.
Is it like this everywhere? Are there no trees in the Ash?
There are forests, yes, with trees the likes of which youve never seen. Rare, though. Be d theres any vegetation here,d. Many ces are true deserts,cking even a bite to eat.
Whatever enthusiasm Vir had before disappeared upon the realization that most of their meals would be consumed raw from now on.
Resigning himself to his fate, he bit into the onion and winced. It wasnt just big; the taste was also far stronger than any regr onion.
Dear Maiya, please help. Your poor friends been condemned to eat raw onions
His prayers went unanswered. Thankfully, Cirayus didnt allow him to linger on his woe for long. The moment hed finished, the giant stood up, gesturing for Vir to do the same.
Virs heart pounded in his chest. Whats he going to show me now?
Nothing, it seemed.
Throw a punch.
Just a regr punch? Vir asked.
Aye. Humor me. But use your best form and hold your stance once youre finished.
Oh, he did mention that. During their fight, Cirayus had called out his sloppy form. Having practiced diligently, the giantsment came as a surprise to him.
Vir made a fist and fell into the stance, throwing the cleanest punch he knew, keeping his arm extended as instructed.
Again, Cirayusmanded, walking around him with the eyes of an Acira.
Once more, Vir threw his best straight punch, but Cirayus grasped his shoulders. Rotate more. Step less. Youre overstepping to make up for your shorter reach. Rotating your shoulders will add power to your strike. Again.
Vir did as he was told, rotating his shoulders a tad further and reducing his forward motion.
The difference was slight but immediately noticeable. He could feel the extra power in the attack, and his subsequent punches all felt stronger as well.
T-thanks, Vir said, ashamed he hadnt discovered it himself. It was such a simple thing.
Habit. Once you learn a form and ingrain it into your muscles, change bes difficult. We fall into our routine, thinking weve perfected our technique, though the reality is that our form is always shifting, like the Ash. If unchecked, once-perfected movements will deviate over time, slowly drifting away from the ideal. Revisit your foundations periodically, and correct any mistakes as they develop. Bad habits are difficult to unlearn.
I will, Vir replied. He meant it, though he couldnt understand why Cirayus chose this moment to coach him on the minutiae of his technique.
Your chakra is only as strong as your foundation, young Ekavir. Sloppy form pollutes the spirit. Watch.
Cirayus adopted a striking stance and threw a punch, nearly identical to Virs own. The giants stature and four-armed physiology meant his punches would never be quite the same, but it was as close to Virs own technique as the giant could manage. Just refined. Perfected to the absolute limit.
The punch was faster and slightly more polished but was otherwise much the same.
Then he threw another, and Virs soul shuddered.
The punch had been identical to the previous one. Was it a fluke of some sort? Vir couldnt understand.
Cirayus threw another, and Vir fell to his knees, despite not even having been the target. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest, and he heaved for air.
Whatwas that?
What did you feel? the giant asked.
It was like youd activated Bncer of Scales. Those punches had a weight to them. They felt heavy. It felt like a punch to my gut. Is that another bloodline tattoo of yours?
Not a tattoo. A Chakra. Three, to be specific. The Warrior Chakra, harmonized with the Foundation and the Crown.
What does that mean? Vir had analyzed Cirayus movements with both his regr sight and Prana Vision, but found nothing different from the mundane punch hed thrown. To all his senses, they were identical.
Centers of metaphysical energy. From the base of your spine to the top of your head sit the seven major chakras. One hundred forty-four chakra points in sum, running throughout your body.
Vir frowned. Ive lost count of how many hours Ive spent meditating, looking within myself. Prana Vision has never shown me anything like that.
And why would it? Your prana sight shows you only the physical, not the spiritual. Chakras have no presence or bearing in our reality. They exist purely as part of our spirit. Our being. All life possesses chakra, though, for most of us, these points remain firmly shut. Dormant. By opening the various chakras and harmonizing them, one begins to grasp the true workings of the world, gaining ess to powers mere magic couldnt hope to mimic. The power of the spirit.
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Ive never heard of anything like this, Cirayus. Not once.
Aye, it seems humans are blissfully unaware of its existence. For demons, our chakra training begins as early as we can talk. Most of us spend our entire lives mastering our chakras.
How many have you opened? Vir asked, half-guessing the answer.
All, of course. Only took me a century and a half, too.
Only?
Lad, there are those my age whove failed to open even five. The Crown chakra is especially troublesome.
And how exactly do you unlock these chakras? Actually, what are the different chakras? Ive never known about them, and its not like I ever felt anything off.
Even as Vir asked these questions, his mind raced to find answers. Theories blossomed in his headfor so long, prana had felt so mysterious. He could never exin why it worked the way it did. Was this the missing link? The fabric that underpinned those mysteries?
Nor would you. A demon can live a perfectly healthy life without opening a single one. The purpose of opening chakras is not to improve ones capacity in the ordinary domains of life, but to go beyond our mortal shell, seeking that which lies beyond. The metaphysical. The spiritual. The immortal.
If they dont affect the world, what can they do?
Whatever Cirayus did earlier felt impressive, but what did it actually do?
The first of the chakras is the Root, or Foundation chakraresponsible for grounding you and resisting metaphysical attacks that target your mind. Those who have yet to master the Foundation chakra will find their minds torn apart by enemies well-versed in the Life chakra. Most demons will have mastered opening this chakra by the time they reach their early teens.
Which means Im behind, Vir thought anxiously.
He wondered if every demon he fought would boast such presence. If so, even the children of that realm might be terrifying opponentsa thought that scared him nearly as much as the beasts that roamed the Ash.
Once the Foundation Chakra has been opened, one may progress to the Life chakra, which can be thought of as Foundation''s counterpart. It allows attunement to the emotional state of life forms around you, as well as the ability to manipte them. It can be wielded as both a weapon and a tool for healing.
Vir nched. Forget losing to a child in the demon realm What if they control me instead?
Itd be beyond humiliating.
Fear not. Only the most talented demons open the second chakra before their twenties.
Vir rolled his eyes. So Ill only be a puppet of adult demons, and not their kids. Thats such a relief.
You say that, but I sense the excitement within you. You are eager to learn. To master these arts.
Virs eyes narrowed. Is the Life chakra telling you that, too?
Cirayus chuckled. I hardly need a chakra for that. But yes, the Life Chakra has such capabilities, once mastered.
And all demons can unlock these chakras? Regardless of bloodline?
They most certainly can, and I suspect humans can as well. They simply do not understand how. Either that or those who do have sought to keep it a secret.
That might actually be possible. Vir thought about all the rumors surrounding the Prime Mejai, head of the Order of Mejai Sorcar.
Then again, meditation wasntmon in the Human Realm, so it wouldnt surprise him if they simply never picked it up. Foundation, Life Whats the third chakra?
Shield, Cirayus said. The first half of another pair. While Foundation defends you against chakra attacks to the mind, the Shield defends against chakra-based attacks to the body.
And so the fourth is all about attacking with chakra, I''m guessing?
Cirayus didnt reply; he just swiped at the air with his poleax, and the air ruptured. Vir didnt know how else to describe it. It was as if reality was rent apart, leaving an aftershock that shook something core to the world.
The Warrior chakra. As its name suggests, it imbues your attacks with a metaphysical weight that bypasses physical armor to attack the very soul. It does little against inanimate objects, but against any life form, it can inflict a fate even worse than death.
Virs expression hardened. Could use that against the beasts well be facing.
It would certainly put you on a more even footing.
An even footing? Vir thought, confused. Confusion that swiftly devolved into panic. Wait. No. Nonono. Dont tell me. Are you saying that Ash Beasts have unlocked chakras?
Cirayus regarded him with a bemused expression. Most certainly!
Ha ha ha, Vir choked out. Of course.
Not all, mind you. Only the strongest ones, deep within the Ash.
Vir shook off the despair, seeing the opportunity buried within. To best such beasts, hed have to unlock his chakras.
The fifth chakra is especially important, Cirayus continued. The Heart Chakra augments ones vitality and their ability to heal from metaphysical attacks. As I mentioned, spiritual attacks bypass normal defenses to attack the very soul, crippling you on a level that is difficult to describe.
Has has that happened to you?
Never allowed it, thank the gods. Though I know those who have. Living with a fractured soul has been described as a fate worse than death. You live your days alive, yet fundamentally broken. The Heart Chakra can undo such damage, to a degree, but its best to avoid the situation if you can. Protect your soul as closely as your own heart, is what I say.
Vir made a note to do exactly that. You already mentioned the fifth one, so what are thest two?
The sixth chakra is one few ever unlock, though there isnt a demon alive who doesnt covet it. Tis the chakra of the Third Eye.
Third Eye so it lets you see more?
In a sense. Attack me however you please, Cirayus said, producing a cloth and blindfolding himself. He went a step further, plugging his ears as well.
No matter how experienced the demon was, robbed of his sight and sound, there would be little he could do to defend against Vir. Then again, this was Cirayus, and with an ability called Third Eye, Vir would show no mercy.
Vir sunk into his shadow, leaving one arm out to pass a few seconds to throw the giant off bnce. Then he jumped from the demons shadow, sending an Empowered fist at his back.
He never got the chance. Cirayus fluidly twisted his torso, causing Virs strike to miss.
He tried again, and again he was foiled. Eventually, Vir resorted to a flurry of fists and kicks, but Cirayus nimbly avoided each one.
Its almost like
Vir walked a full forty paces away, then extended fingers behind his back. How many am I holding up?
Threenow two. And now four.
H-how? Vir asked, his voice hoarse. Cirayuscked Prana Visionhed said so himself. At the distance Vir stood, not even that ability could tell him how many fingers someone was holding up.
The Third Eye boosts intuition, Cirayus exined, undoing his blindfold, allowing one to grasp the true flow of reality. When mastered, one detaches themselves from their physical body, witnessing the world from the perspective of a bird, soaring high above. It eliminates blind spots, drastically boosting onesbat potential. As such, it can be exceedingly difficult to kill anyone who has opened the Third Eye.
That did sound powerful. Incredibly powerful. Like Prana Vision, except one that allowed him to witness all threats, from any angle. If coupled with Dance of the Shadow Demon, hed be untouchable, slinking away from threats before they ever hit him.
And now wee to the seventh and final chakra. The hardest to open, and thus precious few demons wield it. It is also the most abstract of them all, and many question if it might even be the weakest.
Is it?
You tell me.
The giant did nothing. He merely stood with one pair of arms crossed, the other pair on his hips. His height hadnt changed. Nor had he even moved.
Then his aura red.
Vir copsed, driving his head to the ground. He didnt deserve to exist in front of such a godlike presence. He ought to prostrate. To beg forgiveness from this mythological being who stood before him. The avatar of a giant stood behind Cirayus. A being whod grown so tall, its body nearly touched the skies. A giant among giants. One that could not be seen, but only felt.
The sensation was all-consuming. Against it, Vir was but a reed, destined to sway in the giants wind.
Then it was overthe avatar gone without a trace.
The Chakra of the Crown. The apex, and the destination of all those who embark upon this path. It is the manifestation of a spiritual avatar, representing the core essence of who you truly are. Simr to the Warrior Chakra, except instead of imbuing merely an attack with metaphysical weight, it gives your entire existence weight. It projects an aura whose heaviness is limited only by the strength and purity of your soul.
The strength of your soul is that something that grows over time? Vir asked, standing on his shaky legs.
Through time, experience, and hardship. Luckily, we have an abundance of thetter. As for the first two, well, theres no better time to begin that than the present, wouldnt you say?
Cirayus sat crosslegged on the ash, motioning Vir to do the same.
Now, meditate on the concept of solidity. Think of the great mountains, unmoving.
Vir closed his eyes and did so, imagining the tall, jagged peaks of the Ash. How long had they stood, resisting the efforts of the world to bring them down?
You are that mountain, Cirayus continued, cing his hand on Virs chest. Do not resist. The sensation will feel strange, but open yourself to me.
Vir suddenly felt an alien presence in his body. In his soul. But it was not a dangerous one. He did as he was told, allowing it into him.
Suddenly, the weight of an entire mountain crashed into him, and he felt like he was being crushed. He couldnt breathe. Every second was agony.
Then it was gone.
Apologies, Cirayus said. It is too soon. You are not yet ready.
Vir gasped for breath. Maybe I should start a little slower?
Aye. You will get there. Of this, I have no doubt. Now, let us discuss another matter, Cirayus grinned. I think its about time for your first field test.
Chapter 161: Field Test
Chapter 161: Field Test
Uh, Cirayus? Mind telling me why we allowed ourselves to be surrounded by Ash Beasts?
Not just one or two, either. Over a dozen beasts circled warily around the two, eyeing them, sizing them up. Among their number were Ash Bitersthe same beast Vir fought in the depths of the mine near Avialong with a pack of Raptors and some Greater Zards. Ash wolves loped some distance away, wary of the neers to their domain.
Though hed fought some of these beasts in the Human Realm, he wasnt about to make the mistake of thinking theyd be the same. The prana densities were iparable. And like him, Ash Beasts almost all possessed Apex Ash prana affinity. They mightck tattoos or orbs, but the realm strengthened them as much as it did him, and they were already terrifying, to begin with.
Why, youre going to fight them,d, said his godfather as if it was the most natural thing in the world. You wanted to test out your new abilities, didnt you? How can you do any better than actual opponents?
Vir was less convinced.
Together, right? Well fight them together?
Surely the giant didnt expect him to go up against all these beasts alone? Especially since he was still limatizing.
I seem to have suddenly grown quite tired, Cirayus said, cing the back of his palm against his forehead before copsing, sending a cloud of ash flying. Ill justy down here for a moment. Why dont you hand me your rucksack so Ill have a pillow.
Yep. He wants me to do this alone, Vir thought with a grim expression while removing his backpack. This wasnt just a chance for him to experiment; Cirayus wanted to see what he was capable of.
If you take them all out in ten minutes, we will proceed deeper into the Ash.
The giant certainly knew what to say to motivate himVir wasnt an ignorant chalhe knew exactly what Cirayus was doing.
Deal, Vir said immediately.
It didnt matter if Cirayus was hanging a carrot at the end of a stick. Not when the carrot was that juicy.
Vir drew his katar and nced at his chakrams. For now, they were even less useful than theyd been in the Human Realm, barely useful as a distraction. One that cost ammunition with each use. He left them stowed on his back.
Ideally, Vir wanted Prana Visions aid, but as Cirayus once said, Warriors rarely have the luxury of choosing their battles. Hed have to fight with the ability hampering rather than helping.
When Vir walked away from Cirayus, hed expected half to follow.
No such luck. All the creatures came after him. Not only that, the ring theyd formed drew tighter and tighter.
They can sense how strong Cirayus is, cant they? Vir thought in despair.
Seeing Vir as small fry, they came after him, hunger in their eyes. It struck him as odd that they were cooperating with each other; from everything hed heard, the Ash had driven their sanity out of them long ago. The beings who stalked him now certainly didnt act crazed. Maybe they lost their sanity deeper in the Ash.
Despite his trepidation, Vir made the opening move, lunging at the nearest Ash Biter. He knew from experience they enjoyed snapping their jaws at their prey, so he took its back.
In the mine near Avi, hed struggled to prate the thinyer of prana all Ash Beasts surrounded themselves with. Here, it was thicker. In fact, it was almost as thick as physical armor, so Vir didnt dare pull punches.
Empowering his strike with as much prana as his body could handle, he shot out Prana de. Except, what emerged wasn''t a mere Prana de. The Ash prana coating his katar raged forth, extending well past the length of the katar.
Vir blinked.
This isn''t Prana de. It''s de Projection! The Rare Tier ability he''d worked so hard for in the Human Realm had just manifested of its own ord. All thanks to the prana here.
The force behind the attacknearly threw off his bnce. It no longer felt like his own arm. It was as if Vera herself had taken control of his limb, directing it with awe-inspiring force.
Im gonna bisect this thing! Vir thought with tion, stunned at his own power. This was the power hed yearned for. With this
The de stopped dead against the Biters armor, sinking only an inch beforeing to rest.
Instinct prompted Vir to hurl himself into a reverse somersault, narrowly avoiding the Biters jaw snap. Virs ears rang from the shockwave emitted from its bite; such was its force.
That was it? Vir thought in shock. Prana de had evolved far past its prior limits, even turning into de Projection. Was this all it was capable of? Such power and yet, nothing. It spoke volumes about how strong the beasts in this domain truly were.
Cant allow those attacks to even graze me. A single strike might very well mean his demise.
Vir Leaped all the way back to Cirayus, buying himself some breathing room.
Nine minutes, the giant casually called out.
Need more power. It was ridiculous to think that so soon after multiplying his strength, he still came up short, but that was the reality here in the Ash.
What can I do?
It wasnt as if he was out of ideas. Just that hed never tested them. Ten minutesnow ninewasnt long at all to develop a new ability. He tried regardless.
First, Vir concentrated on his arm, seeing the prana circting inside. Prana de had grown significantlyin size. Its density was only slightly greater than before.
It doesnt need to be thatrge, Vir thought.
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Having extra reach when needed was wee, but right now, he required deadliness above all else. He needed a de that could rend prana itself.
That meant a denser Prana de.
Vir began the activation process, spinning the prana inside his arm faster and faster. Twice, then thrice what hed mustered before. His blood vessels stretched and strained against the level of blood flow. Only then did he allow it to shoot out of his arm, traveling the length of his katar.
It workedthe de that had been as long as a greatsword now came barely past his katar. But what it lost in length, it more than made up for in power. It was dense. So dense, it seemed to suck in the very light around it.
More.
Vir knew if he wanted to survive here, hed need power. A lot more. Yet his body was at its current limit; spinning prana faster wasnt an option.
Parais Technique.
Parais Prana Channeling boosted his prana efficiency, allowing him to do more with less. In the Human Realm, itd also augmented his power, allowing him to Leap farther and Empower harder.
Here, where prana was so abundant, Vir wondered if itd give him an even more significant advantage. Why shouldnt it? Prana Channeling routed his blood in pathways that sent exactly the right amount of prana to the right muscles.
Normally, hed just scatter prana into his muscles, but Empowers strength and Leaps distance depended on each muscle having just the right amount of energy. Muscles worked in harmony with each other, and when one received too much, it reduced the Talents overall effect.
Now that his body had mostly limatized, Prana Channeling wasnt hard to use, made even easier by the hours hed spent training.
Vir activated Empower in his arm as he shed, this time channeling prana ording to Parais technique. As expected, it used a fraction of the prana as before
It also knocked him t on his face, such was the momentum it carried.
Vir, I know youre excited, but I dont think facenting is an efficient method to kill those Ash Beasts, Cirayus said, looking like he was about tough. Seven minutes remain.
Hrious, Vir replied, wiping the ash from his face. Watch this.
Vir turned, Leaping back to the Ash Biter. Prana de fired, wreathing his katar in prana so dense, he could see it with his regr vision, taking the appearance of ck mes that oozed off of his seric de.
Empower activated mid-swing, giving his thrust an explosive burst of momentum.
The Prana de met the Biters armor. For a brief moment, prana fought prana equally, before offense overpowered defense, breaking through. Once past, the katar split flesh like water, and this time, Vir did bisect it.
The beasts that had closed in immediately halted, reevaluating their chances.
Why didnt they attack all at once, though? Vir had been vulnerable fighting the Biter. Hed remained on guard, of course, but he was sure a beast wouldve attacked while he was distracted.
Whatever it was, he wasntining. Vir Leaped to the other Ash Biter, destroying it with the same thrust, which also carried his immense speed behind it.
His de didnt simply bisect the beast. It impaled it, taking it along for the ride. Only when Vir had bounded seventy paces away ande to a stop did the corpse fall off the de, crumpling in a cloud of ash dust.
Any takers? Vir shouted, Leaping back into the fray and skewering a small, bipedal beast along the way. A Raptor. Br five. Not only was it smaller, its prana signature was also less dense than the Ash Biters, and Vir doubted hed have any trouble with the Raptor and its brethren.
Only their numbers gave him pause. In packs, their rank could soar to eighty, but its dozen brethren routed, clearly thinking themselves outmatched, and ran for their lives.
Vir wasnt about to let them. Leaping, he impaled, bisected, and crushed, preparing his next Leap even as he swung his de.
At first, it took a second to kill one of them. By the time hed lopped off the head of thest one, hed cut that in half.
Five minutes, Cirayus called, and Vir swore he could hear a trace of surprise in his voice.
You dont need to suppress the others while I fight, you know? Vir replied, somewhat irritated. The reason the beasts hadnt swarmed him became obvious with a nce at thepacted ash.
Cirayus had been pinning the beasts in ce.
This is tough enough,d. Youll be fighting them on your own soon enough. Less than five minutes to go. You sure you want to be chatting me up right now?
Five is more than I need, Vir said, facing his next opponents.
Next up were the Greater Zards. Hed fought their lesser brethren in the mines near Avi, but theirrger brethren were in another league. Where Lesser Zards mightve been Br One individually, Greaters could get up to Br fifty, and there were two to greet him.
Vir Leaped in, but the beasts matched his speed, dodging his blow by a hair. Something sted out of their mouths, and Vir shed in reflex, his de finding something fleshy and wet.
A tongue!?
He severed it, sending the Zard writhing in agony. Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to use the same tactic on its friend. The other Zards tongue wrapped around his ankle, mming him into the ash face first.
Vir inhaled a cloud of ash, setting him coughing. His eyes watered and his nose stung, but Vir had been in worse situations before. Closing his eyes, he relied on Prana Vision.
The tongues stopping me from getting away! Vir struggled as the other, tongue-less Zardunched itself at him, its wed paw ready to maul.
There wasnt enough time to bring his de to bear, nor could he break free of the Zard that held him in ce.
Break free? Vir dumped as much prana into his leg as his body could handle, not bothering with Parais Technique. High Jump hardly needed it.
He straight shot up, until the Zards long tongue stopped him. It was never designed to bear such strain, though, and Vir felt a sharp tug as it ripped.
Owing to the tongue that held him, High Jump only took Vir a few paces in the air. Performing a midair somersault, he fell katar-first, bringing his executioners de down on the Zards smooth hide.
There was no defending against such force. Its head sheared clean off, and when Vir righted himself, he found the other Zard already twenty paces away, fleeing as fast as its legs allowed.
A single Leap followed by Prana de, Prana Channeling, and Empower, ended the beast.
Three minutes, Cirayus called.
Only five Ash Wolves remainedthe others having left at some point.
Immediately, Vir knew theyd be his toughest opponents yet. From the way Ash prana oozed off their hides, to the piercing gaze of their glowing blue eyes, everything about the pack screamed danger.
Uh, Cirayus? Whats the Br rank on these? Do you know?
Hmm. I feel like I''ve heard that term before... Cirayus said, scratching his head.
Nevermind.
Vir searched his memory, thinking back to the bestiary at Balindam. If he recalled properly, itd put Ash Wolves in the twenty to forty range, but there was something he was forgetting. Something crucial.
What I can tell you, Cirayus said, is that theyre many times more lethal as a pack. Youd best not underestimate them.
Ah, right! That was it. Br twenty to forty individually. Two hundred fifty to four hundred as a pack of five.
B-bring it! Vir roared.
Cirayus, oh great demigod, please watch over me!
Chapter 162: Ash Wolf
Chapter 162: Ash Wolf
With an explosion of ash, Vir darted to the nearest Ash Wolf, his katar extended. Even in the Ash, Vir doubted many beasts could move as quickly as he could.
Ash Wolves didnt match his speed, they exceeded it handily. The wolf calmly moved to the side, easily dodging his thrust.
Worse, Vir shot past, giving his back to the enemy. Hed put so much power into his attack, it became extremely difficult to stop, let alone redirect his attacks. Vir flew for another fifty paces before finally slowing enough to dig his heels into the ash.
The moment he did, he was beset by all five wolves, and unlike before, Cirayus wasnt keeping them from pouncing on him all at once.
Forget attacking, Vir was hard-pressed to dodge and block their unending torrent of blows. The moment he blocked a w, an open maw would be diving for his neck. Ducking that only put him face to face with two more sets of ws.
Vir had wondered why the Ash Wolves Br rank soared so dramatically in a pack. Normally, the effect was additive, but not so with these beasts. Together, they were more than the sum of their parts, acting more like a single entity with five bodies, rather than individual units.
They fluidly and seamlessly pressured Vir, reminding him of Spears Edge and also the two Hiranyan warriors whod ambushed him in the Godshollow.
True teamwork is terrifying.
It was something hed never quite achieved with Spears Edge.
Vir dodged ws and maws, blocking the ones he had to. He was losing, and his enemy knew it.
I need some way of isting one from the rest, he thought furiously.
Easier said than done. In the few instances where Vir attacked a wolf, it always moved in a way that kept it close to the pack.
After defending an onught of ws, Vir glimpsed the slightest opening, lunging forth with his katar only to find another pair of ws lunging at him from the sides.
A trap!?
Vir mmed his leg down, leveraging High Jump to abruptly change course. Even then, he wasnt fast enough.
ws shed across his armor, leaving scratch marks across the pristine seric.
These things are way too smart, he muttered under his breath.
The attack brought with it another considerationhe needed to be far more careful about damage to his armor. Without a means of repairing it, any damage would be permanent. Haymis magic had protected him before, taking damage before the actual armor took damage, but now that hecked that boon, hed need to consider when and where he took hits.
Vir wasnt skilled enough to dodge every blow, but he started focusing on evasion more to protect his armor. Which meant he had even fewer opportunities to strike back.
He needed time toe up with a fresh strategy.
Reaching for his ultimate weapon, Vir pulled prana from his legs and tried to sink into the shadows Nothing happened. The Shadow Realm remained firmly shut. Then he looked up at the sky and understood.
It wasnt so much cloudy as it was murky. In the Ashen Realm, day and night didnt exist. The lighting was always hazy and dim, obscured by the unending ashfalls, which meant Dance was far less reliable.
Sweat built up along Virs brow and his breaths grew increasinglybored. The wolves were wearing him down, and if he didnt do something soon, theyd win.
One minute, Cirayus called from some distance away.
Desperately, Vir created more of a suction, pulling so much prana from his feet into his legs until it was practically dry.
It was not an easy task. Ground prana threatened to rush into his body, overloading the wall hed erected next to his skin.
Finally, just as an Ash Wolf lunged at him, the shadows opened, and Vir sunk, freezing time.
Not doing that again, he thought, taking a breather.
Though pain couldnt find him in the shadows, the throbbing sensation hed experienced right before lingered in his mind. Forcing Dance to activate like that came with its consequences. It might work for emergencies, but it wasnt something he could rely on continuously.
It left a sour taste in his mouth knowing his most powerful ability was crippled in the Ash, especially considering all the gains hed just made.
That said, in the Human Realm, it wouldve been impossible to brute force the ability, no matter how hard he tried.
Just means I need different strengths topensate. Hede to rely on Dance heavilytely, and that worried him. In case it ever failed himlike just nowhed be dead in the water. Or worse, actually dead.
Now that he was inside the shadows, he had a choice: either do what hed always done, leveraging the shadows to decimate his enemy, or challenge himself to exceed his limits and grow.
He took thetter. Was it even a choice?
His mind turned to speed. Haste wouldve been nice, but as a Rare Tier Talent Vir had no familiarity with, he doubted hed learn it in the few seconds he had before the shadows ejected him.
Blink.
An ability hed craved ever since seeing Riyan use it. It was like Leap, just faster than the blink of an eye.
Vir imagined there wasnt much that differentiated it from Leap, other than the prana it consumed. Vir settled on a n, but first, hed even the odds a bit.
Vir snaked a hand out of a wolfs shadow and skewered its soft belly. It tried to run, of course, but there was no outrunning ones own shadow. Virs arm followed the beast, plunging, retracting, and plunging again with the efficiency of a machine. Tireless and unrelenting.
Stolen story; please report.
The wolves pack mates froze, unable to understand how the disembodied arm had murdered their brother.
They didnt have long; Virs katar soon found its next target and began the brutal assassination again.
There wasnt a third. By the time hed killed the second, the wolves had shot away at top speed, leaving only one behind. The perfect test subject.
There was just one problem. With the wolves gone and Vir in the shadows, he didnt have a full shadow to emerge from any longer. He picked the next closest one. Cirayus.
Vir jumped out of the demons shadow, but the wolf had already put distance between them. He needed to close the distance and do it faster than Leap would allow.
Time! Cirayus called.
Vir didnt listen. Hed alreadymitted. Vir surged as much prana into his leg as possible, but this time, he focused not on sheer distance, but raw, explosive power. He envisioned instantaneous transport.
The Talent responded. It yearned for more, sucking prana voraciously through the ground and the air both. It even sucked prana from the rest of his body.
Then it activated. Vir didnt quite move instantaneously, but it sure felt like it. It was as if hed taken a punch to his gut, such was the force on his entire body. That was before he crashed into the fleeing Ash Wolf at incredible speed, sending them both to the ground.
When he rose, he found his katar buried in the wolfs head. Pure luck, more than anything, but hed take it.
Badraks sted Balls, Vir! Cirayus thundered, catching up in no time at all, and pping him on his back. Now that was a show. Well fought,d. Well fought.
T-thanks. But I didnt make it in time.
Bah. You had a whole minute left. I took a minute off the timer to push you.
Monster.
Vir didnt have it in him to reply. His leg throbbed and his whole body ached.
Dance of the Shadow Demon is truly powerful. And yet, you see its weakness. The Iksana that protected you as a baby also struggled to deploy that power in thisnd.
Vir sat back heavily onto the ash, kicking up a small dust cloud. Did he figure out a workaround?
The same one as you, apparently. By fueling it with more prana, he could enter the shadows, though the grimace on your face tells me you ran into the same issue he did.
Overdid it. My body doesnt like that. Blink didnt help any.
Yes. Prana saturation. It afflicts us all.
Prana saturation? Vir struggled to recall Tanyas words when hed snooped in on her lessons. Hed never really understood what that was, as it hadnt ever affected him. Quite the opposite, in fact. The more prana he held within his body, the stronger he felt. Hed never forget the sensation of prana flooding him once hed learned to prevent it from leaking out.
But then, it wasnt just his legs that hurt. His arms did too, from channeling Prana de.
Could it be the same reason?
Never before had he cycled so much. For the simple reason that there just wasnt enough prana to do so. Hed always rationed his consumption as aggressively as possible to allow more Talent uses in a prana-starvednd.
With that limitation now removed, the prana he consumed was iparable, even with Parais technique boosting his prana efficiency.
Prana saturation Is that when the body reaches its prana channeling limit?
Aye. No one knows why, but after channeling a certain quantity of prana, the body begins to resist any more. It is as though prana burns us out. Luckily, the situation is temporary. A day or two of rest generally fixes the issue. One of our most gifted researchers, Saunak, once experimented with it, but his results were inconclusive, if I recall. And highly hical. The man was rather insane.
Demons have prana researchers? Vir asked. Hed never heard of anything simr in the Human Realm.
Oh yes. Plenty. I think youll find our knowledge of prana far superior to that of the humans. If Im honest, felt like I was watching children y with toys.
Agreed, Vir replied. Humans had copied inscriptions for millennia, yet there had been nearly no advancement in that time. To this day, all of their spells are hailed from the Age of the Gods. Hadnt anyone tried to change the inscriptions? Hadnt anyone studied prana?
Or was it something else? Was there danger involved in doing so?
Vir didnt even need to think about thatthere was lots of danger ying with prana, as hed found out firsthand. Yet humans were often reckless. Surely there was bound to be someone who didnt mind losing their life, who progressed the science?
It has to be something else, then
Like a restriction. Some limitation that prevented humans from changing the script. Too bad Vir couldnt look into it until he was back in the Human Realm. He doubted itd be soon.
Youd best conserve your prana, Cirayus said, as he skinned the hide off of some of the beasts Vir has killed. Seems counterintuitive, but here, your body is the limiting factor. For our purposes, prana is essentially infinite.
Cirayus was right. Prior to the Ash, Vir could never have guessed just how nuanced controlling his abilities here would be. What would it be like for mejai, then? How many learned the tricks before prana poisoning took them?
First Dance, now saturation Vir had several developments to consider. Not to mention how Prana Vision continued to obscure his eyesight even now, with Ash Affinity obscuring most everything else.
If only I could tune it somehow
It was an idle thought, but not a bad one. Until now, hed simply sent prana to his eyes, and that was that. If he could selectively filter out affinities
A dozen applications unfolded. If he knew someones prana signature and could tune it for only that particr signature, hed be able to spot anyone, anywhere, anytime. If he wanted to scout for Lightning Affinity mejai, he could easily locate everyone. Even those with dual or triple affinities.
As it was, Prana Vision was good at analyzing an individual. It wasrgely useless for looking at a whole crowd of people and quickly picking out an individual unless they had strong affinities.
And if I can filter for strength Vir could tune out all the weaklings, focusing only on the highest-priority threats.
Of course, this was all conjecture. He didnt know if any of this was actually possible, but something needed to change, or Prana Vision would be more an impediment than a boon in the Ash.
Your training foundation is passable, Cirayus said, plucking a fang from a downed Ash Wolf. Your foundation is sound. Your instincts, your sense for the flow of battle, and your tactics are all logical and well-honed. Few at your level of strength can get an Ash Wolf pack to rout. Even weak ones here at the edge of the Ash.
Thanks to Dance of the Shadow Demon. Id have been in a lot of trouble without it.
Though, maybe I can match their speed now, with Blink.
It is good that you realize it. If you understand that much, Ive no doubt youlle up with countermeasures.
Thanks, Vir replied, thinking of how differently Cirayus treated himpared to Riyan. Riyan would just throw Vir into danger and force him to figure things out. Even when Vir seeded, the man was conservative with his praise. And when he failed? Thered be no end of criticism.
Respect, Vir thought. Thats the difference.
Cirayus treated him with respect. Yes, the demon pushed him to challenge his limits, but in all situations, hed been there to back Vir up in case he got himself in trouble. Cirayus pointed out his shorings, but also recognized his strengths, anduded him for his aplishments.
It felt good. Maybe it was because Vir knew just how incredibly strong Cirayus was. There was just something about the mans bearing. The way he spoke and carried himself spoke of endless wisdom. The aura. It made his words have weight.
I guess its no wonder if hes lived for four hundred years
Now, let us review your performance in depth, shall we?
Chapter 163: Legacy of the Akh Nara
Chapter 163: Legacy of the Akh Nara
The first thing you did right was to attack the enemies you knew you could defeat, Cirayus spoke slowly, stroking his beard. Your first mistake was assuming the other beasts would let you.
Vir grimaced. The giant had a point.
I had a time limit.
No,d, you sumbed to artificial pressure. Tell me, would you have died, had you taken longer than ten minutes?
N-no.
Would you have been crippled, or otherwise severely injured?
No, Vir said, understanding where Cirayus was going with this.
Would I have been in danger?
Vir scoffed. I doubt theres anything that can threaten you.
That is a bet I would not take,d. Though, in this situation, it is true that I was in no danger. You allowed your ambition to override your good sense.
Vir hung his head. Hed done exactly that. Hed been so blinded by the time limit, he didnt even bother to understand what he was getting himself into.
Knowledge is power and information keeps you safe. There are times that force one to act without knowledge of their enemies, true, but this was not one of them.
The beasts never attacked when I was close to you. I shouldve used that to learn more about my prey, learning their behavior, Vir admitted. I know. Thats exactly what I normally do, but
Discipline. Tis simple to navigate a calm sea, but our mettle is tested only when the storms arrive. Remember this going forward.
So this is what a proper instructor looks like, Vir thought. He didnt mind the criticism. In fact, he weed it. Every bit helped him improve. Wasnt that all that mattered?
Youll learn these lessons in time. I can advise you to hasten the process, but there truly is no substitute for experience. Fight, fight some more, and then keep fighting. The more battles you rue during your time here, the strongerand wiseryou will be for it.
I will. And Ill get strong enough to do it without your assistance.
Good! There are plenty of enemies in this realm. Now if you like, you can listen to me ramble about what I know of the Akh Nara while we travel.
Are you kidding? Tell me everything! Vir rose and together, they resumed their bounding gait, jumping dozens of steps at a time.
Lightning cracked in the distance and a stiff breeze blew past, as if to apany the opening of Cirayus tale.
I know as much about the Akh Nara as anyone, and yet, Im afraid Ive uncovered only bits and pieces, Cirayus began. My findings have shown that they share only a single unifying trait.
Which is?
All were supremely powerful beings. Some stronger than others. The first Akh Nara is rumored to have lived around three millennia ago, just after the fall of the Gods.
Parai the Ancient, Vir said, half-guessing based on his ancestors name.
Aye. I take it youve met?
We have. The prana channeling technique I use came from Parai, actually. I also modified it slightly to deal with the prana poisoning, though thats more of a crutch for now. Cirayus, what exactly are the primordials? Why do they exist?
Wish I could tell you,d. All I can say for sure is all the Akh Nara have had that same eight-pronged tattoo you bear on your chest, and that there have been five of them since the fall of the gods.
Five? Not six? Vir asked. Are you sure?
Quite certain,d, or else Id have read about it. Why do you ask?
At Daha, I stumbled upon the lost ruins of an ancient Prime Imperium outpost, Vka Amara.
Cirayus eyes went wide.
It was intact, too. Lit up when I entered it.
Not just a single building, but an entire outpost? And an active one? Astounding. Im not sure you grasp the full weight of this experience. Apart from the Vimana in the Human Realm, that may be the only ce of its kind! Oh, what our thaumaturges would do to get their hands on something like that, Cirayus said with a wry smile. What was it like? Tell me everything.
Despite his terrifying appearance, Cirayus reminded Vir of an eager child at that moment, desperate to hear more.
Magnificent, Vir replied honestly. The way they baked prana into their architecture was It was beautiful on a level I cant even begin to describe. Thats not all. I met an avatar of Lord Janak.
Cirayus had been enthusiastic before, but now he regarded Vir with religious fervor.
A living god?How?
Maiya had had a simr reaction, though not quite to this degree. Cirayus seemed almost possessed by his reverence. Something deeper than mere awe and surprise drove those feelings, but what?
He said the real Janak died millennia ago. That he was just a copy, or something like that. And that what I was seeing was a projection of that copy. Seems he has a real body, buried somewhere deep in the Ash.
Mahdi, Cirayus whispered. It has to be.
Thats right! You know of it?
Aye, the demon replied, his wordsing slowly. Only rumors, though. There is said to be a ce, buried so deeply within the Ashen Realm, only your ancestors ventured there. A ce where many Ash Beasts dare not tread. Where the prana is so dense, it bes visible to the naked eye. A realm where nightmares be reality. The core.
And Janak wants me to go therePerfect.
This confirms it. Mahdi is real! Cirayus said, his voice full of awe. I never knew. Never could have known! Demons will have a field day with this!
Vir contemted telling Cirayus that Janak told him to go there, but the look in the demons eye told him that might be ill-advised, at least for now. Vir wouldnt put it past the giant to change their destination and plot a course for that ce. That was something he wanted to avoid until he was strong. Truly strong.
Stolen story; please report.
The reason I mention it is that Janak said I was the seventh of my line. I never understood what that meant, but I think he was referring to my previous incarnations.
Hmm. Reaper Ekanai, Shardul the Vicious, Narak the Destroyer, Jalendra the Wise, and Parai the Ancient. Ive never heard of another, but if Lord Janak said so, it must be true.
All the names were familiar to Vir, except one.
Jalendra the Wise?
One of our great philosopher kings. Jalendra single-handedly brought demons out of centuries of warring and infighting, uniting the Demon Realm for the first time in recorded history. He rose to power a few hundred years after Parais death. A lover of arts and culture, and a genius at military strategy, he was feared by his enemies and was loved by nearly everyone else.
I see, Vir replied. He hoped to meet this ancestor one day. Given how hed seen a memory from Parai, who was even older, he remained hopeful. Anyway, I dont think Lord Janak would misspeak.
The identity of the sixth ancestor was a mystery, but not one that would be solved now. Perhaps hed find clues in the Demon Realm.
How about you put your newly learned lesson to practice? Cirayus said, pointing to a lone Phantomde that stalked in the distance.
Vir drew to two hundred paces of the beast, then halted. This was an enemy he''d fought and barely defeated in the Human Realm. It had been a tough fight, and while he had some idea of the creature''s attacks, he couldn''t be sure it didn''t have ess to stronger ones here.
He waited, observing. To attack, he''d need the element of surprise. The scales on its backunched with terrifying speed, and so he''d have to close the distance without being noticed.
Easier said than done; the beast kept its head on a swivel, continuously scanning its surroundings. Even with Leap and Blink, Vir doubted he could close the distance in time.
So he went prone, lying t on the ash, and waited. Five minutes passed, then ten, but the Phantomde made no movement.
I''ll start you on learning chakras right now if you can defeat that beast.
This again. He''s tempting me.
Vir settled in as he watched, but there was no reason to watch in silence.
Tell me more about the primordials, he said. You mentioned they all possessed the same tattoo. What else?
No harm chatting, I suppose. Cirayus stroked his tattoo. We know the Akh Nara can inscribe multiple Ultimate Bloodline tattoos. Records from Shardul, Reaper Ekanai, and Jalendras time all prove this. The other oddity lies in how these tattoos are formed. Cirayus pointed to his bare chest. On normal demons, Ultimate tattoos are inscribed in specific ces upon their body.
They cant be put just anywhere? Vir asked.
Correct. The proximity of a tattoo to its area of influence determines its efficacy. Bncer of Scales affects my entire body, and so it may be inscribed upon either the chest or back. This holds true for all tattoos. An Iksana Sight tattoo must be applied near the eyes, or it will be weak.
I see. So whats different about the primordials?
Every Ultimate tattoo they inscribe links up to a prong on your chest tattoo, and the cement doesnt seem to matter nearly as much.
Eight powers as strong as Bncer of Scales It was nearly unfathomable.
Unfortunately, only six remain.
Six? Then why does my tattoo have eight prongs?
For the first time in their conversation, Cirayus looked anguished. Some of the tattoos have been lost, Im afraid.
Lost. As in misced? How does a n lose their most powerful weapon?
When theyre wiped out by another n. Perhaps someone hid them, dying off before they could tell another. Perhaps the invading n burned the inscription scroll. Demon history is a long and bloody one. Such things happen, though of course, ns do everything in their power to save them.
Virs throat went dry. And the Ultimate tattoo of my n? What of Gargas?
Cirayus looked away. I cannot say,d. I left before Garga truly fell. I doubt your father would allow the scroll to fall into the wrong hands, but I cannot see him destroying the inscription so easily. Not while you lived. He was better than that.
Im surprised he didnt send it with you, to be honest.
Far safer to keep it in the Demon Realm. Losing you would be a tragedy. A terrible tragedy. But if the worst were to happen, the Akh Nara would eventually reincarnate. Perhaps not soon, but one day. The same cannot be said for the inscription.
Vir wondered why they didnt simply make copies of the thing, though doing so came with its own risks. Especially if the master inscription was a closely guarded secret.
Theres more, Cirayus continued. Jalendra umted more tattoos than any other primordial. Least, that we know of. He was also the most well-informed of them all. Trust me, Ive spent more than my fair share of time studying this topic over the centuries. Its one of the great demon mysteries, after all.
And? What did his writings say? Vir asked, urging the giant not to take any more tangents.
In his writings, we find mentions of a power. Seemed he spent thest years of his life searching desperately for it, but never managed it. Called it the Supreme Arbiter. Apparently, it was a power that put even the Ultimate abilities to shame, if such a thing can be believed.
The Supreme Arbiter? The name felt familiar to Vir, though he couldnt ce where hed heard it. Or even if he ever had. To motivate someone like Jalendra, who already possessed so much strength, it truly had to be in a league of its own.
Vir turned to face the giant. I can''t do it, he said with a look of frustration. I just don''t have enough information on the Phantomde to know I can safely fight it. I''ll have to pass this time.
Expecting a look of disappointment, Vir braced himself for a lecture.
An excellent decision,d, Cirayus said, pping his shoulders. I agree. Phantomdes canunch a hundred of their scales as fast as you can Leap. As you stand, you have no way of taking the beast down in a single blow. If you had tried to attack, I would have stopped you.
A hundred!? Vir nched. The Phantomde he''d fought could only fire one at a time. I''d seriously have died.
Cirayus rose from his spot across from Vir, offering his hand. Wed best not linger long. Especially not with so many corpses lying about. Even the scavengers in the Ash are more than capable of biting your head off.
Where do we go from here? Vir asked.
First, I need to get my bearings. The Ashsndscape shifts continuously, but certain features remain. Before we venture deeper, we need to visit a cache I buried before leaving for the Human Realm.
Whats in it?
A weapon and a guide. Sikandar, my trusty de of several centuries, and an Artifact that will point the way to the Demon Realm.
Virs eyes narrowed. That exists? It seemed awfully convenient.
Aye, a handful do, in the Demon Realm. I wouldnt call them Artifacts are nevermonbut theyre numerous enough to be bartered between ns for exorbitant sums. We dont understand their true purpose, but the devices are bonded with their paired partner. So long as its sister in the Demon Realm is active, the Artifact will point the way to the nearest gate.
Vir could hardly believe what he was hearing. You buried such an important Artifact? In the Ash?
Would you risk allowing such a device to fall into the hands of humans? We didnt know what to expect from the Human Realm. None of us had ever traveled there and returned safely. If the device fell into their hands
Prana poisoning keeps them out. But you couldnt have known that at the time. If they were strong enough, they could march right into the Demon Realm.
Aye. Better to hide it in a safe spot. One that we can easily find, yet one unlikely to ever be stolen by some errant beast.
Er, such as? Vir asked, beginning to fear the response.
Their of an Alpha Shrike.
Shrike Shrike. Ah, yes. The avian creatures with a Br Rank of Four Hundred to Eight Hundred. Wait, Alpha?
Is that a stronger variety?
Oh yes. Stronger, and far, far is my ns Ultimate Bloodline tattoo?
You mean I never told you? Cirayus asked with a look that said he was just waiting for Vir to ask. Aspect of the Demon God.
Uh, that sounds impressive? Does it give you horns and let you breathe fire or something?
Maiya would get a kick out of that, he thought.
Nothing so shy, Im afraid.
Figures. Nothing could ever live up to such an overly pompous name. Vir wondered whether the Garga n was trying to make it sound cool, or if it was just bravado.
It simply makes you invincible.
Virs jaw hit the floor. Right before he stumbled and fell into a pile of ash.
Chapter 164: Royal Scalpel (Maiya)
Chapter 164: Royal Scalpel (Maiya)
You will report to me directly now. Princess Ira sipped her tea, regarding Maiya with a contemtive gaze.
Im honored, Your Highness, Maiya said in a fluster, but Im unsure how I can help you achieve your goal. Though Im alright fighting Ash Beasts, Im sure you must have plenty of strong warriors already?
It is not your current skill set, but rather your mindset Im interested in.
My mindset? Not the way Ive shot up in power?
Your mindset has forged you into the Handmaiden you are today, Ira said with a smirk, predicting Maiyas thoughts. You work when others rest. You train when others think only of finishing their days duties. You go above and beyond at every opportunity, and you learn.
Hah. You should see my friend
I shall groom you personally. Depending on your performance, youll be given more responsibility.
Thats thest thing I need
Ah, I should rify, with this responsibilityes great benefits. You will never want for coin ever again. Within Kinjal, youll be respected by all. Youll have no end of suitors, but unlike most women, youll get to decide who you end up with. Depending on your contributions, anded Sawai title isnt out of the question. So? Do you ept?
Maiya daydreamed of the day shed met Ira in her chambers. Shed gone in expecting to serve the princess tea, nothing more. Shed left as a confidante and secret operative. Never in her wildest dreams had she guessed shed y an instrumental role in helping the princess overthrow her father.
And yet, despite all Ira had said, Maiya kept reying one sentence in particr. Youll have no end of suitors. Every time she did, she blushed. There was only one person in all the realms for her. It didnt matter who came after herSawai, military, ormoner. She promised shed wait, and she intended to do exactly that.
Where are you now, Vir? Are you safe?
Maiya clutched themunications orb nestled within her robe. She knew it was foolish to bring such a priceless orb on a dangerous mission. Not only because of its coin value, but because losing it would mean losing her only means ofmunicating with Vir.
Plus, this particr orb was a bit special. An experimental unit that was said to transmit not just voice, but a projection of her face as well. Rani had apparently uncovered the original deep under some mine near Avi, and it had made its way into Kinjal hands, where they sought to copy it. Theyd managed it, albeit with some ws. Maiya was fine with ws if it meant getting to see him.
Shed been hopelessly incapable of leaving it alone. It followed her everywhere, and she even kept it next to her pillow, on the off-chance Vir contacted her in the middle of the night.
Hed only just entered the Ashen Realm. She knew that. She also knew the orb might not even work in the Demon Realm.
Its so unfair. If only I were stronger, I couldve followed him into the Ash
Maam? Something wrong? Maiyas Brian warrior whispered, and only then did Maiya realize she was scowling.
Shaking her head, she forced her mind back on task. This mission came directly from Princess Ira herself; it wasnt something she could afford to ck off on. Especially when the princess had repeatedly stressed how important it was that none escape.
The mission? Capturing some smugglers. Upon hearing it, Maiya had assumed it was one of the cabals that ran the organized crime rings around Kinjal. Shed been shocked to discover just how sessful and powerful these organizations were. It didnt seem very Kinjal to allow such miscreants to roam freely, but that was exactly the reality.
Smugglers operated with the tacit approval of the government. Approval and oversight. Only what Kinjal allowed out went out, and that went for both information and goods. Of course, theyd never do such a thing out of the goodness of their heartssmugglers operated both ways, bringing in as much as they exported. Intelligence, secret documents from other countries, and more. All of which eventually made its way back into the Kinjal governments hands, usually via agents and proxies.
So it was with great anticipation that Maiya set out on this mission. Yet, when she learned the details of the ring shed be apprehending, she couldnt help but wonder why ordinary Brian warriors hadnt been assigned instead. Or better yet, Brotherhood Mercenaries; they always seemed eager for these sorts of missions. They always appreciated a break from fighting Ash Beasts.
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For these were no elite smugglers. They were run-of-the-mill, ordinary criminals, looking to make a quick silver. That Maiya and her squad had remained undetected for the better part of a twenty-minute confidential discussion amongst the smugglers in the middle of their den only proved the point.
The smugglers had chosen an ordinary stone house as their base of operations. Located in amon district of Adrisa, Kinjals northernmost fortified city, it wasnt a bad choice. Far better than a darkir, or an isted structure in the middle of nowhere. Someone knew what they were doing. The same could not be said for the rest of their cadre.
Thus far, nothing of interest had been said. There was talk of a big haul of opiates from Sai, some worried discussions of the feral nature of the recent demon ves theyd obtained in Matali, and a bit of finger-pointing about the state of their treasury.
So why
Ye, about that, a smuggler said, responding to his partner in crime. Got somethin especially juicy. Like, the kinda thing that can put us on the map, if ya catch my meanin.
The graks that supposed to mean? You got a new customer? Some hotshot?
Nah. Even better. Info, straight from Sonam. From the castle.
Maiyas attention, which had threatened to wander off to thoughts of Vir, immediately snapped back. Her squad of sixall handpicked by her and tempered by countless encounters at the Ash Walllikewise stiffened, priming themselves for action. The smugglers next words would either spell their doom or Well, either way, the only way they were leaving this hideout was in shackles.
Got some news about PrincessIra.
For a moment, there was silence. Then the room filled with sounds of their reactions. One smuggler scoffed, shaking his head. Anotherughed, while yet another looked at his partner-in-crime with a look of pity.
Princess Iras bedridden. Might just fall over and die any day now. Everyone knows that. What did you find out? That she likes stuffed toys or something?
Maiya cocked a brow at the smugglers oddly apt remark. Princess Ira did love her stuffed toys, to a nearly unhealthy degree.
Thats exactly it. The infoes from an informant in the castle. Someone close to the princess herself. Turns out thats all a lie. Seems shes nning on overthrowing the Imperator. This is big, guys. Im talkin seric big.
Okay, yep. Chalk up another point for the princess, Maiya thought. If the princess knew of this n, it meant she knew the identity of this informant as well. Or at least, suspected.
Theughter abruptly ended as his coworkers mulled over the meaning of his words. Whos your informant?
You think Id give up someone so important? Forget it.
How do we know theyre solid?
Seric solid. I vouch for them myself.
Maiya was no longer listening. A quick series of hand signals to her squad primed them for action. Then, with a deep breath, Maiya stood from her hiding spot and approached the unsuspecting men.
Guys, can you imagine how much the Altani will pay for this?
Yeah, they would, wouldnt they? If they believed you. Which they wont, Maiya said, casually twirling a dagger in her hand.
Who goes there! a smuggler shouted, backing away from Maiya. Howd you get in here? Guards!
Theyre a bit preupied, Im afraid, Maiya said, slowly approaching the terrified smugglers with a look of absolute superiority stered over her face. Yknow, being dead, and all?
An act, of course, though not too far off from the truth. These smugglers might have a lesser Mejai Sorcar among them, but what of it?
Your dealings have not gone unnoticed by the lords of this empire. Your operation, and your lives, end here.
To her amusement, a couple of smugglers actuallyughed.
Is that right? Tell us, who will mete this justice upon us? You? A little girl? Alone?
If I needed help to crush the likes of you, Id have to kill myself in shame, after.
To no ones surprise, the smugglers all drew concealed daggers. The nearest two, confident in their victory, rushed her with the poorest form Maiya had ever witnessed.
Moving slightly to avoid the smugglers blows, Maiya grabbed his wrist and arm and twisted, eliciting a shriek of agony from the man as his weapon ttered to the ground.
His friend, whod recovered from his missed strike and wasing in for another, never got the chance. Maiya unleashed a kick at his ribcage right as he swung.
His arm couldntpete with the longer reach of Maiyas leg, and his dagger hit nothing but air. Maiyas armored bootnded, cracking ribs and sending the man to the ground in agony.
I thought you said you were alone! another smuggler shrieked, finding himself beset by her Brian warriors.
Pretty sure I never said that. Did I say that?
No, maam.
Her warriors forced two more smugglers to their knees, holding their necks to spearpoint while they bound and gagged them.
Thest one ran, but he didnt make it far; Maiya had blocked all the exits, after all.
Yknow, if we didnt want you alive, youd all have been dead before you ever saw any of us. Consider yourselves lucky.
A thrown dagger impaled the running mans hand, sending him crumpling to the ground, whimpering like a baby.
At least, I think youre lucky. To be honest, I have no idea what theyll do to you.
Maiya might''ve felt sorry for what was about to happen to them, had she not witnessed their other criminal acts. For while they might''ve been smugglers, these criminals dabbled in both the trade of opiates and the trafficking of both demons and humans. Drugs were one thing, but treating people as though they were livestock was something else entirely.
Her hand moved to the orb in her robe, subconsciously yearning to speak to Vir. Another,rger part, wished hed take his time. When they spoke again, she wanted to show off how much shed improved.
For the first time in her life, she was on par with Virs strength. For the first time, theyd stood together as equals. There was no way shed let him leave her in the dust again. Taking down small-time criminals simply wasnt going to cut it. She needed more. A lot more.
Maya sighed, cursing her friends ambition, despite having the same feelings herself.
Suppose I oughta ask the princess if I can solo Ash Beasts in my free time.
Be it Br five hundred or a thousand, when he returned, Maiya fully intended on greeting her precious friend with power no less than his own.
Chapter 165: Forces of Nature
Chapter 165: Forces of Nature
No luck? Vir asked as Cirayus approached. His eyes remained closed, his mind focused on the never-ending task of expanding his bodys prana-carrying capacity.
Nay. The Ash has shifted considerably since I was herest. Landmarks are missing, and strange new ones have taken their ce. I know generally where we are, but pinpointing a location is another matter entirely, the giant replied, setting down two full waterskins and a sack full of wild edibles hed collected on his outing.
Would''ve been nice if we could''ve brought Maiya''s Acira along, Vir grumbled.
s, Acira cannot survive here in the Ash. Demons have tried before. They be Ash dyed before long.
Ash dyed? Vir asked.
Corrupted by prana. They often gain great strength in the process, but lose their minds instead. Doomed to roam the Ash as feral beasts.
Would that have happened to me, if I didn''t get a handle on things? Vir shuddered at the thought.
How goes your training,d?
Slowly, Vir replied. It takes a lot longer to see gains nowpared to when we arrived here.
Hah! Yknow, Ive mentored a lot of demons in my time. You just might be the most reckless of them all. With as much Ash prana as you have, its a wonder youre even walking.
Its been a week since we came here! Vir said, opening his eyes to stare at the demon. A field of empty Ash stretched on in all directions, without a single feature to color thendscape. Ive only just gotten to where my body doesnt hurt being at equilibrium with the ambient prana.
Vir had spent his waking hours meditating, pulling prana into his body to stretch his blood vessels. Until recently, hed maintained a supersaturatedyer of blood near his skin, keeping the rest of his body at a prana deficit so he could use Talents without risk of overstressing.
But that was just a stopgap measure, and so hed worked on how much prana his blood could carry. If, at equilibrium, he had extra capacity, then he could safely use more prana to boost his attacks. Here in the Ash, his only limit was how much prana his blood could carry.
In his spare time, Vir had attempted to work on Prana Vision, though the staggering density that granted him power continued to stymie his eyes, forcing him to run with a minimum of prana to avoid blinding himself.
Aye, only a week. The stronger the reaction, the longer it takes to adapt to this realm. Ive apanied demons whove had far less severe responses, and even they took weeks. Youre doing well,d. More than well. You ought to be proud of your progress.
I guess Vir grumbled.
Usually, I only see such advances when a demon does something reckless.
Vir looked sheepishly away.
So youve hurt yourself overtraining?
More like experimenting with concepts I knew nothing about. This was a long time ago, when I first learned I wasnt Prana Scorned.
Scorned Humans are blind. Theyve had millennia to advance, yet they remain blissfully unaware of not just one, but three affinities! Its a wonder theyre as strong as they are.
How strong, do you think? Demons vs Humans. Who would win?
War was thest thing Vir wanted, though given how much humans hated demons, if they ever did Leaping, kicking up sprays of ash in his wake. One was shier than the other, but they both moved a hundred paces with each step, allowing them to travel the vast empty ins almost as quickly as an Acira.
They needed the speed, too. As Vir was learning, the Ashen Realm was vast. Nearly iprehensibly vast. Not only was it farrger than the Human Realm, the Ash Tears nearly all led to distant, broken ces. Some entire realms unto themselves. Of course, it wasn''t as though they could simply go through one. Their inherent instability made them exceedingly dangerous to pass through.
Among them is Mahdi. The Lost City of the Gods.
Would he find his way there somehow? At the moment, Vir certainly hoped not. Hed had enough difficulty dealing with the least prana-dense region of the regr Ashen Realm. A sub-realm where prana was supposed to be so thick you could see it sounded like a death wish. Both from poisoning and from the near-immortal beasts that lurked within.
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Once more, he felt his own insignificance. The strongest humans and demons were nothing but fodder here. And yet, while others might have despaired, Vir simply redoubled his efforts. Even now, when he Leaped, he stretched his bodys capacity to store prana, expanding it bit by bit with each activation. Because every moment not spent training was a moment wasted.
It wasnt enough on its own, of course. While Prana de had evolved into de Projectiondoubling the effective length of his dethe added reach diluted its power.
In both offense and defense, Vir wascking. He struggled to prate the thick prana armor that was ubiquitous among Ash Beasts, while he himself was unable to generate simr armor. Prana Channeling might boost his vitality, but it did nothing to allow him to weather damage, and Toughen wasnt nearly enough on its own.
de Launch was the next logical iteration of his offensive armament. It was the ability Mina''s bodyguard, Kamna, had used against him. He''d witnessed its fearsome power firsthand. Importantly, it gave him a ranged attack that dealt significant damage. Virs chakrams and chakris had be so useless that hed begun to consider ditching them.
Mastering de Launch was easier said than done, though. Vir still couldnt channel enough prana through his body tounch a violent explosion of prana. Nor could he control that prana once it left him, which meant he had to tame that incredible power within his body, as he did with Prana de and de Projection.
It needed overwhelming amounts of prana, and it needed skill. The former was simple, thetter hard.
Virs mind turned to the handful of beasts hed fought over the past week. Hed prevailed against them all, though after his second win, he started to suspect something off. The beasts were weaker than hed expected. Not that they were weak by any means; all were easily as strong as the Brood Matron in the Human Realm, but for Ash Beasts in the Ash, Vir had expected more.
It wasnt just because they were in a prana-weak region, either.
Hes helping me, somehow.
Cirayus had to have been intervening. It wasnt anything as tant as using Bncer of Scales to hold enemies back as hed done earlier, or Vir wouldve picked up on it immediately. Nevertheless, he was doing something to restrict his opponents power, but Virs repeated questions about it had been met with firm denials every time.
Eliminating all other choices, Vir suspected the giant was opening his Crown Chakra, targeting the aura at his foes.
The scenery slowly changed as they bounded. A dark forest came into view, and not long after, jagged peaks that soared into the dark clouds high above. Lightning struck unendingly, as if determined to level the ck mountains that defied them. All while ash rained perpetually.
Much like the Boundary, there was a wrongness to this cea feeling that had grown stronger in Virs mind over the past week. Whatever the Ashen Realm was, he very much doubted it was a natural phenomenon. Where did the ashe from and how could it fall perpetually? Why was there no sun here? The hideously deformed flora, the storms It was as if there was something fundamentally broken about the world, but who? Or what?
What beings were capable of such a feat, Vir couldnt begin to guess. He doubted even the Prime Imperium wielded such power.
There was no warning. The next thing Vir knew, he was lying face down in the mud, a crushing force pinning him down.
The force ceased as suddenly as it hade, and Vir found Cirayus next to him, eyeing the horizon. For the first time upon entering the Ash, Vir thought he saw fear in the giants expression.
Stay down. Dont breathe a word, the demon whispered.
Vir followed his gaze. Prana Vision found it first. Off in the distance were hundreds, if not thousands, of Ash Beasts. Big ones, too. Easily asrge as Cirayus. Though Vir hadnt encountered this type before, he doubted their Br Rank was anything less than several hundred. Each.
What are they doing, gathered up like that?
Itd be suicidal trying to get through that throng, which ripped at each other''s throats. The beasts ran the gamut of shape and size, all attempting to kill one other.
KREEEEEEEEEE!
An ear-splitting wail ripped through the air, and Vir knew in that moment that it wasnt the beast throng Cirayus was worried about. It was the predator that hade to consume them.
A cylindrical mass lit up pure ck to Virs eyes, floating high in the air and nearly blinding his vision.
Prana Swarm!? No. Something else.
Something no less terrifying.
The swarm hed seen under Daha resembled a cloud,cking any distinct shape. This was different. Easily three hundred paces long, the beast slithered through the air like a snake. Or a Wyrm.
Not like a Wyrm. That is a Wyrm, Vir realized, growing just as still and terrified as the giant beside him.
Br Rank estimated between 12,000 to 40,000. Threat level: Cataclysmic.
It was among the deadliest beasts in the Ashen Realm, rumored to live only in its most prana-dense regions. Never did he expect one to venture so far to the periphery, and based on the giants expression, neither had Cirayus.
They watched as the beast descended rapidly, chasing some unseen prey.
Prey that had absolutely no chance of getting away.
Instead of slowing its descent as Vir thought it would, it crashed into the ground, the giant body crumbling into a million pieces.
Did it just kill itself!?
When Cirayus expression remained unchanged, Vir knew he was wrong. He peered deeper, leveraging both his sight and Prana Vision to see the truth of the matter.
Vir gasped, earning him a stern look from the four-armed demon.
The Wyrm hadnt crumbled. It had split.
Millions of tiny organisms swarmed around the Ash Beasts, tearing them apart, bite by tiny bite.
Flesh, bones, everything. Only a sea of blood remained when they were done with it, staining the ash crimson. Itd taken only seconds.
The pieces moved together, reconstituting into the awe-inspiring beast that boasted a Br Rank with far too many zeroes.
Instead of ascending back to the air, it burrowed underground, using its constituent pieces to bore a cavern-sized hole at such an rming rate, it sent reverberations through the ash.
Explosions of soot marked its path as it snaked underground, weaving its way ever slowly toward them.
Cirayus stiffened, grabbing hold of Vir, but then the Wyrm changed course, away from them. Silence returned momentster.
Only then did the demon sigh, wiping off the sweat that trickled down his face.
Didn''t think wed see one of them out here. Never seen one so far from the core.
That was a Wyrm right?
Aye. If wed been any closer, wed be goners.
The records at the Pagan Order said they were some of the most dangerous beasts in the Ash. That was certainly scary, but are they truly that dangerous?
Cirayus gave him a horrified look. Lad, those beasts arent merely animals. Better to think of them as natural disasters. Like a tornado or an earthquake. If it notices you, you die. Simple as that. There is no outrunning a Wyrm. Once it marks you, it won''t stop. Ever. Until you are dead.
Theres no killing them. To do so, you''d have to annihte every one of their constituent pieces. And there is no hiding, either. The only way to survive is to avoid their notice. As you just witnessed, it consumed a thousand Ash Beasts in the span of seconds, each strong enough to end you with a mere nce. What chance do beings like us have?
Virs head reeled, tryingand failingto wrap his mind around the being hed just witnessed. Unlike the Prana Swarm in the Human Realm, this was the real deal. The obscene Br Rank was fully justified. Even on the lower end, it was the deadliest beast hed everid eyes on.
No, I should correct myself, Cirayus said. I stand no chance.
Vir rolled his eyes. You hardly need to rify. If you dont, I might as well be dust.
Yes, in your current state.
Vir frowned. What do you mean?
I mean that if Jalendras theories are urate, that if you somehow unlock the full power of that, Cirayus said, pointing to Virs chest, then maybe. Just maybe youll be able to fight such beings on an even footing.
Virs thoughts froze. Fight? With a natural disaster?
Heughed. Impossible.
Perhaps Cirayus was being generous. But even so, Vir knew the only way he''d get there was by training and testing himself against difficult foes. Which gave him pause.
Cirayus... Why haven''t we dueled yet? I''m sure I could learn so much by fighting against you.
The giant nodded slowly. Aye. In due time,d. Thing is, demons fight differently from Ash Beasts. We use tactics and strategies Ash Beasts wouldn''t. For now, my primary goal is to make you strong enough to fend for yourself here in the Ash. And here, you''ll find no demons. Only beasts. There''s a saying in the Demon Realm: Train as you Fight. But fear not. Duels areing. The demon grinned. In fact, by the time we exit this realm, you''ll be sick of fighting me.
Vir nodded, wondering when he''d get to fight his next Ash Beast. As it turned out, he wouldn''t have to wait long to get his chance.
Chapter 166: The One Who Makes Whole
Chapter 166: The One Who Makes Whole
This is somewhat problematic, Cirayus remarked, lying prone as he gazed at the creatures that swarmed in the distance.
Youre sure this is the right ce? Vir asked from beside him, growing concerned at the demons tone. Until now, only the Wyrm had fazed the warrior. Cirayus hadnt shown a hint of worry as they wandered through the Ash, lost. Nor had he worried even after a week had passed in this way.
Vir, on the other hand, had worried. Quite a bit.
Lingering near the edge of the Ash had allowed him time to limate, yes, but restlessness had steadily built in his chest. A month had now passed in the Human Realm.
I could progress so much faster if we only ventured a little deeper.
Virs body had grown used to the surrounding prana density, and despite endless hours of casting Talents to expand his bloods prana capacity, the gains had slowed down so much that Vir wondered if it was a pointless exercise. Meanwhile, Maiyas time raced ahead.
Yet while Vir was ready to delve deeper, Cirayus was not. He refused to venture any further until hed found the Artifact hed hidden. It had taken several more days for Cirayus to locate enoughndmarks to finally know where to go.
The moment came as a relief to Vir, though the giant demon seemed as rxed about their predicament as hed been on the day theyd stepped into the Ash.
Some things cannot be rushed, hed said.
It wasnt so much the hours of silent travel that bothered him, as it was the apocalyptic scenery. The jagged peaks and blighted forests, the endless lightning storms that scorched the skies, and of course, the ash. It got into backpacks, clothes, lungseverythingthat was what got to him.
This was a ce of death. A realm into which no mortal should ever set foot. It wasnt built for them. It was built for hardier things, the sort that terrorized nightmares. There were no man-made structures, no cities, no people, nor even points of reference Vir could use to pinpoint his location.
In fact, the Ashen Realm was far emptier than hed originally imagined. The stories spoke amply of terrifying beasts, and while they existed, there was so muchnd that Ash Beast sightings were rare. Even the weaker, more populous ones.
The terrain just kept going, forever in all directions. Or so it had seemed to Vir until Cirayus had guided them to this spot. An enormous rock cavern jutted out from the otherwise t ins, like the maw of a shark that had been frozen in time. The den of some ancient Ash Beast.
Except, there was no beast. In its ce was a skeleton, nearly buried by the ash. And there were several hundred things, lumbering around.
Humanoid figures, except dementedtheir limbs all the wrong size. There was no uniformity to their deformations, either. One had a thick right arm twice asrge as it ought to be, but its left arm waspletely normal.
One had an upper body which was more or less normal, but their legs were strangely oversized. To where Vir wondered if someone had cut off a giants legs and sewn them onto a human.
Most had finger and toenails that grew several paces long, and Vir wondered how they hadnt broken off long ago.
Can I ask you a favor,d? Cirayus asked, his voice tinged with hesitation. It was incredibly unlike the normally confident demeanor.
You want me to go scout those things out, dont you?
Aye. I am many things, but subtle is not one of them. I fear Id be discovered the moment we drew close. You, however, seem built for it.
I can spy on them with Dance of the Shadow Demon. Unless they can use it too
Vir had grown so confident about the security of the Shadow Realm, the thought of anyone intruding terrified him.
Cirayus waved his concern away. Only Iksana Ghaels bearing the bloodline tattoo can wield it. I know not how you managed even a limited version of the ability without it, but I doubt anyone other than an incarnation of the Akh Nara could pull that off. Luckily, that title belongs to you, and you alone. Unless, of course, you die and reincarnate.
Of course. Vir rolled his eyes. Ill see what I can do, but theyre too far right now. I need to get closer before I can spy on them. Twenty paces is about all I can manage.
Cirayus fell silent, stroking his long, ck beard. Hmm. Well,d? What would you rmend?
Vir frowned. We know nothing of these enemies. Did they kill the beast that lived here? Or did they just move in after it died? We should err on the side of caution.
Meaning?
We wait. And observe.
Agreed,d. Good decision.
Vir noticed Cirayus was a big fan of waiting. Whether searching forndmarks or foraging for food, the demons patience seemed bottomless.
Then again, hes lived for centuries. Whats a day, or even a month for someone like that?
Having barely lived sixteen years, it was a thought Vir could hardly process.
And so they waited. Minutes became hours, which turned into a whole day. In all that time, the creatures continued to shamble around, groaning and asionally bumping into each other. They fell over often and sometimes took minutes to right themselves.
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They looked weak, but Vir knew better than to believe that. If they were weak, theyd have died long ago. Anything that survived in this realm was highly lethal. To assume otherwise was a good way to die.
Still does it warrant a whole day of observation? Vir itched for a fight. Cirayus had been so preupied with finding his bearings, Vir hadnt gotten to fight a single beast the past week. His improved blood prana capacity remained untested. Sometimes, hed turn off theyer of saturated prana near his skin to revel in the feeling of unbridled vitality.
When fully saturated, he felt like he could tank Wind des. Of course, Talents became less effective in this state, forcing him to pull prana from his limbs in the same manner hed done in the Human Realm. He had more options here, so reverting to his old technique was suboptimal. It took more time and forced him to route prana up from the ground.
Luckily, he didnt have to choose. In the past week, Virs prana control had grown even better. When not actively using Talents, Vir could now saturate individual limbs with prana to boost his natural strength. When coupled with the efficiency and strength gains bestowed by Parais Prana Channeling, his regr movements looked as though he used Micro Leap.
Before long, Virs attentionpsed, and his eyes grew heavy. As the days revolved around his fatigue, he tended to stay up longer and sleep less than hed done in the Human Realm.
At least the soft ash makes for a somewhatfortable bed, even if it does get in everything.
Theyd been observing nonstop, and the demon didnt look like he had any intention of stopping.
Cirayus, it seemed, never got tired. Nor did he ever rest, that Vir could tell. Either that or the demon slept with his eyes open. Which, he concluded, was a distinct possibility.
Tell me about the Garga, Vir said, half to stave off the boredom, and half to keep himself awake. What areor werethey like?
Im likely the wrong person to ask,d, Cirayus replied, keeping his eyes locked on the humanoids in the distance. Seeing as Im half Gargan myself.
Keep forgetting that, Vir thought he understood. You''d mentioned back when we first met that youre only half-giant. Is that normal? Inter-n marriages?
Hardly. In fact, its something of a taboo among the ns. My parents decision earned them quite a bit of hate.
Why, though? Arent they all demons?
Vir wondered if it was like the way humans hated demons and vice versa. Though while he knew the ns werent united, he never thought itd be this bad.
Not quite. Not all ns are hostile to each other. Garga and Baira have long maintained close ties, and the Panav are on good terms with just about everyone, even maintaining open borders and weing other nsmen to set roots in theirnds.
Then why?
The issue lies with the Bloodline Tattoos. I mentioned that each n has tattoos only they can use, yes?
Virs eyes widened. It has something to do with their blood, doesnt it? Their lineage? If they intermarry, theyll lose it?
Exactly. Not only their blood but their affinities, too. Bairas Giant Hide and Giant Grace both used Life affinity. Spirit of the Ravager needs Earth, and Bncer of Scales uses Earth and Life affinities. Any guesses which affinities youll find in most Bairans?
Earth and Life
Aye.Youll find that most demons in a n are born with simr affinities. There are always exceptions, but nearly all Bairans have Earth and Life affinities. The Iksana are mostly born with Shadow and Life prana. And the Garga, Fire and Earth. Fitting, too. There is no n more noble than the Garga. If any Bairans caught me saying that, there would be blood on the streets. But its true. They model their namesake well.
Their namesake? Does the Garga mean anything?
It was the name of one of Rudviks Ashva at Brij, but hed never given any thought about the names significance.
Tis the name of an Ash Beast. Most closely resembles a bull, though farrger. It likes to rush headlong into its enemies. The actual beast is quite simpleminded, but it never backs down from a fight. That is the trait the Garga n named themselves after.
Why does that sound so familiar?
Cirayus description sounded incredibly familiar to Vir, though he couldnt quite ce it. Then it clicked. The tunnels under Daha, when I ran from the Prana Swarm!
Hed been gored by one of those beasts, which had then been consumed by the swarm.
Every n has their strengths and their weaknesses, but there is none Id rather have at my back than the Garga. I dont need to guess to know theyd give their lives serving their cause. They did exactly that, in the end.
Fighting off the Chitran?
Aye. Power mongers, the lot of them. Always been that way. Cant say it was a surprise. Just never thought theyd unite the other ns under one banner.
Why did the Chitran do that? You never mentioned it.
Surely an entire n wouldnt have united against the Garga without due cause.
At the time, Chit territory shared the longest border with the Ash, Cirayus said, frowning. Just as with the human Realm, the Ash creeps upon the Demon Realm, consuming ournds. The Chitrans feared for their future.
Like Matali, then.
The Gargans werent willing topromise? Couldnt they have worked together to redraw the borders?
The Garga proposed exactly that, but the Chits merely used it as an excuse for war. Never satisfied, they demanded Samar Patag, the Gargan capital. The capital! Who would give up their most prized city to a rival n? Beyond ridiculous.
I get why the Chits might attack Garga in retaliation, but why would the other ns support them? Surely theyd never agree to such unreasonable terms?
Ordinarily, yes. The Chitran, however, can be persuasive. Their Bloodline arts all revolve around coercing and controlling others. Needless to say, they do not bear the best reputation.
Vir couldnt help but think something was off there. If they were so suspicious, why would any of the other ns have allowed them to persuade them? Wouldnt they have had countermeasures in ce?
No doubt youre wondering why anyone would believe them, given their reputation. It is easy to suspect someone for an hour or a day. What about years? Decades?
They really nned that far ahead?
It was unfathomable to Vir. Humans never operated on such long time horizons. They were lucky to n a year or two ahead.
Aye, the Chitran coup was masterful. Demons live longer than humans, you see. Far longer. As such, they n on longer time horizons as well. The Chits infiltrated every n, cing agents in key positions. Their coercion was absolute andplete. By the time the ns understood what had happened, it was toote. The troops had been mobilized, the damage done.
It was hard for Vir to fathom.
Make no mistake, Vir. The Chitran are your enemies. When you return, they will do everything in their power to end you. For you represent an existential threat to their hegemony. As the nlords child, you wield the power to rally whatever Gargans remain. You wield the power of a revolutionary. And yet, you will have to find a way to deal with them. But whether you purge them from the face of the realm or decide to pardon them for their sins is a decision only you can make.
Revolution? Vir hadnt even met these Gargans, let alone sided with them! Forget staging a couphe didnt even know how long hed stay in the demonnds. As for deciding the Chitrans'' fate... it felt far too heavy a burden for him to bear.
So this is what Cirayus wants of me This is why hes training me.
You want to make me strong so I can restore the Garga, dont you?
Oh no,d.
Thank Yuma. Vir was worried the giant would force him into that role, whether he wanted it for himself or not. That would''ve been bad.
Nothing as insignificant as that. I want you to live up to your name. You are Sarvaak. The One Who Makes The World Whole. Restoring the Garga is but the first step. Cirayus eyes were alight with a zealous fire. You will unite the realm and usher demonkind into a new era. One the likes of which our people have never seen!
Vir paled. It wasn''t just badit was worse. Much worse.
Now, I think I have an idea how we can get through these creatures, Cirayus said. Hear me out.
Chapter 167: Ash Dyed
Chapter 167: Ash Dyed
Is this really necessary? Vir asked, Leaping alongside Cirayus as he cautiously approached a Garga Ash Beast that had separated from its herd.
He did not intend to kill but to lure.
One does not survive long in this realm being reckless,d. The degree of confidence you show to your enemy should be proportional to how well you understand them. Ive never beforeid eyes on those gangly creatures, Cirayus replied, referring to the horde of humanoids theyde across. No amount of caution is too much.
Vir didnt disagreehed declined to fight the Phantomde a week ago for precisely the same reasonbut Cirayus took it to an extreme, especially considering his strength.
Cirayus activated Bncer of Scales. Stay back, he ordered, before surging at the unwitting Garga beast.
Vir expected him to strike the beast with his poleax or greatsword. Or, at the very least, bash its face with his shield.
The four-armed giant did none of these things, instead opting to p the oversized bull across the snout with his free hand.
The echo was so loud, even Vir heard it clearly, a full forty paces away.
There was a moment of brief silence, and Vir could almost feel the beasts shock through its nk stare.
Then it roared and charged Cirayus. The demon easily avoided its vicious horns, jumping back twenty paces at a time, taunting it all the while.
Whats wrong? Show me your strength! Is that all you have?
The same words Cirayus had used against Vir were now being used on a mindless bull. Vir did his best to ignore that fact. Especially since hisst namethe name of his nwas none other than the name of this beast.
The beast that was blindly raging forward, chasing after Cirayus.
I really hope the Gargans dont take after that thing
Assuming, of course, any were still left after the Chitrans coup.
Vir followed Cirayus and the beast while keeping a safe distance. Mixed feelings roiled in his chest. He wanted to see his homnd and interact with the Gargans.
Even so, he wasnt ready to call himself a prince, and he certainly wasnt about to lead a rebellion. Hed lived his whole life without even being aware of n Garga. To suddenly be expected to restore a n he knew nothing about? It was unreasonable, no matter how much Cirayus said otherwise.
The Garga charged faster and faster and then it Blinked. Right to Vir.
The action took himpletely by surprise, but Vir wasnt the same person hed been in the tunnels under Daha when its brethren had gored him.
Leveraging his newfound vitality, Vir hurled his body aside, his legs grazing the Garga as it charged past. Seeing an opportunity, he Blinked off the Gargas sinewy body, sending him flying away at breakneck speed.
It was another interesting ability hed uncovered recently; Ash Beasts universally used Ash prana. So did he, which meant he could suck the prana right out of them. Instead of consuming ground Ash Prana, every enemy he met acted like a prana reserve. Not just that; consuming his enemies prana weakened them as much as it strengthened him. In essence, all of his defensive Talents had now be offensive ones, even if they did require direct contact.
The Garga Blinked back to Vir, but Cirayus intercepted it, grabbing its horns and throwing it aside as if it weighed no more than a baby. This was likely true, given how drastically Bncer of Scales could alter the weight of things.
Having recognized Cirayus as the greater threat, the beast charged again after the giant, and Vir soon had to Leap at full power to keep up with the thing. There was no stopping the raging bull now.
With the deft movements of someone intimately familiar with guiding animals, Cirayus led the Garga back to the horde of humanoid beasts, before jumping high into the air.
The Garga hardly noticed. Blinded by rage, it sought the nearest targeta humanoid beast near the periphery of the swarmand charged.
The deformed human stood no chance. The Gargas horn skewered it through, then continued to the one behind him. And the next. On each horn, four humanoid beasts writhed in throes of death, impaled, before the Garga flung its head, sending them flying to their deaths.
They dont seem all that strong, Vir thought. He didnt know what other tricks the Garga had up its sleeveor horns, ratherbut if the charge was its only attack, Vir felt he could take it down himself, so long as he was careful.
The humanoid beasts couldnt even do that.
The Garga prated deeper into the swarm, goring swaths of enemies and trampling more. Watching the mayhem, Vir wondered whether hed even get a chance to fight these monsters. The Garga was doing a splendid job of taking them out.
Watch closely,d, Cirayus said, having returned to Virs side. What do you make of this situation?
Your strategy was brilliant. Id never have thought to use an Ash Beast to kill another. Let alone a horde of others.
Why fight when you can have your enemies fight themselves? Observe what happens next.
Vir frowned. He didnt think Cirayus would say that without a reason, but what more was there to watch, other than a ughter?
Then, almost as if some demon had taken control of the swarm of humanoids, they lurched into action, blurring at speeds Vir wouldnt have thought possible just moments earlier.
The group descended upon the Garga like locusts, attacks blurring together. Vir couldnt even see their individual strikes, but he certainly saw the marks they left on the Garga. Its prana armor protected it, at first. But after a few dozen strikes, the humanoids finally broke through. It wasnt long after that.
Crimson marks appeared on the Gargas thick hide one after another, crisscrossing it like a painting, and before long, there was more red than ck. They didnt stop there. They cut deeper and deeper as the beast howled and raged. They bit into it; they sliced.
Stolen novel; please report.
Soon, its muscles wereid bare. Then bone. The Gargas throes grew more desperate as its death approached. Itshed out, killing some, but the humanoids were relentless. They swarmed without care of injury or death. All to destroy the neer within their ranks.
Then their strikes found something vital. The Garga paused, its eyes wide with horror. It fell, buried under enemies that continued to devour its flesh.
Vir looked away. It was a horrible way to go, being eaten alive.
Do you still feel my caution was unwarranted? Cirayus asked after a moment.
Vir shook his head. If wed rushed in
Cirayus mightve survived, but Vir certainly wouldnt have. Not while those beasts moved so quickly. Theyd chase him. Hed eventually tire, and that would be the end. Death came so easily, almost trivially, here in the Ash. It was as if death was the natural state of things, and that all life was an abomination defiling thendscape. A blight that the realm sought to vanquish through all means possible.
Aye. And now we have some grasp of their abilities. Tell me, Ekavir. What did you see?
The disorganized shambling is just a disguise. Or perhaps their dormant state. When they encounter a threat, they all band together like a single entity and move at multiple times the speed. Their agility increases as well.
Good. What else?
Their nails. Id thought them merely useless essories, but theyre actually lethal ws. They seemed to use the ws to whittle down the Gargas prana armor. Then they used their mouths as well. I think those are their primary means of attack.
Vir put the Gargas Br Rank around sixty. The humanoids individually might only have been around ten, but together? Four hundred mightve been a conservative estimate.
Very good. Notice, too, how the Garga ended them easily before they swarmed. This tells us there is a dy in their reactions, and that individually, they are quite weak. It doesnt appear they boast the same sort of armor most Ash Beasts possess. We can use that to our advantage.
With Bncer? Vir asked. With his powers, Cirayus could easily negate their speed advantage. Even if they withstood its crushing weight, they wouldnt be moving anywhere fast. Cirayus and Vir could then weave through their ranks, reaping them.
Ill distract them with Bncer of Scales while you close the distance enough to slip into the shadows. From there, observe, and strike when you deem it safe. Do not ever bring your whole body out. Do not draw their attention to you. If you are ever swarmed, retreat through the shadows to safety.
If Vir hadnt just seen the brutal disy earlier, hed think Cirayus was being overly protective. Now, he was happy for the precaution.
Ready? the giant asked.
Lets do this.
Remember. Our goal is not eradication. If that is what it takes, then so be it. We only need them to leave so we can gather our things and be gone.
Cirayus jumped away with such grace that, even after seeing it so many times, it jarred Vir. As if there was a fundamental wrongness to how he moved with Bncer of Scales aiding him.
Vir was hardly one to talk, slipping into the Shadow Realm. The existence of a domain that lived in some mysterious space was far more bizarre than any weight-altering ability could ever be.
Still too far from the humanoids, Vir waited, keeping both arms outside the shadows to allow time to pass. Precious few exits were avable to him; this part of the ash was a barrenndscape that stretched forever, but even here, rocks of various sizes dotted the scenery, casting small shadows of their own.
He didnt wait long. Cirayusid down a suppression field with Bncer of Scales that covered the entire region, crushing the humanoids.
Seizing the chance, Vir sprung from a nearby boulders shadow, Leaping near where the creatures roamed before falling into his own shadow again. Vir considered using Blink but rejected it. The ability was useful for moving blindingly fast, but due to how it worked, it wasnt very useful for covering long distances at a stretch. It operated identically to Leap, just with all the power condensed for short-range bursts of terrifying speed.
Now within range, Vir had a multitude of exits to choose from. He picked a target somewhat separated from the others and snaked his katar from its own shadow. Prana shot out from his arm, coating the seric with Prana de.
Empowering the arm and activating Prana Channeling, Vir swung at the humanoids ankles, bracing for the resistance the creatures prana armor would inevitably give him.
Hed braced for nothing; there was no resistance. Vir didnt even feel his de pass through the gangly creatures bones, and he wondered for a moment if his foe had detected his attack and dodged.
But a shadow was inevitable, escape impossible. The Ash Beasts ankle separated, making the beast fall.
It also caused the shadow hed been using to copse. Cirayus had mentioned the dangers of thisthat several Iksana lost limbs while learning to use the ability. Not wishing to have his arm amputated, Vir hastily retracted his de, then attacked again from a nearby shadow, ensuring he kept the bulk of his body within his realm as instructed.
He aimed for the same beast, but this time targeted its neck. As before, his de met no resistance, making him wonder if he even needed his pranic abilities against these foes.
Vir! Cirayus bellowed from a distance. You may leave the shadows if you wish. If you wish for an extra challenge, sheathe your weapon and fight barehanded!
Surprised, Vir shifted his attention to the giant from within the Shadow Realm. If his body wasnt frozen while inside, hed have gawked.
Over four hundred beasts had roamed around the den when theyd started. Now, barely half that number remained. Theyy crumpled on the ground, crushed under the tremendous weight of Bncer of Scales.
In the time Vir had taken to kill just one of these beasts, Cirayus had downed two hundred.
This is why his Br Rank was so high in the Human Realm. Because he can end entire battalions in a single blow.
No matter how good Vir was at killing powerful mejai, hecked any ability that allowed him to exert his power over arge area.
And he wants me to fight barehanded? Okay, bring it.
Vir Leaped out of the shadows and crashed into a nearby mob. The moment his feet touched ash, he spun, converting his forward momentum into a deadly spin of prana and fist.
Chunks of the skulking creatures blew apart as Vir ducked, bobbed, and weaved through them like a reaper. For while his fist was hardly deadly, the prana surrounding it absolutely was.
He was gone before their bodies had hit the ground, targeting another clump of enemies. Lacking an ability like Bncer, he had to be tactical about which enemies he chose if he wanted to maximize the impact.
Be warned! Cirayus bellowed. Theyre moving faster now!
Sure enough, the creatures hade out of their stupor, moving with such speed and dexterity that Vir could no longer dominate them with agility alone.
Razor-sharp wsshed at him, but while he no longer had absolute superiority in this battle, neither was he pressured by their speed. He could evade them if he was careful. When he couldnt, he sank back into the shadows.
Vir switched back to his katar, reaping their lives one after another, albeit at a much-reduced pace. A pace that continued to decline as the mob thinned out.
Acting on a whim, Vir Empowered his arms and began lobbing chakrams instead of Leaping to his foes. To his immense surprise, the strategy worked, tearing into the beasts with ease.
When he ran out of chakrams, he switched to the smaller chakris, which were only slightly less lethal but demanded more careful aim. As deadly as these creatures were, their defense was only slightly better than that of an average human.
It was only when Cirayus squashed thest of them, when Vir stood in a field of broken bones, tattered robes, and ash, that he learned why.
For on their robes was sewn a most familiar symbol. An emblemposed of three identical circles, enjoined by an equteral triangle. The very same symbol that upied the center of Virs own chest tattoo. Except, instead of white, it was ck. Its perfect inverse.
The symbol of the Children of Ash.
Chapter 168: Sikandar
Chapter 168: Sikandar
Vir felt like he was going to be sick. His body shivered as he stared at the symbol.
These were humans, once. Living, breathing humans who''d ventured into the Ash.
Any injuries? Cirayus asked, gliding down next to Vir. My healing tattoos only function for myself, but your crimson-haired friend gave me a couple of Life orbs after she learned I can use magic. Good catch, that one. Be sure you dont let her slip away. Hard to find people with mettle like her these days.
I... dont intend to, Vir said.
Aye. The demons wont take well to a human dy, but I suppose that just means youll have to cow them into submission with your world-ending strength.
Did he just say dy? Vir thought, suddenly jerking out of his thoughts, his head growing hot.
Very funny, Vir replied tersely. This was neither the time nor the ce for such jokes.
Vir gestured to the corpses littering the ash. Cirayus, I think I know what these... creatures are. They arent Ash Beasts. Or at least, they didnt use to be. Theyre from the Human Realm. Cultists who call themselves the Children of Ash.
That right? Never heard of such awell, now, isnt that interesting? Cirayus asked, kneeling to examine the symbol embroidered into their robes. The core of the symbol of the Akh Nara. This is too simr to be a coincidence. Its identical to the one on your chest.
I know. They hate the primordial and they worship a Prana Swarm. Apparently, its deep inside the Ash somewhere.
They sound like lunatics.
They most definitely are, Vir replied, recalling his encounter with the cultist at Brij. Lunatic was, in fact, the perfect word to describe them. But, crazy as they were, did they deserve such a terrible fate?
How curious, though, that they would know of the Akh Nara. ording to records, none of your prior incarnations ever ventured into the Human Realm. What could this mean, I wonder?
Really? They went into the Ash, but never to the Human Realm?
Vir had thought that one of his ancestors had entered the Human realm, where hed had an altercation with the Children which spawned their hatred.
It may simply be that those records have been lost, Cirayus said, stroking his long beard. Or
Or something else is going on here, Vir finished.
Aye, though specting wont get us anywhere for now. Tell me,d. These Children of Ash venture here, do they?
Think so. They worship the Ash, after all. I wouldnt be surprised if their crazier members trieding here at some point.
Looking down at a deformed corpse, Vir suppressed a twang of panic. If Maiya had joined me
This may very well have been her fate, doomed to walk the Ash forever. Death mightve been less cruel. Images flickered through his mind. Maiyas body twisted into a hideous form as she screamed in pain, her sanity burned away
Thank the Gods she had the good sense not to follow.
By the time hed recovered, Cirayus had already left, venturing into the maw of the enormous cavern that jutted from the otherwise featurelessndscape. The skeletal remains of the great beast that had once called it home peeked out, though most of it had been buried by the ash.
Seems its been a while since this guy died, Cirayusmented, touching a pale rib bone that extended nearly ten paces into the air and formed an arched skeletal shelter.
What was it?
All I can tell you is it was enormous. Many beasts in the Ash have never been documented, nor even witnessed by sentient eyes. It looked like a nasty fellow, though it seemed to sleep most of the time. Your retainers and Iwe snuck in here while it slumbered and got out before we woke the thing.
If you had to fight, whod have won?
Lad, I dont doubt wed all have died gruesome deaths. As you saw with that Wyrm, many creatures in this realm far outstrip my strength. Tis one reason I find the humans power scale so absurd. If they knewif they really knew of the horrors that lurked in this realm, you wouldnt find nearly as many mejai strutting around, boasting about their arbitrary power numbers or titles. True strength is immeasurable. Real power is the ability to make your prey wither and flee by your mere presence alone.
Vir had to admit, Cirayus had a point. Br 1000, Mejai of Realmseven the Prime Mejai himselfwhat were they against a nightmare that was literally invincible, and could eradicate entire cities in minutes? It was easy to pretend they didnt exist, crafting power scales that made humans look strong.
The reality was Br 40,000 beasts did exist, and they didnt care what titles or Br Rankings their prey held. As Cirayus had said, they were closer to forces of nature. Something to survive, not ever anything to triumph against.
Cirayus had also said Vir might eventually be exactly that. Were he anyone else, he mightve believed the giant, allowing his ego to bloat. But he knew well that the path to power was never so simple. If he wanted even a coppers chance of getting there, hed have to make sacrifices. Great sacrifices. The question was, how far was he willing to go?
The ash has piled up far higher than anticipated, Cirayus grumbled, entering the cavern and digging at the ash on his knees. The task had turned his hands and arms pure ck, coated with soot. Never nned on staying so long in the Human Realm.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition.
While the cavern shielded against the perpetual ash falls, much had blown in from the entrance over time. There was no escape from the ash in this realm; it got into everything, sooner orter.
What was the n? Vir asked, taking a seat beside his godfather as he worked. Did you intend to return to the Demon Realm once the war was over?
After a time. Id intended to escape to the Human Realm in secret, then raise you here in the Ash, when you were ready. Wed have remained here as long as needed before returning. If things had gone ording to n, no demon would ever hold sway over you. s, we were discovered upon entering humannds. Discovered and pursued. To keep you safe, I yed the part of decoy.
You handed me over to Rudvik and allowed yourself to be captured. That mustve been hard.
Aye, it was. You were everything, to me. To trust you with some stranger I had little choice and many regrets.
Well, you couldve done worse. A lot worse. Rudvik was all I couldve ever asked for in a father.
Cirayus stopped digging for a moment. If I hadnt handed you to him But nay. Your worth is iparable. Id have burned an entire vige down if it meant keeping you safe. I, and all your other retainers.
There it was again. That weight. Like a soul-crushing mountain that rested atop his back.
They gave their lives. All to hide me.
It was the honor of their lifetime. Though, while our actions kept you safe, Im afraid you were forced to grow up knowing nothing of who you truly are. I can only imagine the hardships you faced in the humannds.
Vir looked around the wastnd and considered Cirayus words. What kind of person would he have be, knowing only this barren hellscape, fighting day in, day out?
True, hed have avoided most of the painful experiences hed endured, and there certainly were many of those. Vir thought back to Brij. The bullying, the abject poverty, the winters hed struggled through on an empty stomach. It certainly hadnt been an easy life. Hed have faced none of those issues had Cirayus raised him here.
But there were good times as well. Rudvik. Their forays together into the Godshollow. Apramor, his temple, and his tales of the gods. Aliscias writing lessons. Maiya. Had Cirayus raised Vir, hed never even have met her. That alone horrified him.
It didnt end therehed never have witnessed Dahas poverty, nor Ranis gorgeous waterways, or learned the truth of the Pagan Order. He wouldnt have witnessed the Undercity, or learned of their curious non-magical lighting.
Nor would he have known the joys of traveling with and fighting in a party, and while hed parted on unpleasant terms with Spears Edge, there were plenty of good memories there, too.
Memories he cherished dearly.
He understood now that all these experiences had helped him grow. Not necessarily inbat power, but as a person. Yes, he might be a demigod by now had Cirayus tutored him, but hed also be a child, untempered and oblivious to the true workings of the world. A personcking in real world experience. It was the hardships, the letdowns, the betrayals, and the failures that had forged him into who he was today.
If Vir was ever to answer Cirayus hope and help the Gargans, they would need a leader. Not a man-child monster who knew onlybat.
Of course, its not like Im there yet As far as hede, Vir fully understood he had a long way to go. One look at Maiya made that obvious. Her leadership skills far outstripped his own, and she knew more of the world, too.
I think itll work out, Vir said atst. I might not be as strong as you wanted, but Im here now.
Aye, that you are, Cirayus replied, continuing to dig. Only his upper body remained above ground now, having dug several paces down already. Once again, Bncer of Scales aided his efforts, and ash flew in all directions as he worked.
I want power, he thought. SoI can protect those I care about.
He couldnt say whether hed ever ept his role as a demonic prince, but for now, he could at least tone his body and temper his mind, and go into the Demon Realm with open eyes. From there, hed let the winds of fate guide him.
ng!
Cirayus had hit something solid. Lad, mind giving me a hand?
Dont you have four?
The giant chuckled. Aye, but if four is better than two, six is always weed. Think weve got it.
Vir had been wondering when the giant would ask. He removed his armor and rolled up his sleeves to keep them from getting dirty, then jumped into the pit Cirayus had dug.
Its a sword, right?
Aye, wrapped in cloth, along with a small bag. You dig on that side. Ill work on this end.
Vir wondered why they needed two people to dig out a swordthere was already a good bit of it uncovered. A bit more and Cirayus wouldve been able to pull it out on his ownbut Vir didntin.
Methodically, he scooped ash out one handful at a time. Owing to how deep it was buried, Vir ended up moving far more than hed initially expected. When he thought hed reached the end of the cloth-covered de, it kept going.
Ah, right. Oversized, of course.
Except, the more he dug, the more of the de he uncovered. Even after Cirayus announced hed retrieved the satchel and had unearthed the hilt, Vir hadnt found the des edge.
No way. This cant be real, can it?
It was only ten minutester that he finally found it.
Climbing back to the opening of the ditch theyd dug, he took in the de in its entirety.
You have got to be kidding me.
Cirayus gripped its hilt and lifted it effortlessly, unraveling the cloth ribbon in one smooth motion.
Brilliant seric glinted as he hefted the de.
A de that was half again as long as Cirayus was tall. A four-handed, curved mega-talwar, the likes of which Vir had never even imagined possible.
End to end, it must have spanned twelve paces, nearly three times Virs height. Its weight Vir didnt even want to think about it. Itd take five men to lift the dang thing.
Oh, Sikandar! How I have missed you, my friend! Cirayus shouted, swinging the de as easily as Vir would a katar.
The sheer force of that casual swing blew away the ash that covered the floor, creating a miniature maelstrom within the cavern that forced Vir to shield his eyes.
I mentioned some call me The Ravager. I earned that title only after I forged Sikandar some centuries ago. This is why. Oh, you may wish to plug your ears,d. Or you may well go deaf.
Cirayus grabbed the enormous hilt with all four hands, braced himself, and swung.
The gargantuan sword blurred out of sight, smashing into the cavern wall an instantter.
Vir barely plugged his ears in time. Even then, the crash of seric on stone reverberated in his chest, and the ensuing shockwave bowled him over, sending him tumbling end over end.
Coughing and sputtering, Vir righted himself, disoriented at the strange lighting.
Wait light?
There was no sun in the Ashen Realm, and yet the surroundings had be much brighter.
What did you!? Virs words choked in his throat, and it wasnt on ount of the ash.
The cavern was gone. Cleaved off by Sikandar.
Vir stumbled back and fell on his butt.
Grakking chal!
Chapter 169: Emperor of the Ash
Chapter 169: Emperor of the Ash
You must listen to me, Ekavir. Thends weve crossed are iparable to where we are headed. Stay close by my side. Promise to follow my everymand, for I fear my skills may not be enough. Not in this realm. Not against the beasts well face. For this is where your training truly begins.
That was a week ago, and Cirayus hadnt exaggerated his words. If anything, reality had been worse. The monsters they encountered, the battles Vir had endured The giant had been right. Training in the Human Realm wouldve been useless. Nothing fought like the creatures here. Forget their strengthwhich was in another league next to the Ash Beasts in the Human Realmthe tactics they employed, the erratic, unpredictable behavior, all of it made them lethal in a way Vir wasnt used to.
Gone were the training gloves. Each day in the Ash was harder than the one before it, bringing more dangerous and more cunning beasts. If that wasnt enough, Vir fought barehanded. He fought with time constraints. He fought with all sorts of handicaps.
And he hadnt grown any stronger.
Yes, his bodys prana capacity was steadily improving, allowing Vir to either boost his muscle strength or alternately charge Talents faster by maintaining a pressure differential within his body, but these were not new things. Hed been doing that ever since entering the Ash.
They had, of course, analyzed Virs performance in every battle, picking apart his mistakes, highlighting the tactics that worked.
To be sure, Vir had benefited from the instruction, fighting tighter, employing tactics that put him at less risk while maximizing his advantages. The giant had also corrected bad habits in his Kri form that had crept up over time, honing his strikes until they, too, had visibly improved.
Still, there had been no new Talents. No breakthroughs about the workings of prana or chakra. Nor really much in the way of instruction on Cirayus part on how to obtain true power. Fixing footwork and optimizing tactics was fine, but it wasnt the sort of change that would allow Vir to crush a hundred Raptors with a single move. It didnt make him invulnerable to the strikes of his foes, nor did it give him the Herculean strength to wield a derger than anyone had a right to wield.
A de hed yet to see Cirayus use even once, much to his chagrin. The weapon hungzily off his back, jutting up into the air.
There is no substitute for experience. No shortcut to power. Fight. Endure. Fight again. Grow.
Every time Vir asked, that had always been the giants response.
Then again, Cirayus also made it clear that tattoos bestowed much of the power demons possess, Vir thought, ncing at his godfather gliding beside him.
Without Bncer of Scales, Giant Hide, Giant Grace, which allowed Cirayus to move as dexterously as Vir,and Spirit of the Ravager, which strengthened his already-powerful blows, Cirayus would be far less deadly than he was.
And youre sure were headed somewhere Ill be able to unlock a new ability? Vir asked for the dozenth time.
There are no sure things in life,d. Let alone here, of all ces. If anyone ims otherwise, theyre a seer or a liar, and prescience has never been one of my strengths. Still, if there is one ce that will forge you into something new, it is there.
Cirayus mentioned no details. Only that it was a spot ideal for training, and that he knew generally where to find it. Because as much as the Ash prana density had grown in the past week, the giant had made it clear it was nothing next to what was toe.
Cirayus came to a halt and held the vaguely orb-like Artifact he wore like a ne. The one that told them where to go.
Vir had expected something shy, like the prana-infused structures at Vka Amara, or the giant spinning prana siphon deep beneath Balindam, which the Pagan Order used to create the Voinds.
It was a dull metal sphere, almostpletely unadorned except for a single circr hole that led to its core, shining a dim blue. So dim, Vir could hardly even see it until he put his eye right up to the orb. It seemed it glowed brighter the closer they were to an Ash Gate that led to its counterpart in the Demon Realm, but thus far, itd remained nearly unlit.
Nor did the Artifact appear any more impressive to Prana Vision. In fact, it was a void. Dead. Completelycking in prana of any kind. Vir knew that was unlikely, so instead, the metal must have had prana-deflective properties, preventing his eyes from prating through.
It was, far and away, the most interesting aspect about it. Mejai armor scrambled Prana Vision, but never had he seen anything that masked its signature so perfectly.
If it could be fashioned into armor
Well, it would be quite useless, wouldnt it? Itd stop any Iksana with the Sight Bloodline art from knowing about him, but that was all. And it certainly wasnt worth dismantling an Artifact that could guide them across the Ashen Realm. There werent enough serics in all the realms to put a price on a treasure like this.
Well? Vir asked. Any closer?
Nay, though tis to be expected. Weve a long journey ahead of us,d. Even if an Ash Gate leading to the Demon Realm did appear, Id hesitate to enter with your current strength. Patience. If my eyes do not fail me, we are near our training site.
Vir peered into the distance, but his eyes failed him because he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just jagged ck cliffs jutting up from the ground, several hundred paces away. In betweeny ash, hordes of beasts, and yet more ash.
What do you say,d? You think you can take them?
Vir blinked. Sorry? Which one? There have to be at least a hundred out there.
Cirayus grinned evilly. Aye. Stay safe,d. Meet me on the other side. And be ready to climb. You may use all weapons at your disposal.
Climb? What do you
Cirayus soared into the air, deftly jumping over the horde of deadly beasts, andnded on the other side. Hed traveled over four hundred paces in one bound.
Will I ever be able to match that? Vir thought in frustration. Owing to the downright scary pressure difference between his body and the ambient prana, Leap now took him a solid 120 paces. An incredible distance, to be sure, and yet far short of his mentor.
Leaps drastic power potential had caused other issues as well. The ability activated so rapidly and violently now that if Vir mistimed it even slightly, hed rupture his leg muscles. It had happened on more than one asion, requiring emergency treatment from Cirayus and leaving him crying in pain.
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As expected from the giant, he picked up the skill in seconds despite never having used a healing orb, relying on his centuries of experience to heal Vir to perfect health.
Even when Vir wlessly executed a full power Leap, there was the issue of the Ash. Ash was simply not a solid tform tounch from. The ability sted enormous plumes of the stuff in his wake, robbing power.
On a solid surface, Vir mightve jumped double the distance assuming his muscles held out. While the unstable ground robbed him of power, it also cushioned the impact on his body.
It was a no-win scenario. If he boosted the amount of prana in his blood, his muscle strength, the Talent became less powerful. If he kept himself dry, his muscles couldnt weather such an explosive move.
Luckily, with the amount of prana everywhere, flooding his body with it was trivially easy, and taking no longer than an instant.
Vir cracked his neck, then crouched, cing his palms upon the Ash. Cirayus carried his rucksack, unburdening him.
Bang.
An explosion of soot sted out behind Vir, and he roared toward his first targetsa group of two Ash Biters. Somersaulting midair, he kicked both legs out.
At the exact moment his boots touched the Biters oversized humanoid maw, he pulled prana, sucking it out of his enemy. Then he Leaped off.
This time, the explosion was of a different sort. Not of dust, but bone and flesh. The Ash Biters head blew apart into a hundred pieces, sending shrapnel flying in all directions, some of which killed nearby Raptors whod been looking for an easy meal.
The Biters friend had no time to react. Virs Prana ded, Empowered katar drove into its skull.
No amount of prana armor could hope to stop a strike with so much force behind it. The armor failed. Its skull caved. Vir didnt stop.
Using the momentum from his strike, Vir sunk into his own shadow,shing his katar at the hapless Raptors whod been watching the show. The spectators turned into mincemeat, destroyed by a strike they had no hope of avoiding.
After all, what creature could dodge its own shadow?
Ten down. Only about ny more to go.
Vir didnt dare consider taking them all. Hed fought too many battles to know his initiative wouldntst. Even his most sessful raids ground to a halt when the stronger beasts engaged. His advantage was his explosive mobility, and his ability to escape from sticky situations.
Luckily, the skies werent as cloudy today, allowing Dance of the Shadow Demon to function as it should.
Most of Cirayus tips recently had focused on how to make his battles more fluid. Rather than a series of individual attacks, Vir picked his targets such that he could flow between them, as he just had.
It kept him moving, which kept him safe, and it made it harder for his enemies to react.
Still, he hadnt progressed to where he could take on a hundred foes in one fluid motion. His body couldnt sustain the exertion that long, and even if it could, hecked the skill to pull it off.
So when the Phantomde Alpha squared off against him, he knew his run was over. A beast in the Br 200 range, hed fought a simr one in the depths beneath Avi.
No, it was best not to draw thatparison. That Phantomde hadunched its deadly back spikes one at a time. The Phantomdes of the Ashen Realm werent nearly as kind. A barrage of vicious spikes sted Vir, kicking up a trail of ash in its wake.
Anticipating the strike, Vir Leaped aside, pummeling into a nearby pack of Ash Wolves who clearly hadnt expected an attack. This, too, was the result of Cirayus coaching. Predictability was a weakness, and defensive movements that didnt also hurt the enemy were wasted opportunities.
Virs katar mmed into an Ash Wolfs ribs, breaking its natural prana armor and sending it tumbling end over end into the Ash. Of all the beasts hed fought, Ash Wolves still gave him the most trouble.
They were neither the strongest nor the fastest of foes, but their intelligence more than made up for it. The deeper he ventured, the greater their intellect grew. As did their suicidal tactics. They acted logically and tactically, yes, but there was a certain madness driving it. That went for all the Ash Beasts, and it only multiplied their lethality.
Because the only thing scarier than a mythological beast was a mythological beast with nothing to lose.
A great shadow eclipsed Vir as two of the wolfs brethren pounced in a coordinated attack.
He had neither the time nor the skills to deal with them both individually, so he sunk into the shadows.
Not a moment too soon. His fight was over. The lords of this area had arrived.
The Shrike made themselves known by the field of death thaty in the wake of their attack. Br 400 800 avian beasts that enjoyed dive-bombing their prey at speeds that defied imagination, with their razor-ded beaks, they could pierce any armor, and there was never only one.
Adding to their terror, the acid they dispersed could melt even steel. Vir had seen enough hordes decimated by just a few of those things to know he stood no chance. He had no intention of joining the tragedy that was about to unfold.
Choosing the farthest exit, Vir emerged from the shadows, then Leaped the instant he was out. He jumped a hundred paces and barely cleared the battlefield before the mayhem began.
The acid dropped like rain, sending sizzling steam soaring to the sky where it hit ash, and deathly screams where it touched flesh.
None were spared. Not the Phantomde, nor the Raptors, nor even the Ash Wolves whod had the good sense to flee. If the acid didnt get them, the Raptors beaks did. Beasts that weighed a thousand pounds were tossed sky-high, their own weight killing them when they crashed back to the ground.
You made it! Cirayus said with all four of his arms crossed.
Dont you think we oughta put some distance between us and those Shrikes? Vir kept both his eyes on the terrifying beasts as they toyed with their prey. Four hundred paces was nothing for them; they couldve closed the gap in the blink of an eye.
Normally, Cirayus was the one with an abundance of caution, so his behavior struck Vir as off.
They wont bother us, the giant replied. Not here.
Why? Whats here?
Cirayus pointed up at a sheer vertical cliff that soared hundreds of paces into the sky.
Our training ground.
These cliffs?
Aye. They sure look like that, dont they?
Cirayus casually ced a hand on the side of the cliff face. What was that silly scale humans use? The one that attempts to assign a number to ones power?
The Br Scale?
Ah yes, thats the one. Im curious. What did it rank a Mahakurma as?
Mahakurma? Vir thought. The name sounded familiar, though he couldnt recall exactly why.
Ah, you might know it by another name. The Colossus.
Is that the name of a mountain? Vir asked.
Nay. A beast. One that will be our home for the foreseeable future.
Beast?
Aye. It is, without a doubt, the Emperor of the Ash. Thergest Ash Beast, and some say the most powerful.
Vir fell to his knees. All traces of hope and excitement left him as long-forgotten numbers materialized in his head.
Mahakurma. Br Rank: 30,000. Threat level: Cataclysmic.
This is absurd, Cirayus. Why are we!?
A deep rumble rang the earth. Softly at first, then crescendoing until Vir had to plug his ears. When he thought it couldnt possibly grow louder, the ground began to shift. Quaking.
Whats happening? he shouted.
Rejoice,d! Were about to witness a rare event! Ive only ever seen the Colossus move once in my life! Cirayus roared back, barely audible above the din.
The mountain in front of them began to lift off the ground. Dirt and rock tumbled off its sides, smashing the ground where they stood.
It was as if Adinat himself had picked up a mountain and was moving it.
Well,d? What are you waiting for? Climb! Cirayus yelled, jumping and grabbing onto the rapidly rising mountain.
Vir stood a moment longer in a stupor, gaping at what might have been the most surreal sight of his life.
A mountain is moving
Crouching for a High Jump, he prayed to the gods. To Janak, to Adinat, to Yuma, and even to Badrak.
Im sorry, Maiya. I wont be able to keep my promise, because Im going to die today.
Chapter 170: Perilous Ascent
Chapter 170: Perilous Ascent
This was a horrible idea, Vir thought as he soared into the air, waiting for that tiny sliver of an instant where his speed slowed enough to let him grab onto the soaring rock cliff thatprised the Colossus nk. That was, of course, only if he got lucky.
If he wasnt, well, it was a long fall back to the ground. Light Step might save him, but he was more worried about the falling boulders. Nowhere was safe, not as long as flora continued dislodging itself from the great beasts back.
Vir didnt need the power of hindsight to understand just how dangerous this gambit truly was.
But Cirayus believes in me. He thinks I can handle it.
Unlike Riyan, who thrust Vir into one dangerous situation after another with no concern for his survival, Cirayus cared. Having sacrificed so much for Vir, he cared quite a bit. The demon was busy smashing or deflecting boulders that headed his way, all while keeping his eyes locked on Vir.
Even so, he couldnt rely on that. Especially when mounds of ash tumbled down the turtle''s shell. Vir didn''t know when it hadst moved, but it seemed to have been some time. The jagged peaks of the mountains naturally kept ash from building up on their slopes, but the Mahakurma''s back was tter, only tapering at the sides.
Keeping an eye peeled for iing projectiles, he searched every possible handhold.
It was only then that he realized his mistake.
The Colossus mountainous body was rising as it stood up on its four enormous legs. When Vir reached the apex of his jump, the beasts body was moving too quickly upward for him to safelytch on. Hed mistimed it. Badly.
Grinding his teeth, Vir plummeted back to the ground, far below.
Light Step would ensure he survived, but only if he got the timing just righta feat made more difficult and dangerous by the abundance of prana in the ground.
Vir cycled Parais technique to his legs to soften the blow, then shunted more prana from other areas, infusing them directly into his muscles to Toughen them.
Envisioning the exact moment of impact, Vir focused on the rapidly approaching ground. Two instants before he hit, Vir concentrated his will on deceleration, sucking prana from his legs.
He knew right away hed missed by a hair. Thinking quickly, he allowed his legs to buckle,unching into a forward roll to dissipate the impact.
Vir tumbled through the ash, ckening all his clothes and making him gulp involuntary mouthfuls of the horrible kes, sending him into a fit of coughs.
Bleary-eyed and sputtering, Vir stood up, his legs protesting with pain. At least they werent broken.
It was a smallfort when he discovered the Colossus had listed even higher. Its tortoise-like belly now towered a full hundred paces above the ground.
Sorge was the creature that it cast a shadow upon thend like some dark cloud, turning the day into night.
Vir ignored the pain and poured every bit of prana he could muster into his legs. Such a jump threatened to send him end-over-end, makingndings dangerous, but this was hisst chance. If he didnt make it up, Cirayus would have to return to carry.
No way Im letting that happen, Vir thought, flushing red at the thought.
Prana surged, and with a spark of intent, Vir exploded up, sending a radial cloud rippling in his wake. The oversized turtle blurred before him just inches away as boulders rained from the sky, buffeting him with their turbulence.
Then it all slowed, and for just an instant, Virs upward motion matched the turtles own. His eyes scanned the cliff face, finding a sturdy vine. Thankful for the easy handhold, Vir grabbed it.
The vine held, but the added strain of Virs weight jostled arge rock above, dislodging it.
I cant dodge!
Virs katar was stowed, and by the time he drew it, the rock wouldve caved his skull in.
Nor did Leap work, dangling as he was.
Grimacing, Vir contemted letting go, but he hadnt worked this hard for nothing.
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Acting half on instinct, half on a bad idea hed never tested, Vir spiraled prana in his arm, moving it in a tighter loop than he did with his katar, before allowing it to surge out of his body and into the rock.
The rock crashed into his fist, but instead of pain and broken bones, his hand passed through, shattering the falling rock into a dozen pieces that fell harmlessly by.
Vir quickly drew his katar, wreathing it with Prana de before driving it into the rocky cliff face, anchoring him. Only then did he allow himself to take a breather.
Gazing up, he still couldnt fathom how such an enormous beast could exist, even here in the Ash. Or how mountains and rocks could grow on top.
Cmon,d! Youre not up yet! Cirayus shouted, hanging from a ledge some distance away.
Vir shook off his wonder and got to work, leveraging his not-insignificant climbing experience to navigate a route up.
The katar gave him good handholds when he needed them, but more often than not, got in the way.
Luckily, hed just learned something even better.
Prana Fist opened a range of options for him and was something he nned to thoroughly experiment with. It was another ability that only became powerful thanks to the absurd amount of ambient prana and his bodys heightened capacity for it. Prana alone hadnt been strong enough to do much in the Human Realm, which was why he hadnt bothered with it until now.
Its offensive capability was the furthest thing on his mind. Rather, he used it to carve handholds when the rock face turned slick, or when existing handholds couldnt bear his weight.
An EmpoweredPrana Fist punch blew out just enough rock to form the perfect holds, and soon, he was ascending at a good pace.
The Mahakurmas shell truly was like that of a turtle; its slope decreased as he traveled up, with the sidespletely vertical. Vir had just cleared the vertical section and had driven his katar onto a sloped, grassy meadow when the world shook.
Or rather, the beast shook. Vir looked down and paled in shock.
It just ced its first step.
The whole time Vir had been climbing, one of its legs had been in the air, slowly cing its next step.
In reality, the Mahakurma was anything but slow. Its leg must have moved incredibly fast. It just looked slow because of its mind-bending size.
Rocks, vegetation, and anything else not firmly rooted on the beasts back tumbled down into the meadow.
Directly at Vir.
Grakking chal!
Vir nearly despaired. Then he remembered where exactly he wasstanding on the back of an Ash Beast that was bursting with Ash prana that was nearly as dense as the ground.
Wait, no. Its even greater!? Thats absurd!
The Ash prana density in the Mahakurmas titanic body was higher than that of the ground. Vir hadnt encountered a single beast with that trait. Until now.
Thankful that Fate had finally thrown him a bone, Vir did what he did best and sank into his shadow.
From there, a Leap and another invocation of Dance of the Shadow Demon brought him to the top of the turtles backa verdant forest that butted up against a tall, pointy mountain.
Well done,d! Cirayus thundered in his deep baritone. Figured we were due for some excitement after a boring week of travel, eh?
Vir didntugh. Why? Why are we riding this monstrosity? It could end us at any time! Theres a reason it has one of the highest Br Ranks of all recorded Ash Beasts!
Bah, you and your silly ranks. Mahakurma are harmless. Well, unless you happened to be crushed by one.
Vir narrowed his eyes. Cirayus, this thing has a Br Rank of around Thirty Thousand. That means its as strong as an army of thirty thousand of Kinjals average Brian footsoldier, and I wouldnt be surprised if they underestimated. Sure, it could level a vige by falling on it, but that hardly seems worthy of such a danger rating. Theres something else to it.
Aye, that would be its mouth beam.
Sorry? Mouth beam?
Never seen it myself, but tales tell of angered Mahakurma firing red beams brighter than the sun itself. Anything in its path simply ceases to be. No ones ever seen it up close But well, Our records show entire mountain ranges that have gone missing in their wake. Just a t, level field of molten rock where they used to be.
That would do it, Vir thought. The thought of a single attack destroying Daha in moments sent shivers up his spine. Only the knowledge that these beasts didnt exist in ces sentient beings called home gave him a measure of sce.
If they had, there wouldnt be any cities left.
Why are we here, though? Im guessing you have a reason?
Aye, though I must admit Im surprised youre asking. Cant you feel it?
Vir thought for a moment. The prana? Its denser in the shell, but
No, not just the shell. What is this?
The air. The prana in the airs denser, too!
It wasnt by all that much, so hed missed it earlier. But there was no doubt both the air and the ground had denser prana than the surroundings.
Walk with me, Cirayus said, motioning Vir to follow through the forest.
They didnt travel fardespite the Mahakurmas size, it wasnt nearlyrge enough to host an actual forest. They soon arrived at the edge and looked down a saddle in the turtles shell. A sort of shallow valley, which several beasts had upied.
Vir saw it in an instant. The prana density that had been barely noticeable before now flooded Prana Vision, clouding it even more than normal, growing denser and denser toward the center of the valley.
The ultimate training ground, Cirayus announced, spreading all four arms. The denser prana will train your body, and with more pranaes stronger monsters against which you can test your mettle. Monsters representative of the ones well findter, once were deeper. Monsters you will need to learn to vanquish.
How long do I have?
As long as it takes. Weeks, months, even years. Consider this your new home, and by the time we leave, you will be transformed.
By fighting a few monsters?
Not just any monsters. Lad, to best these creatures, it wont be enough to hone your prana maniption. Not even a new Talent or two will help you. Reforge yourself. Only by unlocking your true potential, Cirayus touched Virs chestte. Only by tapping into the true power of your predecessors, will you emerge victorious. Brace yourself, for the way forth will be fraught with hardship.
Vir regarded the terrifying creatures that roamed the valley. Even from here, even with all the ambient prana luding his eyes, he could tell.
The beasts below were in another league entirely.
Its never been easy, Cirayus, Vir said, cracking his neck. Thats never stopped me before, and its not about to stop me now. Where do I start?
Chapter 171: Primordial Nature
Chapter 171: Primordial Nature
The world shook again, but this time, Vir expected it. He flexed his knees and kept his bnce as the oversized turtle took another gargantuan step.
So thats my goal, then? Vir asked. The center of this little valley?
The prana grew denser the closer one neared the center of the dip in the turtles shell, which in turn strengthened the beasts more than those at the periphery. It wasnt a slight change, either. The prana in the outermost domain was easily triple what it was where Vir stood, with deeper domains continuing the pattern.
Cirayusughed. No,d. See the hole there? he said, pointing at the very center of the valley.
In fact, Vir hadnt seen it. The cloud of prana was so thick it was visible with the naked eye, but Prana Vision, even dormant as it was, turned the cloud into an opaque ck mass, essentially blinding Vir.
Still need to deal with that, he thought. It stood as hisst hurdle to true limatization.
That wasn''t the only reason, though. An ominous Ash Tear hovered in the distance, some twenty paces off the turtle''s back. Like a looking ss into some other part of the Ash. It was too far to be a threat, so Vir ignored it for now.
It leads into the Mahakurmas shell, Cirayus continued. The center of the valley is nothing but an entrance to the final beastsir, but to get there, youll have to deal with the others, first. Each beast here has imed its domain. They will not let anyone pass.
What happens at the center?
Not at, but below. Beneath the surface, your greatest challenge awaits. You must journey down into the depths of the shell, where your final foe remains. The beasts up here cannotpare to the one who dwells below, so brace yourself. And pace yourself. We shall remain here as long as it remains safe.
Why wouldnt it be safe? I thought you said we were protected here?
Aye, but the Mahakurmas on the move. It may well wander into more dangerous parts of the Ash, where graver threats lurk. Trust me, you do not want to be caught in a fight between a Mahakurma and a Wyrm.
Vir didnt need any convincing. Merely imagining that sh of world-ending beasts sent shivers down his back. That wouldnt be a battle Itd be a natural disaster.
Cirayus paused for a moment, regarding the deadly beasts with a pensive expression Vir couldnt quite ce.
Vir was about to sit down to meditate when the demon spoke.
This training is designed to teach you one thing, and one thing only.
Which is?
I cannot say.
You dont know? Vir echoed. This might very well have been the first time the giant admitted to not knowing something.
One of your ancestors was said to possess an ability so powerful, it turned him practically immortal within the ash.
The Ultimate Bloodline tattoos, you mean?
Nay. Something else. Something rted to their prana cirction. Jalendra the Wise mastered it for certain. Whether the others did, I cannot say. However, it is my belief that you must master this ability if you are to realize your true potential. You have seen Parais memory, have you not? Did you ever encounter such a thing?
Vir thought for a moment, recalling all the patterns Parai used to cycle his prana. Patterns that gave him armor, boosted his vitality and likely did a slew of other things Vir wasnt aware of.
Possibly. But if you asked me to copy it, I couldnt.
Pity. Im afraid I cannot help you there,d, other than telling you of the feats they aplished.
That might actually help. If Vir understood the kinds of things Parai could do, he might reverse engineer the techniques.
The giant then spoke at length about Parais feats ofbat, but in the end, all Vir understood was that Parai was unfairly powerful. The demon could shrug off lethal attacks and burst the blood of his enemies through prana maniption alone.
Cirayus, do you know why Prana Channeling works the way it does? Vir asked. I copied Parais technique, but I still have no idea why it works the way it does. Even modifying it slightly messes everything up.
Vir still remembered the debilitating pain from when hed tried.
The basics, yes. Our Thaumaturges have several theories on the matter. It has to do with harmonizing the 144 chakrathe centers of energythat run through the body. Its by no means an exact science, and research continues on it to this day. Suffice it to say, that experimenting with new cycling techniques is strictly the domain of the foolish and the highly experienced. Youd best stay away from it for now,d.
This was the first Vir had heard of such a thing, though with the abysmal state human magic development was in, it hardly came as a surprise.
What else do demons know about prana that humans dont?
Sadly, it seemed he wouldnt find out until he ventured into the Demon Realm.
All the more reason tohurry.
What would you suggest, then? Vir asked. I dont have ess to tattoos, and experimenting with cirction paths is too dangerous. What options do I have left?
Without some massive leap in power, Vir didnt see how he was going toe anywhere close to the beasts in the valley below. Let alone be strong enough to match Cirayus expectations.
I understand,d. Ordinarily, youd have no end of tattoos to choose from, and our time together would be spent having you master those. Unfortunately, were I to try inscribing one, I fear itd only maim you. Besides, you cannot be so cavalier about your tattoos, Im afraid.
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Why? Whats that supposed to mean?
I mean tattoos are permanent. The space they take on your body is forever locked to that tattoos power.
Thats definitely a constraint, Vir admitted.
Theres more. Most tattoos function best when ced at their ideal location. Iksanas Sight, for example, needs to be inscribed around the eyes. Wouldnt do much of anything if you put it on a leg.
So youre saying I need to be careful about my decisions. Thats obvious, isnt it? Not like Im going to p on random tattoos without thinking about it.
Aye, but thats not all. Unaffiliated tattoos are the smallest, with normal bloodline tattoos upying more space.
Vir saw where this was going. And the Ultimate tattoos are thergest? It was no surprise, seeing how Bncer of Scales snaked around Cirayus chest to his back.
Indeed. From what Ive gleaned of Jalendras records, if you wish to bear all the Ultimate Tattoos, you cannot inscribe any others.
Virs hopes came crashing down.
Not even one?
Not one.
Of course, there had to be some drawbacks to the Ultimates. They sounded too good to be true, granting godlike power by simply inscribing them.
Vir had often wondered what sorts of tattoos were out there, ruminating over the possibilities. With such a world of options, hed have his pick without ever needing to worry aboutpatibility like normal demons did. He couldve mixed and matched bloodline arts with unaffiliated tattoos to create the ultimate warrior.
Now? Now he had a decision to make. Seek the Ultimates? Or forfeit that option in favor of several lesser tattoos?
You have until we reach the Demon Realm to make your decision. LongerI imagine it will require quite some effort on your part to obtain even a single Ultimate.
Figures.
For now, Id suggest focusing on your memories. I know not how youmune with your ancestors, but if you can, I suggest seeking their counsel. It is a fact that they had a power the likes of which no other demon has ever possessed.
Vir grimaced. Ill try They only evere out when my lifes in danger, though.
Well, then. ''Tis good that there is no shortage of danger here, eh? the demon said with a dark grin, moving away from Vir into the forest.
Where are you going?
I shall build our home. Oh, and I should mentionfor as long as were here, youll eat and drink what you catch and find. Understand?
Cirayus demeanor was markedly different from before. It was almost like he was daring Vir toin.
Until now, the demon had been kind and caring, hesitant to put Vir in danger. But now, it seemed the demon hade to some conclusion. Not only did Vir fend for himself climbing the Mahakurma, but it seemed life was about to get a lot harder for him, too.
Yes, sir, Vir replied, showing no hint of dissatisfaction. While Tia mightveined, shed grown up with a silver spoon. Vir was no stranger to hardship. Rather, he weed the challenge of foraging on his own. Especially here, in the Ashen Realm. Itd be a useful skill that would no doubt serve him well.
Good. Comining gets you nowhere. Only through disciplined action can we improve ourselves. Youll find a pond near the valley. The water there is safe to drink, the giant called as he thumped off into the forest.
How does he know all this?
Cirayus had clearly been here before, but why? And when? Just how much time had he spent in the Ash? What sights had he seen?
Vir resolved to learn those answers, eventually. For now, he focused on the task at hand. First up was a little exploring.
ncing up, he found the Ash Tear gone without a trace.
Not a bad idea scouting out the domain lords to see what Im up against, Vir thought.
He didnt n to take them downat least, not yet. There were a number of experiments he wanted to run first. As optimistic as he was, he didnt think for an instant hed win against these foes. If he could, thered have been no pointing here.
Vir brought out some pen and parchment and began jotting down the local scenery.
The hill he was on supported a small forest that ran right to the base of a solitary mountain that soared hundreds of paces into the air. It was by far the tallest object riding atop the Mahakurmas back, and Vir thought he spied puffs of smoke shooting from the top. He jotted all of that down.
The forest ended abruptly, giving way to a saddle on the turtles back, where the beasts had marked their domains. He marked these as best he could, scrawling Xs at the various domain lords favorite lounging spots.
It wasnt especially obvious where one Ash Beasts territory ended and another began, so Vir spent a good hour sitting and waiting for thezy creatures to move. Some patrolled their space diligently, while others were content toze around, idling their time away.
Most were of types Vir had never seen, but thankfully, he did recognize the closest he beast hed have to fight first. It was one Maiya had fought during her time near the Ash Wall.
Shredders were bipedal lizardlike beasts that walked on their hind legs, bearing a passing resemnce to the Raptors Vir had dispatched earlier, on the Abyssal ts. Unlike their lesser brethren, Shredders were solitary beasts, and as tall as Vason. Their elongated maws hid three rows of deadly teeth, and their razor-sharp ws and resistance to magic made them both dangerous and difficult to kill. Their semi-translucent, pasty white skin allowed a view into their internal organs, turning an ugly beast into an abomination straight out of a nightmare.
The bestiary had put their Br Rank between 180 and 300, but Vir knew at a nce that this one topped the upper end of that range. Individually, it was stronger than even the Brood Matron, a beast Vir had struggled to kill even with Tia and her party backing him up.
Then again, hed benefited from the Ash as much as the beast had.
Well, not quite as much; the prana density grew dramatically as he approached, nearly forcing him to leverage Parais Reverse Technique to prevent difort. The Shredder wouldve had the benefit of living in such a region for months. Possibly years.
If its this strong here, how much denser will it be at the very center? And has it opened any chakras?
Vir had no way to tell, but the reward for besting one was twofold. Not only would it serve as evidence of his power gains, bringing him closer to his goal, but meditating in the beastsir would grow his bloods prana capacity, strengthening him.
With excitement growing in his chest, Vir activated Dance of the Shadow Demon. After ensuring Cirayus shadow was within range for use as an exit, he entered his own shadow.
Cirayus expected him to take months to deal with these monsters, but Vir wasnt about to wait that long.
Today.
He didnt expect to win. Here in the Ash, there were no Brian proctors. No ranks with which to gauge power levels. It was safer to wait. It made more sense.
Yet time was a luxury he simply didnt have. Already, weeks had passed in the Human Realm and he refused to burn any more here at the periphery. If not for Cirayus, for Maiya.
With the eyes of a predator, Vir watched. And he waited.
Its a monster, was Virs first thought.
Im gonna fight this thing? was his second.
Two hourster, Vir was convinced hed lose. He wasnt strong enough to fight it. Not yet. But he was still going to.
It wasnt like he was trying to be a reckless chal. Hed carefully studied the vile creature from all angles as it patrolled its domain. When his time in the shadows ran out, Vir simply reactivated Dance. Even if Ash prana could be depleted within the Ashen Realma big ifhe certainly wasnt capable of aplishing that monumental feat. This meant he got to enjoy the luxury of infinite Talent usages, and he abused that luxury to spy on the enemy.
The Shredders small arms may not have looked like much, but prana coated them like a razor. It looked identical to Prana de, except it was always active. The same went for its three rows of jagged teeth, each lined with prana. Finally, its tail literally was a de, and it, too, had prana to enhance it.
The other parts of its body, while less deadly, were no weaker. The prana armor that clung to the Shredders skin made Vir wonder if Prana de could even get through. It wasnt merely thickit was so dense, Prana Vision couldnt prate it.
Nor was it clumsy and slow like a Phantomde. While it movedzily, it was by choice rather than necessityits muscture betrayed its agility. Vir had caught the abomination Blinking at its prey more than once.
Fleeing would be hard, Vir thought, especially if it has good senses.
A nce at Cirayus confirmed the demon was observing his every movement.
Vir could run all the way back and hide behind him, essentially forcing the giant to deal with the beast, but something told him his teacher wouldnt be very pleased with that oue.
Lets call it thest resort, then. Here goes nothing!
Chapter 172: The Hard Way
Chapter 172: The Hard Way
You werent ready, Cirayus said, healing Vir with A-Grade Restore Bone, Heal Wound, and Greater Numb Wound orbs.
Vir couldnt say a word against that. Well, no, he could. At least I didnt run back to you.
Id have kicked you right back if ye had!
Hey still on a bench Cirayus had carved out of the rock. It turned out tremendous strength and Bncer of Scales was useful not only inbat but for excavation as well. While Vir had been out scouting his enemy, Cirayus had carved a humble abode into the side of the volcano that rose from the Mahakurmas back. It was a simple, small abode, if tall, to fit those of half-giant stature.
Comprising a single moderately sized room fit for eating or meditating in, and a corner to sleep in, it wasnt much. But it was enough. A safe harbor from the storms that raged eternally outside. A shelter from the ever-falling ash. Though itcked lighting, the windows and open doorway allowed plenty through. Not that Vir really needed light to see.
Vir hadnt realized how much he needed such a ce until now. The nerves and the stress of the past weeks melted away, and for the first time in a very long time, he felt safe.
I know, he replied through gritted teeth. Partly on ount of the hot shame that burned in his chest. Partly because while A Grade healing orbs closed his wounds before his very eyes, the associated pain was greater, too. Even with the anesthetic orb, the experience was hardly painless, especiallyter.
I wasnt really in any danger. Not with Dance of the Shadow Demon. And with you watching over me, he didnt add.
But was it worth all this? his godfather asked, having finished his treatment. You should be thankful your friend carried these orbs with her. Quite handy, I must admit. Quite powerful. The girl never fails to impress. If the Demon Realm got their hands on these
Vir sat up slowly, notmenting on how Maiya had simply paid someone to precharge them, and wasnt actually capable of using them since shecked a Life Affinity. Regardless, she did give him these outrageously expensive orbs. He wasnt about to throw her name under the wagon.
Groaning, Vir tested his newly healed limbs. Though the pain lingered, the skin had mended perfectly; the Shredderscerations on his arms, chest, back, and legs left no scars.
Worth it, he replied. Definitely worth it.
I presume you learned something from that beat down?
Beat down, huh? That was exactly what it was. Vir had gone in knowing hed be outmatched in raw power. He knew his de might not have been able to prate the creatures deep, thick armor.
I didnt think itd be so badrakking fast, he admitted. Its not just my power, either. I need more speed, too.
More speed, power, and defense. Youck in all dimensions,d. With greater defense, offensive options open. With more power, you can end fights quicker, reducing the risk of injury. And with speed, you can avoid damage. Its how youve won until now, isnt it?
Right. My mobilitys always been a strength. Just that now
Your foes are faster than you, negating that advantage, the demonpleted.
Good thing I didnt wear my armor, Vir thought. Hed stashed his seric gear away for the fight. Foolish, perhaps, but with Cirayus watching his back, he wasnt in any real danger. Better to save the armor for when he needed it most.
Vir suspected hed be back to fighting condition after another day. A-Grade orbs truly were something else.
So? How do you n to ovee this disadvantage?
Vir knew exactly the Talent he needed. Theres a Rare Talent humans use called Haste. I guess it works like your Giant Grace. Makes you faster.
Curious. So humans learn these Talents, do they? And all of them are known? I admit there is some merit to being able to teach magic so formically.
Well, teach is a strong word for it. Humans dont really know what theyre doing with magic, and no ones really been able to figure it out. Talents manifest in some warriors, and they have something like a process for learning some of the Common and Umon rarity ones.
Oh? A process?
Youll be disappointed. I know I was. It usually involves praying to the gods and a lot of practicing basic moves and luck.
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Vir expected Cirayus tough, but instead, he raised his brows. Does it work?
Only by chance. I discovered early on that only those with Earth or Shadow affinities can manifest Talents, and that they probably learn basic prana maniption via sheer luck.
Or perhaps those endless repetitions you mentioned are, in fact, honing their prana maniption, albeit subconsciously?
Vir gave the idea some thought. It was certainly possible, if unlikely. All one really had to do to control their prana was to will themselves to take hold of it. Just that most people started with such abysmal prana control, it wouldnt even be noticeable until they honed it to a certain point. It was likely many humans actually seeded at manipting it, simply mistaking it for failure.
The question isare the humans aware? Cirayus asked, stroking his beard. Are their teachings vague by design? Or did they simply pass down any process that had a chance of working?
Id bet seric on thetter, Vir said. They arent even aware of two affinities. Three, if you include Ash. They think Talents dont even use magic because you can use them in ces where airborne prana density is low. I wouldnt give them too much credit.
That sounds quite absurd, I must admit. Though, without the Iksana and their ability to see prana, who could say where we demons would be today?
True, Prana Vision is whatid the foundation for all myter progress. Without it, hed still think he was prana scorned. Hed be Talentless, and hed never have made the insights into prana channeling that he had.
Whatever it may be, having such a standardized system of magic has its own benefits, Cirayusmented. Limitations, yes. But benefits as well.
Hard to see how it could be any better than that Aspect of Midwinters Embrace you mentioned. Having multiple spells at your disposal without carrying around a bunch of orbs sounds pretty good to me.
Aye, the Aspect spells have great potential. Unlocking them, however, is another matter entirely. Its a rare demon who can get Midwinter to do much more than cool an area on a hot day, or sprinkle light snow upon their foes. Demonic tattoos are fueled by imagination and willpower. There are no manuals. No documented process to teach our young. The path differs for each and every demon, and is one that must be walked alone, with precious little to guide them.
I mean, mejai are rare among humans, too, Vir replied. I dont think you could say theyre at an advantage there.
Perhaps, but standardizationes with several benefits. When fighting as part of an army, it is far easier tomand and coordinate troops with the same abilities. Can you tell me why?
Vir thought it over for a moment. You can have all your mejai perform the same attack with a single order?
Aye, but thats not all. If one mejai falls, another may take their ce. Not so with demons. We have issues banding together in armies as it is, but our unique powers turn battlefield logistics into a nightmare fraught withplexity. This orb pre-charging trick is quite valuable as well. I only wish demons had something like it.
Honestly surprised they dont. Thanks to that, anyone can use C Gradebat magic, even if they arent mejai.
Incredible. It means humans are limited only by how many orbs they can produce, not how many mejai they have. Quite the overwhelming advantage. Tis the reason demons tend to focus on their Chakra instead. For while a few of us wield strong offensive magics, nearly all have opened two or three chakras.
That takes time and meditation, right? No way to hurry the process along?
Cirayus nodded. The lower chakras can all be opened with effort. There are no shortcuts, but the path is well understood.
Thats not useful to me right now. I need a way to defeat these beasts. And I need it fast.
Patience,d. All wille in time.
If only we had that, Vir replied, frustrated.
While theyd ventured deeper into the Ash, it hadnt been deep enough to offset the time flow. Not nearly. ording to Cirayus, the world still flowed more slowly here than it did in the Human Realm. Which meant weeks had gone by already. Not to mention the Mahakurma was still on the move, traveling to who-knew-where. If it delved too far into the ash before Vir was ready, hed have to bail.
The best way to avoid that unfortunate scenario was by training. And by defeating the domain lordsthe fell beasts who imed thend as their own.
Where are you going? Cirayus asked.
To get stronger.
Lad, didnt your fight teach you anything? You need rest. Youre not even fully recovered.
Vir shook his head. Not gonna fight it. Not until Im stronger. But meditating wont hurt me, will it?
Cirayus sighed. If you must. But youve had a long day and your body and mind need rest. Trust me, recovery is as essential as stress to a warriors growth.
One hour. Ill be back by then. Promise.
Be aware there''s an Ash Tear nearby. Do not venture close to it. I doubt any beasts will venture out of it, but do not take any chances.
Another one? There was one in the sky when we first arrived.
Cirayus nodded. Unusual, but not unheard of.
I''ll be careful.
Vir walked back through the forest and down the hill, lost in thought. Haste truly was the Talent he needed most right now. There ought to be no reason he couldnt learn it, except that it was considered a Rare-tier Talent. Its workings would no doubt be moreplex than Leap and High Jump.
Vir stopped in his tracks when he noticed his legs were taking him close to the edge of the Shredders territory. The beast currently slumbered, but Vir had learned firsthand that a surprise attack would fail; the beast was simply too responsive, and he doubted even striking while it was asleep would seed.
There''s that Ash Tear, Vir thought. It was now only a few paces off the ground, at the other end of the Shredder''s territory. The beast had given the Tear a wide berth.
Retreating from the sleeping Shredder, Vir soon found the pond Cirayus had mentioned, surrounded by tall reeds that he recognized as the same kind hed eaten earlier in the Ash.
At least food wont be an immediate issue. It wasnt tasty at all, and there wasnt nearly enough to sustain him for months on end, but he figured thered be other, better options by that time.
Covered in ash, Vir didnt dare consume. Rudvik had trained Vir at an early age to boil water whenever he could, and he intended to do just that.
Sounds like the Mahakurmas stopped for the day, Vir thought, noting the distinct absence of the beasts thuds. While distracting, its movement did have the benefit of ridding its shell of Ash buildup.
With a deep breath, Vir sat down to meditate.
He had one hour to make some progress toward new powers, and just maybe, find a way to fix Prana Vision while he was at it.
Chapter 173: Hasty Progress
Chapter 173: Hasty Progress
Vir started to ruminate about Haste, but his mind soon wandered. Several paths were open to him now, which was a luxury hed never had before. He could, of course, choose to pursue new Talents. Or he could learn how to fix Prana Vision. If that didnt fancy him, he could always work on expanding his prana capacity. Or
Vir thought of the Chakra System. It was powerful, mysterious, and spoke to something deep within him. He wanted it. Even the thought of opening even his first chakra made his heart pump, but he also knew there was next to no chance of that happening soon.
Maybe his prior incarnations had opened their chakras, but hecked their memories. Without Parai, Narak, Shardul, and Ekanai to help him, he was no different from any other demon. This meant it might even be years before he opened his Foundation Chakra without Cirayus to elerate the process. For now, he forced his excitement down and deferred his pursuit of Chakras. They would have toeter.
Expanding his prana capacity was by far the easiest option of them all, but it felt somewhat wasteful to spend his time on thathed limatized well enough to use Talents, so expanding his bodys prana capacity slightly further wouldnt be of immediate use. Not unless he quadrupled it. That might allow him to power Talents solely off the prana in his own body, which would be useful outside the Ash. A worthwhile goal, but something to slowly work toward.
Of the options that remained, fixing Prana Vision and learning Haste were equal in his mind. He chose to focus on the Talent first. After all, hed spent nearly every waking moment in the Ash thinking about how to do exactly thatruminating about abilities he shouldve learned long ago, but couldnt because of insufficient prana.
Haste felt like low-hanging fruit. While ssified as a Rare Talent, two whole tiers above Leap and High Jump, after watching Tia use it so often, Vir couldnt understand why.
It was simple, and while it had made her faster, it hadnt turned her into a blonde blur. It only made her half again as fast as she normally was.
Vir had already learned most of its constituent parts. Micro Leap allowed him to move with great haste, which hed relied on against the Shredder.
There were two main differences. For one, Micro Leap was an activated power, not something that remained active continuously during a battle, and it only affected his legs.
Vir felt like a simple application of prana and intent was all that was needed to obtain Haste. He needed sufficient blood prana saturationwhich he now hadand the intent to hasten.
Standing and adopting a runners stance, Vir allowed the supersaturatedyer of prana near his skin topse slightly. His body filled with airborne Ash prana. When he neared his bloods capacity, Vir stopped the process, re-establishing theyer of dense prana near his skin to block any more from entering.
Every single Talent he''d mastered thus far required twoponents: an infusion of prana into the relevant muscle group, and the proper intent. To activate Leap, for example, he supersaturated particr muscles in his legs and willed himself to move forward. Haste, however, moved the entire body rather than targeting one specific muscle group. In a way, it was easier. All he had to do was flood his body full of prana.
Move, Vir thought, putting power into his legs. The ability activated and he stumbled violently forward, barely catching himself before he fell. His arms also moved faster than normal, but it was unnatural. Jerky.
It was as if his body moved too quickly for his mind to process. This wasn''t anything like what he envisioned Haste to be.
Vir tried it again, and while he didnt fall this time, the result was hardly any better. Something was wrong. This wasnt the ability Tia possessed. With Haste active, she moved gracefully, as if shed been born with it. Every part of her was faster.
I''m thinking of it the same way as Leap and High Jump. I''m missing something here.
The hours passed, and Vir experimented. By hour three, he began to grow irritated. By the fifth, he was downright angry.
It shouldnt be this hard! The principles so simple!
While he had grown more proficient at controlling his arms and legs, he couldnt persist in the state. It was one thing to initiate a single Leap. It was another entirely to make his every motion match that pace.
Vir began to wish hed been born with a sharper brain. One that could think faster.
His efforts were getting him nowhere, so Vir begrudgingly switched his focus, concentrating on Prana Vision instead.
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The first ability hed ever learned had also proven to be his most vital. Time and time again, Prana Vision provided answers, aiding him in unlocking the mysteries of prana and assisting him inbat. Now, it wasnt merely useless, it actually worsened his vision, polluting his sight with clouds of prana so dense, that he couldnt see through.
The easiest solution was to turn it off, but Vir had already restricted the blood flow to his eyes as much as he felt was safe. While it had helped, it hadnt helped enough.
The next option was to strip prana away from the blood going to his eyes, though that was easier said than done. In principle, the process would be like how he shuttled prana from the ground through his legs. There, he supersaturated a thinyer of blood around the blood he wanted to empty. This prevented the prana-starved blood from immediately refilling with prana from nearby.
He nned to do the same here, just that the degree of control it required would be far greaterfar less blood flowed to his eyes, requiring a deft touch. Vir had learned firsthand just how dangerous making mistakes in that region could be. If done improperly, he could easily blind himself, or worse.
Thankfully, Virs prana maniption was iparable to what it had been at Riyans ce. Taking control of his blood, he formed the supersaturated barrier and evacuated prana from the blood going to his eyes.
For once, it worked exactly as expected. Vir breathed in relief when the cloud dissipated, leaving him with ordinary, unaided vision.
Though, while it cleared up his sight, it also made him feel blind. The ability had grown so natural to him, itd merged with his ordinary eyesight. It was like being robbed of colorthe world just felt wrong.
Hard to believe I had the opposite sensation when I first got it, Vir muttered. Prana Vision had been so overwhelming at first, itd made him nauseous. His minds ability to adapt to new sensations boggled him. Leap, for example, now hurled him five times the distance it used to, and hed already grown used to it. The mere thought of having to walk like he used to felt debilitating.
Vir refocused on the problem at hand. He couldnt live without Prana Vision. Ideally, he wanted to selectively filter Ash Prana, reducing its presence while amplifying the other affinities. But wishes never made anythinge true. If there was a way to aplish that feat, Vir wasnt aware of it.
So he did the next best thingallow a sliver of prana back to his eyes. Doing so would not only reduce eye strain from prana starvation, but it brought his vision back to something more akin to normal.
Ash prana still dominated, though now it no longer worsened his vision. The fix would suffice for the time beingall Ash Beasts possessed Ash Affinity exclusively. There wasnt much need to see the other affinities as well.
The only issue was the extreme control it required. So much that Vir found it difficult to maintain it unless he concentrated intently.
If only my blood moved more slowly
Stripping out prana was only so tough because he had to do it so quickly. Still, messing with his blood flow rate had caused him much pain in the past, and he wasnt eager to repeat that painful lesson. Hed just have to work on making it a subconscious task. Until then, hed only use it when he needed his best vision.
Thinking about the world slowing down reminded him of his sparring sessions with Spears Edge.
Wonder what shes up to right now? Had she returned to her homnd? Or was she still out adventuring, the same as before?
Vir wanted nothing to do with those painful emotions, so he was about to dismiss it, but stopped.
What was it Tia said back then?
Vir racked his brain to recall the memory in detail. Vason and Vir had faced off against Tia together. Neither had been able tond a hit. She moved deftly around them, teasing them at every turn.
Sit still! Vason had said. You move too fast!
Tia had poked her tongue out. Its not that I move fast. Just that you all move too slow!
Thats it! I dont need to think faster, I just need everything to slow down a bit
It clicked like a key in a lock.
Going faster, slowing downtheyre just two sides of the same coin!
Vir returned to Haste, and this time, changed his intent. Instead of imagining himself speeding up, he willed the world to slow around him.
Slow it did. The reeds blowing in the wind stilled while the sound reaching his ears grew deeper. Vir hadnt noticed any improvement in his own speed. It didnt feel fast, very much unlike the rush of using Blink or Leap.
It wasnt that the world had slowed suddenly. He was just moving faster rtive to everything else.
This is what she felt!?
Vir could hardly believe it. Haste was powerful. But was it ever this strong? To Vir, the world moved less than half as fast as it normally did. Which meant he moved more than twice as quickly. Far faster than Tia had ever been.
Ash Prana! Its because Im using Ash prana, not just Earth Affinity!
But before Vir could jump for joy, he stumbled, feeling a sudden bout of weaknesse over him. When he looked inside him with Prana Vision, it became obvious why. His bodys prana had nearly run dry.
Canceling the ability, Vir allowed ambient prana to flood in, replenishing himself. Clearly, Hastes burn rate was far too much for the prana in his body alone to sustain. That was fhere was plenty in the realm to go aroundthough hed certainly have to ration the Talent outside the Ash. Either that or learn how to modte its output.
Vir sat beside the pond, allowing his nausea to clear.
It makes sense, he thought. There was a difference between feeling faster and perceiving the world as having slowed down. Haste didn''t only elerate his body. It sped up his mind, too. His heart pumped faster while under its effects, and even his blood circted quicker. Blood that entered and exited his head every moment. When his mind operated at the same, faster, rate as his body, it wouldn''t make any sense for him to feel like his body was quicker than normal. Vir had sped up rtive to the world, and so from his perspective, it was the world that was slowing down around him.
Vir reveled in his progress for a moment, but soon realized there was still work to be done. Fixing Prana Vision was good, and learning Haste was even better. There was a vast chasm, though, between learning an ability and mastering it.
Against the Shredder, nothing less thanplete mastery would let him keep up. Vir stood, preparing himself to invoke Haste a few hundred times, but a presence behind him stopped him dead in his tracks.
Lad? Its been six hours. What did you promise me when you left?
Dread trickled down Virs back.
Grak it! I said Id be back in an hour!
Cirayus scowled. Come with me. Now.
Chapter 174: Foundational Stability
Chapter 174: Foundational Stability
Cirayus regarded the sleeping Ekavir with a concerned frown. Hed assumed many roles over the centuries. Of them all, he considered himself a capable teacher. More than capablethere was no end to the number of demons who sought apprenticeship with him. Hed even run his own school for a few decades, long ago.
These days, he turned down all but the most talented, though there was a time when hed mentored dozens. Hed seen all types of students. The ones who cked and needed to be pushedthose were the mostmonand those who excelled naturally owing to their talent.
Then there were the precious few who had both the talent and the drive to do whatever it took to improve. Those were one in a million, and Cirayus now understood Ekavir was among their number.
Hed initially thought to pressure the boy, to test his limits. That style of teaching worked well for the masses; everyone benefited from a little push.
Unfortunately, it tended to have disastrous consequences on the self-driven. Hed pushed hard, and Vir had pushed himself even further, working himself to the bone. If left unchecked, Cirayus had no doubt Vir would drive himself to the ground. Elsewhere, that might have resulted in a career change. Here, it was a death sentence. They had no such luxury in the Ash. There was no rest here. Only death offered that release.
Spose I ought to lean off him a tad, Cirayus thought, stroking his beard.Rather, he might very well have to do the oppositeact as Virs brake rather than his prod. Though, can I really manage that, with whats at stake?
The boy had a good head atop his shoulders, but everyone had their breaking point. Cirayus had seen too many good demons crack. Be it the pressure of militarymand, or the weight of a judges decision in royal court Few seldom rebuilt themselves if pushed beyond their limit.
Facing the boy was what mightve been the most monumental challenge one could undertake. The lives of an entire realm were at stake.
Vir had a good heart. He mourned for histe father. He bore the weight of his every sin, and he wanted to do right by everyone. That was precisely why Cirayus worried.
How will he react when he learns that thousands have died? Not for their n, but for him? How will he endure when thousands more perish for his cause? Will he be able to order good demons to march to their deaths?
He wasn''t ready for that knowledge. Still, the boy would eventually have to be, and it was Cirayus role to prepare him for that burden. Even if it turned Vir into someone he didnt want to be. The burden of royalty was heavier than most ever knew.
The giant moved across the humble abode hed built for the two, hoisting the chipped greatsword the Hiranyans had given him. The sword was never designed to cut through rock. Soft sandstone though it was, the de neared the end of its life. To Cirayus, it was a toy. One that had nearly outlived its usefulness.
Rest well,d. Well see to your training when you wake.
Cracking his neck, Cirayus got to work.
Vir dreamed of a grassy hill with a lone tree, ruffled by a peaceful breeze. The sun shone gently, and there wasnt a cloud in sight. Under the cool shade of the tree, Neel and Maiya awaited.
His furry friendy syed on the grass, epting belly rubs from the crimson-haired girl, who lounged atop a pic mat in a flowery red dress.
Sensing Vir, Neel yelped, bounding up to lick his face furiously. Maiya waved, an angelic smile on her beautiful face.
Its been forever, my prince! Please,e join us!
Maiya saying such an embarrassing line without bursting intoughter tipped him off that this was a dream. The surroundings were all wrong. For one, a hundred demons surrounded the hill in a ring, prostrating before him.
The Akh Nara returns! He will help us!
Vir shirked back, only to find thousands behind him, pointing their spears at him.
The Akh Nara returns! Burn him to Ash!
Lightning cracked. The scene transitioned, and now Vir stood in a vast, featureless expanse of ash, battered and beaten, fighting the sort of beasts that might appear in nightmares. No matter how many he killed, more came.
Where are you now, Ekanai? Shardul? he thought in spite.
Vir dodged lightning bolts and wondered if he might not intentionally get hit by one to get his ancestors to appear.
Until he felt a presence behind him.
Vir whirled, expecting another beast. Instead, he found an impossibly beautiful woman with hair as white as snow that reached down to her back. She wore a simple white dress with pristine, flowing white hair, and smiled back at him.
It doesnt have to be this way the womans musical voice transmitted to Vir without sound. The burden is not yours to bear alone.
Then she was gone. The scene shattered like a broken mirror, and Vir fell into an endless void of darkness.
When he woke, it was through the thick haze of a half-remembered dream.
Maiya. Neel. And someone else?
Memories flickered through his mind. Brij. The Godshollow, but perhaps because of Maiyasmunications orb, Virs thoughts focused on the bandy. How many years would it be before they reunited? Would Neel still be alive? The boy wasnt old for a bandy, but he was close. It wouldnt be inconceivable for him to have passed.
Lightning struck outside. Torrential rain darkened the already-blighted sky, battering the forest and mirroring his heavy thoughts.
But that was outside. Nestled within his new abode, and with Cirayus nearby, Vir felt safe and secure.
How do you feel,d? Not evenst nights storm could wake you.
Groggy, Vir replied, taking in his surroundings. How long was I out?
Cirayus had expanded the home while hed slept. Where before there was a single room, now there were three, with the living space having expanded deeper into the mountain.
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Long enough to recover from your overtraining.
A day, at least, Vir thought. Nearly another week in the Human Realm.
Sorry. I lost track of time, he said, blinking away the cobwebs. Speaking of, how do you keep track of time here?
Theck of a day/night cycle had affected him more than hed thought, forcing him to stay awake when he would normally have slept, and sleeping when he shouldve been active.
I learned to develop an innate sense of time centuries ago. Really about the only solution, here in the ash, other than a timestone, and I dont have any of those.
Uh, time stones? Vir asked. This was the first hed heard of such a thing.
Obsidian tablets made of volcanic rock, etched with pranic inscriptions. We use them for a variety of tasks, from locking doors to transcribing messages.
So, like orbs? Vir said. Except instead of crystal, you etch them on tes!
Cirayus stroked his beard. Aye, I suppose youre right, though our tes cannot keep a charge, and we do not use them forbat purposes. Time stones burn a special incense stick. When powered with prana, they detect the amount of incense burned and disy a time reading.
Thats kinda ingenious, Vir thought. He wondered why obsidian tablets couldnt hold a charge, and why demons had never discovered orbs. With their knowledge of prana, Vir figured theyd have learned of it long ago. There had to be a reason, but when asked, Cirayus admitted hed never delved into the secrets of Thaumaturgythe art of inscriptions.
Virs list of topics to investigate in the Demon Realm continued to mount.
Well, I guess Ill return to training, he said, dreading the thought of going out in such a downpour.
Do you have a death wish,d? Its raining lightning out there right now. Just because Ash Beasts can brush off a lightning strike or two doesnt mean you can. At least, not yet.
Virs eyes narrowed. Aspect of the Demon God, right? My ns tattoo?
Aye. Here in the Ash, you''d be untouchable with it. Without that... even with that incredible prana maniption of yours, I doubt you could manage such a feat.
Vir considered his words. Lightning strikes contained a staggering amount of Lightning prana. It was possible that someone with Apex affinity for that element might be able to circte their blood fast enough to shunt the strike into the ground But it felt unlikely. Vir doubted it was possible anyone could expand their bodys prana capacity that much. Especially since Lightning strikes were nearly instantaneous.
Besides, Ash Beasts didnt even have that affinity, which left only one other exnation.
Prana armor?
You saw it on those beasts with your Iksana Sight, didnt you? Ash Beasts can cloak their body with armor as durable as seric. A quirk, it seems, of those with your particr affinity. Or so I believe.
Trust me, Ive tried. I know Parai managed it with his cycling technique, but Ash Beasts dont use that. Theyre getting their armor some other way.
Then Im afraid I cannot aid you there,d. My own armores from my tattoo, Giant Hide.
Right. So, what now? I cant go outside, and this home isnt ideal to work on my Talents. Dont want to destroy the ce.
I wouldnt allow you to train, even if you could go outside, Cirayus said firmly. Your body needs rest.
Vir was about to cite how much time hed already lost sleeping when Cirayus beat him to the punch.
Instead, well begin your Chakra training.
That got Virs attention. I thought you said it took years to open the Foundation chakra?
It does. Normally. With the proper guidance and a talented student, we might hasten that process a tad.
Hasten it by how much? Vir asked.
I imagine we could get you there in a handful of months if youre diligent.
So slow, Vir thought.It was a massive improvement, butpared to his progress with his other abilities, it felt like an eternity. Not to mention there were six more to go.
Your feelings may as well be written on your face,d. Y''know, your father and I had a saying. More of a mantra, for when we struggled to advance our training.
Hard to imagine either of you struggling, Vir said.
Cirayus chuckled. More often than you''d think,d. Of that, I can assure you.
So? What was the mantra? Vir asked.
Brick by brick. Stone after stone, Cirayus replied. The same as any mason building a house. Each stone may not seem like much, but taken together, they form something grand.
Brick by brick. Stone after stone... I like it, Vir said softly.
Vir had no leads for elerating the pace. He''d simply have to put in the hours.
Well? Will you ept my training?
Vir rolled his eyes. You know I will. Ill take every edge I can get.
Good. Now sit on the floor with me and cross your legs, likest time. Back straight. Close your eyes. Yes, like that. Now clear your thoughts. I''ll be more gentle thanst time. Focus.
Vir attempted to do so, though it was easier said than done with all the hammering rain and cracks of thunder. It was as if the skies had waged war on the turtles shell.
Now, guide your thoughts to the concept of sturdiness, Cirayus said in a low, soothing voice. Hmm, yes. Think of the Mahakurma upon whose back we sit. Think of its ancient disposition. It has existed for millennia before you were born, and will exist for millennia after. It is eternal, like the earth itself. Solid and unshakeable. Immovable. Yes. Hold this image in your mind for as long as you can.
Following Cirayus guidance, Vir meditated on the concept. This still felt foreign to him despite having done it once beforehe normally kept his mind clear, focusing solely on cycling prana or expanding his bodys blood pathways. The act of cycling itself was usually meditative, putting him in a trance-like state.
Focusing on a single idea was much harder. Virs mind would drift, often to Maiya and Neel. Errant thoughts of unlocking Talents turned the ocean of his mind choppy, and before he knew it, hed had a half-dozen random other thoughts.
Your mind will wander, Cirayus said soothingly, perhaps sensing Virs mental state with his Life chakra. This is normal. Do not dismiss the errant thought. Recognize it. ept it for the distraction it is. Then whisk it away.
Vir tried Cirayus strategy. It did work, initially. But soon, Virs mind became so preupied with shuttling thoughts away, he had no time to actually meditate.
This isnt working, he grumbled.
Your mind is agitated. Allow me to help.
How, exactly? Vir asked, thinking back to their prior experience.
You will feel a presence in your mind, likest time. It will feel strange to you, but do not resist it. It won''t feel nearly as invasive. Understand?
Vir nodded, unsure of what to expect. He found out soon enough. An alien sensation touched him. Not his body, but something deeper. It felt a little like standing under Riyans shower, except one that had two spigotswith one burning hot, and the other chillingly cold.
Though his body jolted at the sensation, Vir did his best to allow it to wash over him. Soon, the hot and the cold melded with each other, enveloping his mind in a warm,fortable nket.
Vir felt the pent up frustration dissipate. So what if he took an extra week or two to cross the Ash? Maiya wasnt going anywhere. She knew Cirayus was with him. She knew hed be out of touch for a while. Maiya was a big girl who could take care of herself.
Good. Now focus.
The thoughts were fewer this time, and Vir felt his mind guided toward the concept of sturdiness. It wasnt anything as strong as mind controlVir retained his thoughts and he didnt sense that Cirayus was reading his mindbut it helped. It soothed him, and he sunk into the feeling.
Soon Vir felt a heaviness settle upon him. Light as a feather at first, then progressively weightier until it felt ufortable.
There was something there, though. Past the difort, like a mountain seen through a veil, far away. A sense of powerof presencethat Vir had never experienced before. This was strength on a dimension Vir hadn''t even conceived of before.
Well done. Cirayus voice radiated sincerity, and Vir wondered if hed imbued it with the Life chakra. The giant retracted his influence from Virs mind, and the weight lifted. You have taken your first step to opening the Foundation Chakra. How did it feel?
Heavy. Like youd activated Bncer of Scales on me. But it was different from what you did the other day when you showed me all the different Chakras.
Aye, it would be. There, I used my chakras to suppress and attack. Here, I wished to aid you. Chakras are not inherently destructive in nature. They are colorless; it is the wielder that dyes them with their intent. The heaviness you speak of is the sensation of the Foundation Chakra. Sometimes also called the Root chakra, both for its location at the base of your spine, andlike the roots of a great treeimmovable.
Well? Do you wish to go again? Cirayus asked, regarding Vir intently.
Is that even a question? Vir smirked. We train until the storm passes. And then, Im fighting that Ash Beast.
Cirayus smiled, but there was a sadness to his expression. A sense of foreboding that Vir couldnt ce. As you wish, my liege.
Chapter 175: Agent of Change (Maiya)
Chapter 175: Agent of Change (Maiya)
Your Highness, the Head Handmaiden said, bowing her head as she poured Princess Ira a cup of tea. The princess wore an elegant gown in the crimson-and-ck colors of Kinjal, which contrasted beautifully with her tinum blonde hair that sat proudly behind her head, raised into a bun.
Excellent as always, Nee, the princess said, sipping her tea. Your preparation brings out the woody undertones while maintaining the smooth profile of this tea. Well done.
The Head Handmaiden nodded demurely.
It was another beautiful, temperate day in Sonam. The sun peeked out from the clouds, birds chirped, and a gentle breeze tickled the Royal Gardens. Maiya sat with the princess under a white trellis that looked as though a Kinjal warrior had attempted to copy the flowing style of Altani architectureand only partially seeded.
Nee? Thats the Head Handmaidens name? Maiya thought. To this day, shed never learned the witchs name. Nor had she ever had the guts to ask.
Then, to Maiyas horror, the teapot neared her own cup.
No way. No badrakking way! Shes not about to No! She is!
The teapot tilted, the Head Handmaiden red, and Maiyas eyes went wide. Hot, perfectly prepared Kinjali green tea poured out,nding perfectly in her cup. Maiya knew then that she was going to die.
The mere thought of the Head Handmaiden pouring her tea made her squirm in her skin. It was all so wrong, like the sun failing to rise in the morning or the stars refusing to fall at the end of the night.
Shes gonna kill me for this.
Thats just her nickname, by the way, Ira said, casting a cheeky gaze at the stoic Head Handmaiden.
Her real names
Princess Ira! Ive suddenly recalled a fond memory from a time when you were just a little girl. Youd hidden yourself out of embarrassment for a whole week after youd wet
Ahhh its quite a hot day, isnt it? Ira said in a shrill voice, the back of her palm against her forehead. I fear I may have sumbed to heat stroke, for Ive suddenly lost my train of thought! Pardon me!
Sweat broke out on Maiyas brow. Such was the tension in their words.
Of course, princess. Please mind your weak constitution. Youve pushed yourself too hard again.
Ira nodded solemnly. Thank you for your concern, Head Handmaiden. Ill be more mindful of my poor health.
Did she seriously just fight a princess? And she won!
The Head Handmaiden nodded, bowed, and left with her bar cart with absolutely perfect etiquette.
Her names Neeti, by the way, Princess Ira said, the moment the Head Handmaiden was out of earshot. At least, Maiya thought she was out of earshot, but when the woman turned and leveled a death re at the princess, Maiya reaffirmed her opinion that she wasnt human; she was an Ash Beast wearing human skin.
Maiya froze, feeling the Head Handmaidens gaze shift to her, like an all-seeing eye.
She cant read your thoughts. She cant read your thoughts. She cant read your thoughts Can she?
The mantra carried her through the ordeal, and the witchs pressure dissipated.
Ira deted. s, it seems Ive been vanquished.
You brought that on yourself. Maiya sipped her tea. Wow, this is good.
Princess Ira, Im honored to have been invited by one as esteemed as yourself, though
Maiya, please, the princess scolded. No formalities. Must I repeat myself so? Or are you only allowed to oblige if I chide you twice? Wait. Dont answer that. The look on your face tells all.
Sorry, Maiya muttered. But Neeti, huh?
I know, right? Tis far too cute a name for a straightced stickler like her. Though I suppose it is somewhat fitting. It means Justice in the old tongue.
Er, should you be saying that? Feels like youre just begging for bad things to happen.
Ira sighed. Youre right. Nothing goodes from teasing that natural disaster, but that is precisely why its so hard to resist, is it not? Care for a walk?
Maiya stood and followedthe princess hadnt asked a question. Shed issued an order.
Sonams Royal Imperial Garden was almost a city unto itself. Surrounded by walls taller and thicker than the outer walls of most capital cities, it was entirely isted, beautifully manicured andpletely empty.
Princess? Are you sure its wise to climb to the ramparts? Maiya asked, following the princess, who lifted her skirt to walk up the dozens of stairs that led to the top of the wall.
Oh, hush. Ie here often, Ira said, huffing from the exertion. The view is breathtaking, I promise.
The view was incredible. The Royal Quarters prominence afforded a sweeping view of the whole city, which spread out beneath them like a fortress, except one that spanned all the way to the horizon. It made for a mncholic mood, which inevitably made Maiya think of Vir. It didnt take much, these days.
Weeks had passed since Vir left. It was foolish, Maiya knew, to expect him to cross the Ash so quickly. Shed braced herself to wait months, and yet, each passing day caused her difort to swell. What if an Ash Biter had gobbled Vir up in his sleep when Cirayus wasnt looking? What if theyd gotten separated and hed lost his way? Was he roaming around the Ash, alone, at that very moment?
Quite the view from here, dont you think? Princess Ira asked, the gentle breeze ruffling her tinum blonde hair. The guards whod been stationed atop the ramparts quickly made themselves scarce upon the princess arrival.
It truly is, Maiya replied. Ive never experienced a better vantage. You can see all the way out to the Gauntlet from here, and even harbor.
Theres no better view in the whole city, Ira said, nodding. And yet, only the guards ever get to see it, though I suspect even they barely give it a passing nce. As with the castle grounds, its always only me, alone.
But so many live in the castle, Maiya said. How can it be so empty? Id expect at least a few people to venture out here for a stroll?
Pity, isnt it? Nobody cares. If theyre not working, dueling, or training their bodies, theyre wasting their time, apparently. Why would an upstanding Sonamite ever dawdle amid greenery or take in sweeping views?
Then why even have the gardens at all? Maiya asked in confusion. It seemed like such an opulent waste, totally at odds with the Kinjal ethic.
Because its proper for a castle to have a garden. Thats all. When foreign dignitaries visit, theyll be suitably impressed by Kinjals awareness of the finer aspects of life, she said sarcastically.
Cast your gaze across this crown jewel of ours. What do you see?
Maiya scanned the many tall walls, the ramparts wide enough for carriages, the warriors posted at every turn. She couldnt see the civilians who shuffling about on the streets belowso tall were the walls.
I see an impregnable fortress, only one thats been erged to the size of a massive city.
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Perhaps. Youre not wrong, though my eyes see differently. I see stagnation. I see a desperate desire to cling on to the only legacy Kinjal has ever hadthe strength of a bully. Youve spent plenty of time in Sonam by now. Tell me, how many paintings have you seen, either in the castle or out in the streets? How many artists or artisans crafting exotic pottery or textiles?
Maiya kept her silence, for she couldnt recall even a single one.
We have none of Ranis arts, nor the rich history of Hiranya, and none of the sophistication of the Altani. Ours is a history of conquestof nations shattered and assimted, squashing what culture they once had. This empire values one thing and one thing only. Some say strength is a virtue, but even water is a poison when consumed in quantity. But what about you? A copper for your thoughts?
Maiya thought it over for a moment. How did she feel about Kinjal? Initially, shed been in awe of the city and Kinjals wealth, viewing the world through the rose-colored lens of a vige girl who didnt know any better. She was still impressed, but shed be lying if she said the sheen hadnt been tarnished somewhat.
Kinjal was the most powerful country in the Known World in certain areas, but after having visited Rani, and even the Pagan Order, there was somethingcking.
Theres no soul, Maiya said. Even the strength Kinjals obsessed with isnt to better oneself or seek perfection of their art. At least, not as a goal. Its just a means to an end. To expand Kinjals power.
Precisely! Ira said, sping her hands. Tis the root of Kinjali aggression. Would you believe me if I said this obsession was not organic, but a carefully crafted strategy by the Imperator to guide the countrys culture to his own ends?
Is that even possible?
Quite. Though my father is hardly the only one to me. Hes merely thetest in a long line of torch-bearers. It begins with our education. From a young age, our schools ingrain the martial mindset, extolling our warriors, and indoctrinating children to believe the Ashva dung that is our gods-given right to conquer the world.
It continues in the arena. Have you wondered why all Kinjal cities have one? Even viges have a dueling ringcentrally locatedwhere citizens are encouraged to fight for wealth and fame.
It culminates in our militarythe ultimate sess for a Kinjal. There is no higher calling than that of Warrior, no higher station than General. I wont lie that the policy has served the country well, but it is this exact philosophy that leads us to poke sleeping Wyrms. Our prior sess in no way guarantees future victory, yet we seem to take this as a given even in the face of embarrassing losses like Banshys Folly and The One Days War.
I must admit, Maiya said softly, Kinjal has been single-handedly responsible for ruining Hiranya.
Dont say it. Dont say it, Maiya! Keep your mouth shut!
Though I fail to see how that is a bad thing. Hiranya can burn to the ground for all I care.
Maiya couldnt remain silent. Her hatred boiled just as hot as it did the day she discovered Hiranyan knights had murdered her parents. Like a volcano biding its time, building pressure until it bursts. One day, she would have her revenge, and if Kinjal helped her obtain it, shed support them right up until the day Dahas pce burned to ash with the vermin infesting it.
Princess Ira furrowed her brows. I know, of course, that you came to us from Hiranya. I am not, however, aware of your history with them. If it is corruption you wish to eradicate, changing Kinjal will uplift Hiranya as well. Hiranyan nepotism is an unfortunate byproduct of our desperate times. When they no longer have war to worry about, military resources will flow back to the country, strengthening it. Kinjal can aid in ensuring the ascension ofpetent rulers from the shadows.
Maiya balled a fist. They murdered my parents. I dont want to uplift them. I want to burn them.
Princess Ira turned to regard Maiya.
Great. Ive really done it now. Maiya braced herself for a lecture.
Who do you want killed? the princess asked.
S-sorry?
I assume your hatred is directed toward those responsible for the death of your parents, yes? Who were they?
A knight, Maiya replied with a frown. This wasnt the reaction Maiya expected. Knight Captain Vastav and his men. And Princess Mina.
Ira winced. Mina Hiranya Youve no doubt heard what became of her?
Maiya nodded. I heard she was maimed. That not even healing magic can help her.
Yes, she lost some limbs. Quite gruesome. Hiranya has done their best to hide it, but theres no concealing something like that. Mina is destroyed, Maiya. Fated to live out the rest of her days as a cripple, she has no power anymore. Her brothers have seen to that.
She still breathes, Maiya said through gritted teeth. She knew this was no way to speak to a princess. Maiya didnt have any right to demand anything from her. The oppositeIra had given her wealth, power, and status. Everything shed ever dreamed of. Yet, now that shed spoken, she couldnt stop herself. Like a levy that had ruptured, the words flowedout of control. That monster deserves a fate worse than death for all the tragedies shes wrought.
Would you not say Fate has given her exactly that? Ira asked. Imagine how it must be for someone as highborn, as egomaniacal as Mina, to be brought so low. It must vex her every moment of every day. It must consume her, knowing shell never return to the person she once was. Tell me true, is that not worse?
Maiya went silent for a long moment. When she spoke, her words were more measured. Calmer. The princess had a point.
I guess I never saw it that way, she mumbled.
People like her think differently from you or I, Maiya. Believe me, youd only be putting her out of her misery by ending her life. Shes best left alone. Let her be a ck mark for Hiranya to bear.
The knights?
Ill arrange to have Captain Vastav executed, as well as those directly responsible for your parents deaths. Is that eptable?
I dont know what to say, Maiya replied, hanging her head. I feel Im overstepping my bounds. By a lot. Im sorry. I shouldnt even have mentioned this.
Ira smiled sadly. We all carry the demons of our past with us. Most are unable to do anything about it. I know well what it is you feel. Youve plied yourself for our Empire. For me. If this allows you to move on with your life, then Ill happily have those people killed.
The princess had single-handedly resolved the darkness in Maiyas heart. A darkness Vir partially quelled by killing HarakHiranyas Royal Priestbut the storm remained. Until the guilty were held responsible, there would be no true peace in Maiyas heart. Shed been prepared to sacrifice herself if need be. Now, with just a few words, shed been freed of that burden. It felt wrong, somehow.
Would you like to kill them yourself? Ira asked, casting an appraising gaze at her, but Maiya immediately shook her head.
Its not really revenge that Im after. Thats certainly part of it, but I know it wont bring my parents back. I doubt itll make me feel much better; Im not that nave. But the thought of those vermin living their lives unpunished I cant stand it. I never have. Knowing they no longer tread upon this Realm is enough for me.
Consider it done.
Thank you for this, Princess Ira. I assume youll be wanting a favor in return? Whatever you like, please name it.
Ira sighed, leaning over the ramparts crenels. Thats not it at all, Maiya. If I wanted an ignorant minion, I wouldve simply ckmailed you with treason for leaking sensitive intelligence to that mejai, Tanya. You will notice I never once mentioned it.
Maiya went pale and her heart threatened to leap out of her mouth. You knew?
I do my due diligence on all my handmaidens, Maiya. Especially those I take under my wing. Ill admit, I had contingencies, but my faith in you wasnt misced.
You had faith? Imitted treason!
Were guards moving in to capture her? Had Ira led her here for that purpose? Maiyas eyes darted around the ramparts, suspicious of a trap.
But no. The tops of the walls remained empty. It was just her and the princess, who stood with a hand on her hip, brows creased in pity.
Maiya, Ill never have a sliver of a coppers chance at the throne without an eye for good character. I judged you thoroughly and concluded you would cast off whatever shackles that bound you if given a choice. If you didnt, it would mean you deemed the danger too great to do so.
You assumed a lot, Maiya replied, taken aback at how urate Iras assessment had been.
And? Were my assumptions not correct? You are hardly the first risk Ive taken. I wish for my handmaidens to follow me willingly. To believe in my cause. For while help can always be hired, loyalty cannot be bought.
But you had a contingency, didnt you? Maiya asked.
Of course. If you hadnt stopped your spying before learning anything of value, Id have had you executed in your sleep. Any of several nightshades would have done the task.
Poison? Maiyas blood nearly froze, her face deathly turning pale. Isuppose thats only fair
Traitors usually endured far worse than a painless death.
S-so, my training, Maiya said, eager to move the conversation along, trying not to betray the fear in her voice. It has something to do with the Children of Ash, doesnt it?
Ira walked along the rampart, and Maiya matched her pace beside her. Shed normally never have dared, but the princess insisted.
Ive sent you all over the Known World. To Hiranya, Rani, and the far corners of Kinjal. What have you seen?
Poverty. Corruption. Strife, Maiya replied immediately. Hidden agendas and knives behind everyones backs.
Maiya had shut down smuggling rings, strong-armed the Crown Prince of Matali, and helped the poor. There wasnt a shred of continuity to her tasks, but she hadntined. Iras ideals lined up near-perfectly with her own. Not only was she doing the world a service, she was being paid handsomely for it.
Tis an ugly thing, is it not?
Maiya nodded. But what does this have to do with those cultists?
Why, I thought it obvious? In each of your missions, you had an opportunity to interact with their ranks. The smuggling rings all had at least one Children agent amongst them, preaching their twisted cause. Matali is rife with the Cultists, as is Hiranya. They even preach to the poor, handing out alms for those who will listen to their ways.
Theyre just a group of harmless crazies, Maiya said. They might be everywhere, but theyre useless as informants.
Thats precisely the trouble. I wish for them to be.
Maiya blinked. You intend to radicalize them against another country? Others have tried. Theres a reason they answer to no one. Theyre quite insane.
Oh, Im aware. I want nothing as crude as that. The Kinjal intelligencework is vast and deep, and yet there are ces even we cannot prate. Dark corners, where the Children flourish. Mostly, they are loyal to my father. My goal is not to simply sway the ChildrenI wish to make them ours. Mine.
Er, how, exactly?
Iraced her fingers behind her back, upturned her eyes, and gave Maiya such a sweet smile that she came to a halt. The princess gazed into Maiyas eyes.
Why, by infiltrating their ranks, rising within the organization, bing their leader, and turning them to our side, of course!
Right! Of course!
Any chance I could just fight Ash Beasts, instead? Maiya asked meekly.
Iras grin broadened. And just like that, all of Maiyas hopes for the future came crashing splendidly down.
Vir, if Im a crazy blood cultist by the time you get back I swear it wasnt my fault!
Chapter 176: Shredder Shredder
Chapter 176: Shredder Shredder
Vir sailed toward the Shredder with Haste already active. He knew from experience that this wasnt an enemy he could hope to match without his full arsenal of magic. The world slowed around him as both body and mind elerated. The swaying of the short grass stilled, and the pitch of all sounds lowered.
While an odd sensation, it was quickly growing familiar. Though not familiar enough, apparentlythe Shredder matched his speed and then exceeded it.
Im still slower than that thing? Vir thought in panic. Haste had sped up his movements and thoughts to twice their normal capacity, yet the Shredder matched him with pure physique alone. Of course, prana being several-fold denser within its domain didnt hurt, and were it not for the barrier Vir erected near his skin, his blood would have burst from the pressure.
It quickly became clear that there was a world of difference between a newly gained Talent and one that had been honed for a lifetime; the Shredder had been born with its innate speed, having yearsperhaps even decadesto grow used to it. Vir had had a single day.
w shes and vicious bites threatened Vir continuously, forcing him to evade. The ones he couldnt dodge, he blocked, his seric katar nging with each strike. Unlike their first battle, however, Vir evaded at least some of its blows. He considered that progress.
Still, the fight was only slightly less one-sided than before, with Vir now leveraging Prana Vision to give him details of the beasts weak pointsits head and its belly. The former was more predictable, but its thick skull and heavy prana armor made it a poor target. Thetter was surprising.
Vir had expected a heart within its chest but instead found the organ deep within its belly, where both its armor and prana armor were thickest at the center, tapering off to its nks, which were protected by its wed limbs.
Feinting his katar, Vir forced the Shredder to block with its ws, which gave him an opening. Squatting low, Vir Blinked, ripping upward with a devastatingly fast uppercut. Fast and powerful. Bringing the full brunt of his momentum to bear against the Shredders prana armor, he hoped to prate its thick armorboth the prana armor and its regr hide. The de cut deep into theyer of ck prana that coated the beasts body, but it slowed, and finally stopped, having barely broken through.
The strike put Vir in a disadvantageous position, making him vulnerable to the Shredders counterattack. He dodged the maw and parried both ws, but the tail de swooped in like a scythe, forcing him to block with his bracer.
ng!
The grating of metal on metal was followed by a gouge that marred his precious seric armor, forcing him to remember a certain warriors wordsweapons and armor were meant to be used, not collected like fine jewelry. Even so, the damage stung.
I need more speed if I dont want worse, Vir thought, narrowly avoiding a ded w.
Luckily, he had something that could give him exactly that. While hed never attempted to use Haste and Blink together, there was no reason thebination shouldnt work.
Vir pulled prana from his legsfinding, to his surprisethat his blood responded the same as it always had. It was only then that he realized Haste had elerated his blood flow and heart rate to match his speed. It had to, to provide enough blood to his muscles that worked overtime. Vir wondered if there were any side effects to this state, and for how long he could keep it up before his body shut down.
Shelving those thoughts aside, Vir allowed the supersaturated Prana Dam lining his skin topse, flooding his legs with prana and power. Willing himself to move at speeds that defied the imagination, he Blinked.
The Shredder, which had been lobbing attacks at Vir with total confidence, froze, confused.
Virs seric katar smashed into the beasts torso. Empower and Prana de augmented the strike, which contained the full force of Virs offensive power.
The de drove through the Shredders prana armor, splitting it and came to a stop without prating the Shredders actual armor.
Virs instincts red, and he charged Blink again.
Come on. Come on
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A tail de whipped around for an opportunistic counterstrike, and Vir knew he wouldnt make it. He aborted the Talent, surging the umted prana into his legs to activate Leap instead.
The tail de blurred by, barely an inch from Virs nose.
Blinks sheer speed would have allowed him to escape with time to spare, but it took somewhat longer to charge; its activation was more of a two-stage process.
Something to keep in mind from now on, Vir thought, wondering how hed beat this beast without it. Hed hoped improving his speed wouldve been enough to send the abomination to its grave, but clearly, hed underestimated it.
He had to be smarter about how he fought, and unfortunately, his greatest advantage was currently too risky to usethere was only one shadow in rangerge enough to slip throughhis own.
The moment Vir disappeared into the shadows, hed lose his only exit. The Shredders shadow wasnt quite enough to allow his whole body to pass through, and there wasnt anything even remotelyrge enough nearby. While he hadnt personally confirmed what happened when the Shadow Realm eventually kicked him out, Cirayus had. Apparently, it happened to more Iksana Ghael than the n cared to admit, and the results were always gruesome. Amputated limbs or bisected torsos usually spelled instant death for those unfortunate demons.
Needing time to devise a new n, Vir backed away. The Shredder followed, but only to the edge of its domain, and not one step farther. Perhaps out of fear of the other domain lordsthe name Vir had given the rulers of theseirswho eyed the battle with a wary eye, but whatever the reason, Vir took it.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Vir deactivated Haste, allowing the world around him to speed back up to normal.
Vir turned his thoughts to how Cirayus would approach this battle. The demon wielded godly power, true, but he also fought with his mind.
What would that guy do? Vir thought, eyeing the four-armed giant who stood with arms crossed some forty paces away. Hed have his enemies fight amongst themselves.
Virs eyes lingered on the other domain lords but quickly gave up on that idea. They wouldnt leave their territory without good reason, and Vir had none.
Shifting his thought process, Vir considered his own strengths and weaknesses. He was neither as fast nor as strong as the Shredder, but then, hed never preferred fighting opponents head-on. Sometimes, there was little choice, but whenever there was, he liked to strike from the shadows, leveraging the element of surprise, only partially because his abilities were optimized for such attacks. It was just a smarter, safer way to fight.
It wasnt like the Shredder had no weaknesses. Its nks hadparatively little in the way of armor, both of prana and hide. Just that getting to it was difficult.
If only I could use Dance of the Shadow Demon, this would be so easy, Vir thought frustratedly.
Over-reliance on a single ability was dangerous, but Vir didnt have the luxury of diversifying right now. He needed to progress as fast as he could, and that meant using his most powerful weapon to its fullest.
He just needed a shadow. Something big enough to
Wait. Thats it! It just has to cast arge enough shadow!
Vir sprinted to the nearby forest, where he broke down a limb and used his katar to whittle one end of the post into a point.
After roaming for a few moments, he found the nt he was looking for. A type of fern whose fronts ended in a sharp point. A bane when traveling near them, but it was just what he needed.
Vir bit down on the very end of the fern and pulled, careful not to bite all the way through. The pointy tip came loose and pulled a length of sinewy fiber behind it, which Vir fashioned into a cord.
Back at his post, Virshed some leafy branches to the limb with his new cord, thenyered on more and more. Soon, he had a post with a thick mat of interleaved foliage connected at the top, extending out at an angle halfway between horizontal and vertical. The post was light enough to carry, and more importantly, would cast a long shadow.
Running back to the Shredder with his new contraption, Vir considered how he might adapt this idea in the future. If he could carry around portable items that could give himrge enough shadows, hed significantly reduce Dances weakness. There wasnt much he could do about cloudy days, but at least hed never want for shadows on sunnier ones.
Vir found the beast lounging at the very center of its domain, licking its superficial wounds, which suited him perfectly.
cing his post at the periphery of their, Vir reactivated Haste, before Blinked back to the beast, re-engaging it in battle.
The fight wentrgely the same as before, but this time, Vir allowed the beast to gain ground, pushing him back to the edge of its domain. Toward the post.
The Shredder grew more and more aggressive, sure of its victory. Vir allowed it.
Just a little closer. There!
At ten paces away from the post, Vir sunk into the shadows, extending an arm from his posts shadow to let time crawl by.
While Hastes effects nullified within the Shadow Realm, he didnt need it. Time flowed at a fraction of its pace, allowing Vir to n the exact moment for his strike.
The Shredder turned its oversized lizard head from side to side, no doubt confused at Virs disappearing act.
He waited until it gave up and turned.
Now!
This was the moment Vir had waited for. Launching out of the poles shadow, Haste reasserted itself. Vir Leaped, eager not to lose his moment of opportunity.
His Prana de crashed into the Shredders nk, shattering its armor where it was weakest, proceeding through its hide as if it wasnt even there.
Right as the weapon lost speed, Vir red Prana de, evolving it into a de Projection that speared right through the bipedal beastright through its heart.
The Shredder jolted once, then seized. It slowly turned its head to re at Vir. Then it keeled over, dead.
Vir roared in victory, thrusting his katar at the sky. He whirled, eager to show off his kill to Cirayus.
Did you see that? he shouted.
The giant had indeed witnessed his fight, as well as Virs decisive victory.
And yet, Cirayus response wasnt what hed expected. Instead of satisfied pride, there was only one emotion painted on the giants facethat of worried concern.
Chapter 177: Domain Lord
Chapter 177: Domain Lord
She swept her eyes over the dead city. Little had changed since herst hibernation cycle. The city of spires stood as it always had. Dead and abandoned, its Prana Swarm clinging as it always did to the central spire, while Wyrms swam through the sky around it.
This time was different, though. It had known what she craved. Long ago, it had promised her a future. That when her cores ran dry, the end would not be the end. It would be a beginning. If only she trusted the one who woulde for her.
After having remained static for so long, the realm was changing. She was changing. And she embraced it dearly.
Vir sat cross-legged upon the dead domain lordsir, enduring agony in silence. It felt like day one in the Ash all over again.
Hed wondered why the prana density here was many times what it was just paces away, but learned that the Colossus upon which he sat emanated prana continuously. In some ces, it was just a trickle. In others, a torrent that pulsed rhythmically, ebbing and flowing with each beat.
Must be where its heart is Or some other vital organ.
The Mahakurma was prana incarnate. Just the excess bleeding off the beast was enough to make Virs blood explode if he didnt maintain his saturation dam, only allowing a trickle to leak into his body at a time. The sheer scale of its size and power still boggled Virs mind.
Could an army of 40,000 really take this thing out? Vir thought. He doubted it, and it was likely whoever pped that rank upon it did as well, given the bestiary''s enormous Br range from 12,000 to 40,000. While Vir hadnt seen its maw weapon in action, the beasts steps alone could crush a whole vige in one go.
With something as mammoth as this, it was better to think of how many lives would be lost before the beast was taken down. Depending on the battlefield and circumstances, Vir could imagine it easily reaping 100,000 humans. One might consider running away, but as Vir had witnessed, the turtle could move, despite its seemingly lethargic gait.
Quick strides simply werent necessary when each step carried the behemoth several hundred paces at once. So while an individual or a team of mercenaries could escape the beastor even board itan army, or a city, had no chance. Vir wondered how long it would take for the Mahakurma to erase a city like Sonam with its maw weapon. Not long at all.
At least these horrors were contained. Ash Beasts had been stuck in the Ash for millennia for a reason; they wouldnt survive outside with the lower density. Only the least of them could, and none of those were City Enders.
Well, maybe a certain pet Prana Swarm could But the one Hiranya kept was a far cry from anything he might run into here.
Grak it! Minds wandering again.
One week had passed since Vir imed victory over the Shredder. Seven days of agony. Both from stretching his bodys prana limits and because more than a month had passed in the Human Realm.
The Mahakurma was still on the move, but to Virs immense frustration, it had delved no deeper into the Ash.
And now, even a weekter, his body still hadnt adjusted to the ambient prana levels. Vir wanted desperately to confront the next domain lord but knew he wasn''t ready.
There was just so much prana. Three times as much. When multiplied with the twofold increase Vir had dealt with upon entering the Ashs periphery, once he limated, his body could handle six times what it did prior to entering the Ash. Vir doubted even the Prime Mejai could boast such a capacity.
Unfortunately, that meant little in a realm where all the beasts had more.
The adjustment process was slow and painful. There was little to do other than sit for hours on end, allowing more and more prana within himself as he adjusted. Which left his mind open for plenty of other thoughts, such as ruminating on avenues for progression, like Prana Armor.
Virs eyes wandered to the sh marks on his seric bracer. It was still in good condition, but a few more strikes like that, and they wouldnt be for long.
Hed spent many hours wondering exactly how Ash Beasts manifested their armor, but now, he had an inkling. Watching the internal prana flow of an Ash Beast while fighting it wasnt exactly a simple task, but hed noticed a pattern.
Quite literallyAsh Beasts cycled prana through their bodies. The patterns differed, and Vir was almost sure they did it intuitively, but the principle was identical to Parais Prana Channeling.
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A week ago, that would be as far as Vir got. Parais technique stymied him, working on unknown arcane principles. Now, he knew better.
Its using Chakra. It has to be.
There were 144 chakras spread throughout the body. Cirayus concentrated on the seven major ones, but the others were also fulcrums of energy and Prana Vision was blind to them.
Cirayus had mentioned as much, but it also perfectly exined the underpinnings of Parais patterns. Parai must have mastered each one, allowing him to design new patterns by linking prana from one chakra to another in a virtuous cycle.
And so, Vir had spent the past days concentrating on the Foundation chakra, though the pain assaulting his body hadnt helped any. While his progress had been cial, thankfully, he wasnt on his own.
Youre pushing too hard,d, Cirayus said, striding up to where Vir sat. The other domain lords shirked back, instinctively understanding the threat that Cirayus represented.
I need this, Vir said. How am I gonna defeat the other domain lords if I dont do at least this much?
Aye, true. Surely youll be able to keep this up for the foreseeable future, yes? Ah, silly me. Of course, you cant. Let me teach you about this concept we call pacing.
Vir rolled his eyes under his eyelids. I just want to get deeper into the Ash.
Yes, to keep your poorss from worrying. A noble motivation, but do ensure you stay on the right side of the line that splits ambition from recklessness.
I will. Say... have you ever seen an Ash Tear do that, Cirayus? Vir asked, pointing to the gate that had opened up for what had to be the twentieth time since they''d arrived.
The Tear was dangerously close to a deeper Domain Lord''sir, but unlike the other lords, this one didn''t hesitate. It walked right up to the Tear, which blinked out of existence as it approached.
The beast, which resembled a hulking metal gori, snorted in victory.
Can''t say I have,d, Cirayus replied.
Doesn''t... doesn''t it almost seem like it''s alive? Vir asked. It couldn''t have been a coincidence that it closed right when that ash beast got close, right?
If it happened once, I might''ve believed it. I''ve seen it do the same thing before, Cirayus said. Keep a watchful eye. There is something strange about that one. Now, let us begin.
Vir felt the calming aura of Cirayus Life chakra touch his soul. His thoughts calmed the moment he epted it. The pain no longer dominated his mind, allowing him to contemte on the Foundation chakra.
Maybe he was getting closer, or maybe it was Cirayus, but he felt closer to the concept of solidity. The weight that pressed upon him before had grown heavier, but so too had his ability to resist it.
Like the rock at the bottom of a mountain, the weight above it was iprehensible, and yet, the mountain didnt crumble. Vir couldnt say the weight he felt amounted to a mountains worthmore like a small hillbut it was progress, nheless.
Cirayus called the session to an end six hourster, and after a quick bite of raw onion and root vegetables, Vir finally stood.
Youre not nning on fighting the next domain lord, are you? the demon asked, but Vir shook his head.
I dont have a death wish. Just, it bothers me that I dont even know what Ill be up against. I can see the other domain lords, but the next one remains hidden. I need more information.
Wits, not strength, had allowed him to defeat the Shredder in hisst battle. Going forward, he needed to be smarter about how he fought, squeezing everyst drop of potential from his abilities.
Its how Cirayus would fight, he thought.
Take care not to venture into its territory. You cannot handle that level of prana. Not yet.
Challenge epted.
Vir could handle the prana, but only as long as he maintained his Prana Damthe saturatedyer near his skin. Taking down the next domain lord would grant him ess to an even higher level area to train his body, which would speed up the process. Itd be more painful, too, but Vir was no stranger to pain.
Rather, it was the challengers that bothered him more. Over the past week, opportunistic Ash Beasts had attacked him while he meditated, eager to im the prana-dense region for themselves.
Theyd failed; Vir had fought back every one, though some were closer calls than hed have liked. The fights grew easier as his body limated, strengthening him and boosting his vitality, though even then, none had been easy.
If he did make a move on the next domain lord, it wouldnt be long before another beast imed the empty throne he left behind. If that happened before he won, or if Vir found himself unable to take the pressure, hed have to retreateither fighting the new lord behind him or giving up entirely and exiting the prana-dense regions to start from scratch.
That was a situation he wanted to avoid at all costs.
Feeling confident enough in his recent gains to take a quick break, Vir approached the periphery of the next lords domain.
Like his own, it was a t, grassynd near the center of the valley. The prana was visibly thicker, forcing Vir to dial back how much of it went to his eyesto let him prate the thick haze.
Scanning the horizon, he expected to find a monster with the ability to deceive the eyes and turn invisible. Such a creature would ze brightly to Prana Vision, but he saw nothing.
Nothing, aside from a tunnel that led into the earth. Vir almost missed it, owing to Prana Visions degraded sight for affinities that werent Ash. If it wasnt for the bright signature deep inside the shell, he mightve missed it.
A rodent-sized beast shot up the tunnel and popped a head out of a hole in the ground before emerging, standing on its hind legs to regard Vir with hostility.
The ground squirrel might even have been cuteif its body wasnt covered entirely with vicious-looking spines like a hedgehog. Twin tusks protruded from its mouth almost down to its wed paws and it moved blindingly fast.
Vir lost sight of it and assumed it had retreated into its cave, but that wasnt the case. Itd Blinked right up to him, standing daringly at the very edge of its domain.
Scary though it mightve been, the Ash Beast barely came up to a third of Virs height. Hardly a vicious opponent.
Then it shrieked, and Vir copsed to his knees in pain. The sound wasnt simply loud, it was alien, resonating horrifically.
When he recovered momentster, four more of its brethren had joined it. More and more poured out through perfectly camouged holes in the ground, and there seemed to be no end of them. Twenty. Fifty. A Hundred.
Two hundred ground squirrels all stood facing him. A whole colony.
Well, this should be interesting.
Chapter 178: A Battle Of Wits And Strength
Chapter 178: A Battle Of Wits And Strength
Ive led him astray, Cirayus muttered, watching Vir run around collecting firewood and brush. What is thatd up to this time?
When Cirayus had first met Sarvaak, hed found in him a hardworking, earnest warriorif somewhat inexperienced. Hed been one to use his wits to ovee problems, and now he relied on it more than ever, favoringplex strategies to bring down his foes.
Strategizing was fine and well, and Cirayus had enough battlefieldmand experience never to underestimate a skilled tactician, but some situations demanded raw power. Such as fighting stupidly powerful Ash Beasts.
Hed hoped Vir would find that strength hereor at least pursue that path to power, growing his physical capabilities and Talents rather than winning with clever tricks.
Yes, thed had learned magic to augment his speed, and this was worthy of praise. It was, however, hardly sufficient. Every Akh Nara possessed a certain ability that made them something more than the sum of their parts, but nobody knew what. There were the tattoos, yes, and the Ash prana, but there was another ability they wielded that served to drastically augment their durability, mobility, and damage.
The Demon Realm was not a bountiful ce. Prana was universally scarce, and many demons grew up below their potential. Yet even in such and, the Akh Nara shone like a sun.
Thed had been impressed by Bncer of Scales, but what would he feel when he saw the ability sputter and fail for theck of prana to power it? No matter the ability, be it Chitrans Demonic Overlord or Panavs Ultimate Sacrifice, all consumed prana with reckless abandon.
What would Vir say when he learned that several Ultimate Bloodline arts could not even activate in many parts of the Demon Realm?
Hed be disappointed, without a doubt. Heartbroken. But whats morehed be weak.
Not so the Akh Nara. Jalendra found a way. Shardul found a way. They bypassed that limitation. They wield tattoos in ces no one else could, with power no one else could muster.
s, if only I knew more. Cirayus might have been one of the few demons alive to even know of this secret ability, but it wasnt enough to help.
I only hope thed realizes there is no substitute for strength before its toote.
Vir was convinced that guile and strategy were the perfect substitutes for strength. Against the monsters of the Ashen Realm, there was no hope of matching them blow for blow. To attempt it would be a fools errand.
To win, he had to y to his strengths. Surprise and intellect.
After observing the ground squirrel nest for a full day, Vir had made some interesting discoveries.
Though the tunnels numbered in the dozens, crisscrossing in a vast maze underground, only a handful of entrances led into the system. By tracing each tunnel to the surface, Vir had tracked them down, one by one.
If he was honest, he didnt feelfortable fighting such an enemy. Their incredible speed and their numbers meant he could easily end up like the Garga Cirayus had led into the mutated cultists'' den.
While Vir might find sess initially, he could easily be swarmed. Death by a thousand cuts. An all-too-likely scenario when Dance of the Shadow Demon couldnt be relied upon to escape.
Best to avoid fighting if he could help it. Luckily, circumstances afforded him a way to do exactly that. Not only did the squirrelscalled Tuskers for their long tuskslive underground, a lightning storm had shown they were deathly afraid of fire as well.
Vir set the final batch of firewood down just outside the enemys domain, beside some wet brush hed gathered. For the firewood, hed simply sliced open a dead tree and quartered its trunk into logs.
The resident Ash Tear hade to watch. The gate seemed to be taking an awfully keen interest in his goings-ontely. Vir almost felt like the gate was trying to hide it. It never appeared too close, and usually closed almost immediately. But it always hung around longer when Vir was doing something interesting. Be it fighting a beast or running around gathering supplies.
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As long as it doesn''t get in my way, Vir thought.
The n was simpleblock each entrance and light smoky fires. The smoke would do the rest. A terrible way to die, but it was either that, or wait until he was stronger, and Vir had already wasted enough time here. Besides, Vir knew without a doubt that Cirayus wouldnt have been happy if he fought them head-on like a brute.
Timing was key. Vir had plotted the most efficient order to light the fires, but his time was limited. The enemy would respond quickly, so hed have to dart in, light the fire, and retreat to his domain before the squirrels pursued.
Then hed have to do it four more times.
Vir loaded firewood and wet brush into his rucksack, piling in as much as it could hold, then cut some wood shavings for tinder.
Before long, a fire roared at the edge of his domain. Vir carefully lit the ends of five logs before inserting them into the very top of his rucksack, cinching them tight.
Then he took a deep, even breath, and Leaped to the farthest hole.
With Haste active, Vir dropped the rucksack and stuck a burning log into the opening. It wasnt quiterge enough to fill the entire hole, but that didnt matter too much; few animals ever ran towards a fire. Vir covered the opening with the wet brush, then moved to the second hole.
Working even faster, he plugged this one before Blinking to the third, making his way steadily back to his domain.
Only two more to go! he thought.
Vir dropped the rucksack at the next hole and was forced to jump aside when a w swiped across his face.
The first Tusker had arrived, and where there was one, there were always more. Many more.
Badrak it!
The beasts poured out of the remaining two holes in droves, and Vir knew hed failed. The whole n hinged on trapping the Tuskers in theirir.
Vir Leaped back to his domain, returning their baleful res with as much hate as he could muster.
Why dont youe out here and fight me! Vir roared, but the beasts didnt respond to his threats. He didnt rightly know why he said something like that; hed die just as easily in his domain as in theirs. He just wanted to vent his anger, and they happened to be the closest target.
Vir watched as his fire logs burned to coals. All that effort, wasted. I shouldve just meditated instead. Wait. Is Cirayus smiling?
The giant shifted his expression the instant Vir looked at him, but there was no mistaking it. Hes happy I failed?
Vir couldnt bring himself to ept that the giant would act so juvenile. There had to be some greater meaning behind his smile. Was he seeing something Vir hadnt?
Casting his gaze back at the Tusker Den, Vir found only traces of smoke from his fire logs.
Were those holes always that big? Vir wondered idly. He was about to move on when the realization hit him. Its big enough to enter!
The entire colony stood against him, just ten paces away, as if daring him to attack. But that also meant their home was empty.
This can work! Vir thought, wondering if Fate was smiling on him today. Cirayus must have noticed it as well. Perhaps he thought it was some part of Virs n? It wasnt, but Vir wasnt about to tell the giant that.
Dropping his rucksack, Vir Blinked into the air, shooting over the Tuskers. The instant his boot touched the ground, Vir Leaped to the hole, and dove into the tunnel headfirst. Into the shadow that swallowed him whole.
From there, Vir took his time. While the tunnels werentrge enough to admit his whole body, he didnt need to leave the shadows entirely. Long ago, hed learned to swim from shadow to shadow, only bringing part of his body out while he transitioned from one to the other. Underground, everywhere was shadow, making the entirework his domain.
And unlike in the Human Realm, there were no limits to how many times Vir could invoke it.
Biding his time, he mapped out the tunnelwork while he waited for the unwitting enemies to return. The maze was far moreplex than what hed expected, plunging down a hundred paces into the turtles back. It just showed how absolutely massive the Mahakurma truly was. It wasnt just the volcano and the forestit had deep soil and supported a subterranean ecosystem, too.
When the first Tuskers entered, what waited for them was not the warmfort of home, but the cold de of an assassin of shadows.
Vir allowed the beasts to filter in, deeper and deeper. If he killed the first ones, the others would just flee. He bided his time until the majority had entered.
Only then did his katar emerge. It came from the ceiling, from the ground, and even midair from behind. This was his demesne, now, and he reaped methodically. The Tuskers had some thin prana armor, but not nearly as much as the Shredder. They proved no issue for his de.
The beasts flew into a panic, rampaging past each other, sometimes trampling, sometimes goring each other to get out.
Vir didnt allow it. He jumped from tunnel to tunnel, skewering and killing one Tusker after the other. Their errant shes did catch his bracer a handful of times, but there was nothing to be done about that. Vir was now sure his prized seric gear would fail him long before leaving the Ash, but so long as it kept him alive, itll have done its job.
He didnt have to kill many before their bodies clogged the tunnels, trapping their brethren behind them. In desperation, the ones behind wed and even gnawed away at their dead kin, seeking to get away from the horror that hunted them.
Seventy. That was how many Dance of the Shadow Demon activations it took to kill the majority. Some stragglers escaped, but there was nothing to be done about those. Without their colony intact, the Tuskers couldnty im to the domain.
Vir finally emerged at the tunnel entrance to find a worried-looking Cirayus calling his name.
By the gods,d! Where have you been? Thought you''d fallen through that Ash Tear!
Vir hadnt ever seen the demon so distraught. Not even when theyd spotted the Wyrm.
I did it, he said. I killed them, Cirayus!
The giants worry changed to confusion, then surprise, with a hint of awe, then finally to exasperated disappointment.
Whats wrong? Vir asked with a frown. I won, Cirayus! Im not even injured.
The demon sighed. Lad, Im afraid youve misunderstood my advice.
Huh?
Chapter 179: Blade Launch
Chapter 179: de Launch
He cant be right, Vir thought. Strength isnt everything.
The mighty Mahakurma took a step, shaking the ground under him.
Okay, maybe it can help, Vir relented. Besides, that wasn''t quite what Cirayus had said. Why is he always right?
Vir meditated cross-legged on the second domain lordsir, limating to the denser prana. Meditating in this environment elerated the process, but even nowa full weekterhis body hadnt yet fully adjusted to the three-fold increase in density.
It had been a lonely process, with only Cirayus and his pet Ash Tear to keep himpany. The Tear had grown boldertely, edging closer, but never so close that Vir felt in danger.
One week, huh? Vir thought, keeping a wary eye on the Tear. Another month in the Human Realm, gone.
Vir shook off the thought, turning his mind to the lecture Cirayus had given him about his tactics. Or more urately, for having relied on tactics to such an extent. While the demon made it clear he was a proponent of preparedness, hed harped on the importance of strength.
Sound tactics and good technique can close the gap in power, but some chasms are simply too wide to cross. If you insist on fighting this way, you will find yourself outmatched by your foes before long.
It hadnt been long at all. The very next domain lord was in a league of its own. And, like the Tuskers, the beast was absent from the bestiaries Vir had read.
It resembled a cross between a crab and an armored gori, capped by an insect head. Twin metal-ded trunks of forearms ended in powerful fists, while the rest of the beast stood on four primate legs the size of tree trunks, also covered in metal. A domed steel carapace covered its whole back, making the creature look more like an assemge of metal parts than anything organic.
Vir wondered if its body could be harvested for use as weaponry, but that was putting the cart before the Ashva. Hed have to kill the thing, first.
It was obvious at a nce that his existing offensive armament was insufficient. Even ignoring its prana armor, Vir doubted his attacks could prate its metal hide deep enough to matter. Nor could he rely on his chakras.
So, instead of rushing headlong into a fight he had no chance of winning, Vir had spent the majority of his time with Cirayus, meditating on the Foundation chakra while his body limated, but his progress felt cial. Never had any ability taken so much time and effort to achieve. Though Cirayus assured Vir his progress was well above average, he still couldnt stand it.
Even if I did open the Foundation Chakra, I dont know how much good it would do.
Itd heighten his metaphysical senses and allow him to deflect mental chakra-based attacks, which, while invaluable against chakra-wielding enemies, didnt sound nearly as useful as a new Talent would be.
The only area he seemed to have an advantage in was speed, but while Haste would serve him well in this fight, it wasnt even close to enough. It didnt matter how fast Vir moved if he couldnt deal damage, and without prana armor of his own, he couldnt risk taking a single hit.
He could picture it wellthe battle would drag on, hed eventually tire and make a mistake, and that would be the end of him.
Which was why long-range offense was foremost on Virs mind. Distance allowed him more options while also keeping him safe in a fight. When his enemies could end him in a single strike, that margin of safety was no longer a luxury; it became a necessity.
While his chakrams had still been of some use in the Human Realm, they simply werent strong enough anymore. Vir either needed a way to imbue his chakrams with prana, or some other means of attacking at range. Like a tattoo.
Based on his existing knowledge, the primary purpose of tattoos was not simply enhancing abilitiesthey allowed one to project power at a distance, like with Bncer of Scales. Vir wondered if tattoos may in fact tie in to the 144 minor chakra points around the body. Itd certainly exin why tattoo cement mattered so much.
Nevertheless, Vir didnt have ess to tattoos right now, so his chakrams were still his best bet.
There was, however, an obvious Talent waiting for him. de Launch. The Mythic Tier ability KamnaPrincess Minas bodyguardhad used when hed fled from Dahas castle.
Prana de was the first step of this progression sequence. Vir had mastered that, and now he also had the Rare Tier de Projection, which doubled the length of his katar, sacrificing some of its deadliness.
Humans liked to call Talents by many names, but several shared simr underlying fundamentals. The Common Tier Leap, Blink, Empower, and High Jump, all used the same basic principle of supersaturating ones muscles with prana,bined with intent.
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Prana de and de Projection both relied on priming prana within the body before shooting it out, so it made sense that de Launch would be an extension of de Projection.
Grasping his katar, Vir gave it a shot. Kamna had pulled Earth Affinity prana from the ground out of necessity, but Vir saw no good reason to do that when airborne Ash prana was so abundant. Itd allow him to avoid moving prana through his whole body like he was normally forced to.
In his mind, the main difference between Launch and its lesser variants was the amount of prana it consumed. The amount in Virs body wasnt nearly sufficient to power it. Hed suspected that was the reason hed never obtained it in the Human Realm. A theory that would now be put to the test.
Vir grasped his katar and allowed his supersaturatedyer of prana against his skin topse around his arms. Airborne ash prana rushed in, but Vir was ready for it. He sent it spiraling, shooting out of his arm, wreathing his de.
The first stagePrana de. Except now, it used ambient prana.
He upped the flow, pouring more prana into the Talent.
The prana grew so dense, it became visible to regr vision, like a razor-thin film of death that wrapped the seric edge.
It destabilized when the prana became too great for it, but Vir then willed the de to extend. Prana short forth, doubling, then tripling the length of his katar. de Projection. While not as dense, it was still far deadlier than his Prana de in the Human Realm.
The question was what to do now. He knew extending it any further would just make the prana dissipate harmlessly.
Vir closed his eyes, picturing Kamnas motions. Shed swung and the prana had left her de, ripping across the ground like a Wind de, onlymade with Earth Prana instead.
Vir mimicked the motion, swinging his de, but the prana clung doggedly on.
Its the intent. I need the right intent here.
Talents always relied on his will to direct the energy. Instead of a de, Vir thought of a vertical line ripping through the air.
Same result.
Over the next minutes, Vir went through several images and intents.
In hindsight, hed overthought it. It was right there, in the name. de Launch.
Launch, Vir thought, swinging his superpowered katar. He thought hed been ready for what happened next, but the inrush of prana stunned him. The ability wasnt satisfied yet. It thirsted for more.
Vir could feel the blood in his arm reach capacity, then surpass it. Just as he worried that his blood might rupture, it stopped, and a deadly de of physicalized prana tore through the air, searing the ground over which it passed. It continued relentlessly on, as if bent on ripping a hole in reality itself, until it finally dissipated in the distance, some twenty paces away.
Sweat dribbled down Virs brow, and his breaths came heavy.
What in Veras name was that?
The prana consumption was unlike anything hed predicted. Neither Prana de nor de Projection consumed anywhere near as much.
With fresh blood cycling through his arm, Vir tried again, this time bracing himself for the torrent of prana that was toe.
It was hardly any easier. Prana flooded into his arm and out his hand, surging out of the katars de and leaving his blood stretched and strained.
Vir hardly cared. His prana capacity could always be increased. In fact, hed always nned exactly that.
Goosebumps red all around his body. The power! It was in another league entirely, easily making it the most powerful attack Vir had ever learned.
Not only that
If I can get it tounch from my de, what about
Virs eyesnded on the disks thaty on the ground beside him. Sheathing his katar, he kept his expectations low as he picked up the throwing disks.
It wont work. It has every reason to fail. This is foolish, he thought. But what if
There was a chance. It might work.
Gripping the disk, Vir closed his eyes and fueled it with prana. When hed first attempted to wreathe the disks with Prana de, his control over prana had been far less refined. Since then, hed learned to modte how tightly prana spun as it exited his arm. This time, he barely spun the prana at all, letting it arczily across the edge of the disc.
Its still the wrong shape, he realized.
So instead of envisioning the prana spearing out in a line, he willed it to be more fluid and dynamic. Like flowing water, bending to the curvature of the circr de.
Vir knew hed seeded, even before hed opened his eyes. Energy surged around the disk, and unlike with his sword, didnt dissipate once it reached the endit was a circle. There was no end. Prana spun around endlessly, growing denser as Vir fueled the disks with his power.
He threw the chakram, wondering if it might not even need the benefit of de Launch.
As it turned out, it did.
The moment the disk left his hand, the prana dissipated harmlessly, so he grabbed another and tried again. This time, he did activate de Launch.
The same deluge of prana tore through his arms, powering the disk. This was the tricky part. If he threw it too early, before the ability had formed, itd do nothing. If he was toote
Grak it!
Pure prana surged out ahead of the steel one. With his sword, Launch had taken the shape of a vertical de, ripping through thendscape.
With the chakram, it took the form of a disk. A disk of prana the exact size of his chakram. Far morepact. Denser. Deadlier.
It didnt travel far, though. The prana dissipated after only thirty paces, while the actual chakram sailed fifty, overtaking it.
Vir tried again, and this time, he did time it right. de Launch activated the exact moment he threw the chakram.
They sailed together, as oneprana ovepping steel. For a long while, they were indistinguishable, but the actual weapon had weight. Prana did not.
The chakram fell to the ground, while the prana version simply dissipated.
Vir walked over to retrieve his disks. He found the first lying fifty paces away, but even after an extensive search, he couldnt locate the other.
Did I lose it? He thought in panic. It was the fatal w of these disks. Using them meant the possibility of losing them forever. And here in the Ash, there were no cksmiths who could forge another.
Vir expanded his search area, and after another ten minutes of frantic searching, finally found it lodged in the ground nearly double the distance the first one had flown.
A hundred paces. And I didnt even Empower my throw.
de Launch had somehow lengthened his throw.
Virs mind ran through the possibilities. There was so much to test. Where just an hour before, he had no long-range options, now he had not just one or two, but three. Which was superior? Was his chakrams de Launch just as powerful regardless of whether he threw the actual weapon? If so, hed just solved their biggest weaknesshaving to recover them.
Unfortunately, his barren domain offered few targets to test his newfound skills. He needed something sturdier. Something that could take any attack he dished out.
Vir looked over at the ded Domain Lord.
Hell do.
Chapter 180: Annihilation
Chapter 180: Annihtion
Vir approached the edge of his domainand stopped. He knew what he was getting intoyet another fight for his life. Hed struggle, hed risk it all, and hopefully, hed prevail. For there were no easy fights in this realm.
To cross the boundary was to challenge the vicious ded beast, which hed learned from Cirayus was called a der. Considering how the beast was covered in lethal metal, it seemed like a fitting monicker.
How does an animal even grow metal? Vir wondered, staring at the beast, currently resting some thirty paces away.
The Domain Lord was well within range of his new long-range weapons. The ones so far had been exceedingly reluctant to leave their domain, which meant that, for the first time in a very long time, Vir could attack with impunity at range.
What to test first?
Katar de Launch only traveled around twenty paces, so there wasnt any way of testing that without stepping into enemy territory. He could, however, test both Chakram Launch variants.
When Vir had stumbled upon the attack by mistiming Launchs activation, hed learned he could hurl a prana chakram out in front of him without actually throwing the chakram itself, and ChakramLaunch traveled farther than its katar counterpart. But did it do as much damage?
Vir slid two chakrams off his neck, grasping one in each hand. It was time to find out.
Here goes nothing.
Two disks of pure energy ripped forth from Virs arms, sailing at the der. The beast remained motionless, oblivious to the attack until thest moment.
So it can detect prana, to a degree, Vir observed.
The beast jerked away just before impact, but it wasnt enough to avoid the attack.
There was no thud or ng, or any sound at all. The prana simply dissipated the moment it touched the ders armor.
At first nce, it seemed to have done nothing.
Then Vir saw it.
No way, he whispered.
The ders sword-limb was chipped. Like someone had taken a steel sword and sliced it into an iron one.
The chip wasntrge, but it was certainly there.
Vir stared at his chakrams.
No way!
The der roared in confusion, looking this way and that for the enemy whod harmed it.
That cant be possible, can it?
It wasnt that the strikes were especially powerful. But they had prated its prana armor. If that was all, the ability would have been nice, but nothing amazing. If Vir could only lob one or two, its utility would be limited.
Vir wasnt limited to one or two. In fact he wasnt limited at all.
An unending barrage of prana disks surged from Virs chakrams. His body became a prana conduit, sucking greedily from the earth, from the air, and even from elsewhere within his own body. The source didnt matter. He just needed more fuel.
The Ashen Realm was happy to oblige.
The der whipped aroundit couldnt see his disks of pure prana, but it did see him. Putting two and two together, it ran right for him
And impaled itself on a barrage of invisible chakrams.
Chips of its ded limbs and armor flew off, sted away.
This is insane, Vir thought, unaware of the tears that welled up in his eyes. After spending so long being weaker than his opponents, finally, finally, he now had an edge.
He was battering the most formidable foe hed fought in the realm And he was just standing there. Not even moving, aside from the motion of his arms. Not even in danger.
The chakrams continued to sail, a barrage of death that disintegrated flesh and steel. There was no escapethe monster ran around trying to evade, but its erratic motions only dyed the inevitable.
The inevitable, however, never came.
Vir aborted the ability, roaring in pain. His arms burned, as though set alight. He fell to his knees, cradling his arms.
Too much prana. It burns! Is this what prana saturation feels like?
The der gave him a wary nce, then limped away to lick its wounds, returning to the farthest edge of its domainout of range.
That suited Vir just fine. He had his own wounds to treat. Blood moved fast, but the amount of prana hed channeled was immense. In those few seconds alone, he might have consumed more prana than he had in an entire month in the Human Realm. It was just a guess, but it certainly felt that way to him.
There was a difference from a mejais prana saturation, however. When they saturated, it meant they could no longer suck prana from their limbs to form a suction effect.Likely because their body had reached its maximum prana carrying capacityVir couldnt say for certain.
In addition, lesser mejaithe Mejai Sorcars and the Mejai of Ashdidnt know how to power spells with the prana from their own body, which meant they relied on equilibrium forces to eventually purge the excess prana.
Not so with Vir. With a thought, Vir activated Reverse Channeling, purging his body of prana. It helped, but as hed suspected, it wasnt the root cause. His body was just frazzled from moving too much prana.
Wonder if humans have a name for this. Wonder if theyre even aware. Only Earth affinity prana mightve been abundant enough for such a phenomenon to manifest in the Human Realm. Even then, Vir doubted many fights involved using Talents in such rapid session that it caused burnout.
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Burnout. Thats a good name for it.
Vir took another look at the monster. Injured, but alive.
Dont go anywhere. Ill be backter, he said. I need to find Cirayus.
It was fully four dayster that he was able to try again. Cirayus orbs hadnt had any effectthe orbs werent designed for this form of damage. Vir doubted any Life orb was. At Cirayus instruction, he confined himself to a regimen of meditation and sleep.
The pain had subsided after the first night, though attempting to use any pranic abilities had still sent Vir doubling over, screaming in agony.
Even now, on the fourth day, using prana was an ufortable experience. Ordinarily, hed rest until hed recovered fully, but half a month had passed in the Human Realm on ount of his mistake. He couldnt waste any longer.
Just be careful,d. Dont overdo it this time.
Though he never admitted it, the giant had been eager to see Virs new abilities for himself. Hed still tried to force Vir to remain in bed, but Vir wasnt having any of it, and the giant hadnt pushed back too hard.
Dont n to, Vir replied. Bet hes as excited as I am.
The two stood at the edge of Virs domain, facing the der. The Domain Lord eyed them back with suspicionand fear. Though its wounds had partially healed, its metal skin still had several chunks missing.
Chakram Barrage was a luxury Vir couldnt use this time. He couldnt afford to waste shots anymore, not when his body protested so much. Vir was no stranger to pain, but even he wasnt immune to its debilitating effects. And, as Cirayus had warned, overdoing it now would only lengthen his eventual recovery.
Twenty paces, Vir said.
If you promise to rest until youre fully healed after.
I swear upon Rudviks name.
Then I shall be there,d.
Vir turned back to the beast. He didnt Leap or Blinkhe ran.
The der wallowed in confusion, its flight instincts warring with fight.
Perhaps thinking Vir incapable of using Chakram Barrage, it chose to fight, rushing to Vir while bellowing a deep roar.
Vir neared to twenty paces and sank into his shadow, forcing extra prana into the activation to get it to activate.
Doing so put an added burden on his body, but Vir dealt with the pain. What he really needed was a portable light source, like Magic Lamp, to generate a strong shadow wherever he was, but for now, hed have to make do with this limitation.
Vir reappeared within the ders shadow. While notrge enough to fully exit from, he didnt have to worry about that.
Katar Launch fired upward.
The ders massive body jolted a pace into the air from the force. A shockwave boomed, ttening nearby grass.
The der didnt have a belly so much as an armored bottom, but it split open just the same.
The impact of its fall did the rest.
Vir wasnt done. Slipping back through his shadow, he reappeared in Cirayus. As part of their bargain, the giant had closed to within twenty paces to give Vir an exit, and he took it happily.
Vir threw his Chakram, activating Chakram Launch, and gritted through the pain. The prana diskyered perfectly onto the steel one, traveling as one.
The der saw iting, but it mattered little. With its belly ruptured and blood spilling out, it was in no shape to move quickly. The prana chakram hit just before the metal one did, decimating the prana armor protecting the beasts head, and gouging into the metal protecting it.
The metal chakram expanded the incision, prating its metal skull, anding to rest inside its skull.
The der copsed instantlydead.
Do you believe me now? Cirayus asked, grinning. Do you understand what power feels like?
I do.
Its intoxicating.
Vir spent the next week holed up in the third lords domainnow his domainmeditating. Nearly a month had now passed in the Ash. Five months in the Human Realm. Every hour that passed made Virs heart clench just a little tighter.
I couldve been through with this ce by now.
Still, it was hard to stay angry with himself. Not when hed obtained such overwhelming abilities. de Launch hadnt seemed like much, initially. The ability to send his strikes flying forth was powerful, yes, but to this extent?
In hindsight, it shouldnt havee as a surprise. Kamnas de Launch had nearly killed him. Here in the Ash, he had ess to more prana than even she had, and he had a more potent affinity.
If he could sustain Launch Barrage, few enemies would pose a threat. Against that kind of firepower, he would win every time if the fight dragged on long enough.
Vir could imagine it nowno longer eeking past his fights, struggling through each time. Hed dominate his foes, just as he had the der. That wasnt a fight. It was annihtion.
For now, though, he sat with his legs crossed, and he meditated, not even leaving for food and water. Cirayus brought those over, providing Vir his meals.
Vir even slept in his domain, using every moment of the day to limate to its unbelievable prana density. It had to have been ten times what it was in the Human Realm. Ten times the amount of prana in his blood.
Youvee too far, too quickly,d. Your body isnt ready to handle this prana load.
I know, Vir said. If I let my prana dam go, my blood might actually burst.
I feel you should move back to a lower domain. I can eliminate the lords for you.
Vir nced back at the domains hed taken out. Within hours of moving away, two Ash Wolves had jumped in, iming it as their own. Hed worried he would have to fight his way out every time he wanted to leave the domain, but there was an unspoken rule amongst the lordsnone of the lesser lords attacked him when he crossed theirs.
They growled and howled, but they left him alone.
Still, Vir couldnt ept. I didnt take down this lord just to sit still. I need to progress. Half a year, Cirayus. Its been almost half a year for Maiya. I cant do this to her. I have to get in touch.
The giant sighed. I understand your feelings,d. I truly do. Which is why Ive yed along thus far. But there is a line between ambition and recklessness. You are teetering on the very edge.
Ill keep that in mind.
Cirayus grunted. Youll sleep in an hour. Youve had a long day.
Two hours? I can definitely go for another two, Vir begged. Ill meditate on the Foundation Chakra. Thats rxing, right?
Do you consider being crushed by the weight of a mountain rxing?
Uh, well, its not real, right?
Cirayus looked up at the stormy skies. Do you see this, Maion? Your son is just like you.
Really!?
Ill hear none of this,d. The agreement was for you to fight the der in exchange for following my instructions to the word. Meditate if you must, but no more than an hour.
Vir hung his head. Fiiine.
I shall fetch some food and water.
The giant bounded lightly away, disappearing into the forest in the distance.
Vir began the process of purging his thoughts, but there were many, and they were loud.
Im stronger nowcant we just train deeper inside the Ash? Whys it taking so long to unlock the Foundation Chakra, anyway? This progress is too slow! When am I gonna get my first Ultimate Tattoo? Why wont Shardul and Ekanai help me?
Vir sighed, frustrated.
Whys it so windy, anyway? Another storm?
Hed been so frustrated that hed failed to notice the breeze that nipped his nose.
Should still have some time before it gets too bad. Gotta wrap up meditating before then.
It was only then that Vir noticed the breeze had grown in strength.
He opened his eyes and gasped.
Cracks appeared before him. Cracks in reality. They spread like a mirror shattering in slow motion, growing longer and deeper.
Then suddenly, Ash prana emerged from within. Just a tendrillike a drop of a vast ocean.
Virs heart nearly seized. His body went into shock.
The Ash Tear? No. What is this?
It was prana so dense, it manifested to his normal sight. Not as a wispy cloud, but as a solid. Solid prana. Just being near it made him dry retch, sending him onto his knees.
Then the ckness expanded, like a beast wing its way out, wrestling the cracks wider. Tearing reality like a fabric.
Thats no ordinary tear, Vir thought dazedly. Thats a full-on Ash Gate!
The infinite void spun and spiraled, and then it was gone. In its ce was an imagea looking ss into a ce far, far away. A dangerous ce.
Vir backed away. Or he tried to back away. He found his body frozen. Transfixed by the prana. The Tear had never done this before. Hed almost thought it benign.
But when an Ash Wolf bounded through, Vir knew hed been wrong.
Before he could react, the beast was at his side, biting his leg off
Or not?
It bit into his leg, but not so deeply that it prated his armor. The beast moved so quickly, Vir hadnt been able to react. His head hit the ground, making him see stars.
No! Stop!
Vir fought his body with every shred of willpower he had, but he could do nothing as the wolf dragged him back with terrifying speed.
Get away from him! Cirayus roared.
But the demon had arrived toote.
Vir had already been sucked through.
Chapter 181: Blood Orientation (Maiya)
Chapter 181: Blood Orientation (Maiya)
Maiya stole through Sonams cool stone alleys alone. The nighttime breeze mightve felt refreshing if she wasnt so crippled with anxiety.
Months of preparation had culminated in this very moment. Maiyas heart pounded and a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. Shed read through every tome, interviewed all her contacts, and rehearsed her cover story. Sleepless nights became the norm as she scoured over her research, checking and rechecking her ns.
Now, there was nothing more to be done. The preparations made, her mind setat least, as set as it could be when joining a crazy blood cult.
For this asion, Maiya wore a faded brown cloak over brigandine armorthe kind Vir had worn and that adventurers preferred. Shed dyed her hair ck, but her face was unadorned. Makeup would only be a liabilityter.
As far as locations went, the Children had chosen well. It had taken relying on her intelligencework to find the exact location. If shed acted on her own, shed never have given the nondescript three-story building in Sonams Temple Quarter a second nce.
An ambitious move, conducting their profane activities so close to the center of holiness in thergest, most fortified city in the empire. It was exactly the sort of lunacy Maiya hade to expect from the cult.
Approaching a nd wooden door, she knocked twice, then thrice, then a pause before one final knock.
State your business, a soft voice spoke from a looking hole embedded within the door.
To be one with the Ash, Maiya replied.
There came the sound of a deadbolt sliding, then the door swung open soundlessly.
Name? a gaunt, hooded man in ck asked.
Maiya, she said.
The man scribbled something tiredly. He looked like he hadnt slept or eaten in days.
Initiation will begin momentarily. Do not resist.
What do you!?
Before Maiya could react, the man began patting her down.
Standard check, he said. No orbs or weapons. You may pass. Follow me.
Maiya swallowed her indignation and did as she was told.
Theyre just crazy, Maiya. Theyre not right in the head. You cant me them. Just stay calm.
Shed known the buildings ordinary exterior was only a facade. That the insides would be everything her intelligence reports told her. Still, shed clung to the possibility that maybe this particr building wouldnt be as bad.
It was.
For one, the cramped hallway was dark, illuminated only bynterns ced on the walls at long intervals. Too far apart to adequately light the ce, the dim light forced Maiya to use the walls as a guide, carefully cing her steps lest she fall in the dark.
If that was all, Maiya wouldve been relieved. It was the blood. So much blood, smeared on the walls, on the ceiling and likely the floor, too. She was suddenly thankful for the darkness; she wasnt sure shed be able to walk on the dried blood of Ash Beasts.
They rounded a bend, and the hall opened into a grand audience chamber that was plunged in darkness. Only the altar at the end of the tall chamber was lit with a dizzying array of candlelight.
There wasnt a single magicalmp she could see. It was as if the hallways darkness had been intentional, to inspire a sense of awe.
Awed she was, though not on ount of the lighting. The room was three stories tall, and she knew such rooms were not normal in this neighborhood. The Order must have modified it heavily. Its walls, ceiling, and floors were all dyed a deep crimson.
Dominating the rear wall was a wooden statue of something. It stood nearly the full three stories in height, and like everything else, was covered in blood.If Maiya didnt already know what it was, she couldnt have guessed.
It was, of course, their god. The Prana Swarm the Children of Ash worshiped, said to reside somewhere deep inside the Ashen Realm. As terrifying as that was, the rectangr tub at its base scared her more.
For it was filled with fresh, red blood.
The baptism pool.
From the faint scent of copper, she knew it was real. The blood in the tub, the kes of dried blood that had peeled off here and there None of it fake, and all of it augmenting the already profane setting.
Wait here, the guide croaked before ambling off.
The room was filled with prospective hopefuls, though Maiya knew only a fraction of their number would end up initiatedthe Order was strangely selective about who they admitted.
Some chatted in groups of three or four. Others looked nervously at the surroundings, and a precious fewthe ones Maiya suspected the Order would be most interested ingreedily took in the surroundings, deranged smiles stered upon their faces.
Maiya had thought to go that route but ultimately decided against it. She mightve been trained in the arts of deception, but faking insanity was difficult at the best of times. Keeping up the act for monthspossibly even years? That might actually drive her crazy.
The Order had its fanatics, yes, but they were an organized force. Which meant logistics, nning, and detail-oriented work. Deranged zealots seldom checked those boxes, requiring a small army of less fervent sympathizers who worked behind the scenes. It was that organization she hoped to infiltrate.
Unfortunately, the zealots ran the indoctrination process, so her fate rested in their hands. Despite all the power she wielded as Princess Iras right hand, Maiya was no different from any of the other hopefuls. Shed still chosen the Kinjal branch over the others.
Not all Children branches were equal. The ones in countries sharing a border with the ash tended to berger and wielded more clout within the organization. While the Childrens Rectorstheir mid-level leaderscould deploy her anywhere in the Known World, Maiya figured it was more likely theyd keep her local.
If they did, itd be her gain. She could bring the full force of her power to bear only in the Kinjal Empire. It was exciting, in a way. This might have been the first time a country had ced such a high-level operative within the Children''s ranks. Every country had its moleseven Kinjalbut none with ambitions like hers.
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No one had attempted a total takeover in recent history. For good reason. It was a fools errand, and Maiya herself had grave reservations about Iras n. Bringing a fanatical organization fifty thousand strong under her control sounded wildly fantastical and highly improbable.
Still, it wasnt her ce to question. Ira ordered, and Maiya obeyed. The princess wanted Maiya to follow out of willingness, and she did, but that didnt mean Maiya got to say no to individual assignments.
Out of habit, Maiya felt around her pocket, finding nothing there. No magic orbs. Nomunication orb, either. She felt naked without her magic, but moreover, she could hardly bear the thought of Vir attemptingmunication, only to find silence on her end.
Shed be inseparable from it over the past months. With every day that passed, her hope mountedsurely this was the day Vir finally reached out?
And now, shed never know. It was far too dangerous to bring such a valuable thing here. Reluctantly, shed left it behind, and depending on how the initiation went, she might not see her royal quarters again for a good long while.
Maiya sighed for the tenth time.
Er, hello? Are you alright? a ck-haired man with a haphazardly trimmed mustache said, approaching her. I think thats the fifth time youve sighed in thest few minutes.
Maiya jolted. Having been lost in her own thoughts, shedpletely missed him. He wore dirty robes, and while he didnt smell, the oils on his face showed he hadnt bathed in a good while.
Sorry, you are?
Yamal, he said, extending a hand.
Maiya, she replied, reluctantly taking it.
Maiya, the man echoed, drawing out the a. What a beautiful name. Though not quite as beautiful as the one who bears it.
Maiyas eyes narrowed. Did you want something?
Oh, no. My apologies. I merely saw you here alone and grew curious.
What about you? Why are you here? Maiya asked, directing the conversation away from herself.
Lost my job. No way to support myself. Whats a man to do?
One of them, huh? Alms were a strong recruiting mechanism for the Children. Perhaps not directly, but amongst the poor, they were considered saints. Word eventually got around to the less stable among the homeless, leading them straight to the Children.
Most of us are deadbeats, Yamal continued, here for the handouts. The others are crazy. You dont strike me as either.
Maybe the zealotry burns within me? Maybe Im just good at hiding it.
Miss, nobody hides it. Not when youre as far gone as these guys, he said, thumbing at the altar.
Silence! There will be silence! a member of the Children of Ash called out frically, pulling every eye in the hallincluding Yamals.
Thank Yuma! Maiya breathed, saved from having to answer Yamal. Shouldve smeared more dirt on, I guess.
Her eyes flickered to the tub of blood, and she shivered. Shed dreaded the baptism for months. It wouldnt happen until shed been officially initiated, but the reminder of what was toe put her in a foul mood.
Itll be fine, Yamal whispered beside her. Dont worry.
Maiya took a half step away from the man.
Deference to the Rector! All ye, deference to the Rector! the Child of Ash shouted, gesturing to a man in blood red robes with an ornate headpiece made of twigs, except covered in blood.
The Child of Ash knelt before the Rector, and the audiencethe freeloaders there for the alms, and the initiate hopefulsdid as well.
That guy a bigshot, or something? Yamal asked.
Kinda looks that way, doesnt it? Maiya whispered back, forcing herself not to roll her eyes.
The Rector stood at his raised podium. The hall was utterly silent.
The silence continued and continued. The Rector said nothing.
You think somethings wrong? Yamal asked. This feels
Reverence, the Rector shouted, silencing the hushed whispers.
Hallowed is the Ash. Hallowed. And Sincere! Be witness to it! Yes. To enlighten is to ascend. The Higher ne. But know this! Few deserve it. Few deserve to KNOW the Ash. Blessed be those who do. UNINITIATED! All of you. TAINTED. By the world. You must purify! Prove your devotion to the ALMIGHTY SWARM!
The Rector fell, prostrating himself in front of the statue. So did the other Children in the hall, yodeling in a high pitch.
Maiya and the others followed suit, pressing themselves t against the blood-stained stone.
First time? Yamal asked with a wry smile.
Uh, huh, Maiya replied, keeping her voice as calm as she could.
The Children were every bit as deranged as shed feared.
They rose only after the Rector did. He seemed calmer now, less insane. His words came in a steadyeven normalvoice.
Which only scared Maiya more.
The road is long, and the path is fraught with peril. If our lord god approves, you shall be admitted into our hallowed order.
Silence once again fell over the hall, and for thirty seconds, nobody spoke. Long after the silence turned awkward, the Rector spoke again, as if no time had passed.
Blessed are we, to be so near to the ash. A Blessing that goes unappreciated by your UNINITIATED ears!
Oh gods hes shouting again. So much for the sanity.
Then, without a concluding remark, the Rector walked off the stage, shaking visibly in what Maiya could only assume was rapture. Either that, or the man was experiencing a seizure. She wasnt sure which was worse.
The Child of Ash next to the Rector spoke instead. Your initiationmences one month hence. We shall convene at dawn, east of Jatan Lake. There, your worth shall be determined.
One months a ways away, Maiya thought. Shed known the Children batched their initiation tests, but getting a precise date was difficult without showing up.
Shouldve sent an agent instead, Maiya thought, but she herself had chosen not to. If she was to join these maniacs, she needed to see all parts of their operation. Even the unpleasant ones.
A WARNING! the Rector suddenly shouted, rushing back up to his podium, as if hed forgotten something important. Beware the primordial! The enemy of god. The despicable! The Primordial will bring the end of realms! Find him! Purge him! Burn him to Ash!
Maiya cringed while Yamal sneered.
You think he really exists? This Primordial? the man asked.
Maybe?
Gotta be an Ash beast, I guess.
I dunno. Maybe hes just a handsome teen trying to find his way in a world that hates him?
Thats oddly specific, Yamal said, giving her a look.
Maiya fought the urge to giggle.
Kidding! Who knows what hes like? If he even exists.
R-right.
I do, Maiya thought. And hes amazing.
Her chest grew warm at the thought of Vir. Cirayus had said the Primordialor the Akh Nara, as he called itwould usher in a new era for demons, but how did the Children know of Vir? Or rather, his prior incarnations? What was his true purpose?
Maybe I can help him find out while Im here. Maybe the Children know more
Maiya couldnt wait to see Virs reaction when shed learned all the juicy details of his past. Then she remembered it would be months, if not years, and her mood came crashing down again.
Begone, ye tainted! the Rector shouted, descending from the podium for what was hopefully thest time.
The Children pushed the uninitiated out of the audience chamber, through the hallways, and back out to the entrance. They released them discreetly, letting out only one or two at a time.
It was the most miserable initiation drive shed ever seen, but perhaps that was by design. It was like they wanted the crazies who enjoyed such treatment.
Maiya stretched and took a deep breath the moment she was free, happy to be rid of that bloody ce.
To her dismay, she found a certain shaggy-haired, mustached man by her side.
What do you think, Maiya? he asked, earning a frown from her.
Whys he acting so close?
Maiya shrugged. East of Jatan Lake puts us closer to the Boundary Maybe they want us to fight Ash Beasts?
Yamal visibly paled. A-Ash beasts!? Fight them? The man looked as though he was about to piss himself, which helped restore Maiyas mood.
I thought you said you were just there for the handouts? Maiya asked. Dont you already have what you want?
W-well, yes. But, well Yamals eyes darted between Maiya and the ground. Are you going?
Sure am.
Then I shall go.
Huh? Maiya asked incredulously. Whyd you do that?
Youll be in danger. A girl like you should be protected.
Maiya tried to stifle augh. She failed. Tears welled up in her eyes. You think Im weak, Yamal?
You can count on me, Yamal replied, taking Maiya aback. There was an earnest determination in his eyes.
Youre free to act as you like, but so am I. Dont expect me to look after you, either, Maiya said, falling behind the man. If you do venture out there, be prepared for the consequences.
I will, MaiMaiya? Yamal said, confused. When he turned to face her, he found only an empty road.
Maiya watched from an alley as the man ambled off in confusion. She couldnt help but feel like shed picked up some useless baggage. Dead weight.
Ash Beasts, huh? she muttered to herself. I only hope its that easy.
For some reason, she feared itd be worse. A lot worse.
Chapter 182: Ash Damned
Chapter 182: Ash Damned
She regarded the abomination knowing her end was near. Were it only a few centuries ago, such an Ash Beast would have posed her little threat. But now? When the energy it would cost her burned away the little time she had left? Months, not years.
Where was the fabled encounter it had promised? Where was the one she was to trust with her life? The one to lead her to a new future, so bright and dazzling?
Where was her release from this prison of the dead?
She shook off the thoughts as she faced the monster with her friends. Her dearpanions. There were still those who needed her protection. For them, she would fight. She would persist.
Wishing for the day when her people returned.
Vir was blind. He couldnt see his arms. Or his legs, or any other part of his body.
It wasnt that he saw nothing; there was something out there. A whole lot of it.
But before he could unravel the mystery, pain crashed into him with the weight of Bncer of Scales on max. He writhed on the cold, hard ground, screaming in agony.
As he started to suffocate, the Ash Gate behind him mmed shut.
No!
Vir acted reflexively, rather than consciously. A good thing, too, because if hed strengthened Prana Dam anyter, he would have turned into a cloud of bloody pulp.
While his reflexes mightve kept him alive, theyd bought him only a few seconds. The weight of a mountain crashed down on Virlike the Foundation Chakra, but magnified a thousandfold.
It wasnt even metaphysical energy that attacked himit was just prana. A disgustingly obscene amount of it. And it was waging a war on his body.
Vir funneled as much prana as he could into the saturatedyer he maintained next to his skin, pushing his blood to its limit.
It wasnt enough, so he went beyond, stretching his bloods capacity as much as he dared. This was it. Hisst hope. If this didnt work, he was dead.
It didnt work. In fact, it seemed to do little of anything.
The blood near his skin burst, pain consumed him, and Vir lost all faculties for conscious thought.
Why? Vir thought as his mind faded. How?
The world went slowly ck as he suffocated to death.
Vir awoke dazed and confused. He could see again, which ought to have alleviated his confusion, but it didnt.
He knew this ceit was the grassy in where hed met Parai the Ancient.
He wasnt alone.
Whats going on? Vir asked, approaching Shardul.
You were dragged into a part of the Ash you should not have entered. I am trying to keep you alive. We all are. Shardul gestured behind him, and only then did Vir notice the four figures who stood in a circle some paces away, staring holes in each others heads. One was significantlyrger than the others. One was gangly. One sage, and the other wise.
Narak, Ekanai, Parai, and Jalendra? Vir asked.
The white-haired old man with a beard that came to his knees regarded Vir inquisitively but said nothing.
He cannot speak, Ekavir, Shardul said, sping Virs shoulder. Time is short, so I must be brief. You are in a very precarious situation right now. You should never havee to this ce. You werent ready.
You dont say? Tell that to the wolf who brought me here.
An unfortunate turn of events. For you and for us.
Vir frowned. What do you mean?
Shardul sighed. You have somehow been pulled into the deepest part of the Ashen Realm. A ce you were destined to eventually reach, but not yet. Not until you were far stronger.
You couldve helped, you know? Vir seethed, barely restraining his simmering anger. I held up my end of the bargain. I went to this sted wastnd, just as you and Ekanai wanted. What about you? I havent heard a single word from you. Nothing. Why?
Because nothing is without cost in this world, young Ekavir. Have you ever considered what we pay to manifest in front of you? Have you ever wondered why we only intervene when absolutely necessary, and why each time, youve met with a different ancestor? Dont you think we would help you more if we could? Don''t you think Ekanai would love nothing more than tomandeer your body as if it were his own?
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Whats he talking about? Appearing before me hurts them in some way?
Yes. It does, Shardul said, replying to Virs thoughts. We are but memories of your prior lives. Each time we manifest, the memory is consumed. Burned. Gone forever. Like blood that has been diluted with water, we lessen with each manifestation.
Vir went pale. And now
And now, we burn away a great deal of ourselves to keep you safe, using lessons hard won in your previous lives. Though I fear it may be for naught. Even if the Ash doesnt kill you The denizens of the Mahdi Realm surely will.
Virs stomach lurched. Mahdi? Thats where I am?
The ce Cirayus said even he dare not tread.
It is time for you to return, Shardul said, the world fading away even as he spoke.
But it wasnt enough. Vir had finally gotten some answers. He wasnt about to leave without getting some more.
He thought of the only thing that might work. This wasnt reality. It was a dream worlda spiritual world of the metaphysical. And Vir knew of only one thing that could affect the metaphysical.
He channeled thoughts of heaviness. Of mountains, great and unmovable. Vir might not have mastered the Foundation Chakrahe wasnt even closebut he knew one thing: Mountains did not return anywhere. Nor were they forcibly cast.
Vir resisted, anchoring himself. The image stopped fading.
You look surprised, Shardul, Vir said, grimacing at splitting his concentration between speaking and preventing the world from fading away.
Were this any other time, I would be impressed. What is it you wish to know? Ask.
How do I talk to you Without burning your memories? Vir said through gritted teeth, finding the task harder than hed thought.
Ekavir, Shardul said. I fear this is thest you will see of us. What we are about to do It may very well cost us everything. Even if fragments do survive, we will be powerless to save you as we have in the past.
I dont care. I want to meet you again. Theres so much I dont know, Vir rasped.
Shardul sighed. Open your primary Chakras. The more you unlock, the more of us you''ll be able to ess. Focus on the Foundation Chakra for now. One of us shall meet with you then. Assuming anything of us remains, after this.
Ill hold you to that, Vir said as the world began dissolving again. So dont you dare die.
He couldve sworn he caught a small grin on the demons face before he was ejected out.
When Vir awoke in the Mahdi Realm, he could see again, and the pain, while not gone, had lessened.
He didnt know what his ancestors had done, and he didnt have the time to find out.
For an Ash Wolf faced him down. And not just any Ash Wolf. This beast was cut from a different cloth.
Prana oozed off its hide, so thick that Vir didnt need Prana Vision to see it. It wasnt just some wisp of prana either. It was like ck me, burning off this god of wolves.
That thing can end me with a thought.
It was also the beast that had dragged him through, though it hadnt been wreathed in me back then.
Vir couldnt tell if it had unlocked a chakra, but he suspected not. At least, the pressure it generated seemed to stem purely from the absolutely absurd prana coursing within its body and burning off its hide. To Prana Vision, the beast was a ck abyss. Infinite and unknowable.
Vir did the only rational thingput his hands up and slowly back away. Shardul, Ekanai, and the others had just sacrificed something very precious to give him this new lease on life. He wasnt about to squander it only secondster.
The Ash Wolf growled, baring its fangs at him.
Good wolfie. Good wolfie, Vir thought, inching away.
The Ash Wolf did not like what it saw. The next thing Vir knew, hed fallen and was being pulled by some great force.
It ate my leg! Vir thought, writhing on the ground in a daze as the scenery blurred by.
Except there was no pain. At least, not from his leg.
Again?
The Ash Wolf had once again bit into his boot and was dragging him with its mouth. It was a clumsy way to drag someone, and it shouldve been slow, allowing Vir more than enough time to stand up.
Instead, it yanked him nearly as quickly as his own running gait.
Wheres it taking me? Vir thought frantically, trying to make sense of this situation as he bounced and jolted. The beast hadnt killed him. That was good. But it was dragging him somewhere, rather violently, which was bad.
Escape was Virs first instinct, but how? And to where?
Whatever his ancestors had done hadnt disabled his prana maniption. He could invoke Dance of the Shadow Demon if he wanted tothe many buildings cast dark shadowsbut should he?
If part of him sank into the shadows with the wolf still holding his leg, he wouldnt be able to sink all the way. Worse, with the wolfs strength, being torn limb from limb might be a very real possibility. Cirayus had warned him of the many pitfalls of Dance of the Shadow Demon, and this was one.
Nor did he think he could prate the wolfs solid prana armor to free himself. Trying might very well anger the beast enough to end him.
Vir decided to wait it out. The wolf would let go eventually, and he could use that opportunity to flee to the Shadow Realm.
Just calm down. Think. Observe, he told himself. Forcing his breaths to even, even as he was dragged along.
Vir took care to protect his head, then regarded his surroundings as best he could from his poor vantage.
The first thing he noticed was the buildings. Dark and impossibly tall, soaring into the clouds.
They looked pristine, but Vir could somehow tell they hadnt been upied in centuries. Like a perfectly preserved dead animalthe parts were all there, but the soul was not.
The architecture reminded him of only one other ce hed seenVka Amara. The Imperium outpost where hed met Janak.
The buildings here were markedly different. Darker and more foreboding, with lightning continuously raking their tops from the dark, low clouds. Some were so close they made Virs ears ring. But the arches, pirs, and spires were all the same.
So this is the lost Imperium City...
It was all Vir could see before the wolf rounded a bend and his situation went from bad to worse.
Over a dozen Ash Wolves surrounded a person.
Vir scrambled to his feet the moment the wolf came to a halt some twenty paces away.
A Goddess? he breathed.
She was a being of pure white. A slim woman with stark white hair, wearing long white earrings, a gorgeous white dress, heeled sandalsalso whiteand wielding a white rod in her left hand, she struck him as an incarnation of Yuma, the goddess of health and fertility.
Or she would be, if she wasnt sitting crumpled on the floor with her right arm missing, oozing silvery blue blood that marred her pristine dress. Vir grimaced, expecting to see bone and muscle from her torn shoulder but instead found a multitude of ck ropes, tightly packed and sparking, arcing small shes of lightning every few seconds. Despite her bizarre anatomy and her contorted, anguished expression, she managed to look otherworldly, in a divine sort of way.
Which was why Virs eyes found her first, despite the hideous beast that stood from only paces away.
Vir tore his eyes away from the impossibly beautiful woman to regard the monstrosity she and the wolves fought.
The beast stood fifteen paces in height and resembled a feathered, oversized bat with the legs of an ox and the ws of a bear, extending from its batwing arms. Like the Ash Wolves before itseveral of whichy dead and dyingit oozed Ash Prana so thick it was visible to the naked eye.
Vir despaired.
I dont stand a chance against that thing.
Chapter 183: Dire Straits
Chapter 183: Dire Straits
Vir had shuddered in fear against a single Ash Wolf. The beast he confronted had killed a half dozen. To fight it was to ask for an early death. And yet
His eyes flickered to the mortally wounded woman whoy on the ground, bleeding. She still hadnt noticed himher eyes were locked on the enemy.
That she was alive in this realm spoke volumes about her power. And even she had been so grievously wounded. As much as Vir wished to help herand perhaps gain her good favor and protection in the processto try would be suicidal.
Sorry,dy. I cant help you, Vir thought, slowly backing away.
Right into the Ash Wolf whod brought him here, which shoved him forward.
Hey! Cut it out! Vir shouted, but the wolf wasnt having any of it, growling as it pushed him, nearly making him stumble. I cant beat that thing! Ill just die!
The woman finally nced at Vir, and when she did, Vir thought his heart might stop. Not because of any aura or prana. The woman had some Lightning prana in her, but not anywhere near the level of the beasts surrounding her.
Rather, it was the look of desperation on her face that made Vir pause. She said nothing, but Vir knew. If he left, she, and all of her Ash Wolf friends, would die.
Its none of your business, a voice in his head said. The voice of reason. Just slip into the shadows. You can escape from the Ash Wolf. Its not even holding you anymore. Dont throw your life away!
It was too risky. Vir was barely alive himself. He pulled prana from his legs and prepared to descend into the shadows
The woman mmed her rod on the ground. A blinding sh of lightning hit him at the same moment as the thunder burst his eardrums. They didnt even ringVir simply heard nothing in its aftermath.
Then he realized hed sunk into the shadows on pure instinct. His ears had burst, but whether he was deaf remained to be seen.
Vir looked at the goddess, frozen in time, steam venting from her rod.
Then he saw what it had done to the beast and stared.
In ce of its torso was a gaping hole that split the animal nearly in two.
Vir was struck both with awe and terror at once. Even in her miserable state, the woman had mortally wounded a godlike beast. And shed done it with a single strike.
I dont belong here, Vir thought. How is this real? How can any of this be real!?
His mind struggled. For the first time in his life, hed obtained what he felt was true power. He was making steady progress against the Domain Lords, who were among the most terrifying opponents hed ever fought.
And now this.
What was he, if not an ant destined to be crushed by godly powers? He was nothing. Less than nothing. He was a single speck of dust.
I cant do this. Im gonna die. Im going to die! Someone help me. Anyone!
He was panicking, and if he did want to die, that was a good way to do it. Vir wasnt the same boy he was back at Brij. He had enough experience under his belt to stay cool, even in the face of mortal danger.
Vir didnt want to die. A speck of dust though he might be, he still wished to survive, and he couldnt rely on his predecessors anymore. Perhaps it was lunacy to think this way in the face of such danger, but he couldnt allow his life to end so trivially.
Not after Rudvik, Apramor, Aliscia, and everyone else has sacrificed so much for me.
He couldnt afford to die here.
Vir collected his thoughts, taking a precious handful of counts to stabilize his mind. Emotions suppressed, he snaked a hand out of a nearby buildings shadow and allowed time to y out in slow motion.
The blue fluid belching out of the goddess shoulder stump redoubled, though her expression betrayed no pain. Vir wondered what kind of metal her mind was made of, to ignore debilitating pain like that.
He looked at the winged beast. Its beak opened to scream in rage.
Vir stuck a bit more of his arm out, speeding up the world outside.
Ash Wolves flew at the creature, but even half-dead, it swiped them away with a single strike, breaking necks or even bisecting the fearsome wolves entirely.
Worse, its stomach wound began to close before Virs very eyes. Was it a special trait of this beast? Or was the prana simply so dense here that all beings recovered this quickly?
Vir didnt know, but what was certain was the beast would soon recover, undoing the damage from the womans iprehensibly powerful attack.
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If she can shoot another one of those
But thedy in white wasnt readying another attack. On the contrary, her eyes dimmed and her motions slowed, as if her heart was failing her.
Little wonder, with all that blue blood pumping out of her. Shes going to die at this rate.
Vir considered his options once more. He couldnt let himself be killed. But could he live with himself if he ran now? If he abandoned this woman to her fate?
He didnt even need to think about it. Vir refused to be the sort of person who prioritized themselves when they could have done something to help.
And Vir could help. The woman in white had given him an opportunitythe creature was heavily injured and distracted right now. Assuming he got lucky, he might be able to end the beast.
But even if he did, what of the woman? How could he help her?
If he was honest, he desperately wanted her to live. It wasnt even the protection of her godlike might that he sought, though that certainly didnt hurt.
The thought of surviving here in this blighted realm, alone, terrified him almost as much as the nightmares where hed lost Maiya.
He had to keep her safe. For protection For his own sanity. And because he wanted to.
There would be only one opportunity. One strike, hidden by the element of surprise. The moment the beast noticed him, he was dead.
Normally, hed have doubted he could even puncture the prana armor it wore like real armor; Vir hadnt thought prana could ever solidify so much that it resembled metal, but this beast had done exactly that. There was no doubt it was many times stronger than even the best seric tes humans could build.
Which was why he needed a weakness. Something he could exploit.
Like the gaping hole in its stomach. Lacking armor of any kind, it allowed Vir a straight shot into the very core of the beast. He need only get to it.
There could be no hesitation. No holding back. Hed have to use his most powerful strike and pray that whatever his ancestors had done allowed his body to weather the torrent of prana that would pass through his body.
Vir bided his time. With his arms out, he had a few minutes in the shadows, and if this was going to work, hed need to nab the right opening.
He watched as the wolves fought together as a team, swiping at the beast with vicious fury. They moved so quickly that even with time slowed, they were hard to track.
There was one among them that stood out to Vir. Arge one. It moved quicker, struck harder, and barked orders to its brethren. If there was a color darker than ck, this was it. It was regal, majestic, and utterly terrifying.
The leader used its brothers as diversions, springing back and forth, taking small chunks out of the winged beasts flesh each time.
But the beast resisted. While it stood on only its hind legs, the bat-winged beast proved dextrous nheless, dodging most of their blows, countering several. Any injuries it incurred healed quickly. Already, its stomach wound had closed to nearly half its original size.
Virs window shrank.
The leader wolf leaped again, seeking to take another chunk from the beasts flesh.
Distracted as it was by its brothers, Vir prepared to dart out of the shadows, timing his attack to the leader.
Until the enemy beast spun and impaled the wolf with its ws, using the leaders own momentum against it.
The wolf went sprawling, blood surging out in a river.
A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, and for a moment, Vir thought another enemy had attacked her. But no, shed screamed for her wolf. There was genuine pain in her eyesa look of pure horror.
The wolf had meant something to her, and now ity dead.
Its brethren howled. Theyunched a frenzied attack.
The winged beast defended itself against the iing wolves, using both its batlike wing-arms.
Vir waited no longer. He sprang from its shadow, Blinking upward and sending a jolt of pain through his legs, but he ignored it.
His katar entered what little remained of the stomach wound. Nearly closed, but not fully healed.
He made it just in time, lodging his katar inside as the creatures flesh wrapped around it.
Vir didnt bother with Prana de. He went straight for de Launch and screamed in pain.
Where prana surged, his blood exploded. The Talent sucked prana from the air and ground alike, and Vir was horrified to watch his arm literally burst with blood.
Then it activatedthe discharge so violent, Vir was forced to let go of the weapon.
There was no sound or sh, unlike the Goddess strike. The beasts torso simply vaporized, disappearing into a bloody mist.
The creature was dead, it just didnt know it yet. And that made it lethal.
The beast continued to swipe at the wolves. One took a w to the heart, and the life winked out of its eyes. Another was backpped with the force of a sledgehammer, sending it flyingdead.
Stop! Vir cried, but only blood came pouring from his mouth.
Even as the beasts upper half slid and slipped off its legs, plunging to the ground, it continued to swipe relentlesslyclutching doggedly onto its final moments of life.
Its head crashed into the ancient road. Its legs fell over, and it finally stilled.
Veras wrath had finallye for the creature. Just as it had for the dozen fallen wolves thaty scattered around it.
It was a Pyrrhic victory.
Vir couldnt walk. He couldnt even crawl. How he maintained consciousness, he did not know. Perhaps it was the pain, preventing him from slipping into the darkness of unconsciousness. Perhaps it was his desire to ascertain the womans health.
He pulled himself onto the ground with a single arm, slowly making his way to the white woman, whoy on the ground in a pool of her own blood.
The light in her azure eyes had winked outpletely, and she moved no longer.
I was toote, Vir thought. I couldnt save her. And now, Im critically injured.
He didnt even know if his wounds could be healed. Certainly not on his own. Not without Cirayus.
Cmon, Vir choked out, sidling up to thedy. Dont die on me.
Vir nudged her shoulder, but she barely budgedshe was far heavier than her frame would suggest.
Wake up! he shouted. To no avail. The goddess was well and truly dead.
Vir just stared nkly at her features. Her eyes remained open, staring back at him in death.
Why! Why is it always like this? I never have enough power. I cant protect a single person. How am I supposed to save a n?
An orb fell in front of Virs eyes. He felt it thump onto the hard ck road.
The crystal was the size of a C Grade orb, and it swirled with ck Ash Prana, yet it radiated a beautiful twinkling white inside, filling it with a mysterious energy that was part prana, part physical.
Its beautiful.
Awooo! An Ash Wolf howled, right next to Virs head. He barely heard it, given the state of his ears.
The wolf was running from the orb to the deaddys back, howling madly.
Whats it Wait. Its trying to tell me something?
Vir propped himself on a shoulder. You want me to do something? With this orb? Vir''s thoughts came slowly through the haze of pain. You want me to give it to her? But shes dead. Cant you see?
The wolf howled in frustration, cing a paw upon the womans back.
With a hiss of steam, her back dissolved away to reveal her innards.
Except, instead of organs and blood, a cleanpartment revealed itself, containing something very familiar.
An orb!? Its spent, though. Its I see. So you want me togah!
Debilitating pain wracked Vir, sending him crashing to the ground.
Darkness crept in at the edge of his vision.
He began to ck out.
No! Not now! Not when I was so close
Chapter 184: Ashani
Chapter 184: Ashani
Vir did not slip into the blissfulnd of the unconscious, where the peace of dreams awaited. ring pain from his broken leg barred those gates.
Pain made worse by an Ash Wolfthe one whod handed him the ck orb earlier. Now it stood with a paw on his leg, howling in desperation.
Its scared, Vir thought. For its master?
Vir reached for the orb but found his body sluggish and unresponsive, as if wading through thick syrup. The experience was simr to when he used Haste, except instead of the world slowing around him, it was his own body that moved with agonizing slowness.
Grabbing the orb, Vir braced himself for the next ordealpulling himself to the whitedy or whatever she was. He wasnt sure, with the ck metal ropes sticking out of her shoulder and the orb receptacle embedded into her back.
Vir didnt care if she turned out to be another Ash Beast at this point. She was sapient. That was enough for him. And maybe just maybe she could heal him. He had no good reason to believe she possessed such capabilities, but something about her bearing struck him. Not in the way Cirayus did with his chakras, but something else entirely. It was a stretch, but it was all he had.
If only that wolf could drag me again, Vir thought. When he looked around, the wolf had disappeared. He caught glimpses in the distance. Is it... fighting?
Vir blinked to find that a number of small, hedgehog-like foes had moved in, and the wolf was now embroiled in a fierce battle to keep them at bay.
Looks like you''re on your own, Vir, he thought, bracing himself for the torture that was toe.
Heaving with all his might, which wasnt much at all, he began to close the gap, one inch at a time.
Two inches. Five, then ten Vir lost track of time. Had it been a minute? An hour? He couldn''t say; his lifes only purpose was to crawl. To advance at all costs.
Whenever darkness crept in and he fell, the wolf''s howl would force him right back up, and again, he would crawl.
She wasnt far. Ten paces at most, though it might as well have been ten realms.
Where others might have failed, Vir persisted. When he reached his limits, the Ash Wolf brought him back to reality. Vir didnt know how, but through sheer willpower alone, he closed the gap and finally inserted the orb into its socket, sliding it in ce.
The receptacle retracted into her back, and a lid slid shut over it. No trace or seam remained, revealing wless pale skin without a single blemish.
Except that was all that happened. The whitedys arm was still a stump, and she stilly in a pool of blueish blood.
All that for nothing?
Vir sat back, too injured and exhausted to try anything else. That had been ithisst resort.
What now? Vir thought, his mind too addled to process much of anything. Be it analyzing what his ancestors had done to keep him alive, or even to try and find a way out. Was there anyone else here? Was this truly the fabled Mahdi Realm? How would he ever get back?
The woman began to glow. The ck ropes within her arm elongated, tightening like muscle. It continued to grow, forming an arm, then a delicate hand.
Am I seeing things? I must be seeing things, Vir thought. It was little wonder, considering the state he was in.
Her skin regrew near-instantly. She rolled onto her back, sitting up in one elegant motion.
Her eyes fluttered rhythmically, then found Vir.
Who art thou? Thou hast bequeathed the holp due Ashani? By way of choice? she said with a strange, exotic ent Vir couldnt ce.
Uh, what? Is that anothernguage?
The woman smiled, and Virs heart skipped. Tis as the spring mornwater. Thou rest be bestowed of the holp now Ashani.
Perhaps Vir mightve made sense of her words some other time when his mental faculties hadnt been robbed. Now, though, it all sounded like gibberish.
Who are you? he croaked as the world darkened around him.
The woman gazed into his eyes.
Servant to Whom Keepeth Fate. By way of the shepherd.
Virs rest was deep and without dreams. When he finally awoke, it felt as though hed slept for millennia.
Instead of ash-darkened skies, Vir found himself staring up at an unadorned ceiling.
Vir sat up, groaning in pain. Hed been ced on a hard bench-like surface, which exined his soreness.
The surrounding room was fairly normal, aside from a few oddities. A sofa floated above the ground in the corner, along with a small tablealso floating. One entire wall of the room was ss, overlooking an empty street three stories below. Stormclouds roared in the distance, though the roar of thunder couldnt be heard at all from inside.
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Moving picture frames were hung on all the walls, most showing off the same two or three family members, several of which featured the whitedy.
There was no need for magic orbs, because the ceiling glowed.
Where in the Realms
If this really was Mahdi, as Shardul had said, then that meant
This building was built by the gods! By the Prime Imperium!
Thou hast awoken?
Vir whipped his head to find the whitedy from before, standing just inches away from his face.
Vir gasped, nearly falling off the bench. The room had been empty just moments earlier.
Praised be the tidings of morrow! she eximed happily, grabbing him and arresting his fall.
T-Thanks? Uh, where am I? Youre the one from before, arent you? Are you alright?
To his relief, she appeared to have made a full recovery. Her arm functioned as if her injury had never urred, and her dress had been mended, unblemished by even a speck of dust.
The impossibly beautiful woman tilted her head in confusion, as if trying to parse Virs words.
That makes two of us. Vir stared at her, transfixed. How the heck can anyone be so pretty?
It was as if some deity had sculpted the perfect figure from a block of white marble.
Im Vir, he said slowly, pointing to himself. Can you understand me? Because I cant understand a word youre saying.
The woman smirked, and from that one expression alone, Vir felt like a chal.
Vir, short for Ekavir. Bravest of the Brave. A good name. An old name.
Vir''s brows raised. How did you know? he asked, thrown off by the sudden change in her words.
The winds of time might well shift the sands of speech, but Ashani understands, she said. He immediately felt dumb for miming his words earlier.
Ashani? Is that her name? Why does she talk in the third person, though?
I guess we kinda saved each other, huh?
Indeed. Thank you for your assistance in defeating the Garuda. Ashani has already dealt with the others.
So thats what the beast was called, Vir thought.
I am happy to see you. More than you could know. Please, call me Ashani, she said with a nostalgic smile. There was a time when people referred to me by that name, once.
Ashani Vir thought. Why does that name sound so familiar?
The look of profound sadness on her face made Vir want to give her a hug and tell her that everything would be alright. She looked utterly heartbroken.
Then he remembered hed only just met the woman and coughed awkwardly.
Im sorry, Vir said softly. I didnt mean to make you recall painful memories.
Ashani said nothing, gazing off into the distance, which only made Vir feel worse.
You, uh, look a lot better! Vir said cheerily, hoping to shift the conversation away from dark topics. Looks like youre all healed up?
Indeed. Such trivial damage would never have threatened Ashani, were she not low on energy cores.
Energy core? She must mean the orb I slotted into her back.
What about prana poisoning? Youre immune to that?
Ashani is affected, she said, shaking her head, but in mysterious and esoteric ways.
So, youre speaking normally now? he mustered the courage to ask. It wasnt just her voice, either. Her bodynguage and mannerisms had shifted, too. Where before, shede across as stiff and reserved, now she looked far more casual. Though still not quite normal.
Shes mirroring my gestures, isnt she? With his training in the art of subterfuge, slight shifts in bodynguage came naturally to Vir, and he noticed when others did it, too. He should have noticed it the moment shed shifted, but he hadnt.
Something about her was so disarmingit put him off bnce, and he couldnt pinpoint why. It was like she was both elegant and childish at once.
The woman giggled. Normal is quite rtive to ones society and times, wouldnt you say? Clearly,nguage has changed much in the past four thousand years. Ashani wonders what else has.
Thats certainly a long time for anguage towait. But you were speaking like Youre four thousand years old!?
Ashanis expression darkened. In Ashanis time, it was considered taboo to ask ady her age. Has this custom been lost to the Ash as well?
Oh, uh, no. No, its still a thing. Sorry.
s, Ashani is relieved to hear it is merely your own impropriety and not an endemic issue! Ashani fears for a societycking such etiquette, she said, before continuing in a quieter voice. Long has Ashani wandered alone, fearing the survival of her society.
What do you mean?
Ashani owes you an apology. She administered medical aid to save your life, but further treatment is required, she said, producing a needle. At one end was a strange tube that held a glowing blue liquid.
Before Vir could react, shed disappeared, reappeared next to him, and inserted the needle.
There was a whooshing sound, and the contents of the needle emptied into his blood.
It had all happened in less time than it took Vir to blink.
Did you just
Fruits? Ashani asked, thrusting a tter of cut-up gray fruits at Vir. He was now convinced she either had a Talent that allowed her to travel instantly, or she simply moved iprehensibly fast.
The slight breeze that apanied her movements hinted at thetter.
Thanks? May I ask what you just stuck into me? Vir was far beyond worrying. If shed wanted to harm him, she didnt even have to do anything. Hed have died on his own.
Vir bit into a fruit and nearly cried in delight. These are divine!
A simple cocktail of pranites, she replied.
Er, what are pranites?
Prana constructs that hasten the healing of wounds, restore the body, and enhance your red blood cells prana capacity. They perform a slew of other tasks as well, preventing mutations, ridding arteries of que, reducing blood prana resistivity, supporting musculoskeletal function, spurring telomerase activity, and boosting white blood cell efficacy.
The womans speech, while somewhat more normal now, still gave Vir a headache. Her sentences sounded like they ought to make sense, but the words were simply gibberish.
I didnt understand a word of that. Could you please simplify?
Ashani frowned. Has medical magic deteriorated? Or do you simply use different terminology?
Im not sure, Vir replied, somewhat confused. Who was she?
Ashani owes you another apology. Owing to her actions, you have suffered a great deal. She put you in great peril.
It was nothing like that, Vir said. I saw you injured and decided to help. You didnt have any part in Vir trailed off, a sudden thought dawning on him.
No. It cant be, he thought. She couldnt have.
Ashani brought you through her gate.
You brought me here. Through an Ash Gate that you created? Vir wheezed.
Ashani nodded. Unintentionally. Ashani hoped to allow her wolves to flee. The silly things. They all refused. All but one. He left to bring you. It seems I have failed spectacrly.
She can make Ash Gates. She can make Ash Gates. She can make Ash Gates!
Not just Tears. Actual Gates.
Vir didnt know what was more shocking. That she might be able to send him back to Cirayus, or that he hadnt suspected her true nature until now.
Perhaps it was her odd manner of speech, or maybe her ethereal beauty, or the way she kept him off bnce throughout their conversation.
It was all there. Her age and odd mannerisms. Her almighty powers.
Um, Lady Ashani? Do you by any chance know of a race of people who called themselves the Prime Imperium?
Ashani tilted her head in confusion, frowning. Why, of course. For what reason do you ask?
Sweat beaded on Virs brow.
Er, this may be presumptuous of me, but what is your rtionship with them? Vir squeaked.
Ashani proudly ced a hand on her chest. Ashani is an Automaton of the Prime Imperium, fashioned by Artificer Janak aspanion to his daughter during her final days. Her voice lowered, expression darkening. Keeper of the legacy of our people and sentinel of this forgotten mausoleum. Ashani is the one who remembers when others have forgotten.
Her voice died to a murmur. The one who remains when all others are long gone.
Chapter 185: The One Who Remembers
Chapter 185: The One Who Remembers
Silence pressed on the room with the weight of ages past. Ashanis brilliant smile shone like the sun, clearing it.
Shes so perfect, Vir thought, unable to wrest his gaze from Ashanis azure eyes. They shone with a depth so deep, he couldve believed they contained an entire realm within them.
In simpler terms, Ashani is a construct of the Prime Imperium.
Vir found his thoughts drifting until he caught them. This was the third or the fourth time it had happened.
What are you even doing? Vir flushed, thinking of Maiya. It truly wasnt like him to have such thoughts. Whats gotten into me? Wait, no. Shes a being of the Prime Imperium. That makes her a living goddess. It makes sense Id feel this way in her presence. Agh! Thats not important right now!
You were constructed? He asked, partially to distract himself. And did you say Janak? Do you mean Lord Janak? A stern, er, person, with a long white beard and long white hair?
Ashani furrowed her brows in confusion. Janak is Janak, Ashani said, turning the palm of her hand up. Above it, a miniature person sprung into existence. It was made purely of Ash prana, so it wouldve been invisible to ordinary eyes, but Ashani clearly expected him to be able to see it.
Er, Lady Ashani? Can you see prana as well?
Of course. Cant everyone?
Er, not quite. I can, though.
The prana image differed substantially from the avatar of Janak, whom Vir had met at Vka Amara, but the difference was mostly one of age. The image showed a sharp young man sporting short-cropped hair and a full, but trim, beard.
Ashani is a fabricated being, she continued, crafted by the one who lived in this very home.
This is Janaks home!?
Virs head spun. What did this all mean?
For one, it meant he was speaking to a goddess. One of the beings from the Age of Gods. Perhaps the only such being still alive, aside from Janak. Or the copy of Janak, at least.
Vir took a deep, calming breath.
Okay, I have a million questions, but lets start with the basics. How should I address you? Youre from a race of people weer, humansconsider gods. Should I prostrate? I feel like I should prostrate.
Pfft! Deities? How amusing!
Vir dropped to one knee in deference, but Ashani grasped his shoulder, pulling him back up.
Ashani is no god. You may refer to her as Ashani.
Lady Ashani, then, Vir said, not meeting her eyes. Out of respect, and also because he found it impossible to concentrate when he did. It was the bestpromise he could make. Do, uh do you all talk that way?
Pardon?
What are you doing, you chal? You cant lecture a goddess about the way she talks!
I mean, referring to yourself in the third person. Its unusual.
And somewhat endearing, too, he didnt add. Vir pictured Maiya speaking that way for a moment, and his heart nearly melted. Gonna have to ask her to do that when I get back. Then again, she''ll probably just punch me if I do.
Oh? Is it? Ashani asked, pressing an index finger to her cheek. I can talk like this? Is this any better?
Well, I dont know about better. Please, do whats natural for you. I was just curious.
I just got a goddess to change how she talks! Thats amazing? Presumptuous? Will I be smote for my sins?
After shed modernized her speech, Ashani hade across as casual and approachable. After much internal debate, Vir decided to treat her as he would anyone he was close to, ignoring what she represented. If he didnt, he wouldnt be able tomunicate with her at all.
It was not so unusual to refer to ones self in the third person. Twas considered a sign of humility. Speaking in the first person was considered somewhat rude at the time. Then again, it was millennia ago. Tis unsurprising for such customs to have changed.
Its actually the opposite these days, Vir said, hopping off the bench to run through a few stretches. Hed been so caught up with Ashani that hed forgotten about his own bodys state.
May I ask how Im still alive? I feel fine. Great, actually. I thought my leg was crushed, and I was pretty sure I had all sorts of internal wounds.
Ashani tilted her head in confusion. As Ashaas I said, nanopranites have healed you.
Thats the blue liquid you injected into me? I cant say I understand, but Im incredibly grateful!
Aaah! Ashani is frustrated. May I? she asked, cing her hands on Virs temples.
What are you
Foreign prana flooded into Virs body through her hands, and suddenly, Vir was no longer standing in Ashanis home. He was in a researchboratory, wearing a white coat and poring over moving screens that flickered with lightdisys. He held the metal leads of a measuring device, analyzing the signal traces of an inscription engraved within a magic orb.
Images flickered rapidly through Virs mind. Memories of concepts, terminologies understanding. Words like current, potential difference, vacuum, atoms, and more flooded into him. Nothingpleteonly fragments of ideasbut it at least allowed him to understand her words. Like knowledge he''d once learned and then partially forgotten.
Vir nearly copsed when she took her fingers away momentster, reeling with nausea that threatened to make him retch.
Your physiology is too different from my people, Ashani said with a frown. It seems we are ipatible.
What was that? Vir breathed when hed recovered from the ordeal. That was incredible!
Telepathic transfer. I promise you, I am not normally this bad at thought transference. I feel this was a failure. It is certainly not because I am out of practice, Ashani said, pouting.
No! Not at all, Vir replied, shaking his head vigorously, earning him a satisfied nod from the goddess. I cant tell you about most of what you showed me, but at least I know what you mean now. Those pranitestheyre like tiny bugs, arent they? Theyre flowing through my blood, healing wounds, and doing all sorts of other things?
Ashanis face lit up. Yes! Excellent.
Do you know how long theyst? Something like this would be incredibly useful for me.
Not long, Im afraid, Ashani said. They will dissolve once their prana reserves deplete. Many have already been consumed to restore your injuries.
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I see, Vir replied, downcast. But wait. If they run on prana, couldnt I just power them with my own bodys prana?
I am unsure, Ashani replied. My knowledge of these topics is limited to the basics. I was designed as apanion automaton, not a research model.
Something to look into, Vir thought, massaging his temples.
How long was I out? I never asked.
Two and a half of your sleep cycles.
Two days!? Vir eximed. I need to get back to his voice trailed off.
Lady Ashani This is Mahdi, isnt it? The lost city of the gods?
Ashanis eyes widened. I am surprised you know of it! Indeed. This is the capital city of thergest civilization that spanned the realm. At least, it was.
Vir wanted nothing more than to drill Ashani about that topic, but there was a more pressing matter to discuss.
Can you send me back? To where I came from?
Itd taken Vir some time to work up the courage to ask. What were the chances? Even if a goddess like her could make Ash Gates, who was to say she could return him back? What if he ended up on his own, separated by half a realm?
Of course! I can send you back whenever you wish! Do you desire to return now?
Oh, Vir said. Thats, er not what Id expected.
I can go back? Seriously?
How else would I have created those Ash Tears to watch you? Ashani asked.
So that was you. It felt like those gates werent random.
The goddess chuckled. Indeed. Life can be somewhat boring here. Long ago, I stumbled upon that Mahakurma. Ive been keeping tabs on it ever since. Tis easier than the other beasts, for it does not often move.
So. You can make Ash Gates wherever you like? Vir asked incredulously.
Yes, though I cannot control the cement of the initial gate, Ashani replied. Once I have established a gate at a particr location, however, I can recreate that gate at will, assuming I am standing at the same location as before.
Thats incredible.
Ashani beamed with pride. So? Shall I send you back now? she asked, surprisingly shyly.
Vir hesitated. Should he go back, though? If this truly was Mahdi, then hed stumbled upon the very core of the Ashen Realm. The prana density that had nearly killed him proved that. It was the very ce Shardul and Ekanai had wanted him toe. Janak had told him to meet him there When he was ready. Vir didnt feel anywhere close to ready, but he was here now. How many chances would he get?
While he wished to return to Cirayus, if he was right
Er, Lady Ashani, do you know how time passes in the regr Ashen Realmpared to here?
I have never once ventured outside this realm, but from my snooping, I can say that the outside world appears nearly frozen. Only the densest parts of the Ashen Realm move discernibly.
So, time flows many, many times slower in the Ashen Realm outside, Vir thought. Then I have no reason to return right away.
Even if he couldnt know the exact rate at which time flowed, the difference was obviously quite dramatic, here in the deepest part of the Ash.
Maybe I ought to linger here a bit.
There was no telling what secrets Ashani could teach him. Perhaps even secrets about himself, and those who came before.
Ash gate creation should not be underestimated, Ashani said, standing straight. But Ashanis powers are vast and many. She can send you back whenever you like.
Does she think I don''t believe her? Am I supposed to praise her? Yeah, she definitely looks like she wants me to praise her.
Thats truly impressive. I cant even imagine how you create those gates, Vir said, and he meant every word. The feat wasnt just spectacr, it was the kind of thing hed expect from gods.
Vir omitted how shed slipped back to her third-person dialect. Maybe she was trying toe across as humble?
Neither can I, she said. Truthfully, I do not know the workings behind the creation of these gates. Twas not a power bestowed upon me by my creator.
Hows that possible? Did another goder, Imperium researchergive it to you?
Ashani shook her head. How else does one obtain great power? At terrible cost. Come, she said, exiting the room.
Vir followed her through an unadorned hallway to the door, which dissolved into nothingness when she approached. Vir stepped outside onto anding. Like the lift at Balindams Lower City, it descended to the street, though it required neither rope nor manpower to do so.
A half dozen Ash Wolves lounged nearby, as if guarding the entrance to Ashanis home.
No, not as if, Vir thought. They were guarding her home.
They perked up at her approach, whining affectionately, each vying for her attention.
Theyre quite gentle creatures once you get to know them, she said, petting one beast after another. And very loyal!
Vir didnt know if it was on ount of the prana density, or if they were simply a different breed, but Ashanis wolves were half again asrge as the ones hed fought in the Ash.
Sorge, in fact, that Ashani barely had to reach down to pet them.
Feels wrong to call them Ash Wolves, Vir thought. Based on their prana signature and the way they fought, Vir wouldnt be surprised if they came to Br One Hundred each.
Ashfire Wolf. Thats a good name. The prana that burned off their hides looked like ck me.
Vir approached one, but it loped away, clearly unwilling to be pet by the likes of him.
Please dont mind his reaction. Theyve known only me until now. Theyre simply shy.
Felt more like indignation than shyness, Vir thought, but he didnt press the issue.
I didnt even know ash beasts could be trained, he said.
Most cannot, not without erasing their minds, Ashani replied. Ash Wolves are one of the few beasts with both the right disposition and intellect to be trained. Though all beasts in this realm go mad shortly after birth, Im afraid.
Did you help them out? Vir asked, imagining a day when he might have a wolf as apanion himself. Hed missed Neel dearly. Nothing could rece Neel, of course, but having an Ash Beast at his side would be of tremendous help in battle.
While he had to be careful sending Neel into danger, hed have to worry more for his enemies, rather than an Ash Wolf. Besides, Vir could scarcely imagine the sheer presence an Ash Wolf pet wouldmand, in either the Human or Demon Realms.
People would piss their pants! Vir thought giddily.
I did, Ashani said. I happened upon a litter some time ago. I administered a simr treatment to the one I gave you. You could say I raised them.
The avian beasts corpse had been disposed ofthere wasnt even a trace of their battle. No damaged buildings, no blood. Nothing.
Lightning cracked in the skies above. A soul-shattering roar shook the world.
Vir looked up.
Is that
A Wyrm. She has been here from the very beginning.
She? Vir asked.
Ashani pointed up, to the top of a nearby building. There. Follow me.
She moved near-instantaneously, disappearing from sight.
Vir craned his neck to see where shed gone. All the nearby buildings soared to dizzying heights, making for a bizarre environment unlike any city Vir had ever experienced. Humans simply didnt have the magic to create such impossibly tall structures. They loomed over the street like sentinels, casting long shadows upon the ground.
Vir Leaped up, grabbing onto a protrusion on the side of the building that contained Janaks home. It took several more Leaps to make it to the roof, but he got there easily enough.
When he did, Vir nearly stumbled when he took in the scenery, and it wasnt on ount of the stiff breeze. For the first time since setting foot in this realm, his eyes took in the whole city. Mahdi.
Hundreds of great ck spires speared up, piercing the sky. Lightning raked them constantly, but the buildings were so far away, the booms barely reached them.
Buildings extended for miles in every direction, deep roads intertwining them. The deep streets remained free of soot despite the continuous ashen rain, looking as pristine as the day they were abandoned, millennia ago.
A colossal Wyrm floatedzily in the sky, high above. Parts of its body disappeared into the ck clouds, revealing only sections of its tremendous length. Somehow, that only made the beast even scarier.
Deste though the city was, Vir saw the vestiges of greatness. Faded gold lined everything, contrasting against the deep ck. All the mines in the Known World might not have enough gold to match the Imperiums creations. The result was not ostentatious, but grand. Or it would have been, had the city not been a lifeless corpse.
Virs eyes returned to the Wyrm and the writhing mass it circled. It took him a few moments to register what he was actually looking at. It was a creature invisible to the eye.
When he registered its true nature, his knees shook, and he wailed in despair. Tears flowed and terror seized his muscles.
Why is that thing here!?
The Prana Swarm never leaves the central spire, Ashani said quietly. Else, life in this realm would have perished ages ago.
The wave passed over him and he regained his senses to a degree.
The central spire? Vir asked, forcing his breaths to slow. Ashani pointed, and then he saw it. To Prana Vision, the tower that stood above them all was no tower at all. It was a writhing mass of pitch-ck.
The gargantuan Swarm perfectly contoured the building, taking its shape, wrapping it in ayer of prana.
Its enclosure was absolutebeginning at the broad towers base and climbing high into the sky. There were no clouds above this building, for a vortex had formed. A perfectly circr gap through which the spire pierced. It was as if the clouds themselves had fled from the Swarm. It had to have been at least three thousand paces in height.
Thats no ordinary Swarm, Vir whispered.
No, Ashani replied. No it isnt. Tis the oldest of the Swarms. The most powerful.
Vir didnt doubt it. And yet, even millenniater, the Imperium''s building stood, seemingly impervious to the colossal being of pure energy. More than anything else, it was a testament to the level of Imperium advancement.
In my realm, theres a group who worships a Prana Swarm, Vir said. A very particr Swarm. I think I just found it.
Ashani said nothing, instead looking off into the distance with mncholy.
Lady Ashani,what happened here? What terrible curse turned Mahdi into this? Vir asked, gesturing to the blighted scenery.
Some things cannot be told. They must be shown. Felt. Would you like to see?
What would that entail? Vir asked cautiously.
A virtual projection of the events leading to the end. Brace yourself, for there are no happy endings here. No forever afters. Only tragedy, suffering, and death. It is a tale of dazzling dreams and crippling regret. It is our story.
Vir made his resolution.
Show me.
Chapter 186: The Story of Us (One)
Chapter 186: The Story of Us (One)
Vir thought hed prepared himself for what was toe, but he hadnt. How could he?
Ashani pressed her fingers against the sides of Virs head, and like a drop falling on a still mirror pond, the worldrippled outward. Where the ripple touched, Ash ceased to exist, restored to its former glory. The cement of the buildings and the streets remained the same, but everything else changed.
Gone were the dark storms and the ever-falling ash. Sinister ck buildings instead shone a fabulous blue-white, their dull gold emzonings shining brightly under vast blue skies and a dazzling sun.
Allow me to take you to a time of ages past. To a time of hope and wonder. Of monumental aplishment, when the Prime Imperium spanned the world. Before the Fall and the end of all things.
The Age of Gods, Vir thought with growing excitement. Im witnessing life as it was in the Age of Gods!
The joyous sounds of life erupted, filling the crisp, clean air.
The same ce. A different time.
Virs mouth hung open, and he pointed to the sky. Above the half dozen Vimana that movedzily through the skies above the city.
There, high up, was a sphere. A bright, glowing sphere. It wasnt the sun.
The moon? Ashani asked. What of it?
What is it? Vir asked, panic growing in his voice. Whilerge in the sky, it felt different to his eyes. It was far. Impossibly, vastly far. Like it was a part of the sky itself.
The moon is a fixture of the sky. Tis natural
Ashani, there is no moon where Ie from. Its gone. Completely gone.
Truly? Ashani said with a concerned expression. Tis hard to fathom. Though, the fate of my people is equally difficult toprehend.
Vir stood transfixed at this moon, his mind going in circles. What was it? The sun was said to be the seat of Adinats power. Was the moon a representation of another god? Perhaps one that was no longer in power?
Um, Lady Ashani? Did your people put the moon up there, by any chance? Or maybe the sun?
Ashani stared at Vir for a long moment, then burst out in a fit of giggles. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she was forced to wipe them away as Vir stood there awkwardly scratching his chin.
My apologies! she said atst. I have notughed like this since Well, since before the fall. Ive been rude.
No, its quite alright, Vir said in embarrassment.
We did not put the sun in the sky, no. Nor the moon. My peoples powers were vast, but we were not gods. The sun and the moon have always been.
An avian beast zoomed by before Vir could reply, forcing him to duck, but he was toote.
Two beasts hit him and passed right through.
This is but a simtion of the world as it was millennia ago, Ashani said. You have nothing to fear.
She brought the world to a halt. The beasts froze, allowing Vir to look at them. Allowing him to distract himself from the mind-bending concept of a moon.
Made entirely of Ash prana, they resembled far more elegant Ashva, with longer, thinner heads and longer legs.
They were tethered to a beautiful chariot covered in golden patterns. Prana oveid the actual gold, forming artful patterns that seamlessly blended inscriptions with prana. Its twin wheels left behind trails of Fire Affinity prana in the air, and a golden dome hovered above the chariot, seemingly unconnected.
Commanding the chariot was a man wearing the most gold Vir had ever seen on any living being. From gemstone rings to bangles and bracers, nes, and even his armor that contoured his perfect abs, everything was bejeweled and gilded. Not even kings looked so impressive.
An enormous headdress red out behind him, forming a circle of gold. An impressive ck mustache decorated his bronze skin thatcked a single blemish.
Ashani resumed the simtion, and the chariot sped forth, disappearing in the distance.
It wasnt the only one. The skies were dotted with such vehicles, speeding this way and that in a maze ofnes that crisscrossed above Mahdi.
Follow me, Ashani said, stepping off the tall building and falling elegantly to the surface of a nearby street.
Vir shelved his thoughts about the moon forter. There was simply too much to take in. If he tried to process it all, his head mightve exploded.
Thats quite the drop, Vir thought, peering over the ledge. It had to have been as tall as the top of the Mahakurmas shell, if not higher.
Vir bellowed a roar and jumped.
The ck spires blurred around him as he plummeted, falling through the manynes of sky traffic.
Light Step softened his fall. Even with the Talent, a fall from such height wouldve normally caused him a great deal of pain, though this time, he felt nothing.
The street was simrly lined with gold, though the avenue itself was a brilliant, spotless white. It was made of no material Vir could ce. Hard like metal, but pleasantly warm to the touch, it overflowed with Ash Affinity prana.
Four-faced automatons, at least Vir assumed they were automatonsstrode down the street, each face having a conversation with the others attached to its head.
Women wore silk dresses covered with ornate prana patterns that continuously shiftedpieces of living art. The women wore even more gold than the men, boasting piercings in their ears, noses, and exposed belly buttons.
The gold theme continued, with every single person Vir saw having at least a half dozen ornaments.
My people enjoyed self-expression, Ashani said fondly, walking down the bustling road.
Vir followed behind Ashani, stricken with awe.
A man with baggy pants sat with arms and legs crossed and eyes closed, riding by on a silk rugthe sort Vir saw in the pce at Daha. Except this one floated on ayer of prana, whisking it silently to its destination.
Fine handcrafted weapons! Come get some souvenirs for your children! Theyll love it! a man said, twirling a chakram around his finger.
The deadly disk glinted and buzzed with a deathly sound. Vir felt a deadliness from the chakram and instantly recognized the Ash Prana ringing the de.
Hes selling that to a child? Vir eximed in horror.
A small boy, no older than eight or nine, jumped up and down in glee as he held the weapon. With his bare hands.
Ama, can we get it? he said, pleading with his mother. Please? Please?
I assure you, it cuts through prana itself! Pranites ensure the de will never dull, and it can reforge itself if ever bent or broken, so your boy here can chop as many seric dummies as his heart desires!
The woman beside him rolled her eyes. Does it at least return to you? These handmade contraptions always skimp on the details.
But of course! Watch! The man threw the chakram high into the air. After reaching the zenith of its trajectory, the chakram shot back to him with the same force hed thrown it with.
That sure would be nice Vir thought enviously. Bet those chakrams could cut through anything.
The mother finally tossed the man a seric coin that looked all too familiar. In fact, it was exactly the same as the coin the Human Realm used.
That weapon is nothing but a toy, Ashani said. The child could not cut himself with that even if he tried.
Right. I keep forgetting theyre not human.
You there! How about some fresh jamuns? another vendor shouted, pointing to a passerby. A sweet treat levitated just above his palm, slowly whisking itself over to the unsuspecting customer, tempting them with its delicious smells.
No? Perhaps a crisp, juicy Jalebi then?
The jamun disappeared, reced instantly with a spiraling orange treat that Vir recognizedhed eaten one at the banquet at Avi.
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How? Vir whispered, only half-believing the incredible feat.
The man just created a dessert out of thin air!
Lady Ashani? Vir asked, trembling. Your people could make things with prana?
Of course! From clothing to entire cities, all could be constructed with prana. Matter, energy, prana. My people were masters of conversion between these three forms.
Such instant gratification, however, seldom made for satisfying experiences. Most of us preferred the older methods. Handmade items always demanded quite the premium, despite their inferiority to anything made through prana fabrication, Ashani said, smiling wistfully. They werent even aligned on a molecr level, let alone the submolecr.
Wait, why are there even vendors if people can make anything on demand? Vir asked, glossing over the terms he didn''t understand. He''d made the mistake of asking Ashani to exin some of it once. Never again.
Ashanis eyes twinkled. For the experience, of course! Having everything at your fingertips can make for a dreadfully boring life, wouldnt you agree?
The experience
For a society so advanced, it felt bizarre to him that they behaved so simrly to the people of today.
We were not always so, she exined. Long ago, when my people learned how to convert prana into matter, our society nearly died. As you can imagine, conjuring our hearts desires whenever we wished created many issues for us. People stopped talking to one another, holing themselves up in their homes. They lost their purpose in life. It was quite the crisis.
Youre not about to tell me that your people didnt need to eat, are you?
Why, thats precisely correct. We overcame the bodys basic requirements for sustenance long ago. Prana serves as a far superior, more efficient energy source for the body, after all. Why bother with the unpleasantness of consuming food?
s, food culture only grew more prevalent when it was no longer a daily necessity. You can imagine how people might grow bored after living for thousands of years, cant you?
Thousands!? Vir wheezed.
Why, yes. After the Imperium solved aging and disease, few have ever died. The discovery happened well before my time, mind you. It was one of the more primitive advancements. Ancient history, really.
Vir couldnt believe it. Didnt want to believe it. How could he? How could he believe that the world had soared so high, only to fall so far? That people lived forever and worked miracles to hawk snacks! Snacks they didnt even need to eat. For leisure. For fun.
How could he ever content himself with the current state of the world after seeing all this? These were beings whod mastered prana in ways Vir couldnt ever have imagined.
Ashani swept her arms over the street. In all of recorded history, there has never been a civilization as prosperous or as powerful as us. Not before, and certainly not after. Hunger, disease, aging, poverty even crime. These had all been conquered by my people, existing only as distant memories of darker times. This was Mahdi at the height of the Prime Imperiums power. She paused. It exists now only as a hollow projection.
Tears welled in Virs eyes. So much greatness. How many thousandsor perhaps millionsof souls had contributed to the development of such a civilization? How many millennia had it taken to aplish such feats? And its all gone. Just gone. All that knowledge. Lost forever.
Vir wiped his tears away. Yknow? Im kinda regretting this.
I have many regrets, Ashani said softly, her words reaching him despite the bustle of the city, the greatest of which is that you are the first to ever hear this story.
Vir turned and faced the whitedy. Im honored, Lady Ashani. I swear to youthey will not be forgotten. Ill tell everyone about this.
You cannot know how happy that would make me, Ashani said with a small smile. Nowe, there is much to be seen.
Crowds of people wrapped up in animated conversation passed by, while others simply nodded and gestured to each other in silence, as if sharing a conversation only they could hear.
Vir spotted another four-faced automaton, talking to itself. Each face was attached to the same head, and each appeared to have its own personality.
It was a bizarre sight, though hardly out of ce in this fantastical world of wonder.
What could possibly have brought down such an impressive people?
The Gods had simply vanished. Nobody knew of what came before, or what happened in their final days. There were rumors, of course, but nothing substantiated. Whatever it was had happened fast, for there were no records of the event.
So far as I know, everyone I ever knew is dead, Ashani said, and Vir had to wonder if mind reading was among her powers as well. But survivors may very well remain, searching for ways back here.
You never found out? Vir asked, walking beside Ashani through the crowded street. While she passed through the crowd as if they werent there, Vir avoided them where he could. They looked so realhe had a hard time just walking into them.
My ce is here, preserving what I can of my home. In case my people return, she added softly. Vir wasnt sure if he was supposed to hear it, but he did.
Will they return, though?
It wasnt as though pockets of the Prime Imperium still existedthere had never once been a sighting in all of recorded history. Even if theyd hidden themselves, Vir figured some evidence would have existed in all the millennia that had passed.
We have a lot of stories about your people in the Human Realm, yknow?
The Human Realm? Ashani asked, straightening her sagging shoulders.
Thats where I came from, Vir said.
Interesting, Ashani replied, cupping her chin. My Ash Tears have never shown me such a ce. It seems I have much to learn of the outside world. You must tell me everything!
Vir chuckled. Ill try, but prepare to be disappointed. Its nothingpared to what youre showing me here.
Ashani doesnt believe you. How can any tale of what is dead and gonepare to that of the now?
It can when your tale is of literal gods.
Vir couldnt fathom how these people were sofortable using prana; it was as if they were born with it. Prana was integrated into practically everything at a fundamental leveltheir chariots were drawn by beasts of pure prana. Their clothing and their jewelry incorporated it in their design, and they even used it to conjure objects out of thin air.
A woman walked by, her silk dress semi-translucent cape floating gently behind. Its color shifted moment to moment, matching its prana signature, which flowed in beautiful patterns.
Virs senses were overloaded, and that was ignoring all the sights he didnt understand. There was the whole slew of oddities Vir couldnt even begin to unravel, like the floating orbs that followed several people around.
At first nce, Vir just thought they were packed with Ash prana. They werebut that was only the start of it. Hundreds, if not thousands, of inscription rings ran around them, crisscrossing. Like those inscribed within human orbs, except miniaturized, and multiplied a thousandfold. There was so much going on inside those orbs, it made Vir dizzy just looking at them.
Telepathy node amplifiers, Ashani exined. In-built nodes suffice for short-rangemunication, but some of us desired a longer reach. The orbs facilitatedmunication with the Vidya.
Sorry, what? I recognize some of those terms from the transference thing you did earlier, but I dont have a clue what you meant.
Your society does not possess such technology, does it?
Ashanis question was so abrupt that it made him wince. Hed wondered when shede to that realization. No, he admitted. No, we dont. Im afraid youll find the current state of the world quite pathetic.
Ashanis expression darkened. Id suspected, based on your reactions thus far. I see. Little survived, then
Um, you were talking about those nodes? Vir prompted, hoping to distract thedy. Sadness seemed to be her natural state, though after spending millennia alone in such a deste wastnd, he could certainly see why.
Right, of course. All of usmunicated telepathically. Or at least, we had the option to. Many chose to speak with their vocal cords.
Let me guess. For the experience? Vir asked, moving aside to allow a gilded man with a spiked headdress and an absurdly long cape pass by. The cape, like its wearer, hovered just above the ground, shimmering behind him as he floated by with his eyes closed.
Ashani nodded. Exactly! Though the telepathy nodes did more than allow formunication. Anything we wished to learn was but a thought or two away, made avable by the Vidyathe repository containing all the collective knowledge and wisdom of our people.
What do you mean by anything? Vir asked, following Ashani as she turned onto a less busy side road. If hed been any less overwhelmed, he mightve noticed it was the same street hed been summoned onto by Ashanis Ash Gate.
Any skill you wish to learn, you could wield it with the perfection of our greatest masters. Any book knowledge you wished to possess would be yours, with as much rity and understanding as the sages who wrote it.
Wouldnt that make every single person superhuman?
Vir tried to imagine a society where the youngest girl to the oldest man was not only a Br 5,000 warrior, but the smartest person in the world.
Wouldnt everyone be the same? he asked. If everyone had the same skills as everyone else?
Indeed. The creation of the Vidya nearly destroyed our society, turning it bare and lifeless.
How did they solve it? Vir asked. The people he saw looked the exact opposite of lifeless.
Through a rediscovery of the things we once loved, though for different reasons entirely. Self-expression became purpose. People cravedneededuniqueness. The Vidya forced people to look elsewhere to obtain new experiences. From evolving art beyond the greatest grandmaster whode before to engaging in deep social rtions and experiencing new emotions, my people found all sorts of innovative ways for culture to thrive.
Vir craned his neck, looking up at the tall buildings that scraped the sky. Between them, entire skynes filled with chariots and magic carpets crisscrossed in all directions. Every one of those people wielded unimaginable power and had a hundred times more knowledge than the entire Known Worldbined. Thrive was certainly the right word.
Yknow? I really didnt think I could get any more impressed. I figured there had to be a limit somewhere.
Oh? Ashani asked with a bemused expression.
I stand corrected. My people worship you as gods. I admit, I used to as well, when I was little. Then I learned of the Prime Imperium, and I thought maybe theyre not so different, after all.
There are some physiological differences between our people, but not to any great degree, I think, Ashani replied, appraising Vir.
Apologies, Lady Ashani, but I disagree. I was wrong. You are gods. The world of today, its Its a hollow, broken shell. We dont stay young forever. We dont have a Vidya repository. Diseases reap lives despite our best efforts. Crime, poverty, all these things exist, and theyre not going away. And we certainly cant fly on magic carpets or create things out of thin air. Let alone fashion gorgeous automatons who think and feel and conjure Ash Gates on a whim! Im afraid youll be sorely disappointed by your sessors.
Ashani is touched that you feel that way, but a cultures worth is not determined by its technological advancement alone. Your art, your history, these are unique to you, and in no way inferior to our own. Different, perhaps, but not any less. No, I believe your people are incredible in their own ways. If there is a difference between us, it is simply one of time.
Time, huh? I wonder.
Vir couldnt see humans reaching this state of advancement, even after millennia. It was more likely that the Ash would have taken over the whole realm by then. Their legacy would be nothing more than and of corrupted monsters and toxic air.
Its just hard, Ashani, knowing these dazzling heights your people once achieved. Today, people sacrifice their lives seeking what your people might have passed off as junk. Just to experience a sliver of that greatness. Every weapon I saw sold on that street would be hailed as a divine Artifact of the Gods. Itd be the treasure of any nations arsenal.
Virughed. How pathetic. He was starting to understand what Cirayus was talking about when he waxed nostalgic of greater times long passed. And he hadnt even experienced what the Imperium was like.
Your people came before us, Vir said. We should have inherited your legacy. Why didnt we?
How could we have fallen so far?
It was one thing to strive for greatness when you believed you were pushing the boundaries of innovationventuring into the unknown and unlocking secrets no one ever had.
But what if it was all a lie? What if everything you ever learnedevery advancement you ever madehad already been made before? Learned, and then forgotten. What then? How did one go on, knowing just how much further they had to go? It was like climbing adder that had no end.
Vir had lived his whole life with a cloud obscuring those higher rungs. Now, the cloud was gone, and he saw thedder for what it truly wasbuilt and climbed by his ancestors, long ago. He, and everyone else, were simply rebuilding what they once had in abundance, and they were still at the bottom rungs.
We are here, Ashani said, stopping at a door that Vir recognized.
This is Janaks home, isn''t it?
Ashani nodded. This is where it all begins.
Chapter 187: The Story Of Us (Two)
Chapter 187: The Story Of Us (Two)
Ashani approached the door to a housethe one Vir had woken up in. Janak''s home. Instead of the ck, cold home from before, the abode was a brilliant white, decorated in gold.
The door dematerialized for her, and inside, Vir found a beautifully decorated home. Where Sawai aristocrats adorned their walls with paintings andvish colors, the Imperium preferred prana as their paint instead.
Despite knowing it was the same ce, Vir still struggled to ept the facts. The house he knew was dead. This one seemed to burst with life.
A mural covered an entire wa work of pure prana. This one depicted a tranquil tropical jungle. Even the ground and ceiling had their own beautiful prana patterns, with water affinity contrasting fire and wind against lightning.
Inside, Vir saw Ashanithe Ashani as she was at the height of the Imperium.
You havent aged a day, Vir muttered. While dressed in an borate gold dress that flowed behind her, the goddess looked the same.
Does this surprise you? she asked, freezing the simtion as she stood next to her younger self. Like the rest of my people, Automata do not age.
Her simple, unadorned white one-piece cast an entirely different impression from her old self. While her in attire made her look like a benevolent, earnest goddessthe younger Ashani looked regal in a way no mortal could. Like an empress.
With her bangles, oversized earrings, and neckpiece, the younger Ashani fit right in with the rest of her people.
She also looked nervouseven scared. How the other upants of the room could scare someone like Ashani, Vir couldnt say.
He shifted his attention to the two others.
The man caught Virs attention first. He sported short ck hair, an enormous headdress, and a waxed handlebar mustache. He looked to be in his early thirties, but for all Vir knew, the man could have been centuries old.
His exposed, sculpted abs showed not a hint of fat anywhere on his body, and despite his slightly slender build and average height, he looked every bit a god. Like everyone else Vir had seen, his bronze skin was unmarred by even a single blemish, and his face appeared as though itd been sculpted to perfection from a b of bronze.
Janak. Siyas father, Ashani said quietly.
You cant be serious. Thats Janak? Vir cried.
He was nothing like the aged sage from Vka Amara. Granted, that had been a prana avatar of something like a copy of Lord Janak, but even so, the difference was just too vast. The mans behavior only highlighted that point.
Siya, look! the man said in a doting voice, kneeling in front of a girl no more than eleven or twelve. Daddyyy has brought youuu a sweet, sweet friend!
This is a god? This is The Janak?
The man looked like a normal father spoiling his child. An ornately dressed, rich father.
Theyre talking normally? Vir asked. When Ashani had first spoken to him, he couldnt understand a word shed said.
I have modted their speech to your dialect, Ashani replied. I imagine the conversations in this simtion would sound unintelligible to you.
Thank you, Vir said, grateful for her consideration.
The simtion continued.
I dont need any friends, daddy! Karadis my friend, Siya said, clutching her bear tighter and eyeing Ashani with deep suspicion. Shes too pretty.
Vir felt Siya was hardly one to talk. Like Janak, his daughter also boasted perfect facial features, though if there was a family resemnce, Vir didnt see it. Where Janaks face was edged and powerful, Siyas was rounded and soft. Where his hair was a curly mess, hers was flowing and long. Even her clothing contrasted his. She wore a simple blue dress and wore no adornments, save for a single golden ne.
She looks like a doll, Vir thought. A delicate, frail doll. The toy bear she clutched only heightened that imagea bear that actually moved its limbs.
Aiya, little rajni! Daddy made her himself! Just for you! You always wanted an older sister, didnt you?
If the man wasnt a god, Vir mightve found the scene funnysuch a handsome, imposing man talking like a child made for a truly endearing sight. But Janak was a god, worshiped by all and surpassed only by Adinat himself. The thought was a bit disconcerting for Vir.
Janak constructed me to be Siyas friend, Ashani said. The friend she never had.
Come, Ashani. Introduce yourself!
Young Ashani took a step forward and knelt in front of the young girl. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Siya. I am Ashani.
Ashanis lines came stiff and terse, and Siya darted back in her floating chair, hiding herself behind her father.
Ashanis expression fell slightly, but she maintained her smile.
Go on, Siya, Janak said soothingly. Why dont you greet your new friend?
Siya hesitated, then peeked out from Janaks back. P-Pleased to meet you.
Janak spun Siyas chair around and looked her in the eyes. I know you cant go out much these days, and I have been busy with my work. See? Now you wont be alone anymore!
Siya tightened her grip on her bear. I only need you, daddy, Siya said quietly.
Shes such a sweet little girl, Vir thought. The scene warmed Virs heart, but he sensed something off. Her arms and her legs looked thintoo thin, even for a small girl like her.
She cant walk, can she? Vir asked.
The scene froze.
The symptoms started manifesting when she was only four, Ashani said, looking at Siya with sadness. With each year that passed, she lost more and more control over her body.
I thought you said the Imperium had solved disease? That youd be immortal?
We had, Ashani said, walking around the frozen simtion. Siyas case was an exception among exceptions. For all our magic and our technology, we proved no match against a single disease. It was why Janak devoted thest two decades of his life to his research.
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Research? He was an academic? Vir asked. Wait, two decades? Siya doesnt look that old. Or did Imperium children age slower?
No, Siya was twelve at the time.
Which means Janak knew about the disease before she was born, Vir said. How?
Her mother, Bhumi, had the same condition.
Wait. If Janak was still researching it, then that means
It imed Bhumis life, yes, Ashani whispered. Her mother subjected herself to test after test, but her condition stymied our most prominent minds.
I dont understand, Vir said. If everyone could be as smart as everyone else, how could any disease stop you?
This was the Prime Imperium. Living gods. For a single illness would stymie them for so long seemed absurd.
And yet, this is the truth. I now believe her illness was one that attacked the spirit, not the body.
The spirit Vir said. Like the chakras?
Ashani frowned. Chakra. Circle. I am familiar with the word, though not in this context.
Its Well, I dont understand it all that well myself, but it has to do with the spiritual. It can be made to attack the soul and the metaphysical. At least, thats what Ive heard.
I see. Then, yes, it is likely exactly as you say. My people were entirely blind to the existence of the spiritual domain. Advanced in the ways of prana though we were, somehow, we knew nothing of the metaphysical. Indeed, I had felt the same, until I obtained my own power.
The Ash Gates, Vir said.
Yes. I feel the source of this power is beyond anything based in the physical realm. Perhaps that is why it is able to ignore reality, bridging two ces that would otherwise never have met.
Just surprises me that your people wouldnt have known about it.
Rather, I feel as though the spiritual realm has grown stronger after the Fall. As though it had been dormant, only manifesting when my people fell.
It was an interesting thought. If whatever the gods had done fundamentally reshaped the world, who was to say that the concept of chakras only came into being after? Hed always thought of the fall of the gods as a period of destruction. But what if it was a time of creation, too?
There was nothing wrong with her or her mother. Not physically, Ashani said. She just stopped functioning. Bhumis illness began with her lower body. No matter what my people did, her impediment did not regress or slow. Siyas mother died just before I was created.
Ashani allowed the simtion to y out again. The young Ashani did her best to speak to Siya, but both were clearly very nervous. Their interactions were stilted and awkward, and Janaks presence did little to help.
Vir now understood why the young Ashani looked so distraught earlier. She was created quite literally to be Siyaspanion, and yet the girl was rejecting her.
The search for a cure consumed Janak, Ashani said. It became his sole purpose in life. Every second of every minute of every day was spent in research. It swallowed him in the end. In his desperation to save his daughter, he lost himself.
Hed just lost his wife, Vir said. I I think I know how he felt.
Id do exactly the same, wouldnt I? Virs heart clenched at the thought of losing someone dear to him. He didnt have to imagineVir had Naraks memory. The feelings hed had when hed lost his wife, Reyi, had nearly crushed Vir. The feeling had faded with time, and Vir took sce knowing it was just an echo from a prior incarnation.
What if it was Maiya? What would I do? Vir didnt know. Would he break down and lose his way? Would he endure and carry the wound with him for the rest of his days? He couldnt say, and that scared him. Deeply.
The tragedy of Bhumis death was eclipsed by the time he lost with Siya. The precious, precious time he had with his one and only daughter. For someone like me, whose memories never fade, those emotions feel as raw as the day they happened, all those years ago.
Im sorry, Vir whispered, balling his fists. I can only imagine what that must feel like. Reliving such memories, feeling everything shed felt back then It must have eaten at her.
Ashani bit her lip but kept her silence.
Come, my little rajni, Siyas doting father said. Why dont you explore the new park with your friend? I think youll get along just fine, Janak cast the young Ashani a stern nce only she could see.
Ashanis younger self stiffened.
Janak never lost hope, Ashani said. Right until the end. He never epted that Siyas condition couldnt be reversed.
Was it her disease that brought down the Imperium? Did it spread?
A good guess. But no. No, Im afraid our Fate was far worse.
The scene shifted abruptly around them. Siyas bedroom faded, reced by the bustling foot traffic of a busy road. A young Ashani pushed Siyas floating chair, navigating around the crowd.
I bring you now, to the moments before the end, Ashani said.
Vir gasped in shock.
While the automaton looked identical to the day shed met the young girl, Siya certainly did not. Her limbs had all atrophied visibly. The frail girl of before now looked like a stiff wind would break her. And yet, despite her miserable state, there was an unquenchable fire in her eyes. Her condition might have attacked her spirit, but as far as Vir could see, the girl zed brightly despite it all.
Do you think hell like it, Shani? I think he will. He really likes Water Affinity jewelry, Siya said, chatting animatedly with her friend.
Little rajni, your father will treasure any gift you give him, Young Ashaniughed, and Siya giggled back.
You really think so? Siya asked, smiling bashfully.
How can she be so cheerful, knowing what was in store for her? Knowing what happened to her own mother, Vir thought, tears trickling down his face.
I know so, little one.
Shani, thats rude! Siya huffed. Im not little! Im just petite.
Of course, dear, Ashani replied.
Their rtionship had progressed so much, Vir could hardly believe it. The stilted dynamic of their first meeting was gone without a trace, and if someone said the two girls were sisters, Vir wouldve believed it.
Siya was like the sun to me, Ashani said, freezing the world in its tracks. She was so strong. So blindingly bright. Never once did shein. I envied her so very much. All I could think about was how this precious girl, my only friend, would soon leave me. Her life should have been measured in millennia, not months. For it to be robbed so cruelly was It was unbearable for me. Those days were the happiest of my entire life, and my saddest.
Shall we see some dresses, Shani? Siya said.
Again? Young Ashani asked. Did we not just visit the other day? You said their selection wascking!
I know But didnt you hear? Theres a new line of dresses by Lady Vera herself! I cant wait to see you in them, Shani!
Me? Why me? Ashani replied. Why not you?
Because youre pretty, Shani! And those prana patterns are just so delightful, dont you think? I feel like I could stare at them all day long.
Yes, yes, princess. Whatever you desire.
Im not a rajni!
Youre my rajni, rajni, young Ashani whispered, nearly inaudible, but Siyas cheeks flushed, anyway.
The scene sped forward as Siya and the young Ashani made their way to the dress shop.
Janak left a hole in her life, Ashani said. A hole I so desperately tried to fill. If Siya could be so strong in the face of her illness, how could I wallow in sadness? I did everything I could. I became the sister she never had But there was no recing Janak. Entire weeks went by without her seeing him. Precious time that Janak would never recover.
Shani quick! Make me presentable! Siya said, moving her hands weakly. The pair still hadnt reached the dress shop, but Siya had brought her floating chair to a hard stop.
What is it, my dear? Young Ashani asked, bending next to the girl.
Siya tugged on the sleeve of Ashanis golden dress. Look! Its Amar! she said, face flushing red.
Hesing over! Hes going to see me!
You look fine, Siya. More than fine. Be confident. You are perfect as you are! Young Ashani whispered before righting herself and stepping back.
A fine day to you, Siya! Amar said, approaching. Around the same age as Siya, he wore the same golden garments as everyone else, though even Vir could tell the man would grow up to be handsome. Even now, as a child, he cut an impressive figure.
I-I-I, good! Siya stuttered.
Amar cocked a brow in amusement. Tis good that you are well!
How, um. H-how
I am fine, Siya, Amar replied with a chuckle. Ive been meaning to ask you About the uing ball
Siya waited patiently for Amar to continue, and Vir could almost hear the heavy beats of her heart.
Y-yes? she asked, when the boy slowly turned away from her.
Siya looked absolutely stricken, and young Ashani squeezed her arm in constion.
What is that? Amar asked, pointing to the central spire that rose in the distance.
Vir followed the boys gaze and found a column of white clouds, enveloping the spire.
Oho! Siya said, pping her hands together. A demonstration? How surprising. Isnt it wonderful, Amar?
N-no, Siya. That isnt
Like a drum, a deep sound thundered in their chests. Vir felt it as well.
A siren red, and a disembodied voicemanded all to return to their homes. The weather control dome has failed. Please seek shelter. The weather control dome has
There was no warning. Buildings ruptured like waterskins filled with too much liquid. Prana barriers red to life, but were immediately extinguished by some unseen force. A colossal force that eradicated all that it touched.
Inscriptions, previously invisible, lit up on all the nearby buildings. They held for a moment.
kes of material crumbled away, and then all failed.
Amars body flew like a rag doll. Siyas floating chair tumbled end over end, ejecting the paralyzed girl.
Young Ashani leaped up to cradle the falling Siya, but the roads under her undted, like fabric swaying in the wind.
Streets cracked, buildings crumbled.
The heatwave hit, and the shockwave followed.
Vir watched in horror as all of Imperium creation was vaporized in the instant before the world turned white.
Chapter 188: The Story Of Us (Three)
Chapter 188: The Story Of Us (Three)
A young Ashani threw off a boulder-sized piece of road that had crushed her, emerging from beneath the rubble to a destroyed, ckened world. The Mahdi of the present day, with its lightning storms and ashen rain.
The sight came with a profound revtion. One that threatened to overload Virs mind.
The Ashen Realm hasnt always existed Vir thought, struggling toprehend the implications.
Logically, it made some sense, of course. The Ash had been continuously expanding, which meant it had to start from somewhere. It hardly seemed like a normal phenomenon, so it must have been created, somehow.
But it was one thing to reason about the origin of the world, and another entirely to experience it firsthand. To feel it for himself.
This was where it had started, all those millennia ago. Vir wasnt merely watching the end of the Prime Imperium. He was witnessing the birth of the Ashen Realm.
Beasts screamed, wing at each other while others ravaged the few corpses that hadnt been vaporized by the st. A colossal Wyrm shrieked in the sky, circling around the central spire of Mahdi. It mightve been Virs imagination, but he sensed pain in its shriekas if it was writhing in agony.
When I came to, present-day Ashani narrated, there was nobody left. Self-preservation inscriptions had restored the buildings, but theyd reformed twisted. ckened and warped into strange dark spires. As if whatever had scorched the skies and blighted the creatures had also tainted the city itself.
Vir watched as a young Ashani stumbled dazedly, screaming Siyas name. The girls floating chairy ruined some distance away, buried amidst rubble.
Ashani smashed away boulder-sized debris with her white rod, hurling them aside as if they were pebbles. Those too durable to be smashed, Ashani lifted with her bare hands, tossing them away.
Vir could feel her desperation, and his heart went out to her. He knew how this story ended. He knew the tragedy thaty in store for the young automaton.
Ashanis misery was almost palpable as she frantically wed her way through the rubble, calling for Siya over and over. Each call growing more desperate. Each call filled with ever more grief.
Yet there was no sign of her precious friend amidst the rubble. Her search ended when she found a golden ne. Siyas She needs you!
I never learned what became of Siya, Ashani said softly, staring at her younger self. For years, I cleared rubble, desperate to find something. Anything that might bring me closure. I never did.
Young Ashanis sobs were broken by the twitching of a nearby corpse. She spun, only to jolt back in horror as the body began to rise. Except what stood was no man. Limbs grew out of the mans back as he steadily transformed into a monster the likes of which Vir had never seen.
The man-beast shambled toward Ashani, who stood stock still, too terrified to move.
Deafening thunder boomed, and the world shed white. When it was gone, the man slumped to the ground.
Young Ashani stood a short distance away, her lightning rod aimed at the abomination. Her body shivered, and she watched the man with a face full of horror.
Janak created me not only to be Siyaspanion, but also her guardian. An entirely frivolous and unnecessary gesture in Imperium societyour magic guaranteed Siyas safetybut a doting father is never assuaged.
Seems to me like his caution wasnt unwarranted, Vir said.
Ashani nodded. Id always thought my powers unbing of ady. But when everyone else was dead or mutated, I was d for Janaks foresight. It kept me alive. That, and whatever force saw fit to preserve my life when all around me perished.
The scene shifted again. Ashani looked much the same, but now, there was no hesitation in her movements. Wherever beasts roamed, Ashani attacked, mercilessly incinerating them with her lightning powers.
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For days after the end, I swept the city, searching desperately for any sign of life. There was none. I soon learned that I was alone in this terrifying ce.
The scene zoomed in on Ashani, who stood perched atop a spire at the outer edge of the city. With a nk expression devoid of hope, she peered at the wastnd that had once been a shining bastion of prosperity.
Everyone I ever knew and loved was gone, she said. Janak, Siya, Amar Everyone. Only I remained. For what reason, I did not know.
The vision finally faded away, and Vir found himself on the same towering rooftop hed been before. Back to the present day.
Finding his legs unstable, Vir took a seat. He noticed his face was wet.
Ashani folded her legs under her and ced a hand on his cheek. His tears dried instantly.
Thank you, she said. For feeling that way. In all this time, I had no one to confide in. No one to hear my tale. I never knew if society ever picked up the pieces and carried on. Or if what I was protecting was nothing more than a mausoleum.
And now? Vir asked.
Now, I know. Your existence gives me some hope. Some pieces survived. Perhaps remnants of my people are still out there, somewhere. Perhaps they will return one day.
Vir thought of what it must have been like for her. For millennia, shed yed the role of a guardian, driven by the hope that some of her people might be alive out there, somewhere. She waited and waited, hoping someone would return. A hope that was, in all likelihood, false. Would she continue forever in this way?
Itd lingered at the back of his mind through her entire tale. What would it do to her if she knew her people were truly gone? Would she fall apart? Would she lose her reason to live?
Whether Vir remained silent or he spoke up, hed hurt her. So, if he was doomed to hurt her anyway, he might as well do what he could for the goddess.
She deserves better than this.
The gods are gone, Ashani. Theyve never once descended to the Human Realm. Its a new Age now. The Age of Realms. The Age of Gods ended with that moment you shared.
Ashani stayed silent for a moment. You cant say for certain, can you? You dont truly know.
Ashani had spent her entire life in this nightmare, all alone. Nobody should ever have had to bear such a cruel fate. Let alone her. What had she done to deserve any of this?
No. She deserved better. Maybe Vir couldnt change the past, but he could at least change the future. Thest page of her life hadnt yet been written. It didnt have to end in sorrow.
Thest page? Vir suddenly thought, unsure of why hed felt that way.
He steeled his nerves and met her gaze.
Its been millennia, he said. Maybe they couldnt have returned here, to the Mahdi Realm, but theyd surely have ventured to the Human Realm by now, right?
The Gods are dead. Janak is dead.
His copy might remain, somewhere deep within the city, but her people were nevering back.
A tear fell down Ashanis cheek. I
Ashani, how many realms existed in your time?
More tears fell down her face.
No. Please.
How many realms were there when the Prime Imperium was at its height?
Vir began to suspect it when Ashani had asked him about the Human Realm. He was almost positive now.
Just the one. There was only ever one realm.
That hasnt been true for the past four thousand years, Vir said. Now, there are three, with who knows how many smaller realms floating around. Ashani, I think I think whatever happened that day didnt just destroy Mahdi. I think it broke the realm somehow. And I think a lot of things broke when that happened. We got the Human and Demon Realms. The moon ceased to be. The Ashen Realm was born, and nothing makes sense anymore.
What do you mean? Ashani asked.
You said four thousand years have passed since the fall of the Imperium, didnt you?
Ashani nodded, wiping away her tears. Vir noted she didnt simply dissolve them as shed done for him.
Just over four millennia, yes.
But how can that be? Vir asked. You said time moved slower here whenpared to the Ashen Realm. The thing is, time in the center of the ash moves slower than the Human Realm. A lot slower. Which should mean that only about a few centuries shouldve passed since the downfall of the Imperium, at least from your perspective.
Ashani shook her head. I can assure you that is not the case.
Exactly. Theres something horribly wrong here. How can time move slower here when the same number of years have passed outside? For that matter, how can ash fall perpetually from the sky? Where does it alle from? Where does it go? Why hasnt the ash risen to cover the tallest peaks yet? Unlike Mahdi, the Ashen Realm doesnt have any magic to dissolve the soot on the ground. The Ashen rain never ceases, yet it never seems to pile up. And thats not all. Where did the moon go? And why is there no day or night within the Ash? Reality is broken. And I think your people were the ones to break it.
Ashani gazed out at the ravaged city before them, her expression nk.
You dont know, do you? Vir asked. You dont actually know what caused that explosion.
I do not. I suspected it was some research initiative that went awry, but I was never able to confirm my theory. To this day, I cannot venture anywhere near the central spire of Mahdi.
Why? What happens if you do?
My prana circuits break down. Tis not simply a matter of prana exposuremy body has systems for handling such things. Tis something else. Something not physical.
Janaks words echoed in Virs mind. Find me at Mahdi. But do not venture there until you are ready.
Vir knew he wasnt ready. Not nearly. But that was alright. He didnt need to be. He could alwayse back If Ashani came with him.
Theres nothing for you here anymore, Ashani. Come with me, he said, extending his hand. You wanted to know what became of society? Ill show you. Come back with me.
Ashani hesitantly extended her hand, but stopped before her fingers touched his.
You are kind, Vir, she breathed. You cant know how much youve already done for me. I truly feel blessed to have met you, in the end.
Vir frowned. What do you mean, in the
Their hands touched, and knowledge bled into him. Ashanis memories. Her long bouts of hibernation to preserve herself, desperately lengthening what little time shed been given. Waking up after decades of deep sleep, to a world that never changed. She had never been designed to survive so long on so little.
You dont have long to live. Do you?
Chapter 189: Final Flame
Chapter 189: Final me
Youre normally in hibernation, Vir said, recalling memories he should never have ever had. Being active consumes your prana core. You survived this long only by rationing your power. You spend entire decades asleep. Waking only long enough to check on the city before shutting down again.
How do I know all this?
Sympathetic Resonance. Ashani grimaced. I thought Id suppressed those thoughts. They must have leaked during the simtion I showed you. Strong thoughts can sometimes be difficult to hide.
Youre worried about it, too, Vir thought, nearly brought to tears by her plight. After all this after watching over the city for so long, she was doomed to die. Simply because her energy ran out.
It would have been impossible for me to remain active the whole time, she said. Impossible and dangerous, Im afraid.
Dangerous? How?
While my bodys repair mechanisms will keep me in working order, my mind is far moreplex. I was never meant to go so long without routine maintenance.
Youre saying youd go insane?
Ashani nodded. Ive seen it in other automatons that survived. I do not wish to end that way.
She looked off into the distance, wistfully.
All thingse to an end, Vir. My people were long-lived, yes, but they were not gods. I should not have survived this long in the first ce. My time hase.
I refuse to ept that, Vir said.
Look around you. Mahdis buildings are resilient, and their built-in inscriptions can repair damage by Ash Beasts. Yet they, too, require power to operate. Each reconstruction consumes a bit of their energy. One day, they will fail. Then only rubble will mark the site of what once was.
There has to be something we can do. Anything!
To Vir, Ashani was like a wick that had burned down to its stem, burning its final me.
Truly, I am grateful you feel this way, Ashani said. It has been so long since I felt the care of another sapient being. I never thought I would experience it again.
No. You dont understand, Vir said. You cant die. You are a treasure. Youre thest survivor of your people! My people worship you as a god!
Ashaniughed. They worship my people, you mean. Who would worship me?
Um, actually
Youre serious? Ashani asked.
Yknow, your names bugged me ever since I heard it. It felt so familiar, but I just couldnt ce it. Then, when you mentioned Siya, I knew. It has to be. Its too much of a coincidence, otherwise.
A coincidence? Im not sure I follow.
Ashani, theres a nation of powerful mejaimagic wieldersin the Human Realm. They call themselves the Altani. One of their major cities is named Alt Siya!
Ashani frowned. Just a coincidence.
I thought so as well, but do you want to guess what their capital is? Its Alt Ashani. Ashani Im pretty sure those cities were named after you and Siya.
How? Ashani asked breathlessly. Thats impossible! The Imperium died that day. You said it yourselfmy people havent made themselves known. Even if they did, few knew my name. Im hardly someone to name a city after. Let alone a capital! How would they know of Siya? She was just a girl!
I dont know, Vir replied. I really wish I did. But I do know this. People in my world worship you. And Siya. To them, to us, youre a goddess. Dont you understand what that means? Im sorry, but I cant let you die. No matter what.
Because Im a goddess? Ashani said, halfughing. If Siya had heard that people worshipped her, shed have giggled until she fell over.
No, Vir said. Because I want you to see your city. I want you to experience what the world has be. Were not nearly as impressive as your people, but as you said, theres art and culture. Maybe even food you might enjoy. Dont you want to experience all that? Isnt that worth living for?
I admit, that all sounds wondrous. It sounds like a dream if Im honest. But what can be done? Fate never seems to care one whit about our wishes.
There was an edge to her voicean astringent bitternessthat shed never shown before.
Your spent energy core, Vir said. Show it to me.
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Back at Janaks home, Ashani led Vir down another hall, then down a flight of stairs to a grand room, perfectly square. Its walls and high ceilings glowed a pristine white, and all sorts of strange apparatus had been ced all around the room.
Vir had never seen a mejai Thaumaturges workshop, but this is what he imagined it might look like.
There was no clutter, though. Aside from the desks with knobs, levers, and buttons, and the strange crane-like machinery that sat in the corner, it was spotless.
Janaks personal workshop. He worked at the central spire most times, though he maintained a facility here for the rare asions he was home.
He worked even when he came back here? Vir asked.
Ashani nodded, approaching a metal box in a corner. For Janak, meeting Siya really just meant working while Siya got to watch, Im afraid. Especially near the end.
The box hissed when she touched it, opening on its own to reveal a perfectly smooth crystal sphere, the same size as the one Vir had slotted into her back.
That orb had shone with mysterious energy, but this one sat dark and dormant.
Its simr to mejai orbs, Vir noted. Strange. No inscriptions on it.
Vir eyed the crystal, bringing his eyes closer and closer. He felt like he saw something inside, but lost it whenever he looked closely.
Lady Ashani? Do you have anything like a magnifying ss, by any chance?
Ashani pped her hands together, and when her palms separated, an image appeared, showing the orb, except magnified several times.
No way, Vir whispered.
Hed been wrong. There were inscriptions. Just miniaturized. Shrunk down so small, his eyes could barely see them. And unlike mejai orbs, there wasnt just a single circle of inscribed text. There were dozens, all at various depths, crisscrossing each other.
I was a fool to think I could help, Vir thought, paling at the absurdplexity. This is the kind of magic that powers her? Just howplex must she be?
Do, uh, do you know how they work? Vir asked hesitantly. He couldnt let her know just how beyond him this magic was.
Ashani shook her head. Im afraid not.
No magic in the Human Realm could ever replicate this But maybe he didnt have to.
Is there a way to refill its energy?
There was, yes. With a machine. None exist any longer, Im afraid. I would know, Ive searched far and wide.
But everything in here looks pristine? Even the buildings look well maintained, Vir said.
Most of our smaller self-healing scripts were destroyed in the st. Only the powerful ones that keep our buildings in the condition theyre in remain.
What about conjuring a new orb from prana, then? Can you conjure things too?
Ashani opened a palm, and an exotic fruit the likes of which Vir had never seen popped into her hand. Matter fabrication only functions for simple objects, Im afraid. Lord Janak created me at the height of Imperium advancement, and my construction is equallyplex. My prana cores cannot be materialized in such a manner.
Of course, Vir thought, flushing. Shed have mentioned it if it were possible.
Thanks for humoring me, he said. You wouldve tried everything already, Im sure. Look at me, thinking I could solve a problem even a goddess like you couldnt.
Vir found himself held in Ashanis embrace. Er, Lady Ashani?
Please do not feel this way. Ashani is touched by your concern. She truly is. Please do not think yourself any less than her. She is hardly omniscient.
There was something about the way Ashanipsed into her third-person dialect that made her incredibly endearing to Vir. One moment, she was a wise, ancient goddess, and the next, she felt more like an innocent child.
Which only exacerbated Virs frustration. He wanted to save her. He needed to.
Vir racked his brain for ideas. Your cores use Ash prana, right?
Ashani tilted her head. Ash prana?
Er, do you call it something different? Yknow, theres the eight affinities, and then theres Ash?
Ah! The prana of origin! Yes, of course. Elemental prana has its uses, but the Origin is the most potent of them all. It wouldnt make any sense to use the other affinities.
Origin, huh? So it dide before the others.
Okay, thats good, Vir said. Can I handle that orb, then?
You may keep it if you wish. Tis useless to me now, Ashani said, handing over the prana core.
Vir sat on the pristine white floor, prana core in hand, and closed his eyes.
Hed never once been able to power an orb in the Human Realm, for the simple reason that Ashor OriginAffinity orbs didnt exist. But here was one, right in front of him. There shouldnt be any reason it wouldnt work.
Her life rests on this. Dont screw it up, he thought, focusing on the orb.
Having watched Maiya, Vir understood that mejai charged orbs by sucking prana away from their hands, creating a suction to pull in ambient atmospheric prana. It was analogous to what Vir did with his legs to suck ground prana into his body.
Here in the Ash, though, Vir didnt even need to do that. He simply let the saturated wall of prana near the skin of his palmpse, allowing prana to rush into his body And the orb.
It was that easy? Vir stared at his hand in wonder.
His whole life, hed been derided as a prana scorned. How many nights had he sat with Rudviks utility orbs, praying, willing them to charge? How much had he agonized over his inability to use magic?
And here he was, powering an orb that was entire realms apart in itsplexity to even S Grade orbs fielded by the apex of the mejai.
It was silly, he knew. Hed known he wasnt magicless for over a year, now.
A year huh? Come to think of it, my birthday wouldve happened sometime recently. Maiya wouldve baked me a cake
Vir pushed those thoughts away, returning to the orb.
Wonder what this thing can do if used directly, Vir thought, but then realized it probably didnt work that way at all. It was designed to slot into Ashani, to power her. It wasnt supposed tounch fireballs or summon lightning.
How fascinating! Ashani said, squatting on the balls of her feet to look at Virs prana maniption. You are altering the flow of prana within your body to pull prana into the orb!
Im surprised you havent tried this, Vir said, feeling a small me of hope light.
I cannot. I am an automatonmy prana functions in very different ways to beings of flesh and blood. Prana does not circte through my body as it does with yours.
Vir peered into her body with Prana Vision and found it to be true. There was prana therea staggering amount of itbut it was mostly static. Condensed into hypersaturated balls that spun rapidly at tens of thousands of ces within her body. There were also millions of inscriptions, weaving throughout her, glowing with prana.
Merely looking at it gave Vir a headache.
I cant believe this is working, Vir said, ensuring he moved saturated blood away from his palms to maintain the suction effect. Eventually, his body would fill up with prana and hed have to purge it from his body, but that was easy enough to do. He had Parais Reverse technique, and he could also power any of his Talents off the prana in his own body to bleed off the buildup.
There is one slight issue, Ashani said, looking at him awkwardly.
Whats that?
Your method will work. But at this rate, it will take you two years to fill that prana core.
Chapter 190: Pranite Power
Chapter 190: Pranite Power
Two years?
Vir despaired. Even with the time effects of the Mahdi Realm, it was too long to linger; Cirayus would be worried sick. Worse, he might wander away looking for Vir if he took too much time. If that happened, Vir would have no chance of finding the giant. As he''d learned, Ashani''s gates could only reliably open at locations she''d created gates before. The cement was otherwise random.
Besides, it''s two years only if I charge it every day without sleep.
An impossible task.
But one look at Ashanis face wiped all dark thoughts from his mind. This was a goddess he was talking about. A living, breathing goddess. Actually, Vir wasnt certain if she did breathe, but what were a few years if it meant saving her life?
Please stop, Ashani said. I thank you for trying, but the task is impossible.
Oh, I dont know about that. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Your sleeve? Ashani asked, looking at his arms.
Its a saying, Vir chuckled. Lets try this.
Vir evacuated the prana from his body, boosting the density difference between the ambient prana and his body. As expected, the prana suction force multiplied.
Ashani stared intently at the orb. Impressive.
Well? How much time did we gain?
It appears to be charging four times as quickly as before. Around six months.
Six months! Thats still not practical. But its a lot better.
Smart, Ashani said, shifting her gaze to Virs body. You maximized the potential difference between the atmosphere and your own body. Youryer of saturated blood prevents external prana from building up within you, maintaining a localized prana vacuum.
Er, yes? Vir replied. Some of the terms she used felt familiar, thanks to the bits of knowledge shed transferred, but it was like he recalled them through the veil of a dreamlike hed heard them before, but didnt really know what they meant.
Do you have any more of these tricks? Ashani asked.
Maybe a couple, Vir replied snarkily, activating Prana Channeling in his palm.
Channeling sucked in prana to boost his bodys vitality, and, like all his abilities, it wasnt choosy about where it got its fuel from. Finding none in Virs body, it sucked from the air instead.
Prana Dam stopped it from entering, except for the area on Virs palm where hed let itpse.
Through that small opening, energy sucked in with even more force, into the orb.
Three months. That doubled it again! Ashani said, bringing her face to within inches of the orb.
Thats a lot better, Vir said. Figure maybe four months ounting for eating and sleeping? I can do that.
That is simply unreasonable, Ashani said. You would have to concentrate every moment youre awake. But how did you!?
The goddess shifted her gaze to Virs body, eyes widening in surprise. You are altering the flow of blood within your body, to alter the flow of prana. In doing so, youve created an attractive current.
Sounds about right, Vir replied. Whats wrong?
Vir, this feels very dangerous to me. Altering your blood flow in the wrong way can easily lead to injury, or even death. Do you understand the risk youre taking?
I do, Vir replied grimly.
How would you even learn such a thing without killing yourself?
Vir winced. Painfully. For this particr technique, you could say I had a little help. I got to watch someone whod mastered it. I just copied them in a safe environment, he said, thinking of Parais memory vision where hed learned it. Still hurt though. A lot.
But why take such a risk? Why not simply decouple prana flow from your blood flow?
Youre saying thats possible? Vir asked in surprise. Hed always theorized it, but had never had any proof it could be done.
Why yes, of course! Ashani said. Quite possible.
Er, can you guide me? Can you tell me how?
Ashani frowned. Im afraid I cannot. Only flesh and blood cycle prana, and I do not possess such information. The Vidyawork was destroyed along with everyone else, millennia ago.
I see Vir said. While the setback was unfortunate, it was nothing next to discovering that prana could be decoupled. Guess Ill have to rely on my tricks, then.
Staring at the orb, Vir could hardly believe its capacity. It was norger than a C Grade, and while hed neverid eyes on an S, Vir was sure Ashanis prana core consumed many times the prana of even those vaunted orbs. He needed more prana. Lots more.
Then how about this? Vir asked, resting his other palm on top of the orb. If one arms suction bought him this much
The prana rushing in doubled, growing so thick Vir began to see it with his naked eye.
Two months! Ashani cried.
I can do even more! Vir said, heart pumping with excitement.
Excitement that ended abruptly, only secondster.
The charging halted abruptly, and the prana that had grown visible disappeared.
Vir looked inside himself, and to his horror, found no pranites circting within his body.
What happened to them? Vir asked.
Consumed. Moving them around that quickly takes a fair bit of energy, Ashani said, producing a shining steel box with metal sps.
Consumed? Vir panicked. The pranites had been instrumental for him. He was hoping to rely on them going forward. And now they were gone?
Ashani lifted the lid of the metal case, revealing three full syringes.
How many more do you have? Vir breathed in relief, preparing his arm for the injection.
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This is all, Im afraid, Ashani said. Janak maintained quite a stock, but Ive administered them to my lupine friends over the years.
Well, I suppose Id better make them count, then, Vir said as Ashani injected him.
Vir immediately felt the new pranites within his body, topped up with prana.
Ashani shut the lid of her metal case.
Vir still hadnt gotten over how much metal the Imperium seemed to use. They treated metal the same as how modern day people treated wood. In fact, he hoped toe across small objects he could pocket. Quite literally. Each one would be an Artifact, even if their uses were unknowable.
Still, Vir wasnt about to steal from Ashanis home. There was an entire city to lootthere would be time for such thingster. Or so he hoped.
This is going to be an issue, though, he said. Is there any way I can control which wounds the pranites heal?
Ashani shook her head. None. They behave ording to their programming, which cannot be altered.
Vir frowned. What about refilling their prana? Is that possible?
Again, Ashani shook her head. Prana is prana. If I enabled them to restore themselves, they would rob your bodys own energy. That would be quite disastrous in your current state.
Because my bloods prana capacity is still so low, Vir said, nodding in understanding. But that means you do have a way to restore their prana?
Well, yes.
How?
Simply will them to, Ashani replied reluctantly. Youre going to turn them on, arent you?
The pranites are full right now, Vir said. Shouldnt be an issue.
I hope. A worrying thought came over him.
Er, the worst that happens is they consume my prana, right? They''re not going to take over my body, or something?
Ashani chuckled. There is no worry of that.
Right. Of course. Phew.
A simple application of will, simr to his Talents, released the pranites, allowing the pranites to consume prana.
Though the little machines were nearly full, Vir still felt them draining his nearby blood cells.
Definitely need to expand my bloods capacity, he thought. It would be a crime not tothe highest prana density in all the realms was right here, at Mhadi. It had to have been many, many times greater than what the Domain lordsirs had been.
If he got his blood to limatize, he could very well store up enough prana for multiple activations of most of his Talents.
That was an advantage nobody in all the realms could boast. The mere thought made him giddy.
Vir? Are you well? Ashani asked with concern.
Sorry, he replied. I sometimes get lost in my own mind. I want to try charging your prana core again.
Though, I must wonder how much more you could channel if you simply disabled that current running through your body.
Sorry? Current? Vir asked.
Yes, the beautiful pattern coursing through all your limbs, Ashani said, pointing to his body.
With a frown, Vir turned Prana Vision inward, but saw nothing. I dont see it, he said.
Look closely. Tis a subtle thing. You must be quite the master to work prana so delicately. Especially tied to your blood as it is.
What are you then Vir saw it. She was right. The pattern was barely a trickle, only a few blood cells thick.
Vir traced the pattern through his body, and traced, and traced. It was the most staggeringlyplex working hed ever seen.
This isnt mine, Vir whispered, attempting to take control of it.
That was a terrible mistake.
Vir screamed in pain as blood ruptured throughout his body.
When Vir came to, it was to a world that hurt more than it had any right to. His whole body just throbbed with pain.
Vir clutched his head, finding himself on a bed in the same white room hed been in before. Janaksboratory.
What happened? he asked groggily.
You broke the cirction pattern, Ashani said from beside him. Why did you do such a thing?
Didnt mean to, Vir said. I think I just figured out what my predecessors did for me when I first arrived here.
So this is what I gained from Parais sacrifice, Vir thought.
Shardul had said Vir shouldnt ever expect any more memories from him again. Those words hadnt been easy for Vir to stomach. The one memory fragment hed had with Parai had revealed dozens upon dozens of cycling patterns he hadnt had time to memorize. If he could only revisit that memory, hed learn so much more.
s, it was not to be. Parai had sacrificed what little of himself remained within Vir to bestow upon him this one power.
A power so subtle, Vir had never even noticed it. That impressed him as much as its intricacy. Delicate, yet powerful. Complex, yet elegant. This was a masterwork of prana, and Vir had sacrificed something extremely precious to obtain it.
Looking at it coursing through his body was a strange sensation. Vir recognized the pattern as his own making, yet it wasnt his conscious doing. It felt a little like what happened when he mastered a skill. Like LeapVir didnt think of sucking prana from the ground to power it. Hed practiced it so many thousands of times that it now happened automatically. Subconsciously.
As oundish as it sounded, Vir sometimes found himself wondering if hed forgotten how to consciously invoke the ability. Itd be so baked into his muscle memory that his knowledge of it started to gather dust in his mind.
Parais full-body technique felt simr, except Vir had never mastered it. Hed inherited it from a prior life.
But what does it do? he wondered. Lacking the skill to control it, hed messed up the cycling pattern when hed taken control. That had caused it to stop functioning, and
Well, that exins it, Vir thought, d that his prior incarnations had the good sense to allow it to operate without his guidance. If not, hed have died the moment he lost consciousness.
Ashani? What name would you give to that pattern? The one that I messed around with earlier?
It appeared to be a prana repulsion field, to me, Ashani said. My people once had implements that achievedrgely the same effect.
Thats a hard name. How about Prana Barrier?
What did they use them for? Vir asked.
Mainly academically, for researching prana.
Hmm. Well, I dont n on researching prana, but I do believe its whats keeping me alive.
Yes, though it is also preventing your blood cells from adapting to the ambient prana levels, Ashanimented urately. You should consider weaning yourself off of it. Your pranites will aid you.
Id love to, Vir replied. Oh grak. The pranites! Vir said, finding them mostly gone again.
Consumed in healing your injury, Ashani said grimly.
Challing Ash! Vir groaned. Ashani chuckled.
Whats funny? he asked. I just wasted one of your precious pranite vials. Theres only two left!
Yes, the situation is far from ideal, Ashani admitted. I was merely responding to your curse. Ch was quite the notorious trickster, you know? And a good friend of Janaks.
Wait, Ch was real? Vir asked incredulously. You knew him?
Quite real, Ashani said nostalgically. Hed have doubled over inughter if he ever heard he came to be worshiped as a god.
You miss him, Vir said softly.
Ashani gave him a sad smile. I miss everyone, Vir.
W-well, I uh, I probably shouldnt experiment with that inscription pattern until I have a better understanding of it. Im good to charge your core, though.
You should rest, Ashani replied. Your body is still not fully healed.
Im fine, Vir insisted. I feel much better already. Those pranites really work fast. Do you mind injecting me again?
Ashani obliged, dosing him with another vial of the blue liquid.
Vir sat cross-legged on the floor and got to work, charging the core as quickly as he dared. The pranites moved so quickly, he could feel the miniature machines moving within his palm.
This time, he kept a close watch on their charge. When theyd depleted halfway, Vir moved them next to the surface of his skin and turned on the prana collection function for half of them, allowing them to consume prana from the saturatedyer he maintained.
The process went smoothly initially. But after an hour, Vir began to sense something was wrong. Not all the prana was captured by the ck orb. The excess that leaked into his body from the air was minimal, but it built up over time. Instead of ejecting it, he fed the prana to the pranites when they ran low.
He thought he could keep this up indefinitely, but it was not to be. His body began to resist this transfer of prana, and purging his body became harder and harder.
Eventually, his blood saturated, and any more would have burst his cells.
Vir halted the process, setting the orb down.
Prana Saturation. This is what happens when mejai can no longer use magic. In their case, they lost the ability to evacuate prana from their palms, thus losing the vacuum effect.
For Vir, the prana machines could cycle forever as long as they had energy, but it was the rest of his body that was the weak link.
There was nothing to be done other than to let the prana bleed off.
This could be a problem, Vir said in frustration. Might be some time before I can channel prana again.
Barely an hour of charge, for two days of rest. The pace wasnt sustainable. Vir felt he could bring the charging time down to a month by elerating the flow of pranites even more, but only if he was able to charge it every waking hour of every day.
Still, it was hard to feel too down over it. He had an Artifact of the gods in his body! If he managed them carefully, they''d fill a gaping hole in Virsbat arsenalnamely, his ability to heal. They would also boost his offensive potential.
Moreover, they proved a theory Vir had entertained ever since seeing the Pagan Orders electricity.
Decoupled prana is superior. Iparably superior.
Pranites werent pure pranathey had a physicalponentbut they were smaller than his blood, and held far more prana. Not only was he able to move them around his body far quicker, they also produced a much greater effect.
Which made Vir wonder just how powerful he would grow if he learned to decouple prana from his blood entirely. Would there even be an upper limit to how fast he could cycle the current?
What great powers would he obtain if he did?
Not if. When. Vir now felt confident it was possible. He needed only to unlock the secret.
Satisfied, Vir stood up.
And then the orb hed been filling shattered.
Chapter 191: Serenity
Chapter 191: Serenity
Incredible! Ashani said, her eyes twinkling. To think they thought it auspicious to build their cities under our Vimana! Fate can truly plot a strange course at times.
Why? What are the Vimana? Vir asked, though his heart wasn''t in it. Not truly. Every word he uttered felt like nails in his chest after what he''d done.
He sat on afortable chair across from Ashani, high on the rooftop of a nearby buildingone so tall, it pierced the curtain of clouds that covered Mhadi. Ashani had set up something of a retreat there, with a chair, table, and awning to block the ashen rain. She''d silenced Vir''s apologies and instead insisted theye up here after the orb had cracked.
Despite the heaviness that weighed down on Vir, he had to admit this was a novel experience. Hed always wondered what the world was like above the clouds. Hed envied the birds that soared so high. What did they see from their towering vantage?
Now he knew. Clouds extended to the horizon in every direction, the dead citys dark skyscrapers piercing them like inds in a stormy sea.
A quiet sea. It was as if a god had slowed time, bringing the ocean to a halt amid a hurricane, allowing only the half-dozen Wyrms to slinkzily between them.
The knowledge that everything he beheld, from the towers to the thunderclouds to the Wyrms, resulted from a self-induced apocalypse lent an air of mncholy to the scene. It was enough to move a demon to tears.
How could something so terrible be so beautiful? Vir thought.
Even knowing those terrifying beasts roamed the skies, Vir couldnt believe the tranquility, witnessing the blighted realm from above. The devastating lightning and the dramatic thunder were muted here, reduced to pops of light and faraway rumble. Even the Wyrms blended into the background, adding to the spectacle.
I can see why she likes it up here, Vir thought.
He could hardly believe this beautiful scenery was a part of the Ashen Realmfor while they were above the clouds, they were also below a cloudyer that floated even higher.
Clouds above and clouds below, and only Mhadis central spire pierced them both. Vir wished he could capture this image. He was sure his eyes would never behold such an awe-inspiring vista again.
We used the Vimana for a multitude of purposes, Ashani said in a wistful voice, her legs crossed as she gazed out at serenity. They were works of art. They were research vessels, and they also functioned as portable cities. Some of therger models could hold and house thousands of souls.
Did people tour the world in them? Vir asked, imagining them as the ultimate long-distance skyship.
Ashani pursed her lips. Not quite. All our Vimana also served as mobile defense tforms. Crime was nonexistent in our time, but the nature of research and experimentation is that it sometimes led to undesirable results. Be it guardian automata gone rogue, or the creation of new types of lifeforms that got out of hand, there was a need for powerful weapons.
What kinds of weapons are we talking about? Vir asked, thinking of the cities that had been built directly under them.
Weapons that could eliminate even the strongest of Ash Beasts, Ashani said.
Even Prana Swarms?
But of course.
Vir paled. Ashani read his expression and quickly borated. There is nothing to fear. Those weapons cannot be activated without special Imperium key codes. Though, you''re wrong about one thing.
What''s that? Vir asked.
Prana Swarms are not Ash Beasts. It is more urate to call them Pranite Swarms.
Vir stared at the goddess nkly, then turned his gaze to the swarm that covered the central spire.
No badrakking way...
Then... Vir said, his voice faltering.
Indeed. Though I know not how, our pranites got loose after the fall of the Imperium. They began to multiply. They... broke out of their original programming. Though, this applied only to active pranites at the time of the fall. Every Swarm in existence dates back to that day. They grow and split, but to my knowledge, no new Swarm has been birthed.
Vir didn''t know whether to be relieved or terrified.
Regardless, Ashani continued, the ones who possessed those key codes are all long gone.
Maybe, Vir said darkly.
Meaning?
Just out of pure curiosity Would Lord Janak have possessed these codes?
Ashani nodded. Why, yes, I would imagine so. As the head of the Imperiums most prestigious pranic research division, his work asionally resulted in those mishaps I mentioned.
Oh no.
Vir bit his lip. Ashani, Janaks alive.
Ashani smiled sadly. Would that it were true.
Its true. Well, almost. Janak is dead. A copy of him still exists. I ran into an avatar of his at Dahathat city I told you about? There was an outpost there, called Vka Amara.
Ashani frowned. Vka Amara? Meaning the Procession of Immortality. You say it lies in the Human Realm?
Vir nodded. Why?
I know of it. Twas far from Mhadi. Janak sometimes used it for his research. Though I wonder how it came to reside in your new realm. Apologies. I digress. Please, continue.
Truthfully, I wanted to tell you, but something felt off, Vir said. In all this time, why hasnt Janaks copy contacted you? Knowing what I now know I think youd have been a priority for him. Perhaps even his top priority, after Siya.
Ashani shook her head. I cannot say. This is a revtion. Until now, Id assumed he was gone. All high-ranking Imperium citizens had replicas of their minds created, should some tragedy ever befall them. I had simply assumed that they, too, were destroyed.
So, its not the real Janak, then, Vir said.
No. If what you say is true, then Lord Janak has indeed perished as I''d feared. I am grateful that you informed me.
Are you going to look for him? The replica, I mean? Vir asked.
Were this a thousand years ago, I might have. Now, however, I believe I no longer have that luxury, Ashani said with a smile.
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Once more, Vir felt like he''d taken a dagger to the heart.
She cant go after him. She doesnt have enough energy.
Come now, why the long face? Ashani said, her expression gentle. Why the long face? Did you not promise not to feel sad for my sake? Among my people, promises were sacred things, you know?
There must be others out there, Vir said, his voice cracking. I refuse to believe your prana cores were the only ones the Imperium had. I mean, they can''t be. I saw some in the Human Realm! Vir thought back to the Prana Siphon the Pagan Order posessed, and the orbs the Tribunal carried for personal protection. Granted, I don''t think they were anything like the ones that you must use, but... Youre not telling me something, are you? I mean, how do you survive for four thousand years on a single core? It doesnt make sense.
It would be impossible, yes. Operating continuously, my energy core would have run out within a few years time. Far less, if I use my powers extensively. However, my body consumes no power when I lie dormant. Sometimes for years, sometimes decades at a time, arising only when an imminent threat appears.
Vir wasnt buying it. Youre telling me suchrge threats appear so infrequently? Id think itd be a daily urrence.
You are correct. There is little I can do near the center of the city. I simply try to protect the areas I can. Janaks home, and the surrounding area, mostly. Enough for my people to return to, though after all that youve said, I now fear my efforts to have been a waste. Truly what meaning have my actions had, I wonder?
Thats not true. It has had meaning. It has, Vir said, though even to his ears, he sounded like he was convincing himself.
Indeed, Ashani said, firming her resolve. For I have met you. I shared the tale of my people. Now, you can inform the world of our fate. So that we are not forgotten.
How could I have messed up like that?
Hed destroyed Ashanis only spent core. Such a precious Artifact, and hed given no thought to whether his way of charging it had been safe.
How long? he asked. Until your current core runs out?
Tis only partially full. After I send you back Around a month of continuous time.
A month?
Ashani reached over to squeeze Virs hand. Tis longer than it seems. When stretched, it might evenst years.
But what life would that be? Vir asked. Youd be dormant, sleeping your life away like you''ve always been.
Please dont feel that way, she breathed. I am but a vestige of an age long past. Of a people who no longer exist. I know that now. I suppose I had always known. My time would have expired one day, anyway. What difference does it make if it happens a few centuries early? I have the answer I have sought for so long. Even if it isnt the one I hoped for I can rest peacefully now. All thanks to you.
No! Vir said. Im the reason youre depleting your energy.
If you didnt have to send me back, how much longer would your energyst?
Vir couldnt voice those thoughts. As much as he wanted to help Ashani, he couldnt linger here forever. His ce was with Cirayus. With Maiya.
I shortened her lifespan so much, and theres nothing I can do to fix it.
Vir felt like curling up in a ball in some dark corner.
Please, you bear no me for what happened. That core was spent. You did nothing to worsen the situation.
As it stood, Vir had no confidence he wouldnt just break another orb. It hadnt broken while hed been filling it; itd broken after, giving him no inkling why.
Im going to need several more if I want to figure this out.
Ashani, please! Vir said. Im begging you. Just tell me where they are.
The goddess hesitated. Only if you swear to me you will not seek them.
Its that dangerous?
Vir, there is a reason I reside here, in the outermost reaches of Mhadi.
The prana density, right? Vir asked.
Yes, but also because the beasts closer to the core are far, far more dangerous. Even for me. And
The implication was obvious. Vir hadnt seen the full extent of Ashanis powers, but there was little doubt she was stronger than him. She could heal mortal wounds, she moved instantly and could summon lightning on par with A Grade magic from her rod.
He couldntpare.
I understand, he said. I swear it.
Ashani pointed to the central spire, and for a moment, Vir dreaded she was about to tell him they were there. Covered in a Prana Swarm that reached to the sky, Vir didnt dare tread anywhere near that beast.
As if confirming his fear, the Swarm casually extended a tendril to a passing Wyrm. There were no sounds that Vir could hear from this far away, but when the Swarm pulled away from the Wyrm momentster, there was nothing left. It was the least dramatic destruction of a city-ending beast Vir had ever seen. Which only made it even more terrifying.
Halfway between here and the core of the city lies a vault. One of many, but it is the only one that would have spare prana cores.
Vir breathed a mental sigh of relief.
You stay away because of the beasts? he asked.
Yes, the vault is protected by an Imperium working. A Yaksha Guardian Automaton.
Like you?
Actually, unlike myself, Ashani said. They are highly advanced machines, rather than a living entity like me. The Yaksha can freely shift their shape and freely alter their size. They are built exclusively for defense andbat. They are both ruthless and exceedingly dangerous. You will surely die if you venture near their domain.
Domain? It guards the vault? Vir said, thinking that these Yaksha sounded downright terrifying.
Ashani nodded. I tried fighting them, once. I lost half my body.
Vir winced.
Even if Id defeated it, the vaults doors remain firmly shut. So, you see? Tis a pointless endeavor.
Ashani paused, looking off into the distance. When she spoke again, her voice was calmer, mirroring the mncholy of the scenery.
Do not grieve for me, Vir. Rather than risking everything to prolong my life, will you not make our final hours together special? Will you not give me a memory that I may fondly cherish for the rest of my days? Please, tell me everything about the outside world. Tell me of the world that hase to exist after the fall of my people. What all has urred over all of those long, long years? Who walks upon the earth now?
A tear fell down Virs face. Its ironic, isnt it? he said, hasitly wiping it away. How I feel now? It must be how you felt with Siya. Her condition
All we can do is strive to live our lives without regrets, Ashani said, smiling gently. Yet despite our best efforts, we err. The regrets umte as the years pass. I can only ask that you try to move on. Remember the good. Forget the bad, for there is already enough strife in our lives. As a being of flesh and blood, you have that luxury.
I will never forget you, Vir rasped. Ill spread your name, far and wide. The world will know.
That would make me happier than you could know, the goddess said.
Come back with me, Ashani. Dont spend yourst days here alone. Maybe you wont live as long, but youll be awake! Youll see more of the world than you ever have.
Perhaps. I may consider it. But that all depends.
On? Vir asked.
On Ashani hesitated. Why, on the quality of your narration, of course! Have you forgotten? You owe me tales!
I have tales, though I make no promises theyll be interesting, Vir said with a chuckle. Im no good at telling stories. Truthfully, I wish I knew more. I wish Id seen more. But Ill tell you everything I know.
Good! Now, what are these humans you mentioned?
Well, they live in the Human Realm. They
How many realms exist? What are they called?
Well, theres the Human Realm, the Ashen Realm, and the Demon Realm. There are some others, like the
Demon realm? What are demons?
Vir did his best not to roll his eyes.
This is going to be a long day.
Ashani ended up forcing words out of Vir for the better part of a day, leaving his voice ragged and his mind spent. It turned out that even with Virs limited knowledge, one day wasnt nearly sufficient to tell her everything she wanted to know.
Using the buildings elevatora lift, but one that ran the length of the preposterously tall buildingthey returned to Janaks home. Vir couldnt believe such a contraption could exist, and riding it had been the thrill of a lifetime.
Ashani? Vir asked once they were back inside. Id like to analyze your core.
Convincing Ashani to shut down and give him her only core would be an uphill battle, he knew. Why should she trust him? She barely knew him, and hed broken her spare core. Vir knew it was folly to ask, and yet, he had to do something.
I Ashani hesitated.
I swear I wont attempt to charge it. I just want to analyze it. I wont do anything to jeopardize your life.
Ashani bit her lip. Vir, you must understand the danger this poses to me.
I absolutely do. I realize what Im asking for is reckless. Its imprudent, and you have no good reason to agree. Also I want to spend the next several weeks limating to the Ash. This is an unprecedented opportunity for me. One I cant afford to waste.
I see. Staying active for a whole month would significantly shorten my lifespan.
I know, Vir said. Youd be hibernating anyway, right?
Ashani firmed her expression. Very well, then. I shall trust you, Vir. Tis Fated, after all.
What does that mean? Vir asked with a frown.
Ashani shook her head, smiling sadly. She then turned and entered her bedroom, where she sat on the edge of an ancient bed.
Please wake me when you wish to depart. Or if ever danger arises.
I will, Vir said, looking her in the eyes.
The goddess shut her eyes, bing still. With a hiss, the skin on her back dissolved, revealing the orb nestled within a glowingpartment.
Vir carefully removed it. The lights in thepartment winked out.
Ashanis life was quite literally now in his hands.
Did she agree because she felt she no longer had anything to live for? Or does she really trust me that much? If so, why?
Vir hadnt liedhe was nning to expand his prana capacityas well as some other things.
Rudvik. Apramor. Aliscia. Hed been powerless to prevent their deaths.
Not this time. Hed grown. He was stronger now. But what good was strength if he couldnt protect those he cared about?
Never again. Im not going to lose you, Ashani. Im done losing people I care about.
Chapter 192: Power Training
Chapter 192: Power Training
Days bled together as Vir meditated, working tirelessly to expand his prana capacity. Through careful study and experimentation, hed learned that by injecting blood into Parais Barrier pattern and by forcing it to deviate slightly, the barrier effect weakened enough to allow prana to enter his body.
Prana Barrier was essentially a better version of Prana Damthe supersaturatedyer Vir kept near his skinso with this new ability, he didnt even need the dam at all.
Slowly, Virs blood capacity stretched, though the ordeal was both less painful, and far quicker, on ount of Ashanis pranites.
What would normally have taken him months now only took days, and just three weeks after Ashani had shut down, Vir was fully limated. Prana Barrier finally dropped, and hed suffered no ill effects from it. What would have killed him in moments just a week prior had now be benign.
In addition, Virs muscles had visibly grown, making his armor feel tight, and his body coursed with power. Thanks both to the prana and the high nutrition food and pure water Ashani had prepared for him in her absence.
Vir had never felt as strong in his life. It was all a little intoxicating. The thought of going back to his more mundane self now seemed unpleasant.
Luckily, there was little need to. Experiments with this newfound prana capacity had yielded interesting results. When full, Virs Talents charging rate diminished slightly, as expected. He had to pull prana from his legs or arms to create the vacuum effector the potential difference, as Ashani had called it. Still, the overwhelming amount of prana in the Mahdi Realm meant the charging rate was still lightning quick.
When Vir eventually left Mahdi behind, he could simply reactivate Prana Dam to prevent the monstrous amount of prana in his blood from leaking out, thereby retaining the benefits. His prana capacity had permanently expanded, and would permanently strengthen him.
It also meant he could now power Talents using the prana reserves in his own bodya feat not even Cirayus was capable of.
Eager to test it out, Vir left Janaksb, darting up the stairs and out of the home. If he was right, his gains would affect nearly all of his abilities. Never before had he improved something so fundamental. Prana was the basis for all magic, and by increasing its capacity, Vir''s potential should have soared.
He stepped onto the lift tform, giddy with excitement. It activated automatically, lowering him to the street.
The Ashfire Wolves who guarded the entrance snarled at Virs approach, but he ignored them, Leaping some distance away for his experiments.
First up was Leap. As the Talent that consumed the least prana, it made for a good test.
Vir activated the ability, coalescing blood into his leg muscles and willing himself to shoot forward.
Leap activated, draining his prana reservesbut not emptying them. It also shot him nearly two hundred paces forward. By increasing his prana capacity, hed also increased his ability to channel it. Like expanding the water pipe, his blood could support a greater flow rate now. And that meant his Talents had grown even stronger.
Five more Leaps drained Virs body to a level where he could no longer sustain that increased rate, and the Talent took him less and less distance.
Looks like its five or six full-power Leaps for now.
Vir looked up to see a couple of Ashanis Ashfire Wolves had perched themselves on nearby ledges protruding from the spires, observing his antics with curiosity. Their ck hides camouged them on the dark towers, but they lit up like a beacon to Prana Vision.
Watch all you want, just dont get in my way, Vir thought.
As significant as his gains were, there was still an opportunity to expand his bloods capacity, above and beyond what the realm demanded. After all, he was still just in the outer reaches of Mahdi, and there were other ways of forcing the process if needed.
Blink consumed the same amount of prana as Leap, just in a shorter time for a more explosive burst. His body could support a handful of activations of that Talent as well.
Prana de had always powered off his blood, but now it shot out even denser, a ck abyss of visible prana.
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The Ashfire Wolves perked up at the sight of the devastating de of pure prana.
Impressed already? Vir thought, observing the beasts as the prana in his body refilled. Wait till you see whates next!
de Launch was in another realm entirely, sucking Vir dry to fire off a devastating attack that ripped through the air, dying off a full hundred paces away.
Like Maiyas C Grade Wind de, but deadlier. Far deadlier.
Virs gallery grew.
Chakram Launch was no less impressive, sending his disks flying a full two hundred paces beforeing to a stop, effectively doubling their previous maximum distance. Vir suspected theyd be deadlier, too. That was hard to test, owing to the Imperium preservation scripts that covered their buildings and roads. Nothing he had prated them.
Gotta watch it with those, though, Vir thought. Powering Launch from the prana in his body had left him an empty huskthat included the pranites in his blood. And unlike his blood, they couldnt be reced. When they ran dry, they were gone for good. Hed have to be careful to ensure that never happened.
Vir mulled over these new discoveries. Powering Talents with his blood freed him from dependence on prana-starvednds. Useful both for offense and escape; a single invocation of Dance of the Shadow Demon could mean the difference between life or death. This would serve him well in the Demon Realm, assuming the shadows there were strong enough.
It also meant he could use Talents while airborne in the Demon and Human Realms.
Bet people will get a kick out of that, he thought.
While the ability to power Talents from his blood was less useful in the Ash, the vitality boost would certainly help.
But not enough, Vir thought darkly.
He held no notions of actually fighting the Yaksha guardian. He didnt dare try. Even with his offensive gains, this was an Imperium Automaton he was up againsta machine created by the gods. It had survived for thousands of years against foes far greater than Vir.
Vir would be stealthy, leveraging Dance of the Shadow Demon to sneak past the guardian. Hed grab the cores and escape as fast as he could.
That was the n, but Vir wasnt navehe was venturing into the maw of death. He needed better defense, and his seric armor alone wasnt going to cut it.
He needed Prana Armor, and he had a pretty good idea of how to achieve it.
In fact, Parai had given it to him already. Vir had kept Prana Barrier off recentlynow that hed limatized to the ambient prana density, it was more an impediment than an aid.
Prana Barrier worked by repulsing ambient prana. Ashani had even called it a Repulsion Field.
If so, what would happen when Vir ran prana through the pattern backward, as hed done with Prana Channeling when hed entered the Ash?
Luckily, Prana Barrier was subconsciousingrained into his muscle memory. Shifting it to run in reverse should
Got it!
The pattern reversed, and instead of being repulsed, prana surged into him over-saturating his blood.
Well, this would be a good way to train up my blood capacity, I suppose, he thought, canceling the ability.
That wasnt quite what he was going for, but the good news was Parais Prana Barrier moved such little blood, it was possible to run two of them simultaneously in opposite directions.
Because of its subconscious nature, itd taken Vir a while to wrangle the knowledge into his conscious mind. Luckily, the task had proven far simpler than learning it from scratch, and so Vir had managed it in the weeks he took to expand his bloods capacity.
By running one repulsion pattern and another attraction patternand by adjusting the blood flow such that the attraction pattern was slightly stronger, Vir slowly coalesced prana against his skin and kept it there.
But the two forces fought each other, and so the attraction effect was weak. It forced Vir to wait several minutes before prana umted around his skin to a level that rivaled the Domain Lords hed fought on the Mahakurmas back.
Definitely not something I can summon on demand, he thought.
There was another issue with it as wellwhenever he sucked in prana to power a Talent, theyer of armor would be damaged. Made of pure prana as it was, it simply got sucked into his body to feed the Talent.
Which meant that part of his body would be armorless for a minute or two until the cycling patterns restored the pranayer.
It was certainly a restriction, but not a crippling oneVir could always suck prana from the ground instead.
The other interesting observation was that when active, the attraction effect was always active. And that meant it never stopped pulling prana toward him, condensing it around his body, tighter and tighter. There would naturally be a limit beyond which the attractive force would be insufficient topress the prana armor any further, but even after ten minutes, Vir hadnt reached it.
Good for surviving a single, lethal hit, but bad in a protracted battle.
Still, Vir couldnt wipe the grin off his face. It was more protection than hed ever had before. It was more power than he''d ever had, and that felt so incredibly satisfying.
Yet power was useless without purpose.
Vir strode up to his gallery of canine onlookers whod now gathered on the street.
Easy, easy! I mean you no harm. He opened his palms, scanning the pack for
Found you, he said, noticing the runt of the litter.
Vir walked up to the wolf, who eyed him warily.
Youre the one who found me at the Ash Gate, arent you? Youre a little smaller than your brethren.
The wolf growled, baring its teeth.
Okay, good. So you can understand me. Normal Ash Wolves are smart, but you guys are just more. I figured you might be able to help.
Vir pulled out the two broken halves of the orb hed destroyed and slotted them together.
The vault. Where these are. Can you take me?
The other wolves closed in around Vir, surrounding him.
Listen to me! Vir said, raising his voice to be heard. Ashaniyour masteris dying. I can help her, but I need you to guide me. Will you help me?
The wolves looked at each other. The Alpha had perished in their earlier battle, and so Vir sensed some confusion among them.
To his surprise, it was the runt in front of him who howled, attracting the attention of its brethren.
The wolf barked sharply, then turned, loping away. Several others followed.
Ill take that as a yes, Vir said, pocketing the broken orb. Lets do this.
Chapter 193: Divine Mausoleum
Chapter 193: Divine Mausoleum
Vir and his wolf guides Leaped along Mahdis empty streets in silence. The oppressive weight of death always hung over the dead city, but now, without Ashani to apany him, Vir felt it more acutely than ever.
Trying to keep his mind off such dark thoughts, he focused on his power gains instead. It wasn''t tough to do, with the world appearing in slow motion when he activated Haste. Previously, it''d sped him up to just over twice his normal speed. Now, it was closer to five times faster.
So fast, in fact, he actually had to keep it off most of the time, or the world simply became frustrating to interact with. Forget speech, any interactions with other creatures were tedious. Luckily, if he wanted less of a boost, he could always reduce Prana Current.
The ability did, however, allow Vir plenty of time to admire the Imperium city. While the streets had their fair share of unique toucheslike the ck material of the road and the marks that bordered it glowing blueVir found them analogous to roads hed traversed in the Human Realm.
The highway system, however, was unlike anything he had ever seen. Fifty paces wide, tall walls stretched on either side, and above them, even taller buildings soared into the sky. Imperium engineers had excavated into the ground to submerge the thoroughfare that wound through the city like a snakes body. Sometimes passing through dark tunnels miles long, the road seemed to run forever.
Vir could scarcely imagine the amount of traffic the highway had supported in its glory days. When added to the Imperiums aerial modes of travel, it hinted at how truly gargantuan Mahdis poption had been. Sonam was quaint inparison.
While Vir had initially worried that the Ashfire wolves would be blinded by the tunnels total darkness, if they had any issues, they certainly didnt show it. The beasts navigated the tunnels with ease, dexterously bounding over obstacles and slinking under others. Vir wondered if they possessed sight simr to Prana Vision.
Of the dozen wolves Ashani kept as herpanions, seven had stayed behind to guard her home, leaving five to guide Vir to the vault. The runt of the litter was among them, serving as leader. It came as a surprise to Vir. Hed have thought itsrger brothers would have taken that role, but the pack seemed to respect this particr wolf.
Runt was a rtive term in this case; the beast was a good dealrger than thergest wolf hed ever seen in the Human Realm.
They guided him expertly, leaving the thoroughfare to avoid roving Ash Beasts along the way. In the tunnels, they would sometimes duck into maintenance passages that ran parallel to the main one, both to bypass copses and to avoid beasts that lurked within its depths.
The serpentine corridors were both cramped and full of blind turns, but the wolves navigated through it all without hesitation or fear, and the journey proceeded uneventfully.
Vir admired their intelligenceand was also thankful that the prana in this realm drove most beasts insane. If all Ash Beasts kept their minds, Mahdi would be even more dangerous than it already was.
The prana grew denser by the minute as they pressed on, forcing him to reactivate Barrier to keep the prana at bay, though he intentionally kept it weak. Every moment he spent in these prana-densends would strengthen him. Vir only wished he could spend another few weeks here to limate, but the danger was too great. He''d have to take what he could.
Vir breathed in relief when they finally emerged from the dark tunnels. There was something about dark, dangerous ces that still scared Vir; the trauma from his experience under Daha still haunted him to this day. Ironic, given that he relied on the power of shadows extensively in fights.
The wolves guided him up and out of the highway, and Vir began hungrily scanning the terrain. When hed first set out, he had hoped to find something useful in the rubble that dotted the streets. Even Imperium junk was bound to be a treasure in its own right, after all.
Sadly, he found nothing. It was to be expected, Vir supposed. The city had been blown away in the explosion Ashani had shown himobliterated. Preservation inscriptions had rebuilt the buildings and the roads, but as Ashani had said, not all inscriptions were created equal.
The result was a bizarre skeleton of a city. The buildings were there, but the outerments of life were not. No dposing furniture, no debris, no signs that this city had ever supported life.
Vir had stopped at a handful of the tall buildings on the way to check. For Artifacts, and also to map his progress through the city. Navigation wasplicated by the jungle of spires, so hed been forced to ascend to the buildings rooftops to orient himself and jot down his route.
Something told Vir hed return to Mahdi one day, and having a map of the ce coulde in handy when he did. It might also be a valuablemodity in both the Human and Demon Realms.
Climbing was easier said than donesome towers boasted a hundred floors or more, all nearly identical, differing only slightly in their floor n. Some rooms were small. Others gargantuan. All were bare.
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Hed given up after a handful of such fruitless experiences, opting to just climb the central elevator shafts to the roof for cartography. Even with his speed, searching took considerable time, and he had a mission to aplish.
The vault would be where hed find any treasure But making it there safely and back was another matter entirely, even with the wolves guiding him. The voice of fear crept into his thoughts.
Ashanis warning of the Yaksha warrior rang in his head as he bounded through the streets.
Hed need every edge he could get. An Artifact weapon or armor would have been nice, but Ashani had none. Based on how casually the vendor in the memory vision had hawked his Artifact chakrams, Vir had hoped to find some lying around.
That hope had been dashed. Even the buildings material would aid him, if he could only break off a piece. But even that had proven impossible.
Vir spotted a pile of rubble and diverted, Leaping to it. The wolves stopped and followed. Theyd been confused the first few times he took detours like this, but had soon learned to expect it.
The rubble was piled high in the street. The mound of wreckage was so tall, Vir had to Leap to climb atop it.
Another fallen spire, he thought, rummaging around the wreckage. More rust than metal, this wasnt the first hede across. As Ashani had mentioned, the preservation scripts had failed over time, leading to more copses.
Just more rubble, Vir thought, punching his katar into a te of metal that was slightly less rusted than the others. His Prana de passed right through.
It was almost as if the preservation scripts prevented the building from aging, but when they failed, all those years of decay came rushing back.
To be useful to Vir, the preservation script would have had to have failed very recently. Vir looked up, wondering if a skyscraper would oblige ande crashing down.
s, it was about as likely as Janak appearing to aid him, so Vir returned to the road and followed the wolves deeper into the city.
Hed lost count of the number of Ash Beasts theyd avoided when he finally understood his folly.
There is a building that copsed recently! Vir thought with excitement, entering the nearest skyscraper and bounding up its central elevator shaftto the annoyance of his guides.
Most buildings lifts were no longer functional, but the shafts that ran up their spine made for easy ascents.
He kept an eye out for anything valuable, though like the others, the floors were empty.
Reaching the roof, Vir found the horizon, attempting to situate himself. The jungle of towers made it difficult, but his rose higher than most, affording him amanding vantage.
The map hed constructed also helped.
Were actually pretty close
Burningndmarks into his memory, Vir jumped off the roof, descending faster and faster as he fell, feet first.
He didnt have to fall this way, of course. Descending the elevator shaft wouldnt have taken all that long, and was arguably safer.
Previously, Vir might have agreed. Now, though, he didnt need to rely on ground prana to break his fall. Besides, it was fun.
Pulling airborne Ash prana into his legs, Vir focused his will on absorbing the fall, priming the Talent before his boots struck the ground.
The instant he did, prana red, dampening his fall. His knees bent, but he stayed upright.
The Talent depleted the Prana Armor on the soles of his boots, but Vir had already decided hed keep that area unprotectedhe needed a gap in the armor to suck prana in from, and the bottom of his boots were as good of a ce as any. It was an unlikely target for his enemies.
Vir could almost feel the Ashfire wolves around him rolling their eyes.
Were gonna take a quick detour.
Vir led the wolves to the copsed structure, pausing only to add to his map, or to allow the Ashfire wolves to guide him around any enemies that happened to be in the way. They were still far enough from the core of the city where the truly world-ending beasts lurked, but that didnt mean the ones that prowled here were lightweights.
Vir suspected most of the beasts roaming around here boasted Br Ranks easily over five hundred.
Like the Phantomde he was currently eyeing, standing on the rubble of the recently copsed spire.
It was a foe hed prevailed against, once. In the mine under Avi. When Cirayus had asked him to defeat one in the Ash, hed refusedthe beast had posed too great of a threat at the time.
Vir hade a long way since then. Like the Ashfire wolves, though, this Phantomde wasrger than its Ashen Realm brothers.
Larger, and with tens of thousands of tiny spikes, along with severalrge ones.
The small ones will be hard to avoid, Vir thought.
Its prana density was also higher than Virs body since it lived closer to Mahdis central spire.
Vir wouldnt dare fight it, normally. But it was sitting on the rubble he was after. Rubble that might actually have a piece of Imperium steel that hadnt rusted through.
It was just a guess, but judging from its prana density and what Vir knew of its lesser siblings Br rank, Vir estimated it somewhere between four hundred and six hundred.
He wouldnt be fighting alone, though. Vir nced at the Ashfire wolves around him. While hed only seen them fight once, he thought they might individually rank around one hundred. Certainly not low, but Ash Wolves danger came with their pack coordination. Thebined strength of this group of five could easily exceed five hundred.
Then there was Virs own strength to consider. Thest time hed been tested, he ranked sixty. Since then, Vir had learned Prana de, de Launch, Prana Channeling, Prana Barrier, and had multiplied his prana capacity at least twenty-fold.
As he was now, here in the Mhadi Realm, Vir didnt think hed rank much lower than five hundred himself. Itd be a different story in the Demon Realm, where hed lose the infinite reserve of Ash prana, but for now? He rivaled the strongest Talent wielders in the Human Realm. He rivaled Mejai of Ash.
Or so he thought. It was time to put the theory to the test. If there was something useful in that pile of rubble, Vir would be making a mistake leaving it there.
You guys up for a fight? he asked.
The wolves regarded him quizzically, but understood his intent when he brandished his katar in one hand and a chakram in the other.
The leader made a series of whining, wheezing sounds, and the other Ashfire wolves tensed, moving away.
See if you can distract it. Get it to attack, Vir said, unsure if the wolf understood his meaning.
Four wolves scaled the nearby buildings, climbing onto perches surrounding the Phantomde. The leader stuck next to Vir.
Alright then, Vir said, cracking his neck as he sunk into his shadow. Lets take this thing out.
Chapter 194: Phantomblade Redux
Chapter 194: Phantomde Redux
Watching from the Shadow Realm, Vir let the wolves make the first move. There were several good reasons for doing so. For one, the wolves had far more experience fighting monsters in this realm. Theyd know the Phantomdes strengths and weaknesses and would use optimal strategies to defeat it.
At least, they were likely to be better than anything Vir coulde up with blind.
With Virs arms and legs extending outside the shadows, time passed at half its normal pace. He wondered if the pack leader would wonder where hed gone, but the wolf simply took up position next to his disembodied limbs, without even the slightest difort at the bizarre sight.
Be a little surprised! Neel wouldve run around in shock, Vir thought, missing his dear friend. But this was no time for distracting thoughts. He cleared his mind and refocused on the battle.
Ashanis Ashfire wolves didnt attack immediately. They surrounded their prey, but not evenly. One approached from the front. The rest positioned themselves at its nk and its rear.
Of course, Vir thought. It only has eyes up front. Its back must be a blind spot. Still, I bet it has a way of detecting enemies behind it.
Itd be too great a weakness otherwise.
The wolves pounced, Blinking toward the Phantomde. Had time not been moving so slow, Vir would have lost sight of them. Even as it was, he struggled to monitor all four. Struggled, but still managed.
Despite the slowed time, Vir heard the dozen Phantomde spikes before he saw them. Only the wolves sudden dodges clued him in, and he only spotted the spikes when they impacted the nearby buildings, nging against invulnerable Imperium creation.
Vir watched as the wolves swiped at the Phantomde with their ws, darting erratically to avoid its devastating spikes.
So thats its defense, Vir thought, observing the absolute barrage of spikes being shot in every direction. And thats their strategy.
The spikes regenerated nearly as quickly as they fired. Nearly, but not quite. The wolves were whittling down its reserve of ammunition.
A dangerous game, with the sheer number of spikes the Phantomde possessed. The ck Ashfire that burned off the wolves grew even more pronounced as they sucked prana into themselves at an astonishing rate. No matter how close the spikes got, they avoided them all.
Vir knew hed be unable to do the same. Whatever sixth sense the wolves used to keep themselves safe, he didnt have.
He had to make a decision. Should he wait until the wolves sessfully depleted the Phantomdes ammunition? Even then, the beast could generate more. Itd just be less of a barrage and more of a rainhardly better.
The Phantomde suddenly turned, facing the wolves whod attacked it with impunity. They reacted, but not fast enough.
Spikes dug through their prana armor, and somethe ncing blowsbounced harmlessly off. Not all were so lucky.
Two wolves took des to their chest and nk, gouging into their hides.
The beasts whimpered, retreating from battle, and the leader that had been standing next to Vir sprung into action.
The wolf Blinked toward the Phantomde, taking a swipe at the one ce that wasnt covered in deadly spikesits head. The approach was so deadly, few beasts would dare; hundreds of spikes pointed forward, impaling the few fools who tried.
That ones got some guts, Vir reflected. Hes also going to die.
That was, of course, only if Vir did nothing. The question waswhat?
Back in the Human Realm, Vir had fired his Prana de at the Phantomdes belly, ripping it open. This beast had no such weakness. A single nce through its own shadow showed that its underside was also covered in spikes.
The spikes acted both as a hard natural armor and an offensive weapon. Even if Vir found a way to keep himself safe from the projectiles, he worried Prana de might not get through, even with its recent upgrades.
Hed need de Launch, and to safely channel the energy for that Talent, Vir would have to put a good portion of his body outside the shadow. His upper half, at least.
There wasnt nearly enough space. Even if there was, doing so could very well earn him a barrage of spikes to the face.
Vir resurfaced out of a shadow closer to the fight, though not close enough that he couldnt escape. The tall buildings dark shadows afforded many exits to flee from.
As much as he only wanted to surface half his body, he was forced to emerge entirely. His bodycked the prana to sustain multiple de Launch activations, which meant hed be forced to rely on the ground. And right now, the only ce he could pull prana from without destroying his Prana Armor Katar Launch, feeling the prana rush intoand out of him.
The ck de ripped through the air. The Phantomde turned at thest moment, sensing impending danger.
That was a mistake. The wolf leader bit into its headthrough its prana armor. The Phantomde roared.
Virs strikended, sting hundreds of spikes off of the beast. They werent cracked or shatteredmerely dislodged. But it was enough to get the beasts attention.
The wolf leader backed away, dodging a handful of spikes, but the Phantomdes attention was on Vir. The wolf Blinked to safety.
Vir followed up with a second Katar Launch, then a third.
Each time, hundreds of spikes were blown away, only for hundreds more to reform in their ce.
All this time, the Ash Beast had never stopped firing at the other two Ash Wolves. Now, it fired at Vir.
Lacking time to enter the shadows, he was forced to Blink away.
Vir was fast, but the sheer number of projectiles favored the Phantomde. Deadly spikes nced off his Prana Armor, eating away at theyer of energy that protected him.
Better the armor than my skin, Vir thought, taking cover behind an Imperium balcony as the other wolves distracted the enemy. We need a better strategy.
Vir thought about nabbing some rubble while the Phantomde was distracted, but he couldnt get close enough without putting himself in danger of the beast, let alone rummage around for something suitable. And, because the building that would normally have cast a long shadow had crumbled, there were no shadow exits on the rubble itself.
The Phantomde was incredibly defensible. Even the wolf leaders attack had only annoyed the beast.
Vir peeked around the balcony to see all five wolves running around the Phantomde to tire it. He couldnt even tell which wolves had been injured by the earlier attack.
They can heal themselves? Vir thought. Wait
Vir sunk into the shadow, observing the fight. The wolves werent simply distracting the enemy. They were luring it.
Onto the mound of rubble that had once been the Imperium building.
Resembling a small mountain, the rubble sloped steeply and was filled with dangerous footholds.
It couldnt be this simple, could it?
The Phantomde continued firing its endless barrage as it walked. Until now, Vir had never seen an animal that could present such a ranged danger to everything around it without even concentrating on the attack.
Its tiny spikes pinged and ricocheted off every surface imaginable, forcing Vir to linger in the shadows, popping out for only the briefest instant to fire off Chakram Launch or Katar Launch when he could.
The tactic worked for only a few more moments. The Phantomde was soon out of range of the nearest shadow, forcing Vir to Blink around the beast, just like the wolves with Haste active.
It was an odd sight, seeing the wolves appear and disappear continuously. None of the Phantomdes attackers lingered for more than a breath in one location. To do so was to die.
Most would take one look at the endless torrent of spikes and shiver in their shoes.
Only the brave would dare attack the thing in that state. The brave, and the foolish. Vir remembered Cirayus words from weeks beforethat there was a very fine line between ambition and recklessness.
Ive definitely crossed that line now, Vir thought.
The lumbering beast climbed atop a pile of wreckage. Its rage was palpableit hadntnded a single meaningful hit on them. It clearly wasnt used to fighting such intelligent opponents.
For good reason. There were no intelligent opponents in the Mhadi Realm. Their minds had all been corrupted by the prana.
And so the beast continued to climb, unaware of the trap it was being lured into.
Once again, Vir admired how seamlessly the wolves functioned as a team. As fast as Vir was, he felt like the clumsy, unwee addition, ruining their perfect synchrony.
Still, they worked around him, guiding the Phantomde up to the mounds steepest slope.
The leader yipped, and the biggest wolf of the pack darted in.
Vir fired Katar Launch one after another, distracting the beast with the other wolves, who darted in and away, swiping, biting, and howling.
The Phantomde grew agitated, and once again, missed the wolf that bounded for it.
The wolfs head collided with the Phantomdes, leaving it dazed for a moment.
Another followed right behind it, doing the same.
Then a third, fourth, and finally the leader itself.
The Phantomde lurched back.
Ordinarily, the action would simply have put more weight on its hind legs. Except, it currently stood on a slope. A steep slope.
The beast lurched back, its forelegs leaving the ground involuntarily. Panic took it, and it iled wildly.
The wolves were relentless, Blinking at the beast, headbutting it again and again. Only their prana armor kept their skulls from caving under the onught.
The Phantomdes panic only made it stand higher, putting more weight on its hind legs, bringing its forelegs higher off the ground.
Its spike barrage ceased.
Almost there!
It wasnt enough. But Vir was ready.
He Blinked up to the top of the mound, then ran, and Blinked again, though he refrained from headbutting the creature. Vir couldnt say if hed survive such an impact.
There was a better way.
Somersaulting midair, using Haste to guide his actions.
His legs extended and hit the beasts stubby head with all the force of his full momentum.
Vir wasnt done.
Sucking prana through his heelsthrough the Phantomdes bodyVir Blinked away.
He sted off with such tremendous force; the Phantomde didnt merely fall. Its heavy body whipped back, its scales mming the debris as it fell, limbs iling uselessly.
Spikes flew in all directions. Even the big ones ricocheted off random surfaces, forcing the wolves to Blink to safety. But the force of a few spikes wasnt nearly enough to turn the turtle-like beast over.
Vir motioned for the wolves to stay back. Even flipped upside down, the Phantomde still had hundreds of spikes on its belly. Spikes that could impale any one of them.
So instead, Vir stood atop the mound and rained pranic chakrams on the beast, one after another.
The first one gouged into the Phantomdes Prana Armor. The second defeated it. The third tore its hide, and the fourth finally ripped it.
The Ashfire wolves took care of the rest, wing into the wound, gouging into it, eliciting wails of pain from the doomed beast.
Vir threw his chakram into the wound and ended its suffering.
The wolves formed up around him, and Vir could swear they regarded him with a new look. One of approval. Of respect.
Nice work, everyone, Vir met their gazes, breathing heavily. Now, lets reap our reward.
Chapter 195: Deathly Descent
Chapter 195: Deathly Descent
Useless. Its all useless.
Vir rummaged through the rubble of the recently copsed building, hurling aside rusted pieces of metal one after another. It had barely been a week since they copsed, and yet, they were hardly any better than the other rubble Vir hade across.
Had he been wrong about the preservation inscriptions? It was as if the metal aged rapidly once the inscriptions failed. As if the deterioration of all those umted years manifested all at once.
If he didnt know better, hed have guessed these pieces of metal had been rotting away for thousands of years.
Vir found a piece withparatively less rust and activated de Projection. The panel stopped the de of prana, but Empowering his attack drove it right through.
Another failure, he thought. If he punctured it so easily, what chance would it stand against an Ash Beast? Or worse, the Yaksha Guardian? Did I just waste our time fighting off that Phantomde?
Vir descended the mountain of rubble, giving a sidelong nce at the dead Phantomde.
Its spikes had stopped reforming the moment it died, and its back was bare.
Vir stopped.
The spikes? he thought. Thousands of its projectilesy scattered about the street, though whatever process dissolved the ever-falling ash was also going to work on the spikes. Several had already been consumed by the road.
Vir found a good example and braced it with somerge rocks, then drove Prana de into it.
It failed to prate. Empowering his attack fared no better.
This could work he thought.
The spikes were pointed on one end, but unlike Maiyas Icicle spell, they widened considerably, resembling a fat arrowhead. The odd shape made sense; the spikes were as much armor as they were deadly offensive weapons.
Each was the size of his palmfar too small to be of usebut that was alright. The Phantomde hadrger spikes, which it likely used to ward offrger, deadlier beasts. As fast as the small ones flew, Vir doubted theyd be much good against a heavily armored foe.
Vir found the spikemore of a telying nearby. Jet ck and almost perfectly smooth, it almost looked like crystalized Ash prana.
Whatever it was made of, it was incredibly resilient and surprisingly lightweight.
Handily, the mechanism it used totch itself onto the Phantomdes back left a handhold justrge enough for Vir to grip onto.
Well, not aplete waste, I guess, Vir muttered, hefting his new shield.
It was anyones guess whether it would hold up to an attack from the Yaksha guardian, but with luck, Vir hoped not to find out. At the very least, it offered a thirdyer of protection beyond Prana Armor and his seric brigandine.
Alright, he said to the wolves. Lets go.
The wolves led Vir through another series of streets, and the bleak scenery was much the same. Silent, save for the lightning storms that constantly ravaged the citys roofs. Never the streets, though. The tall spires acted as perfect lightning rods, keeping the threat distant.
From ders to Shredders to millipedes that were a hundred paces longthe streets were anything but empty. Only Virs scouting and the wolves keen senses kept them safe, avoiding and detouring around mortal peril.
Vir had to wonder how they all came to be. Did Ash Beasts reproduce like other animals? Or were they somehow created? Spawned into existence by the realm itself? A month ago, he wouldve believed the former. Knowing what he knew now, hed put his coin on thetter.
The journey was thankfully shortthe fallen tower had been near the Yaksha vault.
There was just one problem. Ity within a great tower. One that had a Wyrm circling around its peak.
Ashani never mentioned the Wyrm Vir thought, eyeing the godlike beast with anxiety. Granted, she was trying to keep him froming here. He could hardly me her for omitting some of the details. It could also be that the Wyrm had taken up residence around the tower after Ashani visited. Itd been millennia since shed ventured here.
Doing his best to ignore the Ash Beast that floated around the peak of the tall tower, Vir took in the building. The entrance resembled none of the ones nearby. Instead of stairs or an elevator leading to a main door, an enormous ramp descended downwards, reaching deep into its foundation.
Vir followed the wolves onto the ramp, wondering if he was entering the belly of some great beast. The ramp areas ceiling soared a hundred paces high, and the ramp itself was almost as wide, dwarfing him. Whatever this ce had been built to house, it had been massive.
Can the Yaksha guardian grow thatrge? Vir idly thought anxiously. All of a sudden, his precautions now felt inadequate.
Hed prepared as much as he could. Expanding his blood capacity further might help him, but the gains would be minimalpared to what hed already gained. A little extra wouldnt help him against the Yaksha.
Vir let out a breath when the wolves reached the end of the ramp, guiding him into a human-sized corridor that felt much morefortable.
His relief was short-lived. While the enormous space made him feel like an ant among giants, this new space felt wrong in a way he couldnt put his finger on.
The corridors walls were ss, allowing an unobstructed view into the rooms on the left and right.
A room that housed half-made humanoid creations. Some were Ashani-sizeplete, but where there should have been a face, there was a gaping hole, allowing a full view of its mechanical brain.
Automatons! Vir realized. This is an automaton factory!
Vir now understood why the ce felt eerie. Every building hed raided thus far had been dark and empty.
This room was lit. Lit And popted.
Vir froze at the sight of the automata, wondering if the beings woulde alive to deal with his intrusion upon their peaceful slumber.
But no. These beings had been here for millennia. Whatever preservation inscription that supported the ce must also have kept them intact, or else theyd have turned to rubble long ago.
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Thats why it feels so weird, Vir thought. There should be dust. Signs of decay.
Instead, the automatons were sparkling clean. As if someone had been maintaining them. Or something.
Vir shivered, thinking of the Yaksha. Ashani had said it could change its shape at will. What if
His eyes darted to the half-built automata. What if its hiding among them?
Taking a deep breath, Vir forced his emotions under control. It was impossible, he knew. Prana Vision would give it away. There was no strong signature anywhere nearby.
But there might be an energy core somewhere, Vir thought. If this was an automata factory, itd make sense for there to be cores as well.
Vir Danced through the wall, leaving his wolves behind in the hallway as he explored the room. Strange hoses, metal apparatus, and a range of bizarre machinery filled the room.
On one table, Vir spotted an eyeball with ck ropes extending from it. Vir gingerly held it, finding it artificial. The eye was as hard as a marble.
Is this what Ashanis eyes are made of?
Vir didnt understand how the gods created a living being from such parts. Was that all people were? Just an assemge of blood, muscle, and bone, all slotting and fitting together a certain way? Was that what life was?
No, he knew that couldnt be true. Chakras impacted the soul. Which proved beyond a doubt that there was something more to people than just their constituent parts.
What about Ashani? Vir thought. Does she have a soul, then?
A sound echoed in the distance, somewhere deep within the hall.
Vir spun, bringing his katar to bear. His heart beat madly in his chest, and for a moment, he worried that his enemy might hear its thumping.
The wolves eyed the darkness with suspicion. The hallways lighting ended abruptly just ahead, making it anyones guess whaty beyond.
Theres something out there.
Several moments went by, but nothing emerged from the shadows.
Rx, Vir, he told himself. Theres nothing to be afraid of.
The shadows were his element. Why was he feeling afraid now?
Vir continued rummaging around for spent energy cores. As he did, more sounds made themselves heard. Distant hisses, creaks, and sometimes groans. It was as if this building was alive, unlike all the others.
He filtered those out, diligentlybing through the room. If he found a few cores here, he wouldnt need to delve deeper into the vault. Something about this ce gave him the creeps, and the sooner he was out and back to Ashanis home, the better. He wasnt even after a full core, although he certainly wouldntin if he found one. All he needed was a handful of empties so he could practice.
No orbs revealed themselves. Hed searched everywhere. Everywhere except for one ce.
Virs eyesnded on the half-built automatons, each ced at the center of a cylindrical berth. Hed refrained from getting too close to them. Both out of fear of theming alive, and from a desire not to disturb the dead.
What he was doing felt vaguely akin to robbing a grave. Rudvik had taught Vir well of grave robbers fate
No, he thought, shaking his head. Thats foolish. Im here to save Ashani. Not profit from this.
Vir hesitantly approached an automaton. Its torso rested on a tform. One that had a head and torso, butcked legs.
Surely, it wont mind? Vir thought. He wasnt even after personal wealth. He was just trying to save a life. A very special life, at that.
He reached out to its back, where he remembered Ashanis core was, and touched it.
The room shed around him, and Vir was thrust into a time when the factory was abuzz with energy. Automatons built automatons. Hisses, nks, and the sounds of conversation filled the brightly lit space.
There was so much motion. So much life.
Vir returned to his sensesthe factory as dead as it had been just moments before.
What was that? Vir thought, shaking. It was almost like I was remembering something Id experienced ages ago No. Not me. Her.
Vir could only think back to the knowledge transfer Ashani had performed when theyd first met. Shed used it to more easilymunicate concepts, but there were memories there, too. Faint ones. Did these surroundings trigger them?
Was this where she was made?
Vir looked around, seeing the factory in a new light.These creations would have no chance to experience life. No opportunity to see the world as Ashani did.
Another, darker part of him felt it mightve been for the better. What life was there to be had in this dead city? These automatons would never open their eyes, but perhaps in their stead, Ashani might.
Virs fingers still rested on the backte of the automaton. Nopartment had revealed itself, so he worked his fingers around, pressing around the edges, until something clicked.
The automatons back opened with a hiss, revealing a cavity simr to Ashanis.
Empty.
He shouldve guessed, but he didnt lose hope. There were still several other automatons to check.
Vir continued on, working his way around the room. The second one was a bust, as was the third. The fourth, he couldnt even find where its core was supposed to go, but the fifth
Got it!
Vir pocketed the empty orb, cing it in a pouch along his waistbelt. That had been thest automaton in the factory, and his hope had been low.
Vir let out a long breath. This was a win, but it was too early to get excited yet. A single orb was no good. Itd take at least a couple to understand what he did that caused them to crack. If he broke the core and learned he needed to return
A single nce at his surroundings told him he wouldnt daree all this way again.
He had to press deeper.
Vir Danced back to the wolves to find them yipping and whimpering, moving around restlessly.
Whats wrong? he asked with a frown.
It was only a momentter that he realized one of them was gone.
Vir broke out in a cold sweat. Had it fought an enemy? Was it the Yaksha guardian? Did the guardian kill it?
But then Vir spotted an Ash prana signature, and the wolf loped into sight from the darkness ahead.
Dont scare us like that, Vir said as the wolf rejoined the others, who ranged several paces ahead.
Alright, lets go. Vir walked ahead, but the others reacted slowly, as if keeping an eye on the one whod just returned.
Theyre so loyal to each other Or is it hurt?
Vir looked the beast over, but couldnt spot any injuries, so he pressed on. The wolves soon followed.
They continued deeper into the hall, prating into the inky ckness.
The dark tunnels on their approach had been bad enough, but now, Vir truly felt like he was in the belly of an enormous Ash Beast. The distant rumblings and ticking sounds didnt help any.
The runt took the lead, guiding Vir through the dark halls. Unlike the automatonb, the rest of the building was empty, indicating that it had likely been destroyed and reformed in the st. Whatever surrounded theb must have been constructed of sturdier stuff.
Vir pressed deeper with the wolves, though four of the five opted to follow behind rather than scout up front with their leader.
He could hardly me them. The mental strain increased with each step. His only scey in knowing that Dance of the Shadow Demon would save him from any threats, and Prana Vision would see theming in advance.
But even that knowledge was only barely enough to allow him to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
When Vir thought hed break under the tension, it got worse.
The wolves led him into a tiny horizontal shaft embedded into a wall. While big enough for the wolves, Vir had to crawl on all fours. He didnt know why such a thing existed, but it weaved and descended for what felt like forever.
Growing tired of that, Vir began swimming through the shadows, and their pace quickened significantly.
All around him were shadow exits, and all dark. Some showed faint prana signatures, but most were empty. Where did they all lead? What were those rooms once used for? He would never know. He only hoped the Yaksha guardian wasnt anywhere nearby.
The wolves dropped out of the shaft. They had finally reached the vault.
Vir had expected a grand entrance, but instead, its door was quite normal-sized. If the darkness wasnt so absolute, Vir might have seen its overbuilt nature, along with the engravings on it.
As it was, he only saw the prana. A great mass of Ash Prana concentrated in the door and ran outward like tendrils around the room behind.
A sizable room. If Vir was correct in assuming the inscriptions were rted to preservation, then the vault was easily three stories in height and extended for at least a hundred paces.
Vir tried the door, but even if it was unlocked, he wouldnt have been able to open it. Its surface was flush,cking a handle of any kind.
Using Prana Vision again, Vir searched for any other entrances.
Instead, what he found made his stomach fall.
Oh, no
The prana inscriptions ended abruptly at one corner. Like it had been cut off.
Stay here, Vir whispered to the wolves.
Activating Dance of the Shadow Demon, Vir slipped into the vault, blinded momentarily by the brightness of the lights.
The lights should have been cause for celebration, as they drove off the darkness that had weighed heavily on his mind.
They didnt.
Because there, at the back corner along the ceiling, the roof had caved in.
And the contents of the vault had crumbled to dust.
Cmon. There has to be something here!
But before Vir could rummage around the room, the wolves started howling madly.
Vir Danced back immediately And found only four.
He turned, scanning the surroundings for enemies.
The wolves howls suddenly diminished. There was a brief silence. Then whimpering.
When he turned back, there were just three.
Virs blood ran cold.
Chapter 196: The Vault
Chapter 196: The Vault
The pained mewling of an injured wolf drifted through the silent, pitch-dark halls.
Vir Blinked directly at it to find a pile of rubble.
Did the wolf get caught in a copse? Vir dug through the rubble, unsure of how the wolf could have gotten into this predicament. Had a portion of the room caved in? Vir hadnt heard a thing, though hed been in the vault. He could very well have missed it.
Its prana signature was hidden by the Imperium metal covering it, so Vir worked blindly, throwing pieces away with Empower while keeping a keen eye out for the enemy.
Prana Vision functioned even better in the dark. Few things could sneak up on Vir At least, that was what he told himself to ward off the creeping terror.
With one final heave, he lobbed thest boulder away to reveal the wolf.
Except there was something wrong. Prana Vision didnt see the same as regr sight did. It saw the centers of prana in the body, as well as the general shape of the creature.
The wolf was almost identical to the others. But not quite. Instead of a single beating heart, it had two.
Few things could sneak up on Vir Unless they took the form of a friend.
Run! Vir roared as he slipped into shadow. He could almost hear his beating heart pumping madly, despite time having stopped.
It took several counts for the primal fear to wash over him. Only then did he extend an arm from the farthest shadow he could find.
The Yaksha rose, bounding through the darkness.
Vir paled. It was targeting the other wolves.
No!
Vir popped his head out next to the remaining wolves. Get out of here! he roared. Run!
They must have sensed the panic in his voice, for they Blinked away.
The Yaksha halted its pursuit, and Vir breathed more easily. Now he only had to worry about himself.
His relief was short-lived.
The Yakshas paws left the ground. It rose higher and higher, floating in midair. Then it morphed.
Its torso straightened and its legs expanded grotesquely, lengthening, then growing into humanoid limbs. Far too many limbs.
Instead of two arms, it sported six, and instead of legs, it sat atop a pyramidal base. The Yaksha had no handsits arms ended in curved des. Like talwars embedded into its golden skin. All glowing blue and buzzing with the promise of death.
Vir could tell their color because, like its skin, it glowed.
Golden light illuminated the room, and for the first time, Vir saw the intricate gold leaf inscriptions that snaked all over the walls, ceiling, and even the floor. The gold wasplemented by blue ents to create a grand design.
In any other situation, hed have been awed by its beauty. Now, it only served toplement the Yaksha Guardians horrific visage.
The wolf''s head transformed into a human one, with a hungry smile stered on its face. Two additional faces protruded from the sides of the same head, each with their own slightly different, unmoving expression.
The smiling Yaksha floated a pace above the ground, absolutely still. Then it disappeared.
Vir cursed, swimming through the shadows to rejoin the fleeing wolves. They made good time, but the Yaksha moved fast. Vir threw a chakram at the six armed guardian, augmenting it with Chakram Launch. The Yaksha stopped it in its tracks.
Its head swiveled, observing Vir.
He didnt wait, sinking immediately back into the shadows.
I need to run, he thought frantically. But to where?
If he followed the wolves, the Yaksha would, too. He needed to buy time for the wolves to flee to safety, but only if it meant he would survive as well. He refused to use them as bait to save himself. Not unless he absolutely had to.
Vir fled from the beast, plotting a course directly opposite the wolves escape path. If he kept going, hed eventually reach the other side of the gargantuan building. And then hed be out.
Thanks to Dance of the Shadow Demon, the Yaksha wouldnt be able to follow easily.
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Vir trusted the Iksana ability as he bounded through shadows, entering dark rooms, most of which had little-to-no prana, before exiting them immediately. He couldnt tell where he was; the Shadow Realms exits were only generally arranged by distance, and the darkness made it difficult to know exactly what course he was taking.
After a half dozen invocations, Vir paused, sinking all the way into the Shadow Realm, freezing time.
He studied each exit and confirmed that the guardian was nowhere in sight. Which left him with a dilemma. Did he go back to the vault? Or did he abort the mission to rejoin the wolves?
Im safe in the Shadow Realm, Vir thought. Even if it can track me, it cant hurt me here.
As much as the thought terrified him, the vault was worth returning to. Ashani had said the orbs would be there. Even if the preservation inscriptions had failed, it was possible the cores would be in good shape, regardless.
Assuming I can find it Vir thought.
He backtracked as best he could. Every moment that passed without a Yaksha sighting bolstered Virs confidence.
I can do this.
The building was vast, but the vault was thankfully one of the few rooms with its lights on. Vir found a shadow inside and, after ensuring no Ash prana signatures were nearby, he emerged.
His fear, which hed only just quelled, snuck back. Outside, he was vulnerable. But much of the room wasnt within reach of any sufficientlyrge shadows, forcing Vir to leave them to explore.
Unfortunately, his hope waned rapidly. The preservation inscriptions covering the room had been disrupted, and most of its contents had crumbled to dust long ago.
Vir had searched the room twice when he came across a cubic container the size of a small crate. Hed missed it before, with the amount of rubble it had been under.
Vir swept away the debris, revealing intricate prana inscriptions running over the white box.
Its sealed! Vir thought with excitement. His excitement redoubled when Prana Vision caught the faint lines of the preservation inscription running all over it, like a ribbonposed of infinitelyplex characters.
It was very weak, almost as if it had been about to fail.
That the box was intact was well and good, but Vir saw no obvious way to open it. In fact, it didnt even have a lidthe container was one seamless piece of Imperium metal. Which, of course, meant Prana Vision failed to see inside.
Growing worried about wasting more time, Vir tried to pick it upperhaps he could take it back with himbut was unable to. Either it was far heavier than it looked, or it was secured to the ground somehow.
At his wits end, Vir jabbed his katar into it, activating Prana de.
But of course, Imperium metal was not so easily ovee.
Vir scanned the room and froze.
There, on the other side of the vault wall, stood the Yaksha, zing brightly to PranaVision.
What is it doing? Vir thought as chills spread through his body. It was only then Vir understood how lucky he wasif the vaults preservation inscriptions had been active, itd have masked the guardians signature from his eyes.
Which begged the question: why didnt it pursue?
The Yaksha stood with its six talwar arms poised. Unmoving.
Vir took a few steps back, toward a shadow. The Yaksha didnt respond, but when Vir moved across the room, the guardian turned its body to reorient itself to him.
It can see me. It knows Im in here. So why Is it unable to enter the vault?
That made little sense. The preservation inscription on the room had worn off. Even with its overbuilt walls and doors, surely such a thing wouldnt pose an impediment to the Yaksha?
That left only one conclusion. It wasnt allowed to enter. Its role was to guard the vault, not to enter it.
Perhaps the Imperium feared damaging any valuables theyd stored here if the Yaksha were ever to attack?
It was merely conjecture, but Vir could think of no other exnation. Whatever it was, it had saved his life.
What now, though?
He couldnt stay inside forever. But would he be able to escape the guardian?
Vir forced himself to calm down. Hed survived until now. He would ovee this as well.
Hesitantly, Vir walked back to the box, keeping a wary eye on the Yaksha.
Prana de had failed to break through, so Vir activated de Launch. The disc of prana hit the box and disappeared harmlessly.
Vir ground his teeth, tension rising.
The Yaksha continued to watch.
Its signature zed far more brightly than before when it had been in the form of the wolf. Had it been hiding its power to disguise its prana signature?
Its two hearts zed dazzlingly brightly to Virs eyes.
Two hearts. Two energy cores? Vir wondered. Maybe
He killed the thought before itd even formed. Even if they were prana cores, he didnt even think about fighting it. Vir didnt even know if he could flee from the Yaksha. Killing it was out of the question.
Vir refocused on the container. It was immovable and impervious to damage. There was just one trick he could try.
Vir reasserted Prana Dam, which he hadnt had to use recently thanks to Parais Barrier pattern, which repulsed prana and was generally superior.
Except in this instance, he didnt want to repel prana, he wanted to suck it in at a very specific point.
Activating de Launch, Vir purged his body of prana. He then opened a small hole in the dam, on his palm, which he ced on the box.
The inscription running around the box used Ash prana just like he did. Which meant he could drain it.
The trickle immediately flowed into his hand. It wasnt muchthe inscription was on itsst legsbut it was enough.
The inscription shed a few times, then winked out of existence. The box hissed as its top lifted, then vanished into thin air.
Vir watched as rust developed on the metal in seconds. Whatever material the Imperium used for its buildings and roads couldnt survive without preservation inscriptions.
Initially, Vir had thought that the materials had simply aged rapidly, but now he wondered if the metal itself was designed to function with the inscription. It would exin why the fallen spire had degraded while the orb inside the half-built automaton had not.
Vir waited a moment longer for the metal to weaken, eyes darting between the box and the Yaksha who lurked just beyond the wall on the other side.
This better be worth it.
With bated breath, Vir peered inside and found a t ribbon an inch wide.
He reached in and picked it up.
The ribbon was coiled around a spool, and it glowed blue. Its surface was covered with a maze of tiny straight lines that formed a beautiful pattern. The lines zigzagged across the ribbon, never crossing one another.
It was beautiful, but right now, it did him little good. While he couldnt tell if it was a functioning Artifact, he pocketed it regardless. It was the only piece of Imperium magic hede across in the whole city.
Vir reached into the box once again and pulled out the insert the ribbon had been set on.
Underneath was a tray with two semicircr indentations. Orb receptacles. And they were empty.
Vir roared in frustration.
Why? Why cant they have been there? Why cant things just Wait.
Two core slots.
What are the chances
Vir looked up. The Yaksha was gone.
He whirled and screamed out in terror.
The Yaksha floated just inches away. Smiling.
Chapter 197: Yaksha
Chapter 197: Yaksha
The guardian screeched out a sound halfway between maniacalughter and a wail.
Vir fell and continued falling, right into his own shadow.
In the Shadow Realm, a dozen questions ran rampant in his mind, augmenting his fear. Why had the Yaksha waited outside? Why hadnt it ended him the moment it found him? Was it waiting for him to open the container? If so, why?
It was almost as if itd waited for him to retrieve the Artifact ribbon. Did it want that for some reason? But if itd retrieved the cores from the box, why would it need him? It didnt make any sense.
And what happened to the wolves?
The beasts had risked their lives to apany him into the maw of this dark ce. Were they dead? What happened?
Vir forced himself to calm down, channeling what he could of the Foundation chakra. Those werent the questions that mattered right now.
He was safe here, for his ten counts. He just had to escape. The mission was a bust.
While he felt terrible for the dead wolves, there would be time to mournter. Right now, survival was his only priority.
Vir searched the shadow exits. Most were dark, as the rooms outside the vault were all unlit.
That made the Yakshas prana signature stand out, its prana signature zing brightly in the darkness.
The darkness? Vir thought. He looked back at the vault. The Yaksha was missing.
It must have moved the moment hed sunk into the shadow. To where, he couldnt say. But it proved that the guardian could move through walls, disappearing in one location and reappearing in another.
Vir searched for another exit. The Yakshas signature was there, too.
Thats weird
He looked for others, but all were equally ck to his eyes. In fact, theyd all gone dark.
The Yaksha.
It was gone.
Huh?
Vir took two full counts toprehend what had happened.
Thats What?
The Yaksha was moving in a world where time should have stopped. It was impossible. It should have been impossible.
Vir had never felt such terror before in his entire life.
Once again, Vir choked down the panic, struggling to calmly analyze the situation.
A task easier said than done.
He stared at the Yaksha, looking for any signs of movement. He found none. It hadnt moved. The Yaksha was as frozen as everything else.
Just when he looked away, it was no longer there.
The Shadow Realm had been sacred to him. Invible. It was his sanctuary from danger, where the world stood still.
And now there was another. An entity that ignored the rules.
Vir should have expected it. He shouldve guessed that an Automaton guardian built by the gods would have their powers. Strange, iprehensible powers. It wasnt simply a question of its strength or its speed. Its abilities defiedprehension.
His ten counts expired.
Move!
Vir picked the highest shadow above him. He didnt know why. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was the fear of deep, dark ces with an immortal executioner on the loose.
Not daring to emerge with his whole body, Vir reactivated Dance of the Shadow Demon the moment his hand emerged, sinking back into the Shadow Realm, surging prana to his skin at the same time. If the Yaksha broke through both Prana Armor and his seric Brigandine, Toughen wouldnt help much. But it was all Vir had.
He almost made it.
The Yaksha appeared, slicing his leg as he passed between shadows.
The Prana Armor Vir had spent hours building was wiped away in a single blow. His seric armor cracked, the automatons de sinking deep into his bone before Vir escaped into the shadow.
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The pain consumed him, but it also drove the fear away, forcing Vir to concentrate on the now.
No matter how bad his injury, it could not kill him when he was in the shadows. Ashanis pranites would work to heal the wound when he wasnt, but Vir nned to spend as little time outside the Shadow Realm as possible.
It was now a race against time.
Vir let prana guide him, choosing the only exit that shone with itthe cylindrical elevator shaft.
Panic fueled his breaths, and terror powered his legs. While the shaft was just as dark as everywhere else, the prana density was higher, allowing Vir to see with ease.
Where he went, the Yaksha pursued, slicing at whatever body part it could each time Vir left the shadows. An ordinary opponent would find the task impossibleit moved instantly to Virs exit point, with barely a split second to attack as he slipped from one shadow to the next.
It was even harder here, where the pitch ckness acted like a single, massive shadow. There was hardly a gap of inches to strike at.
Yet the Yaksha was no ordinary opponent. The de of its talwar glowed blue, buzzing with the sound of death. Like a swarm of starving hos.
Relentless.
It cut his arm, eating through Prana Armor like it wasnt even there.
Inevitable.
It sliced at his legs, and it would have bisected Virs torso if the Phantomdes spike shield hadnt saved him.
It did. Thrice. Then it shattered.
It was then that Vir knew he wouldnt make it.
His body took more and more damage as he shot up the shaft. The pranites hardly had time to work, preventing him from recovering.
Virs body roared in pain, but to stop was to die. Something deep within him forced him to keep moving.
The pain is good. It means youre still alive.
The pain sharpened his mind. It was the only reason he noticed a pattern to the guardians attacks. It was slower when he chose exits at the edge of Dances reach.
Its learning. Its predicting where Ill end up.
The thought terrified him. How could any opponent read their enemy so perfectly? Let alone a technique like Dance of the Shadow Demon, which offered such a limited window of opportunity to harm him?
And yet, the Yakshas monstrous capacity for foresight was also its weakness.
I can use that.
Vir intentionally chose a closer exit, barely ten paces away. This time, he emerged unscathed.
Hed caught the Yaksha off guard. Hed tricked a creation of the gods.
It was a small thing, Vir knew. It might barely have bought him a few seconds of life. And yet, it changed everything. It meant the Yaksha could be deceived. It wasnt omniscient.
Even so, it was a close thing. Realizing its error, the Yaksha immediately appeared at Virs location, just narrowly missing his foot before it disappeared through another shadow.
Exiting another shadow, Vir roared in pain as the Yaksha sliced him open. The tendons in his legs severed. His arms now hung limp at his sides. Vir had sacrificed them, using them as armor to keep his head and chest safe during his jumps.
Vir knew the end was near. The pain was all-consuming. Never had he been so close to death.
Nor would Cirayus or his ancestors save him here. He was on his own. Alone. In an elevator shaft in the middle of a long-dead city in a blighted realm.
If he died here, no one would ever find his corpse.
What am I even doing here?
Virs mind ebbed in and out. His world became consumed with thoughts of escape. Of death.
It wouldnt be long now. Another strike, perhaps two, and hed lose his arms. No orb in the world could restore lost limbs. Hed be crippled for life.
Vir consumed the full time with each Dance invocation, dreading the injury hed suffer when he emerged.
And then, when hed lost hope, he saw it. An exit that was neither ck nor the dazzlingly bright white of the Imperium buildings lights.
It was gray. It was outside. Sweet, safe outside.
Vir emerged on the roof and instantly crumpled.
What was even the point ofing up here?
He knew he had a reason for it. He thought it was a good decision. But now, as the Yaksha floated up to him, its six executioners des extended, Vir could no longer remember.
The Yakshas head rotated constantly, disying its faces one after another. But they were no longer smiling. One face was frozen in a mask of despair. The other wept, red tears flowing down its face. The third looked almost pleadingly at Vir.
It screeched, but it was not a cry of glee. It was one of despair.
The Yaksha wasnt happy to kill Vir. It was tormented.
A sudden thought urred to Vir.
Unlike Ashani, whod slumbered her years away, this guardian had been forced to stay awake for millennia. In the darkness of that building, alone.
Vir didnt know if Imperium automata could be driven insane. But four thousand years was a long time. Long enough, perhaps, to break even the strongest of beings.
Its gone insane And it waited for me to steal something from the vault so it could pursue me here.
Distant memories from Ashanis residual thought transference surfaced in his mind. The Yaksha couldnt leave the vaults premises. Not unless there was a clear threat to its mission.
Like a burr.
Please, let me go, Vir whispered.
The faces rotated, and this time, its expression was an expression of sadness. Like it didnt want to kill him. It brought its six arm-des up.
And then it froze.
Huh Vir thought dazedly. So thats what a Wyrm looks like up close.
He now knew why hed led the Yaksha up here. His subconscious mind had taken a page out of Cirayus manual.
When you cant defeat the enemy, get another to do it for you.
The Wyrm disintegrated, falling onto the roof in a rain of tiny versions of itself. Vir knew well what would be of him if any of those touched him.
He didnt wait to find out.
Without even bothering to get up, Vir braced himself and Blinked Right off the roof.
Bones snapped under the force. He screamed.
Thest thing he saw was the Yakshas face, looking up. Smiling blissfully.
As Vir fell, the sky lit up. Beams of red and blue pierced the cloudsthe Yakshas weapons. Where they swept, the Wyrm disappeared, trivially erased out of existence.
His scream of pain turned into a wryugh.
It was toying with me all along. It could have ended me any time.
Vir activated Light Step, reducing the impact of the fall. Even then, with his injuries, thending nearly made him ck out.
He couldnt afford that. Not here, in the middle of hostile territory.
Vir forced through the pain and focused on restoring prana to his body.
The pranites had nearly sucked him dry, and if they ran empty, hed lose them forever.
He could feel them working within him, mending his muscles. Where they worked, the pain was the greatest.
The pranites didnt make him invulnerable. Theyd heal him, yes, but itd take hours before he could walk again. Far better than the weeks itd otherwise have taken, but still an agonizingly long time to wait while a battle between godly beings raged above.
Of course, he didnt need to walk to escape. Activating Dance of the Shadow Demon, Vir took up a position on a covered ledge nearby.
He kept watch. And he cycled prana. Holding onto the hope that the winds of fortune would shift his way.
Praying that Fate might allow a mortal to benefit from a war between living gods.
Chapter 198: Strength of the Gods
Chapter 198: Strength of the Gods
Vir learned that a battle between god-entities was neither short nor simple. It was an epic, drawn-out affair.
The battle in the sky had raged for the better part of a day. If there were days in the Mahdi Realm. Which, of course, there werent, which only made the time feel longer to Vir.
The time had allowed him a nearly full recovery. The pranites had stitched his arms and legs back together after only a few hours, and after a couple more, he was walking again. Soreness remained, but at least he was back on his feet.
Also, the three surviving Ashfire wolves had rejoined him. Vir was ted to discover that the runttheir leaderwas among them.
Theyd moved to the top of a nearby roof to watch the fight unfold and had been there ever since.
As for why Vir continued to stick around The case inside the vault held two prana cores. The Yaksha guardian likewise had sources of power, leading Vir to believe that the Yaksha might have cannibalized those very cores. If it lost, there was a possibility that Vir could recover those cores.
The chances were slight; he knew. Wyrms tended to consume everything down to the tiniest bit, though from what Vir had seen, they consumed only organic matter. Would they want to eat the Yaksha? Could they?
Vir might not even have the chance to find out. The two were surprisingly evenly matched, with the Wyrm having the advantage of numbers, and the Yaksha invulnerability.
It was hard to tell from afar, but thus far, the Yaksha looked no worse for the wear. The Wyrm, on the other hand, was less than a third of its initially colossal size.
Still colossal, but less godlike. Cirayus might have reprimanded Vir for relying on wily tactics instead of confronting his enemy with his own strength, but hadn''t the demon used simr tactics himself? It wasn''t weakness... It was just being smart. He was sure Cirayus would agree. Rather, it was more likely that Cirayus saw Vircking in strength, and had harped on its importance to get him to prioritize it. Knowing Cirayus, Vir felt that was extremely possible.
Vir observed keenly, knowing that nothing came for free. Like Ashani, the Yaksha consumed energy from its prana cores.
It was a race against time. Would the Yakshas energy cores deplete before the Wyrm died? Or would the floating conglomeration of constituent worms win this battle of attrition?
Beams of red and blue zed through the sky as the Wyrm was whittled down further and further.
Vir retreated to a more distant rooftop, barely keeping thebatants in sight. It helped that the Yaksha had grown, standing nearly forty paces in height, but at this distance, both looked like tiny specs. Vir didnt dare linger any closer.
The battle that had raged unrelentingly suddenly came to a stop. The Yaksha slowed, and froze, its six-de arms freezing mid-swing. It shrunk back down, out of sight. The Wyrm, now barely ten paces long, hobbled away. Victorious.
Notably, Vir hadnt seen its constituent mini worms drop down to feed on the Yakshas corpse.
Vir waited ten full minutes, scanning the distant tower for any sign of the Yakshas signature, or any indication that the Wyrm might return.
There were none. The rooftop remained lifeless.
Hesitantly, he dropped down, approaching the building in which the vault sat. Vir scaled the outside with his wolves, leveraging handholds to Blink his way up.
His heart beat with excitement and fear. What if the Yaksha was still alive, biding its time? It was foolish, Vir knew, to tempt fate. Especially knowing what he now knew of the guardians full potential.
And yet, would the Yaksha simply give up like that? After hours and hours of fighting? Why expend its precious energy?
A theory formed in Virs mind. Hed already suspected the guardians mind had broken over the years. How would such a being behave? What would it want?
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Vir reached the roof, finding it pristine. The battle between the two gods hadnt so much as left a scratch on the building.
The Yaksha stood stock-still, staring off into the distance with its eyes unfocused. To Vir, it looked undamaged. To Prana Vision, it was well and truly dead.
When the guardian had mimicked the form of the wolf earlier, it had masked its signature, but even then, it hadnt been able topletely hide its twin hearts.
Now it was invisible, without even the faintest hint of prana, not even from its cores.
Vir carefully circled the guardian, ready to Blink away should it show even the faintest signs of life.
But even when he touched it, it remained unmoving. All three of its faces looked content. Their serene expressions reminded Vir of how one might look when they passed on, if they left behind a life lived without regret.
Or if theyd finally found the release theyd so long sought.
It sounded so unlikely at first, but now Vir couldnt say. Was it so oundish for a guardian to go mad, having spent its entire life alone in this blighted wastnd? In the deepest part of the Ashen Realm, where prana poisoning was at its worst?
Vir recalled Ashanis words. Ashani is affected, but in mysterious and esoteric ways.
He thought shed just been ying around, but what if this was what prana poisoning did to Imperium Automatons?
What if it hadnt been toying with me? What if
What if it was yearning for someone toe along? To release it from its prison?
The guardian protected the vault. Vir was a clear threatperhaps the only sapient being to venture there after Ashani had. It could not leave, and yet it could not die.
Vir pressed the cold metal te on the Yakshas back. It hissed open with a puff of steam, revealing two ck orbs. Empty cores.
He reached out slowly and grasped the first one, twisting it from its receptacle.
It was only when he removed the second core that he was sure.
It was trying to die. Thats why it didnt kill me.
Perhaps that was why the Yaksha hadnt vanquished the Wyrm, either. Whatever will that lingered within it must havepelled it to fight. Had it dragged the fight on intentionally? All to drain its cores?
Rest in peace, guardian, Vir said softly. Youve served your purpose.
He stood there a moment longer, wondering what its life must have been like. Four thousand years was an inconceivably long time to live. Patrolling that building its entire life in the darkness
He looked around at the dead city. At the falling ash that now piled up on the Yakshas dead body.
Does Ashani feel the same?
Such a cmity had befallen her people. Such utter devastation. Vir now felt foolish for agonizing over his own issues. They seemed so trivialpared to the extinction of an entire people.
What did it matter if he took a few extra weeks to cross the Ash? What significance did human hatred for demons have next to an apocalypse of this scale?
Vir couldnt say how exactly, but his experience here at Mahdi had changed him. Of that, he was certain. When he left, he would not return as the same person he had been. How could he? Hed seen too much. Hed seen how gods lived. And hed witnessed their terrible fall.
How many years would humans need to construct something as advanced as the Yaksha? As Ashani? A thousand? Five? Ten?
Virs fingers tightened around the prana core in his hand. He had to save Ashani. She might have been the most precious being in all of the three realms.
Lets go. Vir called to the wolves and jumped off the roof.
Returning to Ashanis home came with more relief and security than Vir had expected. Tension that had knotted itself up into balls came undone, and he breathed easily the moment he arrived back at familiar territory.
It was no wonderhed delved deep into the depths of hostile territory, after all. Thend where monstrous demigods lurked.
His relief was short-lived. The wailing screech of a Wyrm in the distance prompted him to search the sky. It was the Wyrm from the fightthe one that had nearly died.
Whyd it have to flee here, of all ces? Vir thought, groaning.
Still, the Wyrm was some distance away. It hadnt noticed him. There was little he could do against such a beast other than hiding indoors.
Thank you, Vir said to the wolves, crouching downmainly for the benefit of the smaller leader. Thank you for guiding me. I Im sorry about what happened to your friends. I truly am.
The wolves regarded him silently. He couldnt tell what they were thinking. Were they judging him? Did they me him for their brethrens passing?
If they were merely Ash Wolves, Vir wouldnt feel as bad. But these were obviously highly intelligent beings. And they were friends of Ashanis.
Their sacrifice was not in vain, Vir said firmly. They had done their part. It was now on him to make good on those words.
Vir took the lift up to the door, then made his way down to Janaks pristine whiteb.
Three empty cores. Three chances to get it right. Ideally, he wanted to fill all three for Ashani, but knew hed destroy at least one in the process. There was the issue of understanding why the core hed filled had crumbled, but moreover, he needed a way of charging them even faster.
There was a risk therewhat worked at a lower rate might stress the orb too much when pushed faster.
Vir was sure that the method hed used to fill Ashanis core was simr to how he used prana to power Talents. Until hed learned Prana Channeling, which guided the prana carefully where it was needed, hed simply thrown prana at the muscles in question, without fine-tuning the exact amount that resulted in the most optimal result.
Three filled cores were a sess, but two was Virs minimum. With another two cores, Ashani would have enough power to stay awake, even without her hibernation cycles.
That way, she could tour the realms with Vir, just as she wanted. He could fill her up whenever she ran low, but even if she spent years on her own, she wouldnt run out with two cores.
Heid each core out in front of him, then took a deep breath and got to work.
Chapter 199: Crimson Wind (Maiya)
Chapter 199: Crimson Wind (Maiya)
Two weeks.
Of the thirty days Maiya had to herself, just shy of fourteen remained. Two weeks to grow her skills before she infiltrated the Children of Ash. While she fully intended to continue her training even afterward, who knew how much time shed have between all her obligations?
For the first time sinceing into Iras employ, Maiya had managed a reprieve from her duties. Shed painstakingly convinced the princess that growing her strength was of utmost importance, and thus, shed earned this precious time.
It is important, Maiya thought as she meditated just fifteen paces away from an Ash Tear. I cant fall behind.
It wasnt just keeping up with Vir that bothered her. She was about to infiltrate an organization on her ownat least initially. She was delving into the den of an insane cult. Honing her skills would help keep her safe for the hard times ahead.
Maiya grimaced as pain ravaged her body. Many had called her a fool for sitting so close to an Ash Tear, well past the Ash Wall, near the Boundary. It was true; monsters tended to pop through with rming frequency, though many were maimed in the process, due to the Tears instability. And it wasnt as though Maiya sat right next to the Boundary where she might be snatched up into the Ash. She was still a good quarter mile away. Far enough to maintain a margin of safety.
Of course, Ira wasnt about to let her precious agent put herself in such danger alone; apany of thirty Brian Elites stood only a handful of paces away, ready to jump in if Maiya got in over her head.
There was another reason Maiya desired to linger this close, howeverthe prana density was far higher immediately next to a Tear. By subjecting herself to this torture, she actively increased her own bloods carrying capacity. Mejai across the world imed that the path to Mejai of Realms was by purifying ones body and soul. Terribly vague, and nearly useless.
There was a nugget of wisdom buried in there, though.
Maiya was almost fully convinced now that this purification process referred to spending time near the Ash, to boost blood carrying capacity. The pain was certainlymensurate with purification; her body felt like it was being ripped apart. Like it was being purged of impurities.
Perhaps something like that was happeningperhaps her Ice and Water affinity capacity grew at a greater rate than her other affinities, thus purifying her blood. She couldnt know. Not without Vir around to peer into her body.
What she did know was that greater capacity meant she could run longer before saturating, and that she could create a stronger suction force inside her body. That let her charge orbs more quickly, and more importantly, charge higher grade orbs.
If I can learn to charge A Grades Maiyas Br Rank would soar into the hundreds.
She felt bad for Vir, having to discover his own path, struggling alone, while Maiya benefitted from the magic passed down by the gods. Mejai orbs were almost like cheating. They concentrated power and made her many times more deadly than she could ever be without them.
Nevertheless, Maiya knew that Vir would surpass her. He always found a way. It was why she refused to ck off, even for a moment.
A ck form popped into existence forty paces away, breaking Maiyas meditation.
She stood and regarded the beast. Itse through mostly intact. A perfect opponent for her.
Spidori, huh? A rare one.
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Spidoris were about as fearsome as they sounded. Sporting enormous gori torsos that stood atop an arachnid body, they were among the more bizarre monsters that spawned from the Ash. How such a being had evere into existence, Maiya couldnt know. She didnt want to know. She just needed to kill it.
A task easier said than done.
Maiya ran toward the enemy andunched two precharged C Grade Wind des, though she didnt expect them to do much of anything against the beast. Shed learned that Ash Beasts fresh out of the Ashen Realm were far more durable than their counterparts whod been in the Human Realm for a while. It was as though they had ayer of invisible armor that protected them.
The benefit of Wind magic was it was fastfast enough to hit Ash Beasts, unlike her Ice Affinity magic. Wind was second only to Lightning. The downside was its rangethe second-worst, and Maiya only had a lesser affinity for it. She was now only twenty paces away from a monster that could lop her limbs off with ease.
Her Brian Guard moved in, but Maiya waved them back.
It might be Br One Fifty, but thats only in the Ash. I can handle this one.
Sixty counts, the Brianmander said, bowing his head. At Br One Hundred himself, he was no pushover. Any longer, and well intervene.
Maiya nodded. This was one condition Ira had imposed on her. The danger of any fight mounted the longer it dragged on. If Maiya wasnt able to best her opponent within a minute, her warriors would rush in to help, regardless of her orders. They took orders from the princess, whose authority outweighed Maiyas tenfold.
She didnt mindit just made for better training, forcing her to fight as efficiently as possible.
The Spidori Leaped at her.
Maiya dodged in the nick of time, barely avoiding a vicious sh. Ash Beasts always made for difficult fights against mejai like Maiya. Even with Enhance Speed orbs elerating her movement, Talent wielders simply had a better mind for the flow of battle. They understood their own bodies better and could predict enemy movements to a greater degree, perhaps because of how they fought. Up close and personal, rather than ranged like most mejai.
Maiya was good with strategy and tactics, not instinctual meleebat.
She slipped past the Spidoris deadly limb but didnt retreat. Conveniently, the enemy had brought itself within range, so Maiya brought out her deadliest weapon.
After months of training, capped by two weeks of torture, C Grade spells were hardly Maiyas strongest anymore.
B Grade Hail Burst Icicle, it, too, shot shards of icecoated with Ice pranato shred enemies. It was just far deadlier. Instead of a single projectile, a hailstorm of a hundred ripped outward.
It wasnt the fastest attack in the realm, but it didnt have to be. At such close range, the Spidori had no hope of dodging.
The hail punctured the beast, smashing apart its invisible armor before sinking their teeth into its body.
The Ash Beasts torso took several hits, but its armor-like hide protected it from any lethal injuries. Its limbs, however, were another story. One had been peppered through with holes, while two more hung on by a thread.
Maiya danced around the injured beast,unching Wind des one after another. She lopped off the two injured legs and hammered its torso with magic. With its invisible armor defeated, the Spidori took more and more damage.
But it wasnt dead. Not nearly. This was an Ash Beast, after all, and though it had lost three legs, it still had five more.
Fifteen seconds, themander called, right as the Spidori Leaped at Maiya, its eyes full of fury.
Maiya barely saw iting. The next thing she knew, she was sailing through the air, and she couldnt breathe.
Instinct honed from thousands of hours of practice kicked in, and Maiya flew into a roll that dissipated the impact of her fall.
She had no time to regain her breath; the enemy was already upon her.
It smashed her chest with its giant gori arm, and Maiya felt her Blunt Force Protection orb wink out.
Maiya rolled to the side, replenishing the orb with pranawithout it, another hit like that and shed be dead.
The Spidori jumped, pinning her under its legs. If it dropped its weight on heras she was sure it wouldshed be dead.
In the distance, Maiya saw her Brian guards closing in.
If only I had another Hail Burst, she thought. But Maiya wasnt yet at a point where she could charge B Grade orbs inbat. It took her almost a solid minute to fill even one.
What she did have, however, was a slew of C Grade spells.
Icicles and Wind des fired out. Besides carrying multiple copies of each, Maiya could now charge them in mere seconds. They did little damage, but the two spells synergized surprisingly well, with Wind des cutting into the Spidoris underside while the Icicles gouged into the wound, expanding it, allowing the next Wind de to cut even farther.
The Spidori roared in pain and jumped off, but it was toote.
It took three stumbling paces, then keeled over, smashing into the grass with a loud thud.
Only two seconds left on the clock. Reckless, mdy, the Brian Commander said, grinning as he offered Maiya a hand up. Reckless, but impressive.
She took the hand, grinning back. Thats one down. Only four more to go for todays quota.
The adrenaline coursed through Maiyas veins.
Dont think youll beat me when we meet again, Vir.
Chapter 200: Prana Current
Chapter 200: Prana Current
Vir started slowly, taking great pains to monitor the orb as he worked. There was so much going on, the task was easier said than done. Even finding the crisscrossing inscription ribbons was a chore, though after a full half day of simply staring at it, hed learned to discern themat the risk of going cross-eyed.
Seeing nothing obviously amiss, Vir upped the flow, cycling prana in his palm with both his blood and pranites.
Prana flowed into the orb as it shouldve, the inscription rings glowing as they hungrily soaked it in.
Vir stopped, waiting to see if the orb would crack. When it didnt, he continued.
It cracked ten minutester.
One moment, it had been charging fine, and the next, it was broken.
Vir forced himself to breathe, taking several moments to let his anger and frustration pass. If hed failed while in a positive state of mind, anything less than his best would be guaranteed to result in a broken orb.
For the next hour, he studied the broken remains, but to no avail. He wasnt able to glean any hint as to why itd shattered.
Picking up his second orb, he tried again, starting slowly, bringing the orb to within only a few inches of his eyes.
There were so many ribbon rings that the orb was nearly submerged in them. When prana flowed into the inscriptions, they lit up.
Each ring seemed to be isted. What purpose they served, Vir couldnt know. He couldnt even begin to guess.
It was only after staring at the inscriptions for another hourand wondering if hed gone insanedid he find a clue.
While some of the inscriptions happily soaked up prana, others rejected it. Once theyd reached capacity, they seemed to actively resist any more prana, shunting prana heading their way.
Just like blood saturation.
Vir quickly found several more rings that had stopped epting more prana.
Each ring had its own maximal prana capacity. And, like his own blood, there were limits. Attempting to exceed those could very well damage them, simr to how his blood cells burst when filled with too much.
The knowledge was usefulVir simply had to avoid filling those rings. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to do that.
Pulling prana into the orb was more like opening a dam, allowing a torrent of water to rush through. Turning it on was easy. Controlling where the water went was another thing entirely.
The task would have been trivially simpleif the orb was inside his body, like a tattoo. That way, Vir could control the flow, directing it to the proper inscriptions.
As it was, prana outside of his body was entirely beyond his control. And if the inscription rings were already saturated with such a low level of suction force, they might very well break and crack when Vir upped the flow.
Charging the orb slowly wasnt an option, either. At this rate, itd take him a year of continuous charging. He needed a better way.
So he did the only thing he couldcycle blood in his palm, hoping it would redirect some of the flow away from the saturated rings. He used the pranites, because they responded more easily to his directions, and also because he could freely move them in any pattern he wished without worrying about messing up his blood flow.
The result left him underwhelmed. The flow had shifted, just not in the way he wanted to. It was like trying to direct the surging flow of water with a single valve. If he had ten, he mightve been able to aplish his goal. One was simply insufficient.
To Virs dismay, splitting the pranites into multiple loops diluted their attractive power to such a degree that they became useless. Worse still, he had to grasp the orb with the tips of his fingers to have enough control points to direct prana the way he wanted to.
Ten fingersten cirction patterns. Maintaining so many cirction paths strained Virs mind, but that was hardly the worst issue facing him. Grasping the orb with his fingers meant he could no longer circte prana in his palm to create an attractive effect.
Previously, prana would enter his palm from the air on all sides, which meant about half went through the orb and became trapped there.
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Now, the miniscule amount of blood and pranites he cycled near the tips of each finger pulled prana in ten different ways, diluting the attractive force even further. Pressing his wrists together helped, but both the flow rate and his degree of control werent even close to enough.
Vir found Ashanisst syringe of pranites, and, after some fumbling, managed to inject himself, hoping the extra prana machines in his body might get him there.
They didnt.
If Vir was going to ovee this problem, hed need something on another level entirely. Something that would allow him to magnify the force of his attractive current a hundredfold.
Of course, theres nothing like that?
Except there was. Decoupling prana flow from blood flow.
Vir had first gotten the idea at Balindam, when hed witnessed the Pagan Orders non-magical lightwhat they called electricity. It had always remained just an idea. Hed never been sure if it could be done. Not until Ashani had outright asked him why he wasnt doing that.
If only it were so easy, Vir thought, idly willing prana to decouple from his blood. Yes. Just like that. Transferring prana across blood cells would be so!?
Something felt different. Strange. Vir frowned in confusion at his own body. Then his jaw dropped.
He was doing it!
Prana surged freely through his body, liberated from his blood. It felt simr to taking control of his pranites, except this prana had no weight to slow it down. It moved as fast as his mind could control.
And itd taken nothing more than a thought.
How!? Vir thought incredulously.
Hadnt he done exactly that dozens of times prior? If it was this easy
The truth dawned on him.
Pranites. It has to be!
Ashanis pranites had been flowing within Virs body for weeks now. Theyd healed several major injuries, and Vir suspected they were active behind the scenes, too.
Healing. But not restoring him as he was.
Vir didnt know why he never registered it. The pranites wouldnt have known about Virs bodyposition. They were Imperium constructs. Created by the race of godsfor themselves.
The pranites werent simply healing him. Theyd altered his body into the physiology of the gods.
The realization washed over Vir like a wave. He couldnt prove it, of course. Not without Ashani confirming. But if true What did it mean? Were the pranites only changing his body? Or were they altering more? Like who he was?
I dont feel any different, though, Vir thought. His hunch told him they werent altering his identity, and his hunches had rarely led him astray in the past. Still, the tiny machines had certainly done something to his body. Perhaps restoring it to its ideal state?
The Imperium denizens in Ashanis memory sequence looked nearly identical to humans. But humans had never learned to decouple prana from blood. Vir knewhed seen records of mejai whod tried.
He also wondered how demons differed from humans and from the Imperium race.
Virs skin was still the same hue, and he felt as healthy as ever. Prana surged within him, making him brim with vitality.
While there were no doubt other changes, Vir could ask Ashani more about that when she awoke. The current, as Ashani had called it, offered him so many possibilities that it made him giddy. For now, he concentrated on increasing the current in his fingertips, moving prana ording to Parais Barrier pattern, only in reverse, to pull prana into him.
It didnt work. Or rather, it did, but it felt like the pattern was now fighting itself, with some parts attracting, while others repelled.
Does being unbound from blood break the principle that allowed the old pattern to work?
Vir couldnt know, but he did discover that changing the pattern was far less an ordeal than before. In fact, he could alter it as he wished, feeling no pain at all.
After trying various patterns, he found that the simplest onea basic loopfunctioned best. Vir wasntining. Loops were far easier to control thanplex patterns, especially in numbers.
He supplemented this with another loop current in his palm, hardly believing the amount of attraction force his hands now generated. The palm pulled, and the fingertips directed.
I can do this! he thought, taking control of this new ability.
He upped the flow, cycling prana faster and faster. Unlike before, when his body had burned out from moving around so much of it, no such issues bothered him this time. Either Prana Current simply didnt cause burnout, or the limit was far higher.
It wasnt the only limit that had been raised. The rate at which the magical energy moved through his body boggled his mind. There wasnt much blood at all in his fingertips, and yet the attractive force sucked in more prana than his palms had before.
With ten finger points, directing prana into the orb became more tenable, though it was still far from easy. Vir concentrated single-mindedly on the task, guiding the energy away from the sensitive patterns and funneling it into the ones that soaked it up.
The issue was one of quantitythere were dozens of patterns within the orb. No matter how fine his control, some prana still leaked into the filled inscriptions, stressing them.
As he increased the current and upped the flow, the problem only grew worse. At this rate, hed break the orb. So he doubled the number of current loops in his fingers, which doubled his control of the prana.
Simple though they were, maintaining twenty at once took incredible concentration. On the plus side, he pulled prana at a rate unlike ever before, surging so much, it became visible. At this rate, he doubted hed need to keep up the effort for long.
Unfortunately, the more of the orb he filled, the more inscriptions saturated. Which in turn, forced him to keep redirecting the flow in an endless game.
The game mightve been endless, but Vir was more than happy to y it.
The hours passed, and one by one, the inscriptions filled. Despite his best efforts, Virs charging rate slowed. He tried forming even more currents to shift the prana flow, but there was a limit to how many his mind could handle.
He reached it and exceeded it. Were it only for a moment or two, all would have been fine. But hed been concentrating for hours. He caught it toote.
Prana surged into an already-full inscription and the orb cracked and shattered.
Damn you to Ash! Vir roared. All that effort, wasted. And now he had one less orb for Ashani. Only two remained. One empty one, and Ashanis partially filled core.
Vir closed his eyes, taking a long, deep breath. Then he meditated.
When he tried again, hed need his mind to be right. This wasnt a task that could be rushed. It didnt matter if it took days. Hed endure.
He was so close, he could taste it. He wasnt about to fail again.
Chapter 201: Imperium Fabricator Ribbon
Chapter 201: Imperium Fabricator Ribbon
Vir took his time, spending the next days alternating between charging the orb and taking breaks to cycle prana, sleep, and eat.
Though charging Ashanis core took a toll on his mind, it was the prana cycling that left him exhausted. Hed wanted nothing more than to spend every waking hour he had working to revive the goddess, but he knew from experience that his attention would eventually slip. When it did, the orb would crack.
He was down to two cores. He couldnt afford to make mistakes.
And so he rested, ate, and took breaks regrly.
Just that taking breaks didnt sit right with him. Not when Ashanis life was on the line. So instead, he used those hours to expand his prana capacity beyond the ambient density.
At least the pain took his mind off the guilt. How would he exin that two of her precious wolves were now dead because of him? That hed ignored his promise to her and had delved into the Yakshasir? Only sess would make those sacrifices worth it.
Especially since those sacrifices had brought about personal gains for him.
As hed discovered, a single Prana Current loop running around the perimeter of his body worked far better than Parais reverse Barrier pattern to attract prana. It confirmed his theory that Parais techniques, while both beautiful andplex, were still inferior to Prana Current. His ancestor had been forced to move his blood to move his prana. Vir was no longer bound by that restriction.
In the week since he discovered this ability, hed doubled his bloods prana capacity yet again, bringing it to forty times what it was in the Human Realm.
With Current, he could attract prana with a force so unbelievably strong that hed nearly killed himself while testing it. Prana had coalesced around him in a ck vortex, bing visible to the naked eye. It was like a storm of deadly ck magic, with him nestled within the eye.
Unfortunately, as impressive as it was, his blood had burst. Only the pranites had saved him.
Vir had known that the faster the current, the stronger the attraction. He just hadnt anticipated cycling prana across his whole body would create such a strong effect.
If there was a limit to its speed, it was mental; there was only so fast he could will the prana to go. It felt like a soft limit of his mind, rather than anything to do with the prana itself.
Unfortunately, progress on the orb hadnt been nearly as exciting. His pace hadnt improved one bit, though hed learned some tricks to make the process less likely to destroy the cores. As his control over the Prana Current loops grew, so too did his ability to direct the iing energy as he desired. Vir noticed when the prana inscription rings filled to capacity earlier, reducing the likelihood of overloading them.
Now, he was nearly done. Hed charged the orb as much as he dared. While notpletely fullthe risk was too greateven a two-thirds charge would lengthen Ashanis life by years. Possibly even decades.
While hed debated charging them both before waking Ashani, he decided it was wiser to revive her as soon as possible. Not only because of his guilt over having lied to herbut because having Ashani around would help stave off the loneliness. Hed grown fond of her infectious energytely. If he was honest, he missed her.
Vir walked up the stairs from Janaksb with heavy steps. His excitement had gotten the better of him as hed filled the core. His breaks became shorter, and he started to break his own role, foregoing sleep. Now, he felt only anxiety.
Sweat greased his hand, and he had to keep wiping the orb on his clothing. While he was fairly confident hed done it right, he couldnt know. Not until he turned her back on.
Vir found Ashani sitting on the edge of her bed where hed left her, her eyes closed as if meditating. While Janaksb had a station designed to support her when she was down for hibernation or maintenance, she preferred thefort of her own room, which had once belonged to Siya.
Bracing himself, he carefully inserted the core into her back, then turned it clockwise to slot it in ce.
Blue lights flickered on, and the receptacle retracted. Skin materialized over it, hiding any evidence it was there.
A moment went by. Then two. Ashani continued to sit lifelessly, her eyes closed shut.
Virs heart pounded.
Did I mess up? Did I break something without realizing it?
A dozen possibilities yed through his head.
Ashani? Can you hear me?
The goddess eyes fluttered open. She looked around, confused.
Vir? Did you her eyes went wide. So much time has passed! Why?
Vir smiled. How do you feel?
Ashani isI mean, I am well.
Ashani stood up abruptly, nearly knocking Vir back.
Core charge Eighty-three percent!? Oh, Vir
The goddess embraced him, lifting him off his feet and twirling him in the air as if he was a toy.
Woah! Uh, Ashani? Maybe calm down?
O-Oh! she said, setting Vir down, her cheeks red. My apologies! I seem to have gotten carried away.
Dont mention it, Vir said. So, youre really alright?
I believe so One moment, she said, frowning. Vir This isnt my core.
Is something wrong? Is it ipatible?
Ashani rubbed her chin, her eyes flickering rapidly, as if she were reading lines of text on an invisible page.
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No. Not ipatible. Tis a military model core. Rated for higher capacity than my own. Its features differ somewhat from my own, however. I shall need to do more testing to know for certain.
Ashani stared at Vir, her hands on her hips. As if expecting him to say something.
Um, yes?
This is from the Yaksha Guardian, is it not?
Vir pursed his lips. I was really hoping you wouldnt know.
Hed deemed it safer to charge the Yakshas core first. If it wasntpatible, and he identally broke Ashanis primary core, shed have died.
You risked your life? For me? Why do something so foolish?
Youd have died if I did nothing.
Vir was expecting more of a reprimand, but Ashanis expression softened, and she ced a hand on his shoulder. Thank you, she said. I was right to trust you.
I dont know if you were. I really cant believe you put your life in my hands so easily.
Ashani smiled coyly. Lets just say I had a good reason to.
Well, at least you have one mostly full core now. And your old primary one. Still need to fill that. The Yaksha had two cores, but I ended up breaking one. Found another one in the Automaton vault, but I, er I broke that one, too, Vir said sheepishly, embarrassed at his failures.
Now that is a story I need to hear. Ashanis voicecked even a trace of ridicule. How in the world did you defeat that guardian?
Well, Vir grinned. I had some help.
They migrated to the living area, with the moving picture frames on the wall, where Vir spent the next hours narrating his story. Of how hed broken her orb and his moment of panic, followed by his decision to limate to the region before venturing to the vault. He narrated his desperate fight with the Yaksha, ultimately concluding with the loss of her wolves.
That was the part Vir had dreaded narrating the most, and it was also what saddened Ashani the most.
I wish I could do something for you, the goddess said. You have blessed me with a new lease on life. There must be something you want?
I didnt do this for a reward, Ashani, Vir said immediately. Knowing youre alive is reward enough for me.
The goddess smiled. But?
Well, if you happened to have some Artifact weapons lying around I certainly wouldnt say no.
Artifacts, is it? Weapons made by my people? Ashani said, wincing. Im afraid I have no way of reproducing the weapons you saw in the simtion. At best, I could give you my rod, though it would be of little use to you. It was designed for automatons.
And leave you defenseless? Vir eximed. Even if I could use it, Id never do something like that.
A sudden thought urred to him. With all the drama of his fight with the Yaksha, hed almost forgotten about the spool of glowing blue ribbon hed found in the vault.
Can you tell me what this does? Vir asked, retrieving it from his belt pouch.
Ashani rushed over, her eyes going wide. May I? she asked, taking the ribbon from Vir.
What a surprising find, she said, turning it over in her hand.
You know what it is?
An Imperium Fabricator Ribbon. Useless on its own, but when slotted in an appropriate device and configured appropriately Ashani beamed at Vir. You said you wanted a weapon? Tell me, what would you like?
Vir stole nces at Ashani as she worked at a station inside Janaksb, though most of his concentration was on charging her other core. Perhaps because it wasnt a military model like the Yakshas, Vir found it simpler to charge. Itcked as many inscriptions, and they were less temperamental.
Fabricators were among the most versatile of Imperium creations, Ashani said, operating several strange machines with metal arms that swung rapidly back and forth. Sparks flew when they touched the ribbon.
They could augment nearly any Imperium technology in a multitude of ways, limited only by the imagination. They could be fashioned into weapons, armor, decorations, research equipment The list is endless. The only question is, what do you want?
What did he want? Vir didnt know. To even know where to begin, hed need to understand what exactly she meant by her words.
Youre saying this ribbon can create Artifacts? If so, I have some questions. Vir said.
Ask, and I shall answer to the best of my ability.
Can it be used to create more ribbons? Vir asked immediately. If so, he could create not just one, but any number of Artifacts.
Ashani chuckled. It can, but only with enough materials andponents for a new ribbon. Needless to say, such materials have been long lost to time.
Of course, it wouldn''t be that easy.
What about prana cores? Or could it be used to create something that produces cores?
The uses would be endless. Vir might even be able to create magic orbs that used Ash prana.
Certainly, though, again, the base crystal would be required. Without it, the fabricator would have to create that as well. I''m afraid doing so would consume all of the ribbon.
I see, Vir said, somewhat disappointed. Orb-based magic that was unique to him would''ve given him a great deal of power, at least until he got some Ultimate Tattoos. What about weapons, then? How many can it make? And can it be reused?
Fabricator ribbons cannot be reused. They forge themselves into the object they create, bing a permanent part of it. As for how much it can create, that depends entirely on the size andplexity of the construction.
Say, a talwar that could cut through Imperium metal? Vir asked. He was about to ask about katars but realized hed probably want more reach from a devastating Imperium Artifact.
One moment, Ashani said, her hands whirring over a translucent image that sprung up over her table. It disyed numbers, letters, and a diagram of a sword, with lines pointing to its various parts.
Ashani moved her hands, and the sword rotated in midair.
The amount of fabricator ribbon here is sufficient to create one of these weapons, assuming enough metal is provided.
Vir frowned. Imperium metal? he asked. I scoured the city and couldnt find any. The ones that have lost their inscription patterns arent good for anything.
Ashani shook her head. Using Imperium steel would reduce the fabrication cost, but a range of other materials are suitable.
Wait. What if we used something other than steel? Vir asked, thinking of how weapons designed for magical enhancement were sometimes built with wood or other materials. Would it impact the function of the weapon?
Ashani brought up images of several materials Vir had never seen.
The Imperium used a number of prana-fiberposites in their construction. Depending on the weapon enhancements, these weapons could be both lighter and stronger than regr steel. While these materials are unavable to us, we could have the fabricator create them, at a cost.
Vir immediately thought of Maiyas Enhance Speed orb and what it had done for Virs deadliness. Something told him those advanced Imperium capabilities would be as useful as an Artifact made of Imperium metal.
Some advice, if I may? Ashani asked.
Please.
I understand your fondness for short-range weapons, but I feel I must tell you that the safest weapons are of the ranged variety. The ability to inflict damage upon your opponent while keeping yourself safe is an invaluable advantage in battle.
Thats true, Vir replied. Hed experienced firsthand just how powerful Chakram Barrage was. The only issue with Chakrams was he kept losing them
Ashani? How about a chakram that can return to me? Would we have any ribbon left?
Ashani inputted the details, and an image of a basic steel chakram popped up. It was unadorned and looked identical to his own.
Plenty left, she said. I could fashion multiple such items, though do be aware that the prana consumption would be quite high. Its ability to fly onplex paths is entirely dependent on the amount of ambient Ash prana in the air.
Wait. Complex paths? Vir asked. You mean itll seek out enemies on its own?
He envisioned his chakram wreaking havoc, flying from one enemy to the next, a spinning disk of destruction. Vir very much liked that idea.
We certainly can, for an additional cost.
Vir spent the next hour fine-tuning the details with Ashania task that proved far more difficult than hed anticipated. As it turned out, too much of a good thing was also problematic. From exotic materials to imbuing the chakrams with prana reserves to buzzing razor des that multiplied their lethality, the endless options made his head spin.
Unfortunately, these fancy customizations were expensive, forcing Vir to forfeit the other abilities he desired. To give the chakrams a battery, as Ashani had called it, hed have to sacrifice the ability to recall the chakram, and vice versa.
Ultimately, his decision hade down to the weapon remaining functional outside the Ash. Exotic materials were all fine and well when he had the prana to power them. The wooden sword might be faster and lighter than a steel one, but without magic, it was little more than a toy.
That wasnt to say that Vir had sacrificed all the options, however. After pooling their minds, he felt theyde up with something quite interesting in the end.
Lets go with that, then, he said.
Very well, Ashani replied, a trace of excitement in her voice as she looked upon the simted image of the beautifnd deadlydisk. Even Janak would be proud of such an exquisite piece.
Chapter 202: The Truth of Power
Chapter 202: The Truth of Power
Vir had dreaded returning to the scene of his battle with the Phantomde. This time, however, he had some serious support. He had all the remaining ten wolves. And he had Ashani.
Hed underestimated the goddess. Now that she no longer worried about her energy consumption, she unleashed her true power upon their hapless foes. And what a power that was!
A single lightning strike summoned by her rod downed an entire flight of Shrikesthe least of which had to have been above Br 800.
As such, the journey had been easy. Even casual.
Once there, Vir got to work gathering the dead Phantomdes spikes. Many had already been consumed by whatever mechanism kept the road free from ash, but there were still plenty left.
The shiny ck armor looked identical to obsidian, though Vir knew from experience they were pliable rather than brittle.
Gather one or two of therger ones and several smaller ones, she said, handing Vir a handy backpack that shed conjured out of thin air. It was, unsurprisingly, pure white, though Vir had her turn it ck. The act took nothing more than a simple wave of her hands.
Really gotta learn how to do that someday, Vir thought, epting the featherweight bag.
Wont this rip? he asked. It was far too light to be durable. In fact, it weighed nearly nothing.
No need to worry. Youll find that bag nearly impossible to rip. I assure you.
O-oh. Thanks, Vir said, realizing shed just bequeathed him an Artifact of the Gods. He wasnt even sure if there were any Artifact bags floating around the realms. His mightve been the first.
Vir got to work filling the bag with the Phantomdes scales. True to her word, the sharp spikes didnt so much as faze the bag, and with itsfortable adjustable straps, he barely felt the weight.
They made good time back to Janaksb, where Ashani unfurled the ribbon,ying it out on a worktable. She then took the Phantomde spikes, cing them on top of the ribbon.
Your weapons, please, Ashani said, extending her hand.
Vir handed her his two remaining chakrams, and she put them beside the spikes, also on top of the ribbon.
A translucent amber panel sprung up in midair above the ribbon. Ashanis fingers blurred, manipting it. The image changed until it matched the weapon hed customized with her earlier.
Are you certain you wish to proceed? she asked. The creation of this weapon will consume the ribbon. The process cannot be undone.
Vir nodded. Do it.
Ashani made one final gesture, and the amber screen shed three times, then shifted, showing a vertical bar that slowly filled.
A small ck cloud sprung from the ribbon, enveloping the materials, hiding them from sight. At first, Vir thought theyd unleashed a Prana Swarm, but the truth was closer to that of a Pranite Swarm, working to craft Virs weapon.
Ashani''s revtion that Prana Swarms were masses of out-of-control pranites lingered on his mind. He quickly turned away from that terrifying train of thought.
The process will take a day or two, she said.
That long? Vir asked, interrupting his thoughts. Hed expected it to take only a few minutes, based on how quickly Ashani managed to conjure food and water.
These ribbons were designed to work in conjunction with other Imperium technology. Im afraid that without those aids, progress will be slow.
Thats alright, Vir said, cracking his neck. I have something else I want to test out, and I was hoping you could help.
Itd be my pleasure.
Vir stood in a simted world, though unlikest time, Ashani didnt project Mahdi. In fact, the projection wasnt anything at allVir stood in the middle of an infinite expanse of white. As if he was in the middle of a great cloud.
What would you like? Ashani asked, shing before him.
This white is disorienting, Vir said. How about a nice field of grass? Maybe like arge meadow in a forest?
The world transformed, with earth forming under his boots. Vir saw grass grow before his eyes, budding from seeds to cover thendscape. In the distance, trees grew within seconds, turning from saplings to great, tall woods.
This ce is truly amazing, Vir whispered in awe. Youre certain itll simte all my powers urately?
Indeed, it will. So long as it doesnt pertain to the metaphysical artsthis is a new phenomenon, and not modeled in my simtion program.
Well, I cant use Chakra, anyway. Only prana.
Then you will find this simtion indistinguishable from reality, she said.
Well, alright then. Lets begin.
Prana Current activated, flowing prana across Virs blood.
Initially, the concept of cycling prana in a loop within his body didnt seem like itd have many applications, but the more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
Vir initiated an attraction Current loop that ran along the entire perimeter of his bodybeing careful to keep the cycling rate low, lest he burst his blood.
Feeling the prana press on him, he quickly formed a separate loop running the opposite way, which drove ambient prana away.
Then he multiplied the flow.
A vortex of prana swirled around him. Calm at first, then fiercer. The torrent of prana became visible, like a tornado, with Vir at the center.
It was identical to Parais technique that had allowed him to survive in the Mahdi Realm initially, only better. Prana Armor formed quicker and was far denser than before.
What was morehe could now create armor on specific parts of his body, almost on demand. While allowing the armor to build up over time strengthened it, even just a second or two of armor gave him meaningful protection. Perhaps not against Ash Beasts, but others would have a hard time cutting through.
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As a bonus, the same ck prana mes that burned off the Ashfire Wolves'' hides cloaked him when he activated the armorsuch was their density. Though it served no practical purpose, it cut quite the imposing image.
Impressive, Ashani said, walking around him. You have mastered the art of decoupling prana from blood.
Virs eyes narrowed. Ashani When you administered those pranites, did you ever suspect something like this might happen?
Ashanis eyes bulged, her expression one of utter shock. Why, how could I have known? she said, cing a finger against a dimple on her cheek.
Has anyone told you youre a terrible liar?
Ashani flushed, and Virughed.
Thank you, he said. You may just have given me the greatest boon I could ever have hoped for.
The goddess smiled. Twas the least I could do after you saved my life. Not only once, but twice. Besides, I had little choice. It was either that, or allow you to die.
Alright, how about we start with a Shredder? Vir said.
Strength?
The same as what Id find in the Mahdi Realm, slightly closer to the core of the city, Vir replied. Shredders were said to range from Br 180 to 300, but that was in the Ash. Here in the Mahdi Realm, he figured theyd be closer to 400.
A single bipedal lizard materialized twenty paces away from Vir.
Alright,e on! Show me what youve got! Vir shouted.
The Shredder shrieked, Leaping to him in an instant. Its vicious ws struck him And stopped dead in their tracks.
Prana Armor held. Dented, but functional.
The Shredder paused, surprised at the inefficacy of its attack.
Nice try. My turn.
While Prana de didnt initially seem like it would benefit from a current, the ability relied on Vir spiraling prana within his arm before letting it shoot out.
So, what would happen if he spun the energy twice as fast as before? What about ten times as fast?
It wasnt Prana de that activatedit was de Projection. The de of prana was so deadly, so massive, it made Vir shudder. Manifesting as a visible me of pure ck, it radiated bottomless power. Whats morethe weightless weapon was nearly as tall as Vir, yet remained as nimble as his regr katar.
The Shredder tried to retreat. It failed.
Vir Empowered his deadly de Projection, and his arm nearlyunched out of its socket.
He didnt feel the moment of impact.
I missed?
The shredder froze in its tracks. For a moment, it simply stood there. Then its upper half slowly slid down, right off of its legs.
Vir hadnt missed.
Its two pieces copsed to the ground, bisected.
No way!
Uh, Ashani? Vir said in a faltering voice. C-Can you make another? Actually, make three.
The lizards rushed him, but Vir didnt move.
Stowing his katar, he spiraled prana even faster, allowing it to shoot out of the gaps between his fingers.
Prana surged, forming des of ck that extended from his clenched fist.
Vir shed, slicing into the Shredders arm. He drove his prana ws into its torso, activating Blink to drive his attack through, ending the beast.
Another Shredder attacked, but Vir spun out of the way, willing his prana to fly. Darts of Ash prana shot from his handsa barrage of tiny arrows.
While none prated the Shredders prana armor outright, they steadily chipped away at it. When that was gone, they drove into its skull, ending it.
Haste activated, slowing the world around him to a third of normal.
Vir danced around the beast, eviscerating it with an endless rain of shes and darts. It didntst long.
And I dont even need weapons to kill it!
Virughed, reveling in the absurdity of this new power.
Cirayus had been right. There was no substitute. What Ash Beast could hurt him now?
Prana Currents effects were manifold. Everything benefited.
And Katar Launch?
Ashani? How about something a little harder? How about a Yaksha?
Are you certain? Ashani asked. Your new strength is quite impressive, but Im unsure you understand the true power of a Yaksha.
Vir scratched his cheek. How many times stronger than that Shredder do you think a Yaksha is?
At least twenty times the strength.
So, about Br 8000
I suppose that figures, Vir said, thinking of the insane Yakshas duel against the Wyrm. Alright, what if you restricted it to only its melee weapons?
Hmm, Ashani said, thinking deeply. Eight times as strong as that Shredder you defeated.
Okay, Vir said, understanding just how outmatched hed been against the Yaksha, Remove its godlike speed.
Three times the strength.
Br 1200 to 1600, huh? Vir muttered. Alright. Lets see how this goes.
Vir turned on everybat passive he hadCurrent, Prana Armor, Toughen, and Haste.
The Six-armed Yaksha guardian appeared in front of him, though this one had a rotating golden sphere in ce of its legs.
Vir immediately fired de Launch, knowing that without its speed, the Yaksha would be forced to take the attack.
The de of prana erupted from his katar like a surge of ck fire, tearing a gash into the grass, before smashing into the guardian.
It shirked away, but couldnt avoid the attack. The de severed its three right arms, but Vir didnt have time to rejoice. Darkness encroached at the edge of his vision and he copsed.
Vir came to immediately. He was standing again. As if the darkness had been an illusion.
I simted what would happen had you actually used that attack using only the prana in your body, Ashani said. You would very nearly have died.
Uh, thanks, Vir said, understanding just how bad that could have been if hed tested it in the middle of a fight.
It also boggled him that despite the recent doubling of his blood capacity, when Current was active, the ability now sucked all the prana out of him. It left him a dry husk.
This simted world of yours is really handy, he admitted.
Vir could picture himself training here, fighting all sorts of enemies. Itd be such a decisive advantage.
The Yaksha stood inert, with all its limbs restored.
Youre telling me it regenerates that fast? he asked.
Of course! As can I. Dont you remember?
Oh, right. He had seen her rebuild her arm before his very eyes. Really shouldnt be shocked by the astounding things the Imperium could do anymore
Despite the oue of the mock battle, he was more than pleased. Katar Launch had actually harmed an Imperium creation! Granted, it was a simted, crippled version of an Imperium creation that had already reconstituted itself, but still
Alright, can you just have it stand there this time? Vir asked. I want to test out my other abilities.
The Yaksha is all yours, Ashani replied, moving out of the way.
Vir activated Katar Launch again, but this time, allowed prana to flow into him. He still shuddered from the surge.
The de ripped forth, so thick it was visible, again tearing up the grass.
Chakram Launch, however, was no different from before. For prana to stick to the circr disk, it had to be spun at a very particr rate before leaving Virs body. Increasing that rate only caused the prana to detach from the chakram, making the ability fail.
Still, Vir was hardly fazed. He felt like hed only just broached the surface of what Current could do, and it had already multiplied his power.
Its ability to pull prana made his abilities unfairly powerful within the Ash, but just as important, it meant hed be able to pull in more prana from the ground once in the Demon Realm. Hed need that edge against the more abundant affinities there.
Both Toughen and Empower benefited from cycling prana current while activating those abilities. For Toughen, Vir dumped prana into the area of his body he wanted to strengthen against blows. The current simply amplified the effect.
It made Vir wonder what all he could achieve by flowing prana across the chakra points in his body. He guessed that Parais pattern was soplex because the demon was working with the constraints of both blood and chakras. Vir had eschewed thoseplex patterns in favor of simple loops for now, but he wondered if there were gains to be had by linking chakras together in a simpler pattern than what Parai did.
Of course, to do so, hed need to be aware of those chakra points location, and hed likely have to open the chakras as well. It was a long way off.
For now, he stuck to the loops. They were plenty powerful as they were.
Dance of the Shadow Demon was the only other ability that didnt see a boon from the current, though Vir supposed it made sense. Its activation was more a matter of gathering prana in his legs and willing himself to sink into the ground. Current helped little with that.
Interestingly, Ashanis simtion failed to properly model the Shadow Realm. Instead of choosing exits, Vir simply popped back up in his own shadow.
Ashani shrugged. It cant simte everything.
What about buildings? Vir asked. Mahdis spires sprung up all around them, piercing into the clouds.
Perfect.
Vir High Jumped, soaring nearly three hundred paces into the air. As with the other powers, it, too, had benefited from his Current.
Vir kicked off of the spires wall, Leaping with Current active. Where his max range had once been two hundred paces, now it was over three hundred.
He bounded from one tower to the next, high in the sky. It wasnt quite flying, but it was close. Virughed in glee as he somersaulted,ing tond right in front of Ashani.
You seem to be enjoying yourself, Ashani said with bemusement.
Ashani?
Yes?
Vir closed his eyes, took a deep, long breath, then exhaled slowly.
For the first time in my life, I no longer feel outssed. I feel strong. And you know what? It feels good.
Chapter 203: Oath
Chapter 203: Oath
Vir spent the next days charging Ashanis other core and meditating. While he wanted to spend every free moment he had in her simted world, the action drained her energy at an rming rate.
So instead, Vir contented himself with conversing with the goddess and improving his bloods prana capacity.
He had mixed feelings about his newfound strength. On the one hand, he was positive his Br Rank easily exceeded five hundred, given the range of area-damaging abilities he now had. Furthermore, he easily dispatched three Shredders, each of which was around Br 400.
On the other hand, his power gains were all temporaryboosted by the Ashen Realm. He held little doubt that hed be weakened significantly in the Demon Realm. Cirayus had confirmed that prana there was even more scarce than it was in the Human Realm, after all. That would affect everyone, of course, but itd affect him more, given the rtive dearth of Ash prana.
Still, there was a big difference now. He now had an advantage that no one in the Demon Realm wouldthe ability to store prana inside his body. Enough to make a difference.
If it was safe, hed have loved to spend as much time as possible deeper within the Realm, increasing his capacity further. But even with Ashanis help, the monsters that lurked there made venturing any deeper far too dangerous.
That Janak had shown no sign of himself only proved the pointVir wasnt ready, and he suspected it wasnt simply a matter of prana capacity.
As much as it irked him, hed uncovered no leads on how to contact the god. If he could even be contacted. If Janak was in the central spire of the city as Vir suspected, it was possible he couldnt get out.
Just like how I cant get in. Is he trapped? Is he hoping that I save him? Vir thought. If so, he definitely wasnt ready.
Vir walked over to the Ribbon, hard at work on crafting his new weapon. Hed found that his productivity was inversely corrted to the progress of the bar; the closer it got to finishing, the less he was able to get done.
It was difficult to see what exactly was happeningthe swarm of pranites obscured the working. Which, of course, only heightened Virs anticipation.
ording to Ashani, the process was nearlyplete.
After a quick stretch, Vir sat down to finish charging Ashanis other core when the goddess appeared in front of him.
We may have an issue, she said.
Why? Whats wrong?
The Wyrm is chasing one of my wolves. The small one.
The runt leader, Vir thought. The wolf had aided Vir several times already.
Is this the wyrm thats been hanging out nearby? he asked. The one that fought the Yaksha?
Ashani nodded, a look of great worry on her face. Indeed.
What can we do? Vir asked. Can we hide the wolf?
Wyrms never abandon their prey. Not unless they are gravely injured.
Vir recalled Cirayus saying the same.
So the choice is to abandon the wolf, or to fight, Vir said with a frown.
We cannot fight, Vir. Not even I would survive.
Except, this isnt any ordinary Wyrm, Vir said. Its barely alive.
Ashani paused. True. Ive never seen one this small before. But even so
You said it yourself, didnt you? There is no hiding from a Wyrm.
Actually, I could, she said, cing a hand on her chest. I can hole up in here and outwait Wyrms for years or decades. They do eventually grow bored. However, Im afraid that is not an option for you.
Hmm. True. Unless Vir said, thinking of another n.
Yes, Ashani said, nodding. I could send him away through my Ash Gate.
Alright, then thats our backup strategy. Lets first see if we can fight this thing, Vir said. If not, we hole up in here until my chakrams ready. Then well both leave.
The Wyrm slinked through the street, bent on destroying Ashanis wolf. What the poor animal had done to offend it, Vir didnt know. But given the broken mental state of the beasts in this realm, it didnt take much to set them off.
Katar Launch ripped through the air, crashing headlong into the Wyrm. It tore through the beast, killing dozens of tiny worms as it did but the beast hardly even noticed. It immediately reconstituted, not even slowing its chase.
Vir Blinked to Ashanis side on a roof of a short spire nearby.
Well, the good news is your simtion was urate, he said. My attack really was that powerful.
And the bad news? Ashani asked, her lips taut.
Your simtion was urate. Wyrms really are godlike. Even ones that are half-dead.
Vir now wondered how much of the Yakshas battle had been put on, and how much had actually been fighting for its life.
Its not as small as I remember, Vir said.
And yet, Ashani said, it is the smallest of its kind I have everid eyes on. My turn.
Ashani mmed her rod into the roof. Her rod glowed with a blinding amount of Lightning prana, and a tremendous bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky.
It didnt so much as hit the Wyrm as skewer it, instantly setting it aze.
Woah, Vir breathed. Its power was simply iparable to any attack hed ever seen. Even the Mejai of Realms A Grade Lightning spell hadnt been on this level.
Thousands of its constituent pieces fell away, dead, and the Wyrm screeched, thrashing in agony.
A few more of those and itll be dead! Vir said, feeling his excitement growing.
Ashani was grim. If only I could. My rod cannot sustain a rapid session of such powerful attacks. It will overload.
How long until it can fire again?
Another five minutes for such a powerful st. I can manage small bolts more quickly.
Got it, Vir said. Ill keep it distracted until youve had enough time to cast it again.
Be careful! she said.
Vir cracked his neck. I got this. Trust me.
Finally. Time to let powers loose.
Simted enemies were nice, but was there anything quite like testing a slew of new powers against a real foe? Especially one so almighty?
The world slowed around Vir as Haste activated. Heunched off the rooftop, straight down at the wyrm below.
Prana Current lit. Vir extended his arm, and a barrage of deadly Ash Prana darts short forth, bombarding the Wyrm.
Given the beastsposition, the darts were more effective than a single, powerful attack. The darts didnt just take out constituent wormseach pierced through several at once, skewering them. The barrage felled them by the dozens.
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Each constituent worm could only generate a thinyer of prana armor, which meant that unlike most Ash Beasts, Wyrms were more vulnerable to weaker attacks.
Just that there were usually millions of themlosing a few thousand was but a small flesh wound to them.
Vir fired a Katar Launch the instant hended on the Imperium road. Prana surged through his legs.
Without waiting to see the result, he Blinked away, perching on the side of a spire just as his attack hit. He grabbed onto a window ledge with his left hand, and with his right, heunched another Katar Launch. He Leaped again.
Vir jumped from tower to tower, bombarding the Wyrm from every conceivable direction, feeling the prana roar through his body.
Worms fell steadily away. The giant creature was lethal, but only if its constituent worms managed to touch him.
It couldnt kill what it couldnt hit, after all.
The mythical beast clearly wasnt used to fighting such mobile, airborne prey. Vir simply moved too fast, the towers acting as hisunchpads.
The Wyrm slowly shrunk, shriveling up.
Virs attacks slowed. While his bodys ability to channel prana had grown by leaps and bounds, hed never used so much prana in a fight. Not since his Chakram Barrage with the der.
His slower pace allowed the Wyrm time to regain its bearings. Constituent worms detached from the main body, flying at Vir with terrifying speed. He dodged most, but some bit into his prana armor. Enough to end him, but a targeted burst of Ashanis lightning burned them off of him.
Vir clucked his tongue in irritation. That was not only too close forfort, Ashanis intervention lengthened the duration until her next cast.
The tide of battle shifted, and Vir was forced on the defensive to conserve his prana usage. He was winning, but not fast enough.
Just a little more. Were so close!
A great bolt of lightning had something to say about that.
With a deafening roar that left Virs ears ringing and his hair standing up on end, the power of the gods skewered the Wyrm, paralyzing it long enough for it to fall out of the sky and crash to the ground.
Vir didnt waste this precious opportunity.
Katar in hand and de Projection active, he reaveda spinning de of death. Vir danced around the fallen Wyrm, killing hundreds of baby worms with each strike.
The giant beast dissolved into a million tiny ones, hoping to swarm him.
Unfortunately for it, Vir could escape fast. Very fast. He sunk into the strong shadow of a nearby spire and appeared halfway up its side, clinging to a ledge for support.
From his vantage, Vir battered the ground with impunity, sending a barrage of Prana Darts raining on the beast.
He was winning. But not fast enough. If it became a battle of attrition, the Wyrm would win. Virs body would burn out from channeling too much prana, and that would be the end.
The Wyrm had shrunk to half its original size, but Virs movements continued to slow. More and more, he favored Micro Leaps and Empowerprana efficient abilitiesover the shier, more powerful Katar and Chakram Launch.
His strikes dealt damage, lopping off more and more of the mythical beast, but at the cost of safety, bringing him closer and closer to the worms.
Vir wasnt sure when theyd managed totch on. Perhaps it was when hed gouged deeply into its body with de Projection. Or maybe it was when hed run along its side, skewering a line of death from front to back.
He hadnt noticed at firsttheyd been busy devouring his Prana Armor. It was only when they wiggled through his brigandine and began to gnaw at his flesh did he feel the pain.
By then, it was toote.
Vir copsed onto the street, screaming in agony as the tiny worms burrowed into his flesh, consuming him.
Think! Do something!
There was no time to think. His body reacted instinctively. He red his prana, opening his pores.
Ash prana exploded out from him in all directions, draining his reserves.
But it did the job. The worms that had invaded him died instantly, and his pranites set out to heal him.
Vir! Ashani screamed.
Vir looked up just in time to see the maw of the great Wyrm descend over him.
He barely managed to suck enough prana into him to activate Dance, sinking into his shadow just before he met his end.
That was too close, he thought, considering his situation in the Shadow Realm. I need an edge.
Something that didnt require much prana, but was capable of harming this enemy.
Vir looked out at his exits, finding one in particr that caught his attention. It showed an Ashfire wolfthe runt leader. And it carried something very familiar in its mouth.
Surfacing near the wolf, Vir caught its attention.
Thank you, he said, retrieving the chakram it carried. Ill put this to good use.
Vir gripped the ck-and-gold chakram. In any other situation, hed have gawked at its exotic beauty, but now, he just wanted to use it.
Though hed never used Imperium magic before, the knowledge came almost immediately. Vir willed the Artifact of the Gods to activate, and the moment he did, geometric blue lines sprung to life all over the disk, entuating its otherworldly beauty.
But this was no mere work of art. It was a weapon of the deadliest caliber.
The chakram hummed. Razor des deployed around its outer edge, vibrating in ce, their tips coated with Ash prana. And yet, Vir was somehow able to grasp it barehanded without injury.
The deadly weapon sucked hungrily from the air, and Vir could almost feel its bloodlust.
Lets see what you can do.
He hurled the divine weapon at the Wyrm.
The moment the disk left his hand, the razor des began to spin rapidly, emitting a high-pitched scream.
The beasts maw opened, thinking to swallow it.
The chakram entered and exited out its back.
Then it reversed course, ripping a new hole into the wyrms body.
No way
It exited. It entered. It exited again, and it entered. The chakram had a mind of its own, decimating the Wyrm with its deadly vibrating des.
The shrill scream emitted by the chakram was joined by the Wyrms own death throes.
The beast writhed in agony as bits and pieces of it sloughed off.
Ashanis lightning struck again, annihting half of the remaining beast, while Virunched into action, adding his own attacks to the mix.
The Wyrm, now barely a third of its already-reduced size, took to the air, desperate to escape the flying disk of death.
They had done it. They had forced a Wyrm, of all things, to flee.
Vir extended his arm. The chakram obeyed, flying back to him andnding securely in his hand.
Steam hissed from the disk, and it was hot to the touch.
This might be the most powerful weapon Ive ever seen.
It had not only driven off a Wyrm, but it could punch through prana armor with ease and was intelligent enough to attack his enemies on its own.
Those features might not function once he left the Ash, but the metal it was made of was aposite that Ashani assured him was as tough as Imperium Steel.
The Wyrm shrieked from high in the air, and Ashani suddenly appeared at Virs side.
You need to leave. Now! she said.
Why? Vir asked. We drove it off!
Ashani stared at the sky.
It has summoned its brethren.
Vir paled. Its brethren? You mean other Wyrms?
Ashani nodded gravely.
I thought you said they donte out this far from the core?
I thought so as well. But look. She pointed off into the distance.
A half dozen full-size Wyrms descended from the storm clouds. Their mile-long bodies cast shadows upon the already-dark city.
We cant fight that, Vir whispered to himself.
Ashani shut her eyes in concentration and extended an arm.
Reality cracked, like a shattering mirror.
Spiderwebs spread out in front of her, expanding into an oval that looked into a deep nothingness.
Then the image shimmered, and an image took shape. The edge of a forest, and a small valley beyond.
The Mahakurma! Virughed.
What is it? Ashani asked.
Never thought the day woulde when Id be happy to see those Domain Lords, Vir said, stepping through.
Oh, wait, he said, turning around. We still need to get your other core um, Ashani?
Ashani waited on the other side, staring at him with a somber expression.
Why Why are you looking at me like that?
I never believed it, you know? Not truly. Yet everything I have wished for has happened. Everything it told me would happen, happened, she said, smiling despite her tears.
I dont understand. What
You extended my life, Ashani said. You showed me that there is still hope. I will remember you for the rest of my days.
Panic filled Virs stomach.
What are you saying?
Oh my dear friend, I cannot cross through my own Ash Gates. If I could have, dont you think Id have left to seek my people?
Virs blood ran cold.
Ashanis wolves crowded protectively around their mother, baring their fangs at the approaching Wyrms. It would not be long before they arrived.
Thats no, Vir said, his words barely more than a whisper. I-I was going to show you the Demon Realm! We were going to travel the world together! Were those hopes of yours a lie?
I had hoped, she said. Id held hope that you might know a way. But you do not. Do you?
Virs words caught in his throat. What could he say to her? Maybe if hed practiced his chakras. Maybe if hed opened them, hed know more.
But he didnt. He hadnt. Vir didnt have the slightest clue.
My apologies, Ashani said. Tis presumptuous of me to ask for such a thing.
No! Thats not it at all! Vir thought, furiously trying toe up with a solution. But sometimes there just wasnt an answer.
The Wyrms were close now.
Vir started forth, but the gate wobbled in front of him. Ashanis image distorted.
Lad! Cirayus roared, bounding up to him. The giant grabbed him with all four arms, locking him in ce.
Let go! Vir cried, fighting the demon with every muscle in his body. I need to go back. I need to help her!
Dont you dare! Cirayus thundered. That gate is no longer stable. Youll be cut to pieces! I''ll not lose you again!
Ashani! Vir roared. I wont leave you to die!
Ashani smiled coyly. Oho? Who said anything about dying?
You cant fight them.
No. But theyve yet to track me. I shall do what I have always done to deal with such threats. Hide. And hibernate. In time, they will bore and leave.
Ashani urged her wolves along, and they disappeared into the nearby buildings, whimpering.
But now, she continued, I have more life than I ever could have hoped for.
This cant be happening, Vir thought. Hadnt he just grown stronger? What use was that strength if he couldnt even protect the ones he cared about? How many times would he have to lose those precious to him?
Vir scowled in fury. Cirayus released him only when hed exhausted himself, and he slumped to his knees.
I refuse to ept this. I cant lose her. I wont.
So Vir did the only thing he could. He swore an oath.
I will return, Ashani. Vir locked eyes with the goddess. I will I will return.
Ashanis smile lost its sadness, turning beautiful, like a blossoming flower.
Then I shall eagerly await that day. My friend.
The gate winked shut, and she was gone.
Vir drove his fists into the ground. Prana Current surged, and a maelstrom of deadly ck prana coalesced around him like a storm. A visible storm of prana, billowing furiously around his body. Nowhere was safe.
Cirayus backed away.
Vir looked up to the sky, and he roared. In anguish. In defiance against Fate itself. Swearing to the gods that he would return for her one day.
Consumed by his emotions, Vir never noticed the ck blur that had slipped through the gate before it closed.
Chapter 204: (One): Power Overwhelming
Chapter 204: (One): Power Overwhelming
Cirayus was beginning to think hed made a huge mistake by restraining the boy.
The City of the Gods, he said nkly.
Yes, Vir replied, frowning at the ground.
An Imperium Goddess. The Goddess Ashani! Cirayus said. Who can create Ash Gates.
Yes, Vir repeated.
And you left her behind? The giant roared.
You were the one who stopped me from going back! Vir shouted, driving his fist into the wall of their abode.
With just his fist? Cirayus thought, eyeing the impression Vir had made into the hard rock. Hes stronger now. Iparably stronger! By Adinat, just how much prana must course within his body to be so physically strong?
And the cyclone of prana that had whipped around Vir when hede through the Ash Gate earlier
The terrifying image yed through Cirayus mind in a loop, even now. To channel so much prana that it became visible Hed witnessed nothing like it in his four centuries of life. Just what secrets had Vir learned in that realm? What gifts had he been bestowed by the goddess? How strong was he now? Cirayus shivered in anticipation. Anticipation, and awe.
Vir paced around the home, fidgeting, his hand brushing against the handle of his katar as he summarized his time in the Mahdi Realm.
The more Cirayus heard the more his amazement grew.
For centuries, hed striven to glean what he could about the Age of Gods. Both to understand demonkinds ancestors and because such knowledge might very well lead to an improvement for demonkinds lives. Who knew what sorts of secretsy buried in their past?
And now, in just under a day, Vir had learned more than Cirayus had in four hundred years.
Vir sat on a chair and clutched his hair.
Cirayus was no stranger to loss, of course. How many times had he watched those he cared about pass on? Both on and off the battlefield. The most recent of which still scarred him.
Hed lied when hed told Vir earlier that hed found ways of dealing with death. It never got easier. Not for those who were truly close to him.
Others dealt with it by closing off their hearts, often bing cold and lonely in the process.
Cirayus never had. Rather, he refused to. He felt that putting the world at arms length would make him lose something precious. That the loss of his wives, sons, daughters, and grandchildren in the Chitrans coup struck so hard meant he still cared.
Unfortunately, it also nearly destroyed him. To this day, he wondered whether fleeing into the Ash with the young Vir was for the boys benefit or his own. Was he ready to return to that realm? Was he ready to confront all those hed lost?
The Chits would pay dearlyof this he had no doubt. But even if he single-handedly annihted their n, how was he supposed to look his progeny in the eye after hed failed them so thoroughly?
Cirayus couldnt say. The wounds were still too raw for him. Still fresh.
It was why he knew no words could console the boy. Only time would do that.
Time And a distraction.
The boy needed to release those pent-up emotions. And, to be honest, so did Cirayus.
When Vir had disappeared, Cirayus had nearly broken. Only by spending time in his Chakra mindscape, meditating, did he stop himself from copsing entirely. It was too much. He''d thought for certain that all had been lost. And now...
You look like you want to kill something,d, Cirayus said.
Youre Ash-damned right, I do. If it wasnt for that Wyrm
Well, they may not be Wyrms, but those Domain Lords out there are still waiting for you.
Why bother? Vir asked. I know I can take them.
Oho? Cirayus said yfully, betraying none of his internal turmoil. Quite the confidence. I wonder if you can back that up?
Vir looked unamused.
Alright, Cirayus said, stroking his beard. Fell the remaining Domain Lords, and we will leave this ce. Tis what you want, is it not? To venture deeper into the Ash?
Vir paused, thinking it over, then nodded. Shouldnt take long.
Cirayus eyes twinkled with anticipation. He had a feeling he was about to see something quite special.
Vir walked toward the Domain Lords territory, his mind a dark storm of thoughts.
Why didnt she tell me? he thought. If she only said she couldnt go through her own Ash Gates
What would he have done? Lingered in the Mahdi Realm until hed devised a solution?
How absurd. Ashani was many times more knowledgeable than him. If she hadnt figured out a way, what hope did he have? She must have known hed behave this way. She mustve wanted to keep him from worrying.
Vir ground his teeth. The goddess was too nice for her own good. She was better than him. Superior. And yet, shed chosen not to worry him, even over her own chances of survival.
Arriving at the Valley of Lords, he took in the scene.
Despite having been gone a month in the Mahdi Realm, hed only been missing a day here. And already, a new Lord had moved into his territory, while the lesser lords no longer allowed him passage.
The firstan Ash Wolfdied to Virs Fist Projection. He Blinked up to it so fast, it had no time to react.
Virs bare fistcoated in a de of Ash pranaskewered it through. The ck beast died before it knew what had even hit it.
One down. Four to go.
Vir walked across the Lords domain and confronted the next in linean Ash Biter.
The bipedal humanoid beast, seeing Vir ughter the other Lord, moved quickly in anticipation of the uing attack. Just, not quickly enough.
Haste activated, and the world slowed to a crawl.
Raising his palm, Vir fired a volley of Prana Darts. He darted behind the enemy and fired another, and finally a third volley.
Like the Ash Wolf before it, the Biter copsed without ever having understood how it died.
Vir cracked his neck, moving steadily on.
The Third Lord was the one who had moved into his domain, and it, too, was familiar. The remnants of the Tusker colony hed driven out had returned, iming this new territory as their own.
The Tuskers bounded out of their burrows, forming a line before Vir. While they hadnt yet had time to restore their original numbers, they still numbered over fifty.
Swarms of enemies had always been Virs banehedcked an ability like Bncer of Scales to suppress a group of enemies.
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He stillcked area-effect magic, but he now had some weapons that came close. Well, weapon. Just one. But it was worth a thousand, all by itself.
Virs Artifact chakram zed to life, buzzing its deadly song. Vir hurled it at the swarm of Tuskers and followed up with a Katar Launch.
Prana ripped the soil, cleaving through a dozen of the rodent-like beasts.
The Chakram took care of the rest. It carved through Tusker after Tusker, barely even slowing after detaching their legs from their torsos.
Seeing the devastation, the Tuskers panicked and fled for their holes, but a barrage of Prana Darts ensured they failed. The darts werent as powerful as a Chakram Barrage, but consumed far less pranaand that meant he could fire many more. Though, of course, his prana channeling capacity had increased so monstrously, he could easily keep Barrage up for ten minutes before burning out.
Against the Tuskers minimal Prana Armor, the darts were more than sufficient.
The stragglers scampered away, disappearing into the nearby forest.
Two Lords left.
The fourth Lord was one he hadnt so much as fought before, but assassinated when hed first arrived at the Mahdi Realm. This would be his first time fighting one head-on.
The Garuda stood ten paces tall on its hind legs. Its humanoid arms were attached to bat-like wings, and despite having the torso of a man, its head was attached to a great beak.
Vir couldnt say how much weaker this one waspared to the one in the Ash, but hed seen this thing casually kill Ashfire wolves. Itd even managed to grievously wound Ashani.
Hed hold nothing back.
Prana Current activated. Until now, hed kept it off; he hadnt needed it, even with the lower ambient prana density sapping his strength.
The energy of life flooded into his body, reinforcing his Prana Armor.
The Chakram flew, and with Haste active, Vir Blinked around the beast, firing a barrage of Chakri Launchesdisks of ck energy that cut through the air, while Vir held onto the actual metal rings.
Chakrisbeing smaller than theirrger counterpartsrequired less prana to turn into aunch.
That wasnt to say they were weak, however. Not even close. Chakri Launch offered a level of devastation in between Prana Dart and Chakram Launch, and with his extended prana channeling capacity, Vir could maintain the barrage for over a minute.
The Artifact chakram dug into the Garudas Prana Armor, but unlike the Tuskers, it didnt immediately cut through.
Even so, Virs barrage was relentless. When the Garuda focused on him, the chakram would swoop in, eating its armor away.
But when it focused on the chakram, Vir hit it with Chakri Barrage.
The Garuda grew frustrated and Blinked at Vir, swiping at him with its deadly ws. ws that had cut an Ashfire wolf in two.
Vir observed the attack in slow motion and met them with his own. Three deadly ws red from each of his fists. Instead of blocking, Virshed at the enemys own ws.
The two strikes met, but one was of pranathe other mere metal.
Virs ws sliced apart the Garudas and plunged into its Prana Armor, aiming for the spot his Chakram had been whittling away.
The ws prated, and then it was over. Theyer of prana protecting it failed, and the chakram cut through in a dozen different ces.
Vir recalled the deadly disk to his hand, looking away from the gory devastation his chakram had wrought.
Last one.
Lad, that Naga is different from the rest, Cirayus called as Vir began descending down the hole that led into the Mahakurmas shell. It was a narrow space, barely wide enough to fit Cirayus, and stretched down for some twenty paces.
What do you mean? Vir asked as he made his way down the chute.
It used to be one of usits demonkin. It may be able to use Chakras. Do not allow its strikes to hit you.
Vir paused. Thus far, hed been invincible, and if he was honest? It had felt good. Hed needed a releasesomething to take out his pent up anger on, and the Domain Lords hed once struggled against had served that role well.
Hed avoided taking a single hit, but he hadnt been worried even if he had. With Prana Current active, his Prana Armor was far stronger than anything hed been able to muster in the past. He had faith in its protection.
Until now.
Hed never encountered a foe that could use chakras. Vir would have no defense against themnot as he was. All the Prana Armor in the world wouldnt protect him from an attack that struck directly at his soul.
Ill be careful, he said, dropping the final few paces into the cavern below. Instead ofing to a rest on the floor, he sank into his shadow. The dim lighting from the shaftthe only source of illuminationmade for strong, vast shadows. Virs ideal environment.
From the Shadow Realm, Vir learned the cavern was low and wide, about forty paces in diameter.
As for the final Domain Lord, it was a type hed never seen before. While its torso, arms, and head were that of a man, below its waist was a snakes body. The Naga peered back at him with eyes tainted by madness.
What are you doing there? Vir asked, popping his head back up within the chute, where Cirayus waited, wedging his body against the walls with the aid of Bncer of Scales to stay up.
The caverns the Lords Domain. Itll attack the moment I enter. Ill remain here unless you need my help.
Vir chuckled. Doubtful. Ill take your advice, though. Anything you can tell me about it?
Tis difficult to say what powers this Naga might have gained after being driven mad by the Ash, Cirayus said, but I do recognize that tattoo. Aspect of the Eternal Storm.
Is that what it sounds like?
Aye. Rainshowers, gale-force winds, and some can even summon lightning. Though most demons are only capable of using it to conjure drinking water.
This is an Ash Beast, Vir said. I should probably expect the worst.
Indeed. Nagas are master spearmen. Watch out for its weapon. They arent especially quick, though they move unpredictably. Take care not to get caught within their tail. They can easily crush you.
Noted, Vir said. If it can use chakras, does that mean its regr magic can attack my soul as well?
Tis possible to imbue magic attacks with chakra, though doing so requires a high level of mastery. Avoid its magic,d.
Vir wasnt about to take any chances. Only a fool would attempt to fight such an opponent conventionally. As badly as he wanted to see more Chakra attacks in action, he wasnt about to put his life in jeopardy to satisfy such urges. Besides, he had Cirayus anytime he wanted a demonstration.
No, Virs skills were optimally suited for killing mejai, and the way he saw it, this beast was like a mejai and a Talent wielder mixed into one.
One strike. I need to end this in one blow.
Oh, andd? Cirayus said as Vir began to retract his head from the rock. Do you have any idea how strange you look with just your head popping out of the rock like that?
Vir grinned. No, but your expression says everything. I really ought to scare people with this more, he said, immediately thinking of how he could mess with Maiya. He couldnt believe he hadnt had the idea earlier.
He made a mental note to devise a trap for when they reunited.
Vir sunk back into the shadow, then with Haste and Prana Current active, he exited and Blinked.
He didnt aim for his enemy. He aimed deep into the Nagas territory, some twenty paces away from the Lord.
Vir pivoted, Blinking again, Empowering his legs to their absolute maximum to arrive at the Nagas unprotected back.
The beast tried to turn, but its body wasrge. It couldnt turn quickly enough. Vir had banked on that.
He hurled his chakram at point-nk range, activating Chakram Launch to add to the terrifying Artifacts already-deadly potential.
But he didnt stop there. Vir fired Katar Launch as well.
Dual Launches ripped into the Nagas neck at nearly the same time.
Its prana armor heldbut only barely.
Virs heel smashed into the Nagas torso at the same time his chakram hit its neck.
Blink activated, and Vir sucked the prana out of the Lords own body, decimating what little armor it had left.
The wailing disk struck, finding exposed, vulnerable flesh. There was no resistance. It cut right through And the Nagas head went flying.
Vir recalled the chakram, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow.
He turned to Cirayus, who stood some twenty paces away.
Cirayus thundered inughter. Well! he shouted betweenughs. Thats more like it!
Brick by brick. Stone after stone, Vir replied, turning to his guardian. Do you believe me now? Am I powerful now, Cirayus?
The giant regarded him with a look of awe and something else, too. Hunger.
That will depend.
On what?
The demon grinned evilly.
On the results of our duel.
Unbeknownst to the two warriors, a pair of piercing blue eyes watched on as the dark-robed figure attacked the Ash Beasts. It sat on its haunches, silent, keenly observing. But it didnt look at the enemiesit stared instead at the boy, refusing to look away, even for an instant.
It watched as he effortlessly reaved into one beast after another.
But then the figure lit up like a beacon, zing with the energy of life.
The pair of eyes widened, and it perked up.
It knew what it had to do.
Chapter 204: (Two): The Shadow & The Ravager Redux
Chapter 204: (Two): The Shadow & The Ravager Redux
The dark cave that had only recently been the final domain lordsir seemed an appropriate location for a duel between suchbatants as the Akh Nara and the Ravager.
The only light that filtered in came from the hole through which Vir and Cirayus had descended, but if the low light bothered the giant, he certainly didnt mention it.
Not like he needs light with that Third Eye Chakra of his, Vir observed.
It was a fateful moment for Vir. When hed first fought the demon, itd been less a battle, and more a predator toying with his prey. Forget putting up a fightif Cirayus had wanted him dead, Vir wouldve lost his life before he knew what hit him.
Vir was no longer that weak boy, however. Not after Mahdi. Not after Ashani. Not here in the Ash, where his affinity reigned supreme. This was his domain.
Even so, though he couldnt wait to see the look on Cirayus face when he bested the giant, he wasnt immature enough to let it get to his head.
Despite his many recent strength gains, this would be a difficult fight. Even with Cirayus opting not to use Sikandar. Instead, the giant wielded the same weapons he had during their first duel.
For defense, he carried an enormous tower shield that was closer to a wall than a shieldand likely weighed as much, too. For offense, he hefted a poleaxe, a normally two-handed weapon, in one hand, and in his two upper hands, he clutched a greatsword.
How fitting that even our weapons are the same as that day, Vir thought. Hes underestimating me, another, darker voice said.
While Sikandar was a monumental force, Vir was unsure whether the enormous sword would do well here, in this cave. Though easily tall enough to allow Cirayus to swing the greatsword and poleaxe without issues, Sikandar needed a lot of space. Even in here, Vir felt the giant might be restricted in its usage.
Regardless, Cirayus choice of weapon left a bitter taste in Virs mouth. He wanted to fight the demon at full power, and briefly considered moving the duel. If he did, however, hed lose Dance of the Shadow Demon. Luckily, there was a simple remedy.
Seeing how youre not using your ultimate weapon, Ill forego mine as well, Vir said, throwing his Artifact Chakram into a wall, where it dug deep and remained lodged. For this fight, hed use his katar, his two ordinary chakrams, and his half dozen chakris.
You sure you want to do that,d? Cirayus asked, cocking a brow. I wont have youiningter.
When have I everined? Besides, youre assuming Ill lose. If I win, wont it be even more of an aplishment this way? Beating you even without my Artifact?
Empty bravado? Or do you truly believe that? I see the Mahdi Realm has given you confidence. Though is it well founded, I wonder? Or will it crack under the slightest pressure? We shall soon find out. We fight to knockout or surrender. Ready yourself,d. The duel begins when the dagger strikes the ground.
Cirayus produced a dagger Vir had never seenlikely one hed pilfered from the Mejai of Realms menand hurled it at the ground between them.
Vir activated Haste, and the world slowed to a fifth of normal. The daggers every spin became visible as it sailed through the air. Not slowly, but slow enough for Vir to track.
He did more than watch, though. Prana Current surged to its absolute maximum, strengthening the Prana Armor, which was always active.
In the few moments before the dagger hit, Vir had already coalesced prana around his body, bolstering the armor, making him more durable.
His heart pumped madly.
This was the moment hed wished for. To test his mettle against a truly capable opponent. The Domain Lords hadnt been strong enough. Cirayus, though? Had he truly grown strong enough to defeat the giant?
The dagger struck, its ng against the rocking like a low boom, pitch-shifted and deep.
A volley of Chakram Barrages erupted from Virs fist the moment it did.
The disks of pure Ash Prana ripped forth in deadly session. Vir fired off half a dozen before Blinking around to Cirayus back and firing six more. Then he repeated the process, Blinking and firing barrage after barrage.
Vir knew that mobility was his greatest weapon. He understood Cirayus strength better than most, both offensive and defensive. It took a lot to hurt him.
So it was to Virs immense satisfaction that small gashes opened up in a dozen ces around the giants body. Though shallow, blood wept from eacha darker crimson against Cirayus red skin.
He cant even dodge with how fast Im attacking!
Just to throw off Cirayus uncanny sixth sense, Vir alternated between Blinking randomly around the demon and sinking into the shadows. From there, he could strike from practically any surfacethis truly was an environment that favored him.
Still, despite his dozens of attackseach of which would rend lesser Ash Beastshed failed to deliver a crippling blow.
Aspect of the Final Sanctuary.
Vir had never once seen the demon use that tattoo. It was an unaffiliated art, meaning any demon from any n could use it, and its specialty was defense, protection, and restoration.
As with the other Aspect tattoos, it was abstract in nature, its exact powers changing based on the wielders imagination and mastery.
Vir had never seen him use it because the demon had never once been injured in their time in the Ash.
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That was when the reality dawned on him.
Thats the first time hes taken an injury. I injured Cirayus?
Until now, he wasnt even sure if the giant could bleed. Giants Hide made the demon nearly impervious to weaker attacks; Vir had witnessed Shredders chomp onto his arm, only to il in desperation as Cirayus casually swatted them offending them.
Yet bleed he did, even if his wounds rapidly healed. Though, Vir noticed, not nearly as swiftly as hed feared. The healing rate, while faster than Virs pranites could manage, was nowhere near Ashanis own capabilities. Or those of the Garuda Vir had fought in the Ash, for that matter.
Which means if I keep this up.
Vir shed back and forth, alternating between Chakram Barrages and the stronger, but slower Katar Barrage. Each attack left its mark on the demons skin, covering him in wounds.
He felt bad about hurting Cirayus like this, but he med the demon for being as strong as he was. Also, if he was honest, he had a lot of pent-up frustration to release. Cirayus just so happened to be the perfect target.
More!
Vir Blinked to within melee range. Prana de erupted from his katar, and Cirayus eyes lit up in surprise. Its deadly energy was so thick that even the giant saw it.
Vir swung, and for the first time in their duel, Cirayus attempted to dodge.
Attempted, but ultimately failed. With how quickly Vir moved, the demonsrge frame was a hindrance. Virs katar traced across his chest, and a great gash opened.
But Cirayus did not buckle, nor did he even grunt in pain.
Your mobility is truly impressive, I must admit, Cirayus said, lecturing in his normal, measured tone. When you learned to elerate your body, you gained an edge. I see now that youve managed to improve upon it. What is it nowfour times your normal speed? Five, perhaps?
Vir clucked his tongue. How can he be talking so calmly after taking such a wound?
As entertaining as it would be to fight you like this, I must admit I am at a disadvantage. Let us bnce the scales a bit, shall we? Cirayus said, grinning at his own joke.
Go right ahead, Vir shot back. Hed seen Bncer of Scales in action. He knew its power. Ten times his weight would slow him, yes, but it was nothing he couldnt
Hrrgh! Virs knees buckled, and he went crashing to the ground. An almighty force pressed upon him with the weight of a mountain. Like his Foundation Chakra training had manifested in reality.
Yet this was no chakra attack.
Bncer of Scales!? But how?
There is an old saying among demons. A wise one. Cirayus cracked his neck. The Shrike hides its talons. Until now, you have seen me increase the weight of objects tenfold. When applied to arge area, this is indeed my limit. But when coalesced? Right now, you are experiencing fifty times your own weight. Even with your prana-strengthened body, I doubt you can shrug it off, yes?
Fifty!? The old geezers been hiding his abilities!
Vir realized that wasnt quite correct. Just that hed simply never needed to use them before.
Grinding his teeth against the pressure, Vir slowly worked his way back to his feet.
This might be a problem.
While he could at least stand, his body had be unbelievably sluggish. With Haste active, his mind was still running at full speed, but his body could no longer respond as it did. It was like wading through a thick syrup.
Hows he manage that, anyway?
On several asions, Cirayus had harped on just how difficult it was to master Bncer of Scales. To concentrate the ability on just Vir alone meant he had to not only track Virs movements, but also keep the ability centered upon him at all times. Just what godlike level of control did it take to manage such a feat?
Damned old chal. Hes probably spent hundreds of years getting it to this state.
To Virs horror and frustration, he saw Cirayus next attacking. That didnt mean he could do anything about it, though.
Cirayus was almost casual in the way he stomped up to Vir. The tower shield surged forth, and Vir went flying.
Prana Armor mightve protected him from the blunt force trauma of being struck by a shield the size of a wall, but it didnt cancel the weight of the blow.
The strike knocked the breath out of him. Struggling to breathe, Vir sailed into the rocky cavern.
If Cirayus was hoping to incapacitate him with that blow, however, he was sorely let down. Vir was no amateur. Even while asphyxiating, he maintained his presence of mind.
The Shadow Realm opened, and Vir sunk in.
He knew now how to defeat the demon. If Cirayus was concentrating Bncer on him, he simply needed to shirk the demons eye. Not even he could follow Vir into the Shadow Realm. No one but the Iksana could.
Immediately choosing Cirayus own shadow, Vir exited. So did all the momentum hed carried in.
Using the force of Cirayus own strike that had sent him flying, he extended his katar, wreathed in the most violent and powerful Prana de hed ever mustered.
The magic poured from his body onto the de in such a torrent that it destabilized around the katar, arcing off the de.
Wasteful, but ultimately even stronger than his ordinarily deadly variant.
The de passed effortlessly through Cirayus Giants Hide bloodline art and prated deep into his flesh. But not flesh that mattered.
Cirayus had defended with one of his armsthe de passed through his bicep.
How did he
The truth dawned upon Vir. The demon might not be able to follow him into the Shadow Realm, but he didnt have to. He had something that could track Vir the very instant he popped up. That, whenbined with his monstrous intuition, gave the demon a sort of limited prescience.
The Third Eye Chakra.
Vir cursed as Cirayus grabbed his arm with a vice grip, preventing him from sinking back into the shadow. Vir red prana, causing it to surge from his body, but the demon held strong, despite the agony he mustve endured.
Youvee a long way.
Eat this.
Prana de extended, turning into de Projection, which ripped clean through Cirayus flesh.
The demon roared in pain and let go. Vir instantly dove back into the Shadow Realm, where he took his time to n.
Getting close to hims too dangerous. To have any shot at winning, Vir had to remain unpredictable. His only chance was to pop into the cave, fire an attack, and retreat to the shadows. If he was fast enough, he might avoid Bncer of Scales. Even if he couldnt, his attacks would still fly true, despite Virs reduced speed.
Mind made, Vir extended just one arm from a shadow above Cirayus head. Simultaneously, he extended another arm through the giants own shadow, below him.
Hed tried this, once, but the act had been incredibly disorienting. Controlling his body from two separate ces was not something his mind was created for, and the result was generally a haphazard attack where he iled his limbs.
The trick was not to look. Vir closed his eyes and fired off two Chakram Launches.
Hit from both directions, Cirayus narrowly dodged one, but he could do nothing against the other.
Yes!!
Vir popped out from a shadow, employing the same tactic. Again, one of his strikes connected.
And then, when his head emerged from the third, Cirayus made his move.
Vir froze, unable to register just what had happened. It wasnt until a few momentster, when he saw Cirayus glistening dewhen he felt the blinding, debilitating pain explode from his throat, that he understood.
Cirayus poleaxes speartip had skewered his throat.
Virs first thought wasnt of fear for his life, or that hed lost. It was disbelief. He felt betrayed. Never in his dreams did he think Cirayus would harm him like this. It was partly why he could afford to take risks fighting the demon.
Hadnt Cirayus sacrificed everything to protect him?
Why?
And then, all at once, the pain disappeared. He stood before Cirayus, whose talwar was pressed against Virs throat. His intact throat; the weapon had drawn only a trickle of blood.
Vir was unharmed.
What in the realms
And then the truth dawned upon him.
Chakra!?
Cirayus nodded, grinning. Congrattions,d. You now know how it feels to be attacked by an illusion of the Life Chakra.
Vir dropped his katar and fell to his knees. He felt his throat. The small prick Cirayus had inflicted had already clottedVir barely felt it. And yet he still felt like his throat had been skewered.
I concede.
Vir was too exhausted to be enraged. It was as if all of his energy had been suddenly drained. He looked up... andughed.
Chapter 205: Of Kings and Queens (One)
Chapter 205: Of Kings and Queens (One)
Cirayus could hardly believe Virs progress. When the boy disappeared only a day before, hed been struggling. True, hed gained the ability tounch prana attacks at his enemiesa significant advantagebut he was still sorelycking. From his physical strength to the level of his magic, his powers were nothing like his prior incarnations, even ounting for the tattoos.
But now? Now, thed ended Ash Beasts barehanded, with ws of prana so thick, even he could see them.
After witnessing Vir reave through enemies that would have given most warriors pauseand do so barehandedCirayus had shuddered. After fighting against him himself, he was now sure. This was power on a level most demons could only dream of.
Power that he would sorely need for the trials thaty ahead.
Whatever made his ancestors so strong, Vir had found it in that blighted realm. And hed found more, apparently.
You mean to say the energy for your magices from within you? Cirayus asked for the fourth time.
As I told you, my prana capacity is roughly a hundred times what it was when I first entered the Ash, Vir replied.
Hed handily decapitated the Nagathe most fearsome Ash Beast on the Mahakurmas backonly moments earlier, making an enemy that would have ended most demons look like a pushover.
And Im telling you, Cirayus said, following Vir up the hole that led to the surface, youre the only demon in recorded history to pull anything like that off,d! Cirayus said. Not even your past selves had such an ability!
It was true. Powering spells off of ones own prana had been the pipe dream of many demons throughout the ages. Demon children throughout the realm fantasized about wielding the power of Ash Beasts in their prana-starvednds. A delusion they swiftly abandoned, when faced with the stark reality.
Demons were beholden to their barren realm. Even Cirayus was no exception. Despite the prana capacity he''d painstakingly nurtured over the centuries, he couldn''t fuel Bncer of Scales at its full power even once using his body''s reserves alone.
What Vir had aplished, no demon ever had. Certainly not ever to this extent. The amount that coursed within a persons body was simply insufficient, even for the most basic of magic, let alone powerful Bloodline arts.
And thed managed it within a day?
Granted, hed spent nearly a month in the Mahdi Realm, but even still
No. Tis the opposite. He grew so strong because he survived that realm.
Whether or not he had help didnt matter. Vir had ventured to a ce where no one ever daredor at least, those who had never returned alive.
Cirayus beamed with pride.
Hes ready. More than ready.
At least, his body was. But what of the rest? What of his mind?
I suppose it is time.
Vir scrambled up to the surface, and Cirayus lightly bounded up behind him. Destroying the Domain Lords had helped take his mind off Ashani, but thoughts of her now came crashing back, souring the sweet taste of victory. He wanted to go back to her. Needed to. And yet, he couldnt.
Lad, youre out of sorts, Cirayus asked, climbing out of the hole in the Mahakurmas back. Sikandary draped across his back. Ive seen that look enough times to know that youre in for a hard time if you keep all those emotions bottled up.
Well, I already tried killing things, Vir said. Didnt really help.
Aye. So talk to me. Lay it all out.
I just What do I do, Cirayus? I promised Id bring her back.
Then its simple, isnt it? he said. You keep your promise. You find a way back to her.
Easier said than done, Vir replied. If you happen to know of any Ash Gates that lead to the Mahdi Realm nearby, Im all ears. Even if you could, I have no way of getting her out of there.
Lad, correct me if Im wrong, but I didnt hear you promise youd return today. How long do you have?
Vir clenched a fist. If she survives those wyrms possibly years. Maybe even decades. Shell just go to sleep again, most likely.
Then there you have it. You have your goal. If she means this much to you, you can spend your days in the Demon Realm searching for a way back to her.
You really think Ill find one?
Perhaps, Cirayus said hesitantly.
Meaning? Vir asked.
The records of your ancestors mention several chambers. Ancient chambers, said to hold great power. Locked to all but the incarnations of the Akh Nara.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition.
Vir frowned. You believe these chambers might have a way back here?
Tis no secret that several of your ancestors took a keen interest in the Ash. Ekanai himself was said to have died in the Mahdi Realm. Clearly, he found a way.
Thats I didnt know that, Vir said.
Why would the Reaper have ventured to Mahdi? Why did Shardul and Ekanai want me to go there?
Even Lord Janak had urged him there, though Vir had found no sign of the god.
Where would I find these chambers? Vir asked.
Cirayus pointed to him. There. In your head. None of the Akh Nara bothered to document them, and none have ever been found. I suppose they felt their subsequent incarnations would know.
Perfect
Well, if I have that knowledge, its buried deep somewhere. I suppose thats on hold until I can open the Fourth Chakra, then, he said.
The Heart Chakra? Cirayus asked. Whys that?
Shardul said it was the only way I couldmune with my past selves. Seems I wont be able to rely on them much going forward since they sacrificed so much to keep me alive. Thats about all I have left, now.
I see.
Vir knew that to a being like Ashani, a few years, or even a few decades, were nothing. But even knowing that, he couldnt get over the tangled web of emotions in his chest. He couldnt get over the crippling guilt. Like hed done something unforgivable. Like hed failed.
How about a change of scenery? Cirayus suggested. Theres something you should see.
Here? Vir asked.
Not far, the giant said, loping in the other direction of the forest.
Vir had never explored whaty on the other end of the Domain Lords territories, closer to the tail of the mega turtle. Hed assumed thend just sloped off, but to his surprise, the Mahakurma was a fair bit longer than hed guessed.
Another forest extended away on the other side, and Cirayus entered it. This one was less dense, full of taller, older-growth trees that formed a dense canopy nearly a hundred paces above. They reminded him of the trees in the Godshollow, though less girthly.
They continued through the forest, though now that the gargantuan beast hade to a rest, Ash had started to pile up. If it were Vir just after entering the Ash, hed have found the extra effort inconvenient. Now, with a hundred times more prana filling his muscles, he didnt even notice.
His strides had grown longer, too, as he subconsciously pushed more power into his legs, even without Leap or Blink. His physical limits were just higher than before. Iparably higher.
Though he wanted to ruminate on his power gains more, doing so inevitably caused his thoughts to drift to Ashani, whod yed such an instrumental role in helping him obtain them.
A ck blur in the distance broke his reverie, but then it was gone.
Somethings following us but whatever it was, it was keeping its distance. But whether because hed just taken out the strongest beast on the Mahakurmas back, or because of the giant beside him, who walked with hisically oversized talwar, Vir felt no danger from the creature.
He informed Cirayus of their pursuer, and both spent the rest of the walk on the lookout, but it never showed itself again.
They soon arrived at a dark pond, shaded by the same trees that kept the Ash off its surface. Unlike most bodies of water in the realm.
At its center was a grassy ind barelyrge enough to fit a small home. A knurled, ancient tree stood at the center, its leafless limbs extending over the water.
Underneath, scores of fish swam, forming a glowing golden cylinder beneath the floating ind.
Theyre harmless, Cirayus said, jumping elegantly over the pond. Hended softly on the ind and beckoned Vir to follow.
Leap shot Vir over, though he left Prana Current off. The abilitys sheer power made fine-tuning Leaps distance harder, and he still hadnt developed fine enough control to ensure he wouldnt miss the ind entirely.
While a bath sounded nice, a bath in his armor did not.
Once on the ind, Vir was surprised to find how solid it felt under his boots. It didnt feel like a floating ind, but then again, Vir couldnt understand how a floating ind remained anchored in the middle of the pond in the first ce. Perhaps it had something to do with the copious amount of prana flowing through the bark of the dead-looking tree.
This ce is pretty and all, he said, but that cant be the only reason you brought me here.
Cirayus removed Sikandar, leaning the enormous de against the tree. He ced a hand on the trees trunk.
Your father and I. We used to fight in the Bairanpetitions regrly, you know?
The one where Ill get Bncer of Scales if I win?
Aye, the same. Your father was the only one I ever lost to.
He was that strong? Vir asked. Hed seen what Cirayus could do. For his father to have bested the giant, he must have been quite the warrior.
Strong, yes. But also cunning. And quick as an Acira. Still, dont get the wrong idea,d. I beat him far more often than he beat me.
Vir rolled his eyes. What a surprise.
Cirayus chuckled. You see, while the Tournament gave us no end of good fights, the event is held only once every four years. We longed to test our mettle in the interim.
Yep. Father was a battle junkie, alright.
You fought other demons?
Cirayus shook his head. Nay. Few demons could offer us the level of fight we wished for. We came to the Ash. Forced ourselves to survive here until we found a gate back home.
The giantughed.
The thing about Ash Gates is you never know where theyll take you. You just have to peer through, and if the other side looks like the right realm, you jump. Only the gods know where youllnd! And thats only if you find one. Theyre quite rare, as youve seen.
That sounds insane, Vir said.
Oho? Cirayus cocked a brow. Dont tell me you wouldnt do the same,d.
Vir couldnt stop the grin on his face. Maybe.
Anyway, we once found this Mahakurma here, though it was dormant at the time. We figured itd be the perfect training ground.
You saw a world-ending creature, and you decided to jump right onto its back? To train
Your fathers idea,d. Let it be known that I was usually the voice of reason.
Uh, huh.
He must have been quite the character, Vir said, feeling like hed have gotten along really well with his old man. Though he couldnt imagine his mother would have approved of such reckless behavior.
The cozy scene yed out in his mind. He could almost see the happy family together, warm and caring.
Aye, Cirayus said wistfully. Aye, that he was. We spent many months here. This engraving? he pointed to an M and a C engraved into the trees trunk. Ours. In case we ever returned. Proof that we were here. That wed braved the Ash, prated its depths, and lived to tell the tale.
Cirayus moved aside, allowing Vir to run his fingers over the mark. Evidence that Maion Garga had been here, decadesperhaps centuriesago. nlord. King. His father.
The engraving was so simple. So crude. And yet, Vir was so moved. He couldnt understand why. Hed never even met the man, and yet, he missed him dearly. He missed them both.
That was So very long ago. Honestly cant believe the mark is still here, Cirayus said, sighing. It feels like just yesterday to me. I cannot tell you how much I wish they were still here.
Vir turned to find a tear trickling down the giants face. The sight caused his own tears to well.
What What were they like?
The giant hesitated. I do not wish to add to your burden,d. You are already grieving for one.
Please, I wish to know, Vir said. I need this. Ill never get to see them or hear their voices. Ill never get to listen to their stories, or hear theirughter. The least I can do is remember who they were and carry that within me. Please.
Cirayus sat against the tree and motioned for Vir to join him.
Then I shall, for I knew them both better than most. Come, have a seat. This will be quite the tale.
Chapter 206: Of Kings and Queens (Two)
Chapter 206: Of Kings and Queens (Two)
Well,d, Cirayus said wistfully, gazing off into the distance to times long past. Im sure you can already guess a few things about your father.
That he was abat junkie crazy enough to fight Ash Beasts to train? Vir asked innocently.
Cirayus chuckled. Aye, he certainly was. Never met a demon who loved the thrill ofbat quite as much as your father, especially in the early days. Nor anyone who so craved to better himself, either. And not just at fighting. From leadership to cooking to being a better friend, he never ceased improving in his entire life.
Huh. Im guessing he was centuries old, like you?
Somewhere in his mid-three hundreds. Let me tell you,d. There are few things more impressive than those who never stop developing themselves, day after day, decade after decade. His mastery in some skills was downright terrifying.
Vir could scarcely imagine. He, himself, hade so far in just a single year. What would it look like if he continued for centuries on end? It was a wonder how Cirayus and his father hadnt turned into literal deities by this point.
Why, though? Vir asked. What did he fight for?
Well, he always said he fought for Shariyour mother.
You believe that? Vir asked.
I do, the giant said with a small sigh. He might have craved his fights, but he loved nothing and no one more than your mother. Of that, I have no doubt. Ever since he met Shari, he changed. His zeal redoubled, and he became a different demon. A better one.
How did they meet? Vir asked. Hed always enjoyed Rudviks story of how he met his wife in the vige.
Ah, now that is a tale. Your father was a Gargan prince at the time, much as you yourself are now. His father was the Rajanlordand his mother was dy. Maion, being Maion, was often off fighting Ash Beasts at the boundary shirking his princely duties.
And my mother?
A renowned healer of the Panav n. They called her a miracle workersuch was her ability to heal others.
Let me guess, Vir said. He was off fighting Ash Beasts one day and got in over his head?
Cirayus let out a deepugh. That was exactly what happened. Not especially surprising, considering the sort of opponents he fought. Hardly a week went by without him getting injured one way or another. That time was worse, though. That he was fighting a Garga beast only made the whole thing more ironic. Well The giants expression darkened. That, and the fact that he was helping the Chitran protect their border with the Ash at the time.
The Chitran? Vir said, his anger ring. Why would he help them, of all people?
I asked the same thing. Those backstabbing chals history with the Garga runs deep, and very little of it was friendly. Yet your father, being your father, always felt that the war against the Ash trumped inter-n politics. He aided those in need, regardless of whether they wanted it. For risking his life, he was often the butt of ridicule and anger.
Vir didnt quite know how he felt about that. Maion sounded like the hero of every fablea knight in shining armor. Or at least, how knights should have been, were they not corrupt pawns of the state.
On the other hand, it made Virs blood boil that the very people hed risked his life to help ughtered his n and murdered him. Would Vir do the same?
He didnt even need to think about it. He wouldnt. Hed have let those Chitrans die.
Perhaps it was wrong of him to want revenge. Maybe there was more to the story than met the eye. But at that moment, Vir wished for nothing more than to return the atrocities the Chitran hadmitted upon his people tenfold.
Your mother, Shari, saved his life. The prince had gotten himself gored so badly, the other healers had written him off. Not your mother, though. She didnt even break a sweat. In fact, he recovered so quickly, he was fighting beasts again the very next day. Much to Sharis frustration, of course.
You were there? Vir asked, half expecting the answer. Cirayus and Maion seemed like they went everywhere together. He also noted how demon magic seemed to allow for different healers working in tandem. Or at least, different levels of healing. Healing orbs weren''t like that. Using orbs of a certain grade precluded the use of any other grade, once activated on a wound.
Aye, I was fighting beasts some distance away. I didnt see what had happened until after hed been injured.
So, uh Did they end up together after that?
Cirayus snorted. Not even close. Maion certainly was in love. You could see it in his eyes the moment he awoke and learned shed healed him. Your mother, Im afraid, felt quite differently.
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What happened?
Well, ysee, your father was quite witty. A smooth talker. A bit of adies man, and why wouldnt he be? He was a prince. Handsome, strong, and noble. He had no end of potential consorts, and a fair share of flings.
Er Should you really be telling me this?
The giant shruggedan odd gesture, given his four-armed physiology.
You wanted to know your father? he said with a smirk. This was as much a part of him as everything else.
Virs knight in shining armor image crumbled.
Anyway, I lost count of the number of advances he made on her, but she brushed him off each time.
Why, though? He sounds perfect. Like you saidhe had it all.
Aye, and I think that was what drove your mother away from him. He seemed too perfect. Too good to be true. And yet some people truly are that amazing.
I can believe that, Vir thought, remembering Ashani. Maybe he was alright, after all.
So what happened after? Did she give in to him?
Not in the least, Cirayus replied. In fact, it got so bad that she actively avoided him for the longest time. But Maion was not one to give up, you see. For over a decade, he pursued her. Slowly and steadily, her wall crumbled. The irony of it all is they eventually grew to be close friendssomething that continued even after they were married.
So youre saying he was a stalker, Vir said tly.
Cirayus broke out intoughter, pping Vir on his back. I suppose he kinda was, now that you mention it!
The giant drifted off, no doubt thinking of fond memories.
They were happy, then, Vir said softly, eyeing a flock of flightless birds that sipped the water at the ponds edge.
Oh, yes. They loved each other dearly, Cirayus said. There was fondness in his voice But something else, too. Regret? Longing? Vir couldnt say for certain.
Those were the days, Vir. Your father assumed the mantle of leadership decadester, uniting and strengthening the Garga unlike ever before. They were prosperous times, when no Gargan went hungry, and everyone had shelter over their heads. Samar Patag under your fathers reign, was glorious. They truly were the best days the n had ever seen. People would prostrate as he went by. Theyd shout his name in the streets.
He sounds amazing, Vir said softly.
Aye. Yknow, theres a saying in the Demon Realm. Never meet your heroes. Had I not known him so well, Id have been convinced there was something nefarious going on. Few heroes ever live up to their reputation. But your father? He was one of the rare few that did.
Those are somerge shoes to fill Vir thought.
Yes, he had his status as the Akh Nara going for him, but what of his actual leadership skills? He was just a teen, not some glorious ruler with centuries of experience. What did he know about being a Rajaa king? What did he know aboutmanding armies and politics?
But you know? Cirayus continued. He never once let his fame get to his head. Neither did your motherwho continued working her healing miracles, building outworks of healers across the n. People called her a divine messenger, such was her fame. In my four centuries of life, I can tell you without a shred of a doubt, Vir. They were the best people I have ever had the honor of knowing. Courageous, loyal, humble, and responsible.
When Cirayus turned, tears dripped down his face.
Four hundred years of life, Vir. Four centuries to shore up my own strength. And yet, I was powerless to stop the Chits. In the end, it was all I could do to save just one boy.
Vir thought he understood. It wasnt only a dear friend and family Cirayus had lost. As bad as that was, it wasnt just his grief that had driven him to bring Vir across the Ash as a baby.
Cirayus had seen better times. Hed seen something great crumble and fall. And he felt like he didnt have the power to protect what he cared for. So he turned to hisst hope. The only one he thought who could. Vir.
And so, the pressure continues to mount, Vir thought. The mountain that rested atop his shoulders grew taller, the expectations heavier.
Vir was genuinely happy to learn his parents were good people. Great people, in fact. He was beyond happy. Hed have loved to have met them. To have learned from them. He would carry their memory with him, knowing they were so well loved.
Maion and Shari were like suns in the night sky, shining so dazzlingly bright.
How do I do right by their memory?
Vir had whispered the words to himself, though Cirayus heard, nheless.
Id debated telling you,d. I feared you might feel this way. But I think you are better off knowing. Fate robbed you of your time with them. I shall not be the one to rob you of their memory.
No, Im grateful. I truly am. Just, how do I Vir trailed off.
How do you make your parents proud? Cirayus asked. You already know the answer to that,d.
Be the Akh Nara, Vir said. Unite the demon realm. But how, Cirayus? How do I possibly live up to everyones standards? No, not just live up to. Exceed it. My people will expect the Akh Nara to rise above what my parents achieved. I just dont know how I can manage that. Im not a wise demon of three centuries. Im no warrior of great renown, and I dont know the first thing about leadership. How do I ensure I wont let my people down?
You wont,d. Because you have everything they want in you already, Cirayus said, putting a finger on his chest. Here. No, not your tattoo. Deep within you. Its your heart,d. They need someone who cares for them. Who will put everything on the line to fight for them. Thats all. They do not expect perfection. They know how young you are. They dont need a zing inferno. All they need is a candle. The faintest me of hope. Because right now, darkness surrounds them.
Am I that person, Cirayus? Vir asked. Someone wholl risk life and limb for them?
Well? Are you? Cirayus asked, meeting Virs gaze. This is a decision only you can make. Though I feel that youve already made it.
What do you mean?
Cirayus smiled. You havent realized it, have you?
Realized what? Vir asked, frowning.
Youve been referring to the Garga as my people.
Vir was about to disagree but found he couldnt. Cirayus was right.
When did that happen?
The answer came immediately. Ashani.
The list of people whom he wished to protect was growing. Maiya, Neel, Ashani. And now, knowing who his parents had been Knowing all they had sacrificed for him, there was something else that was worth protecting.
Their memory.
They sacrificed everything for their people. Even their own lives.
And how better to protect that than by preserving their legacy?
His father, the king of Garga, whod fought to the death for him. His mother, the divine healer, whod died during childbirth. The retainers whod sacrificed their lives ferrying him to the Ash.
Aye.
Vir took a deep breath.
I dont know if I can be what they want me to be.
His parents gave everything for the Garga. For him.
I dont know if I have what it takes to be the Akh Nara.
And so, Vir would do the same in return.
Ill be relying on you.
Not because of Cirayus wish for better days, nor even for the faceless masses who saw him as their salvation.
Im going to do everything in my power to try.
But because he wanted to.
To honor my parents sacrifice.
From that moment on, he would no longer be Ekavir, bravest of the brave. He would be something different. Something more. The Akh Nara.A symbol of hope.
And hed need a new name.
Chapter 207: Of Shan & Vaak
Chapter 207: Of Shan & Vaak
Sarvaak, Vir said, testing the sound. Its different.
The One Who Makes Whole, Cirayus said, appraising Vir. So, youve epted your true name.
Vir nodded. I still dont know what Ill do when I get to the Demon Realm, but I at least want to see how Gargans live. I want to see what theyre like. Then Ill make my decision.
Cirayus pped his back. Tis all I could ask for. And remember. You are not alone. Ill be with you every step along the way.
Ill be counting on you, Vir said. Still, feels wrong to keep using my old name. I like my name. Rudvik gave it to me. But I also want to honor the name Maion and Shari bestowed.
The One Who Makes Whole. It was an oddly fitting name. Had his parents given it to him in the hopes that hed reunite demonkind? Or was there some other meaning behind the name?
Well? Why not use both? Cirayus asked.
Meaning?
In the Human Realm, the realm of your foster father, be Ekavir. In the Demon Realm, be Sarvaak Garga, Prince of Garga.
And in the Ash? Vir asked with a smirk.
In here, you are the Akh Nara. The Primordial. With Ash Prana running through your veins, Id wager youre more at home here than anywhere else.
Theres some truth to that.
Vir could genuinely call himself strong now, even if that strength was amplified by the Ashen Realm. It was uniquely beneficial to him, and him alone. The Realm of nightmares was his realm.
But that still leaves us with a problem, the giant said, stroking his beard. You cant use your full name. Not while the Chitran reign. Youd have assassins chasing you to the ends of the realm.
Is it an especially unique name? Vir asked.
Not unique, but rare. That you are a gray demon makes it worsemany saw you as a baby before we fled. I fear your name and yourplexion together would be too risky.
Hmm. How about Vaak, then?
Vaak, eh? Cirayus said. Somewhat simr, but that is in fact quite amon name in the Demon Realm. It could certainly work.
Vaak of Garga?
No. It would be foolish to im a rtion to your n. Especially defeated as they are. Not until you are ready to reveal yourself as the Akh Nara.
Should I say Im nless, then? Or maybe of the Panav, after my mother?
Cirayus shook his head. Would be safer to not im a n at all. There is a title we give to our best warriors. Those who have fought the beasts of the Ashen Realm and survived. When anyone asks you about your n, say that you are of Ash.
Vaakof Ash.
Vir liked the sound of that.
Of course, even if we hide your identity, it will be difficult to hide you from anyone with the Iksana Sight bloodline tattoo, Cirayus said.
Right. Them. With all the recent events, Vir had nearly forgotten about the Ghael demons of the Iksana. What are we gonna do about that?
I have some friends among the Iksana. I shall inquire when we arrive. Luckily, the Iksana stick to their tunnels and caverns. They rarely ever venture above ground.
Cirayus stood and stretched all four of his arms. We have aplished everything Id hoped for here. Wed best move on. Deeper into the Ash. To the Demon Realm.
Vir bounded behind Cirayus as they returned to the valleyand then the home the giant had carved into the volcanic rock.
It was strange to think of the back of a city-ending ancient beast as cozy, but the home Cirayus had made for them felt like the only safe harbor he had in and of constant danger.
That was less of a problem now, with Virs recent gains. He felt morefortable in the Ash. While there were still beasts that could end him without blinking an eye, he no longer felt like the bottom of the food chain anymore. Among the moremon beasts, he was actually closer to the top.
Staring out at the valley, Vir saw that new Domain Lords had already moved in, iming the spots of the ones hed dispatched only hours earlier. As always, the Ash continued to fall, coating the turtles back. Now that it had stopped moving, the soot had begun to umte in force.
Lad, you mind helping me in here? Cirayus called.
Vir turnedand came face to face with a pair of glowing blue eyes.
Instinctually, Vir threw himself into a reverse somersault, then activated Micro Leap, bringing his katar to bear.
Before him sat an Ash Wolf, regarding him with intelligent eyes.
Prana de red but Vir held his attack. Something about the beast struck him as familiar.
Youre one of Ashanis wolves, arent you? Youre the runt!
The Ash Wolf growled.
Sorry, sorry! Vir said, raising his palms. I meant the leader. But how did you You followed me through her gate, didnt you?
The wolf simply stared at him.
So thats the bugger who was tailing us, Cirayus said, appearing from the home with an enormous rucksack he hefted with no sign of exertion.
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The wolf Blinked away, positioning itself where it could keep an eye on Cirayus.
Cautious thing, isnt it?
Hes harmless, Vir replied. Well, not harmless. But friendly.
Vir turned to address the wolf. Why, though? Whye back with me? You know you wont be able to return to her, right?
The wolf snorted, circling Vir before lying down several paces away and looking up at him.
Thats quite the intelligent wolf, Cirayus said. Surprised its mind is so coherent.
Its one of Ashanis wolves, Vir said. She rescued them when they were pups and gave them pranitesthe miniature machines I told you about. Thats what allowed them to limatize to the Mahdi Realm and keep their minds. This one must have followed me back through her Ash Gate, though I cant fathom why.
Curious. It seems to want something of you.
I dont know what I could give it. Id wager this guy is nearly as strong as I am. Hes not just an ordinary Ash Wolf.
Ordinary, is it? Cirayus said with a smirk.
I mean, no Ash Wolf is ordinary, Vir admitted. But hers are pretty special. Most of his siblings were farrger than this guy, and theyre all much stronger than the wolves Ive seen in this realm. Just one look at them left me shivering. I think having all that prana growing up forged them stronger, so I call them Ashfire wolves.
Hmm. Is that so? Cirayus asked. This one is intelligent, yes, but is it truly any stronger than the other wolves? It does not appear different to my eyes. Tis about the same size as well.
Vir frowned. It was true. The visible mes of ck prana that burned off its hide were nowhere to be seen.
Looking within the beast, Vir immediately understood why.
Its prana density was a mere echo of what it had been in the Mahdi Realm.
Theres less prana here. You feel weakened, dont you?
The wolf continued staring at him intently.
You want me to do something about it? Vir asked. Im sorry. I dont know how to help you.
The wolf growled. Vir was sure it couldnt understand him, but as hed seen during his vault raid, it had an uncanny sense of intuition.
He must be reading my gestures and the tone of my voice, Vir thought, wondering if he could use that to his advantage.
Look, this is going to be hard since we cantmunicate
I doubt itll let you go until you give it something,d.
True, Vir said, taking a seat across the wolf. Hes helped me out so many times. I suppose this is the least I can do.
The Ashfire wolf remained stoic, but its tail began wagging.
Hes just like Neel Vir thought, smiling.
The wolf noticed the change in his expression, and its tail immediately stilled.
Vir sighed. But hes too smart for his own good
Alright, I cant exin this to you, but Im gonna show you what I do. Youll have to see into my body. Youll have to see my prana, okay?
It can see prana? Cirayus asked. Are you certain?
Pretty sure. Back at Mahdi, these guys led me through pitch-ck tunnels without breaking stride. I cant think of anything else they might use to let them see in the dark like that.
Curious. I wonder if this applies to other Ash Beasts as well. Do they all possess Iksanas Sight, I wonder? Cirayus trailed off. s, do not let me distract you,d. Carry on.
Vir could think of two solutions for the wolf to regain its normal prana density. Prana BarrierParais intricate technique for actively repelling prana, or Prana Dam, the more basic version.
Dam functioned by forming a supersaturatedyer of blood right next to the skin. Vir no longer used the ability because Prana Current had superseded both, but it was far simpler than Current. Vir didnt even consider attempting to teach that to the wolf. He doubted it was able to decouple prana from its blood.
He settled on Dam. It was easier to learn, and itd be effective enough for the wolfs purposes.
Vir deactivated Current and allowed the blood near his skin to saturate.
The wolf looked on nkly as Vir released theyer and repeated the process a handful of times.
Thats the first step. Well get to the second part once you learn that. I dont know if you can, and even if youre capable, itll take some timeoh.
The wolf had perfectly mimicked him, creating its own saturated Ash Pranayer.
That is unfair, Vir whispered. That took me so much effort to learn.
Cirayusughed. A fast learner, is it? Cant say Im surprised. Beasts have always been more attuned to the workings of nature than humans or demons. I suspect that is even more true for Ash Beasts.
Though the wolfs expression looked the same as before, Vir couldve sworn he now saw a trace of smugness.
Well, okay then, hot stuff. How about this?
Vir moved prana away from his feet, creating an area of low prana density. At the same time, he opened a hole in the Dam, allowing the ambient prana to rush in, filling it.
Your body will naturally generate prana over time, he said, but if you want to speed things up, you can try something like this.
Vir was happy to see the wolf struggle with thisplex process.
Its understandable, Vir said, and now it was his turn to be smug. You wont believe how long it took me to learn that.
He was just about to repeat what hed done when the beast moved prana away from its paws, sucking prana into its body.
It repeated the process rapidly, filling its body until the mes once again manifested.
Virs expression darkened. His ego had just taken a serious blow.
Now that is impressive, Cirayus said, stroking his beard.
The wolf Blinked around them a few times, reveling in its newfound vitality. It wasnt slow before, but its speed had improved tremendously, outpacing even Virs own Blink. Its lithe body was simply better designed for the stresses of extreme movement.
The wolf stopped right in front of Vir, and he knew it was gloating.
Uh, huh? You think thats impressive? Vir said. Watch this.
Prana Current red, and a vortex of prana swarmed around Vir. He cycled the loops faster and faster, spinning them to blinding speed.
The vortex coalesced,pacting into a tornado of ckness that surrounded him.
The Ashfire Wolf whimpered, backing off. Cirayusughed in glee.
Vir canceled the current, allowing the prana around him to dissipate, an expression of supreme smugness stered across his face.
Look at you,d, Cirayus roared. Showing off to an animal!
Vir narrowed his eyes. I know you dont actually mean that, he said.
The giant hadnt beenughing at him. Hed beenughing at the prana hed summoned. In awe.
Vir looked back at the wolf.
Well, I guess this is goodbye, then. I dont know why you came here, but youll be fine now. Just dont fight any Wyrms on your own again, okay?
Vir hoisted his own rucksack and followed Cirayus, Leaping his way to the edge of the Mahakurmas back.
The Ashfire Wolf followed every step of the way.
I think it means to apany you,d! Cirayus said.
Vir turned and faced the wolf.
Is this what you want? You want toe with me?
The wolf barked.
Its not going to be an easy road, you know?
It barked again.
It might be years before I see Ashani again.
This time, the wolf howled, wagging its tail.
Handy to have such a powerful ally at your side,d, Cirayus said. I can think of no other demon whos ever befriended an Ash Beast. Let alone one from the Mahdi Realm.
Alright. Vir smiled, extending a hand to pet the wolf. Id be honored to have youow!
The wolf had bitten his hand, drawing blood, and was now growling at him.
Vir scowled in confusion while Cirayus doubled over inughter.
I dont understand, Vir said.
Lad, that is a wolf. Not a bandy! An Ash wolf. And a mighty proud one at that, by the looks of things. You cant treat him the same as your old friend.
That much is obvious, Vir said, sending pranites to his hand.
Challenge epted, he thought, staring at the beast. Ill get you to let me pet you soon enough.
Well, then. Hell be needing a name, yes? Cirayus said.
Vir thought for a moment. How about Ash? After the Ashen Realm?
The wolf snarled.
Dont think he likes that,d. Quite unimaginative too, I must say. Cant you do any better?
Vir furrowed his brows as he thought. Hed found the wolf in the Mahdi Realm, but nothing felt suitable. Maha? Adi? They didnt fit.
He thought again about its role. It was a protector of Ashani.
It clicked. Ashanis protector!
Shan, he dered. After Ashani. As evidence of my oath that I will one day return for her.
The wolf locked its glowing blue eyes on him, then sauntered away.
Shan it is.
Chapter 208: The Trial of Faith (One) (Maiya)
Chapter 208: The Trial of Faith (One) (Maiya)
Maiya shivered at the chill of dawn in Jatan Forest. While not nearly as ancient as the Godshollowthe trees were shorter and less girthyit had its own mystique. Moss covered the trunks and ferns decorated the forest floor. The variety of flora surpassed the Godshollow tenfold, and sounds of birds and rodents filled the air as the forest awoke.
Were it not so close to the Ash Boundary, it mightve be a tourist destination. As it was, however, Jatan Forest wentrgely unvisited by humans.
Sane humans, at least.
A crowd had gathered at the spot the cultist priest had informed them about a month before, and Maiya saw several familiar faces. Yamal, unfortunately, being one of them. The man searched the crowd, likely looking for her, but Maiya ensured she stayed far away.
For this initiation ritual, Maiya wore only light gambeson, concealed under her faded brown cloak. The hood concealed her red hair, which was tied back into a ponytail. Shed even smeared a bit of dirt on her face to better blend in with the type of people shed seen at the Childrens briefing shed attended a month prior.
Her unassuming appearance was a carefully crafted guise, of course.
Maiya hadnt spent the past month idling. Quite the opposite, in fact. After securing permission from Princess Ira to reduce her duties in preparation of her infiltration, shed trained almost nonstop. If there was one thing shed learned about power, it was that one could never have too much of it.
The days shed spent fighting Ash Beasts hadnt been in vain. Shed even meditated near Ash Tears, despite the danger, soaking in the prana. All to expand her bloods capacity, as Vir had taught. Itd been painful. Itd been brutal. But shed grown strong.
Strong enough, she felt, that she wouldnt lose to Virs own gains in the time hed been gone. The thought had consumed more of Maiyas attentiontely. She feared. Not only for Virs safety, but of being left behind. She feared Vir would grow so powerful that shed no longer see him as an equal.
Vir would grow powerful; that much she knew. Hed been unsure of his future, but Maiya knew. That when he reached the demon realm, hed see his peoples suffering. And hed help. Because that was who Vir was. And by helping them, hed be something great. A king. A monarch.
And if Maiya wasnt at least his equal in both strength and authority, how could she stand by his side in good faith?
As a direct result of her effort, Maiya was now a Greater Mejai of Ash, and with that came a sense of relief. Of tangible progress. It also brought with it a small but crucial perkshe could now slowly charge B Grade orbs, though not quite fast enough to use in battle. If she could, shed have been a Mejai of Realms.
Moreover, she could now activate precharged A Grade orbs of Wind Affinity.
As such, under her robes, Maiya had brought along an entire arsenal.
She carried with her two C grade Wind de orbs, two B Grade Gale sts, one B Grade Water Spear, one each of the B grade Mend Flesh and Set Bone orbs, and finally, one A Grade Tempest. All of which were precharged.
Tempest was the most powerful weapon shed ever wielded, and the mere ability to set off a precharged one had sent her Br Rank soaring to two hundred. With this single spell alone, she could easily annihte the fifty hopefuls whod appeared should she choose to.
Not that shed ever do such a thing, of course. A Grade spells toed the line between the tactical and strategic levels for a reason. They tended to affect an immense area and did catastrophic damage to all those caught within, whether they were friend or foe. Every usage had to be reported to the Kinjal military, and they were a tightly governed resource.
Borrowing even one had taken pulling every string Maiya had.
Despite their power, or rather, because of it, they were incredibly unwieldy and difficult to safely deploy. Yet some situations called for Veras might, and only A and S Grade orbs could deliver such unbridled firepower.
Maiya nced down at her armor. Though her gambeson looked ordinary, it had been custom-made to her specifications. The magic pathways covering it allowed her to slot B Grade shing Protection, Piercing Protection, and Blunt Protection orbs, with Enhance Speed C Grade orbs in both of her greaves. In addition, she carried six daggers strapped to both of her thighs. Two for meleebat, and four to throw.
Maiya was, without a doubt, the most well-armored and armed attendee at this initiation.
Maiya nced around to find that the number of hopefuls trickling in had diminished. Just then, the priest began walking.
Maiya couldnt help but notice one among the crowda man who towered over the rest. For a moment, she thought he mightve been a demon giant, but soon realized he wasnt. He was just exceedingly tall. And muscr. He was easily the tallest human Maiya had ever seen.
The tall man strode boldly forth, and after ncing hesitantly at one another, the other initiates followed.
It was a smaller crowd than the one that had attended the briefing at Sonam but not by much. Whatever zealotry drove these people was clearly not something to be underestimated, if they were willing to risk their livesing this close to the Ash.
Maiya was beginning to understand the value Princess Ira saw in the Children of Ash. They didnt just make for ideal spies. They were spies whod take their knowledge with them to the grave. Whod apply themselves to whatever task the Blessed Chosentheir holy leademanded. Perhaps even bing an army if needed.
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Versatile.
It was near impossible to find such a dedicated and multifaceted group. To craft one took decades, if not centuries, of careful effort. And here was one, just ripe for the taking.
The irony was not lost upon Maiya. The Children were attempting to convert her, while she was trying to do the same to them.
Maiya fell in with the others, striding with ease thanks to the orbs hidden within her boots.
The minutes dragged on, and soon, an hour had passed.
An hour of walking was within the means of most people, but hiking through a forest at a fast pace? That was quite the ordeal for anyone whocked training.
Training, or determination.
Everyone huffed and puffed. Some dropped out, but not nearly as many as Maiya expected. They pressed doggedly on, the light in their eyes evidence of their zeal.
That was impressive, but it also meant that there were likely no mejai hidden amongst the group. Not unless they hid their fatigue better than Maiyas trained eyes could discern.
While Maiya wouldve had no issue with the trek without her Enhance Speed orbs, most mejai never sculpted their bodies as much as Maiya had. Mejai all trained in weapons should their magic ever fail them, but nearly everyone she knew took their bodies less seriously than their magic.
Which meant theyd be forced to use orbs topensate, and unless their acting skills were better than hers, itd be obvious who among them were cheating.
Unlike her; this was nothing next to her grueling handmaiden training. She hadnt even broken a sweat.
Makes sense that Im the only mejai here Maiya thought. She hadnt even seen a real mejai until a year ago. Shed been surrounded by themtely, but the reality was that they were rare. Rare and precious. Few would willingly join an insane cult like this one.
The hour turned into two, and Maiya wondered why the Children required such endurance out of their recruits. Did they secretly send their members on physically arduous missions? Or was there some other motive?
No I shouldnt think that way, Maiya chided herself. She was dealing with a group driven by primal instinct and crazed fervor. Logic had no ce with them. There likely wasnt any good reason, other than it being a test of faith.
The group broke through the eastern edge of the forest soon after the third hour had passed,ing to the lush green ins that eventually led to the Ash Wall.
Only half their number remained when the Rector finally came to a halt.
The tall man from before had made it, though to Maiyas surprise, so had Yamal. While he heaved heavily and looked like hed fall over any minute, Maiya had to give him credit for persevering. Especially when his original goal had been simply to leech some free food and shelter.
What could possibly be driving him so hard? Maiya wondered.
Unfortunately, the cover the forest afforded her was now gone, and Yamal spotted her immediately.
You were here! he said tedly, stumbling over to her.
You came all this way not knowing if Id even taken part in this test? Maiya asked.
I knew youd be here, he said confidently. Though I worried when I couldnt find you. I thought you mightve copsed partway.
Right, Maiyaughed.
How was I to know youd arrive without even a bead of sweat on your brow? Yamal said. How are you so strong, anyway?
Maiya raised a brow. Maybe its not that Im strong, but that youre not strong enough? I suspect the hardest is yet toe.
Yamal turned pale, edging slightly closer to Maiya.
So many of you, the Rector said softly. Yet so few. No matter.
The cultist turned his back on the group and stared at the horizon.
Minutes passed, and Maiya and several of the others opted to sit on the lush grass.
What do you think hes doing? Yamal asked.
Who knows? Maiya lied. It was obvious to her what the Rector was intending. He was waiting for an Ash Beast to make it past the Ash Gate. Either by spontaneously appearing, or by jumping over the Ash Wall. It certainly happened regrly enough that they had a decent chance of encountering one. It was why few dared tread this close to the Ash Boundary.
Maiya thought back to her days along the wall.
Ash Beasts didnt favor the lower prana density farther away from the ash, so they congregated close to the wall, making it simpler for Kinjal soldiers to deal with. Shed know; shed led one such squad not too long ago.
Unfortunately, not all beasts followed that behavioral pattern. Every so often, an errant beast would decide to press on, sometimes raiding a vige or encountering a town. Such events represented major crises, so Kinjal did everything in their power to stop them. It wasnt a good look for the strongest military power in the world if their heavily manned wall failed to achieve its purpose, after all.
Or so Ira had said during one of their teatime chats, which had been happening more frequently as ofte. Sometimes, Maiya questioned whether the princess really felt it that urgent to speak to her, or if she just wanted a friend to chat with.
Sooo, Yamal asked, interrupting Maiyas thoughts, plopping down beside her. From the moment hed spotted her, hed never ventured more than a few paces away, clinging like a child.
Hard to me him, Maiya thought. The safest ce for miles was next to her, but that didnt change the fact that he was still an annoyance.
Why are you here, Maiya? Yamal asked. Forgive me for prying, but it doesnt look like youve fallen on hard times
Im interested in the Ash, she replied with her rehearsed response.
So you believe them. You think the Ash is sacred? You want to ascend?
As much as Maiya resented the effort of correcting him, itd be bad if he thought she wasnt right in the head. The Childrens logistics and intelligencework was run by sane people. At least, rtively sane. If word got around that she was a zealot, itd actually hurt her chances of infiltrating that cell.
Not at all, Maiya replied. I just want to understand more about it. The Children have the most experience dealing with the Ash, so I figure theyll have something I can glean.
It wasnt quite trueKinjal knew more about the Ash than most thanks to their scouting missions, but Maiya wasnt about to divulge her privileged ess to top secret military intelligence.
Oh. Oh, I see, Yamal said. But that just begs the question of why youre so interested in the
OUR GODS MESSENGER HAS ARRIVED! The Rector shouted, raising his arms to the sky. Quickly! Up! Show their holiness the respect they deserve!
The Rector prostrated himself in front of the iing beasts.
There were six.
Maiya stood, discreetly palming a hidden orb, but soon exhaled. They were merely Greater Zards. Br Rank Thirty to Fifty in the Ashtheyd be weaker here.
Maiya could dispatch them all alone.
Yamal hid behind her, cowering. She ignored him.
Wonder how this is supposed to be a test, though
The Childrens cultistscked military training. How were they expected to defend themselves against these beasts? And what if a single individual took them all out? Would she be the only one to pass?
Maiya brought out her daggers.
The priest whirled.
No! No! What are you doing!? he wailed in panic. Put away your weapons! Hurry, before you incur their wrath! Bow down! Prostrate! If you are worthy of our cause, the divine messengers of the One True God will protect you!
Maiya froze.
No way.
Er, did he just say we cant defend ourselves? Yamal asked, gripping his own dagger. Because thats what it sounded like This is madness.
Is he out of his mind!? Maiya thought. Nevermind.Stupid question.
Maiyas lips grew taut. She agreed with Yamal. This wasnt merely insane. It was suicide.
And yet, she had a job to do.
With great reluctance, Maiya sheathed her des and lowered her head to the grass.
Damn you to Ash, Ira.
Chapter 209: The Trial Of Faith (Two) (Maiya)
Chapter 209: The Trial Of Faith (Two) (Maiya)
This is suicide, Maiya thought, prostrating as giant lizard-like creatures ran past her. She prayed theyd pass the group by paying no one any mind But these were Ash Beasts. Such hope would undoubtedly be in vain.
She heard the first scream a momentterthe pained scream pierced the air until it was suddenly cut off. Then there was another. And another.
I have to do something.
At this rate, everyone would die. Maiya bore no obligation to any of these people, but watching as civilians were ughtered before her eyes despite knowing she could help Maiya couldnt live with herself if she allowed it.
But what should she do, short of attacking the beasts?
Yknow? Yamal said in a shaky voice, prostrating beside her. I never amounted to much. Truth is, I was supposed to get married, but my fiancee left me.
Hes telling me his life story now? Maiya wondered through gritted teeth, only half listening. Her mind raced to formte a n that might avert this tragedy.
Cant me her, really. Never knew what she saw in me in the first ce, he said wryly. But then it got worse. Really became a deadbeat after that. I was a cksmith, once, you know? Not the best, Ill admit, but not the worst, either.
Is now really the best time for this? Maiya asked irritably. Yamals words were distracting her from finding a way to avert this tragedy. Little time remained until the beasts finished with the others. Even now, she could hear them gorging themselves on the Initiate hopefuls they just killed.
Ive never done anything meaningful with my life, Yamal said, turning his tear-stained face to her. So at least let me die well.
A Zard approached them slowly, licking its lips with its long, forked red tongue.
Yamal roared, springing to his feet and beating his arms against his chest.
Maiyas eyes bulged. What do you think youre
Save yourself! Ill distract it, he shouted, running away.
Maiya groaned. You grakking oaf Yamal hadnt sidled up next to Maiya seeking protection. He thought he was the one protecting her!
If he wasnt about to get himself killed, Maiya mightveughed. As it was, however, her frustration only grew. She wasnt ready. She didnt have a n. What was she to do now?
Hey! Rector! she called to the prostrating cultist, whod somehow avoided the wrath of the Zards thus far. No harming them, but everything else is game, right?
There was no reply. The cultist was chanting something under his breath.
Ill take that as a yes, Maiya breathed. Alright, Yamal, listen to me!? She turned, looking for her recklesspanion, and gasped.
Follow me, you craven beast! Yamal yelled, facing off against a Zard.
The beast turned to face him, its eyes full of primal hunger. It wasnt sizing him up as an opponent. It was eyeing its next meal.
Maiya clutched her C Grade Wind de orb. She hadnt slotted her mejai aiming bracer in the interest of drawing less attentiona decision she now regretted. She wouldnt be able to aim the orb But even if she could, it wouldnt have helped.
Im toote!
The Greater Zard raised its forepaw, poised to slice Yamal. A single strike would cleave him to pieces. Maiya was filled with anguish at her inability to prevent his death.
Yamal dove, but she knew itd do him little good. He was up against an Ash Beast, after all. One with a Br Rank somewhere in the thirties.
Maiya braced herself to witness his gruesome demise. While she hadnt regarded the man as anything other than overly nosy, he didnt deserve to die. Not like this.
The Zards paw blurred.
And Yamal suddenly dodged.
What!?
Maiya did a double take. No. He hadnt dodged. Hed tripped.
The Zards paw blurred past and smacked right into the rump of another Zard that was happily gorging itself on some fresh meat.
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The strike shredded the Zards invisibleyer of armor, digging into its rump.
The beast roared, whirling in anger, searching for the perpetrator. Its eyesnded on the other Zard, and a fierce battle ensued. ws shed, tails whipped, and jaws chomped as each beast attempted to gain the upper hand.
That could work! Maiya thought.
She flew toward Yamal and dragged him away, relying on her boots Enhance Speed orbs to get him away in time.
Y-y-you saved me? You saved my life! Yamal stammered in shock. I thought I was dead!
Maiya shook her head. You might just have saved everyone left. Or at least, facilitated it. Listen to me. You need to do exactly as I say, alright?
Yamal locked his eyes with Maiya and nodded. I trust you.
Good. Now move!
They worked well as a team, much to Maiyas surprise. Though, it was less of a team, and more of Maiya barking out orders,manding Yamal to position himself at precise locations at exactly the right time. If nothing else, the man knew how to obey.
Using Maiya as bait, with Yamal serving as a distraction, they managed to lure another Zard toward the other two that were currently fighting. While the new Zard wanted nothing to do with their fight, thebatants had been whipped into a frenzy. Anything that got too near suffered their wrath, and the third Zard had been too near to get away.
It, too, was drawn into the fight.
Were winning? Were winning against Ash Beasts? Yamal whispered in disbelief, wiping beads of sweat off his brow.
Not winning, no, Maiya replied. I dont know what were doing, other than its stupid. Stupid and reckless. But it is nice that these beasts arent too smart.
Unlike others Ive fought, Maiya thought with a shiver, thinking back to her month of training near the Ash Boundary. The records shed found said that Ash Beasts had gone madthat they werent capable of higher-order thoughtand to be fair, the stronger of them tended to be. But not all. Some were plenty intelligent. Especially the Ash Wolves that popped through. Though their Br Rank wasnt all that high, theyd proven among her toughest opponents.
Maiya! Yamal shouted, pointing at a group of Initiate hopefuls whod huddled behind a tall man. A very tall man with shaggy dark hair. They faced off against another Zard.
Its the one from before!
You ever seen a man that big?
Cant say I have, Maiya said, monitoring the situation. The tall man shed spotted in the forest earlier was sheltering several people behind him, and it seemed his size had given the Zards pause.
I say we let him handle that one, Yamal said, turning away.
Maiya grasped his shoulder, stopping him. He might be well built, but hes still just a man. Unless hes secretly a powerful Talent wielder or a mejai, hes dead meat, Maiya said.
And what? You are? Yamal asked, raising his brows. Are you secretly a mejai, Maiya?
Maiya gave him a tight smile. She was about to speak when the Zard attacked.
The beasts tailshed out its tail with blinding speed, but what surprised Maiya more was the ster instinct the tall man showed, backing away right as the Zard initiated its attack.
But quick reflexes werent enough to bridge the gap between man and Ash Beast. The whip-like tail grazed his forearm, but even just that slight touch tore through his skin, cutting deep to the bone.
Yet there was no scream, nor even a grunt. The man took the attack inplete silence.
Did you see that? Yamal eximed. Hes invincible!
Maiya certainly saw. But what she saw was something else entirely. She saw a normlbeit well-builtman. One with an exceedingly high pain tolerance and a desire to protect others.
Whats someone like him doing here? Maiya wondered, before shelving the thought.
If she didnt act, shed never get those answers.
Yamal. nk the beast on the right. Ill get the left. Draw it back to the others, she said, ncing at the three-way brawl that raged between the beasts just twenty paces away. More of a two-way affairone looked to be on its veryst legs.
Maiya only hoped theyd keep fighting until one of them sumbed.
She lunged in, forcing the Zard to divert its attention. The beast hissed at her in irritation, but right before it attacked, Yamal let out something halfway between a scream and a roar, which prompted the beast to switch targets.
Catching on quickly, the giant man stepped forth menacingly, once again causing the Zard to change targets.
Lead it to the others! Maiya shouted, working with the two to bait the beast. Their strategy worked, though they hardly got away unscathed. The big man took another blowthis time to his other armthough, yet again, he said nothing. Maiya started referring to him as the Silent Man in her head.
Maiya took a blow directly to her torso, but her magical armor absorbed the brunt of the attack. The Silent Man regarded her appraisingly, though she doubted Yamal noticed. He was too busy feeling terrified for his life.
Thats the normal reaction, Maiya thought. The Silent Man shows not even a trace of fear. Hes built different.
By the time they lured the Zard to the others, one of the otherbatants was dead, while two others had worn themselves to the ground.
The two turned to snarl at the neer. There was a pause, and Maiya panicked.
Theyre not going to fight!
Either theyd wizened up to her ploy, or the Zards were simply too tired to fight.
They each backed away and then they turned tail and ran. Back to the Ash Wall.
Huh, Yamal said, walking up beside Maiya. I sppose thats one way of dealing with them. All ording to n, eh?
S-sure, Maiya said, half in disbelief. She was sure shed have a fight on her hands.
The Silent Man came up and put hisrge hand on Maiyas slim shoulder, squeezing it gently.
She looked up to see him nod back.
You Really dont say anything, do you? Yamal asked.
The Silent Man shook his head.
Youre mute, Maiya said softly.
The man nodded.
Maiya surveyed the field of ughter. Half of the fifty that had arrived were dead, their bodies brutally cut open on the ground. The other half regarded Maiya with zealous eyes, full of appreciation. Appreciation, and something else. Something like awe, only greater.
Thats a win? I guess? Maiya thought, turning away from them to regard the Rector.
Against all odds, the prostrating man had somehow survived, head buried into the ground. Maiya couldve flung her greatest spells around, and he wouldnt have noticed a thing.
The Rector slowly brought his head from the ground. We survive! Blessed are we! Blessed and chosen!
So, we pass? Yamal asked.
The Rector shook his head furiously. Yes. Y-you pass! You all pass!
Maiya sighed. She didnt know whether to be ted or terrified. She shook off those emotions for now, resolving to make the best of this ordeal.
She turned to the giant next to her and smiled. Im Maiya, she said, extending a hand. Howd you like to join up with me?
Chapter 210: Brothers In Arms
Chapter 210: Brothers In Arms
Barren ins gave way to ash-filled swamp marshes, then ckened forests that ran for hundreds of miles. From arduous mountain passes to jagged cliffs, the trio made short work of it all, stopping only to rest, eat, and gather food and water.
The skies grew darker, the lightning storms more fierce.
Theyd traveled for nearly two weeks when Cirayus guidance Artifact finally began to show signs of life. The entire time, Vir consoled himself in the knowledge that the deeper they prated, the more time would slow.
Since then, theyd followed its direction, the orbs light growing brighter and brighter. It was guiding them to something. Only, neither of them knew what, precisely. As Cirayus had informed Vir during their journey, the Artifact was sometimes attracted to ancient pieces of Imperium creation. For what purpose, none could say.
The entire time, theyd avoided Ash Beasts whenever possible. Not entirely out of fear, but practicality as well. Fighting spent energy and slowed them down. While Vir could always use the experience, Cirayus kept telling him that the opponents deeper into the Ash would be more worthy of his time.
Unfortunately, the Realm had other ns. Vir noticed the beasts had not only be strongerwith more and more wielding offensive chakras that forced Vir to fleebut they were also mentally unstable. Shredders would follow them for hours on end, struggling to keep up with Vir and Cirayus bounding pace. Some even fell over from exhaustion.
It was as if their self-preservation instincts had been burned away, leaving addled monsters driven by primitive instinct.
Ironically, Vir suspected more Ash Beasts didn''t use chakras not because they were physically incapable, but because their broken minds prevented it.
Still, their tremendous strength and their madness made for a dangerousbination. Vir and Cirayus had been forced to fight off the horde theyd umted whenever they wished to stop and rest.
He now understood that the Ashen Realms dangers didnt end with prana poisoning and the asional beast encounter. The infernal things followed relentlessly, and unless one had the ability to beat back hordes of them, their time in the Ash would be very short-lived.
The fights had been brutal and exhrating. Vir had thought his newfound strength would allow him to best the beasts with easeand it would have, had chakra not been involved. Cirayus targeted them exclusively, leaving the rest for Vir.
Unfortunately, he also insisted Vir challenge himself by taking on handicaps.
There is no value in an easy win, the giant had said.
And so, Vir fought. Barehanded. One-handed. Limited to only his prana ws. Limited to prana darts. Hed even fought blindfolded, alternating between weapons that Cirayus threw to him during battle. One moment, hed be using his fists, and the next, a polearm. Then a talwar, followed by prana darts.
Virs understanding ofbat tactics and strategy had been tempered by dozens of battles and honed by Cirayus teachings.
While Vir still couldntpare to the giants military wisdomdeveloped over a lifetimehe now fought with an efficient brutality hed never had. Calm. Calcted. Surgical. It was still his old style, just elevated.
And in all that time, through all those battles, Vir had barely glimpsed Shan. The aloof wolf would generally only return to their side to rest. At all other times, hed ranged off on his own. Vir had initially worried the beast had gotten lost, but the wolf would inevitably show up hourster. After three or four times of this, Vir learned not to worry.
Even so, he felt like a barrier existed between them. They werent truly partners. Not yet.
Worrying about your new friend again? Cirayus asked.
I just dont know what he wants. He wasnt like this at Mahdi, Vir said. Over the past week, hed spoken at length about his experiences there, answering Cirayuss hundreds of questions about every detail. Vir didnt minditd helped to pass the hours of monotony.
A fight, I think, Cirayus replied, cooly swinging Sikandar and bisecting a half-dozen Raptors that had gotten too close.
Even after seeing it in action so many times, Vir was still awed every time the giant wielded the enormous weapon. Sikandar was the perfect synergy of the giants abilities. His mighty strength, Bncer of Scales, and tall stature allowed Cirayus to swing the heavy, unwieldy weapon as if it were a feather. By multiplying its weight right before the moment of impact, its lethality was truly an awesome sight to behold.
Why would Shan want to fight me? Vir asked, continuing the conversation.
Not fight you. Fight with you, Cirayus said. He continued upon seeing Virs confusion. Lad, Ive trained my fair share of beasts in my life. Even trained with the Aindri for several years. They have a saying up northyour beast isnt yourpanion until youve braved death together.
The Aindri? Vir asked.
A n of demons specializing in beast taming. Their whole society is centered aroundmuning with animals. Even their bloodline arts revolve around them.
That sounds smart, Vir thought. It was always an advantage to go into battle with capable allies. Cirayus was living proof of it. But sapient organisms had lives to live. Obligations to fulfill. They couldnt always be relied on to be there.
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Unlike beasts. Neel had fought by his side ever since leaving Brij. The only times Vir had left him behind were out of fear for his safety. Vir felt like he might share more than a little inmon with this n.
Im assuming their beasts are quite capable inbat? Vir asked.
Aye. Youll never see an Aindri go into battle alone. Their connection to the natural world is far beyond that of other demons. They canmand their creatures on a level Ive never seen. When ites to beasts, I trust them more than anyone else.
The thing is, Vir said, frowning, we have fought together. Nearly died to that Yaksha Automaton in Mahdi, in fact. Weve both saved each other more than once.
Aye, which I imagine is why it followed you back in the first ce. But you see, the wolf wasnt yours back then, was it? Its loyalty stilly with the Goddess Ashani.
Weve been in so many fights recently, though. Shans never once participated.
Proud, that one. As he should be, considering his strength. Jumping up, Cirayus warned abruptly.
Theyd bounded through a forest to a bare cliff that overlooked more forest, a thousand paces below. The trees ended some hundred paces from the edge, affording a sweeping vista of the barren, darkndscape. Ash had built upon the trees dense canopy, making the forest look like a smooth, ck nket.
Vir Leaped off the precipice without breaking stride.
Guess Ill have a chat next time I see him, Vir said while he plummeted to the ground. I think we made a really nice team back at Mahdi.
If you can fight as a team with that wolf, youll be a force to be reckoned with,d, Cirayus saidalso falling.
The giant touched softly against the ground while Vir mmed into it with some force, though the impact barely registered. With his body bursting with prana, he doubted hed hurt himself, even without Light Step to break his fall.
Half the beasts whod been tailing them halted before they plummeted off the cliff. The other half was not so prudent.
Vir and Cirayus darted away just in time to avoid the rain of bodies that smashed the ground with sickening thuds.
Lad? Cirayus said, turning to Vir in worry.
Uh, right.Shan might have an issue with that jump, Vir said, sting off the forest floor, leaving an explosion of dirt in his wake.
He sailed up the cliff, driving his katar into the wall before Leaping again back to the surface hed just left.
Sure enough, the Ashfire wolf was there, fighting in an all-out war of frenzied Ash Beasts. From Ash Biters to Shredders to other wolves to even Shrikes, the beasts raged, madly attacking one another.
de Launch hurtled across the clearing, ripping apart a handful of unwitting beasts while Vir Blinked to his friends side.
The wolf looked up at him expectantly.
Vir crouched to allow the wolf onto his shoulder but stopped halfway down. Wasnt this the perfect opportunity to fight together? They were cornered. Shan had nowhere to run.
Were fighting, Shan, Vir said. Together. What do you say?
Shan stared at him, even as an Ash Biter moved in from behind. Shans ws blurred, and the Biters face ripped apart.
The beast howled in painuntil Virs Artifact chakram to its skull ended it.
Alright, then, Vir said with a grin. Whoever gets the most kills wins. And I wont use my chakram.
With Cirayus having already dispatched the mob''s chakra-wielding beasts, there wasn''t any reason to hesitate.
Vir flew into action. Prana Current activated, wreathing Vir in a vortex of ck armor. A session of de Launches ripped forth, one after another. With how packed the beasts were, he hardly had to aim. The abilitys nature ensured that anything in the path of its destruction died.
Unlike just a month ago, he could actually keep up this barrage, hurling des and disks of pure prana to annihte his enemies with impunity.
Except, his goal wasnt merely to win. It was to fight alongside Shan, and he doubted decimating beasts from safety would gain him much favor with the stoic animal.
Vir Blinked into the fray, prana ws extended. It was time for a more personal approach.
They fought individually, at first. On opposite sides of the battlefield, surrounded by their own pockets of enemies. But as the beasts fell before them, those pockets began to merge.
Then they were fighting side by side, trying to one-up each other. Trying to kill the same enemy before the other could.
Shan was blindingly fast. So much so that Vir could hardly keep track of his motions as he bounded about. With his full reserve of Mahdi Realm prana, the Ashfire wolfs attacks were no less deadly than Virs own prana ws.
Except Shan had twice as many, and a lifetime of using them. Vir lost ground as Shan steadily racked up kill after kill.
But where Shan was like the incarnation of death against softer, faster foes, Vir dominated against the more heavily armored opponents.
The Phantomdes that had given Vir so much trouble in the past stood no chance against Chakram Barrage. Dozens of the disks flew one after another, annihting its prana armor before chipping away the scales that protected it.
Seeing an opening, Vir Blinked in, grabbing the Phantomdes head in his hand. Prana Current activated, and he sucked the energy out of the beast with furious speed. He absorbed it into his body before bleeding it off into the air via another Current loop.
The life ebbed from the Phantomde, allowing Shan to dance around it, ripping the beast to shreds.
It wasnt a battle. It was a massacre.
Until the two Shrikes arrived.
Even with Haste active, Vir barely avoided the avian beasts dive bombing. Shan barely rolled out of harms way in time, the Shrikes talons chopping off a tuft of his fur.
Vir sprang forth, grabbing hold of a wing before the avian beast took to the air again.
It was about all he managed before his stomach lurched, and he found himself hundreds of paces in the sky.
How do these things move so fast? he wondered as he was dragged through the air.
Vir used his handhold to suck prana out of the creature, decimating its prana armor in that spot. de Projection then speared through its soft hide, ending it.
Leaping off the beast before it fell, Vir targeted its friend. His hand found purchase on its wingbarely.
The Shrike shrieked, careening wildly, plummeting to the ground.
Vir didnt have time to repeat his tactic. He was forced to jump off to avoid being thrashed against trees.
But as he did, Shan jumped onto his back. Then the wolf jumped again,nding atop the Shrike.
Nice, Shan! Vir thought as he mmed into the ground, keeping a keen eye on the Shrike. It had thrown him off, only to gain another unwanted rider, but Shan was up against a beast with a Br rank in the hundreds. They couldnt be too careful.
Though Shan wed into the Shrikes armor, it was thick, and not so easily destroyed.
It didnt need to be. Vir was there for that.
Chakram Barrage surged into the air in an unending volley. Distracted as it was, the Shrike couldnt evade. While some prana disks missed, several hit, weakening its armor.
Once it had been depleted, Shan did the rest.
The beast plummeted, but this time, it was Vir who jumped to rescue his friend. He caught the beast midair and brought them both to the ground albeit not without some pain. Shan was far heavier than Neel, and even with Virs enhanced muscles and Light Step to dampen the fall, the impact shook his bones.
Well? Vir said, surveying the field of corpses. I think we make a pretty good team. Dont you?
Shan howled in victory.
Their moment, however, was short-lived.
Cirayus bounded up beside them.
Whats wrong? Vir asked.
The forest. Its gone silent.
Vir listened and found that his guardian was right. There wasnt a single sounding from the trees nearby.
A city ender? Vir asked, using the term hede up with for Wyrms and Prana Swarms.
Possibly, Cirayus replied, hefting Sikandar. Whatever it is, wed best not be around when it arrives.
Might be a bitte for that, Vir said, pointing to the sky.
Run!
Chapter 211: Law of Ash
Chapter 211: Law of Ash
Vir jumped off the same cliff for the second time that day. This time, he fled in fear. Whatever was pursuing them was lethal; few organisms shone so brightly to Prana Vision. In fact, Vir hadnt seen such a signature since his time in the Mahdi Realm. Whatever it was, they were no match for it.
Four centuries, Cirayus said as they fell. Four long centuries of living and fighting and I am still nothing against these beasts.
Vir hit the ground and Leaped, bounding through the forest with blinding speed.
A heavy crash told him their pursuer had followed. Worseit was moving fast, approaching steadily.
Vir rted to Cirayus feelings. Hed only just obtained great power, but against Wyrms and Prana Swarms, what did it matter? He was still nowhere near those forces of nature, and even with the Ultimate Bloodline Tattoos, even with Chakras, he truly wondered if hed ever get there.
Still, it was one thing to feel that way after a year of active training. But four hundred years? Would Vir ept reality as gracefully as Cirayus had?
Their pursuer neither roared nor screamed, but the sound of ancient trees cracking and breaking more than made up for it. In a way, that was even more terrifying.
Its gaining on us! Cirayus shouted.
Were in the middle of a forest. Its not even slowing that thing down!
Wheres a Wyrm when you need one? Cirayus muttered as they ran.
Shan stuck close to Virs side, sensing the impending danger.
What about your Artifact? Vir asked. Were close, arent we?
Aye, Cirayus said. Though theres no telling how much farther the Ash Gate is. The orbs brighter than ever, but we could still have a day or two left. We need more information on the enemy.
They both changed the trajectory of their next bounding leap. Instead of shooting forward, they soared high, clearing the treetops.
Vir whipped around, searching for their pursuer. He didnt have to search hard.
Oh. That.
Well, it could be worse, Cirayus said as they fell back down together.
Not much worse, Vir replied.
The beast that followed them wasnt a living being at all. It was an Imperium Automaton Guardian, though the only trait it shared with the Yaksha were the three faces, one on each side of its head.
Its faces, however, werent alive like the Yakshas had been. They seemed etched out of stonelifeless, except for its glowing blue eyes.
The smooth, white automaton stood sixty paces in height, nearly as high as the trees, and instead of legs, its four-armed torso was attached to a spherical base that was twice as tall as Cirayus.
Imperium Guardians are relentless, Cirayus said. Well need to lose it or upy it with a greater threat than us.
Shouldnt be hard, with all the monsters around. Just
Aye. Cirayus grabbed Vir, hoisting him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Hey! Vir protested, iling.
Vir had hoped hed never have to rely on the giant to carry him again, but s, his hopes were dashed quite brutally.
Shan shirked away, refusing simr treatment.
Just be sure you keep up, Cirayus said to the wolf.
The giant jumped up to a treetop and bounded his way across the forest canopy several times faster than before.
Shan kept up. In fact, the wolf ranged ahead of Cirayus, predicting his path.
The Guardian slowly fell away behind them, though neither harbored the delusion that the Imperium creation would simply give up.
The moment we exit the forest, that Automaton is going to catch up, Cirayus said. Im already going as fast as I can.
What about those peaks? Vir asked. Think we might be able to hide from it there?
Worth a try,d. I was thinking the same. Cirayus angled for the base of the jagged peaks nearby.
He soared high, scaling the sheer mountainside with ease. While Cirayus leveraged Bncer of Scales to reduce his weight, Shan dug his prana-covered ws into the mountain, creating secure handholds with each bounding leap.
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The summits of the mountains in the Ashen Realm were not safe ces. Continuously ravaged by lightning, they werent anywhere a living being ought to venture. Furthermore, the sheer sides offered little in the way of purchase, forcing Cirayus to traverse horizontally in search of a ledge.
They had no such luck. Fortunately, they didnt need it.
Vir fired a de Launchensuring to draw prana in from the air, and not from Cirayus, who clung to the side of the mountain.
Clever, Cirayus said. Do you see now what I mean about power?
Surees in handy, Vir said, firing more attacks at the ck rock. Each strike gouged out a chunk of the mountainside.
Cirayus helped by smashing the cut rock, allowing them to tumble down the mountain, while Shan observed from nearby.
Working as a team, they quickly hollowed out a cavityrge enough for all of them. To call it a cave was generous, but it gave them a safe harbor from the storm.
Any bets on whether that Guardian can climb? Vir asked.
Well, Cirayus said, Ive never seen their type climb Though I hardly believe them incapable.
You think they just choose not to? Vir asked.
If you were the Gods, would you cripple your creations with such a ring deficiency?
Good point, Vir replied. The Yaksha certainly had no issues following me up. I wonder if each ones built for a different purpose.
Or if theyd all gone insane It was a very real possibility. Who could say what corrupted rules governed these ancient beasts?
The Guardian arrived at the base of the mountain and slowed. It didnt climb.
It didnt need to. The Automaton primed an attackone that Vir had seen before.
Everybody down! Vir roared.
The Guardians eyes glowed hotly. A beam of lightnced out, striking the mountain. An explosion of rock thundered above them, raining debris down upon the three.
Ordinary demons might have been crushed, but Cirayus simply smashed the boulders as they dropped, while de Projections cut down rocks headed Virs way. Prana Armor handled the ones he couldnt strike.
Shan simply dodged them all, his prana-coated ws digging into the sheer face with ease.
Vir! Cirayus roared.
On it, Vir replied, sending more de Launches into the cave, deeper into the mountain. There would be safety there. The Guardians weapon was directionalif they couldnt see it, it couldnt see them. Which meant it couldnt harm them.
Or at least, so Vir hoped. With both Bncer of Scales and his abilities, Vir and Cirayus worked quickly as a team to hollow out the cavity.
But not before they werenced by another of the Guardians light beams. It was the same attack the Yaksha had used against the Wyrm in the Mahdi Realm. Vir had clearly witnessed its destructive power. He knew what would happen if they allowed such a blow to hit.
Vir handed off the task of gouging into the cave to Cirayus, who hacked away with his talwarSikandar was far toorge to maneuver in such a small space.
Minutester, they had a tunnel that bored deep into the rock. Deep enough for the Guardian to abort its attack.
Now, the only question is whether it follows, Vir said, sinking partially into the shadows of the cave to peer at the Guardian from a nearby shadow. Time passed at half its normal rate.
Well? Cirayus asked, his voiceing through low and slow. What do you see?
The Automaton hadnt moved an inch.
Its just staring at us, Vir reported, leaving the shadows.
Well, then I sppose we wait, the giant said, taking a seat.
Shan circled a few times before lying down.
Is there really nothing we can do? Vir asked.
Cant fight it. Cant outrun it. All we can do is hide. Let this be a lesson,d. Never let your strength go to your head.
Hard to, when all we can do is cower in fear and hope our enemy moves on.
Aye, that might be easy, here in the Ash, where every other beast reminds you of your own impotence, Cirayus said. But what of the Demon Realm? Lad, when you entered the Ash, you were weaker than most demons. That is no longer true. But strength doesnt make you invincible. Even the greatest among us die.
I know, Vir said softly. I wont be nearly as strong outside the Ash. Even if I retain the same level of prana within my body, Ill have to ration it carefully.
Not only that, Cirayus said. Your powers Theyre unlike the tattoos demons use. Quite unlike them, actually.
Vir narrowed his eyes. Which means if I want to stay hidden
Youll have to hide your abilities as well. Dance of the Shadow Demon is out of the question, Cirayus said. Everyone knows thats an Iksana bloodline ability. And you are not a Ghael.
Vir mulled it over. Leap and Blink should be fine, right?
Yes. Well have to inscribe fake tattoos on youtemporary tattoosto make it look as though your powers stem from them. Movement arts wont be an issue.
I see. Then I can use Haste, too. And Prana Vision is invisible, so I should be able to use that freely. What about Prana de and de Launch?
Plenty of strike enforcement magics exist, Cirayus exined. Though, none that use Ash prana. We can im your katar is an Artifact that channels Ash prana. Shouldnt be much of a stretch, seeing how you have a true Artifact already.
So, it sounds like Dance of the Shadow Demon is the only power Ill have to hide? Vir said. It didnt sit right with him that hed have to hide one of his most versatile abilities, but there was something that worried him as well.
What about the Iksana? he asked. You''d mentioned that you''d inscribe fake tattoos on me, which will work for most people, but what about the Iksana who have Sight? The moment they see me, theyll learn who I am, right?
Aye. Thankfully, the Iksana rarely venture out of their caves and their tunnels, though well require a solution eventually.
Vir immediately thought of mejai armor, and how it scrambled the wearers prana signature to his eyes. Imperium metal had a simr quality.
Might be something Prana Current could help with? He wondered. It was something to test once he got to the Demon Realm.
Over the next hours, Vir alternated between meditating on his Foundation Chakra and spying on the Guardian.
To their frustration, the Automaton hadnt moved. Whatever made it take an interest in them remained.
Virs tension began to mount. Even after a full day, the Guardian remained. While they had food and water for days, the ustrophobic environment weighed him down.
Ironically, it was that exact pressure that helped his meditation. He was close to the Foundation Chakra. He could feel it. Hed also used the time to pull prana into his body, further expanding his blood capacity.
He wasnt sure if hed have such a chance once he left the Ash, so he strove to push his limits every moment he could.
Just that even if he learned it, itd be useless.
The Chakra? What if
Cirayus? Vir asked. Have you ever tried fighting an Automaton?
I value my life,d, Cirayus replied, narrowing his eyes in concern. Not even your father was that reckless.
Virs heart began to pound.
Does that mean youve never tried attacking it?
Never. Ive only evere across such a being twice before, and each time, I hid as quietly as I could.
So, youve never tried using your Chakra attacks against it?
I have not, Cirayus admitted. Butd, this is an Imperium Creation. We should assume it hasplete mastery over its Chakras.
Maybe. A smile crept onto Virs face. Or maybe not Hear me out.
Chapter 212: Strange Company
Chapter 212: Strange Company
You mean to say that the gods had no concept of chakra? Cirayus asked, unconvinced.
Rather, the Chakras may not even have existed before the fall of the gods. Cirayus, whatever happened to the Imperium changed the world in ways Im not sure anyone understands. There was a moon! A bright circle in the night sky, many times the size of the stars!
Aye, you mentioned that before,d. Just hard toprehend, is all. But lets say youre right. This is still quite a risk. Demons dont fight Imperium Automatons. Not the ones who wish to live to tell a tale, anyway. Even if my Chakra attacks work on it, whos to say Ill even get the chance?
Thats where Ie in. Shan and I will serve as a distraction until you cannd a blow.
No, Cirayus replied firmly. Tis too dangerous for you.
Look, Id much rather flee, myself, but weve been here a full day and that thing hasnt moved an inch. What choice do we have?
There is another option, Cirayus said quietly. We make for the summit.
Those peaks are ravaged by lightning. Itd be suicide.
Not for me,d. And, I suspect, not for you, either, with your newfound abilities.
We dont know that, Vir replied, mulling over Cirayus n. True, Prana Armor had grown far stronger thanks to Current, but was it sufficient to weather a st of Lightning?
There are tricks to traversing the ravaged peaks, Cirayus continued. We walk while crouching as low as we can. Makes it less likely well be hit that way. Least, thats what Ill do. You might not have to, with Dance of the Shadow Demon. Shadows are stronger up on the peaks.
Vir grimaced, debating between the two options. Neither was especially ptable. Risking life and limb against an ancient, possibly deranged, automaton built by the gods, or against Bhumimother natureherself.
At least we can hit the automaton, Vir muttered. But I see your point. Alright. Lets do it your way
Hold,d, Cirayus said, peering into the Artifact orb.
Whats wrong?
The Artifact. Tis glowing brighter. Brighter than before, when we entered.
Thats Its moving? Vir asked. Is that even possible?
Apparently so.
Wait, Vir said, paling. Does that mean the Artifact its paired with in the Demon Realm is here?
If so, their chances of exiting the Ash safely had just plummeted. Ash Tears were a dime a dozenbut true, proper Ash Gates stable enough to safely travel through? Those were beyond rare. Vir had seen only a handful in his time here. Without the Artifact, theyd be relying on dumb luck like Amaratthe demon in Balindams Undercityhad done.
Could mean anything,d. But if it is here, it means were not alone. Someone must be carrying it. Or, gods forbid, something.
Vir understood where this was going. And said entity is probably not dodging lightning strikes on the summit of nearby mountains. Well why not simply stay here? Our waters running out, but we should be able to weather another day. At worse, whoever or whatever is on its way might distract the Automaton.
Would be the smart thing to do, aye. But if it is a demon out there attempting to locate us, theyll never find us up here.
How far would you say they are? Vir asked.
Close, Cirayus replied. Very close.
Then well watch and observe, Vir said, sinking into the shadows.
Vir wasnt expecting to see anyone. A lone demon in a forest wouldve been invisible. The only clue hed have was the Automaton switching targets if this mysterious stranger neared, and while Vir didnt know this demon, hed feel bad if they were sted in the gut by the Automatons eye beam.
Apparently, his worries were unfounded.
Uh, Cirayus? Youre not going to believe this.
What do you see,d? the giant asked from deeper within the cave.
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I dont think its a demon or an Ash Beast thats approaching us, Vir replied. Its another Automaton.
The second behemoths tracks were visible by the carnage it left in its path. Taller than the other Automaton, and taller than even most trees, it bore a strong resemnce to the other.
Both Automatons had perfect white armor covering their bodies. Both had four arms, three faces attached to a single head, and towered as tall as the trees.
But there were differences as well. The neer wasrger, and unlike the other Automatons ball base, it stood on two armored legs. In one hand, it hefted an enormous talwarfarrger than even Sikandarand a spear in another. It also carried a great white tower shield so massive, it required two of the Automatons hands to wield. The shield was nearly forty paces in heightit had more inmon with a tall tower than an implement of defense.
We should run for it, Vir said, readying himself to Leap from the mountain cave. Let them fight each other out. We may not ever get another chance.
Cirayus didnt reply immediately. He stared intently at the neer with a frown.
Lad? Are my old eyes failing me? Or is a demon riding on the shoulder of that Automaton?
Vir peered out at the neer. It had rapidly closed the distance and was now only a few hundred paces away from the other Imperium creation.
Sure enough, there was someone there, standing proudly on the juggernauts right shoulder.
Vir had missed the figure at first, for his clothing perfectly camouged him. The figure wore all white, and from this distance, Vir could barely make out the manor womansporting wild white hair.
A demons riding an Automaton, Vir said nkly. Does that mean theyre controlling it? Is That cant be possible Right?
When Cirayus didnt reply, Vir nced up at him. The giants frown had turned into a scowl.
I think we should leave, Vir said.
Its him, Cirayus spat. It has to be.
Er, who? You know that person?
I wish I did not. But one does note across many demons who can take control of the creation of the gods. There is only one man Im aware of who can. Saunak. Saunak the Deranged.
Deranged? Vir thought. That didnt seem like a moniker anyone would willingly take on.
Er, shouldnt we avoid him, then?
Lad, that demon has a way to track us. Think of it. What are the chances we would run into perhaps the only other sapient being in this whole bloody realm?
Thats true.
If we run, hell find us. Whats more, our own Artifact is pointing straight to him. If anyone could pull off such a feat, it would be none other than Saunak.
Why would he do that, though? What does he want? Vir asked, monitoring the Automatons below. The one that had hunted them hadnt even registered the neer, keeping its gaze solely fixated on Virs hideout on the mountain.
Nothing good, Cirayus said gravely. But I fear we are out of options. Either we escape and Saunak finds us, or we submit to him willingly.
Er, youre making it sound like this Saunak person is going to win. Sure, his Automaton is a bit bigger, but you know how durable these things are. Theyre nearly invulnerable until their energy cores run out.
Lad, you dont know Saunak as I!?
A deafening boom startled them both, and Vir sunk back into the shadows to observe the situation.
Until now, the other Automaton had paid the neer no mind, likely thinking it an ally.
When Vir peered out, he expected to see the beginning of a battle between them. Instead, the old Automaton was now moving up the mountain. Toward them. Why it had chosen this moment to pursue them, Vir couldnt say.
Another thunderous boom rocked the world, and this time, Vir saw the Automatons arm liquify, morphing into an oversized chained harpoon that fired outward with explosive force. The harpoonnded mere paces from their cave. The chain went taut, and the Automaton followed.
To Virs dismay, the neer hadnt taken action, seemingly content to watch the drama unfold.
Its here, Vir shouted. We need to leave. Now.
Follow me! Cirayus said. I suppose well see if this theory of yours holds water.
The demon jumped out of the cavern before Vir could protest, and Vir followed momentster, cursing as he activated Leap.
Cirayus sailed out of the mountain, followed by Shan and Vir, all praying that the Automaton below them would be in too much of an awkward position to attack them.
They were, of course, horribly wrong.
The Automatons eye beam streaked through the sky, finding Cirayus.
Anticipating the attack, Cirayus wrenched himself in midair, narrowly avoiding the beam.
Vir let loose his Artifact Chakram as he fell, activating Chakram Launch at the same time.
The Automaton must have perceived the weapon as a threat, for it focused on the flying disk.
Vir panickedhe hadnt thought about what might happen if the chakram took the full brunt of the Automatons attack. If it was destroyed
He hit the ground, relying on Light Step to catch him. Shannded safely beside him.
The chakram sailed through the air, closer and closer to the Imperium creation and to Virs disbelief, it struck the chain tethering the creature to the rock.
Chakram Launch dissipated on contact with the Imperium metal, doing absolutely nothing to it.
The chain held strong, but the chakram drilled relentlessly, its razor des cutting through ancient Imperium metal.
The Automatons eyes glowed blue, but Vir recalled the chakram before its eye weapon fired. The disk flew through the air, zigzagging as it returned to Vir unscathed.
No longer needing to climb, the colossal being released its hold on the mountainside, and crashed heavily back to the ground, crushing a dozen trees under it.
Except Cirayus was there to meet it.
Sikandars gargantuan de ripped at the Automaton, and even from Virs distance, he could feel the giants aura. The de had a metaphysical weight that crushed him. It spoke of death, in a way Vir could scarcelyprehend.
Sikandar struck Imperium metal and stopped dead in its tracks. The enormous sword hadnt even chipped the Automatons armor.
Vir immediately threw his Chakram again but suddenly found himself dozens of paces in the air.
The other Automaton!
Vir cursed. His attention had been so focused on the other giant that hed ignored the neer. And now he was trapped. Stuck in one of its giant hands.
Shan roared, Blinking onto the fist that held Vir, desperately attacking it with his ws.
But against Imperium metal, the Ashfire wolf was helpless.
Shan! Vir roared.
Another arm appeared out of nowhere, swatting Shan aside, sending him flying off into the distance.
The Automaton brought Vir up to its shoulder. In line with the madman who grinned deliriously at him.
The gray demon opened his mouth and took a deep breath.
Oh yes! Very nice.
Chapter 213: Saunak The Deranged
Chapter 213: Saunak The Deranged
This is really bad, Vir thought, struggling within the Automatons grip. A hopeless endeavorthis was a creation of the gods he was up against.
Youre Saunak, arent you? Vir asked, prudently omitting his full monicker; Saunak the Deranged.
Hmmm, the wild-haired man said. With his white coat, dark goggles draped around his neck, and wild blue eyes, the demon fit the mad thaumaturge image to a T. He was also a gray demon like Vir, which made him feel immediately familiar. There were so few of them that Vir felt like the gray demons in Balindam shared a bond. He could only hope Saunak felt the same.
Help us get away from the Automaton, Vir said, nodding at Cirayus, who had retreated away from the other Automaton and was approaching quickly.
Oh? And why would I do that, young one?
Because you didnte out all this way for nothing. You want something. And Im guessing you want us.
Saunak cackled. Oh! Good. Very good! But no.
That cant be true, Vir said. The Artifactyouve been using it to find us.
Saunak frowned. It seems you are under some misunderstanding. What I have is a beacon. A device that your Artifact uses to home in on. When close enough, my beacon alerts me of nearby presences. In your case, I needed a break, and you wandered near enough to my home that I thought an excursion warranted.
He doesnt sound all that deranged Vir thought. On the contrary, Saunak spoke quite coherently. Logically, even. Yet, out of all the words the demon said, one stuck out to Vir in particr.
Your home? Vir asked. You live here?
Saunak cocked a brow. Surprising the brute never mentioned it. Hmm. I see! I see how it is.
Look, if you help us escape
Yes? Saunak asked, a wild grin stered on his face. What will you do for this old demon, hmm?
We Could bring you back to the Demon Realm? Vir said, trying not to think about how easily Saunak could order the machine to crush him to death. His life wasquite literallyin its hand.
Saunak said nothing, simply staring. Not at Vir, but at Shan.
Then he burst out in maniacalughter. Theughter continued and continued, and Vir began to wonder if the researchers sanity was nothing but a thin veneer.
The mad demonughed for a good twenty seconds as Virs anxiousness grew. He kept ncing at the other Automaton, which pursued Cirayus as he fled back to Vir and Saunak.
Look, I dont know whats funny, but theres an Automaton heading right for us, he said, attempting to end the demons fit ofughter.
Oh, yes! Would you look at that? Good! Saves me the hassle! Saunak replied in between fits of giggles.
Then Cirayus arrived, and Bncer of Scales activated.
Saunak didnt kneel as much as crumple. The demon was crushed on the Automatons shoulder, yet the Imperium creation didnt react at all. Whatever mechanism Saunak was using to control the Automaton didnt seem to be actively controlled.
Lines of prana arced from the Imperium metal tablet Saunak clutched. Ash prana.
Unhand him, Cirayus said, watching Saunak squirm. There was no trace of anger in his demand. Only a cold promise of death. That, and Sikandars de against the demons neck, which promised much of the same thing.
Now, you see, that''s no way to greet someone. Let alone an old friend, Saunak said calmly. Though the increased gravity wouldve made speech difficult, Saunak showed no signs of panic. It certainly wasnt the attitude Vir would have when facing such overwhelming force.
Is he hiding his strength? Vir wondered. He refused to underestimate anyone who had wrangled control of an Imperium machine.
Cirayus! Long time! Saunak said, despite his obvious pain. Hows the wife? Ah, pardon. Wives. Ive quite lost count at this point. How are the kids? Ah, silly me. You couldnt know, what with the dozens of them running around. Do you even remember their names?
Cirayus had mentioned hed known Saunak, so the demons words didnte as much of a surprise to Vir. What did, however, was the revtion about Cirayus family.
Wife? Kids? Vir had never even considered Cirayus wouldve been married, let alone have fathered kids. Though as Vir thought more about it, the less likely it was that Cirayus wouldnt.
Test me, Saunak, and it will be thest thing you do. Release the boy. Now. Then we talk.
Saunak grinned at Cirayus, and it seemed to Vir he was contemting some witty remark.
Fine. Fine, Saunak said atst. But youll have to release Bncer of Scales so I can use my control tablet.
This is it. This is where Saunak will show his true power. Vir braced himself, though there was little he could do in the Automatons grasp. His arms were pinned, preventing him from using his Chakramthe only weapon capable of dealing damage to an Imperium creation. Hed already tried sting his Ash prana out, but the Automaton hadnt even noticed. His prana simply dissipated into its metal hand.
Still lying t against the Automatons shoulder, Saunak ced his palm on his pure-white tablet And the creations hand opened, dropping its contents.
Vir plummeted to the ground, but not before seeing the surge of prana pulses travel from Saunaks tablet into the air, and then into the Automaton at a half dozen locations.
Light Step slowed Virs fall, and Leap brought him back up to the Automatons enormous shoulder, where Cirayus and Saunak argued.
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Why are you here? Cirayus demandedSikandar still ced against Saunaks neck.
Uh, guys? Vir said. How about we chat after that Automatons been taken care of? It''s headed right for us?
Saunak, Cirayus roared. Do something about this. Lest you kill us all!
Saunak shrugged, grinning wanly. Give this old man a break. Ive just been subjected to arduous torture. I should like a moment to recover.
We dont have a moment? Virs voice trailed off, his eyes darted between the slowly approaching Automaton and the bickering demons. For whatever reason, the Automaton was taking its time. Perhaps it was unsure whether to strike an ally, or maybe it knew Saunaks Automaton was under enemy control. Regardless, it was barely two hundred paces away and closing.
Saunak! Vir shouted, desperation bleeding into his voice. Their enemy was a machination of the gods. If they hoped to flee, they had to leave now. Can you stop it?
Why, of course! the mad thaumaturge replied immediately.
What do you want? Vir said.
See, Cirayus? Heres a demon who appreciates the value of those with power! You could learn a thing or two from him.
Cirayus seethed, pressing Sikandar against the demons throat. If you dont stop that Automaton right now, I swear to Vera, I will cut off your head and bring it to the Demon Realm for all to witness!
Panic tinged Cirayus'' voice. He knew as well as Virthere was no fleeing this foe. Death approached, and unless Saunak defended them, they would meet their doom.
Saunak remained unconcerned.
We dont have time for this, Vir said. Its almost here!
Look at what I receive for my troubles, Saunak said, putting a palm to his forehead. All I wanted was for some goodpany. Do you know how lonely it can be here in the Ash? With only my Automatons to keep mepany?
Cirayus! Vir shouted, preparing to Leap away.
He stopped.
Automatons Not Automaton? Had the thaumaturge misspoken? Or
The sphere-base Automaton approached to within ten paces And stopped.
Vir groaned. You have got to be kidding me.
Saunak, who had just sat up, fell over, cackling.
Dont tell him anything, Cirayus said, for the fifth time. Dont let him goad you into admitting anything. He paused. In fact, it would be better if you just didnt speak in front of him. Or anywhere near him.
Vir rolled his eyes. Cirayus, he has two Automatons. He could have killed us both if he wanted to. Heck, he didnt even need toe here if thats what he wanted.
Hasnt killed us yet. Lad,if that madman learns whowhatyou truly are We are taking a dangerous risk in following him.
A necessary risk, Vir replied. He says he has a way to reset the Artifact to point us home.
You cant trust a word out of that maniacs mouth, Cirayus spat, but he knew well that they had little recourse.
While they might escape Saunak, their Artifact would simply lead the demon to them. And if they threw it away, they were doomed to walk the Ash until a fortuitous Gate popped up. There was a reason why Amarat might have been the only demon in the whole Human Realm whod survived with such a method.
Saunakmandeered both of his Automata, while Vir, Shan, and Cirayus followed, bounding a few dozen paces behind. Theyd cleared the forest, and the Automata were setting a frantic pace toward their destinationSaunaks home.
The question of whether Saunak had taken control of the Automata after he arrived still lingered within Virs mind. If so, Vir was willing to throw the demon a bone. He was entric, yes, but perhaps notpletely antagonistic. If, however, hed been in control all along, and used it to corral them Vir would never be able to trust him.
It also irked him that Saunak kept throwing nces back at them. Or more specifically, at Shan. The thaumaturge clearly had an interest in the Ashfire Wolf, and Vir didnt like it.
Unfortunately, the demon had insisted he could only assert his control near another Automaton, and the only way Vir knew to verify his words was by the threads of Ash prana that connected the white tablet to both Automata. He hadnt seen those during their earlier fight with the sphere-base Automaton But then again; he hadnt looked too closely, either. They might simply have been too faint to have noticed.
The terrain slowly changed to rolling ash-covered hills, and then to cracked, barren ins, before Saunak took a turn, heading for a nearby mountain range. The same range as the one the three had sought refuge in, but separated by over a hundred miles.
So, Vir said after a long period of silence. Youre a father, huh?
Aye, Cirayus said after a moment. That I am.
I see, Vir said awkwardly. It was something most people would have mentioned loudly and often, and yet he never had. Which meant the giant had a reason for wanting to keep it a secret.
They fell silent once again, but Vir found himself unable to shelve the topic. What was Cirayus family like? How many children did he have?
I I apologize if Im overstepping my bounds, and feel free to tell me if I am, but I feel like it must be nice, having so many of your own kin.
Cirayus let out a breath. Aye,d. It certainly can be. And no, you overstep no bounds. Its just Anyone my age has seen their fair share of life. Lives lived, lives fulfilled and, inevitably, lives cut short.
Oh no Vir thought. Of course! Not all demons lived as long as Cirayus. In fact, from what Vir had seen, Cirayus was longer lived than most. Hed likely outlived his children
I didnt mean to have you recall painful memories, Vir said quietly.
Thats the thing,d. Ive seen plenty of my own sons, daughters, and grandchildren perish. I grieve for them, yes, but you dont live this long without learning how to bear the weight of their passing. Humans may rarely outlive their children, but with demonic lifespans, such things aremon. I have my ways of dealing with it.
So, er Why have you never mentioned it?
Because it is one thing to shoulder the loss of a single child. It is quite another to bear the loss of a dozen of my progeny, all at once.
A dozen of Vir nched. You dont mean
Cirayus winced, looking away. Aye. Much of my family fought for your father, despite my best efforts to convince them otherwise.
And most of them died
Know this,d. Individual power makes you strong. But what of those you care for? Would you lock them away to protect them? Or do you respect their wishes and let them run free, knowing youll never be able to save them all should harm befall them? I fear Ive not epted their loss quite yet.
Perhaps, Vir thought. He couldnt imagine what Cirayus mustve been going through, and he didnt doubt his words. But Vir doubted that was all.
You didnt want to make my burden any heavier, Vir said. Your progeny might have fought by my father, but ultimately, they fought for the Garga. For my n. For me.
Cirayus remained silent.
The lightning grew more fierce, reaching down to the valleys between the peaks, and strange green tones augmented the ck clouds. Rather than helping, they only made the environment feel even more bizarre.
Were almost there! Saunak shouted, interrupting their conversation.
Vir was the first to notice the bright green ring that seemed to pull all the nearby lightning to it. Nearly as bright as the sun and standing high in the sky, he wondered at its purpose.
What happened between you and Saunak? Vir asked. Why do you hate him so much?
Lad, Cirayus said, grateful for a change of topic, we banished that demon from our realm a century ago. Most presumed him dead and were happier for it. It isnt only me who has issues with him. Anyone who knew him does.
What did he do?
His crimes are many, but they all stem from the same source. To Saunak, his research is king, and no oath will change that. To him, when ites to thaumaturgy, the ends justify the means. He will happily torture and maimboth beasts and demonsif it means furthering his research, Cirayus spat. Hell sell his research even to the worst criminals if he believes itll help him gather data. There are no limits to his zeal.
I see, Vir replied, eyeing the demons Automatons. If Saunak was some crazy madman, Vir wouldnt have any trouble epting Cirayus words. And yet, hed survived in the Ash, alone. Hed lived here for a hundred years. And hed managed to defeat Imperium Automatons. Not just defeatcontrol! Saunak was clearly a genius.
But what made him this way? What drove him to such lengths? What more was there to this ancient demon?
They pressed on. The lightning strikes grew closer and more violent, and Vir found himself sticking close to Cirayus as bolts touched off nearby, deafening them. Shan howled in misery.
This is lunacy, Vir said. One strike and we''re dead.
This is Saunak, Cirayus shouted back, eyes glued to the ck clouds.
As if on cue, the Thaumaturge turned and raised his arms theatrically.
Weve arrived! he said. Wee to my home!
Virs panic morphed into full-blown terror. Thats your home?
Chapter 214: Pragya Sarana
Chapter 214: Pragya Sarana
Saunaks home was nothing as simple as a tent or a hut. Nor even was it a cavern dug into the mountainside.
No, it was the glowing disk. The one that pulled all the lightning from the area. A disk that encircled the top of an Imperium spire like a crown, not unlike the ones Vir had seen at Mahdi. Unlike those, however, the cylindrical ck tower almost looked alive, covered with glowing lights of various hues.
There is but one safe route through the Lightning, Saunak shouted over the cracks of deafening thunder. His automaton had lowered him to the ground, and he now walked beside them. Follow closely, or you may perish. You have been warned!
Vir shielded his eyes. The lightning shes were so close and so frequent that his ears rang and his hair stood on end. The residual heat hit him in the face like a Fireball spell.
For all his gains, there was little he could do against a lightning strike, other than to stick close to Saunaks automatons and shore up his Prana Armor. Luckily, theyd slowed to a crawl to allow Saunak to keep paceit seemed not even he dared to ride atop his machines shoulders in this storm. Unluckily, that also meant a slow slog through the lightning field.
Shan sidled up to Vir, eyeing the storm warily as the lightnings intensity and frequency increased. Strikes touched down mere paces away, surrounding them in a rain of death. Several struck Saunaks Automatons, though they hardly seemed to notice, dissipating the prana and energy into the ground below.
They were halfway through when the situation went from bad to worse. Lightning began arcing from nearby rocks.
Virs skin tingled and Shan shivered. They each Blinked away right as a bolt struck where theyd been,ncing at the Automatons leg.
Enough of this madness! Cirayus roared. Ill not suffer your suicidal antics. Were leaving.
Irrational! Saunak said calmly. I havent even reset your Artifact yet! Youd be better served threatening me with bodily harm!
If such threats would work on you, I would already have! Cirayus roared back.
Saunak! Vir shouted over the thunder. Is there another way through? Can you do anything about this lightning?
Saunak rubbed his chin, frowning. He sighed. Very well.
The demon brought out another tablet from his white coat, this one ck. His fingers yed over it, and a pulsating surge of Ash prana shot out, bound for the tower.
The glowing green ring winked out, and the lightning halted immediately. The dark storm clouds burned away in moments, leaving a still, lifelessndscape.
Vir, Cirayus, and Shan all stared.
What? Saunak asked. Youre the first guests Ive had in a century! Cant you allow an old demon some theatrics?
Yep Hes definitely insane.
The rest of the journey proceeded without drama or mortal peril, and soon the group arrived at the base of the tower. Saunaks spire sat on a rock ind surrounded by a circr chasm on all sides, with only four great bridges connecting it.
Its Imperium, Vir thought. The architecture bore a remarkable simrity to the spires hed seen at Mahdi, though this building felt rougher. More ancient. As if it hailed from an older era of Imperium advancement.
Vir followed Saunak over the bridge, which was wide enough for both massive Automatons to walk side-by-side.
Like the roads at Mahdi, the bridge looked pristine, and with Prana Vision, Vir found countless preservation inscriptions running over it.
Peering over the Imperium metal guardrail, Vir found a dizzying drop below. Yet whaty at the bottom wasnt an abyss of ck as hed expected, but magma. Deep and glowing red. Threatening to consume whatever pitiful soul fell in.
The green ring above the spire zed into existence once again, and lightning started ravaging the ground around the spire. Thankfully, the bridges were excluded from its zone of destruction.
Still dont have a clue what the Imperium intended with this weather controller ring, but it does make an awfully effective defense against Ash Beasts, let me tell you, Saunak said, cackling, marveling at the ring far above.
It was too bright to view directly, so the thaumaturge wore the pair of dark goggles hed kept draped around his neck.
So thats what they were for? He brought them along just for this?
The demon spun a full circle on his heels before waltzing over the bridge with a skip in his step.
Cirayus hung back and ced a hand on Virs shoulder.
Do you see, now? Hes not right in the head, Cirayus said, leaning in close to Virs ear. Saunaks sanity left him a long time ago. We cannot trust him. Well get him to fix the Artifact, and then well be on our way. Understood?
Vir nodded slowly. There was so much he wanted to learn from Saunak about Imperium creations But Cirayus had a point. The risks seemed to outweigh the benefits.
Dont tell him anything. Dont even let him suspect who you are.
Ill be careful, Vir promised.
They followed Saunak across the bridge into a cathedral-like entrance that stood a hundred paces high, and easily sixty wide. Metal catwalks ran along the sides of the great room, suspended fifty paces in the air. They resembled piers, except instead of ships, they were clearly designed to berth something else.
Saunaks Automaton walked over to the railing and settled against the wall. The glowing blue eyes dimmed to nothingness, and the gargantuan machine stilled.
Its cousin did the same, taking a position opposite it, like stone sentinels that guarded the entrance to Saunaks home.
They would make for effective guards, Vir thought.
Wee to Pragya Sarana, my sanctuary in this stormy realm, Saunak dered, his arms outstretched. Come in,e in! Make yourselves at home.
Saunak strode up to a door at the end of the Automaton garage.
Its quitefortable, I promise, he said. Youll find nothing but the best amenities here.
Like the ones at Mahdi, the door dematerialized, vanishing without a trace to leave behind an archway tall enough to amodate Cirayus.
Vir paid careful attention to Cirayus, hoping for a reaction. While hed seen these doors before, he was nearly sure it was Cirayus first time.
To his chagrin, the giants eyes merely widened slightly, though the slight hesitation in his stride told Vir it wasnt that Cirayus wasnt impressed; he was simply very good at masking his emotions.
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The door opened to a great hall with a ceiling that soared twenty paces high. Though they were now within the spires thick trunk, light trickled in through blue-colored stained ss windows that ran up the sides of the wall.
Theyre gorgeous, Vir thought in awe.
As usual for Imperium creation, prana patterns swirled along the ornate patterns etched into the ss, augmenting its beauty. At least, Vir assumed it only resembled ssthe panels may very well have been made of Imperium metal.
Now, I believe refreshments are in order. If youll just follow me up the tower, Ill have you sorted, Saunak said, acting every bit the part of the gracious host.
Cirayus halted, blocking the way for Vir and Shan. Were not here for your hospitality, Saunak. Fix our Artifact, and well be gone.
And deprive me of the onlypany Ive had in thest century!? Are you mad, Cirayus? Know that I do you a favora favorby resetting your Artifact. The least you can do is regale me with tales of the Demon Realm. What all has transpired in the century Ive been gone? What do people say about me now?
Cirayus snorted. They say little of anything. The Realm has forgotten you, Saunak. They believes you dead. As had I.
Oh, Cirayus. Youve missed me! Saunak said. How sweet of you.
Vir couldnt fathom how the mad thaumaturge hade to that conclusion, but this was the same demon whod turned on a lightning field for fun. Who knew what went through that mind of his?
But this is no ce to chat. Follow me, if you please.
Saunak took off down the hallway, which ended in a cylindrical tube that stretched up to the ceiling. Like the walls, it too was made of a translucent material, allowing those on the ground to look into its hollow interior.
Cirayus stroked his beard. A lift, is it? he asked.
Think so, Vir said quietly, impressed that Cirayus had immediately recognized it for what it was. He then lowered his voice to ensure Saunak wouldnt hear. Every spire at Mahadi had a central liftAshani called them elevatorswhich ferried people up and down its entire height.
Quite handy, Id imagine.
They were. Most were broken, but I got to ride on one that worked. Its an incredible experience. You dont even need people to power it!
Cirayus grunted, though Vir couldnt tell if he was impressed or not. The giant had withdrawn within himself ever since theyd met Saunak.
They stepped onto the tform, and Saunak yed over a table on a post in the corner. The lift hummed to life, propelling them upwards.
The wild-haired man turned, grinning in anticipation.
Cirayus crossed his arms and frowned, but otherwise had no reaction. He kept his eyes on Saunak at all times.
Vir, who had already experienced such lifts, said nothing either. Only Shan yipped, running around in circles excitedly.
Saunaks grin fell. I didnt expect the wolf to have the most pronounced reaction. Whats wrong with you two? Dont you have an ounce of curiosity in you? I danced for ten straight minutes when I got this thing working!
Hes like a child in some ways, Vir thought. Saunak reminded him a bit of Ashani. The goddess had been ancient and wise but also innocent and yful. Vir sensed a kindred spirit in Saunak. Is that what drives him to pursue magic with such fervor?
Saunaks eyes lingered on Shan hungrily.
Quite the interesting pet you have there. How did you tame it, if I might ask?
Vir debated replying, but recalled Cirayus words. Itd be difficult to divulge Shans secrets without also telling Saunak about Mahadi and Ashani. He wasnt about to give this demon any more information than was absolutely needed.
Im afraid Im not at liberty to say, Vir said tersely, ncing up at Cirayus.
Ive instructed thed not to tell you anything he doesnt have to, Saunak. Youll find that trying will prove unfruitful.
Tch. Youre no fun at all, Saunak muttered. No fun at all.
The lift ascended slowly, but too slowly. The ones at Mahdi had whisked him up with zing speed, and Vir suspected this could as well. Thanks to the ss-like tube, he had ample opportunity to study each floor as they passed.
Well, at least he isnt trying to hide anything, Vir thought.
Most floors were white spaces with glowing floors, walls, and ceilings, like Janaksb. That, however, was where the simrities ended. Where Janaks home had been pristine and clean, Saunaks was a sprawling mess. The only clean areas were the floors; every other surface had been piled high, either with stacks of papers, schematics, and blueprints, or Thaumaturge apparatuses Vir couldnt identify.
Sphere-base Automatons trundled around several floors, though they were nothing like Ashani. Their limbs were bare metal, and mostcked heads, let alone faces. Their motions were stilted and stiff, and it was obvious they were far more basic than Ashaniand likely far older, too.
Together, the space felt more lived-in and lively than any Vir had seen in the Mahdi Realm. It looked right, making him wonder if all Imperiumbs had been simr in their heyday.
They finally reached the top of the tower near the lightning ring. The spacious room they stepped out into spanned the entire circumference of the top of the tower, partitioned by stained ss windows that ran to the rather low ceiling. Except, instead of being opaque, the ceiling showed an image of whaty abovethe glowing ring, which not only painted a fantastical picture but also illuminated the room with its brilliant light.
Despite that, where the entrance inspired awe, this space felt more cozy. The luxurious rugs, gold ents, and chandelierspleted the picture, making for a homey, yet exotic-feeling space.
Saunak guided them to a long dining table next to windows that ran from the floor to the ceiling. Vir found himself irresistibly drawn to the windows and the stunning view beyond, paying the table full of fresh fruits and salivating dishes only a cursory nce.
Shan, however, eyed the food hungrily.
Outside, the storm raged as heavily as ever, though not a single sound made it through.
Imperium magic, Saunak said. There are no windows in this tower. Everything you see is a projection of the outside.
Incredible. It wasnt Vir who spoke, but Cirayus. Ive never seen anything like this.
So, his cid facade finally cracked, huh? Vir thought with some satisfaction.
Saunak nodded. Its quite something, isnt it?
Vir had to agree. Volcanoes erupted in the distance, spewing ash high into the air, while Ash Beasts battled in the valleys in front of them. Forests ran to the horizon. Wilting forests.
It was then that Vir noticed the windows were magnifying the image wherever he looked, allowing him to witness scenes from hundreds of miles away. The effect was so subtle that Vir almost hadnt noticed.
A ck blur in his peripheral vision caught his attention, attracting his gaze to the nearby mountains.
He watched in horror as a ck mass emerged from between the jagged peaks. Where it moved, nothing remained; only bare, barren rock. Trees shriveled before his eyes, disintegrating at an unbelievable pace. The beasts that battled there simply disappeared.
Prana Swarm! Vir shouted in panic. Were not safe here!
Nonsense! Saunak said casually, swirling a ss of wine hed obtained from who-knew-where. Watch!
The Swarm was enormous. In just moments, the forest theyd crossed earlier had been annihted. The Swarm covered ground with astonishing speed, rushing at them with a vengeance. Then it arrived, and with Prana Vision, Vir saw only ckness outside.
One moment, all was dark, but then it was gone as if it had never existed. The Swarm had attempted to consume the tower, and it had failed, moving on to more ptable targets.
Virs knees quivered, forcing him to grab the headrest of a chair for support. We just endured a Prana Swarm attack? And we survived?
My friends, you are currently standing in the safest ce in this entire realm, Saunak dered proudly.
Vir could now see why. The ravagedndscape outside felt like a realm away from this position of absolute security. It was a little like watching a monsoon pour from inside thefort of a warm home.
A luxury Vir had wished for as a child.
Now, while Im sure we could all stare at the scenery for hours, why dont we eat? Im famished!
Your own Imperium servants, Cirayus scoffed. Out here in the Ash. When we banished you, we hadnt intended for you to find a life of luxury.
Ah, but you hadnt intended anything at all, had you? You lot condemned me to death out here. That I not only survived, but thrived, should be of no consequence to you, yes? Or dont tell me youre still upset over her?
Her? Vir asked. Whos he talking about?
Cirayus pursed his lips, staring daggers at Saunak. Later,d. Why dont we take our gracious host up on his offer to dine, for now? he said in a cold, even tone.
An excellent suggestion! Saunak said. My automatons have so kindly prepared our meals, after all.
Vir nced at the table. Three cushioned wood chairs had been cedone of which was oversized, as if made for Cirayus himself.
One tends to collect things over the years, Saunak said with a shrug. I cant promise the chairs arefortable, but the food, at least, I have some faith in. Ah, dont worry. Ive prepared a feast for your wolf as well.
The giant settled into his chair, leaning Sikandar against the table beside him.
He took his ce and began heaping contents onto his te.
Vir reluctantly left the window to settle in beside Cirayus.
I dont understand, Vir said. How did youe by all of this? How did you control this tower? I dont know much about Imperium magic, but I doubt theyd simply leave the ce unlocked for the first stranger whoes along to im.
And if Saunak had indeed unraveled so many of the Imperiums mysteries, what else did he know? Could he guide Vir back to Ashani? Was he in possession of powerful Artifacts? Saunak sounded like a trove of potential treasure. His ability to control Automatons alone was incredible, and Vir suspected that was barely scratching the surface.
Its not poisoned, for Yumas sake! Saunak said between mouthfuls, rolling his eyes. Dont let this one corrupt you, boy. Cirayus is as paranoid as theye.
You''re one to talk, Cirayus said, scoffing.
True, true. Paranoia certainly can be useful, I must admit, Saunak replied.
Vir filled his te, eyeing the demon warily. I have to say, I''m surprised someone with your recklessness has survived this long.
Saunakughed hard. Cirayus, look at him! Hes nothing like his father. Youve corrupted him!
Vir froze, and Cirayus tensed. All joviality evaporated in an instant.
How do you know who I am?
Chapter 215: The High Place
Chapter 215: The High ce
Saunaks next words would determine his fate. Itd mean the difference between obtaining the demon''s help with the Artifact consensually, or by force. If the thaumaturge knew who Vir was, hed no doubt have some n to exploit it.
But why did he reveal that information now? Vir thought anxiously. Surely, he must know how suspicious it makes him look?
Saunak regarded Vir quizzically. You have your mothers face and your fathers unruly hair. Id recognize you anywhere.
My mother? You knew my mother? Vir asked, looking to Cirayus, who rxed slightly. This wasnt the exnation either of them had been expecting.
Saunak had been exiled from the Demon Realm for a hundred years. If all he knew about Vir was that he was Maion and Sharis son, and not the Akh Nara, then there wasnt much of a need to fear the Thaumaturges knowledge.
Wait. That means my parents were together for nearly a century before having me.
Demonic lifespans threw his mind for a loop. After thinking so long on human time scales, itd take some adjustment. Hed have to question everyones age upon arriving at the Demon Realm. Someone who looked like Vir might very well be sixty years old.
Hang on. My mother was a gray demon? Vir asked.
Saunak froze. Well. Now that is curious, isnt it? he said, gazing quizzically at Vir.
Sorry? Vir asked, panicking.
See, Id figured youde out here from the Demon Realm on a training mission. I wondered how Shari would let her child venture this deeply into the Ash, even with a guardian like Cirayus. She wouldnt have. But now Shes dead, isnt she? And she died when you were very young, for you to not have known her. You I see. Cirayus likely guarded you while you grew up. Perhaps in secret. Which indicates turmoil. Unrest. Something happened to the Garga. Something bad. And knowing their past Hmm. The Chitrans. Yes. And, by your expressions, it appears I am correct.
Vir nced at Cirayus, but only saw his normal, stoic expression. Only the slightest furrowing of his brow gave away his concern. Which meant Saunak was either very good at reading peoples faces or he was familiar enough with Cirayus mannerisms to read him.
Saunak calmly returned to his meal, as casually as if hed beenmenting about the weather.
How could he have figured out all of that, though? All just from a single thing I said?
Either he was lying and knew all about Virs history already or Saunak was truly a genius of logical deduction. He hadnt mentioned anything about the Primordial, or Greeshas prophecy, which made senseif hed known about them, itd have been obvious he was using prior knowledge toe to his conclusions.
No, Saunak had read the subtext of Virs words, then rebuilt a historical timeline. It was frightening.
Vir immediately thought he would not want this man as an enemy. But as an ally? Hed be invaluable.
Cirayus regarded Saunak with a grave expression. I would have told you when the time was right.
You failed to protect her, Saunak said, ignoring him.
I did.
Then Maion failed to protect her. Is he dead, as well?
He is, Cirayus admitted. As you suspected, it was the Chitran.
Hardly surprising. In fact, Id predicted they would act sooner, what with the encroaching Ash. Only so far you can bend a kingdom before they snap.
Vir thought of Matali they hadnt snapped, but broken instead. It seemed the Chitrans had the opposite reaction. Was it because of a difference between humans and demons? Or simply one of national strength? The Chitrans seemed more powerful than Matali had been before their downfall.
So you knew my mom, Vir said softly, his thoughts returning to his deceased parents.
Saunak nodded. And one of the most beautiful demons at that. She was breathtaking. Wouldnt you agree, Cirayus?
Cirayus stiffened, though not out of caution. He looked distinctly ufortable.
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Wouldnt know, the giant said, prompting a scoff from Saunak.
Cirayus stuck a fork into his food, gingerly bringing it to his mouth.
Wouldnt know!? You wouldnt know? Saunak barked a hollowugh. Then his eyes found Vir, and his expression turned even colder. Ah. I see. Yes, that would be awkward, wouldnt it?
Small automatons trundling around on spherical bases brought out the steaming hot tes, and it wasnt until theyd set all the table for everyone that Cirayus finally gave Vir the all clear to begin eating.
Theyd looked nothing like Ashancking skin, or even heads, though that didnt stop them from working with masterful efficiency.
Vir assumed the Automatons had cooked the food, so hed been expecting mediocrity, but he shouldve known better. They mightve been more primitive than Ashani, but they were still Imperium creations nheless. The food was absolutely divine, making him salivate despite himself. It was the tastiest food hed had in a very long time.
So much so that he had to force his mind back to the conversation.
What did you mean earlier? What would be awkward? he asked, sensing there was something to Saunaks words. The way the demon talked about his mother seemed familiar. Too familiar.
Why, your guardian over there had the biggest crush on Shari of anyone Ive seen! He even proposed to her, you know?
What a load of Ashva shit, Cirayus roared. Conveniently forgetting to mention your proposals, arent you? All five of them?
Vir suddenly felt his food go sour in his mouth.
Saunak was one thingcreepy, perhaps, but that fit with his character. Cirayus, though?
Vir looked at his guardian, who looked away in embarrassment.
Why didnt you say anything? Vir asked. He now saw Sharis existence in a whole new light. How difficult must it have been for Cirayus? To have loved someone, only for them to choose someone else And now she was gone. Was he angry? Guilty? Vir couldnt know.
Cirayus shook his head, seeing Virs worried expression. This is a tale of a century ago,d. Maion was my closest friend. I was truly happy Shari chose him. Happy they had you. Besides, Shari had no end of suitors. Believe me, we certainly werent the only ones to approach her.
Vir thought back to how hard his father had fought to win his mothers love. Knowing so many others had failed made it sound like so much more of a feat.
He definitely takes after his mother, Saunak said with a fond expression.
Oh, hes got plenty of Maion in him, too, Cirayus replied warmly. And, after our time in the Ash, myself as well, I think.
Cirayus was one thing, but Vir didnt know how to feel about the Thaumaturge looking at him like that.
Maybe I can use this to my advantage, Vir thought. If the demon regarded him favorably, then maybe hed also be willing to help.
So? How did she pass? Saunak asked. It must have been in the line of duty, knowing her. Sacrificing her life for another.
Vir looked at Cirayus for guidance on how to respond, but the demon had balled his fists, staring at his te.
In a way, Cirayus said. Id rather not speak of it. Maion died fighting off the Chits, buying time to allow me to escape with young Vir here.
Hmm? I see, Saunak said, eyes flitting between Cirayus and Vir.
Vir wasnt sure what exactly the demon saw, but a part of him wondered if Saunak understood that his mother had died during childbirth. He shook off the thought. It was too much of a stretch, even for a genius like him.
So. What kind of research do you do here? Vir asked, hoping to shift the topic. Do you work with any Artifacts?
Saunak shed a broad grin. Oho? A curious mind, I see. You get that from your mother. But, yes. I have been able to perform all manner of experiments in my time here. As for Artifacts look around you, boy. Everything you see here is an Artifact. Now, lets see. A boy your age Hmm, why dont I tell you about my airship bluepri
How did you survive, Sau? Cirayus asked, interrupting the demons monologue. The Demon Realm exiled you, but everyone knew it was just a death sentence by another name. How did someone as weak as yourselfe to possess this ce?
Saunak sneered at Cirayus. Oh, please. Dont you think I noticed everyones hatred of me in the years leading to my banishment? Id nned to flee to the Ash all along, should anyone make an attempt on my life. I didnt think youd all band together to oust me, though. Didnt think you lot had it in you.
Nevertheless, Idid the groundwork for decades. I built safe houses. I located the least dense areas of the Ash, and used my inventions to help me survive the limatization process.
You have inventions for that? Vir asked.
Saunak grinned. But of course! Admittedly, even with them, the survival rate is just fifteen percent, but thats still fifteen times better than what it normally is!
Vir nched. You had a fifteen percent chance of survival?
And most people only have a one percent chance?
Vir knew that wasnt right. It mightve been the case for a weaker demon, but only the strongest demons braved the Ash. The survival rate would be far higher for them.
The thaumaturge gestured to himself. I survived. Thats really all that matters, dont you think?
As for how I found this tower, that was by sheer dumb luck. I only happened upon it forty years ago. Took me another twenty to figure out how to crack its secret, but few magics hold up to the pressure of time. Its secrets fell to my efforts, as sure as the falling Ash.
Vir rolled his eyes. It was an extremely verbose way of saying that he wasnt about to divulge his secrets.
Now! Ive been a terrible host. How about I give you a tour and show you to your quarters? Saunak said, winking at Vir. Perhaps youll even get to see an Artifact! Or, ten.
Cirayus rose as well, shaking his head. No. Fix our navigation Artifact and well be on our way.
Come now, Cirayus. Recalibrating your guidance beacon will take some time. Why dont you enjoy my hospitality in the meantime? Besides, look at the excitement in the boys eyes. Youd deprive him of his happiness?
Cirayus growled, not falling for Saunaks bait. Hospitality? Youre more likely to imprison us than host us.
How rude. Why dont we let the boy decide? Saunak asked.
Vir paused for a moment, weighing the benefits against the risks. Show us to our quarters. Im honestly tired after everything recently, and I think Cirayus and I could both use a little rest.
Cirayus was about to say something, but Vir spoke before he could. After that, I think Id like to see more of Saunaks tower. If theres still time.
A grin crept upon Saunaks face. Excellent.
Chapter 216: Arch Thaumaturge
Chapter 216: Arch Thaumaturge
When Vir stepped into his private quarters, he immediately concluded it was the mostvish lodging hed ever experienced. But more than thevish two-story room, more than the plush, exotic furnishings, Vir stood transfixed by the view.
The floor-to-ceiling wall-to-wall windowwhich Saunak promised was Imperium metal made to resemble a windowoffered a breathtaking view of the Ashen Realm beyond. Like the windows on the higher dining room floor, it too had a magnification feature, allowing Vir to zoom in on distant peaks and beasts if he concentrated, but these windows overlooked an entirely different side of the Ash. From here, Vir saw an endless expanse of volcanic mountains, with innumerable valleys between them, stretching off to the horizon. The many peaks spewed ash and magma into the clouds, but from this distance, the violent chaos appeared calm, almost serene.
The room itself was a two-story loft with a lounging area and bathroom on the first floor, and the bed on the second. The bed stood on a balcony with low railings, overlooking the first floor and the view.
Shan circled a spot near the window a few times before lying down, stretching himself, while Vir made his way to the bathing facilities. He wondered if Saunak had retrofitted them, or if theyde with the tower, for baths were conspicuously absent in Janaks home in Mahdi. Vir had concluded at the time that the gods simply had other ways of keeping clean.
The shower was not unlike the one Riyan had installed at his abode, allowing Vir to quickly grasp their method of operation.
He stripped and stood under the water spigot which automatically began pouring fresh, hot water on him. It felt almost transformative to him, as if the shower was not only washing off the grime of several months, but was also purifying him in some way.
He stood there for many minutes, reveling in the fact that Riyan wasnt present to scold him for indulging in such luxury.
Finally satisfied, he took a moment to look over his body, which was reflected in the floor-to-ceiling mirror that walled the shower.
Gone was the scrawny youth hed been just over a year ago. Now, sleek muscles bulged from his arms to his legs, and well-defined abs decorated his torso. His body had grown significantly, not just in height, but in breadth as well.
His gains had undone all the damage of his youth, growing up undernourished and prana-deficient, and no trace of the previously scrawny boy remained. He was a good three inches taller now, and while covered in muscles, hecked even an ounce of fat.
It was a body that rippled with prana. So much so that it appeared like a ck abyss to Prana Vision, and Vir had to exert extra effort to keep it from escaping back into the less-dense atmosphere, lest the prana burst into mes that covered him.
A nice trickbut quite inconvenient when he didnt want to destroy nearby objects from his mere presence alone.
Vir reluctantly shut off the tap and stepped into the air st as Saunak had instructed. The Imperium contraptionprised an array of tiny holes embedded into a semicircr wall of steel that surrounded him on three sides.
The moment he did, jets of frigid air hit him, ruffling his hair, drying his skin in moments, and making every hair on his body stand up straight on end. It didnt feel bad, though. After the hot shower, the cold st soothed him.
I should get Maiya to learn how to do this with her Wind and Ice magic. Shes practically perfect for this kind of thing, Vir idly thought, suddenly missing his dear friend.
Just when he started to feel like the air was getting too much for him, it switched to a warm gust, soothing him like a nket that had been heated next to a fire.
He departed the bathing facility clean, warm, and tired. With heavy steps, he plodded up the spiral metal staircase to the bed on the second floor and plopped down, staring at the ornamented ceiling, taking a moment to reflect on all that had happened recently.
Fighting against Cirayus beside Maiya. His decision to leave her for the Ash. His time in this blighted realm.
Thend that had nearly killed him months ago now felt normal. Familiar. The beasts that had terrified him previously haunted him no longer.
No, but I still do
Vir jolted, scanning the area, but there was no one around. It was only then he realized the voice hade from within his head.
His blood ran cold.
Ekanai? Is that you?
There was no response. Vir waited, tense, for several moments, but when no further voices came, he fell back onto the bed.
What in Yumas name was that?
Itd been ages since hed heard the demons voice in his head. Hadnt Shardul said Ekanai was gone? That theyd sacrificed themselves to save him in Mahdi?
Hes right, though, Vir reflected. He wasnt overly worried the crazy demon would take over his bodyEkanai hadnt managed that in a very long time, after allbut it was true. Vir feared Prana Swarms. He feared Wyrms and the other city-ender Ash Beasts. And he feared Ekanai.
Was he stronger than his prior incarnation now? Or would he lose if they fought?
He might never know. While there did seem to be something of Ekanai left, Vir honestly wasnt sure whether he ought to rejoice or cry.
Who was Ekanai, really? Was he as maniacal as hed seemed? Or had only the worst of him survived the reincarnation? Had he been a different person in his past life? And what secrets had he discovered about the world?
With a heavy sigh, Vir turned his head to look at the falling Ash outside. He supposed hed find out once he obtained the Foundation Chakra.
Most would write this realm off as a wastnd. A ce only fools would venture to. Fools like Ekanai, perhaps. And my father
But Maion Garga had seen something different.Hed seen the same thing Vir did.
And full of opportunity. And lush with prana, and ripe with challenging beasts against which to test ones mettle.
Despite knowing just how far he had to go to attain the heights Cirayus spoke of, Vir was still proud of all that hed achieved. Hed gained innumerable abilities. Hed met a living goddess and had worked with her to craft his own personal Artifact. And hed multiplied his bodys prana capacity. Though it still only allowed him one, perhaps two Talents outside the Ashen Realm, he suspected it was far beyond anything anyone had aplished before. Plus, there was still room to grow. More prana to store inside his body.
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Then there was Prana Current. While hed obtained a powerful ability, hed only just begun to scratch the surface of its applications. What were its optimal uses? How could he better integrate his Artifact Chakram with this new ability? And how should he shift his fighting style, now that he had ess to powerful ranged weapons?
These thoughts lingered on Virs mind as he drifted asleep, eyes pinned on the horrificyet majestindscape in the distance.
Vir awoke to the soft chiming of a bell. At first, he wondered who mightve been ying such a melodic tune for him, before realizing it was the doorbell.
Coming! he yelled, though he doubted hed be heard. Imperium metal walls muffled sound perfectly. Along with just about everything else. Nothing got through.
Vir hurried to don his robe before answering the door. He was surprised to find both Cirayus and Saunak waiting.
Well? Its been four hours! Saunak said.
Four hours!? Was it really that long? Vir thought, panicking, ncing at Cirayus. But the giant merely crossed his four arms and looked back guiltily.
Granted, he was tired, and the bed had felt like hed been sleeping on air Even so, he couldnt believe so much time had passed. The toll of the recent battles must have truly been creeping up on him. That, and the endless twilight and incessant danger meant that sleep never came peacefully in this realm.
In fact, hadnt he dreamed of exactly this? Hadnt he wished for a safe haven within the Ash? Now that hed finally found it He found himself reluctant to leave. Not just because of the luxury and the safety.
How much could I learn from Saunak? From his century of research into who knew what?
Vir wouldntin even if they spent a month with the old demon, though he knew it was a fools hope, with his four-armed giant guardian around.
How about a tour? Saunak asked, grinning like a child about to show his friends his secret hideout.
Which, Vir supposed, was exactly what this tower was.
Lets go, Vir replied, trying to keep the happiness off his face. For Cirayus sake, of course.
Vir was about to call out to Shan, but the wolf was fast asleep by the window. Recognizing the toll that the journey had taken on his new friend, Vir let him continue sleeping.
With a spring in his step, Saunak led them back to the central elevator shaft and activated the lift, lowering them.
Were not stopping to see your experiments? Vir asked as the tform sped by a half dozenboratory levels.
Bah! I run my more mundane experiments on these floors. I doubt youd find the physiology of avian Ash Beasts interesting.
Actually Vir thought, but was interrupted by Cirayus.
Damned bloody waste of time, if you ask me, the four-armed demon grumbled. Saunak, Im warning you. Try anything, and your head separates from your neck.
Yes, yes. Im d to see you havent changed one bit in the past one hundred years, the white-robed thaumaturge replied. Truly the same musclehead youve always been.
What? And you have? Cirayus asked, his voice dripping with suspicion.
Saunak mmed a button on the elevator, bringing it to a jerking halt. He turned, staring Cirayus in the eyes.
What is this? Cirayus asked, immediately on guard. What tricks are you up to now, Saunak?
Youll find a century alone does a lot of things to a demon, Cirayus. Plenty of time to think, you see? And meditate. Saunak fell silent, then continued in a lower voice. Ive reflected upon some of the actions I took back then. I suspect I would not repeat those experiments now. There are other ways. Better ways. Slower, perhaps, but only in the short term. Its the long term that truly matters, in the end.
You want me to forgive you! Cirayus said incredulously.
Nothing of the sort, Saunak replied, a hair too quickly. I just
Dont tell me you think that repenting at this point does anything for you? I know youre not that nave. If you think for an instant, itll erase the atrocities youvemitted
I dont, Saunak replied tly. No one can change the past, Cirayus. You know this better than most.
Aye. Aye, that I do. And I also know what too little toote looks like, Saunak. Im staring at it.
I dont know what all he did, Vir ventured, but isnt it good that hes changed?
Lad, dont let him deceive you. This demon has killed hundreds in the name of research.
And I acknowledge that, Saunak shot back. But you cannot ridicule me without also acknowledging the many thousandsnay, tens of thousands of livesmy inventions have saved. Who brought pranic tablets to the Demon Realm? Who helped the Panav tap into their true healing potential? Who educated the realm of the weak points of the dozens of Ash Beasts? Have you ever once considered that, to this day, Demonkind happily uses the fruits of my know what Ive contributed to my people. And I know it is more than any other demon alive.
Cirayus expression remained grim, but he said nothing. Did he perhaps agree with Saunaks words?
Vir could understand theplexity of the situation. On the one hand, Saunak had quite obviouslymitted atrocities against demons. Hed admitted to it himself, after all. Yet those very atrocities had brought about benefits that might have saved innumerable lives. How was he to be judged, then? Was he a hero? Or a criminal?
Vir couldnt decide. But he did know one thingif the Demon Realm truly considered him a criminal, then why hadnt they also ceased using his inventions? Wasnt he right? Wasnt that a form of hypocrisy?
These questions lingered in Virs mind as the lift descended below the entrance hall, continuing underground, and plunging them into near-darkness. Only a single red light ring shone above them, casting a menacing glow upon the lift.
The floors ceased, reced by bare rock and metal framing that surrounded the shaft.
As you can see, this part of thepound is even more secure than the tower.
More secure? Vir asked. Have you even had any security issues during your time here?
None, Saunak announced proudly. No Ash Beast has found its way inside. But why should that matter? One can never be too safe.
Paranoia, Cirayus scoffed.
And whats wrong with that? Saunak countered. Only the paranoid survive. Perhaps Shari and Maion would have, had they shared my sentiment.
Vir bit his lip. He suspected no amount of paranoia wouldve saved them. Certainly not his mother, he felt.
After descending several hundred feet underground, the lift slowed, and more brightly lit floors revealed themselves.
Wee to myb, Saunak said theatrically, stepping proudly off the lift into a dazzlingly white room.
Vir didnt even know where to rest his eyes. Every square inch of theb was filled. Either by tables with books, tables with beakers, tables with suspicious instruments that looked like implements of torture, or worse.
On the walls in the distance, packed from floor to ceiling, were cages. Innumerable, and of identical sizes, many contained Ash Beasts of all sorts. In them, Vir saw several of the foes hed fought in the Ash, along with some hed never seen.
But unlike their wild brethren, these made no noise. In fact, they barely moved at all.
Harmless, I assure you, Saunak said. Theyre boisterous in the beginning, of course, but the months and years of imprisonment beat the resistance out of them.
And you say youve changed, Cirayus spat. Still up to the same antics as when you were Arch Thaumaturge for the Garga. Still viting the sovereign rights of other beings. How is this any different from the vile research that led to your banishment?
Hes Gargan? Vir thought. Cirayus had never mentioned that fact. Probably because he found the very thought distasteful. Thats interesting, though. I wonder if he harbors any lingering attachment to his people.
Your eyes fail you in your old age, Cirayus. It is different, Saunak said, holding up a finger. It is nothing alike. These are Ash Beasts, not demons. Beings that have lost their minds long ago. My work here involves trying to restore some semnce of sanity to these poor creatures. To see if we might cure Ash Beastsand thus, unfortunate demonswho lose themselves to prana poisoning.
What about those? Vir asked, pointing to some animals sporting mechanical limbs instead of their natural ones.
Eh. Saunak shrugged. Just some other experiments.
Uh, right
Virs eyesnded on a table filled with schematics. Walking over for a closer look, he frowned. They showed a contraption, though it didnt resemble any Vir had seen before. It looked vaguely like the Altanis fast attack airships, though it was smaller. Much smaller.
These are airship designs, arent they?
Saunak pped in joy. Right you are, boy! A result of five years of effort. A dead end, sadly.
Why? Whats wrong?
The mad thaumaturge threw his hands up in defeat. They need far too much prana to operate, Im afraid. Tricky to control, too. And how am I going to test it? I only have one life, and aspliant as my Ash Beast friends are, they make for awful pilots.
Wed best move on, Cirayus suggested, two of his hands idly grasping Sikandars hilt. The enormous weapony draped across his back, which made navigating around the clutter-filled room somewhat problematic for the giant.
Dont you dare knock anything over, Saunak said, eliciting a scoff from Cirayus.
Please. Im not some child, only a few decades old.
A few decades? Vir balked. Did all demons think along simr time horizons? Or was it just Cirayus?
Fine, Saunak spat, before turning to Vir. Tell me, boy. Do you have anyone close to you?
What kind of question is
Do you wish you could see them?
Uh, yes? Who wouldnt?
Saunak grinned devilishly. Then allow old Saunak to make your wishe true. Follow me.
Chapter 217: A Century of Magic
Chapter 217: A Century of Magic
Saunak the Deranged led Vir and Cirayus through another room, this one filled with just as many horrors as thest, though it was the putrid stench that assaulted Virs nostrils that tipped him off.
On several tablesy dissected animals, their rotting corpses reeking of preservative chemicals and the stink of death. Nearly gagging, Vir focused on breathing through his mouth as he forced his eyes away, onto the imprisoned beasts that lined the walls.
These cages were bigger, allowing their upants some minimal room to move around. It was a small luxury, Vir supposed, though he wondered why they got special treatment.
That was until he saw the dull inscriptions on their hides.
Vir hesitantly approached a cage, earning a nervous look from Cirayus.
Youve inscribed tattoos on Ash Beasts? Vir asked incredulously. I didnt even think that was possible!
It isnt, Cirayus said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. At least, it shouldnt be. Our thaumaturges have tried before. Not on Ash Beastsonly a fool with a death wish would do such a stupid thingbut on Bandies and Ashva.
Saunak cackled proudly. Dont let todays amateurs let you believe otherwise, boy. These so-called experts Cirayus talks about wouldve been nothing but squires during my time. That alone ought to tell you just how much our society has declined. Make no mistake about that. Can you begin to imagine what the Aindri stand to gain if they inscribed their beasts? Yet even they dare not even try.
Saunak coughed, realizing hed gone off on a tangent. Of course, the task is somewhat tricky, I must admit.
Cirayus scoffed. You ridicule our Thaumaturges, then admit the task is difficult, even for you? What hope would an average demon have?
None. But with my guidance
Forget it.
Whatever had happened between the two in the past, Vir sensed it ran a fair bit deeper than just research practices and a crush on the same woman. Cirayus reactions made it seem like they shared a history. It felt personal.
The mad thaumaturge shook his head sadly. Regardless, you have a point. Even despite my skills, not even I can recover enough of an Ash Beasts mind to make the inscriptions function. Etching the tattoos is easy enough, but teaching the creatures to actually use them is a nearly useless endeavor. The tattoos go wasted.
Though, in this way, I must say that Ash Beasts are superior. Did you know their brains arerger than an equivalent prana beast? Take Ash Wolves, for example. Extremely intelligent. Iparable to their lesser counterparts.
So hes saying that a sane Ash Beast could benefit from inscriptions Vir thought, immediately thinking of Shan. No wonder he was so interested in him.
Saunak turned to face Vir, and there was a hunger in his eyes. What do you say, Vir? How about an inscription or two on your Ash Wolf friend?
It all made sense now. At first, Vir had thought it was simply the oddity of spotting an Ash Beast that hadnt lost its mind that caught the thaumaturges interest But there had been more.
Absolutely not, Cirayus said. That beast is Virspanion, and far too precious to trust to the likes of you.
The likes of me, is it? You question mypetence? Saunak asked in genuine shock.
No, Cirayus replied calmly. I question your sanity.
If Vir was honest, hed like nothing more than to ink Shan up with all sorts of tattoos. If Saunak believed the beasts mind was the only thing preventing it from learning how to use the tattoo, then Vir was confident it wouldnt pose a problem for Shan. The wolf had learned his advanced prana maniption techniques nearly instantly, after all.
And yet, he had to agree with his guardian. Vir had only just met Saunak, and while he hadnt witnessed the atrocities the demon had witnessed, Cirayus didnt trust him. He reviled him, and Vir valued Cirayus opinion. Greatly. The demon had lived for centuries and was beyond wise. If he was issuing a warning, Vir would listen. Whether intentionally or by ident, what if Saunak killed or maimed Shan in the process?
Perhaps some other time, Vir said firmly, knowing Saunak wasnt about to go anywhere. This would hardly be thest time he ventured into the Ash, after all. And next time, he intended to be better informed about Saunak.
The thaumaturge visibly deted. Well, I suppose it was worth a try.
Virs eyes narrowed. The thaumaturges reaction was calm. Measured. Too calm, Vir thought, given the demons reputation. Hed expected a fierce argument, yet Saunak had backed off immediately.
Is he up to something? Or am I just being overly paranoid?
ncing up to Cirayus, it seemed he wasnt the only one who was surprised.
Vir still didnt know how to feel. Truthfully, Saunak had done nothing but help them thus farassuming, of course, that the Guardian Automaton that had pursued them hadnt been one of his own. The demon denied it, but he knew full well there was no way Vir or Cirayus could prove it one way or another.
The demon led them further into hispound, and Vir began to understand just how colossal the tower really was. There was nearly as much space below ground as there was in the tower proper.
They passed another room, filled with drawings pinned up on the walls, and schematics covering the tables. Vir thought he even spied the blueprint for something that looked suspiciously like a Vimana, but the demon waltzed on through, giving him no time to investigate.
Dont you feel anything? Experimenting on these creatures, I mean, Vir asked. I know theyre all Ash Beasts, but do you have to be so cruel about this?
A big heart, I see! Ah, but I do only what must be done. Tell me, Saunak said, suddenly stopping and turning to meet Virs gaze. If sacrificing one demon saves the lives of ten thousand, is it worth the loss?
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I Vir couldnt answer. On the one hand, it seemed like a small price to pay for such arge boon. On the other, what right did he, or anyone else have to reap that life?
Thats rich, considering the people Ive killed, he thought. Vir concluded he had no right to take the moral high ground here. If anything, wasnt he simr to Saunak in that way? Hed taken the lives of a slumlord and a royal priest believing that killing them would save countless others.
So you do, Saunak said knowingly. Then what of sacrificing ten? Or a hundred? Where do you draw the line? How?
My fellow demons were quite happy to look the other way when the numbers were small. Hear me, Vir. This is hypocrisy. If you agree to sacrifice one life for the good of the many, you agree to sacrifice as many as it takes. There is no arbitrary number where this suddenly bes wrong. Ten, a hundred, a thousand Arbitrary. So long as the benefits outweigh the cost, society gains.
Which is why one should not even step a single foot upon this path, Cirayus said quietly.
Again the hypocrisy, Saunak scoffed. Tell me, Cirayus, if demonkind faced extinction tomorrow, dont you think theyde running to me to save them, regardless of cost? Do you think they would care what it took?
Probably Vir thought. While he couldnt speak for the demon realm, humans certainly would.
Thats the thing about morals, Saunak said. Theyre nice when the times are convenient. When theyre not, well
Saunak drew his finger across his neck. They get thrown right out the window, dont they?
Vir understood then that Saunak wasnt oblivious to ethical and moral issues. No, it wasnt ignorance. He simply rejected the concept as wed.
That might be true, Vir said, but that doesnt mean we should outright ignore them. Values allow us to live our lives proudly, dont they? Maybe thats selfish but I feel like it still has value.
Cirayus squeezed Virs shoulder, while Saunak regarded him appraisingly.
Amon viewpoint, Saunak said. and one that is not without merit. Fear not, young Vir. I do take care to minimize the pain for these beasts. Im not a monster.
Vir really wanted to know what Saunak considered monstrous.
We have arrived, the demon announced, drawing everyones attention to a pool of inky ck liquid that sat in an oversized emerald green bowl in the middle of the enormousb.
Whats this? Vir asked, peeking over the bowls edge to peer at the ink. Its bowl reminded Vir of a nest formed of ancient tree roots. It looked nothing like any Imperium creation hed seen before. Imperium architecture was vibrant and orderly This felt far more organic. More alive.
The Ink of rity, Saunak said. Though thats only the name I gave it. Truthfully, I have no idea what the Gods called it. It was here when I got here, and theres no documentation of it, that I can tell. Despite my research, I cannot even say for certain if the Imperium was responsible for its creation. All evidence points to the contrary.
But if not the gods Who else? Virs mind spun at the possibility of another ancient race existing. One that possibly rivaled the gods.
What, uh what does it do? Vir thought, wondering if the liquid was supposed to be consumed.
This will be a good test, Saunak said, his eyes brightening. As best I can tell, it shows the past, the present and possibly also the future, though Ive been unable to determine whether it shows only possible eventualities or foregone conclusions.
It can predict the future!? Vir thought, panicking. Like the demons seers. Is it the same power?
I shall test this first, Cirayus said, striding up to the Ink of rity. He peered deeply, frowning with suspicion. Nothing is happening, Saunak. Are you certain this contraption does what you
He trailed off, his expression changing to one of surprise, then softening into tenderness, before finally being reced with a mask of fear.
What did you see? Vir asked. Cirayus?
Vir peeked at the pool but saw only inky darkness. Whatever it showed, it was for Cirayus eyes only.
The giant cleared his throat, stepping awkwardly away from the bowl. It seems to function as Saunak said, he replied. As for what I saw It was your father and mother, enjoying each other''spany, he said with a smile. They were happy.
But why would he be afraid if that was all he saw? Vir felt there was more, but knew that now wasnt the time to press him. Hed have to askter when Saunak wasnt around.
Go on, give it a try, Saunak said, urging Vir forward.
The pool brightened to Virs eyes, though not by much. It took him a moment to realize he was staring at a cave. And in a dark corner was a man. A man with a salt and pepper beard, lit only by a dim crack in the ceiling.
Vir gasped.
Its Riyan! Hes alive!
Alive, but spent and haggard. The man had be emaciated, and he sat cross-legged, his eyes piercing into the darkness. He was whispering something to the shadows, but what it was, or to whom he was speaking, Vir couldnt tell.
Are these always urate? When it shows things from the past, I mean.
Saunak shrugged. Ive found it to be, at least. But who can say for certain? Too many mysteries surround it.
While Vir had always suspected Riyan mightve survived, it was one thing to suspect and another entirely to know for certain.
But what is he up to?
The image melted away, reced by an equally dark ce. A temple of some sort, lit with candles.
Red seemed to be a theme, with red banners, and even the ceiling and walls dyed in its shades.
At the center sat a stone tub and when Vir saw what was inside, he gasped.
Blood. Thats blood, realizing that the red paint on the walls wasnt paint at all, but blood as well.
Hed heard of such temples.
This is a temple of the Children of Ash!
The crazy cultists. The Primordial haters.
From off to the right, someone appeared, her back towards him. A young woman. Naked, except for her undergarments. She was beautiful
And then Vir saw her hair, which had been tied into a bun. Crimson.
Vir gulped. No. No! Please dont let it be true
She turned, and Vir reeled. Maiya!?What are you doing!?
Maiya gingerly ced one foot into the pool of blood, then another.
No! Stop! Fear and panic red within Vir. His heart threatened to jump out of his chest. Had she been coerced into this? Was someone threatening her? Was she in danger?
I need to help her! Somehow. Gods, I have to go back!
Vir watched in horror as she slowly sat until her entire body was bathed in the pool of blood.
Priests chanted in a ring around her, though Vir couldnt make out the words.
Vir dreaded what was about to happen.
Can Imunicate with the person on the other end? Vir asked, his voice full of panic.
Not that Im aware of, Saunak said. But you could certainly try!
Whats wrong,d? What do you see?
It was toote. Maiya took a deep breath as the priest pushed her head into the pool of blood.
The seconds dragged on, and she didnt rise. Her air bubbles grew more and more frantic, and Virs knuckles whitened as he clutched the pools bowl.
Theyre drowning her! Why isnt she resisting?
Then, nearly a minuteter, the priest pulled her up. Maiya gasped, choking on the blood that entered her mouth.
When she emerged, her entire body was covered in it. She looked like some horrific blood beast.
No! Nononono! Maiya, why!? What have they done to you?
Maiya shivered as she stepped out, painting footprints of blood on the stone floor.
The image immediately went dark. Vir simply stared, his mind in chaos, but before he recovered, a third scene revealed itself.
It was a bright,rge room, filled with clutter. Much like the one they were in.
Not like this one. It is this room! Vir realized, analyzing the details, looking around to confirm.
Some of the items had changed positions, but it was undeniably the same room.
And at its center was the Ink of rity.
Vir watched in the vision as Saunak walked up to the pool and peered into the darkness. A pool within a pool. Vir expected to see nothing, as he had with Cirayus, but instead, the image rippled, forming a scene.
It was a bizarre experience to watch a vision within a vision, and Vir had to peer closely to see what the pool of liquid inside was showing.
Surprisingly, it wasnt very difficult. It showed Vir and Cirayus running. It showed them fleeing from the Automaton, before cutting to when theyd dug out a hole in the mountainside to hide.
And finally, it showed Vir, removing his armor. Revealing the symbol on his chest.
Saunak in the vision stared for a moment, then cackled. The cackling grew louder and louder until the image winked out.
Vir turned slowly. Cold sweat broke out across his back.
Well? Saunak asked excitedly. What did you see?
Chapter 218: Lair of Madness
Chapter 218: Lair of Madness
He knows! He knows Im the Akh Nara. Cold chills crept down Virs back. His grip on his katar tightened.
Saunak had known all along. And yet, the mad thaumaturge had said nothing. Hed revealed nothing. Was it because he simply didnt care? Or was there more going on here than met the eye?
Vir turned around slowly, scanning his surroundings. Immediately, several smaller automatons caught his eye.
Were there this many just a few minutes ago?
Well? Out with it! Saunak said, his eyes full of anticipation. What did it show you?
Oh, uh. Not much, Vir said tersely, doing everything he could to maintain a calm voice. Just scenes of some people I care about.
Ah, yes, Saunak said, nodding. This seems to be amon theme.
Um, Cirayus? Vir called. He locked eyes with the demon. I think we should leave.
Saunak appeared mortified. But why? Youve only just arrived! Why not stay longer? Theres no rush.
Vir turned to Saunak, hoping to bluff his way out of this sticky situation. With as perceptive as the thaumaturge was, hed have to put on his best act to have any hope of deceiving him. Even then, Vir didnt hold out much hope. Itd have been best to minimize how much he said to the demon from here on out, but that was equally likely to raise his suspicions.
I saw something in the Ink of rity just now, he lied. It showed me demons in the Demon Realm who were in danger. I think Cirayus and I should make haste to head there. Peoples lives might be in jeopardy.
Saunak hung his shoulders. Very well, then, he said in a deted voice. If youll follow me, I can recalibrate your Artifact.
He actually bought it? Vir thought incredulously. Virs shoulders sagged as the tension flowed out of him.
The thaumaturge continued, muttering something under his breath. Vir only caught bits and pieces of it. Such a shame. So long But what if? Oh yes! Yes, that could work!
Saunak perked up visibly after his conversation with himselfsomething that put Vir on edge.
Vir sidled up next to Cirayus, whispering. We need to get out of here as soon as he fixes the orb.
Cirayus nodded, sensing the urgency in Virs voice. He had the tact not to inquire any further, lest they be overheard.
Saunak hummed to himself as he led the two to another, smaller room. This, too, was constructed of pure white floors, walls, and ceiling, all of which emanated a cool glow.
Artifact, please! Saunak said, opening his palm to Cirayus. The demon handed over the orb, and the thaumaturge inspected it from every angle.
Yes, this should be a simple affair, Saunak said, cing the orb into a receptacle that looked designed for it. The moment he did, the ck metal stand glowed white with life, illuminating the orb.
Several images popped up above the table, resembling the tables Ashani had used to craft Virs Artifact chakram. Saunak peered at them intently, muttering to himself.
Cirayus, can you be a dear and lend me a hand? he asked.
The four-armed demon approached reluctantly, but Saunak held a hand up. Over there, if you please. You see that panel?
Cirayus walked over as instructed. Aye. What of it?
Push the ck button on there, will you?
Cant you do this yourself?
I am needed here, Saunak said, staring at the diagrams that floated above the table.
Cirayus shrugged, then pushed the button.
The instant he did, he disappeared.
Vir spun on reflex, katar in hand, Prana Current ring.
He found himself in a small, triangr room. Had he been transported somewhere?
No, thats not it, he realized. These are new walls!
Saunak had erected a series of walls, separating Vir from both Saunak and Cirayus. Theyd risen so quickly that Vir hadnt even noticed.
Ahem, ahem. The sound of Saunak clearing his throat reached Virs ears, though he couldnt tell where the sound wasing from. It was as though his voice emanated from all the walls at once, throwing off Virs sense of direction.
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What is the meaning of this? Lad, where are you?
To Virs surprise, it was Cirayus voice.
Cirayus? he shouted. Can you hear me?
Aye, I can,d, the demon growled. Saunak, may you burn in the Ash! Release us at once, damn you!
Now, now, Saunak said in a patronizing voice. Settle down, you brute. If I wished to simply imprison you, I assure you I have other, more interesting ways. Look! You can even talk to each other through my speaker system, hmm? Not a luxury most captors would afford their prisoners, yes?
While true, they were still his prisoners, Vir reflected.
The sound of thumping came through Saunaks speakers. It didnt take much to guess that Cirayus was attempting to break himself out. The constant thumping showed he wasnt finding much sess.
Cirayus, friend, Saunak sneered, you can strike that wall all day long, but Im afraid the only thing youll break is Sikandar. Now, why dont you two hear me out?
You expect us to believe anything you say? After this? Cirayus raged.
Vir wondered why Cirayus hadnt used Bncer of Scales, but guessed that the Imperium Metal was somehow blocking its effects from carrying beyond the prison Cirayus was in.
Cirayus, hes right, Vir said. This is Imperium metal, supported by preservation inscriptions. Its invulnerable.
You should listen to the boy, Cirayus. Hes smarter than you.
Are you certain,d? Cirayus asked, ignoring the demons provocation.
Quite. Its the same stuff the towers made of, Not even the Prana Swarm got past that, Vir replied, though he let a Katar Launch out just to be sure. As expected, there wasnt even a trace of a dent in the wall. Besides, if he can summon up these walls at will, whos to say he wont just conjure another if we do break it?
Very good! Yes, you are quite correct, Vir. Or should I say, Akh Nara?
Vir gritted his teeth while the thumping sounding from Cirayus prison halted.
What did you say? Cirayus asked.
Can we skip the drama? Saunak asked. Youll deny that young Vir is the Akh Nara, then Ill furnish proof, and then youll hurl threats at me, swearing to kill me. Yes? Now that weve summarized the exchange, how about we just skip it and move on?
Cirayus fell silent, pondering his words.
He knows, Cirayus. I saw it in the Ink of rity. The Ink showed him the mark on my chest. Hes known from the very beginning.
I see, Cirayus replied coldly. Vir could almost hear the giant gnashing his teeth.
What do you want from me? Vir asked.
What do I want? Saunak eximed. Why, that should be obvious.
Uh not really?
Saunak sighed exaggeratedly. I wish for you to be my test subject, boy! You are The Akh Nara! The only demon alive to carry Ash Prana in his veins! Can you even imagine how special you are? Youre easily the most unique test subject Ive ever had! I spent weeks thinking up tests to perform! What breakthroughs will we make together?
Vir almostughed. Of all the things
Hed suspected Saunak of secretly being in collusion with the Chitran. He worried Saunak would deliver Vir to them in return for great riches. Or perhaps a pardon, allowing him to return to the Demon Realm.
But no. Saunak was incredibly intelligent Yet he was also simple. For him, research was all that mattered. Vir suspected no coin in the world would tempt him over the opportunity to study someone like Vir.
And that gave him leverage. Knowing the mad thaumaturges motives allowed Vir to predict his actions.
Why would I let you do this? Vir asked. Whats in this for me? And before you tell me I have no choice, you should reconsider. Ive been to the Mahdi Realm. I understand Imperium magic, to a degree. While I might not be able to escape, I am quite confident I can ruin your little tower here.
It was only partially a lie. Vir did have some knowledge of Imperium magic, both from Ashanis memory transfer and from his own experience. Using that to bring down the tower, though? That was altogether different.
Oh, really, now? Saunak said with bemusement. Why dont you show us, then? Hmm?
Virs expression hardened. Hed figured Saunak would want some proof. As a bluff, it was incredibly easy to call. But if he could somehow back it up well, thatd allow a more even bargaining field.
Saunak waited patiently, a smug smirk stered across his face.
But Vir hadnt been idle. Hed been studying the inscriptions covering the Imperium metal walls that had slid into ce and found them simr to the ones at Mahdi, albeit on a much smaller scale. The runes were different, too. In fact, they more closely resembled something hed seen before. Something familiar.
The box in the Yaksha vault.
For whatever reason, the inscription patterns on Saunaks wall were nearly identical to the rune ribbons covering that box.
I wonder
Vir extended a hand to the wall, cing his fingers on its script. He reversed Prana Current, purging his bodys dense prana into the surroundings, leaving him dry and empty.
Ignoring the wave of weakness that passed over him, Vir spun up a Current loop in his fingers, pulling Ash prana from the section of wall.
Energy steadily flowed into him, but after a few moments, Vir could tell it wasnt enough. The vault boxs inscriptions were both smaller and had been on the verge of failing. To trigger the same effect here, hed need to pull more.
A lot more.
Vir pressed his other hand to the wall and doubled the current loops in his fingers and palms.
Itll take more than pushing on the wall to defeat it, Im afraid, Saunak quipped.
Vir ignored him. Still, the current amount of pull wasnt sufficient, so he created a Current loop that coursed through his whole body. Its pulling potential was immense, but as it stood, itd pull prana from everywhere, not just the wall.
To counter this, Vir formed Prana Dam near his skin, saturating his blood cells everywhere except for his hands.
The effect was an almighty pulling pressure that sucked prana only through his fingers.
The inscription grew dimmer and dimmer until it flickered and finally died.
Vir stepped away, anticipating what would happen next.
Sure enough, the Imperium metal began to rust visibly, crumbling in on itself in just moments.
W-what!? Saunaks panicked voice came through the speaker.
Vir calmly extended his prana ws and shed. His strike passed right through. He struck again with his other hand, forming an X.
Finally, he kicked through the wall, revealing a panic-stricken Saunak on the other side.
Vir Blinked to the demon, smashing his sr plexus, knocking the wind out of him.
What did you say about pushing, again? he asked innocently.
Saunaks mouth opened and closed, but no words came.
Grabbing his waist, Vir sunk into the shadows.
Saunak screamed for mercy. He screamed for the help of his automatons. But he was toote.
You showed me a prison of light. Now let me show you what a real prison looks like. A prison where you cannot breathe or move or feel. Wee to my prison of darkness, Vir whispered theatrically, sinking into the Shadow Realm along with Saunak.
The mad thaumaturges screams crescendoed before silencing. The darkness had swallowed him whole.
Chapter 219: The Weight of Revelation
Chapter 219: The Weight of Revtion
Instead of diving fully into the shadows, Vir sank only halfway, though he ensured Saunaks body was fully submerged. This way, he lengthened the amount of time Saunak stayed under. Lengthening the difort.
While the thaumaturge had surely seen Iksana Ghaels using the same ability, Vir doubted hed ever experienced it himself.
It was quite the terrifying sensation, being stripped of ones ability to move and breathe. Though, it did give Vir a handy way of protecting someone in a pinch. So long as they were smaller than him. Saunak, with his wiry frame, just barely fit. In this case, protection was thest thing on Vir''s mind.
Maybe it was the countless fights hed fought. Or maybe it was simply the brutal nature of the Ash, but Vir found it surprisingly easy tomit the act. A year ago, he wouldnt have dared subject anyone to such an experience.
Its hardly anything next to what hes done to others, Vir thought grimly. It was alsothe most expedient way to get the message across without actually hurting the demon. Vir suspected Saunak wouldnt budge if Vir threatened his lifeonly if he actually injured him. And if he did kill him, Vir suspected he''d be trapped here in the bottom of a madman''s tower with his automatons. Who knew what traps he''d set with his death as the trigger?
Vir waited a minute before retrieving the demon from the Shadow Realm.
Eyeing the shell-shocked Saunak, Vir was pleased with his reaction. Saunak copsed to the ground, heaving great breaths.
So thats what the Shadow Realm is like, he wheezed. Vir could almost see the demons excitement warring with his dread.
Now, let me tell you how this will work, Vir said calmly, projecting an image of power. Either you let us both out of here, or Ill lock you in that Realm and force my way out.
It was a bluff, of course. Without knowing what he was up against, Vir couldnt say that hed be able to get out, even if he did take Saunak out or hold him hostage.
Vir turned to the wall that separated Cirayus from both of them and ced his palm upon it, surging prana.
I Saunak coughed. I wouldnt do that if I were you.
Vir ignored him, stopping only when a bright beam of red energy smashed into the wall just inches from his fingers.
Whirling, he found himself staring down three humanoid Automatons that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. While none resembled Ashani in the slightesttheir faces were emotionless and etched in stheir eyes all glowed with the same beam that had nearly cut off Virs fingers. The same beam the Yaksha had used against the Wyrm, albeit on a smaller scale.
Vir prepared to attack when Saunak raised both hands.
I mean you no harm, but we cant exactly negotiate if youre the one with all the weapons, can we? he said.
This isnt a negotiation, Vir said,unching his Artifact Chakram at the nearest Automaton just before Blinking to Saunak.
To Virs surprise, his Chakram actually sank into the metal of its target Automaton, dealing what looked to be heavy damage. And, unlike Ashani and the Yaksha, its wounds didnt immediately heal.
Meanwhile, Vir had his katars de pressed against Saunaks throat as he began to sink back into the Shadow Realm again.
The message was clear: I can end you whenever I want.
The mad thaumaturge sighed exasperatedly. Really, now. Theres simply no need for us to be antagonistic toward one another. I truly mean you no harm.
Pretty words with your Automatons trying to kill me, Vir rasped, pressing his de against the demons throat as they continued to sink.
Very well, Saunak said coolly, showing not a single sign of panic.
Is he hiding his fear? Or is he truly unafraid? Was experiencing the Shadow Realm once enough to cure his fear of it?
The Automatons backed away, sinking into nearby walls.
Happy?
Vir slowly retracted his weapon, and after a moment, he canceled Dance of the Shadow Demon as well.
Look, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, Saunak said, scratching his head with embarrassment.
And whos fault is that? Vir shot back, once again trying to free Cirayus. This time, however, a shock passed through his hand the moment he did, forcing him back.
The thing is, the moment I set that brute free, hell lop off my head, Saunak said calmly. My only chance at surviving this is by convincing you that Im worth more to you alive than dead. Then, you can stop him from harming me.
You presume a lot, Vir said. Whos saying I dont agree with Cirayus? Youre smart, Saunak, but youre crazy.
He was expecting a retort, but none came.
He cant hear us anymore. Thought we could use a bit of privacy, Saunak replied, walking away. The wall in front of him dissolved, revealing the table hed set Cirayus guidance Artifact on. His hands yed over a series of floating windows while Vir waited several paces away. Well within range of Blink, should he need to threaten the demon again.
So, Saunak said while he worked. The Akh Nara. The fabled Bringer of New Eras Eras?
Vir frowned. What? Whats wrong?
Hmm, Saunak continued, muttering to himself. The son of Maion and Shari Garga. Spirited away at birth. Turmoil with the Chitrans. Except now the Akh Nara, too. I see. Yes. Yes, it has to be, doesnt it?
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What are you rambling on about? Vir asked, growing frustrated. He was beginning to suspect that Saunaks veneer of sanity was paper thin.
Tell me, Cirayus. What exactly have you told the boy? Saunak asked, not turning from his work.
Saunak! Ill have your head for this, Cirayus disembodied voice roared.
Typical. Hes always been this way, you know? Saunak sneered. Always thinking with his fists. Never his head.
Then it seems youre talking about someone else, Vir replied defiantly. The Cirayus I know is wise, patient, and strong.
Saunak snorted. So hes corrupted you as well. Tragic. Anyway, let me guess. Cirayus told you that the Chitrans attacked your n. Perhaps because of the Ashs ever-expanding boundary, yes? The Chits have always been up in arms about that, after all.
Thats right, Vir replied, once again taken aback by the demons formidable powers of deduction.
Doesnt that strike you as odd, though? Saunak asked without turning around. What are the chances that the Chitrans wouldunch their n so suddenly? It all seems a little coincidental, dont you think?
The demon had stopped what he was doing and was now making eye contact with Vir.
Thats
Think about it, Saunak said. Was it just the Chitrans whounched their attack? Or did they have help?
Virs expression darkened. They united the ns against the Garga.
Dont listen to him,d! Cirayus shouted, and Vir swore he heard a trace of panic.
Well, now. Thats quite interesting, isnt it? Why would the other ns help the Chitrans in a war theyunched without provocation? If anything, wouldn''t they have protected the noble Garga n?
The Chitrans had operatives in the other ns, Vir replied, repeating Cirayus'' own words. Theyve been nning this for centuries.
Cirayus told you that, did he? Hes quite right. They do. But again, doesnt the timing still feel too convenient? Saunak repeated.
What are you getting at? Vir replied calmly, but his heart was pounding against his chest.
Could it be? Does that mean No. No way. Right?
Allow me to offer a more likely scenario, Saunak said with a knowing grin. The reincarnation of the Akh Nara is born to Maion and Shari Garga. Upon learning this, several ns have immediate reservations. Will he usher in an era of prosperity and greatness? Or will he be the ruin of them all? You have to admit, your prior incarnations track record isnt great. What with Reaper Ekanai causing the mayhem he did, and Parai the Ancient abandoning his people
Dont listen to this madness, Vir! Cirayus said. The Chitrans instigated a war unprompted. What more is there to say?
There is value in the truth, Saunak said somberly, shaking his head. There is always value in the truth.
Its alright, Cirayus, Vir said, finding himself agreeing with the thaumaturge for once. Let him continue.
The thing is, Saunak said, Cirayus is right about the Chits. They are wily chals. As scheming as theye. Theyd have seen the hesitation in the other ns
Youre saying Virs voice was hoarse. That the Chitrans war the reason the ns attacked the Garga was because of me?
I think its far more usible than the story Cirayus fed you, at least. You represent something that strikes fear in the hearts of demons, boy. You represent change. Even when the change is for the better, people resist it. And with you, he said, pointing a finger at Vir, it is not always for the better.
A hushed silence filled the room, and not even Cirayus broke it.
Is it true? Vir asked the air, his question intended for Cirayus. Is what he said true?
His words came out sharp. Sharper than hed intended.
Lad, you are not to me for the Chitrans actions. Inciting the other ns to war? Invading the innocent Garga? The me rests squarely on their shoulders.
Is It True?
Cirayus silence told him everything.
You lied to me, Vir whispered.
Lad, you nearly crumbled under the pressure of the sacrifice your parents and retainers made for you. Knowing that half a million demons got caught up in a war centered on you would only have broken your mind.
Half a million!? Vir thought, panicking. Fivehundred thousand people had been put in jeopardy because of him?
How many died in the war? How many Gargans?
What good will that knowledge do you, other than to cripple you with guilt? Cirayus said.
Saunak furrowed his brows. Assuming an all-out war, with the eventual sacking of Samar Patag calcting for Demonkinds tendencies, Chitrans Demonic Overlord and Coerscion bloodline arts Id say at least forty thousand.
No, Cirayus said. Less than that. Maion did everything in his power to minimize casualties.
How much? Vir asked, his patience growing thin.
Around thirty, Cirayus said quietly.
Thirty thousand souls. When Vir realized the figure likely included women and children, his stomach churned and he felt sick. Wars seldom cared about who got caught in the crossfire, after all.
So many had died.
All because of me
Lad, dont you dare think that. Your parentsyour n who fought for youdo you think they wished for such a thing?
Im sure at least some of them did before they died, Saunak said bluntly. Wouldnt be surprised if they cursed your name, wishing you never existed, before their enemies slit their throats.
Damn you to Ash, Saunak! Cirayus bellowed. Cant you see what theds going through?
Saunak opened his eyes wide in realization.
Oh, erright, he said hastily. For what its worth, boy, Cirayus is right. If the Chitrans truly did use your birth as a reason to wipe out the Garga, they are the ones to me. Not you. You didnt choose to be born, after all.
If you were me, Vir said slowly, would that make it any easier for you?
Saunak smiled awkwardly before turning back to his table. Vir almostughed.
He''s honest, at least.
Thinking of what if''s wouldn''t change a thing. Vir had to concentrate on the future. On what he could do, to make up for his parents'' decisions.
Saunak retrieved the orb and casually tossed it to Vir, who caught it on reflex.
Its done.
Vir peered through the slot in the center of the Artifact. Where the light inside it had been glowing brightly before, it was now once again dim. Dim, but not extinguished. The thaumaturge seemed to have done his job.
Now that Ive shown you some good faith, let us discuss what I want from you, Saunak said, clearing his throat. Its quite simple, really. I wish for you to stay here and allow me to analyze your body. The experiments will be mostly harmless, and should benefit you as well.
How so? Vir asked, but his voice was hollow. His thoughts lingered on Saunaks revtion. He hadnt even gotten over the gruesome vision of Maiya, bathed in blood. And now this
So many had perished for his sake. Moreover, hed thought that while most of the Demon Realm might hate him, hed held hope he could find camaraderie with the Gargans. A ce to finally belong.
But now? Knowing that hed been the cause of their ns demise? That their wives, husbands, children, and parents had been mercilessly ughtered, all because of him?
Vir couldnt see how theyd harbor any positive feelings toward him at all. In fact, he wouldnt be surprised if they wanted to wring his neck with their own hands. Its how hed have felt in their shoes, after all.
And that was to say nothing of the sixteen years of cruelty they must have endured at the hands of the Chitran.
Ive been so stupid, he thought. It all made so much sense now. Why the other ns united against the Garga. He wasnt some chosen hero, destined to save the world and loved by all. From their perspective, he might as well have been the viin, destined to end it.
All of a sudden, the Children of Ashs mantra ran through his head.
The Primordial will bring the End of Realms! Find him! Purge him! Burn him to Ash!
Was this the fate that awaited him in the Demon Realm? Would he arrive, only to find a n not waiting to be liberatedbut eager for the chance to plunge a dagger in his heart? For all the loved ones theyd lost? For all the pain they''d endured?
The worst part was Vir couldnt even bring himself to criticize them. They had every right to feel that way. Didnt they?
Er Are you listening? Saunak said, shoving his face right up to Virs, causing him to jerk back.
I didnt even notice him getting close
It wasnt the result of some supernatural magic on Saunaks part. Vir had been too lost in his thoughts..
Whatever he felt about his fate, whatever curses he wanted to hurl at Cirayus, they would have to wait until they were both safe.
Sorry. What were you saying? he asked.
I shall allow you to leave after you do me a favor. Ill even give you two choices! One, Saunak said, holding up a finger. You allow me to experiment on you, perhaps leading to new insights into your own powers. Or two. You allow me to inscribe a tattoo upon that Ash Wolf of yours.
Chapter 220: Underground Negotiations
Chapter 220: Underground Negotiations
Vir fell silent, a torrent of thoughts running amok within his mind. Hed just managed to push aside Saunaks revtion when the thaumaturge sprang this dilemma upon him.
He began deliberating the merits and drawbacks of each option, but soon stopped.
This is wrong. He wants me to think these are my only options. This, too, is a trap.
Vir didnt know if he could believe Saunak. He didnt trust the thaumaturge, despite his gestures of good faith, recalibrating the device and shedding light on Virs past. Certainly not enough to subject himself to the demons experiments.
What if something went wrong? What if Saunak crippled him?
The same went for Shan. If he didnt trust himself to the mad thaumaturge, there was no way he was about to subject the Ashfire Wolf to Saunaks mad schemes. Saunak''s tattoo might very well enhance his four-legged friend. Or it might do the exact opposite.
There has to be another way. A third option
Vir yearned for Cirayus advice, but the demon had gone suddenly silent, and Vir was sure Saunak had muted him again to prevent him from doing exactly that.
What can I do that would get us out of this? Vir thought desperately. No. I need to think in terms of what Saunak wants.
Things like money and fame didnt drive someone like Saunak Not that Vir had any to give. No, Saunak craved information. New and exciting challenges.
What do I have that would Wait!
A smile formed on Virs face. He did have something, didnt he?
I cant ept those choices, Saunak, and you know it. Would you subject yourself or those close to you to someone youve only just met?
Yes?
Vir did his best not to roll his eyes. Well, most people wouldnt. But I can offer you something else. Something you might find interesting.
In fact, he had a few somethings. There was themunication orb Maiya had given him. He ruled that out almost instantly. It likely wasntplex enough to interest Saunak, and even if it was, that orb was his only hope ofmunicating with Maiya. He couldnt risk jeopardizing that. If he had topare it to his Artifact chakram, hed ce it above in importance.
He wanted nothing more than to get Cirayus to try it outto see if he could reach Maiya. Hed attempted to do so a dozen times during their time in the Ash, but had never once met with sess. He could only pray the results would be different in the Demon Realm. He couldnt risk having Saunak tinker with it until he was sure it wouldnt work.
The Artifact chakram was an option. Vir doubted Saunak could do much to damage the weapon given its Imperium construction, and hed be stupid to even try, given its lethality.
That said, he had something even more interesting that Vir suspected Saunak would salivate over.
Would you like to know what the Mahdi Realm is like? Vir asked. I bet you wont meet very many people whove been there and survived.
Vir had been going for dramatic effect, but even having expected Saunaks reaction, he was left surprised. Hed thought the thaumaturge would scoff, refusing to believe his tale. It sounded like a liemost wouldnt believe him.
Instead, Saunak simply turned to the nearby wall.
Is that true, Cirayus?
There was a short pause before Cirayus voice came through. Vir could hear the suspicion in his voice, but the giant had thankfully understood enough to y along. Aye. Vir has been there. Saw him fall through the Ash Gate myself.
Saunak turned back to Vir, and in his eyes was a deep hunger. It was apanied by an unhinged grin, and suddenly Vir wondered if hed made a horrible mistake.
Boy? You have yourself a deal, Saunak said. Tell me everything.
Vir spent the next five hours talking himself hoarse, narrating his tale, and pausing only to sip on some water that Saunaks automatons had brought him. He had to steel himself when describing Ashani and how shed sacrificed herself to help him. The mere memory of her threw his emotions into chaos.
He''d used the opportunity to ask Saunak if he knew a way to the Mahadi Realm, but to his dismay, the thaumaturge did not, apart from stumbling across stable Ash Gates that led there. He''d been sorely tempted to ask Saunak to research possible methods, but he didn''t know the demon nearly well enough to ask. Perhaps with time, once their rtionship had progressed, it might be an option.
All the more reason to get him on our side, Vir thought.
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Standing soon became tiresome, so the two of them had taken seats on the floor. While Vir had negotiated for Cirayus to chime in, the giant hadnt said a word the whole time. Perhaps he felt he had nothing to add. Or perhaps hed been too absorbed in Virs tale.
Saunak devoured Virs information, activating a recording tablet that captured his words forter yback.
Unlike Cirayus, the thaumaturge was anything but quiet. He peppered Vir every minute for rifications and further questions, sometimes asking about the tiniest detail, like theposition of the Imperiums doors and the texture of theirmp posts. Vir could almost feel the gears in Saunaks mind, grinding away at the mysteries of the ancient race.
What you say is most intriguing. The structures you mention bear a passing resemnce to the Imperium workings Im familiar with, but the level of advancement is iparable. These preservation inscriptions are especially interesting. To have survived the cataclysmic events that led to the demise of the Gods They must be quite the magnificent working.
What do you think triggered the explosion? Vir asked, hoping Saunak might have some clues. With his formidable intellect, Saunak might very well have new insights that Vir had missed. For Vir, the mystery of the Imperiums end was far greater than any of their workings.
Sadly, Saunak only shrugged. I dont have nearly enough information toment on that. Anything I say would be nothing more than mere supposition. But we can assume a few things, I think.
Vir raised a brow, waiting for the thaumaturge to continue.
For one, Saunak raised a finger, whatever happened was both sudden and unexpected. In a society where information flows so freely, secrets do notst long, barring exceptional circumstances. Im unsure how differently the Imperium''s minds functioned, but from what you say in your interactions with Goddess Ashani, they sound quite simr to us.
I dont follow Vir said. What does that have to do with the explosion?
It matters a great deal, boy, Saunak said. If their physiology is simr, there is a decent chance they think simrly to us. And if thats urate, we can predict their behavior to a degree. Difficult to predict the actions of a deranged madman, but a normal person? Far simpler.
Vir wondered if Saunak grasped the irony of those words. Doubt it.
In this case, we can assume that the destruction of their entire people is distinctly not something a majority, or even arge minority of people, would have desired.
Well, sure, Vir thought. Saunaks point felt likemon sense, but the demon was right. It was onlymon sense if Ashanis people reasoned simrly to humans and demons.
We cannot know if this explosion was intentional or idental. But if it was done intentionally, we are likely looking at the actions of one bad actor, or perhaps a handful at most. Either that or an external force antagonistic to the Imperium and strong enough to end them. Though, if there ever was such a cosmic force I certainly havent heard of them.
Even as he said that, though, his eyesnded on the Ink of rity.
Virs brows furrowed. The idea of someone even stronger than the gods sent shivers down his spine, and he found his heart beating faster. Then again, the Ink of rity was unlike anything hed seen in Mahadi. Its design and its capabilities were just far too different from most Imperium construction.
Rx, Vir, he told himself. Saunak just said theres no evidence of such an entity, right? Youre overthinking this. Besides, none of that matters right now.
Well? Are you satisfied? Vir asked, eager to escape the thaumaturges clutches.
Hmm? Oh, Saunak said as he paced. Yes. Yes, very well. A pity I wont have the chance to experiment on you, but well, there will be more opportunities in the future, Im certain.
Opportunities, huh? Vir wondered, breathing easier. From the beginning, hed hoped Saunak might prove to be a powerful ally rather than a bitter enemy. That hed just sessfully negotiated with Saunak proved the demon wasnt as deranged as Cirayus believed.
Saunak operated on his own set of priorities, and now that Vir was aware of them, he thought he understood what made the thaumaturge tick.
Good, Vir said. Then Ill be leaving with Cirayus now. I trust there wont be any issues?
Hmm? Oh! Er, right, Saunak replied distractedly. Of course. One moment. Wait! Promise me youll restrain Cirayus.
Vir rolled his eyes. Cirayus?
Aye,d. I wont harm him.
Vir could almost hear the ''not until were safe'' that Cirayus was surely thinking.
The thaumaturge yed his fingers over a floating image that popped up over his arm, and the wall separating Cirayus from them disappeared.
The giant immediately bounded to Virs side, giving him a once-over before shooting a gaze of pure loathing to Saunak.
The thaumaturge raised his hands and shrugged, smiling wryly.
Dont, Vir said quietly. Too softly for Saunak to hear. We have a deal.
Lad, you think youve entered into a bargain, but I know Saunak. He will take everything he can get, promises or not.
Vir narrowed his eyes. He just needs to let us out of here
Even so, hell pull something. Mark my words. Remain vignt.
Vir didnt want to believe his guardian. If Saunak allowed them all to leave, then itd prove that leveraging his intellect was a future possibility. But if he did betray them
You follow from behind, Vir whispered. Ill stay up front. That way, well have him surrounded if he tries anything. Hes weak on his own.
Cirayus nodded, and Vir saw a hint of approval in his expression.
Well then, Saunak said, dusting off his white coat without a care in the world. Follow me, if you please?
Cirayus and Virplied, with Vir staying in front as theyd agreed. Saunak summoned no automatonsthey had the demon surrounded. Vir was sure that if Cirayus wanted, he could break Saunaks neck in a single second.
It was why Vir stepped into the elevator with Saunak confident that nothing would happen.
The capsule rose rapidly, ascending the tower. Brightly lit subterranean rooms blurred by, before all went dark and they were surrounded by rocks. Then the central atrium appeared, falling away below them as the elevator gained height.
Despite it being his third time riding the lift, Vir couldnt help but gawk at the amazing sight. The tower was so immenseso grand. Once again, a pang of regret and nostalgia hit him like an Ashva. Judging by its automatons and architecture, this tower was likely ancient, even by Imperium standards. Despite this, it was far beyond anything humans had ever achieved.
Or would likely ever achieve Vir thought bitterly. The Imperiums downfand the loss of their knowledgewasnt just a shame. To Vir, it was a crime.
The atrium disappeared as they ascended through storage floors before passing by morebs until finallying to a stop at their residential floor.
Vir stepped out, keeping Saunak in the middle, while Cirayus brought up the rear. Thus far, the thaumaturge had taken no action, nor did any of his movements feel even slightly suspicious.
Even after they entered Cirayus quarters, where he picked up his oversized backpack, Saunak had done nothing. As they neared Vir''s own quarters, Vir grew increasingly confident that the giant had simply been paranoid.
Vir approached his door, which dematerialized in front of him and stepped through.
Instead of a single pair of eyes staring back, as hed expected, there were ten, and none of them belonged to his wolf.
Vir whirled, katar in hand.
Damn you to the Ash, Saunak!
Chapter 221: Entrapment
Chapter 221: Entrapment
Where is he? Vir''s voice was cut off by the door that materialized between Saunak and Cirayus, whod been following behind. He was now cut off.
Vir clucked his tongue in irritation.
While the Thaumaturge was trapped with Vir Vir was also trapped with the five human-sized Automaton guardians thaty in wait.
Its a trap, Vir thought, but it wont work. Not against me.
Saunak has miscalcted. All Vir had to do was bring the demon into the Shadow Realm with him. Then, he could reappear next to Cirayus, and Saunak would be forced to order his minions to stand down.
Or, more simply, he could just escape to Cirayus, leaving Saunak alone in the room.
When Vir was about to initiate Dance, the floors, walls, and ceiling all glowed an intense white. The floor-to-ceiling windows showing the destendscape outside disappeared, reced by more of the white wall.
With light sources from every direction, Virs shadow was wiped out. The Shadow Realm was off-limits.
If theyd turned on after Id initiated the ability
Vir gulped. His body would have been cleaved in two. The fear gave way to anger. Saunak had not only trapped him, hed stolen Shan.
I never shouldve left him behind.
We had a deal, Vir seethed, barely keeping the indignation out of his voice. Hed been wrong about the demon. Cirayus had been right. There was no negotiating with this lunatic. Hed take everything he could
Im afraid my curiosity got the better of me, Saunak said, ruffling his hair. The demon almost looked embarrassed. Look, I was going to tell you, but I just couldnt resist
Where is he? Vir roared, surging Prana Current. A vortex of pure ck surrounded him, circling around his body like a small cyclone, ripping apart anything that wasnt Imperium Metal.
Saunak watched with wide-open eyesnot in horror, but in awe.
Couldnt care less if he prostrates himself right now, Vir thought. The time for discussion had ended.
Vir flew into action, Blinking to the nearest Automatons. de Launch couldnt cut through Imperium metal, so he went directly to the only weapon in his arsenal that couldhis Artifact Chakram.
The disk sailed through the air and cleaved into the nearest Automaton, gouging out a chunk of its metal hull on its neck.
Vir followed up with a strike of his own, attacking the same spot the chakram had damaged. To his surprise, Prana de actually did some damage, expanding the hole.
Without even attempting a follow-up strike, Vir Blinked out of the way. His intuition had been correctthe Automatons de arm sliced through where hed been only moments earlier.
Its reflexes were nearly on par with the Yakshas But if it really had been a Yaksha, Vir would already be dead.
No, like everything else in the tower, these Automatons were old. Ancient, basic models of the being that Vir had narrowly escaped from.
They rolled around on spherical bases, and instead of human-like appendages, their six-de arms were connected via ball joints that looked distinctly mechanical. Instead of three faces that mirrored human expressions like the Yaksha, theirs were etched in stone.
Most importantly, none of them possessed the eye beams that the Yaksha and therge Automatons had, and the damage that the chakram had done hadnt yet closed up.
It cant heal itself? Vir wondered, Blinking around the room continuously to avoid the barrage of attacksunched by the Automata, barely avoiding their deadly strikes.
While they might have been older models,cking several of the godly abilities that made the Yaksha so terrifyingly powerful, these were still Imperium machines. Vir doubted theyd rank lower than two hundred each on the Br Scale.
Until recently, that figure would have terrified him. Now? He was confident he could win one on one.
Against five? He didnt stand a chance, nor was he arrogant enough to try.
I cant afford to die here.
There was, of course, another option. He could go after Saunak, though that was easier said than done.
Two of the five Automatons guarded the thaumaturge, and their speed was such that only two were required to protect him from all angles.
Without Dance of the Shadow Demon, Vir had to rely on Blink to attack Saunak, but while the Talent was incredibly fast, so too were the Automatons.
I need to take one or two out. Thatll force one of the Automatons into battle, leaving Saunak open.
Vir nced at Saunak, expecting to see a smug look on the demons face. Instead, the mad thaumaturge was furiously typing away at a hovering panel, his brows furrowed in concentration.
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What is he up to now?
If the Thaumaturge was summoning more minions, or if he could erect those Imperium metal walls here, Virs chances would plummet. He had faith that Cirayus could hold out on his own outside, even if he was unable to break past the metal walls. But what about himself?
Redoubling his resolve, Vir feinted by lunging for Saunak, making his guards move into a defensive stance, before whirling and attacking the Automaton hed dealt damage to earlier.
Virs Artifact chakram continued to eat into its metal skin, humming as its deadly razor des spun. Vir let it continue, supporting it with his own strikes.
Foregoing the shy Katar Launch, Vir focused on infusing his Prana de with as much prana as he could, augmenting it with Empower and Blink. Haste was, of course, always active, giving him a continuous edge.
He even tried pulling prana from the Automaton, but unlike Ash Beasts, its Imperium Metal body blocked him. Though, since itcked prana armor, Vir was unsure what benefit itd have had even if he seeded.
Ducking and weaving around the two other Automatons while also inflicting damage proved difficult, despite Virs recent strength gains. Luckily, he had the chakram. He was winning. All he needed now was time.
It happened only a minuteter. Vir went in to attack when he noticed the Automaton had no head. His chakram had finally cleaved it off.
Yes!
Vir redirected his katar, striking instead at its torso, but the headless machine blocked his attack easily. It was as if it was uninjured.
Of course, theyre built differently! Vir cursed under his breath. Did it even need its head? Or was it just for show?
ck metal cables sparked from its neck stump, but otherwise, his attacks seemed to have done no damage.
All that effort. Wasted Or perhaps not? Vir thought as he looked at its neck.
Blinking to the back of the Automaton, Vir grabbed a cableone that wasnt currently arcingand pulled prana. Without Imperium Metal armor to block him, he sucked the Automatons prana dry in an instant and the enemy fell to the ground, lifeless.
One down. Only one more to go. If he could reduce their numbers to three, Saunak would be forced to give up one of his guards. And then hed be defenseless.
Give up, Saunak, Vir announced, ducking under another ded arm whileunching his Prana ded katar into the nearest Automatons chin, sending it staggering back. Ive proven I can take them down. How many more of your precious Artifact machines do you want to lose today?
Saunakughed happily. Why, I dont mind losing them all, if it means gauging your ability! he said with with a crazed look.
Gauging? Vir thought incredulously.
Is that what youre doing?
Why, yes! What better way to get you to disy your full ability than to force you into a crisis? Far better than any duel, if you ask me.
Youre insane, Vir snarled, Blinking to Saunak. His katarshed out with inhuman speed, and was met by an equally inhuman Automatons de.
Im afraid you wont be getting through that way, Saunak said.
Is that right? Vir asked, summoning his chakram back to him. How about this, then?
Vir sent his disk flying, but this time he aimed directly at Saunak. The thaumaturges eyes widened in surprise, and Vir saw a hint of fear sh through his expression.
Good. Let him squirm.
Until now, Vir couldnt afford to fire the disk at Saunak. To do so meant hed have to face three Automatons on his owna losing proposition. But now, there were only four, and it took two of his guardians working together to keep the disk from eviscerating their charge, which left Vir with two opponents.
Doablebarely. And then Saunak turned the tables on him again.
I should warn you. The tower is keyed to my life. Should I perish, this facility will self-destruct, annihting anything and everything within it. A safety measure. To ensure my research is neverpromised.
Compromised? Vir couldn''t fathom how Saunak''s mad experiments could be corrupted any further.
The Automatons were incredibly durable and deadly, but Vir held the edge in mobility. After exchanging a few blows, he Blinked around them, hurtling straight for Saunak.
I''m going to have to y this smarter. Vir had suspected Saunak would have some sort of defense mechanism, but the destruction of the whole tower? Vir hadn''t thought of that scenario. He hadn''t thought it possible.
He sent a Katar Launch sailing at the demon, forcing his guardians to intercept. But doing so meant allowing the chakram to kill their master.
What are you going to do now? Vir thought. You have no options.
Just when he thought he had Saunak, one of the Automatons did something Vir couldnt have imagined. It sent its de arm through the hole inside the chakram, pinning it against the wall.
Were it a normal chakram, that would be the end, and itd be rendered useless. The inner edge of a chakram was normally blunted to avoid harming the wielder. At best, itd spin uselessly.
But this was an Artifact, custom designed by Vir and Ashani herself.
Razor des deployed along the inner perimeter, ripping savagely at the Automatons limb. It bit steadily into the metal, and within seconds, the limb was gone. Amputated at its ball-jointed elbow.
Saunaks guardian had sacrificed itself, but in return, itd stopped Katar Launch.
Smart, Vir thought begrudingly. It had five limbs left. Sacrificing one wasnt a huge loss though it wasnt a strategy it could afford to keep up for long.
If it was resorting to such desperate tactics, it meant Vir was close. Just a little more.
If I only had a little more help
Vir continued fighting off the guardians, hurling his chakram at Saunak when he could. Unfortunately, in the following two minutes, hed managed to do so only thrice. Each time, his bodyguards sacrificed their limbs. It wasnt fast enough. Not nearly.
A ck blur fell from the ceiling. Had Vir not spotted the glowing blue eyes, he mightve mistaken it for a bundle of prana.
Virs eyes looked up to find a small open hole in the ceiling.
A venttion shaft! Like the ones in the Yaksha vault!
The fight was over the moment Shan hit the floor.
The Automatons couldnt counter the wolf. Even if their minds were fast enough to register the new threat, their bodies certainly were not.
Shans head mmed into Saunaks stomach, sending him hurling across the room.
The thaumaturge hit the wall and crumpled to the floor.
For a brief moment, Vir''s stomach lurched. Saunak was a weak old demon. He had none of the strength-enhancing tattoos Cirayus did, nor his giant''s constitution.
But when the prana inside Saunak continued to course, Vir knew he wasn''t dead.
All four Automatons immediately moved into a protective formation around their fallen master, preventing Vir from approaching.
Capturing the thaumaturge wouldve been nice, but ultimately infeasible. At least he was out of the picture, and Vir had a way out.
High Jumping, Vir sailed into the venttion shaft, forcing his way inside.
He didnt need to go far. Unlike the room below, the shaft was dark, allowing him to slip into its shadow.
Shan bounded up behind him, and he pulled the Ashfire Wolf into the Shadow Realm along with him.
Locating a nearby exit, Vir emerged beside Cirayus to find the giant embroiled in a fierce battle of his own in the circr hallway.
Lad! Are you well? he asked as Sikandar sent an Automaton flying across the circr hall.
Fine. But we need to get out of here.
Aye. Question is, how?
It was a good question. For while Vir had escaped the trap Saunak had sprung, they werent out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot.
Vir looked around and counted a half dozen Automatons. At least there arent too many enemies, Vir said. On his own, theyd be an issue, but with Cirayus? He was confident they could escape.
That was until the towers lights turned red. Sirens red, and spider-like Automatons flooded through the walls. By the dozens.
Well, grak.
Chapter 222: Saunak’s Tower of Terrors
Chapter 222: Saunak¡¯s Tower of Terrors
We dont need to beat them, Vir shouted. We just need to escape!
The spiders proved challenging opponents, not because of their strength, but due to their sheer numbers. They poured from every hallway, and they even emerged from the very walls themselves, appearing from holes that hadnt existed just moments prior. They dropped from the ceiling, and they even materialized from the floor.
Aye,d! But how? the giant roared back. Not exactly an easy way out of this ce.
Despite Bncer of Scales weighing them down, slowing them, their resilience made them tough foes to defeat.
When Cirayus swung mighty Sikandar, a dozen would go flying, but often, theyd simply m against some wall unharmed.
The elevator! Vir shouted, narrowly dodging a spider Automatons sh. To the elevator!
Itd do a lot more damage if he could swing it freely, Vir thought as he returned the favor, sending the spider thatd attacked him flying with de Launch.
Cirayus held Sikandar in three hands and a regr greatsword in another. The halls, though generously sized, still werent quite wide enough to allow a full swing of the enormous weapon. The greatsword, while backed by Cirayus prodigious power and Bncer of Scales, didnt have the same impact.
Comparatively, Vir had an easier time dealing lethal damagetheir Imperium metal armor was thinner than the humanoid Automatons, and his Artifact Chakram made quick work of them.
de Launch and Prana de were also effective, but even with all that, it wasnt enough. When Vir killed one, three would appear in its ce.
Shan did what he could, but his ws simply werent strong enough to deal lethal damage to the spiders. He did kill several, just not fast enough to make a difference. Realizing this, the Ashfire wolf instead darted around, attempting to confuse the enemies.
A valiant effort, but one that ultimately failed. Deeming Shan a low-priority threat, they mostly ignored him, much to his frustration.
These automatons werent living beasts, nor did they behave like them. Lacking self-preservation instincts of any kind, they were more than content to throw themselves upon the enemy in droves, regardless of the damage incurred.
Just how many of these things does Saunak have?Or rather, how many does the tower have?
It was almost like an automated defense mechanism by the tower itselflike it was attempting to purge its intruders.
Which was why Vir thought his n might work. The tower wanted to eliminate them, but if it couldnt kill them, perhaps it was smart enough to
Together, they fought their way to the elevator, with Cirayusying down a suppression field as Vir pressed through the hallway, carving a path. Theyd then switch, with Cirayus taking the lead, sting the critters away, allowing Vir to press on, and so forth.
In this manner, they slowly made ground, though they werent killing the spiders as much as hurling them back. Eventually, the mass of enemies grew too thick to make any more progress. At times like these, they were forced to turn aside, navigating a different hallway.
Eventually, they made it back to the central, circr room where the elevator sat. The room had a single entrancea long corridor.
Vir ran to the elevator, hoping against hope that its doors would open for them.
They did.
Cirayus! The lift works! Vir cried, about to enter it.
Cirayus concentrated Bncer of Scales in the hallway directly in front of them before retreating to Vir and Shan. Applied over such a small area, its force grew tremendously, bringing the spiders that pursued nearly to a halt.
They piled up over one another like a slowly moving wall.
The ability granted them a reprieve, but they both knew it wouldntst long.
Cirayus grabbed Virs shoulder, stopping him from entering the lift.
Lad, you said the spiders were a defense mechanism, yes?
Vir nodded. Its trying to get rid of us.
Then wouldnt this lift be a perfect opportunity to do exactly that?
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Virs eyes widened in surprise.
Thats A distinct possibility, he thought. Hed operated under the assumption that, being unable to kill them, the tower was trying to get them to leave. But the lift was the perfect opportunity for it to kill them. All it had to do was let the thing freefall, and theyd be squashed like bugs.
Then lets test it, Vir said, grabbing one of the overgrown spiders and lobbing it into the lift.
The moment he did, the doors mmed shut, and the elevator plummeted.
Vir blinked in surprise. Hed only half-expected the gambit to seed. If whatever entity was controlling the elevator was smart enough to discern life forms, it wouldnt have worked at all.
They watched as the elevator picked up speed and then disappeared down the transparent shaft.
Thats falling way too fast, isnt it? Vir asked.
Aye.
You mightve just saved our lives, Cirayus. Or mine, at least. You could probably survive that, huh?
Probably, Cirayus shrugged, shing at the elevator door with Sikandar. The enormous weapon barely left a dent.
Allow me, Vir said, lobbing his Artifact Chakram at the closed elevator door.
While its armor wasnt as thick as the humanoid Automatons, it still took the disk some time to carve out a holerge enough to fit them.
Time that they didnt have.
The wall of spiders grew ever higher, piling up in the hall, creeping forward. Only a few paces were now left between them.
Slowing matters, Vir had to constantly recall andunch the chakram to get it to cut the shape he wantedits built-in intelligence wasnt smart enough to know that they intended to carve out a door.
But with the spiders concentrated at the choke point that was the hallway, and with Cirayus cleaving any who made it through his Bncer barrier and Shan mopping up any who made it past that, they allowed Vir to concentrate.
The spiders crept closer.
Vir!
Almost there!
Three paces. Two. The spiders pincers started cutting into Cirayus tough skin.
Lad, were out of time!
Its done! Vir announced as his chakram made its final cut. Vir kicked the te open, sending it tumbling down the empty elevator shaft.
I shall go first! Cirayus said, scooping Shan in his hand. The giant dove through the holebarely fittingand the moment he did, the wall of spiders that had been held at bay by Bncer of Scales copsed, the spiders tumbling over themselves.
That brief window gave Vir just enough time to dive in after the giant.
It was then that he realized hed erred.
The exit was on the ground floor. The shaft itself went deep underground. All the way down to the bottommost reaches of Saunaksb.
Really shouldve thought that one through, Vir admonished himself as he picked up speed.
Luckily, Cirayus had anticipated this issue. Spotting Vir, the giant adjusted his weight with Bncer, ring his limbs to match Virs fall.
The giant remained several dozen paces below Vir, and it was only until the wind rushing by doubled in intensity that Vir understood why.
It wasnt crashing they needed to worry aboutit was the elevatoring back up to smash them to pieces!
Cirayus ced his hands against the shafts wall and roared.
Vir witnessed the deluge of Earth and Life affinity prana flood into Cirayus tattoo. Life from the air, and Earth from walls of the shaft.
And then, the unthinkable happened.
The four-armed giant mmed the elevator back down.
Ordinarily, Cirayus ought to have gone flying. Vir couldnt guess how heavy the giant was, but he doubted it came anywhere near that of the elevator.
Of course, Cirayus wasnt just a giant demon. He was a giant demon with n Bairas ultimate bloodline tattoo.
Imperium metal crumpled under the awesome force as Bncer of Scales activated, simultaneously making Cirayus as heavy as a boulder and the elevator as light as he could make it. The impact was so strong that the mangled elevator reversed course and shot down several paces before finally screeching to a stop.
Vir had barely a split second to activate Light Step before he collided with the top of the wrecked lift.
With so little time to prepare, he missed the timing, grunting in pain as the force traveled up his legs and spine. The mistake wouldve sttered a normal human. Vir simply shook off his prana-engorged legs, and he was as good as new.
Well, talk about killing two wyrms with one Imperium elevator! Cirayus chortled, pointing through the translucent tube. I do believe weve found our exit.
Vir followed Cirayus gaze and saw that the elevator hade to a halt some thirty paces above the atrium floor, where theyd entered the tower.
That was luck. Right? Right? Vir asked. Please tell me that was sheer dumb luck.
If he nned it all It meant Cirayus was far morepetent than Vir thought possible.
Ah! But was it? Cirayus said, shing him a toothy grin. Let us make haste. Id rather not linger in thisir of Saunaks. Who can say what other traps that madman has in store for us?
Agreed, Vir thought, feeling a pang of regret. It was such a shame. Saunak could have been such a powerful ally. If only he wasnt so
Deranged, Vir thought wryly.
The force of Bncer of Scales had mangled the walls, weakening its integrity. Thankfully, like the lift itself, it wasnt protected by a preservation inscription, or the damage would already have been undone.
Virs Artifact Chakram made quick work of the material and they jumped down to the atrium floor minutester, Leaping to the entrance garage.
Cirayus bounded past, but Vir found himselfgging, staring up at the two enormous Guardian Automatons that stood inert in their berths. A railing, suspended fifty paces above the ground, surrounded them on three sides. It was what Saunak had used to mount and dismount the gargantuan machines.
Whats the matter,d? Wed best leave. Lest these Automatons follow us.
Thats just the thing, Vir replied,ing to a halt. What do you think Saunak will do when he wakes up? For all we know, he might already have awoken.
Cirayus scratched his head. Cant really predict that ones actions. Doubt theres anyone alive who can,d.
Sure. But in the worst case, wont hee after us? Vir asked, his lingering anger toward Cirayus warring with his desire to tell the demon he was sorry for doubting his words about Saunak. Yet now was neither the time nor the ce for such feelings.
Aye. Which is why we ought to put as much distance between us as we can manage.
Vir shook his head. Youve seen how fast these Automatons move. Even at full speed, theyll outpace us. And unlike us, they dont need breaks or food or sleep.
Spit it out,d, Cirayus said, his eyes narrowing. What are you really saying?
Why dont Vir gulped. He knew what he was about to say was as mad as Saunak himself. He said it anyway.
Why dont we steal one?
Chapter 223: Grand Theft Automaton
Chapter 223: Grand Theft Automaton
Apologies,d. These old ears must''ve misheard, Cirayus said, concern furrowing his brow. You wish to steal it?
I do, Vir replied, determined.
An Automaton constructed by the gods... Cirayus said, trying to gauge whether Vir was joking.
The giant ignored the pursuing spider Automatons and gave Vir his full attention. Determined, confident eyes stared back. This was no joke.
I believe its possible, Vir said. Knowing what I now know about prana, and after watching Saunak manipte his Automatons on the way here and within the tower I think I might be able to copy it.
Shivers rippled down Cirayus'' back. Were those words uttered by anyone else, or even by young Vir just a few weeks ago, hed have brushed them off as reckless and foolhardy.
Hes been to Mahdi. Hes learned from Goddess Ashani herself.
When Vir had stepped through that Ash Gate, hed changed, and it wasnt just his power that had grown. His knowledge of prana had soared, and he used strange terms he obtained from the goddess when she imparted her wisdom to him.
While that all might have contributed to his change, the boy had undergone some fundamental shift in that realm. As a person.
Since then, Vir had taken charge more often, taking the initiative and seeing his ns through. While hed never been passive in the past, hed always looked to Cirayus for direction. Even when hed suggested ns, theyd been tainted by rose colors of naivete. But now? Cirayus found himself considering the boys ns more and more.
While the recklessness remained, they were now tempered by the weight of experience and the wisdom of knowing his own limits. Tempered by the weight of responsibility that he now seemed to have epted.
Ekavir had entered as a boy. Sarvaak returned a man.
And yet, despite knowing all of this, Cirayus had kept him in the dark about the circumstances of his birth. Hed hidden the story of how the Chitran had rallied the other demon ns specifically to eradicate him.
He saw it in Virs eyes. The hurt. The anguish.
Cirayus sighed. No one lived as long as he had and remained a stranger to such situations. Hed have to apologize to thed the moment they were free. Thered be a lengthy conversationone that Cirayus had hoped to avoid until Vir was ready to shoulder the burdenand then, hopefully, Vir would forgive him.
But this was neither the time nor the ce for such a conversation.
Cirayus shelved the thought, looking up at the enormous Automaton that towered above them.
Deigning tomandeer a creation of the gods sounded impossible to him. It sounded sphemous. And yet, hadnt Saunak done exactly that? The gods hadnt seen fit to strike him down. Tragic, that.
Saunak was no great warrior. He wasnt even at the standard of the average demon. He was pitifully weakbut what hecked in physical strength, he more than made up for with his knowledge. The same sort of knowledge that Vir had glimpsed at Mahdi.
If we seed Cirayus dared not grow excited at the prospect. Hed experienced too much to allow such a fools hope to fester in him. Hed believe it when it was done. But if it could be done What an incredible advantage that would give them! Theyd no longer have to flee from any Ash Beast horde. Perhaps not even from Wyrms!
And if they could take it back to the Demon Realm
Cirayus shook the thought. He knew exactly how impossible it was. Theyd need an Ash Gaterge enough to fit itan event about as likely to ur as the Ashen Realm suddenly vanishing. If it was possible, Saunak would no doubt have returned to the Demon Realmmanding one. If for no other reason than to show off.
Youre confident you can do this? Cirayus asked hesitantly. It was as if he was afraid Vir would say no
I can, Vir replied. Just give me fifteen no, ten minutes!
You have five, Cirayus said, thinking even that would be difficult. If you dont have it by then, we run.
Understood. The boy nodded, then jumped up to the railings that surrounded the monstrously tall Automatons at shoulder height.
Cirayus turned to the enemies pouring through the tubes and chutes embedded into the walls. Spider Automatons. Neither as strong nor as intelligent as theirrger humanoid brethren, but faster, and in far greater numbers.
Swinging Sikandarzily, Cirayus multiplied its weight tenfold for the briefest of instants, sending a half dozen of the critters mming against a wall fifty paces away.
Against this horde of godly creations Cirayus cracked his neck, pointing Sikandar directly at them.
Come ye. Come to your deaths. Old Cirayus here will keep youpany for a spell.
Five minutes!? How in Yumas name am I supposed to get this working in five minutes? Vir thought as panic crept into his mind.
ncing down, he saw another dozen spiders get sted off. It was Cirayus preferred method of fightinglimit the Spiders mobility with a wide-field application of Bncer of Scales before cleaving through them with Sikandar.
It was an especially brutalbination. Since, while Bncer enhanced the enemys weight, it did nothing to strengthen their armor. And because of that added weight, most of Sikandars force transferred to the Spiders, crumpling them even before they were thrown back.
Shan assisted by taking down the enemies that snuck past Sikandars de, keeping the giant free to wield his de of devastation. Though theyd rarely fought together in the past, their teamwork was impable. Rather than feel jealous about it, Vir was filled with happiness that they got along so well.
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Regardless, the horde was unending. Vir knew well that if this turned into a battle of attrition, theyd lose. Worse, Saunak would undoubtedly awaken soon, and who knew what other terrors hed send after them?
Focus, Vir reminded himself, drawing on the Foundation Chakra to calm his thoughts. Though he hadnt yet broken through, he could still rely on the Chakra to bring him a sense of peace during times of turmoil.
Vir stood on the metal railing next to the Automatons enormous head, some fifty paces in the air. The Imperium metal tablet Saunak used to channel his prana into the Automatony in Virs hands, but it remained lifeless to his input.
Think, Vir! Think!
The first issue that jumped to mind was the difference in affinity. Saunak had used Shadow affinity prana, but Vir felt this wouldnt be an issue. For while it was Shadow Affinity that hed sent out, the tablet had somehow converted the Shadow Affinity into Ash Affinity. Ultimately, the signals that reached the automaton possessed the same affinity as Vir.
Did Saunak modify the tablet to ept his affinity? Is that why this isnt working? Vir thought.
It was a distinct possibility, but if true, meant his n might not work at all.
Hed hoped that he could trigger the Automaton to do something, even without proper trainingSaunak had sent very simple prana pulses to the Imperium creation. Rather than guide its every step, it was almost as if he was sending itmands. Walk. Pursue. Stop. Etc.
Vir couldnt helppare it tomanding a Bandy. The Bandy knew how to move its muscles to walk and run. It just needed to be told what to do. If the Automaton operated on a simr principle, then Vir didnt have to sweat the details, so long as he learned the propermands.
One minute left,d! Cirayus called up. Tell me youre close!
Vir nced down, and to his horror, found that humanoid Automatons had joined their spider brethren. Cirayus now fought off nearly a hundred foes all by himself. The veteran giant was doing a phenomenal job, but every second, more enemies joined the fray.
Worsesome of the spiders were even mbering up the walls to reach Vir. At this rate, he wouldnt have a minute. Hed have just about twenty more seconds.
Twenty seconds to not only devise a control scheme, but to also get it right.
Vir drove the thought from his mind and focused on bypassing the tablet. Trying a different approach, Vir pressed his hand against the Automatons shoulder and surged Ash prana into it.
As usual, the moment the prana left his body, he lost control of it.
Just when he was about to give up, the Automatons arm twitched, sending a dozen spiders who were crawling up it flying.
Progress! But it wasnt enough. If only I can see how Saunak does it Vir thought, as his eyesnded on the figure that had just appeared below. A figure that made him pale.
The mad thaumaturge had arrived, and he was grinning with glee. He was also waving a white g theatrically above his head, but the army of Automatons that surrounded him made Vir wonder if the demon understood the significance of that g.
What is the meaning of this? Cirayus asked. Do you surrender?
Well, well, well! Isnt this just fascinating! Saunak said, continuing to wave his g. Though, I must admit I wished it was the boy fighting, and not you, Cirayus. I already have plenty of data on how you fight, and it doesnt look like youve grown any strongertely. The opposite, actually. Your reaction time and deadliness are both down from your tournament-day highs. Is old age catching up to you? Or just neglect?
Burn in Ash, Saunak, Cirayus spat,unching a dozen spiders back at the demon, who ducked inelegantly. Lad? Times up!
Vir neither argued nor hesitated. Hed reached the same conclusion himself, and while every shred of his being wanted to tarry just a bit longer, attempting to unravel the secrets of the Automaton, Vir was not the immature viger he once was. To tarry was to ce all of their lives in jeopardy.
He refused to put Cirayus and Shan in more danger than they already were. His curiosity would have to go unsatiated For now.
Jumping back down, Vir plummeted to the ground. Not wishing to waste such an opportunity, Vir activated Prana Currents around his body, wreathing himself in a vortex of Ash Prana.
His blood saturated then stretched beyond its limit. Unrelenting, Vir continued fueling more into his body. Just a few more seconds of this pressure and his blood vessels would burst.
But he didnt need a few seconds. He needed only an instant.
Vir crashed onto a spider Automaton. The force coupled with the prana that surrounded him destroyed the poor spider instantly.
Rolling, Vir Leaped to the humanoid automaton protecting Saunak and purged every drop of prana he had in his body.
Eat This!
The prana sted into the Automaton, fueling it until it could be fueled no longer. The sudden torrent of energy overloaded its systems. Its arms and head blew off like a pressure cooker, venting steam and the Imperium creation fell overdead.
Huh. Thats curious. Can you do it again so I can study you? Saunak asked.
Vir moved to attack, but Cirayus grabbed his arm, stopping him.
Best you dont,d.
Cirayus? Saunak shouted. Showing mercy!? To me!?
Make no mistake, Saunak, Id like nothing more than to kill you for what youve done, Cirayus said, smashing another Automaton aside with Sikandar. Saunak had only two humanoid guards left ignoring the army of spiders hemanded.
So why dont you? Saunak taunted.
Because I know you. Id bet a seric that youve set traps to bring this ce down, even if thed hadn''t told me already. I''d also bet yourckeys would pursue and destroy anything that harms you, even if we escape.
Saunak cocked a brow. Smart. And quite correct!
So how about you let us go, and we won''t cripple you, Cirayus offered, implying the opposite was also true. That if they were going to die in here, he''d take Saunak with him.
It was a fair offer, Vir thought. Saunak knew just how strong he and Cirayus were, but he knew it wasn''t enough.
Hmm. Its tempting, but no, Im afraid, Saunak said casually. He turned to Vir, appraisingly.
You''re smart, Saunak, Vir said slowly. Incredibly smart. Which is why your actions make no sense to me. You must know that making an enemy of me isn''t in your best interest. Just... just imagine what you could achieve in the future if we worked together.
Lad? Cirayus asked worriedly. You don''t seriously mean that, do you?
Interesting. Interesting. Yes. Indeed, Saunak said, his wild grin turning into maniacalughter. The demon doubled over, wiping tears from his eyes. Look, I never intended to harm your little wolf. And the thing earlier? That was just a test! As I said! You two overreacted. The truth is, I would like to work with you, and in fact, I was hoping to give you useful tips on how to improve yourbat efficiency, based on the data I''d gathered. But, well... that''s all fallen to pieces, hasn''t it? Perhaps, hmm. Perhaps together... Ah, yes!
Saunak''s words trailed off, as if he was talking to himself.
I said I''d be willing, but I''m no fool, Saunak, Vir said. That was before you attacked us. You''d have to do something pretty spectacr to regain my trust.
Hed have liked nothing more than to prove Cirayus wrong. To show that Saunak could be, if not a friend, at least a useful partner for the hardships ahead.
But now? How was he to trust the madman? No, that bridge had been burned. Vir would not make the same mistake twice. There was nothing he could possibly do that would
You want that Automaton, yes? Saunak the Deranged said, pointing up at the towering behemoths. He continued to wave his g with his other arm, though the exertion was clearly winding him.
Uh. Yes? Vir replied, thrown off-guard.
Very well. Its yours.
What?
Vir narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Youre just... giving us a creation of the gods...
Well, you said it yourself, didnt you? Saunak replied. How better to regain your trust?
This has to be a trap, Vir thought, exchanging nces with Cirayus, who nodded. But if it buys us some time
Whats the catch? Vir asked.
Saunak held up a finger. You have to let me watch.
Um, sorry? Vir struggled to find some deeper, hidden motive behind the demon''s words.
You can take it. But only if you let me watch while you learn to take control.
Alright, Vir agreed, slowly, failing to sense any deception in his voice.
Still, he couldn''t be sure. Vir would y along. And then, before Saunak could make his move, they''d jump him. Who knew? Maybe they''d actually manage to steal one of the mythical creations along the way.
Chapter 224: On the Shoulders of Giants
Chapter 224: On the Shoulders of Giants
No, no! Saunak scolded, waving his hands. Thatll never work!
The mad thaumaturge wore a helm that truly lived up to his name. The metal contraption entirely covered his face, bulging like a dome around his head. Tubes and ck wires connected the device to a nearby gizmo, which Vir recognized as simr to the ones Ashani used to spend hours in front ofthe ones with the floating panels.
Saunak''s devicecked those floating panels, however, instead projecting moving pictures in front of his eyes when he wore the ridiculous-looking helm.
Vir couldnt be sure what all it did, though one thing was for certainit allowed Saunak to see prana like Vir could. Or at least, a facsimile.
The demon had offered to allow Vir to experience it, but Vir wasnt about to stick his head into such a suspicious-looking device. He still wasnt sure when Saunak was being genuine, and when he had ulterior motives.
Like Cirayus, who had Sikandar in his hand, Vir kept Prana Current active, in case he needed to escape at a moments notice.
What''s the trap this time? he thought, looking furtively around. The three stood atop the high railing, though only a handful of Saunaks humanoid automatons had followed them up. The spiders had disappeared back into the walls of his tower, and the ones that remained would pose little threat to thebined might of Vir, Shan, and Cirayus.
So whats his angle, then? Vir thought, eyeing the ridiculous-looking demon suspiciously. It was hard not to be suspicious when he wore something that looked so menacing.
Did he want Vir to show him how he manipted the Automaton directly? But if so, what would he gain? Should Vir seed, he was taking an Automaton, whether Saunak let him or not.
No. Hes expecting me to fail. He just wants to study how I use my prana. Hell attack us when hes learned enough.
Though, casting a nce at the mad thaumaturge, Vir wasnt so sure. The logic felt shaky, even to him. Why take such a risk? If Vir seeded, Saunak would be in a terrible position. Surely, he wouldnt risk his prized Imperium creations so carelessly? It was the likelihood of that very prospect that kept Vir from escaping. The prize was simply too great to ignore, despite the danger.
Well? Try again, try again! Saunak urged, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Vir returned to his attempts to control the Automaton. He stood too much to gain from this, and while the more prudent part of him considered incapacitating Saunak right then and there, another part of him wanted to believe in the demon. Not just because of the Automaton. If Saunak honored their bargain, it would go a long way toward undoing his prior transgressions against them. And that meant the possibility of working together in the future.
That was a big ''if'', however, as both Vir and Cirayus were painfully aware.
The issue is I lose control of my prana the moment it leaves my body, Vir said. Its always been this way.
Hmm. Hmmm. Well, give it another go, anyway, will you?
Vir shook his head in defeat, touching the colossal Automaton Guardians shoulder again. Thinking back to how hed first formed Prana deby shooting his prana out in a jetVir attempted to aim the prana to send it to different points in the Automatons body.
If it were human-sized, his tactics mightve actually worked. With Prana Current, he could now shoot a jetor a dartof prana far further than before. It dissipated much quicker within a solid object, but even then, he mightve managed it.
The trouble, though, was the Guardian stood sixty paces in height. Nothing Vir did could get his prana to the proper areas.
Okay, forget that, Saunak said. Put as much prana as you can into its shoulder, where youre touching.
Virplied, cycling Current loops as fast as he could before shooting a jet of Ash prana directly into the Imperium creation.
He was about to give up when its enormous arm jolted and its fist clenched.
Astounding! Saunak shouted in awe.
What? Getting it to move? Vir asked, dubious of the thaumaturges exaggerated reaction. Hed moved the Automaton, yes, but only barely.
No, that was quite pathetic, Saunak said dismissively. Rather, its quite remarkable just how much prana it took to move it even that slight amount!
Vir stared at Saunak expressionless as he considered how strong to make his punch. Saunak was weak, after all. He didnt want to identally kill him, lest they bring the tower down upon them.
But before he could go through with his n, Cirayus spoke up.
Had quite enough of wasting our time? the giant asked. Just give me a reason to remove that head of yours. Dont even need much of a reason. Just something.
Now, now, Cirayus. These are concepts you wouldnt even begin to understand. Stick to swinging your big swords around. Thats where people of your brutish persuasion belong, after all.
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Cirayus leveled a death re at Saunak, and, once again, Vir was the one to break them up.
Saunak, he really will kill you. Stop goading him. Cirayus?
You neednt worry about me,d, Cirayus said calmly. So calmly that Vir wondered if the giant was tapping into his Foundation Chakra. Unlike what this egomaniac would have you believe, I do understand the gist of the issue. My question is thisImperium Creations run on Ash prana. Youve confirmed this yourself.
Vir nodded.
Then Saunak must have modified his control tablet to use his elemental affinity. Yes?
Right Vir said.
Can he not simply turn the change back?
Vir blinked. Thats so obvious. How did I not think of that?
Hed somehow assumed that whatever Saunak had done was irreversible.
Well? Vir asked. Can you?
Why, of course! Its a simple task. Actually, I didnt really alter the tablet, so much as switch configurations that were already built in.
If thats true Vir asked, doing his best to keep his eyebrow from twitching, Why didnt you say so an hour ago when I started experimenting?
And waste an opportunity to study you!? Are you out of your mind? Saunak said, genuinely shocked.
Right. Shouldve figured itd be something like that.
Alright, enough games. Change the tablet to ept Ash prana, and teach me themands, Vir said. And please dont test my patience. Not if you value your life.
Saunak visibly deted. Very well.
It took only a handful of minutes for Vir to master the controls. As hed suspected, rather than control the Automatons every motion, Saunak had been issuingmands by sending pranic pulses into the metal tablet. Commands like Halt, Walk, Run, Defend me, Patrol this area, Pursue hostile, and Flee were just a handful of the manymands that could be sent. Helpfully, Saunaks tablet disyed the required number of pulses and their durations to trigger each one.
It wasnt hardthe only time-consuming bit was memorizing which pulses mapped to whichmands. Vir jotted down the sequences, in case he ever needed to refer back.
With every moment that passed, every step that brought him closer to manipting the Automaton, Vir''s doubts about Saunak''s seemingly inevitable betrayal grew. As did his anxiety.
After Saunak guided the Automaton out of its berth, he switched configurations and handed the tablet to Vir, who then practiced the differentmands. At first, it took him several seconds to refer to his notes and send the proper signal, but after an hour, hed brought that down to less than a single second for most actions.
Being slow wasnt much of a hindrance in everyday life, but inbat, seconds mattered. Vir ensured he was more thanfortable with the controls before bringing the Automaton back to the berth to drop Saunak off.
This is it. This is where he''ll pull something.
Vir tensed, waiting for the demon to pull some trick. Tough and im he fooled themthat no one in their right mind would ever simply give away such a priceless treasure. He waited for the moment the demon wrested control from them and summoned his minions.
Instead, Saunak simply turned and sauntered down the raised catwalk, waving behind him.
Youre just giving this to us? Vir shouted after him, his concern turning to outright confusion. No strings attached?
Saunak turned, confused. Well, sure. But when you do inevitably abandon it, Ill just bring it back. Consider it more of a loan.
Abandon? Why would we Virs words hung in his mouth. Ah, right. Cirayus had mentioned it earlier. That theyd never find an Ash Gaterge enough to fit such an enormous machine. Even if they did, the prana in the Demon Realm would be insufficient to sustain such a contraption. After riding atop it, he now knew just how much Ash Prana it consumed. The amount was staggering, making him wonder if even the outer reaches of the Ashen Realm had enough to support it.
Well have to abandon it when we leave for the Demon Realm. But until then
Vir grinned. Until then, its ours. Right?
Yes, yes. Of course. Well then, Im a busy demon and Im sure you have ces to go, so I bid you a good day, Saunak said, as if he''d suddenly lost interest in them, and was trying to shoo them out. Remember this next time we meet! Oh, the experiments well run
Saunaks whimsy had already moved on, no doubt thinking of his next project, whatever that was.
As Vir watched the thaumaturges receding back, he wondered if he couldnt reap all the benefits he could from this chance encounter with the Thaumaturge. He didnt want to be greedyan Automaton Guardian was already more than he could have ever dreamedbut what was the harm in asking?
Um, Saunak?
Hmm? Yes? What is it?
Do you, uh, have any manuals on basic thaumaturgy? Yknow, that I might be able to learn?
It was something that had interested Vir his entire life. Ever since hed beenbeled Prana Scorned, hed wondered how orbs had functioned. If he knew more, perhaps there''d have been a way for him to also do magic... Or so he''d thought.
Unfortunately, humans only knew how to copy the inscriptions that made their orbs work. They knew nothing about the underpinnings. From what hed seen, though, demonic knowledge outstripped that of humans in this area. There was a chance they knew more, and who better to ask than Saunak?
The demons eyes lit up, his demeanor shifting in an instant. Learn Thaumaturgy, you say? All on your own?
Im a quick study. Just ask this guy, Vir replied, thumbing to Cirayus, who grunted in affirmation.
Hmm, Saunak said, before snapping his fingers. A spider automaton melted through the ceiling, dropping onto the metal catwalk. Saunaks fingers yed over his tablet, and then the spider ran off.
Thaumaturgy is not a simple art, he said. Even I have yet to unravel all of its secrets.
But youve studied it a great deal, havent you? Vir asked.
I have, he said thoughtfully. Can I not convince you to stay another few days? I promise youll learn more from me than from a stuffy old tome.
No, Cirayus cut in, his tone allowing no rebuke.
Saunak sighed dramatically, though Vir was sure Saunak had expected such a response.
If you insist, the Thaumaturge said. Then just wait here a moment, if you will?
Though Cirayus was on edge, he said nothing, keeping his eyes trained on Saunak.
Vir and Shan did the same, though there was a bit less suspicion in Virs mind by now. The ancient thaumaturge was entric, yes, and perhaps ruthless in his pursuit of his research, but he could be reasoned with. He was just more nuanced than Vir had initially given him credit for.
The spider automaton returned a few minutester, though Vir couldnt be sure if it was the same one, as they all looked the same. It carried arge book above its head, which Saunak casually tossed to Vir.
He caught it, raising a cloud of dust.
The most basic of the basics. I havent touched that manual in centuries. Might be of use to you. Or it might all be gibberish. Come back to me when youve mastered that. Ill give you another.
Vir rolled his eyes. As if returning to Saunak was such a simple matter.
Why not just give it to me now?
Spoken like ayman, Saunak scoffed. Itd do more harm than good, boy. Without a solid foundation, you risk learning incorrect methodologies. A perfect recipe for tragic results. No. No, I think not. Old Saunak here will guide you when the timees. Now begone, both of you!
And with that, the mad thaumaturge turned tail and disappeared into his tower.
Vir turned to Cirayus.
So, uh I guess we can go?
The four-armed giant looked as dumbfounded as Vir. I suppose,d. I suppose.
And so, Vir, Shan, and Cirayus set out. Not Leaping or Blinking, but riding on the broad shoulders of one of the most advanced creations the realms had ever seen.
Chapter 225: Among Them (Maiya)
Chapter 225: Among Them (Maiya)
Dont think we dont know what youre up to, the man said, his rotten breath nearly making Maiya gag as he leaned in close, his hand on the wall next to her head. Whats a little dove like you doing here, anyway?
The man was in his thirties and wore an unkempt beard. He looked and smelled like he hadnt bathed in months. He was also a full head taller than Maiya, and he used his height with the well-practiced motions of someone whod mastered the art of bullying.
So this is what Vir had to deal with all his life Maiya thought. Except, of course, he never had the luxury of knowing three dozen ways to maim, incapacitate, or kill his bullies.
There was security in that. Or, there would be, if only Maiya could employ any of those options. While she always carried her orbs with her, she suspected slicing the mans arms off wouldnt win her any favors with the Children. Especially not with them.
Maiyas eyes met the gaze of an unassuming woman whod watched the entire event from a nearby wall.
The Sisters of Gray.
She wasnt the only one watching this tussle, but she was, by far, the most important person around. Even in an organization as crazed as the Children, there had to be a small army of logisticians running around making the whole thing work. The Sisters were that army. Comprising the saner cultists, they saw to the organization of recruitment events, the transport and housing of its members, and it was they who managed the coffers.
The fanatics begrudgingly epted their existence, treating them with the barest modicum of respect. The Sisters were very obviously second ss to the deranged cultists, though, in actuality, it was they who held the real power in the cult.
And Maiya knew well that they shunned violence. While that limited her options, she was by no means stymied.
A sudden chill ran up Maiyas spine, though she couldnt say why. Briefly scanning the group of bullies, she found nothing but sour-faced delinquents. Nothing unexpected.
Feels like Im being watched. Her eyes flicked to the Sister of Gray. No, not her. Someone else?
Maiya pinched her nose and wondered if the blood cult was getting to her.
Just then, Yamal and the Silent Man turned the corner. Yamal was saying something to the Silent One, but stopped immediately when he took in the scene. His face turned from confusion to shock, and finally to anger. The Silent Man simply frowned, and both started for Maiya when she shook her head.
Ill deal with this myself.
They got the message. Yamals frown turned into a smirk, and he leaned against the wall with a look of amusementno doubt expecting a beatdown.
This is actually a good opportunity, Maiya thought. If I handle this well, maybe Ill catch their eye.
Maiyas eyes innocently flickered over to the woman, and, like a moth to a me, the man followed her gaze.
Tch. Shoulda known. Youre in with them, are you? Faithless scum, he spat.
F-faithless!? Maiyas face warped into a mask of feigned shock. Ill have you know that Ive drunk no less than three bottles of blood today! Look!
She produced a red vial from her belt, holding it up.
Would you like to drink together? As fellow believers?
The man jerked away as she dangled the vial in front of his face. Confusion melted through his anger. He stared at the vial, unbelieving.
I hear this bloodes from an especially ferocious Ash Beast. I can just feel the power course through me whenever I partake. Cant you?
Maiya batted hershes, grinning deliriously up at the man.
He took an involuntary step back, bumping into hisckeys, who bore equally horrified expressions on their faces.
Maiya didnt let him retreat. She stepped forth and nted her face just inches from his, then brought her voice down to a whisper.
I hear that if were especially lucky, we might even get to bathe in Ash Beast blood again. Can you imagine?
I uh. I have matters to attend to, the man said, nearly stumbling over his feet as he pushed past his friends to get away from her. Just dont cause us any trouble, you hear?
He turned and strode off, followed by his dumbfounded friends.
Maiya dropped her fake expression and smoothly returned her vial to its ce on her belt.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition.
Uh, Maiya? Yamal approached slowly, as if eyeing a dangerous beast. W-Why do you carry a vial of blood on your belt?
Hmm? Why else? she said, winking at the woman whod studied her exchange. The dark-haired Sisters expression remained stoic, though if Maiya wasnt mistaken, her tight lips curled ever so slightly upward.
Howd I do? Maiya mouthed silently.
The woman spoke in a voice far deeper than her slight frame would suggest. Perform at the Orientation Camp, and the Sisters will wee you into our ranks. Then, before Maiya could reply, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd of dispersing onlookers.
Yes! Maiya mentally pumped her fists.
Please dont tell me youre thinking of drinking that, Yamal said worriedly.
Rx. Its to deal with situations like this, Maiya said in a low voice so only Yamal and the Silent One could hear. Never know when you might have to prove your faith around here. Cant hurt to y along, right?
I never knew you were such a good actor, Yamal said, clearly unsettled. Have you performed in a theater, by any chance? Youre a natural.
Maiya grinned wryly. Oh, you have no idea. And you never will. Now, lets be off before any more of these fanatics decide to harass us.
Maiya navigated the halls of the undergroundpoundone of many Children bases around the Known World. Theirs happened to be under Jatan Forest, where theyd undergone their Initiation trial.
Thinking about that horrific sequence of events soured Maiyas mood as she tromped up the blood-stained stairs. So many had died pointlessly. Sheter learned that some had perished on the journey through the forest, though most whod died had been brutally murdered by those Ash Beasts.
Ash Beasts I could easily have dispatched, Maiya fumed. Thered been no rhyme or reason to it. It seemed priests regrly died on these Initiation crusades. That theirs survived had been nothing but sheer dumb luck. Or at least, if there was a purpose to the test beyond simply testing devotion, it was very well concealed.
Just when shed finished with that ordeal, theyd thrust her into another, even more harrowing situation. Theyd marched the survivors down into this very undergroundplex, to its lowest level where a bath full of blood sat.
Then, one at a time, theyd stripped down to their underwear and stepped into the bath. In full view of the Rectors, the Sisters, and the other Initiates.
It was the most humiliating moment of her entire life.
Maiya couldnt say which was worsenearly drowning in the pool of Ash Beast blood, or suffering the zealots'' presence. That the priests only turned their attention to her after she was covered in blood made her shudder; theyd paid no mind to her before.
No bathing in that tub was the worst. Shed nearly bailed at that point. Surely Ira wouldve understood if shede running back with her tail between her legs?
But shed persisted. It wasnt so much her debt to the princess that kept her going, but rather the thought that she might disappoint the girl. Somehow, Maiya couldnt stomach the thought.
Whyd I have to go make friends with a princess, of all people?
That resolve had nearly crumbled again when her turn was up. Shed thought the priest in charge of her baptism of blood wanted to drown herhed kept her submerged so longbut shed been wrong. When she emerged, he was staring at her with deranged awe.
Maiya was surrounded by psychopaths. And shed be among them for the foreseeable future.
Her eyesnded on Yamal. Out of all the eyes in that room, his had been the toughest to bear. Thankfully, both he and the Silent One had looked away out of shame and respect, but even then, the experience still stung.
She wasnt quite sure what the man felt toward her, but it was fairly obvious by the way he treated her that he felt something.
Im going to have to deal with this at some point, she thought, opening the door to an empty study room. But not today. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. There was much to discuss.
Orientation Camp? Yamal asked, plopping into a wooden chair with a sigh. The tables and chairs seemed to be the only items not covered in blood. Either the Children understood what a hassle it would be, or the Sisters had some hand in it. Their influence within the organization was subtle, but once Maiya knew where to look, she saw their hand everywhere. From the timing, location, and frequency of the blood rituals, to handling recruitment and regting the numbers of each branch, it was startling just how deeply entrenched they were.
Orientation Camp, Maiya replied, sitting down at the head of the table. As always, The Silent One chose to stand, his burly hands sped in front of him in a parade rest.
In two weeks, theyre gonna round us up and take us somece, Maiya said. Well be joined by new Initiates from all over the Known World.
I truly fail to understand the point of all this, Yamal said, scratching his rough hair. Weve been through two ordeals already. Heck, most militaries dont have admissions criteria this strict. Is there some secret purpose theyre training us for?
Yamal gave Maiya a look, though it was hardly necessary. This wasnt even close to the first time hed voiced hisints.
Go home, Yamal, Maiya said softly.
If I had one, I very well might, he replied, unable to meet her gaze. But as long as youre here
I dont need your protection. Youve seen my strength. Rather, arent you the one who needs to be protected?
Yamal bit his lip, looking down sheepishly. I know youre strong. And I know youre hiding something. I wont ask what. Its not my business. But still I cant leave you here with these madmen. If you leave, though
Id follow, his expression suggested.
Maiya met his gaze. That is not going to happen. If thats what youre hoping for, I suggest you leave now, or youll only be disappointed. If Im right, Initiation Camp will be our golden opportunity to rise within the ranks.
Why? Yamal asked.
Why what?
Whatpels you to stay within this Ash Damned den of depravity, let alone ascend thedder? You arent like them. You arent broken. If it were only for the handouts, you neednt havee this far. Id knowtheyve given me plenty of those, and I was nothing but a prana leech.
The Silent One scribbled something on the notepad he always carried, then showed it to Yamal and Maiya.
It said ''The Sisters of Gray.''
Thats your goal, then? Yamal asked. You wish to rise within the ranks of the Sisters?
Maiya went silent for a moment before nodding slowly. She couldnt hide it forever, and unlike her status as a mejai, it served no purpose to keep that information from them. If they were going to apany her, they deserved to know the truth.
Thats right. I cant say any more than that. At least, not for now.
What about you? Yamal asked the Silent One. If I leave, will youe?
The big man shook his head.
Yamal slumped in resignation. Then Im here to stay. I dont know why, but I feel like if you wont give up, then neither can I. Call me a chal, but it is what it is.
Good. Then wed better prepare. They havent told us much, but I have a few leads, Maiya said, cracking a grin. Lets begin.
Chapter 226: The Demons Within
Chapter 226: The Demons Within
Hours had passed since Vir, Cirayus, and Shan left Saunaks tower. Theyd each found the least ufortable positions atop the Automatons right shoulder. Cirayus stood, while Shan and Vir sat on its hard Imperium metal armor.
Unfortunately, Saunak hadnt had time to retrofit the seats and cushions hed mounted to his older unit, and as Vir soon found out, Imperium Metal did little to dampen vibrations.
Still, the journey was quite pleasant, all things considered. Or it wouldve been, were it not for the awkward silence that had settled upon the two.
Shan, sensing the rising tension, had sulked over to the Automatons neck and had snuggled up against it, out of the way. As if announcing he wanted no part of what was toe.
The only speech that came between them was when Cirayus called out direction changes to their path as Vir led them deeper into the Ash.
They hadnt discussed their destination or even their ns. Theyd just set out, without a single word said between them, and as the hours dragged, the thick, heavy atmosphere only grew more and more oppressive between them.
Several times, Virs thoughts drifted off to Maiya. To the horrific scene hed witnessed in the Ink of rity.
Whats she gotten herself into? Is she safe? If only I could help
Vir shook off the thought, forcing himself back to the moment. They were moving rapidly through some of the deepest, most dangerous parts of the Ashen Realm. Even with all their advantages, it was no ce to let ones guard down.
Yet try as he might, after spending several hours on guard, Virs attention began to wane. Not only was he monitoring his surroundings, but he had to course-correct the Automaton frequently, which required precise prana inputs.
Lad, I told you to turn slightly right, not left!
Vir cursed under his breath and corrected.
How about we rest here? Cirayus suggested, somewhat stiffly.
Vir looked up at the giant, but he refused to meet Virs gaze.
Over there, Cirayus said, pointing to a small valley nestled between the mountains they wove through. Itll be hard for anything to sneak up on us with all that open ground. Lets make camp there.
Cirayus moved in to scoop Vir up, but paused, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. Er, maybe we oughta do this the normal way, he said, jumping off.
Shan jumped onto Virs back, and together they followed. Cirayus fell gracefully, while Virs was less so, but they both made it down to the hard obsidian rock, covered over by soot.
The valley that surrounded them might once have been a magma flow for the nearby volcanoes, but as with all else in this realm, it, too, was covered in innumerableyers of Ash.
Thanks to Bncer, Cirayus made short work of collecting firewood from the trees at the edge of the valley, and soon they had a small fire going. Enough to roast some oversized vegetables, but still small enough to stay hidden within the pit Vir had dug into the ash. Vir knew just how far fire light traveledhed made the pit to ensure no light leaked out.
Without the task of scanning for threats to upy him, the thoughts threatening to ovee Vir finally burst through the dam hed erected.
He lied to me! He lied! All those demons
The thoughts felt childish even as he heard them echo in his head. And yet, the knot that formed in his chest refused to go away.
I once had a student, Cirayus said softly. Prodigy, really. A Bairan girl by the name of Ana. A giant, and strong, too. Talented, and she worked herself to the bone like you. Well, Cirayus hesitated. Maybe not as extreme as you. I trained her personally.
Vir remained silent, staring into the fire. He supposed there was some lesson Cirayus was hoping to impart with this tale. In any other situation, Vir wouldve been interested in hearing it. Right now, though? He couldnt feel it was anything other than a hollow attempt to cheer him up. Or worseto justify his own lie.
He should be apologizing to me. Not narrating some tale from his past.
Thing was, her parents they were even more aplished, you see. Renowned warriors, both of them. Expected great things from their daughter. Expected her to surpass them. To win in the Bairan Tournament the very first time she entered.
Cirayus continued when Vir didnt reply. The thing about pressure is, while everyone responds differently, there is always a limit. Ana? Well, unbeknownst to me, they trained her in secret. Above and beyond my own sessions. They pushed her hard. Too hard, and she broke.
Vir expected Cirayus to go on, but he didnt, simply staring down into the fire like Vir. He looked so sad. So old.
What happened? Vir asked, hoping Cirayus would continue. Hoping itd help wipe that look of grief.
She won the first round. And the second, but theyd pushed both her body and mind far too hard training her. In her third fight, she grew desperate. Her strikes grew wild, her timing off.
So she lost.
The match, and her life.
She died? Vir asked in surprise. Does that happen often in that tournament?
Not often, but its not unheard of. To be honest, I cant even bear a grudge against her opponent. He acted more in self-defense than anything hostile. The way she snapped, you? That theymitted genocide against your n, all to kill you?
Vir opened his mouth to retort, but the words didnte. After all, hadnt he nearly shirked the weight of all that Cirayus had told him back then? Hadnt he felt he owed no loyalty to the Demon Realm? How this was all Cirayus wish, and how Vir wanted no part in this destiny?
I might have run away, Vir admitted, lowering his head in shame. Honestly, I dont know what Id have done. Id have panicked, probably.
Youre a kind soul,d. Seeing you visibly distraught over the deaths of your parents and retainers tore me to pieces. You are our final hope, Prince Sarvaak. You are more precious than any demon in the entire realm. I knew I could not tell you this then. I could not risk it. Not until you were ready.
And when would that be, Cirayus? If it wasnt for Saunak, I still wouldnt know! Were you nning on waiting until we left the Ash? Were you going to wait until some demon mentioned it in passing?
Cirayus face filled with shame. s, that was my blunder. I knew. After you came back from Mahdi. I knew you werent the same boy whod just left. Your demeanor. Your power. I knew then you were ready. I should have told you under the tree. And yet I didnt.
Vir was about to ask why, but Cirayus preempted him.
Because, it seems, even after four centuries of life, this old demon cant help but try and protect those he loves, Cirayus said, smiling wryly as a lone tear fell down his cheek. The Gods know Ive done a piss-poor job of it.
When you fell through that Ash Gate, I nearly lost myself. I hadnt felt such pure, crushing terror in, well, in centuries. The thought of losing you And then you returned, safe and sound. My relief was the equal of my worry. I thanked all the gods for delivering you to me. I swore I would do better. I simply couldnt bring myself to burden you with the truth. Not then. Not at that moment.
Vir bit his lip. His feelings of indignation still raged within him, but they were overwhelmed by a wave of another, far more potent feeling. Empathy.
Hadnt Cirayus sacrificed nearly two decades of his own life for him? Hadnt he lost several of his family in the war against the other ns? Vir knew he was still grieving for them. That the scar of their loss still hadnt healed.
What am I to him?
You think of me as one of your own, dont you? Vir asked.
Cirayus met his gaze, his face a mixture of anguish, pride, and determination. Lad, I hold you more dear than my own sons.
The response was immediate, and without a shred of uncertainty, leaving Vir at a loss for what to say.
What could he say? That Cirayus ought to have respected Virs mental fortitude more? That was Ashva dung, and Vir knew it. His godfather was only thinking of his well-being, and whats more, he had ample qualifications in that domain to back it up. This wasnt just some old doting parent being overprotective of their child. Cirayus had consulted his centuries of experience and judged that telling Vir wouldve done more harm than good.
Yes, he couldve told him before theyd met Saunak but could Vir really hold that against him?
Of course not. Not after all hes done.
I understand, Vir said atst. Why you did what you did. I get it. Itd be a lie to say Im not a little angry, but I figure thats nothing I cant work out with a fight or two.
Seeing Virs grin, the tension seemed to dissipate from Cirayus. His shoulders ckened, and his expression turned from worry to gratitude.
Not the gratitude a retainer would have of being forgiven by their master, but that of a loved one.
And yet, Cirayus feelings were only one part of the puzzle. Seeing Virs mood darken once again, the giantid a hand on his shoulder.
But? he asked gently.
But It doesnt change the facts. Saunak was right, Cirayus. It wasnt just the Chitrans I need to watch out for. They allied all the ns to kill me. What awaits me in the Demon Realm, if not a world full of people whod love nothing more than to murder me in cold blood?
Which is why well disguise you,d.
Thats not the point. I mean, how am I supposed to unite demonkindgrak, how am I supposed to even help my n when everyone hates my existence? Forget the Chitrans. The Aindri, the Panav, the Iksana, the Bairans and even Garga. Yes. The Garga. If this is all true, they lost their independence because of me. And where have I been, all these years? Missing. Presumed dead. What happens when I announce myself to the world, Cirayus? You think theyll wee me with open arms? No. Theyll scorn me. Theyll ask where Ive been, and why I didnt save them earlier. Theyll hate me more than the other ns.
Cirayus had remained silent through Virs tirade, and when he spoke, it wasnt in the argumentative tone Vir had expected.
And you know all of this, do you? Cirayus said softly.
Vir scowled. Its what Id feel if I were in their shoes. Grak, its what I feel even now. A part of me hates myself for having abandoned them. Even knowing that I didn''t know who I really was. That I couldnt possibly have known. And even if I had, I couldnt have done anything about it. They wont see it that way. They wont care. Yknow? My old instructor taught me that excuses never bring back the dead. He was wrong about a lot of things but he got that right, at least.
Aye. Excuses and apologies wont bring back the dead,d. Would that it could. Truly, Id never have guessed that someone of your years would see reality with such rity. Id once feared that youd react in the opposite wayfull of entitlement because of your status as Prince. As the Akh Nara. You are right that some will fear you,d. Some will, unfortunately, hate you. But what I said to you under that tree remains as true now as it did on that day. The Gargans have been downtrodden, and a people can remain angry only for so long. Especially when they are subjected to tyranny, as I fear they will be.
Youre saying theyll just forget about it all?
Cirayus shook his head. Not forget, no. But theyll be yearning for a return to better days,d. Mark my words. Theyll be desperate to cling onto whatever thread of hope they can find.
You sound so sure Vir said. How do you know? You havent even seen what things are like.
Cirayusughed sadly. Ive seen a lot of war in my life. As well as whates after. Demons never change.
He said no more, but he didnt have to. Vir didnt want to imagine the horrors hed been through, to have gained such insight into such matters.
Even if what you say is true, what about the other ns? My own father couldnt fight them off, and he had the backing of Garga at full strength. He also had Aspect of the Demon God, and Im guessing other tattoos as well.
It feels so impossible.
One brick at a time,d. First, we make the Demon Realm. Once there, you may gauge the situation for yourself. Then, we can chip away. No city was built in a day. No kingdom in a year. No realm in a decade. The only question is, what will you do now? Will you make for the Demon Realm? Or do you wish to spend more time in here, training?
Vir stared deeply into the fire, feeling its heat, but it didnt reach his body. He felt empty inside. Cold. All he saw were the lives of all those whod perished for his sake.
He knew it was bad to feel this way. It wasnt as if he asked those people to die for him. Hed been an infant. And yet, that knowledge did nothing to erase the fact that so many had perished. Thousands? Tens of thousands?
No, Vir replied.
No? You mean to abandon your people? Cirayus asked, concern, and a bit of sadness in his voice. After what you said?
Vir red at him. You have no right to force me into this, he said. But that wasnt what I meant. Im not strong enough. Not nearly.
Clenching his fists, Vir saw the Ash prana roaring through his body. It was so thickeighty times denser than when hed first arrived. It wasnt enough.
We train. We train like we never have. Because if Im to take on the entire Demon Realm, I need to be stronger. Strong enough to defeat you, Vir said, pointing a finger at Cirayus. Chakras,bat technique, prana maniption I want it all. And then, once thats done, Vir pointed to the sitting demon, youll honor your promise.
Promise? Cirayus asked, raising a brow.
You promised to duel me when I was ready. Im not yet ready. But one day soon, I will be. And when I am, we fight.
The giant cracked his neck and grinned. Aye,d, we will. We certainly will.
Vir braced himself for the trials ahead. He couldnt say what his future held. Likely pain, suffering, and many, many battles. Bute what may, hed brave it. Hed be reforged in the mes of this realm, and when he finally emerged, hed have gained something precious.
The strength to protect everything.
Chapter 227: Soliloquy of the Ash Damned
Chapter 227: Soliloquy of the Ash Damned
A battle raged in the sky. Virs fingers yed over the control tablet, and the Automaton Guardian fired its eye beam at the Wyrm that shrieked above, diving for the enormous Imperium creation. The beam had proven the most difficultmand to master. While the Automaton normally acted with limited intelligence, its weapon had to be manually controlled.
Yet there was no questioning the devastation it wrought. Swaths of Ash Beasts disappeared in an instant, and it was one of the few weapons Vir wielded against flying predators. The avian beasts attack was thwarted when the Automaton sustained its barrage, unrelenting. Constituent worms died off by the thousands, dropping from the sky like a rain of insects.
They were in the deepest parts of the Ash, now. And where none dared tread alone. Not even Cirayus.
Vir nced at the giant, who fended off a horde of a hundred vile beasts by himself. Even then, without the Automaton, without Vir and Shan, Cirayus would have perished long ago. Which, of course, meant Vir would have as well.
This was the true no-man''snd. The dark sky had darkened steadily over the past year, and now they traveled under the veil of eternal night. The lightning, while not striking quite as frequently as Saunaks defense field, struck often enough that Vir had to maintain Prana Armor even as he slept.
Sleep, he thought. Now there was a luxury he so dearly missed. When was thest time hed managed more than an hour here and there? Had it been weeks? Months?
Vir refocused. The aerial battle wasnt his fight, and nor was it Cirayus. Even with their strength, a single moments inattention would spell their doom. Vir had learned that lesson too many times already, as evidenced by his mangled seric armor. The once beautiful work of art was now punched so full of holes and gashes that it was scarcely even recognizable. Hed considered abandoning it, but could never bring himself to. There were too many memories attached to it, both before and after he entered the Ash.
Cleaving through a Shredder, the beast died before it even knew what had hit it. As it fell, Vir bounded off the beast, bringing his greatsword down across the vulnerable neck of an Ash Biter.
His actions were fluid, like water, and his mind was elsewhere. For these enemies no longer posed him any threat. Not after the hellish training hed been through.
That wasnt to say he was invulnerable, though. Not even close.
Vir dodged a Chakraden attack from a nearby Phantomde, its dozens of spikes all carrying the spiritual weight of the Warrior chakra.
Ash Beasts, it seemed, didnt progress through the natural order of chakras that demons had to. Many of these beasts possessed Warrior Chakras, as well as the shield Chakra for physical defense. Only some had opened the Foundation Chakra, and those that had opened the second ChakraLifewere exceedingly rare.
While Vir didnt have to worry about mental attacks, Cirayus had drilled into him the irreparable harm hed incur by sustaining even a single Warrior Chakraden attack. Recently, a worryingly increasing number of enemies they encountered had them.
Vir nced up to the battle in the sky. Thus far, they hadnt encountered a Wyrm whod unlocked the Warrior ChakraVir suspected the more ancient, more powerful Wyrms that had lurked even deeper in the Ash. Or perhaps exclusively within the Mahdi Realm. If they dide across one, there would be little hope of survival, even with their Automaton. Even with Cirayus, who fought exclusively against Chakra-wielding enemies these days.
Vir had gotten the fight hed asked for, what now seemed like ages ago. Hed fought Cirayus. Hed lost, and it wasnt a loss he could even be proud of. It wasnt a close battle, where Cirayus had pulled through by the skin of his teeth. No, it was only when Vir had lost consciousness, not even thirty seconds after the fight, that he realized Cirayus had never shown his full strength. Not until that day.
Br 700 was a lie, borne of the Human Realm''s deficiencies, and of Cirayus'' desire to hide his true strength. The demon was easily in the multiple thousands with his Chakras, his half-dozen tattoos, and his iprehensible battle experience.
Dayster, theyd fought again, and again Vir had lost. He shouldve known then that itd be a trend. Not a week went by without them dueling, and each time the oue was the same.
Vir never had a chance. Cirayus continually switched his tactics and styles, so Vir felt like he was fighting a brand new opponent each week. He hadnt even known this many styles existed, and somehow Cirayus had mastered them all.
The demon insisted there was no secret to it. Just that every few years, hed spend a few months learning a new style. When repeated across centuries, Cirayus was the inevitable result.
He had no weak spots. He had no deficiencies. His form was perfect, and while Vir beat him in raw speed, it didnt matter. The demon had a sixth sense built up from the thousands of battles hed fought. Hed seen every trick in the book, and even without the Third Eye Chakra, he predicted Virs movements perfectly, as if guided by an invisible ability.
It was infuriating. And yet, despite that, Vir improved. He improved something far more precious than merelybat prowesshe improved his adaptability. Hed now experienced such a vast array of fighting styles, Vir doubted there were many demons alive who could surprise him. Let alone best him.
His technique had been refined and honed to the absolute limitevery minute error beaten out of him. Perfected. His battlefield awareness, experience, and survivability had multiplied. Not only on ount of the thousands of Ash Beasts hed defeated but from Cirayus tutge and their innumerable duels.
It didnt stop there. Vir was now equally as proficient with talwars, spears, and even greatswords as he was with his katar. While hed trained in all before, hed only had basic familiarity. Now, hed grown so adept that it had be difficult to discern which weapon was best suited for certain enemiesVir wiped the floor with them with equal ease, regardless of the tool in his hands.
Furthermore, the moment hed mastered a weapon, Cirayus had him switch hands and fight left-handed until hed mastered that, too.
It was why theyd begun counting the kills per minute. It mattered little against individual Ash Beasts, but against mobs, certain weapons fared better. The greater reach of the greatsword and spear allowed them to shine in crowd control situations, while Virs katar still reigned when inflicting lethal pinpoint stabs targeting prana centers.
Even so, more than Virs strength gains, it was his skill at exploiting his enemies weaknesses that had grown the most. His prana capacity, while greater than before, hadnt undergone nearly as much progress as it had initially in the Mahdi Realm. A year ago, hed boasted a prana capacity a hundred times that when hed entered the realm. Now, it was half again as much.
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A hundred fifty times his initial capacitywhich was by no means smallwas nothing to scoff at, however. He could now power all of his Talents at least a handful of times, and several of the more efficient oneslike his prana darts, ws, and basic mobility Talentsdozens of times.
Even in the Voinds, Vir was confident he could get through any single battle with his current reserves. A feat he suspected few could boast. And with Prana Current more efficient than it had ever been, he didnt need much ambient prana at all. That would give him an edge, even in the prana-deficient Demon Realm.
It wasnt all smooth sailing, however. What irked him the most was his progressorck thereofwith Chakras. It was the one dimension where nothing hindered his progress other than his own mind, but for one year, hed remained firmly stuck. Beating his head against an invisible wall. It wasn''t that he couldn''t use it, just that his ability to call on the chakra to stabilize his mind was rudimentary at best.
WorseCirayus was just as puzzled. The giant had never seen anyone struggle this much with their Foundation Chakrasaid to be the easiest of them all to open. Even with Cirayus aiding and elerating his progress, theyd met with no luck.
Finally, theyd both concluded that Vir must be unique somehow. That there was some key they were missing.
It was a bitter end to his time in the Ash, now nearly over.
Over the past year, they had followed the Guidance Artifact. Deeper and deeper into the Ashen Realm. For the longest time, Vir had wondered just how the realm could be so vast until he learned the startling truth. The realm was repeating itself.
Not that they saw the same locations theyd previously passed. Not exactly. But mountain ranges theyd crossed would reappear with only slight differences. Their arrangements to forests and streams would be identical, allowing Vir and Cirayus to easily locate food and water wherever they went.
The realm was broken in ways that were difficult to understand. It seemed to twist all the rules Vir knew about reality.
Sensing movement in his peripheral vision, Vir swung his greatsword in an arc, deflecting a projectile behind him. The way the de nged and deflected told him what type of enemy it was even before Prana Vision showed him.
Phantomde.
Long ago, hed been forced to attack their underbellies. No longer. All Phantomdes had soft necks and vulnerable heads. Just that most enemies wouldnt dare get close enough for it to matter.
Vir wasnt most enemies.
He lightly pushed back on his toes, Blinking blindly backward with Haste active. The Phantomde let loose a torrent of its obsidian scales, but Vir had expected as much.
By synergizing Haste with Prana Current and pushing it to its limit, he leveraged the steps hed practiced tens of thousands of times, moving the slightest amount to dodge each projectile, while predicting the trajectories of those yet to fire.
Vir didnt duck, bob, and weave. Those were the movements of amateurs. He simply walked, moving the barest amount to dodge each spike with barely an inch to spare. Micro Leap aided his motions, jerking him imperceptibly in one direction after another, and soon, Vir was at the Ash Beast.
cing a hand on its head, he pulled, sucking the prana out of it, absorbing it into his own body.
Then, using its very own life energy, he surged it back into the beast. Its brain, unable to bear the concentrated deluge of prana, burst. The beast copsed, dead.
Vir and Cirayus stood in a field of corpses, watching as the infinite wave of beasts closed the noose. When theyd first entered this realm, thendscape had been mostly barren Ash, sparsely popted by Ash Beasts.
Now, Vir could scarcely find a single inch ofnd that wasnt roving with these monsters. When his eyes looked to the horizon, he no longer found fields of Ash. He found hostile, deranged organisms. Not hundreds. Or even thousands. Millions.
The world has no idea, Vir thought, nearlyughing at the absurdity of it all. If they knew how many mythical beasts lurked in this realm If they ever got out
That would be the end of the world as humans and demons knew it. The least of the monsters that surrounded him was Br Fifty. And there were millions, some many thousands of Br ranks strong.
Some poured through half-formed Ash Tearshalf dying in the process. Some simply popped into existence. It was and where nothing made sense, and where every moment of every hour of every day was a constant, relentless fight for survival.
Forget sleepeven eating became a chore. Every meal involved fighting their way to vegetation, praying that the beasts whode before hadnt already eaten their fruits and vegetables. They even fought while they ate.
Virs duels with Cirayus had ended long ago. There was no time for such luxuries anymore. Now, they simply fought Ash Beasts, and whatever Vir learned, he learned in deadlybat. As for meditation, it was thest thing on his mind.
Were nearly there,d! Hang in there. It has to be around here! Cirayus roared over the din of the ttering, shrieking, howling, and roaring.
Thats what he said yesterday Or was it a week ago?
Days blurred together as time lost meaning in this ce, and Vir dared not hope. Cirayus Artifact had led them here, its light growing brighter and brighter, but itd led them astray before. It was entirely usible that Saunak had sabotaged it, or that it was guiding them to another Imperium tower.
Vir didnt dare consider the possibilitythe thought of escape was the only thing keeping him going.
His eyes found Shan, who heaved with exertion despite the thick prana of their surroundings. Not quite as thick as Mahdi, but close.
Thend had taken a toll on all of them. Vir had snapped at Cirayus more than he could count, and Shan was always irritable these days. Even Cirayus, who clearly spent great effort to keep his gentle and strong demeanor together, was fraying around the edges.
At least Vir could seek refuge within the Shadow Realm, where he fled more and more these days, purely to retain his sanity. For every minute, he spent nearly half of that within the Realm. Regaining his peace. Prolonging the endless torture.
When he could, he brought Shan in with him. The Ashfire Wolf appreciated it. How Cirayus managed without it, Vir couldnt know.
When inside the safety of the shadows, Vir often thought of Maiya. He thought of his home in Balindams Undercity, tucked safely away from harm. He yearned for the sturdy walls of Saunaks tower. What a luxury it was! It was only now, when he was so far from safety, that he realized its value.
Im so sick of this ce. How much longer can Ist?
Not long. More than once, in the moments when he dodged an enemys attack, his mind had drifted off. What if? What if he didnt dodge? What if he just let it all end?
The pain, the relentless fights, itd all disappear to sweet, ck nothingness.
It was Maiyas blood-soaked image that always shook him out of those thoughts. It was a bleak reminder of why he fought.
Not for himself. But for her. For all those whod sacrificed so much for him. But everyone had their limits, and Vir had long ago exceeded his.
Lad! Over there! What do you see? Cirayus shouted, snapping Vir out of his reverie. During his daydream, Vir had managed to kill another half dozen Ash Beasts.
Vir flowed prana to his eyes, straining in the direction Cirayus pointed.
He saw nothing, but Prana Vision caught it. Covered by Ash Beasts was awork of underground somethings. Passages, by the looks of it. They crisscrossed under their feet, deep below the ground. It was difficult to tell with the amount of Ash Prana in the earth.
Virs heart skipped a beat, but he forced his emotions under control. He refused to celebrate. Not yet. Not until they were out.
But how do we get in? In between attacks and dodges, Vir traced the passages up to the surface. There was no obvious entrance.
Cirayus! Shan! To me! Vir called out, avoiding another rain of worm fragments as they fell. Even dead, each worm was like acid, burning everything it touched.
Vir didnt look for his alliesthat was a fruitless endeavor with the throngs of enemies. He simply followed the trail of death they left in their wake as they made their way to his position, and he knew they did the same to locate him.
Reunited once again, Vir yed his hand over the Automatons control tablet, ordering it to follow. It was far too dangerous to venture away from the Guardian, and so they always fought with it close by.
Using its legs as cover from the Wyrm above, the three slowly made their way to the spot. They were aided by the Automaton, because while its eye beam was focused on the Wyrm above, its legs did a fine job of mulching any Ash Beast unfortunate enough to be caught under it.
Vir ordered a halt the moment they arrived.
Well? Cirayus asked, his voice strained. Where is it?
Below us! Vir said, but I dont know how to!?
A brilliant white light shone, blinding Vir. Consuming the world around them. The Ash Beasts faded away, breaking up into motes of white essence, as if reality itself wasing undone.
And then there was nothing. Only darkness.
So this is what death feels like.
Chapter 228: Orientation Camp, Part One (Maiya)
Chapter 228: Orientation Camp, Part One (Maiya)
Maiya was once again surprised by the vastness of the Childrens resources. For an organization that relied primarily on donations from its members to survive, they certainly had deep pockets.
Which just means there are more crazies in this world than people think, Maiya thought with a shudder.
Maiya stood with her cabal at the central za of an abandoned town thaty at the southwest of Kinjals territory, near its border with Rani.
Once a thriving trade stop for merchants crossing the vast ins between Avi and Sonam, traffic had shifted when Jsa rose to prominence. Since then, the backwater town of Bahurai had fallen by the wayside. Now, all that remained were crumbling buildings and overgrown grass. Hardly a ce fit for habitation.
Which meant it was just about perfect for the Childrens purposes. The downtrodden grass formed trails between the buildings, and theyd done the bare minimum to make the buildings fit for human habitation.
Guided by Children ushers, Maiya, Yamal, and the Silent One entered what used to be an old barn, along with fifty other initiatesabout forty more than the barn was ever designed to fit.
Thankfully, the Sisters of Gray had prevented the fanatics from painting the walls and ceilings with blood. It was something of a signature of the Children. Should anyone stumble upon the town after theyd left, itd only cause problems. And, unlike the Pagan Order, the Children of Ash had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. No agreements with the heads of state to tolerate their presence.
Children fanatics had been ughtered whenever they crossed the line. Which happened too often, in Maiyas opinion. The organization truly trod on thin ice.
Maiya spotted some familiar faces in the crowd. The group that had bullied herst time kept stealing nces her way, as did several others.
So. Word of that incidents gotten around, has it? Great Maiya thought, envisioning the heckling she was likely about to receive. The Initiation Camp was the perfect opportunity for people to mess with her. Not that it mattered. She had both the elements of surprise and superior means. They had no idea who they were up against. In fact, Maiya even looked forward to ititd been too long since herst fight.
Up in the loft, a bald Rector wearing a ck robe and a hood spread his arms.
Wee. Wee, all! He spoke in a soft voice that nheless shushed the whispering crowd. You have done well to pass Initiation. All of you standing before me today have gained the favor of our god. You have potential!
This guy sounds more coherent than the other priests, dont you think? Yamal whispered into Maiyas ear.
She nodded. It was odd to see a Rector make this much sense. Then again, the priests had a habit of shedding their sanity at the first opportunity, so she reserved her judgment.
Yet that is all it is! the Rector said. Potential. To unlock it, you must all work diligently to rise through our ranks. And what better opportunity than this very camp? Those who do well shall soar to great heights! Here, you will form the bonds that will carry you. Grow, together, and be close to the Ash.
The Rector paused to revel in his own words.
Through a series ofpetitions, you will be evaluated along three categories. Knowledge of our Hallowed Doctrine, Closeness to the Ash, and Devotion. Come, Initiates! Your time to be bathed in the blood of our god is nigh!
With that, the Rector ended the speech, stepping down.
What do you think? Yamal asked.
Well, at least its not all a surprise, Maiya replied. By now, the priests fervor hardly even fazed her anymore.
By overhearing conversations between the Sisters of Gray, Maiya had gleaned some nuggets about the camp. Like how the first Trial would be the knowledge of doctrine. As such, all three of them had practically lived in the Children bases library, poring over the insane ramblings of the cult.
Despite the tedium, Maiya had hoped to glean some morsel exining why the Children hated the Primordial to such a degree. It wasnt just lore to her anymore; the being they hated was none other than Vir, and any knowledge she came across might help him.
So many mysteries remained. Who was the Primordial? What was their purpose?
Shed learned a lot about blood ritualshow to slice open Ash Beasts to consecrate objects with their blood, how to execute a proper chantbut the only mention of the Primordial had been in rtion to their god. The Prana Swarm said to lurk deep within the Ash.
The scriptures said that it was by their gods hand that the Primordial would die and that his very existence posed a threat to the world.
Sadly, knowledge of the Primordial wasnt what theyd be tested on. It was much more likely to be about the minutia of their rituals and the countless other mindless tasks. Knowledge that theyd all tediously memorized.
As for the other two topics
What do you think theyll have us do? Yamal asked.
The Silent One shook his head, his expression grave. Maiya felt simrly. She had this sinking feeling that their Devotion test would follow the Ash Beast encounter theyd had earlier.
We cant know, and theres no point specting. Looks like well find out soon enough Maiya said, pointing to a lesser priest who cleared his throat.
The Trial of Knowledge shallmence immediately! the priest announced. All Initiates, follow me!
Good luck, Yamal said, his expression grim.
And to you, Maiya murmured.
How many goblets of blood must be poured upon the corpse before the Ritual of Purification can begin?
Five, Maiya replied immediately. Unless the ritual is being performed on the seventh, fourteenth, or twenty-first day of the month. In which case eight. One for each prong in the hallowed symbol of our god.
The priest nodded slowly. How many times must we circle the holy sacrifice and in what
Maiya sat across from the priest on the ground, cross-legged. The room was bare and empty, apart from the two of them.
The priest, like the others, smelled as though he hadnt bathed in months. His robes were tattered, and Maiya swore she saw caked blood on his skin, though she spotted no obvious injuries. His teeththe ones that hadnt fallen outwere ck.
Also seven. Counterclockwise.
C-correct. The priests brows knitted, but then he suddenly smiled smugly. On which day of which month did the first Blessed Chosen
Fourth day, fifth month. He never returned from the Ash.
The mans smirk vanished.
What does our god guarantee to those of rank Rector and above?
Trick question, Maiya fired back. Our god guarantees nothing. Only by proving our devotion to the cause may we one day earn his divine blessing.
Say, can I ask you something? Maiya said. The priest didnt reply.
All these Trials. All this rigamarole. Its for finding candidates to send to the Ashen Realm, isnt it?
L-Lies! the priest spat immediately, his eyes wide with panic.
Maiya cocked a knowing brow. Please Even if Id been bluffing, your expression just gave it away. I wasnt, by the way. Bluffing.
The priest went silent. How do you know of this? Only our priests are trusted with this knowledge. How are you so well versed in our doctrine?
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Maiya gave the filthy man the prettiest smile she could muster. Why, Ive always been such a believer!
Maiya heaved a deep sigh of relief the moment she was outside. Shed passed the Trial with flying colors. Or at least, thats how she interpreted the crazed look the priest had given her when hed finished with his questions.
Being alone in a room with the fanatic gave her the creeps. Even with the orbs she hid within her robes.
Shed taken a calcted risk in bringing them. She couldnt say how the Children would behave to have a mejai in their ranks. Would they extol her power? Or would they use her of being a traitor?
Maiya couldnt afford to find out. And yet, she didnt dare go without them, either. While she might be able to take on a handful of thugs on her own, without her magic, itd be lucky if she escaped unscathed.
Especially when she had a fan club waiting for her.
An audience? To what do I owe the honor? Maiya asked sweetly, scanning the crowd of fifteen men whod waited in the ramshackle alley, waiting for her to leave her Trial.
W-what is the meaning of this? the priest said, shambling out behind Maiya.
The priest stepped forward with authority. Disperse, immediately, the lot of youaaah!?
Three of the thugs scooped the sickly man up and threw him outside.
Dont stick your nose where it dont concern you, they said. The priest scurried away, tripping over himself several times.
Not smart Maiya thought. The bullies might be able to cow a priest or two into submission, but when word got around of their antics, theyd be shut down. If not by a mob of zealots, by the Sisters of Gray for sure.
Guess that means I dont need to hold back, huh? But still
Maiya couldnt understand why theyd picked her, of all people. This felt too organized to be simple jealousy. And they were far too overt about it if all they wanted was to have their way with her. Had they uncovered her true identity? Was there a hidden mastermind behind this?
I dont recall doing anything to anger all of you to this degree. Someone mind telling me what this is all about? she asked.
Ah, well. One of our recruits here has gone to great trouble to rile up the gang against you, ysee. Hes a cute kid, so we just couldnt say no. Cmon, Camas. Why dont you say hi to your pretty girlfriend?
Camas? Do I know anyone by that Maiya froze as the ck-haired boy emerged from the crowd of thugs.
Its him. Its really him!
Camas!? Maiya said in disbelief. Standing before him was none other than Akros son. Brijs resident bully. The one most directly responsible for ruining Virs life in the vige.
What are you doing here? Maiya asked, instantly regaining herposure.
Hi, Maiya, Camas said with a malice-filled smile. Doing quite well for yourself, arent you? Youve be quite pretty.
Maiya scoffed. Gotta say, I never expect you, of all people. What wrecked your life so much that you ended up here?
Well, after you and Vir left, the vige became a different ce, yknow? Stifling. Some kid calling himself the Guardian of the Ash started making life a little miserable for the rest of us. Just so happened the Children came calling, and I said yes.
Oh, Yuma Hes as hopeless as ever, Maiya thought, shaking her head.
Dont you dare look at me like that! Camas yelled. Look at you! Youve had it all, ever since you were born! Seric spoon, this one. Camas gestured with his head to the crowd, addressing them as much as he was speaking to her. Never once known hardship in her life! Well, look at her now. Here, like the rest of us. No better.
Oh, Camas. If only you knew. If hed been subjected to the torturous training Riyan and Ira had put her through, hed have cracked long ago.
Tell you what, Camas said, sticking his hands in his pockets as he paced in front of his posse. Ill make you a deal.
A few more years and Maiya could see him taking over this ragtag gang; he always had a knack for leadership.
Too bad its so utterly wasted.
Oh? What are you proposing? Maiya asked, knowing fully well the deal he was about to offer.
Come with us. With me. Ill take you under my wing. Ill even protect you. Lots of bad people in this group. I can keep you safe.
Oh, wow. Is that right? Maiya asked, mustering every ounce of concentration she had not to break out into a fit of giggles. And, pray tell, what would you like in return?
Camas licked his lips, eyeing her. Oh, not much. Even under that shabby robe, I can tell youve gotten trim, eh? None of that fat you used to lug around.
Fat? Maiya blurted. Excuse me? I was never fat.
Camas raised his hands catingly. Just meant to say, youre quite the beauty now, arent you? You can be my girlfriend. So, what do you say? Its a good deal, isnt it?
Maiya kept quiet for a moment, then smiled angelically. That sounds amenable, Maiya said, causing Camas face to light up in glee. I just have one small request to make first. If thats okay, I mean.
Oh, uh. Sure? Dont usually let people talk back to me, but, well. Its you. We go way back, yeah? What do you want?
Way back, Maiya echoed. Its nothing, really. Just, you remember Neel, dont you? The bandy? He was a good boy.
Er, yes? Do you want to bring him with you? Thats
Oh, Yuma, no! Just that, youll be so lucky! Youll get to be a good boy, just like him! All of you will, actually! Youll be my little minions! And, being good little boys, youll do everything I say. Because Ill be the leader of this pathetic little gang. Youll not speak unless spoken to. Youll jump when I say jump and youll bark when I order you to. And in return? I promise not to ughter all of you right now.
A droplet of water fell from the sky, and everyone heard it. The alleyway went deathly silent, and Camas had turned as red as Maiyas hair.
Oh, gods. Oh, gods! Yamal panicked. I have to get help!
Hed only just finished his Trial of Knowledge. He thought hed done pretty well. All thanks to Maiyas coaching, of course. He couldnt wait to tell her the good news. He walked the ancient alley with a skip in his step, not even minding the stench of sewage that pervaded most of the abandoned town.
His spirits were simply too high for such a triviality to bring him down.
Will she think well of me?
And then, just as he thought nothing could ruin his mood, itde crumbling down as hed spied a hostile gang surrounding Maiya.
Somebody! Anybody! Shes all alone!
His first instinct was to burst onto the scene like some hero, but Yamal wiped the delusion from his mind. He was useless in a fight, and he knew it. No, he had to get the Silent One. Only that giant could handle this.
Yamal backed away, then sprinted. He searched every alley. He knocked on every door. His desperation grew with each failure.
I really am worthless. I cant fight. I cant even find one man, even when hes the easiest person to spot in the whole town!
And then he saw him. The man who stood a head and a half taller than everyone else.
Quick! Yamal shouted, pushing past the other Initiates and grabbing his hand. Maiya! Shes in danger!
Yamal turned and ran, and the Silent One followed.
It was only when they arrived at the scene that Yamal breathed easily.
Thank goodness! The fight hasnt started yet. We made it in time!
His reliefsted right up to the moment Maiya''s lips parted and she spoke.
Youll not speak unless spoken to.
Huh? Yamal swore his misheard.
Youll jump when I say jump and youll bark when I order you to.
What is she saying!? Is she mad? At this rate, theyll
Yamal exchanged a look with the Silent One. The big man stared at Maiya, a look of intrigue on his face.
We need to go! Yamal hissed. We have to help!
And in return? Maiya said, I promise not to ughter all of you right now.
Yamals heart threatened to jump out of his throat as he saw the goons brandish their talwars, maces, daggers, and spikes.
On second thought, a dark-haired boy at the front snarled. I think Im just going to kill you instead.
The gang rushed forth and then Maiya disappeared.
One moment she was there, and the next? Gone.
Yamal had never seen anyone move so quickly in his life. It wasnt human. It was as if Vera herself had possessed the girl, blessing her with divine agility.
He only found her by the scream of a man who was sent stumbling. His head hit a brick wall, and he slumped over. Whether dead or merely unconscious, Yamal couldnt say.
Another soon followed. Then another. Through it all, Maiya was nowhere to be seen.
When Yamal finally found her, he found twin daggers in her hands, which she wielded like a master seamstress did her sewing needles.
Maiya poked, shed, and cut with such finesse and speed that Yamal almost mistook her movements for a well-practiced dance.
He couldnt even tell when and where her strikesndedher motions so fluid that it all just looked like a whirlwind to him.
Yamal stood frozen as the goons were cut down. Bones crunched. Figures slumped, and through it all, Maiya moved with deadly grace.
Before long, there was only one left. The boy from before. The fool whod announced so daringly that hed kill Maiya.
KillMaiya?Her? Yamal thought wryly. What an absurdity.
Maiya approached the boy slowly, twirling a dagger in her palm.
So, Camas? What were you going to do to me, again? Im just a dumb, weak little girl, you see. My memory is just so fleeting. Can you help refresh this girls memory?
A dark splotch appeared on the boys pants, and an acrid smell filled the air, punctuating the existing smells of urine and dung.
H-How? M-Maiya? Is it really
Is it me? Maiyaughed derisively. Not the helpless little girl you thought I was, huh? Is it so hard to believe? Well, I cant me you. Even I wouldnt believe me if you told me Id end up like this a year ago.
Please dont kill me!
Kill you? Why, Id never! No, death would be too easy for someone like you. Your punishment must be more severe! Much more severe.
Yamal gulped. Was this truly the same Maiya he knew? She had every right to be as callous as she was, but hed thought her gentler. Incapable of such brutality.
W-wha-what w-w-will y-you d-d-do
What will I do to you? Well, for starters, how about this?
Maiya mmed her leg down on Camas shin, breaking it with a crisp snap.
The boy howled in pain.
That was for me. For saying all those nasty things, and for looking at me like I was beneath you.
For looking at By Adinat! Yamal gulped. Is this my fate if I anger her?
Maiya stomped up to Camas, cing her boot between his legs.
And this? This is for Vir.
The boys eyes shot wide in terror.
No! N-no! PLEASE!
His scream tore through the alley, and Yamal was sure it reached the farthest reaches of town. For it was the most terrible wail of pain that Yamal had ever heard.
Yamals whole body shivered as a cold sweat broke out. Oh, Yuma! Oh, Adinat! She isnt a woman. Shes a beast wearing human skin!
Maiya was simply far too dangerous to grow close to. Yamal understood that now. To do so would spell his doom.
At the same time, he pitied her. People like Maiya were forever destined to be alone. For what freak of nature would ever befortable being friendly with such a monster? With The Crusher.
He couldnt think of a single sane individual who would.
Maiya left the boy there, clutching his crotch, and walked over.
Oh, hi, Maiya said casually with a wave. Didnt notice you guys there. How about we grab a bite to eat? Im famished.
Yamal fell to his knees,ughing like a broken doll.
Maiya didnt need help. She hadnt ever needed their help. For what use were normal people like him and the Silent One, next to a highly aplished mejai like her?
Chapter 229: Orientation Camp Part Two (Maiya)
Chapter 229: Orientation Camp Part Two (Maiya)
Maiya? What in all the realms
Not now, Maiya said, cutting off Yamal. We should leave before people start asking questions.
Arent you worried theyll just tell everyone what happened here? Yamal asked, looking at the pile of groaning bodies on the ground.
While Maiya hadnt killed anyone, shed certainly roughed them up. Many would require medical treatment.
Not in the least. Can you imagine what people will think of them if they admit they all ganged upon a helpless girl and lost? Maiya asked innocently.
Yamal took a half step back, prompting her to roll her eyes.
Im not some feral beast, you know? I dont bite. Well, I wont bite you, she said with a wink, walking over the bodies.
Yamal exchanged a nervous nce with the Silent One before following their mistress.
Maiya hastily departed the alley, ensuring to flip up her hood. Attacking the group had been a risk on her part, but overall, it fit with her goal. If she could take control of Camas little posse, itd give her additional arms and legs within the organization.
Now I just need to make a favorable impression on the Sisters Wonder how Ill pull that off.
The nging of a bell in the distance cut off her thoughts.
We should probably check that out, she said.
Attention. Attention! A priest was on a raised tform in the towns central square, waving Initiates down. The tform was a simple wooden affair that looked like itd been erected specifically for this camp.
Your next Trial will begin momentarily. Please form up!
To be honest I thought wed catch more of a break between these Trials, Yamalmented. We barely just got done with thest one. The way theyre going makes you think theyre in a rush.
Guessing theyre trying to minimize the time theyre here, Maiya said. Longer they linger, the more likely the Children will be spotted by passersby. Or at least, thats what a rational person would do. Who can say with these people?
True. So, er, howd you do? Yamal asked. On the Trial, I mean?
Maiya smirked. What do you think? No issues here. How about you two?
The Silent One nodded confidently.
Maiya realized he mustve written down his responses. It was a good thing he was literate, or his life wouldve been much harder.
To this day, shed learned very little of the man. He only wrote his thoughts when absolutely necessary, generally preferring to stick to basic gestures tomunicate his intent.
That didnt fool Maiya for an instant, however. From the way he carried himself to how his eyes seemed to size up every situation before them, The Silent One was intelligent. Perhaps incredibly so. Well trained in the art ofbat, too. Many mysteries abounded around the man, and Maiya was determined to get to the bottom of them.
I think I did alright, Yamal said. Your study sessions helped greatly. Id surely have failed, otherwise.
I dont really think you can fail these Trials, Maiya said. Theyre using them to determine the pecking order. Thats all. If you do poorly, youll likely be relegated to a janitor. Or those people who have to dye the walls with blood.
Yamal paled. Ill be sure to give it my all.
It only took a handful of minutes for the rest of the Initiates to form up before they were led out of the square, and then out of the small town entirely.
You dont think thisll be like the death march in Jatan Forest, do you?
Maiya shrugged. It certainly looked like they intended to march them somewhere.
Theyve covered Knowledge of Doctrine already, which leaves Devotion and Closeness to Ash. A death march certainly sounds like it could be a test of devotion.
You dont sound convinced, Yamalmented.
Maiya pursed her lips. It was truewhat was the point in having them repeat the same exercise? No, she suspected this Trial would be something else entirely.
The group of about fifty Initiates continued their long march, though Camas and hisckeys were conspicuously absent.
Soon, their destination became apparent. Past a copse of treestoo small to be considered a forestrose a tall cliff that shone brightly under the harsh sun. The prominence was the only one of its sort, rising a hundred paces above the nearby t scenery.
Sure enough, the priest began circling the cliffs, hiking up its gently sloped backside, until theyd arrived at the very top.
Pretty up here, Yamalmented, taking in the sweeping views. Though not especially tall whenpared to the mighty Bulwark Range that separated Kinjal from Rani in the southwest, the rtive tness of the nearby terrain did offer quite amanding vantage.
Grassy ins and gently rolling hills stretched all the way to the horizon, and Maiya could just barely make out the ghost town of Bahurai in the distance. She still had no idea why they were there.
Surely, they dont expect us to jump? Not even the Children would be that crazy.
Wee to the Trial of Devotion! the priest announced, raising his arms to the sky. The Childrens priests were quite fond of that gesture, Maiya noted.
This is the simplest Trials you shall face. To prove your faith You must jump!
Frantic whispers broke out.
Fear not! If you have formed a group, you may choose a champion for this task! Only one of you will have to brave the Trial. Note that groups are limited to four or smallerHmm?
Someoneanother priestrushed up to the man and whispered in his ear.
Ah, apologies! Rejoice, for our god has smiled upon you today! There shall be no champion. You will all participate in our glorious trial!
Actually, Maiya thought, clutching her hair. They really are that insane.
So, were going through with this? Yamal asked, fidgeting.
We are, Maiya replied, her expression grim.
The Silent One simply looked at Maiya, who nodded. The big man nodded back and continued on as usual.
What, one nod from her and youll jump off a grakking cliff!?
He trusts me, Maiya said solemnly. I can only ask that you do, too.
Right Trust, Yamal said sarcastically. Its all so simple, isnt it?
Only two others stood in line before them. About half had chickened outfar too few, in Maiyas opinionbut the ones whod jumped had all screamed all the way down. Right up until their screams abruptly cut out.
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The worst part? The priest had told them nothing else. Not whether they would live, or if they were plunging to their deaths.
Were gonna die, arent we? the Initiate at the front of the line said, sobbing. This is it. Isnt it?
Child, you must believe in our lord and savior. Have faith that the Swarm will bless your soul. Now, go. Show us your Devotion!
The man took several deep breaths and walked up to the edge of the cliff. His breaths grew even deeper until he was hyperventting, his steps trembling and unsteady.
Maiya couldnt tell if he jumped intentionally, or simply fell off, but the moment he did, his half-sob, half-scream turned into an all-out shriek as he fell.
Like the others, his voice was also mercilessly cut short.
The man after him bailed, copsing on the ground in a pool of his own urine, and then they were up.
Look. You have to trust me, alright? Maiya said, locking eyes with Yamal and the Silent One. We do this together, okay? Arms locked. Ill be in the center.
Oh, yes. That makes this much better, Yamal said bitterly, tears streaking down his face.
Maiya linked up with the Silent One, who took her arm firmly and reached out to Yamal.
He hesitated, looking at her hand with suspicion, before relenting.
Ash Damn it! If I die here, I will reincarnate as a demon to haunt you!
Maiya smiled. Demons dont scare me.
They stepped off the cliff together. Yamal immediately screamed, though Maiya could hardly me him. A hundred paces didnt sound like muchshed fallen from a greater height fighting Cirayus when theyd jumped from Frumpybut unlike before, Maiya had no Vir to slow her fall. A hundred paces was plenty to scare the living daylight out of her.
Even the Silent One clutched her tighter. Maiya wondered if he nned to protect her from the impact with his own body, should ite to that.
Heroic, but unnecessary. For within Maiyas boots and clothing were four C Grade Enhance Blunt Force Protection orbs, which shed discreetly slotted the moment theyd started hiking up the back of the cliff.
If the Silent One took the fall, the cushion of his body might save her, but itd surely doom him and Yamal. If Maiya were the one to absorb the impact, however Well, while they wouldnt walk away unscathed, she was at least confident theyd at least be alive.
The ground rushed up, closer and faster, Maiya forced herself to concentrateto keep her eyes focused on the ground beneath themand then she finally saw it.
So. Not as insane as I thought The Children had devised a cushion of sorts. An enormous pool at the base of the cliff. Filled, of course, with blood.
But even before she could sigh in relief, she noticed something was off.
The pool its off?
Rather, they were off. Dread coursed through Maiyas veins, and her heart skipped a beat.
Is it because were holding onto each other? Its changed our trajectory! Wait, no.
The Children had moved the pool. It was on wheels. They''d moved it. Specifically so that Maiya would miss it!
They''re trying to kill us!
Toote to do anything about their path, Maiya did the only thing she could. She pulled Yamal and the Silent Man towards her and she cursed.
Ash Damn it all!
It wasnt the ground that got them, but an errant branch.
Maiya felt the impact against her custom robe, and felt the magic orb re to life, absorbing the impact.
Though, while it prevented her chest from caving in, it did nothing to ease the difort of having her breath sucked right out of her.
Heaving, she bounced off the branch, just barely maintaining her grip on her friends.
When they finally hit the ground, it wasnt the hard jolt Maiya had expected, but rather softer. She felt them m into the ground and then, the sensation was gone. The pain never came.
Were falling again!
They continued through the forested floor, down. Falling farther and faster, until finally, they met cold, hard stone with a sickening crunch.
Maiya got the pain shed expected. Just before the world went dark.
When Maiya finally came to, her body ached all over.
Hello, princess. Finally awake?
What Happened? Maiya asked, gingerly sitting up. That she could sit up was a good sign. The pain told her shed surely broken some bones, but at least she wasnt crippled.
I was hoping you could tell us, Yamal replied. Whatever you did saved us both. No idea how, but wended without even a scratch! You, on the other hand Youre quite the mess.
Maiya stood and immediately winced. Tell me about it.
Broken leg, for sure. Some broken ribs, too.
Maiya fumbled with the two Mend Bone orbs she carried on her, hoping against hope they hadnt shattered.
The moment her fingers felt the sharp shards in her pocket, she knew itd been crushed. Gingerly, she retrieved the other, which was thankfully intact.
Not bothering to hide it any longer, she brought it to her leg as Yamal and the Silent One watched, then activated it.
She knew itd worked, because the pain multiplied, forcing her onto her knees. Maiya gritted her teeth and hissed as the orb worked its magic.
No onemented about how she just happened to have an incredibly expensive Life orb on her.
Where is this? she asked, partly to distract herself from the pain. Partly because she was dying to know. The cavern theyd fallen into was unlike any shed seen. The intricate stonework on the floor showed a great deal of care had been taken in crafting this ce.
Id pay seric to answer that, Yamal answered.
Looking up, Maiya saw the shaft theyd fallen through. It resembled arge well, though there was no water at the bottom. Only a trickle of light filtered from the opening in the copse abovethe trees blocked most of the sunlight.
The light of the Magic Lamp orbs Yamal and the Silent One carried showed the tunnel was a perfect archnot jagged like a mineshaftand it spread away, into the distance.
Kinjal had no knowledge of any facilities buried beneath these ins. Had they stumbled upon ancient Kinjal ruins? Or perhaps something even older?
Yamal lowered his voice, despite them being alone in the tunnel. The Silent One scouted out the tunnel ahead and, er
What?
Were not alone. He spotted some Children cultists.
The Silent One retrieved his notebook, thrusting it in front of Maiya.
Four guards. Large door. Locked.
Her pain faded as the minutes passed, and Maiya finally stood. Her chest still hurt, but it wasnt anything that would kill her. Orpromise her ability to fight. Rather, what remained was anger.
They tried to kill us! Maiya knew better. No, they''d tried to kill her. But who? And why? Was someone within the organization aware of her true identity? Or did someone take offense to her rise? Maiya thought immediately of Camas, but dismissed the idea. He''d been cowed. He was no longer a threat.
Lead the way, she said, gesturing down the hall. Whoever it was, she''d have to investigateter. For now, they needed to escape.
It didnt take long for them to reach the corner just before the room The Silent One had written about. There were no branching passages, nor did they see any stairs up or down, and the Magic Lantern braziers on the walls made navigation simple.
I think you may want to handle this, Yamal, Maiya whispered. If there really were elements in the Children who wished her harm, then having Yamal as their spokesperson might be a better idea.Tell them you got lost and you''re looking for a way out.
Yamal nodded, straightened his back, and walked around the corner.
Hello, there! So happy to see you, Yamal said, feigning relief. I seem to have gotten lost! Would you be so kind as to show me the wayMaiya, help!
Without hesitation, Maiya blurred around the corner.
The first guard was down even before hed registered her presence. He''d been about to stab Yamal with a dagger. The second saw only a dark blur, and nothing more. The third and the fourth helpfully stared agape at their fallenrades, allowing Maiya to dispatch them both at once.
By the time Yamal and The Silent One rounded the corner, all four guardsy in a heap, and Maiya was already rummaging through their robes for the key to the door.
Found it! she announced.
Yamals mouth hung open. What are you? No, truly. Id like some answers. First, you take down all those thugs on your own, and then you miraculously save us from that fall? You casually whip out a Life orb, and now these guards? Maiya, just who are you? I feel as though everything youve told us is a lie!
In due time, Yamal, Maiya said, meeting his gaze. Look, I understand you want answers. And I havent been honest with you. I admit all that. Ill tell you everything. Just not now. Not here. Okay?
Yamal frowned, then nodded. I shall hold you to that. Assuming we make it out of here alive.
We will.
Maiya turned her attention to the heavy wooden door. Whats in this room that theyre protecting so closely? For them to attack us on sight... It must be something precious.
The key clicked into its slot, but of course, it was also locked magically.
Oh, well, she thought, retrieving a Wind de orb. She ced it against the lock and fired And then there wasnt a lock anymore.
Maiya swung the door open and stepped in. As such, she failed to notice the looks of amazement on her friends faces.
But Yamal and the Silent One were thest thing on her mind. The gnarled, low-roofed roommanded all of her attention. Dark green branches spread like vines across the floor. There were no walls; the vines snaked their way up, forming the ceiling itself. And at the very center sat a thick green tree trunk. But unlike most trees, the trunk wasposed of dozens of small snaking branches, creating a ridged surface.
Maiya wasnt quite sure what it was.
Have you ever seen anything like this? Yamal whispered.
No, Maiya replied, edging up to it.
Thin wisps of dark, ck energy wisped from the tree trunk, emanating great power.
This is prana, Maiya realized. Ash prana! For me to see it... It must be so dense.
The quantity was nearly unbearable. The oppressive weight reminded her of when shed trained near Ash Tears. She felt there was something else, though. Some other power, lurking within that trunk. If only she reached it. If only she could harness it
Maiya? I dont think thats a good idea, Yamal said from far behind. I think you shoulde back.
Maiya turned, surprised to see her twopanions a half dozen paces behind her.
When did I walk all this way?
She shook her head. Its fine. Profound confidence filled her every pore. She knew this was right. It had to be. Part of her recognized these feelings as alien. That she''d she really ought to be feeling scared, anxious. But whatever sensibilities she had seemed to be slipping away. Suppressed by some unseen force.
The tree was close now. So very close.
Maiya walked slowly up to it, her arm outstretched. She felt a presence from the tree. It was calling to her. Beckoning to her.
No! Stop!
The voice in her head was overruled, as her body moved on its own.
Unable to resist, her fingers crept closer... and finally touched.
Chapter 230: Karmic Reprise
Chapter 230: Karmic Reprise
Virs eyes struggled open as if waking from a thousand years of dreamless sleep.
Staring up, he found an unfamiliar ceiling. The ash-darkened skies Vir had grown ustomed to were nowhere to be found, and the same went for the ever-present lightning. Theyd been reced by Vir couldnt tell. It looked almost like night, though there were no stars. Nor, of course, was there any moon. Vir had only seen that in the vision Ashani had shown him once.
Vir brought a hand to his face, expecting it to be ckened by soot, but to his surprise, they were clean.
Where in all the realms am I?
Sitting up, he found a grassy knoll, unblemished by even a speck of ash.
Vir simply stared at the beautiful green grass as it swayed gently in the light breeze. How long had it been since hed seen flora like this?
His fingers brushed the thin reeds, just to make sure it was real. It was. It reminded him of the hill hed once lounged on together with Maiya at Balindam, watching the sun rise.
Looking up, Vir stared at the pitch-ck sky for a long moment before he realized he wasnt looking at a sky at all, but a cavern. Distant cavern walls curved slowly up to the roof. One so enormous, he could scarcely even see the ceilingonly its dim prana signature gave it away.
And yet, thend wasnt dark. It was lit as though it were a cloudy day outside, with soft shadows ying over the hills nearby despite theck of any visible light source.
Is this really the Ashen Realm? What happened?
Massaging his head, Vir struggled to recall the events leading up to this moment.
We were fleeing from the Ash Beasts. Running. To the beacon. Thats right, the beacon!
Deep underground, Vir had seen abyrinth of tunnels. Hed headed to the position where they came closest to the surface. And then
Nothing.
Everything after that was a nk. Had he somehow been captured and transported here? If so, why would they leave him such freedom?
Vir stood up shakily and took stock of his situation. He was alone. Or at least, Cirayus and Shan werent anywhere nearby. He did have his katar and chakrams, though, and he wasnt in any immediate danger.
Cirayus had been carrying their supplies, including their food and water, so Vir made it his top priority to locate them.
Guess Id better get ay of thend, then.
The soft shadows made Dance of the Shadow Demon difficult to use, so Vir Leaped away.
Immediately, he noticed the rtiveck of Ash Prana in the ground. The Leap that shouldve taken him a hundred paces only took him thirty, forcing him to triple the time he spent charging the ability.
The prana density surprised him; while still higher than anything in the Human Realm, it was far lower than hed ever seen in the Ash.
I suppose I should prepare myself for the worst But still, where is this ce?
Vir Leaped again, this time activating Prana Current and sparing a full second to allow it to charge before sting off.
Current not only helped attract the surrounding prana, it also prevented his bodys ultra-dense prana from leaking back out to the low-density atmosphere.
He sailed through the air and sailed right off of a cliff.
No. Not a cliff, Vir realized in horror as he plummeted.
The ground hed been on hadnt been the earth at all. Itd been a floating ind. One of many, and hed just jumped off.
No wonder there wasnt much prana avable There simply wasnt much ground to pull from. It didnt exin why the air was nearly devoid of it, though.
Wind rushed against his face, faster and faster. Vir had fallen many times, but never quite this far. The ground was so very distant it didnt feel real.
It was.
His stomach lurched and fear began to overtake him as the jagged, rocky magmandscape neared. The ground below was as far from the floating ind as could be. Volcanoes belched rivers of molten hotva that flowed across thend, forming pools where they met.
Lets just hope I dontnd in one, Vir thought.
Leveraging the prana in his body, he activated Light Step, softening hisnding.
He crashed hard. Obsidian rock split under his boots. He hadnt crashed into a magma pool, though it almost didnt matter, because the searing heat would cook him in just minutes if he didnt do something.
Vir reeled from the impact. His bones shuddered, but his prana-strengthened body absorbed the impact.
Would be really nice if I could fly, he thought, eyeing the rocky bottoms of the inds that floated high above. There were over a dozen, though even the lowest of them was far too high to Leap to.
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Vir quickly located the nearest area devoid of magma and Leaped, hoping to find some reprieve from the oven he was currently in. He noted that though the prana density was greater down on the surface, it was still far lower than normal for deep within the Ash.
Either hed been transported out of the Ashen Realm entirely, or he was at the periphery.
It was when he reached the apex of his arc that he sensed a shadowy blur in his peripheral vision. There was gracefulness about the way the figure moved that felt immediately familiar to him.
Cirayus?
Vir Leaped again the moment he touched the ground, chasing after the shadowy blur, but he soon lost sight of the figure.
Prana Vision wouldve lit Cirayus up, though. Especially in a low-density region like this.
Confused, Vir arrived at where hedst spotted the shadow, only to find an empty rock field that led to the foot of a volcanic peak. This mountain had no magma flowing out of it, however, allowing Vir to draw closer.
As he approached, the scree grewrger, until he was Leaping over tall boulders. For most, the rock field wouldve been unnavigable, with plenty of opportunity to break or sprain ones foot. Vir wasnt most people, howeverthe rocks barely even slowed him.
Is that a cave?
Vir spotted an opening in the distance. He hadnt known what caused him to head in this particr direction, but itd paid off. The narrow passage led into the mountain, and Vir felt cool air flow from within.
Pausing at the entrance, he considered his options. If he entered, itd make him impossible to find. If Cirayus and Shan had been transported nearby, that would have been the worst possible decision.
And yet, as he looked up at this vast underground world, he wondered what the chances of that really were. He had fallen off a floating ind to end up here, after all. He doubted either of them would do the same.
Meanwhile, he was sweating bullets, and without an immediately obvious water source, Vir decided that preserving whatever he had left took priority.
Besides, maybe that shadow went in there.
With his weapons drawn, Vir cautiously entered the cave, though he was forced to stow both katar and chakram only a handful of paces in, as the tight passage forced him onto all fours to navigate.
It was very obviously a natural cave, though that wasnt what caught Virs eye. It was the marks on the ground. Marks that looked distinctly like boots. And fresh, if he was right.
Theyre in here. Whoever they are.
Cirayus wouldnt have fit within the narrow confines of the tunnel, which meant this was someoneor somethingelse entirely.
Were this a year ago, Vir wouldve shied away in fear. But it wasnt, and he hadnt battled Ash Beasts day in, day out for nothing. Here, within these caverns, he could strike with impunity.
I can take them. And maybe theyll have some answers for me.
Dance of the Shadow Demon activated, and Vir looked out at the world from the realm of darkness.
Hed expected pitch-ck terrain simr to the Imperium vault tower, but bioluminescent moss covered many of the halls and cavern rooms, affording a low level of green-yellow light, softening the hard rocky surroundings.
Vir took his time, methodically using both his eyesight and Prana Vision to search for the shadowy entity.
To his chagrin, he found no trace of them.
When his ten counts were up, Vir reappeared in one of therger caverns. With a ceiling twenty paces in height and a hundred across, it afforded more than enough room to move around.
Vir was about to sink back into the shadows when he whirled. It was far, but hed caught the direction the sudden sound came from. It almost sounded like metal on metal. Like a ng.
Vir proceeded cautiously down a tunnel that connected to the cavern on high alert.
Then he heard it again.
Thats a voice?
It was very far, echoing through the tunnels. Sinking into the shadows again, Vir once again found nothing; he wasnt close enough. With both weapons in hand, he crept through the tunnel, correcting his course every time he heard the sounds.
The voice was speaking as if they were having a conversation, but Vir couldnt hear any other voices. He was still too far to make out the words.
Alternating between Dance and walking, Vir steadily homed in on their position. It was a womans voice. She sounded panicked. Afraid.
Back! . What on?
Vir hastened his pace, swimming through the shadows and Blinking when he surfaced.
Not Real!
Her voice grew increasingly frantic. A knot formed in the pit of Virs stomach.
That voice
Vir finally found the room, sinking into the shadow.
But the scene before him was not what hed expected.
There was an entity in the room. Full of Ash prana. With gangly limbs, Vir recognized the form immediatelyan Iksana ghael.
Whats one doing all the way out here?
The ghael brandished a katar menacingly, its attention focused on the other being.
Vir had almost missed her. Her prana signature was nonexistentit was as though she didnt exist at all.
But there was another reason his eyes hadnt noticed her earlier. In the darkness, hed seen her and hed seen right through her.
Shes translucent?
As though her body wasnt fully there. Incorporeal.
Then she turned, and the light shifted in just the right way that Vir finally saw her face and the color of her hair.
Maiya!?
Vir didnt think. He didnt need to. Maiya was here. He didnt know how, and at that moment, he didnt care. She was in danger. And anyone who threatened her was an enemy.
Exploding from the shadow, Vir surged for the ghael. Chakram Launch ripped out at the same time as Vir hurled the disk, sending a double wave of destruction at the gangly enemy.
Vir followed up with a Katar Launch and ced himself between Maiya and the demon.
The demon didnt retreat, opting instead to block the attacks, to Virs great relief. Few enemies could defend his full-powered attacks. Especially not when one of them was an Imperium Artifact chakram.
His magic flew to the demon and mmed into his outstretched palm.
Vir steeled himself for the gruesome spectacle that was about toe. He only wished Maiya didnt have to see it.
But there was no spectacle. Virs prana simply vanished upon contact with the ghael, and, unbelievably, the enemy plucked his chakram right out of the air. The weapon immediately shut down, and the demon grinned savagely.
How?
Nobody should be able to touch those des and live. Not even Cirayus could manage such a feat. It was the only weapon that evened the odds in their duels.
It wasnt only the ghaels impossible feat that surprised him, though. Vir had never seen such pure malice coalesced so perfectly into a facial expression. He didnt think it possible for someone to bear that much hatred.
Vir? Maiya said, confused. W-whats going on? Where am I? How!?
Its alright, Maiya. Im here now. Nothings going to happen to you.
Would you like to bet on that? the demon asked.
What? Vir spat, giving the demon a disgusted look.
How about we make a wager? If you protect her, I shall concede.
Just who do you think you are to make demands of me? Vir rasped.
And if you fail well, Ill consume her.
A chill of dread trickled down Virs spine.
Whats that supposed to
To teach you. To force you to learn. Because you never have.
Vir froze. Who are you?
Me? The ghael said, brushing his gangly fingers against the V-shaped neckline of the ck robe that covered his chest.
Vir stared, transfixed, as a brilliant white tattoo slowly came into view. He didnt need to wait for the demon to fully unveil it, for he knew exactly what it was. Hed seen it countless times, after all.
The world once called me the Reaper, for the thousands of lives I took. Reaper Ekanai.
With those words, Ekanai began to fade into the shadows.
Do not hate me. You, and only you, are to me for what is toe.
Virs eyes remained glued to the spot where the demon disappeared. His hands were shaking.
Chapter 231: Reunited (One)
Chapter 231: Reunited (One)
Vir stared at the shadow where Ekanai had disappeared, his mind a jumbled tangle of shock and disbelief.
What is happening here? Is this real? Ekanai? Hes alive!?
No, Vir knew that was impossible. And yet, he was clearly there. Manifested in a way he''d never before been.
Is-Is it really you? Maiyas hesitant voice sounded, breaking Vir out of his thoughts. The very sound of her words blew away the maelstrom that was brewing in Virs head, leaving his mind empty.
Vir looked her over, taking in her pitiful state. Her feet were bare, and she wore a faded garment that wrapped her body like a bathrobe, but Vir couldnt make out its color. In fact, Maiya didnt have much color to her. Her normally fiery hair had washed away, merely a pale imitation of its former luster.
The same went for the rest of her. Through her translucent form, Vir could see the rocky cave behind them, the bioluminescent moss casting an eerie glow through Maiya.
Are you hurt? Vir asked, panicking. Are you alright?
Hed never seen her so frail. So fragile.
It wasnt just her appearance, either. Maiya trembled, and before he knew it, hed Blinked to her and embraced her in his arms.
For a moment, he feared hed sink right through her skin. That she wasnt really there. To his relief, his hands found her skin, and he clutched tightly. He felt her press into his chest, allowing herself to be wrapped up in his protective embrace.
Vir she whispered, but she said nothing more. Neither did he. In that moment, as they rocked gently back and forth, nothing needed to be said. Their feelings came through loud and clear. Virs desire to protect her, to feel the warmth of her body, and Maiya, fearful and anxious, basking in his security and love.
Despite every instinct in Virs body screaming at him to fleethat Ekanai could strike at any momenthe was unable to move. They both needed this, and if the demon attacked, Vir would protect her, just as she''d always protected him when they were young.
They stood that way for several minutes until Maiyas tears abated.
Vir? she whispered with upturned eyes. Whats happened to me? What is this? Maiya asked, looking at her own skin. Am-am I dead?
Hed never heard her sound so terrified. So forlorn. This wasnt the strong mejai hed grown attached to.
Then again, who wouldnt be terrified in her situation? Even Vir didnt know what was going on, but at least he wasnt semitransparent.
I Vir started, but what could he say? What did he know about Maiyas situation?
Was she dead?
Virs heart clenched at the idea, but he forced it from his mind. She was very obviously not dead. And as far as Vir knew, ghosts didnt exist.
No, something else was going on here. He was just as confused as she was.
But thats not what she needs to hear, Vir realized. Shes scared. She needs an anchor.
You are alive, he stated emphatically, wiping her tears away. Her tears, instead of moistening his hand, disappeared off his fingers as if they were never there. Youre right here, arent you? Though, even as Vir said those words, Ekanais ominous oath red in his head.
Ill consume her.
Vir shuddered, and Maiya felt the goosebumps on his skin.
Vir?
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No. Its nothing, he replied immediately. Maiya, whats important right now is that were both safe. I Ive been doing alright. Er, why dont I fill you in on all that Ive been up to? But we should leave this ce first.
Maiya nodded, wiping away her tears, then looked around, as if for the first time.
Do you know where we are, at least?
Yeah Vir replied. Kinda. I think were in the Ashen Realm, from the prana density. Believe me, I''m just as confused as you are. This cave leads out to a volcanic wastnd with magma, and Vir paused when he saw Maiyas mounting bewilderment. Actually, why dont I just show you?
Maiya looked away. I dont know if I should be walking much, Vir. To be honest, I feel really weak. Weaker than Ive felt since well, since Brij. Its such an awful feeling. Like Im naked. Like all the work Ive spent training myself was for naught.
It wasnt, Vir said. There''s clearly something strange going on. Well find a way through. Together.
Vir proceeded to scoop her up in his arms. Whether it was because her translucent form was lighter than usual, or because of his enormous strength gains, he hardly felt her weight at all.
A part of him still wondered whether this was all real, or merely an borate illusionsome trick the realm was ying on him. There were far too many oddities, yet, Maiya felt so real. The more he saw, the more his confidence waned.
V-Vir!? Maiya yelped, flushing furiously. What are you doing?
Well, since you cant walk, Ill just have to carry you, wont I? Vir said with a smirk.
I didnt say I cant walk! I just said!?
Vir bounded down the corridor, retracing his steps. Maiya squirmed in his arms for a moment before epting her fate and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Just as she was getting used to the sensation, Vir Blinked, eliciting a startled yelp from her.
Her expression went from bewilderment to suspicion, and finally darkened,nding on grim eptance.
How can you move so quickly? she asked. Blink isnt supposed to take you this far! This is cheating!
Virs tension eased. Whatever happened to her had spooked her to her core. He was d to see a bit of her usual demeanor resurface.
They soon reached the magma fields, and the heat hit them in the face.
This might actually be worse. Is there anywhere cooler? she asked.
Well Vir said, looking up.
Maiya followed his eyes and promptly gasped when she found the floating inds.
Are those
Yep. Dont ask me how, but they are. And that feeling of wrongness youre experiencing? Its because that isnt a sky up there. Were underground. This whole world is underground.
Maiya went silent for a moment as her eyes meandered around the stunning scene.
Are sights like thismon in the Ash? she asked softly.
Not quite like this, Vir replied. But Ive seen some things you wouldnt believe.
Id like to hear about it. If you dont mind. But, yknow, maybe after we get out of this oven?
Maiya gave him a small smile. He knew she was forcing it, but was d to see it, nheless.
Gods Ive missed her.
Virs heart clenched. What if this was all a deception? What if he was dreaming, and that none of this was real? These moments they were sharing together Would they remember them after? What did it all mean?
Vir shook off the thought. Just leave it to me, he said.
Look at you! Talking so big. Since when did you be so dependable? Is this the Ashs doing?
Vir stared into her eyes, smiling. Im not the same person I was when I entered this ce, Maiya.
Maiya, still cradled in his arms, blushed furiously, but she didnt manage much more than that, because Vir High Jumped to the sky, sending them soaring three hundred paces into the air.
Maiya gulped and tightened her hold around his neck, leaning in closer against his chest, which made Vir feel very nice.
Cant get distracted, he thought, his eyes threatening to slip down to Maiya''s.
The task at hand required intense concentration or itd be a very long drop. The few hundred paces hed managed, while impressive, was still nowhere near the height of the floating ind hed initially fallen from. Those hung about a mile in the air.
Luckily, there were intermediate inds he could use to bootstrap his way up. Enough of them to allow him to reach each with a single Leap or High Jump.
There was just one issue.
It was why he hadnt spotted them earlier, and why he couldnt just rest atop one of these indsmost were tiny. So small, in fact, that they were barely inds at all. More like floating pieces of rock in the sky, hardly wide enough to stand on.
Virnded on the tiny sliver of rock hed aimed for, then bnced on one foot, taking a few moments to locate his next target. How the minuscule ind didnt fall from his weight was beyond him, but so was a translucent Maiya. This whole ce was one nonsensical thing after another.
Locating his next target, Vir Leaped, aiming precisely so hednd exactly where hed intended. The margin of error was small, but hed had a lot of practice getting used to his abilities in the past year. He wasnt about to miss.
Maiya stared up at him inquisitively but kept quiet. She was aware of just how much concentration he had to muster.
Vir made his way up, leapfrogging off of each rock, sometimes bound for a distant rock that he could only just barely discern with Prana Vision.
They climbed higher and higher, the volcanic basin falling away into the darkness. Eventually, they found themselves atop one of the massive floating inds, and Vir finally set Maiya down.
We should be safe here for now. We should be able to!?
He let her go, but she didnt. Grasping his arms, Maiya brought her head to his chest and leaned against him.
Ive missed you, she murmured.
With just three, simple words, Virs mind went nk.
Chapter 232: Reunited (Two)
Chapter 232: Reunited (Two)
No way! Vir seethed. Princess Ira made you go through that awful ritual? When I saw you in the Ink of rity
You saw that!? Maiya cringed, her toes curling reflexively. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she covered her face with both hands. That was the worst! Oh, gods! The whole time, I kept thinking how lucky I was that you hadnt seen! It was that thought that let me weather the ordeal!
Vir patted her back awkwardly.
While he was relieved that she hadnt lost her way and actually fallen in with those cultists, another part of him resented the princess for forcing her into such a demeaning ritual.
Princess or not, nobody should have had to endure anything like that. Least of all her personal operative.
Through it all, a small voice in his head whispered that everythingall of thiscouldnt possibly be fake. It was far too detailed. Too real.
It whispered that Maiya wasnt real.
Vir wasnt even sure if he wanted it to be fake anymore. Yes, something strange was happening to Maiya, and her presence here put her life in jeopardy. Had he a choice, hed send her away at once.
But if this really is all a dream, or a hallucination Itd mean their time together here never really happened. That it was a made-up figment of his imagination. Hed awake, and just like a dream, itd all be gone.
You were very brave, Vir said haltingly, earning him a scowl. They stared each other in the eye for a long moment before bursting outughing.
They sat together atop a grassy hill in peaceful silence, Maiya resting her head on Virs chest. The spot bore a striking resemnce to Rabbit Hill, their hangout spot in Brij. It, too, was adorned with arge tree, though the scenery it overlooked was iparable to the backwater vige.
Floating inds driftedzily before them, the peaceful scene betraying none of the chaos that had taken ce earlier.
For that brief moment, Vir seemed to forget the world. Content to be reunited after so very long. Longer, Vir suspected, than Maiya had, owing to the time effects of the Ash.
Ive really missed this, Maiya said after a while. More than I thought.
Me too, Mai. Me too.
Maiya cocked a brow, smiling coyly. Mai, huh? Since when did you start copying my parents?
Since now? I guess? Vir honestly hadnt even noticed. S-sorry, I didnt mean
I like it, Maiya said, smiling gently. I liked it when mom and dad used to call me that. I liked it very much.
Vir wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her semi-translucent figure closer, though even as he did, he worried hed somehow break her if he grasped too hard. Like she was made of ss.
That demon back there? she said after a moment. You said it was Ekanai? Was it the Ekanai?
Vir sighed. Do we really have to talk about that right now?
While he knew this blissful moment couldntst forever, he dreaded iting to an end.
But when Maiya turned and looked into his eyes, confused and distraught, Vir knew that the feeling was a lie. There was no true bliss here, only willful ignorance. There could be no peaceful reunion until Ekanai had been dealt with.
I wish I could tell you, Maiya. Ekanai shouldve died a long time ago. He had to have died for me to have been born. Did he hurt you?
No, nothing like that, Maiya said, looking away. I was at an Orientation Camp with the Children of Ash. It was going pretty well, too.
Really? Vir asked with suspicion.
Well, as well as such a camp could go. They made us do this leap of faithwe had to jump off a cliff into a pool of blood far below.
Thats
Insane? Yep. Wee to my world. Thing is, they moved it when we jumped.
They tried to kill you!? Vir asked in rm.
Sure seems that way, Maiya replied. I''ll have to dig into that when I get back. Whoever they are, they can''t hide from me for long. When the three of us jumped, I was afraid that was it, for them at least.
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Wait, who are these people?
Ah, right, I havent told you about them, have I? So, Yamal, hes a real character
Maiya spent the next minutes filling Vir in about Yamal and the Silent One, and how they met and became close.
Vir was immediately suspicious of the man, and when Maiya mentioned how he was useless in a fight, Vir grew anxious.
Hey, Maiya said with a smile, squeezing his arm. Rx. He knows not to make any moves on me. Besides, having a group thats loyal to me is really useful in an organization like that. Despite Yamals issues, I feel like I lucked out. He and the Silent One are among the few sane ones in my batch. Hes pretty smart, too.
Vir exhaled. I know. Just I wish I could be there for you.
Me too, Maiya said quietly. Anyway, we jumped together. I knew we wouldnt make it, so I relied on my blunt force protection orbs to absorb the impact.
Did that actually work? Vir asked. Mejai defensive armor wasnt designed to nullify falls like Light Step did. Hed never thought to try using the magic protection in that way.
Sorta? Maiya grinned sheepishly. It did keep us alive But I kinda broke some bones. And one of my B Grade Life orbs. Oops!
She stuck her tongue out and winked at him.
Vir rolled his eyes. Most people would be in tears over losing such a precious orb, you know? I guess youre just swimming in seric, arent you?
Maiya waved away his concern. Its fine. I can get as many of those as I want. Problem was, I only had one left, so I healed my broken leg, but couldnt heal my ribs.
Your ribs are broken? Vir asked in rm.
Thats the thing. They arent. Not here. Im not even wearing the same clothes! I was wearing a faded brown robe, not this old one-piece. I havent worn this since Brij! And Im obviously not in the practice of walking around barefoot, she said, wiggling her toes.
So, how did you end up here?
We missed the pool, but we crashed through the ground, into arge shaft of some kind. That led down into a tunnel that was protected by Children guards.
A secretir?
Who knows? I took out the guards and entered the room they were defending. There was this tree... except it wasn''t like any tree I''d ever seen. It was like the trunk became the ground, and continued up, making the walls. I cant remember much of what happened after that. My mind went fuzzy, and I felt myself moving, like a trance. I think I mightve touched its trunk? Next thing I knew, I was in those caves.
A tree that functions like an Ash Gate? Vir thought, but then looked over Maiyas form. No. This is something else entirely. If she were really here, shed have died from prana poisoning already. What could that room have been? And why was it under guard? Is there more to the Children of Ash than I thought?
It''s so bizarre, Maiya said. What are the chances there happened to be a tunnel leading to thatir right where wended, right? What are the chances the Children held their Orientation camp at that exact spot?
You''re saying someone wanted this to happen? That they orchestrated these events? Vir asked.
Sure seems that way, doesn''t it? Maiya asked. But who or why... I haven''t a clue.
Vir had to agree. Except he didn''t know if it was a who, or a what. After all, who could have timed it such that Maiya not only touched that tree, but Vir did too? At the exact same time? There were far too many coincidences for it to have been mere chance, and yet, such a feat was far outside the means of any mortal.
Was it Janak? Or another god, perhaps? Vir''s head swam with questions and no answers.
Once I got here, I roamed around for a bit, Maiya continued. I heard a sound so I went towards it. That''s where I found that demon, standing hunched over in that room. He attacked me without warning.
He attacked you? Vir asked, panicking. Was I toote? Is that why shes this way?
Dont worry, Maiya said hurriedly. You came before he could do anything. But, er I cant use magic, Vir. Its like all my blood, sweat, and tears havee undone. Like its been a waste.
It hasnt, Vir said emphatically. The more he heard, the more it felt like some third party was at work here. Look, I dont know whats going on here, but something brought us all together. Ekanai''s dead, Maiya. It''s impossible that he''s here. And, to be honest, the same goes for you. All I can say is we shouldn''t jump to conclusions just yet. I wish I had the answers, but I dont. And until we know more, you cant say things like that, alright? Maybe youll just wake up and thisll all have just been a bad dream.
Maiya rolled her eyes. Uh, huh. Sure.
Whatever it is, well find a way out of it. Together. Im Im strong now. Strong enough to keep both of us safe.
I know, Maiya said quietly. The way you Leaped up here? I didnt want to distract you, so I didnt say anything before But thats impossible, Vir. No Talent wielder moves that far. If thats any measure to go by, I cant even begin to imagine the gains youve made.
Maiya bit her lip as she said that, though Vir failed to notice. He was busy retrieving his katar, though doing so just reminded him of the chakram Ekanai had stolen.
Vir popped to his feet and held out his hands, helping Maiya up.
If you thought that was impressive, check this out, Vir said, firing off a Katar Launch Barrage. Deadly arcs of prana sted out of his de one after another, so thick with prana they became visible, even to Maiyas eyes.
The prana des ripped deep gashes in the grass as if ravaged by a giant w.
It was the same Talent Kamna had used against him in Daha, just thrice as powerful and with about a dozen more des.
He looked back to see her jaw hit the floor.
Prana Current red and Vir allowed a trace of his umted prana to seep out, forming ck mes that burned off his skin.
This time, Maiya fell on her butt, pointingically at where his strikes hadnded.
What the grak, Vir! she stammered. What the grak!
Vir grinned. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I can only do stuff like this in the Ashen Realm.
Mostly, he didnt add. The immense prana reserves in his body allowed him a few full power sts regardless of where he was at, and Prana Current ensured hed be able to regain what he lost, though perhaps not immediately.
Vir looked forward to testing his powers against the challenges faced by the prana-starved Demon Realm. Despite the setbacks hed face, he was confident his gains in the Ash would give him an unfair advantage. Assuming, of course, they made it out of whatever this surreal ce was.
Maiya shook her head. This is all just karma, isn''t it? Compensating for theck of prana you had to live with your whole life, isnt it? Im happy for!?
Vir Blinked to Maiya, nearly smashing into her as he grabbed her by the waist before Blinking away.
If he''d been just a second slower, Maiyas head wouldve been cut clean off.
And standing where shed been just moments earlier was none other than Reaper Ekanai, twirling Virs Artifact chakram with a wicked grin.
Enjoy your little reunion? A raspy voice said. I hope you said farewell. No? A pity. At least you will die together.
Chapter 233: Ultimate Sacrifice
Chapter 233: Ultimate Sacrifice
Vir didnt wait for Ekanai to finish his speech. Blinking to the demon as he emerged from the ground, Vir unleashed a Katar Launch at point-nk range. The disc of pure ck prana zed out, so thick that it became visible. Ekanai was far too close to dodge.
Then a raging torrent of Ash prana flowed into the demons chest. His tattoo glowed, and Ekanai leaned and twisted slightly away. The de passed by with less than an inch to spare.
What was that?
Not only had Ekanai dodged a blow that shouldve been impossible, Virs own chest tattoo had never glowed with prana like that before.
Ekanai showed neither fear nor excitement. His movements had been so casual, so easy, as if was preordained that Virs attack would miss.
Alright, so you dodged one. What about a dozen?
Blinking to Ekanais back, Vir tapped into his body''s prana reserves to fire a Katar Launch Barrage. des of pure ck prana erupted from his katar, all bound for Ekanai. Vir even altered his aim, firing several where he expected Ekanai might dodge to.
Except, when the des reached their target, the ghael was no longer there.
A ng sounded from nearby. Vir whipped his head to find Maiya with daggers raised in an X guard, blocking Ekanais strike.
Dance of the Shadow Demon.
Virs heart nearly stopped as he shoved prana into his legs, Blinking once again to close the gap.
Dont you dare harm her! Vir roared. His momentum sent him hurtling right at the demon, but like his previous attacks, Vir missed.
Maiyas however, did not. Her de struck his face, drawing a line of red across the demons cheek. A superficial wound, but significant nheless.
Nice one, Mai! So he can be harmed!
Virs optimism, however, was short-lived. Ekanai''s wound healed before his eyes as the warm glow of Yuma''s Embrace litup his tattoo. It was one of the two Panav Ultimate Bloodline Arts Cirayus had mentioned, the other being Ultimate Sacrifice.
He watched in horror as Ekanai flew into a rage. His attack slipped past Maiyas guard and plunged into her abdomen. She wore no armor, but with the prana coating Ekanai''s de, Vir wasn''t sure how much it''d have helped anyway.
Maiya didnt cry out in pain, or even wince. Despite her injury, she swiped again at Ekanai, using the opportunity to strike another blow.
Her de, which Vir was sure would hit again, missed as Ekanai bent his head back at an impossible angle.
Her dagger passed right in front of his throat, drawing just a trickle of blood, but nothing more.
Pride bloomed in Vir''s chest, even as his heart clenched with worry as he rushed to her side.
She really hase far.
Even without her devastating magic, she was capable of fightingand woundinga beast like Ekanai.
You once saw her as dead weight, Vir thought. Can you truly say that now?
It made Ekanais aggression toward her all the more confusingwhatever motivation the demon may once have had was no longer relevant, but Vir didnt have time to dwell on that. He rushed to her side, keeping a wary eye on the demon, who twirled his own Artifact Chakram menacingly in his hands. It was as if his predecessor was telling them he could kill them at any time. That he wasnt even close to wielding his full potential.
The truth dawned on Vir. Ekanais prescient dodges. The glowing chest tattoo. The way he seemed to slip like water around all attacks aimed at him.
rity. The Iksanas Ultimate Bloodline Tattoo. Cirayus had exined it as a limited ability to see the immediate future before it happened. Hed also mentioned how nearly impossible it was to fight against someone with that ability. Only the Third Eye Chakra would give Vir a fighting chance. Without it, he was dead meat.
After all, how could anyone fight an enemy that knew what you would do before even you did? It was a truly unfair advantage.
Maiya hurled a dagger at Ekanai, who casually deflected it with his katar.
Are you alright? Vir asked, snapped back to reality by her attack. Maiya forced a smile as she pressed on her wound. Its not bad, and you know me. Im no stranger to pain. This is nothing next toagh!?
Maiya cried out in pain as her wound wept. There was no bloodinstead, a wispy, milk-like substance floated out.
Instead of falling to the ground, however, it traveled through the air as if it weighed nothing at all To Ekanai. To the object he gripped in his deformed hand.
It was a crystal sphere, the size of an A Gradebat orb, except it was empty and colorless. Transparent.
Maiyas essence floated into the orb, and entered it. The sphere glowed slightly brighter, its color changing subtly.
Prana? Vir said incredulously, seeing Ice and Wind Affinity prana circte within it.
Ekanai snarled. Nothing so mundane. This is something far more precious. Her essence. Her soul.
What is this nonsense? Maiya shouted, her indignationced with a trace of fear.
Its a rare asion for a soul to detach from its body, Ekanai said, casually tossing and catching the sphere in his hand as if it were a juggling ball. Even our best Thaumaturges only ever reproduce that feat by ident. Id be remiss not to harvest you.
Excuse me? Maiya said, looking like she was about to fly into a rage. What did you just say?
Ekanai ignored her and turned to Vir, his snarl widening. Every wound I inflict on her fills this orb until all of her is in here. When that happens, Im afraid your friend over there will exist only as prana and chakra. I wonder what sort of spell shell be?
Be? A spell? What nonsense is this?
There was such a deep wrongness to his words. Even more than him wanting to kill her. Ekanai didnt even see Maiya as a person. He saw her as a tool. Something to be used.
Youre lying, Vir spat, feeling like he wanted to vomit. To Ekanai, that was all that people ever were. His tant disregard for life shouldnt havee as a surprise. Not after all those times the demon had taken over, viting the sanctity of his own body.
Vir had never hated anyone as much as he hated Ekanai in that moment. The knowledge that this creature was a part of himthat hed been Ekanai in a past lifemade it all the worse.
Thats not possible, Vir croaked, his voice hoarse. How can you just use a soul for spells? Youre just trying to rile me up.
It wasn''t just emotion behind his words though. Ekanai couldn''t be real. Like all of Vir''s predecessors, Ekanai had died. How could Vir have reincarnated otherwise? Besides, whatever was left of the demon had perished to save him in the Mahdi Realm.
Ekanai shrugged. Have you wondered how the gods created magic? Isn''t it strange? Magic suddenly came to be, when there had been none before. Since the Age of Gods, no new spells have been created. Ever.
Vir nced back at Maiya, not quite knowing what to make of that. Ashani had never mentioned a time before magic. All he knew for certain was that the gods had indeed created the orbs, and that nobody had replicated the feat ever since. It was hardly suspicious; so much of what the Imperium aplished was iprehensible to humans and demons alike.
I don''t see how this is relevant, Vir replied, doing his best to ignore the terror that mounted within him. If Ekanai wanted to ramble, Vir wasn''t about to stop him. It gave him precious time to n.
Ekanai grinned viciously. Ah, but it is. Do you know how the first orbs came to be? Do you know what lies at their core?
Maiya stared daggers at Ekanai, a grim, determined expression set on her face. Vir was relieved to see that her wound had stopped leaking, despite not having been treated. And yet, she had certainly paid a price.
Maiya was now noticeably more translucent than shed been before. Vir could no longer make out some of the details of her clothingthey blended in with the sceneryand her normally fiery hair was barely even visible.
Maiya, are you
Im fine, Vir, she wheezed, breathing raggedly. Just feel like my energy got sapped, but its okay. Im okay. Nowe on. We need a n. Like when we fought Cirayus. He bleeds. He can be killed. We can do this, but only if we work together.
Vir nodded, feeling his fear abate slightly. Itsted only a moment. Ekanais next words drained the blood from his face.
Oh, dont worry. She wont die, per se. The souls continue to exist within the orbs. In a way, you could say shell be immortal, so long as her crystal remains intact. How does that make you feel, boy? To see your precious loved one turned into a weapon, used by your enemy to kill you?
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Her... soul? Vir''s eyes went wide. No. It couldn''t be. Then that means...
Blood roared to Virs head and before he knew it, he was attacking the demon recklessly.
Vir! Stop! Dont let him goad you!
Vir couldnt hear her. All he heard was Ekanaisughter as he danced easily away from Virs attacks.
I cant evennd a single strike!
Hed never felt as hopelessly frustrated as he had in that moment.
Vir! Maiya shouted again, and finally, Vir regained his senses.
He jumped back, returning to Maiya. Ekanai merely grinned back at him, as if daring him to attack again.
Isnt it weird? Maiya said. Ekanai was supposed to be a warrior, right? A killer. Not a Thaumaturge. How does he know all this?
Vir paused. She had a point. How did Ekanai know of the origin of magic? That was Saunak''s domain, not the Reaper''s. None of it made sense.
Unless
There was one exnation that fitthat none of this was realthat it was all a figment of his imagination. A dream. That the Maiya that was here wasnt actually Maiya, and that all of this was for the express purpose of sparking some form of progression within Vir.
Do you see, boy? Ekanai snarled. This is why she is a shackle. Shes a burden wholl make you sink. Im just cutting you loose.
This burden just injured you. An inch more, and Ive had your neck. What makes you think Im just going to lie down and let you? Maiya snapped. Ill die before I let you use me like that.
Oh, please do. Youd only hasten the process. Youre quite vulnerable in that state, girl. More than you seem to think.
He has to be bluffing. But if he wasnt If Vir failedif he allowed Ekanai to capture Maiyas essenceshed suffer a fate worse than death. Doomed to watch as her own power was used to
Vir purged the thought. Maiya was right. Ekanai was trying to manipte him. To break him. Maybe this was all real or... or maybe it was just some borate illusion. Right now, it didnt matter.
I wont let you.
What do you want from me? Vir said, doing his best to keep his tone even. He tugged desperately on his limited mastery of the Foundation chakra and found it barely helped. Hed never felt such fear in his life. Why are you doing this?
I am fixing my mistake in the Godshollow, when I allowed the girl to live. You are thest of us. Do you understand? Thest. A pathetic, weak bearer of our legacy though you might be, the fact remains. As you are, you will die miserably. Worseyou will fail. My purpose is to ensure that does not happen. By whatever means necessary.
Vir had had enough.
Keep him upied, Vir said. If he uses rity on you, he cant protect himself from me.
Thats more like it! Maiya said, readying her daggers.
Prana Current cycled faster than ever before, wreathing Vir in mes of ck prana as he fired such a deluge of both Chakram Barrage and Katar Barrage that the surroundings grew darkfilled with pitch-ck Ash prana.
Vir was no longer just a demon. He was a vortex of deadly, violent prana. A vortex that disintegrated the grass beneath his feet. relentless onught. That, for the first time in their fight, forced Ekanai to dodge.
Not even ritywould help the ghael now. There was no safe ce, except where Vir willed.
Maiya lunged into action, slicing at Ekanai, who avoided her with fluid-like grace.
Vir monitored Maiya like a hawk, his breath catching every time she attacked or Ekanai defended. Despite his bold words, dread coursed through Virs veins. His mind was stuck on Ekanai''s words. What did he mean by
Vir suddenly reeled. Images of Maiya getting skewered by Ekanai flooded into his mind. Vir was forced to watch as her soul essence drifted into Ekanais orb. Whats happening to me? Why am I!?
Do you understand? Ekanai asked, tossing his orb into the air. Each time he did, Virs heart clenched.
Chakra, Vir whispered as the cruel truth dawned on him.
A potent weapon against those whock the defenses of the Foundation Chakra, Ekanai rasped.
Vir! Maiya shrieked. What are you doing?
A dozen scenes of Virs death yed out before him. In some, he watched Maiya die before him, in others, he died protecting her. It was as if hed been transported to Ashanis Mahdi simtion. He didnt merely see these things. He lived them. He experienced the raw emotions. He felt the pain. Over and over again.
When the delusion finally ended, Vir had fallen to his knees. Though only an instant had passed, to him, itd felt like months. Months of unending torture.
Several wispy white streams floated midair. Vir stared at them in a daze, his mind nk.
So pretty he thought, tracing the streams back to their source. To Maiya, who bravely fought against an enemy who could see the future.
Virs eyes went wide in panic.
In the moments when Vir had been preupied with Ekanais mental attack, the demon had switched targets, lunging for Vir instead.
Maiya had ced herself in front of Vir like a shield. She''d stopped Ekanai, but not without a cost. The Reaper left countless slices upon Maiya''s unarmored skin. She was now barely even visible.
The orb glowed dazzlingly.
Maiyas movements slowed. Her arms and legs twitched awkwardly, as if she was no longer able to control them.
What... is this? Maiya muttered, her voice slurring.
Cursing himself, Vir dove into the fray, unleashing a volley of Prana Darts to force Ekanai away. The demon dodged, of course, but dealing damage wasnt Virs intent. He''d forced Ekanai to move away from Maiya.
Vir savagelyshed out with his katar, then amplified its length with de Projection, doubling it in an instant and paying its prana consumption no mind. Consumption was thest thing on his mind.
Ekanai bent backward just before Vir finished his strike. The demon moved so quickly that his back would have snapped had he been any ordinary demon.
Hes moving faster than before, Vir thought in anguish. And he hasnt even used the Artifact Chakram yet
Ekanai had so many ways to kill them, itd beical if their lives werent on the line. Maiya wanted to form a n, but what n could defeat an almighty god?
Ultimate Tattoos are in a league of their own, and even without them, Ekanai has so many advantages. Battle experience, natural ability, Virs chakram the list went on.
Physically, Ekanai wasnt nearly as strong as Cirayus with Bncer of Scales. Yet his advantages in mobility and battlefield awareness more than made up for that weakness.
In any other situation, Vir would have given up and fled. It was stupidity to fight such an enemy. But there was no fleeing here. Not when Maiyas life was at risk. Could he even save her, now that so much of her essence had been sapped? How would he go about restoring her, even if they did prevail?
Crushing doom weighed on his mind, and only through his deep, calming breaths did he keep his mind from cracking entirely.
Thats what he wants, Vir thought. You cant give in.
Vir fought savagely, his only purpose keeping Ekanais attention.
If hes focused on me, he cant harm Maiya.
It wasnt much of a n, but it was the best he could manage in his current state.
Ekanai exchanged blow after blow with Vir, and the entire time, Vir knew he was being toyed with. Ekanai would show an opening, which Vir wouldnt take, knowing it to be a trap, right before showing another opening, and another.
Unable to resist any longer, Vir finally lunged, at which point, Ekanai stabbed into his armor, piercing it like a knife through jam. Despite her agony, Maiya attacked when she could, but the demon effortlessly dodged both of their strikes, often sending Vir crashing into Maiya, forcing her to catch him.
Vir felt like a helpless viger again. Like hed been when theyd first started training at Riyans. Such was the disparity in their skillsboth Vir and Maiya were now highly trained, aplished fighters, and Ekanai still wiped the floor with them.
Unlike Maiya, however, Vir did bleed. Worsehis own essence began drifting into the air, and Vir understood just what crushing pain Maiya must have gone through.
How she dealt with it without cking outlet alone fightingwas beyond him. It was pain unlike anything hed ever felt.
Except, unlike Maiya, Virs essence drifted directly into Ekanais body, as if strengthening him.
It wasnt long before Vir was covered in injuries and his movement slowed.
In one final move, Ekanai severed Virs Achilles tendons, sending him falling to his knees.
Disappointing, Ekanai spat, looming over him like an executioner. This is why I must intervene. The realms do not need you, Ekavir. They need someone stronger. They need the Reaper. Our hosts have been gracious enough to manifest me into this world. I must capitalize."
You wont kill me, Vir said, though unlike when hed fought against Cirayus in Kinjal, he held no confidence in that assertion.
Wont I? Ekanai asked, squatting to Virs eye level.
Ekanai was very much the type of person who would kill Vir.
Im thest hope you have. You said it yourself.
Anywhere else, yes. Not here. This ce is special. Here, I dont need your mind. Only your body. You forget, Im already in you. I need only for your mind to break. Then I can take over. Id hoped you would grow strong enough to fulfill your destiny, but fear not. I shall seed where you failed. I will fulfill our destiny in your stead. And your friend there will give me the advantage I need. A truly new spell.
Vir red at the demon and spat in his face. Eat Ash, chal!
Ekanais brow twitched as he wiped the spit from his face.
The demon wordlessly drove his katar into Vir, aiming for his heart.
Vir didnt even have the time to think, let alone react. He braced for the inevitable pain.
There was none. Instead, Vir felt something else. Something warm... and soft.
Thefort of Maiyas embrace.
Even as Ekanais katar plunged into her back, she kept quiet, enduring the pain in silence.
Vir wailed, calling her name.
Its okay, Maiya said, hushing him, gently embracing his head as what was left of her began to fade away. Look at you, still relying on me to protect you from the bullies, she said with a wry smile.
Maiya? No. Nononono! Vir shouted. Please. Not you.
Vir roared in pain and sobbed into her. He''d give anything. He''d give his own life to save her.
And yet, there was nothing he could do. He could only watch. Maiya looked... divine in that moment. All trace of pain and sadness was gone, and only a gentle warmth overflowed from her body.
Dont worry about me, Vir. I Maiya suddenly frowned in agony.
No. Not agony. Concentration.
What is this? Ekanai? she asked. Her eyes widened in realization. Her expression went from one of eptance to confusion, to shock, and finally to sympathy. But the sympathy wasnt directed at Vir. I see, she said with a wry smile. So this was your n all along.
Vir didnt understand a single one of the emotions that flitted across her face. Her expression and her tone were no longer that of someone about to meet their death, but someone who''d just intuited something profound.
Maiya? What''s happening? Are you
What are you doing? Ekanai rasped, and for the first time, there was fear in his voice. Stop! How are you even talking?
Maiya turned her neck, smiling defiantly. Her hostility was mostly gone, reced by a look that bordered on pity. It made no sense to Vir. If you think I wont help him, youve got another thinging.
Turning back to Vir, she spoke hurriedly. There isnt much time. Vir, listen to me. Its fear. You must learn to control your fear. Its the only way to win. To get out of this ce. It will kill you if you let it.
It? Maiya clearly wasnt referring to Ekanai. But if not him, then what?
Stop! Youll ruin everything! Ekanai roared, thrusting his orb onto Maiyas back. Her essence flowed away faster, and she winced in pain. Vir could barely even make out her outline nowshe was so faint.
Maiya, what
Ekanai is not the real enemy. There is a way out. You can do this, Vir. Remember, you must ovee your fear!
None of that matters. What about you? Vir asked, his face screwed up in anguish.
There was a brilliant sh of white, and what was left of Maiyas body began to vanish, turning into white motes of prana, starting with her feet and moving up.
Maiya held Virs face in her transparent hands and touched her forehead against his. Its okay. Its all going to be okay, Vir. Illbeokay.
Her hands vanished, turning into motes of prana. Her face neared, and she nted a kiss on his lips. Then she was gone, leaving no trace she''d ever existed.
Vir stared nkly as thest of her floated back to Ekanais orb, settling within it. The crystal now zed dazzlingly with Maiyas Ice and Wind prana. Ekanai tossed it high into the air before catching it again.
Vir felt sick.
The demon grinned wickedly. And now, I have two things you value greatly. Your Artifact, and your friend. I truly did not believe it would be so easy to consume her.
Im going to kill you, Vir said. It wasnt a threat. He was simply stating a fact. Inside, he felt nothing. Not anger, not even sadness. Just a hollow emptiness, the likes of which hed never experienced. Not when hed assassinated the slumlord Ravin. Not even when hed taken Head Priest Haraks life.
Im going to end you, he repeated.
You will no doubt try, Ekanai said, already slipping into a shadow. But you cannot kill me. Not as you are.
And with that, Ekanai disappeared, taking with him the most precious person in Virs life.
Chapter 234: Ghosts of the Past (Cirayus)
Chapter 234: Ghosts of the Past (Cirayus)
Cirayus found himself amid pandemonium. Fires raged. Buildings burned, and demons screamed.
Some fled from their homes, on fire. Others knelt beside loved ones, mourning. The sky was dyed in hues of blood, as if mirroring the terrible destruction.
Cirayus knew this ce. He knew it so well, he could even ce the neighborhood and name the streets.
This was Samar Patag. Gargas primary stronghold. Its capital city.
And it was in mes.
The castle loomed in the distance, ckened and bent, and a dozen demons hung on ropes fifty paces high. Their corpses swayed. Sometimes bouncing off the side of the keeps tall tower. Sometimes threatening to catch the mes of the burning building that suspended them.
A g pped nearby. Fire red, with the ck outline of a monkeys face in the center. The g of the Chitran.
Beneath it, on the dirt, was what was remained of the Gargan golden bull. It was barely even recognizable, having mostly burned to ash.
The more Cirayus took in, the more his confusion deepened. He was witnessing the sacking of Samar Patag when the Chitrans attacked it on that fateful day sixteen years ago.
Except that was impossible. Cirayus had never been there at the time. Hed been fleeing into the Ashen Realm with the newborn Vir. He couldnt have been reliving his memory, for these memories simply did not exist within his mind.
Unless
Cirayus thought back to the Ink of rity at Saunaks tower. It was the only device hed evere across that allowed one to glimpse the past. Or the future, if Saunak was to be believed.
Could this be something simr, only greater in scale? Though, if so, why? To what end? And how?
Lad! Vir, can you hear me? Cirayus yelled. Right now, the reason mattered not. Finding the boy came before all else. They could ruminate all they wantedonce they were free. He only wished he wasnt unarmed. He longed for Sikandars reassuring weight.
Cirayus crouched and lunged and nearly toppled over when Bncer of Scales lessened his weight far less than anticipated.
His first thought was that the ability had beenpromised, but while the Ultimate Tattoo used a startling amount of prana, it was one of the lucky Ultimates whose performance degradedmensurate with the level of prana in the surroundings.
The ability hadnt faileditd simply degraded, matching the prana level of the barren Samar Patag.
Trying again met with the same results. As hed feared, it wasnt only Bncer of Scales. Giants Hide, Giants Grace, and the Gargan Lionheart and Braveheart tattoos had simrly degraded.
Gotten too used to the Ash, Cirayus grumbled. But if the prana wasmensurate to Samar Patag, did that mean he was really there? It was either the worlds finest illusion, or there was something more to this than Cirayus knew.
Cirayus knew of no force in all the realms that could achieve such a thing. It was impossible. It should have been impossible.
Lad! Answer me! Cirayus hollered, stepping through the rubble, but it was of no use. Vir never answered, and Cirayus felt panic surge through his body, but he forced it down with the Foundation Chakra. Still, his fear was founded in more than just desperation.
He had already lost the boy once. Hed sworn never to allow it again, and yet, here he was. Separated.
Cirayus took a moment to center himself. He was alone in this bizarre ce. Which meant he was being shown this scene for a purpose. Vir was not here. Perhaps he was seeing a vision of his own.
A shadowy figure lunged at Cirayus, who blocked instinctively.
Cirayus might be hampered without the overwhelming prana of the Ashen Realm, but he had never failed to train his body. Like Vir, he too boasted an internal prana capacity far beyond that of most demonshe didnt need any other advantages to win most fights.
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Without Bncer at full strength, Cirayus had to fight differently. Lacking the agility the tattoo normally gave him meant he was forced to favor a more stationary style, leveraging his physique to deal devastating blows, while moving only the barest amount to dodge iing attacks, and using Bncer as sparingly as possible.
Unlike Vir, his prana capacity wasnt nearly sufficient to power his strongest bloodline arts. That thed managed such a feat filled Cirayus with giddy excitement.
The shadowy figure wasnt simply wearing a cloakits vaguely humanoid body was wreathed in a moving shadow that shrouded all details. Like an abyss of ck.
Who are you? Cirayus said. What do you want with me?
The shadow halted. Who am I?
Another shadow appeared behind them. This is what you say after betraying us?
It wasnt enough to doom us to our deaths? said a third shadow. A female. It was an incredibly familiar voice.
Isnt that No. No, she would never say such a thing.
Now, you forget us as well? a fourth, older voice cried out, filling in the gap. Together, the four of them encircled him.
How am I to know who you are when you shroud yourself so?
Cirayus bellowed, but he recognized their voices instantly. Hed recognize them anywhere.
Why did she have to die? the elderly voice said. I entrusted her to you. You were supposed to care for her. Instead, you abandoned us for some boy! You killed my daughter!
Cirayus froze. Is that truly you, honored father?
The shadow melted away, revealing a frail, old red demon. Except, where his skin should have been, it had been burned off, revealing a hideous visage. Cirayus nearly turned away. Nearly.
It was Kamesh, alright. A horribly disfigured Kamesh. His only living wifes father had been a wise, gentle soul. A philosopher whom Cirayus, along with most of the Demon Realm, had greatly respected.
Is this what became of him? Did he truly suffer so?
This, and more, Cirayus, Kamesh croaked. But you see, I was but an old demon. I care not what became of me. What of her? What of them?
He turned, slowly, to the shadow Kamesh pointed at.
No Cirayus whispered, trembling.
There, where the shadow once was, stood his dearest Kiyara. His wife of four decades. Disfigured, like her father. Bleeding from multiple battle wounds.
I fought so hard, Cirayus. I fought to protect our family. Where were you when we needed you most?
Kiyara, why were you there? Why was Kamesh there when Samar Patag fell?
Cirayus heart wept. She should never have experienced such cruelty. She should have been hidden away at Camar Gadin, as hed told them. Certainly not Kamesh. Kiyara was a capable warrior, but her father? He had no business being anywhere near the Gargan capital.
Traitor, father and daughter said together.
That one word cut through Cirayus more than any injury hed ever sustained.
Father couldnt bear to stand idly by while innocents died. He insisted on going to Samar Patag to aid the wounded, Kiyara said, her voice dripping with regret. I dissuaded him, but he wouldnt listen. In the end, I gave in. I apanied him to that damned city. Do you know why?
Why? Cirayus croaked, his throat dry.
Because he convinced me that you would never allow anything to happen to us. That you, the mighty Ravager, would protect his kin. I believed him.
I What could Cirayus say, except the truth? I did.
So you admit it, a third voice said. Another, all-too-familiar voice. It was the voice of his thirteenth son.
Satish, Cirayus said, turning to face his son. Unlike the others, his face wasnt burned, but instead, he bled through numerous sword wounds that covered his torso. Far too many, even for a hardy Bairan to survive. It spoke of the valor with which the demon had shown.
You fought to the end, Cirayus said.
I did. To the cold, bitter end. I never lost hope. I knew you woulde. Right up to my dying breath. Had I known, I mightve lived. I might never have thrown my life away for those doomed people.
Cirayus was not easily brought low, but this? Only a cold, broken soul could carry on after learning such revtions.
The giant fell to his knees. Kamesh, Kiyara, and Satish all walked up to him. Slowly. Deliberately.
Cirayus met their judging gazes. That boy will save us. He is the future. Sarvaak is more important than me. Than even you.
One boy. Your whole family. No scale would weigh them equally, Kamesh said, cing his maimed hand on Cirayus shoulder. We are dead. At least let our souls rest in peace.
Cirayus lowered his head. What would you have me do, honored elder?
In terms of age, Cirayus was older. Yet Kamesh was the father of his wife. His position of honor was unquestionable.
You would make amends with us?
You know better than most how much I care for my own, Cirayus said. If your souls have not found the peace you deserve, then I shall do what I can to allow you to rejoin the cycle.
Very well, Kamesh said, handing Cirayus a ceremonial dagger. Follow us. There is one we would have you kill.
Is that all? Cirayus cracked his neck. Will this truly appease you? I am no stranger to death. You know this.
Kamesh nodded solemnly, then turned and started walking.
Cirayus followed his dearly departed family as they marched through the burning streets of Samar Patag. Injured victims moaned, and the roads were filled with dead warriors.
Did the city ever recover? Or would he only find a husk of its former glory when he arrived there? From experience, Cirayus knew which was more likely. Yet he hoped nheless. He wanted so desperately to believe his familys sacrifice had not been in vain.
Nay, it wasnt, he reminded himself. They bought us the time we needed to save young Sarvaak.
His family turned a corner onto a streeta street Cirayus knew well. It led to a small square ringed by one and two-story buildingsall burned or burning.
They stopped at a particr door, which opened, revealing a ghastly white figure, pale and translucent.
Unlike the others, the elderly demon woman did not burn.
Greesha, Cirayus said, his voice hoarse.
Greesha smiled sadly. It was a smile that carried the weight of centuries. Hello, Cirayus. My poor herald.
Chapter 235: The Reaper’s Wish (One)
Chapter 235: The Reaper¡¯s Wish (One)
It was not hot fury that flowed through Virs veins, but rather the icy calmness that only true rage can summon. It was the promise of death.
Virs leg may have been broken, but in that moment, nothing could stop him from chasing Ekanai into the Shadow Realm.
He hadnt paused to consider that following Ekanai mightve been impossible. Or dangerous. He simply acted.
Without understanding how, he felt Ekanais presence in that Realm, and gave chase.
Ekanai, bearing the full Dance of the Shadow Demon tattoo, wasnt restricted by the same limitations as Vir. In the time it took Vir to traverse twenty paces, Ekanai had gone a hundred.
Vir remained undaunted. He jumped right back into the shadows, intending to catch up. Then he stopped.
Ekanai was baiting him. The demon wanted to kill Vir. To absorb his soul. Any damage Vir took in this ce resulted in strengthening his predecessor. Vir didn''t need to chase the demon. Ekanai woulde to him.
Changing tactics, Vir reviewed what he knew. Navigating the Shadow Realm in this way was foreign to Vir, yet notpletely so. The Yaksha Guardian had given him some practice, and so he had some idea of what to expect.
Ekanai both moved and didn''t move whilst within the shadows. He... shifted. In Mahadi, Vir had been at a loss to understand the Yaksha''s powers. He''d had a lot of time to reflect on that fight, however, and now he had some idea. When Ekanai shifted locations within the Realm, he was actually popping out of one shadow and re-entering through another. How Dance wielders were able to move through a time-locked realm, Vir still didn''t understand. He only knew it was possible.
Which meant Vir could y the same game. And with Prana Vision functioning just fine, it wasn''t impossible to predict Ekanai''s movements.
Vir left the shadows and ced himself in the middle of an open valley. Here, atop the grassy floating inds, the shadows were soft weak, and few. It''d force Ekanai to emerge from just a handful of shadows, thus allowing Vir to prepare. He didn''t know if that was enough of an advantage, but it was one of the few Vir had.
Vir emerged from the shadow, and sure enough, Ekanai was there, awaiting him.
So was Vir. Without even aiming, he let fly Prana Darts in every directionlike a Phantomde firing its spikes.
Ekanaiu''s grunt of pain confirmed his location, and before he could sink back into the shadows, Vir let fly a Katar Launch. Ekanai met him with the same technique, Ash prana shing with Ash prana in midair. Ekanai''s Launch, however, was stronger.
Vir shoved himself back into the Shadow Realm, just as the deadly prana passed over his head.
Can I absorb that? He wondered. He''d never fought beings who could hurl Ash prana abilities before. While possible, if Vir messed up, he''d lose a limb.
Still, the encounter helped quell his anxiety a bit. Maiya''s words surfaced in his headthat he had to ovee his fear. She didn''t specify what, but there was only one being he feared here. Ekanai wasn''t as fearsome as Vir had thought.
Emboldened, Vir prepared to use the same tactic, this time surfacing from another shadow at the edge of his range.
He didnt even notice it, at first. He felt no painthe Shadow Realm prevented such things. There was only a strange sensation from the pit of his stomach.
Huh? Vir stared nkly at the de that had pierced his body in a realm where nothing was supposed to move.
Nothing did move, and yet, Ekanais katar had prated through Virs torso. Within the Shadow Realm.
Ekanai himself wasnt there. Only the weapon.
For now, it didnt feel like anything was wrong. Yet, Vir knew exactly what would happen the moment he left the Realm.
His courage evaporated, reced instead by terror. Cirayus warning echoed in his head.
Exercise extreme caution when fighting in the Shadow Realm.I would not dare trade blows with an enemy in that nonsensical space.
Only five counts remained until the shadows ejected him. Panic threatened to overtake his thoughts.
But Vir hadn''t fought for two years in the Ash for nothing.
He wrestled his panic under contrlbeit barelyand decided on a n.
Bracing himself, he chose the farthest exit he could locate. Farthest away from Ekanai.
He knew it was pointlessthe demon could find him anywherebut he had to do something. If only to retain what little control he had over this situation.
Vir felt the cold steel first. Only after a few seconds did pain bloom in his body. Ekanais katar remained firmly lodged within his abdomen, stopping the bleeding, but it was also perilously close to his spine. Just barely an inch away.
The pranites did what they could, but Vir had to remove the weapon to truly heal.
Bracing himself, Vir pulled as much blood from the wound as he dared, then activated Toughen, which sent another wave of pain exploding from the wound, nearly cking him out.
He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and yanked. The weapon came free.
The blood in Virs body surged into the cavity, the pressure forcing it out of his body, making him fight to maintain a stranglehold on his pranaand thus, his blood. It was the one time he was thankful that prana was bound to blood by its nature. Only with Prana Current did it decouple.
He was sure to keep that ability off during this process.
The pranites went to work healing Virs wound, though the act of healing was even more painful than the injury itself.
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If it was just physical pain, Vir couldve dealt with it. But to his horror, a wispy white substance began to flow out of him. Just as it had with Maiya.
This was pain on another realm entirely, and Vir immediately understood. This was Chakra. A metaphysical attack that pierced his very soul. Vir could scarcely believe Maiya had endured this without screaming in pain. If screaming didnt hurt so badly, Vir would be bellowing right now.
It wasnt the pain that worried him the most, however. If Ekanai had returned
Vir skin turned pale as a gangly, demonic hand reached down and picked up the fallen katar. The orb that contained Maiyas soul glowed brightly on a small rock nearby, and in Ekanais free hand, he contained another. An empty one, into which Virs essence drifted.
I must admit, I never thought itd be so easy. With your soul in here, I not only gain another weapon, Ill have your body to do as I see fit. A body that can survive Mahdi! Ill
Vir didnt wait. He immediately activated Dance of the Shadow Demon, fully aware of the danger. It was his only choice.
Risking no time within the Shadow Realm, Vir chose an exit. Far below.
Vir plummeted from the floating ind, falling faster and faster to the ground nearly a mile below.
With his mangled body, repositioning himself to absorb the fall was impossible. He couldnt even brace for the impact.
Vir activated Light Step, pulling prana from his backwhich collided with the ground firstand surged into his own shadow, before choosing a pitch-ck cave to exit into.
He shot into a natural tunnel with his momentum intact, tumbling end over end until he finally crashed into the far wall with a sickening thud.
Vir never felt the bone-shattering pain. Hed already fallen unconscious.
Vir awoke to a body that was battered and bruised. And without Ashanis pranites working furiously to repair the damage, hed have died long ago.
He lost track of time as he dipped in and out of consciousness.
Hours passed as Viry inside the cave in a daze. He didnt even have the mental capacity to wonder why Ekanai hadnt already ended him.
Sprawled out, unable to even get up, forced to look at ck nothingness, and trapped in his thoughts.
Never in his life had he felt so helpless. So utterly defeated. Not in Brij. Not even after Tia. Not ever.
The heaviness that weighed upon him made Bncer of Scales feel like a tickle inparison. For it was the weight of failure. Total, abject failure. Hed failed the one person in all the realms he absolutely couldnt.
The battle reyed in his head, stuck in an endless loop from which there was no escape.
It was a self-imposed torture, but one that kept him sane. Focusing on the fight stopped him from falling into the bottomless pit of despair he knew was waiting for him.
If only Id nned my attacks better, one voice said. No, there was no beating him. I shouldve fled the moment I saw him, the voice of reason countered. But that wouldve been pointless. He wouldve followed, a third voice whispered.
No matter how much he wracked his brain, Vir saw no solution. No way he couldve saved both himself and Maiya. Nor even a way to save Maiya at the expense of his own life. Against an opponent who could see the future, who wielded such almighty power, what chance did he have?
Excuses wont bring Maiya back, a voice rang in his head.
The worst part was, Vir didnt know what had be of Maiya. Was she still alive? Was there a way to save her? To think shed ended up that way protecting him The emotions threatened to make his heart explode. They consumed him, preventing him from thinking about anything else.
Vir began to hyperventte, and his vision blurred. Desperate, he tugged hard on the Foundation Chakra, or at least, what little of it he could draw upon with his limited mastery.
The violent storm of emotions quietened... slightly. For some reason, it was not a mountain he thought of, but the Godshollow. What was a lost battle to those eternal trees? They had weathered worse and would weather this, too.
Except, Vir didnt want to simply weather it. He wanted to fix it. To undo the wrongs hed wrought.
In typical Maiya style, shed fought to the bitter end. Even if he held no feelings for her, even if she wasnt the most precious person in his life, hed do anything to repay that debt.
With his body healed enough to move again, Vir sat up inside the cave.
Ovee your fear, shed said, indicating it was the key to defeating Ekanai.
That didnt make any sense, though. How would that save Maiya?
No. I cant save Maiya on my own. I have to ept that.
Vir didnt have an inkling as to the true nature of what was going on. He didnt even know if this entire cavern with its floating inds was real, or some borate fake. Though, as time went on, he found it harder to believe it was a deception. No matter how advanced the Gods were, how could they create such a perfect facsimile of Maiya?
Hed seen Ashani craft a perfect illusion, but he doubted even she could pull people from Virs own mind.
But admitting he couldnt save her was easier said than done. Every instinct and emotion he had urged him to try. That perhaps, like with Ashanis orbs, he could find a way.
Theres a better way, though. Ekanai. The gangly ghael had the answers. He clearly knew what he was doing when he captured Maiya, though Vir found it odd that a warrior such as him had such advanced Thaumaturge knowledge. It was as if Ekanai and Saunak had somehow melded together.
Nevertheless, the path forward was simple. Vir simply had to defeat Ekanai, and then force him to restore Maiya. Vir had seen her prana himselfshe wasnt dead. The process could be reversed.
He would believe that until his dying breath. He had to.
Maiya had not only saved his life, shed given him the key. Or at least, she believed so, anyway.
Fear. It was true, Vir felt many things toward Ekanai. Spite, confusion, but above all else, fear.
Hadnt it always been that way? Of all his predecessors, only Ekanai hadmandeered Virs body to assert his own will.
Vir thought back to when Ekanai had first taken over in the Godshollow. He had nearly died fighting the Knight Scouts bandies until Ekanai had intervened. The demon saved Vir, killing the bandies And then, hed sworn to kill Maiya,beling her as dead weight.
The memory made Virs blood boiled. Despite the erosion of two years of time, he recalled the details as clearly as if itd happened only yesterday.
The experience had scared Vir, though hed been more confused than anything. Hed managed to stop Ekanai back then. Hed thought he could control the demons in his head.
Then, at Riyans ce, Ekanai had taken over again. Vir realized it was then that his fear of the demon had solidified. Being forced to watch as Ekanaimandeered his body and marched to their bedchamberintent on slitting Maiyas throat as she sleptwas too much for Vir to bear.
It was why, when Riyan had sent Vir on his mission to Daha alone, hed almost been thankful. That way, he wouldnt have posed a threat to Maiya. Because he knew at that moment. He knew that he wasnt in control.
Thats it, isnt it? Vir thought. I cant grow past the person I was until I confront him. Until I vanquish him.
Vir had entered the Ashen Realm as a moderately capable warrior, but as someone who remained unsure of his identity. Unsure of his calling.
Hed since grown past that. Both in strength and as a person. But Ekanai loomed over him like a dark shadow. How could he help the Gargawho was he to save otherswhen he couldnt even vanquish the demons in his own head?
Until he defeated Ekanai, there would be no progress.
Not like Ekanai will be taking over again, Vir thought in an attempt to lessen the dread that grew within his chest. Not after what Shardul said at Mahdi. Its why hes going to such lengths, isnt it?
Ekanais presence was the single most ring piece of evidence Vir had that none of this was real. Maiyas presence, unfortunately, served as a perfect counterpoint.
Vir found his mind drifting once more, and so he tugged on the Foundation Chakra to refocus. Likely because he hadnt fully mastered the Chakra, it was only limitedly helpful for that purpose.
How exactly does one get over a fear, though? Vir wondered.
There was, after all, a very good reason behind that fear.
Like all other fears, I suppose. By confronting it, a voice chimed in his head. It was Maiyas voice.
Except that was impossible. Maiya saw that battle. As a capable warrior and mejai, she knew how impossible it was. No tactic or strategy in the world could ovee that vast chasm of power.
Had she been mistaken?
Vir rejected that idea immediately. She would never have been so sure of herself if there was even a chance of that. No, her words mustve contained some other, hidden meaning.
If I only knew what.
A wave of fatigue hit Vir. The endless days of fighting already had him running dry, and now, after all this, he wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and sleep for a century.
His mind drifted off, thinking of Ekanai, and, almost unconsciously, he reached out to the Foundation Chakra.
A surge of energy erupted from the base of his spine. Right before Vir cked out.
Chapter 236: The Reaper’s Wish (Two)
Chapter 236: The Reaper¡¯s Wish (Two)
Vir found himself sitting on a stone bench. A long hearth fire burned a few paces away, its smoke rising to a circr hole cut in the top of the thatched yurt. The warm glow filled the dwelling with a sense of peace and security, something so foreign that Vir had nearly forgotten what it felt like.
A precious luxury, soon to be missed, Vir thought. The thought was not his own but rather came from somewhere else.
Vir tried to move but couldnt. He had no motor control, nor could breathe, or even choose where to look.
Oddly, however, panic did not well within him. The opposite, actually. There was a certain calm serenity to the whole scene. Vir felt warm, happy, and content. And a little anxious, though it was the anxiousness one felt when dreading the future.
Vir lookedor rather, was forced to lookup to find the room full of demons. All Ghaels.
Disyed across the far wall was a g. A gray-bordered purple g with an icon of a white eye and a brown iris at the very center.
The g of n Iksana. While Vir had never seen it before, he immediately understood it as such. It was knowledge the person in the vision possessed.
Dont leave us! a ghael boy rushed up to Vir, tears in his eyes. His gangly limbs looked less hideous than Zorasthe adult ghael Vir had seen in the Pagan Order.
Virs eyes lowered, and he found that his own body was all wrong. His arms were long, gangly gray limbs that reached almost to the floor. His legs were also misshapen, and he noticed he sat with a hunched back.
Im a ghael?
The boy crashed into Vir, who grasped his shoulder and ruffled his wispy gray hair, smiling gently.
Dont leave, Ekanai! Youre the Akh Nara! You cant leave!
Ekanai!? This time, Vir did panic. Im in the body of Ekanai!? Is this his memory, then?
Who do you think youre talking to, boy? Ekanai said with a warm, heartyugh. You know what they call me?
Yessir! Youre the Reaper!
A title bestowed upon me. A title earned. You understand? I will delve deeper into the Ash than any demon ever has. And I shall return. For the Iksana. For demonkind!
If I only knew what the gods want of me
For a moment, Vir didnt understand why hed thought that until he realized itde from Ekanais mind.
The other ghaels cheered, and the boy looked up at Ekanai in wonder.
What kind of sick joke is this?
This wasnt Ekanai. This wasnt the same being who considered Maiya dead weight. Whod vited Virs control over his own body to make attempts on her life? What right did Ekanai have to smile like that?
The difference wasnt one Vir could chalk up to the ravages of time. The person in this memory was someone else entirely. As if some gentle soul had possessed the body of the most heinous of demons.
But why am I even seeing this? Shardul said Id never receive their help again
Though, this wasnt quite helping. Virdespite the sorry state of his bodywas confident in his pranites ability to heal him up. With the amount of prana in his body, he didnt have to worry about them running out of fuel, either.
And thus far Vir doubted hed gain some new insight from this memory. It looked exactly as it wasa warm, cozy scene. Just with Iksana ghaels. And Ekanai.
At least, it would be cozy, if it werent for the emotions flitting through Virs mind. Not his emotionsEkanais.
Confidence. Bravado. Ruthlessness. Vir had expected to be drowned in those emotions, yet there was no trace of them.
Instead, what he felt more than anything else, was terror. Not for his own safetyEkanai had long understood the perils of his uing questbut that hed die without fulfilling his destiny. It was the fear of total, absolute failure.
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Vir didnt think Ekanai rightly knew what fear was. Nor did he ever believe in his wildest dreams that the demon was capable of feeling such insecurity.
The scene abruptly shifted, and now Ekanai stood in a blightedndscape, gray and barren, fighting off Ash Beast after Ash Beast. It was, without a doubt, the Ashen Realm.
Vir moved with the demon. They were his own movements, but they were also Ekanais. It was as if Vir was a puppet manipted by strings.
Despite the awkward sensation, Vir understood one thing. Until that moment, Vir had believed hed mastered his form and perfected hisbat over the past year, fighting within the Ash.
He now understood that hed been wrong. He hadnt attained perfection. Ekanai had.
The demon was old. Centuries-old, like Cirayus, and Vir was once again shown just how much of an insurmountable advantage that wealth of experience was. When applied to Ekanais Bncer of Scales, Dance of the Shadow Demon, and his other Iksana Bloodline Arts, it became an absolute, unfair advantage.
Ekanai didnt fight Ash Beasts as much as he annihted them. He only fought a small fractionthe rest he killed simply with his Warrior and Crown Chakra attacks.
Vir could feel the Chakras fire from Ekanais body, though how the demon managed it was beyond Vir. It was akin to watching a master artisan as they worked. Anyyman could marvel at the spectacle, but if asked to replicate it, theyd be entirely unable to.
Beasts flopped over and died, seemingly at random, having been touched by Chakra. Ekanai melded with the shadows. Each time his de departed the Shadow Realm, a beast died.
He executed one after the other with brutal efficiency, barely a second between kills. Sometimes, he traveled hundreds of paces within the shadows, sometimes he assassinated a half dozen beasts from a single position.
It put Virs own usage of the ability to shame. Vir had to remind himself that, unlike Ekanai, he was making do without the actual tattoo, and that hed only had a couple of years to learn it.
Despite this, Ekanais finesse was in another realm entirely.
Virs only sce came when Ekanai used Bncer of Scales on his enemies. Hisck of experience wielding the ability was immediately obvious. Where Cirayus handled the magic like a scalpel, Ekanai used it more as a hammer toy suppression down upon an immense field of foes.
Useful, to be sure, but iparable to Cirayus when he reduced Sikandars weight, multiplying his own before finally making Sikandar as heavy as an Ashva before the moment of impact. The effect was oftentimesical.
Sometimes, the beast was hurled away with such force that it looked like a rag-doll. Sometimes, the giant cleaved right through as if it were made of paper.
While Ekanai could do none of those things, his particrbination of tattoos showed Vir exactly how hed earned his name. In less than a minute, hundreds of Ash Beastsy dead in a ring around him.
How am I supposed to defeat such a monster? Vir thought in awe. Awe that quickly turned into worried concern. He hasnt even used rity yet. Or Yumas Embrace.
As if triggered by Virs thoughts, a flight of Shrikes dive bombed Ekanai from behind. The speed at which they plummeted was truly awesome. Even with all his progress, Vir still had trouble detecting and avoiding them in time. It usually ended in broken bones, which hampered Vir significantly as he fought off hordes of beasts over the next hours while his pranites healed the injury.
Ekanai jumped lightly.
Hes toote! Vir thought. But then, something impossible happened. Reality seemed to bend over itself. The Shrikes that shouldve impaled him were now under him. Ekanais gangly arm extended, and the Shrike flew into it as if guided by Fate itself.
No, time hasnt rewound I was simply living the reality that Ekanai saw when he used rity.
Then, that reality exploded into a million possible futures. Vir was so ovee with dozens of scenarios, he begged for the sensation to cease. In some, Ekanai was impaled. In others, Ekanai jumped atop the Shrikes backs, and yet others where he lopped off their heads before they dive-bombed him.
Just when Vir felt like his head would explode, the variants all copsed into one reality, and again, events seemed to flow ording to Ekanais will. He stepped onto the Shrike, crushing its neck, and then jumped into the air, swinging his katar in arge arc.
There was nothing but air where he jumped, and Vir was sure hed fall, or worsebe an easy target for the swift birds.
Nothing of the sort urred. A Shrike suddenly appeared right under Ekanais boot. The demons katar cut cleanly through the bird as he jumped off it, cleaving another Shrike in two before his boots finally hit the ground.
What in the Realms did I just witness?
It was, of course, the Iksana Ultimate Bloodline tattoo rity. The ability to gain a limited prescience, glimpsing the immediate future of the area around the caster. But it operated so unlike anything Vir had ever imagined.
Hed hoped that witnessing the Ultimates might give him an edge when he obtained them. Cirayus said it took decades, if not centuries, to truly master, but Vir was optimistic he could shorten that by leveraging his prior incarnations, even if hismand wouldnt be as strong.
After seeing rity in action, however, Vir began to wonder if it truly might take as long as hed feared. There were no simple abilities. Not even close.
Ekanainded again, and this time, he was truly alone in the field of corpses. The demon took a single, deep breath, and soldiered on. Deeper into the Ash.
Through it all, Ekanai felt no glee at having destroyed his enemies. He felt no pride. All that came through was his growing worry that he still didnt know what the gods wanted of him. He didnt know how the power at the heart of Mahdi was supposed to help him fulfill his destiny. Nor even how to go about obtaining that power, assuming he survived the Mahdi ne.
The demon clutched his chest, heaving. While Vir couldnt feel Ekanais pain, it was obvious just how much misery the demon was in.
But he hasnt taken any injuries. Whys he in pain!? Vir suddenly understood. Prana Poisoning.
Ekanai appeared to be in a deep area of the Ash, and the prana density was obviously affecting him.
Hes going to die if he continues like this. Why? Whats driving him? Why does he sacrifice himself?
The scene darkened and shifted. Perhaps with this next memory, Vir would understand. Perhaps hed uncover the darkness that Ekanai had hidden all along.
The scene cleared. Ekanai had arrived at Mahdi.
Chapter 237: The Reapers Wish (Three)
Chapter 237: The Reaper''s Wish (Three)
A torrent of emotions assaulted Vir as his predecessor stepped through the Ash Gate into the City of the Gods. Emotions that stemmed as much from Ekanai as it from himself.
From Ekanai, Vir felt the tion one can only feel after having finally taken thest step of a decades-long journey, along with the reliefand regretthat apanies it. He felt longing for the Demon Realm, a faint sliver of hope that, when this was all over, he might be able to return home. And he felt sad that his journey might soon be at an end.
Virs own emotions took a different turn. The ck spires of Mahdi served to remind him of Ashani and his bitter failure. He thought of her cloistered within Janaks home, hibernating her life away. Did she hold out hope that Vir woulde back for her?
How could she? Vir thought. She knew exactly how unlikely that proposition was.
And yet, Vir would find a way. Hed named Shan to remind him of that promise. Of the great debt hed owed her. It was why Vir was so gutted that Saunak hadnt proven entirely trustworthy. If only he had, they mightve worked together to devise a way back. To allow her to escape that horrible ce.
Ekanai took a step. His knees immediately buckled. Vir knew exactly what he was going through, even though the memory suppressed the pain the demon felt.
Prana Poisoning was one of the worst ways to go. Vir could almost feel the prana overloading Ekanais blood.
And yet, despite the pain, Ekanai soldiered on. He never once considered retreating through the Ash Gate behind him. If he did, hed be forever doomed to wander aimlessly upon the realms. Only by progressing could he fulfill his purpose. Or find his purpose, Vir realized.
Its not blind zeal that drives him. Its a desire for his life to have had meaning.
Vir understood then, in that moment, that through Ekanais entire life, it was this desire to uncover his purpose that drove him. A desire that was painfully rtable.
It wasnt glory or fame or riches. Ekanai cared nothing for his titles. Hed never exploited his status as the Akh Nara, unlike some whod preceded him.
No, Ekanai cared about one thing and one thing onlythat, when his time in the realms was over, that hed have found his calling.
The demon fought off Ash Wolves and Phantomdes, squashing dozens at once with Bncer of Scales. With rity and Yumas Embrace, it wasnt even a contest. Ekanai would not be harmed. Not by beasts, anyway.
Vir watched as the demon fell to his knees. A der skewered his chest from behind. Ekanai saw iting, but allowed it to pierce him. Healing injuries wasnt difficult. Stopping Prana Poisoning was.
Why, though? Surely he knew this would happen? Vir wondered, before the truth dawned upon him.
None of the others ever made it this far
Ekanai had been the first to venture into the Mahdi Realm. Which meant Virs featentering, and survivinghad been far beyond anything theyd managed. Hed relied on them. On their hard-won experiences to survive. Even then, it was only thanks to Ashanis pranites and the collective effort of Ekanai, Shardul, Parai, Jalendra, and Narak that had allowed him to survive.
The realization hit Vir like a raging Garga. Whether or not he despised Ekanai, Vir had benefitted directly from his life experience.
Ekanai struggled to stay conscious, but against the sheer prana density, his sight dimmed, and he copsed.
As the demons vision went dark one final time, just before the Ash Beasts tore into him, what he felt was not anger, or frustration, or even regret.
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It was a profound, bottomless loneliness, and a sincere, earnest wish to be held by someone in his final moments. To be consoled and loved.
The memory faded, leaving Vir alone in a strange space hed ever seen before. He sat cross-legged in a green grassy meadow in the middle of a forest.
Another of Ekanais memories? But no, it wasnt.
Vir recognized it immediatelyit was the Godshollow.
He was alone, though he knew he was still in his mind. The world possessed a hazy, dreamlike quality to it. He feltforted by the Godshollows sturdy presence.
Birds chirped merrily, and a gentle breeze ruffled the ferns and shrubs that nketed the forest floor. Light filtered through an opening in the canopy, its rays ying upon the untouched dirt.
This is my mindscape?No way!
Virs excitement soared at the thought. Cirayus had mentioned that upon fully opening the Foundation Chakra, Vir would gain ess to a mindscapea personal sanctuary where one could meditate. A ce where hours or sometimes even days could pass with only moments passing in the real world.
It was primarily useful for meditation, contemtion, and, upon opening theter chakras, even training. Each Chakra expanded the mindscape, allowing for increasinglyplex scenarios.
Vir stood up and walked to the edge of the meadow. As he neared the ancient trunks, he felt a pressure push back on him, preventing him from venturing into the forest, which he intuitively understood wasnt actually there. This was all an illusion, and his mindscape couldnt support anymore.
That was all well. Vir gazed up at the enormous trees, wondering in amazement. How much had he yearned for this breakthrough, these past months?
It urred to him now that he mightve had an easier time opening the Foundation Chakra if hed used the Godshollow as the basis for stability instead of the mountains as Cirayus had taught him. It was much closer and more real to him than any peak had ever been. That the mindscape took the form of the Godshollow only proved it.
Was this how Cirayus maintained his sanity? Was he escaping into a mindscape of his own, simr to how I fled into the Shadow Realm?
Vir had initially pitied the giant, not having such a ce to retreat into. Now, however, he envied him. Given a choice between total ckness and a beautiful, crisp forest or something analogous, there wasnt even a contest.
Vir returned to the middle of the pristine meadow and sat crosslegged, allowing his eyes to defocus as he thought about the memories hed been shown.
He now had a hunch about what had triggered it. The key was Ekanai.
For so long, Vir had rejected the demons existence. As Maiya had somehow known, hed feared the demon. Feared that hed take over. That hed harm Maiya. That hedmit atrocities with Virs body, and that Vir would be unable to lift a finger to stop him.
The Ekanai Vir knew was a ruthless killing machine. More at home in the Ashen Realm standing on a pile of corpses than a real, living being with hopes and dreams.
Vir knew now that this couldnt have been further from the truth. Shardul had once said that with each reincarnation, his identity as the Primordial degraded. Memories from past lives became fragmented. Diluted, but also warped.
The Ekanai that had made it through that process was a horribly broken, distorted version of the real being.
The demon didnt shun familial ties because he thought them dead weightVir knew that now. Hed felt Ekanais thoughts. The demon had never allowed himself to grow close to anyone because he knew just how dangerous itd be for them.
Hed isted himself to protect them. To shield them from those whod see harme to the Akh Nara. Ekanai wasor had beena gentle soul at his core. Someone who wished to shoulder all the burden of the Akh Nara alone. A demon whose only wish was to find some purpose in his long life. To fulfill his destiny, so he could return to his n with his head held up high.
His course required him to kill, and he took on that burden withoutint. But he never once enjoyed it.
I see
The Ekanai that had manifested wasnt real. Whatever contraption had transported him to the underground world with its floating inds and its caves had used Virs own memories of Ekanai to create a caricature of the demon.
He isnt real. Hes a figment of my mind. None of it is real.
Vir gulped at that. Then what of Maiya? What of the moments theyd shared together? What of her bravery and sacrifice? Was that also a fabrication? She felt so real!
He didnt want to believe all of this had been a hallucination. He couldnt. Even knowing Ekanai wasnt real didnt reduce the threat. Vir had bled when attacked. Worse, his very soul had been siphoned. The consequences were real.
Except now, Vir knew he had nothing to fear. For if Ekanai was generated from his mind, then Vir suspected the Ekanai hed face in light of these revtions would be quite different. Thanks to the new knowledge hed obtained.
Knowledge hed gained by restoring his memories of Ekanai with the power of the Foundation Chakra.
Vir stood, leaves crunching softly under him. While his predecessors hadnt saved himand wouldnt, ever againhed nheless gained something valuable from these memories. Hed understood the person Ekanai was. The person he strove to be. And in the process, Vir understood himself.
Because Vir was Ekanai in a previous life. The demon was as much a part of him as Shardul, Parai, and the others. For the very first time, Vir could ept that. eptand embrace.
You failed so close to your goal. But where you failed, I will seed. I will learn from your mistakes, and I willplete your quest. I will honor those who have zed the trail by seeing it to itspletion.
Vir closed his eyes and exited the mindscape. Not as a scared, panicking demon, but a master of the Foundation Chakra. At peace with himself.
Chapter 238: The Reaper’s Wish (Four)
Chapter 238: The Reaper¡¯s Wish (Four)
Vir left his cave the same way hed arrivedthrough the shadows. Why Ekanai hadnt pursued him, he couldnt say.
All he knew was that he had to end the demon. Both to escape this ce and to do right by Ekanais memory. The real Ekanai, that was. Vir suspected the demon would be disgusted at the abomination that had manifested here.
Vir searched the caves until he found one that suited him. It was a long, narrow tunnel, dimly lit by green bioluminescent moss.
The location favored Vir, the smaller of the twobatants. While they both wielded chakrams and katars, Ekanais height and gangly limbs would only get in the way here.
Calling upon the Foundation Chakra, Vir calmed himself and prepared for the battle ahead, though he didnt sink into his mindscape. He wasnt sure just how much time passed while he was in there, and until hed tested the details, he couldnt risk being caught off-guard.
Virs strategy would leverage the fact that Ekanais physical manifestation was based on Virs memories of the demon. With luck, knowing what he knew now, the Ekanai he fought would be different. He might be more reasonableand hopefully, weaker.
If he wasnt, Vir was going to have his hands full just staying alive.
He shook off the thought. Maiya wouldnt have mentioned conquering his fear if it wasnt critical for this fight. His trust in her was absolute, and so his mind was calm.
Vir didnt have to wait long. Ekanai appeared some paces away, Artifact chakram and orb in hand, snarling viciously.
Hello, Ekanai, Vir said calmly. How are you feeling?
The demon smirked. Never better. Your friend here has made quite the spell. Gave me some trouble, but I managed it. Now I need only test it. And soon, he said, holding up another, empty orb, I will have another. Your body will be the perfect vessel for me, and your soul will be my weapon. With two soul weapons, not even Fate itself can stop us!
Virs hope disappeared the moment the demon started talking. Ekanai was no less vicious than before. He hadnt changed. And now he had a new, powerful weapon.
No thats not quite right, is it?
There was something different about him. The overwhelming, oppressive aura hed emitted before was now gone, and it wasnt only on ount of Virs Foundation Chakra protecting him from the demons mental attacks.
Its my fear! It was somehow strengthening him. And Maiya knew
Logically, it made no sense. Then again, nothing about this ce did. If, as Vir suspected, none of it was real, then this fabricated reality was likely bound by a different set of rules. Rules that were obviously impacted by Vir himself.
By vanquishing his fear, hed somehow robbed Ekanai of a portion of his power. It wasnt the oue hed been hoping for, but itd have to suffice.
With Haste active, Vir Blinked forth, spearing Ekanai with his katar.
It was only a distraction. The Chakri Barrage hed simultaneouslyunched was the real attack. Dozens of the tiny prana disks ripped through the air, filling the entire tunnel.
The demon moved slightly, barely dodging his katar. The Chakris, however, were another story.
rity was a powerful abilityoverwhelmingly sobut it had one w. Namely, knowledge of the immediate future was only useful if one could act upon it.
Previously, the demon had been able to do exactly that. His strength, speed, and armor had all been impossibly formidable, allowing him to execute mind-bending feats. That was no longer true.
Ekanai moved a smidge slower now. A weakness amplified by the tunnels tight confines, turning it into a killing field. With his gangly limbs, Ekanai couldnt possibly move his body quickly enough to avoid them all.
He didnt have to. He sunk into the shadows.
It was exactly what Vir had done countless times to avoid danger. Yet, it too, had a crippling weakness.
Vir grasped Ekanais arm with a death grip. Either the demon had been too preupied with Virs Chakris, or he hadnt used rity, because his eyes widened in shock and realization.
Virs earlier katar attack had been a double feint. Not only did it divert Ekanais attention away from his chakrams, but it also put Vir within physical range.
Now dodge this, Vir rasped, as a dozen prana disks ripped into the Iksana ghael. Cirayus had said that ghaels are normally physically frail, relying on their stealth arts to be effective inbat.
Not so with Ekanai. His Primordial nature erased such weaknesses. His Prana Armor red, absorbing the first several prana chakris, but Vir had expected this, too.
Because Ekanai being a Primordial cut both ways.
With his arm still firmly on Ekanai, Vir pulled. Ash prana surged into him, instantly depleting theyer of armor Ekanai had built.
Perhaps sensing the future with rity, Ekanai desperately tried to pull away. He failed.
Ekanai hurled Virs own Artifact Chakram back at him, but without hesitation, Vir snatched it out of the air.
Thats my weapon. Did you honestly think it would hurt me?
The demon snarled.
The next prana chakri sliced cleanly through the arm Vir held, freeing the demon to twist away in pain. The subsequent two missed, but the fifth drove into his body, gouging deep, and thest nicked his leg at the ankle.
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For without prana armor, without his medley of magic, Ekanai was just a ghael, like any other. There was nothing to fear here.
Ekanai bled, though none of the wispy essence drifted out of him as it had with Vir and Maiya.
That proves it. Hes just a fabrication. But then what of Maiya?
Virs eyes turned to the orb at Ekanais waist, and to his surprise, found a wispy white essence drifting out from it.
Is that Maiya?
Or was it what had be of her? Ekanai said orbs were originally powered by the power of souls. Was this really her? Or was it some twisted version of her? What had the demon done to her?
The wisps went straight for Ekanais wound, entering it. The demon dropped his weapon and screamed in agony.
One, in particr, had snaked around, avoiding Virs vision. By the time he noticed, it was toote. Vir watched in horror as the wisp dove into his arm.
He braced himself for the pain of a chakra attack.
Hey, Vir! Sorry for earlier.
Maiya? Vir gasped. Is that really you?
Kinda. Hard to exin. Anyway, keep it up. A few more like that and I ought to be able to take over.
Take over!? Vir didnt have a clue how such a feat could be possible, nor how Maiya understood how to aplish it.
Exinter. Or maybe not. Ekanai didnt know what he was doing. I didnt either, but it seems like I have a knack for this? I dont get it, really. Anyway, just trust me. Love you.
Despite himself, Vir felt a profound warmth bloom in his chest. Maiyas okay! Shes alright! Everythings going to be alright.
Vir still couldnt be sure it was really her, but the tion filled him, nheless.
With Ekanai as injured and crippled as he was, attacking him further was hardly a challenge. The moment the demon had lost his arm, Vir grabbed his leg instead. Ekanais only way out was to escape into the shadows, but with Vir draining his prana, Ekanai couldnt escape. He couldnt even activate Dance of the Shadow Demon anymore.
With his other hand, Vir activated Prana de and stabbed the demon, waiting for Maiyas essence to fill the wound before striking again.
S-Stop! Ekanai shrieked, but he was in far too much pain to say much more.
If hes feeling pain, it must mean Maiya is doing that to him, Vir thought, a bit shocked at how much she seemed to be hurting him.
A flicker of pity crossed Virs thoughts, but he cast it aside. This corrupted manifestation of Ekanai had done far worse to Maiya. She was more than entitled to some karmic retribution.
How dare you? the demon screamed. I cant die here. Not again. I cant fail again. My purposeargh!
How fitting for Maiya to take over his body when he robbed her of hers.
Vir wondered if shed chosen this method precisely because it allowed her to get back at Ekanai in the most direct way possible. It was a typical Maiya move.
But that made him question whether Maiya felt the pain he was inflicting upon the demons body. If she was taking over like she said
Okay, thats enough Vir! Ekanai said, grimacing.
Vir froze in his tracks.
Uh, Mai? Is that you?
Y-yeah. Heh. It actually worked! Would you believe it?
Vir stared at Ekanai-Maiya nkly.
What? Ekanai asked, tilting his head.
This is really weird, Vir said. Im beginning to question my sanity.
What, it took you this long? Besides, imagine how I feel! You didnt just have your soul be inexplicably detached from your bodysomething I didnt even think was possiblebefore being sucked right into an orb!
Virs words caught in his mouth. Im sorry, he whispered.
Ekanai frowned. You beat him. You overcame your fear.
I couldnt help you. When he said he was going to turn you into a spell, I I feared the worst. I thought Id lost you. Virughed. Look at you. You not only saved yourself, you even took over Ekanai. How is that even possible?
Vir slumped to the ground. It was all too much. He felt like the world was ying with him, trying to test his limits to see how much he could take before he snapped.
Hey, why do I need to be the one getting saved all the time? Ekanai-Maiya said, one hand on hisher?hip. Now you know how it feels to be on the receiving end, Maiya said softly.
The tenderness in her words were entirely erased by Ekanais scratchy ghael voice. The feeling conveyed, regardless.
I never really considered that. Vir had always assumed it was his duty to protect her. As the Primordial. As her friend.
I guess being saved once in a while isnt so bad after all, Vir said, though his heart wasnt in it. Even now, he was absolutely gutted over how he had no way to help her. Even if he had defeated Ekanai, then what? Was Maiya doomed to be trapped in that orb until he found a way to restore her?
Vir shuddered at the possibility.
Did it hurt? he asked. Being, er yknow. The orb stuff.
Ekanai scratched his head. A little. It was just really weird. Not having a body, but being able to see everything happening. It was ufortable, more than anything. You wont believe how awkward it is not having hands and feet. But er, lets just say Im d I stopped Ekanai when I did. Every time he activated the orb, I felt like a piece of me disappeared.
Virs stomach lurched. Are you
Maiya waved away his concern. Im fine. Whatever I lost, I retook from him. Dont ask me how Im doing any of this. Im way outside my depth here. Still she lowered her voice, Made me wonder about all the orbs we take for granted. Did they really alle from souls? Did the Gods do what Ekanai did?
Vir had so many questions, he didnt even know where to begin. Ashani had never once hinted that the Imperium employed such despicable practices. Then again, she never imed that the Imperium created the original orbs, either.
Had they uncovered the magic at some point, and simply built upon it? Or was there a darker side that Ashani wasnt revealingor perhaps didnt even know about?
Questions for another time. Right now, Vir was filled with mixed emotions about this whole situation. Should he be ted at Maiyas sess? Thankful that she defeated Ekanai? Or heartbroken that she had to endure such pain?
So, uh, what now? Maiya asked, though Vir had the same question.
I honestly dontMaiya! Vir shouted, pointing.
Maiya looked down at her arm, which was steadily dissolving away.
Maiya! No! Vir shrieked, rushing up to her. Nonono!
Prana bled from Ekanais body at an rming rate as it crumbled away to dust. Vir desperately surged Ash prana into Ekanais body, but to no avail.
Gotta admit. Didnt see thising, Maiya said nervously.
No. Stop. Stop! Vir didnt even know who he was yelling at. This cant be happening. Maiya! Vir roared. Maiya!
Ekanais body continued to vanish before Virs very eyes, and there was absolutely nothing he could do. Nothing, but watch as Maiyas eyes filled with tears, but she didnt cry.
And if she didnt, how could he?
Maiya said nothing. She simply held him gently right until she was gone.
Vir, whod been holding back his tears, fell to his knees.
But the tears didnte. His eyes widened.
For instead of an empty cavern, a brilliantly white form stood before him. Maiyas wispy form, exactly as shed been when he first found her fighting Ekanai.
No, not the same. Maiya shone as brightly as ever. Prana surged through her veinsboth her Ice and Wind prana, but also Ekanais Ash prana as well. Not within hersurrounding her. Then it surged into her body, causing her to convulse. It didn''t enter her bloodstream as Vir expected but rather disappeared somewhere deep within her, and her hair shone so brightly it almost looked as if it were on fire.
Maiya!? Vir blurted. Are you
I feel great! Maiya said, whirling. What in the Realms
Vir stared at her dumbfounded. She was alive. Maiya was alive!
He was about to embrace her when she began to disappear.
Not just her. The entire cave crumbled away, leaving nothing but inky darkness.
No. A terrible thought formed in Virs head. What if none of this is real? What if Maiya isnt
Just an hour ago, hed wished it wasnt real. That it was all just his imagination, and that Maiya hadnt endured any of the pain shed gone through.
Now? Now, he was terrified it might all be fake.
Its alright, Vir, Maiya said as her form dimmed. Im just returning. Its okay.
How do you know! Vir wailed. How can you possibly know?
Call me sometime, yeah? Maiya said, as her essence disappeared entirely. Ive missed you. A lot.
Vir tried to reply but felt a sudden lurch. A brilliant white light shed, and suddenly, he was on a bumpy rough surface in the middle of a circr room.
Green roots covered every inch of the room, and at its center, a tree rose from the roots to form a great trunk.
A trunk that pulsed with prana and chakra.
What in all the realms?
Chapter 239: Memento Mori (Cirayus)
Chapter 239: Memento Mori (Cirayus)
Greesha appeared as a white essence, semi-translucent. She did not look pleased to be here.
Youre like a cockroach, Cirayus. I see you survived the Ash, Greesha said, her thin lips taut. Her voice trembled for a quick instant, and she scratched her neck.
Shed never been one to show her emotions, but having known the woman for centuries, Cirayus had be quite proficient at reading her tells.
Shes happy. Relieved.
And the boy? she asked sharply.
Alive and well. And about to return to right all the wrongs weve wrought.
This time, Greeshas brows raised in genuine surprise.
She exhaled deeply, as if shedding a heavy burden. I see.
Kamesh offered Cirayus a ceremonial dagger. You know what needs to be done.
What good will killing Greesha do? Cirayus asked, refusing the dagger.
This abomination has the blood of an entire n on her hands. Yet did she die like the rest of us? No. She lives infort while we perish.
Cirayus looked to his wife, who nodded. Kamesh is right, Cirayus, Kiyara said, locking eyes with Cirayus. Had Greesha not divulged her prophecy to Maion and Shari, Sarvaak would have been born normal. There would have been no war between the Chitran and the Garga.
And I would still be alive, her expression said. More than anyone else present, it was her words that cut through Cirayus the most. Hed treasured her. Theyd fought together. Theyd loved together. Shed been his other half in nearly all aspects of life.
As old as Cirayus was, until he''d met her, hed been convinced hed never find that again. He valued herpanionship more than most things in the world.
Most, but not all.
I cannot. You know this. Killing Greesha will not bring you back to life.
No, but it will allow us to move on, Kiyara replied.
Cirayus paused. Is this true? he asked Kamesh. Are you unable to rejoin the cycle?
Kill her, and we will be free, the elder said. Absolve yourself of your sins!
Greesha? Cirayus asked. You have always had a strongermand of these matters than I. Do their words ring true? Does this make sense?
Does it make sense? he asks! I was happily sleeping in my cot when my soul was rudelyand rather painfullysnatched away to this ce. Only in prophecies does such a thing ur, and I assure you, this is no prophecy. So, no. No, it does not make sense, Cirayus.
Cirayus nearly chuckled despite the situation. This was Greesha, alright. Despite what must have been grueling years, living under the Chitrans thumb, she hadnt lost her fire.
What I can tell you, Greesha said, pointing at Kamesh, is that you have no knowledge of the workings of death and rebirth. Rejoin the cycle of incarnation? Nobody knows whates after! Least of all lost souls like yourselves. Im of a mind to believe youre not even real.
How dare
How dare you! Greesha snapped, spitting at Kameshs feet. What sin has Cirayusmitted? The sin of dissuading you all to fight on behalf of the Garga? If I recall, it was you lot who pointlessly threw your lives away. Dont me him for your inadequacies. I swear, it disgusts me to see you all like this. Have you no shame?
Kill her! Kamesh roared.
Cirayus crossed his four arms. No.
You would deny us our final wish, father? Satish said, his face full of anguish.
Cirayus shook his head. I will. For this is not your wish, Satish. I raised you better than this. My son would never behave this way.
Satish scowled. Then it seems you do not know me at all.
Greesha cleared her throat. As much as Id like to agree, we cannot be sure of that, Cirayus. We are not here. This ce is a fabrication. But their souls? Less certain.
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Cirayus expression darkened. You mean to tell me that these ghosts are real?
Greesha shook her head. I suspect that whatever entity has brought us here also fabricated their forms. Perhaps even their mannerisms. But their soulsthe source of their energythere is a quality to it that I cannot ce. At the very least, we should not dismiss them as mere illusions.
Enough of this! Kamesh roared.
If you will not kill Greesha, then we will have you pay for your sins. With your life. Kiyara was the one who said it. Her melodic voice that had been filled with happiness, now called for his death.
Their daggers descended. With Giant Hide active, Cirayus ignored them. Their attackscked Chakraeven without his bloodline art, there was nothing they could do to him.
The daggers plunged into Cirayus neck, his chest, his back.
He barely felt the pathetically weak attacks.
You cannot harm me!?
The daggers had done no damage. And yet, milky white essence bled from where theyd struck.
A wave of weakness passed over Cirayus. The white essence entered all three of his kin. Their gruesome burns healed before his very eyes.
What in the Realms?
Cirayus frowned. Both Foundation and Shield chakras were open, protecting him from attacks that targeted the soul. At least, they should have.
Cirayus! Greesha shouted.
Is that worry in that old bats voice?
They struck again. But there was no need to move. Bncer of Scales ttened the three against the ground. Kameshs jaw struck the hard road, and he immediately lost consciousness.
Satish endured the pain in silence as hed been trained, but Kiyara cried out when her body collided with the ground. It took every grain of fortitude Cirayus had not to falter seeing his family in such a sorry state.
You! Must! Pay the price! Kiyara grunted against the pressure of ten times her weight. With your soul.
My soul, is it? Cirayus asked, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Have you devised a new weapon that bypasses my Chakra defense? Or is this perhaps something else entirely?
Greesha shrugged. The gods possessed nothing like this. Besides, I am not truly here. Neither are you. Samar Patag burned sixteen years ago. No firests this long.
I see, Cirayus said. There is much I wish to discuss with you, but first, I must end this.
End this? Satish said. You would harm us? Your own family?
Cirayus paused. If what Greesha said was true, then these may very well be the souls of his beloved family.
Still, theyd been twisted. These were not the same people Cirayus once knew, and he couldnt bring himself to believe they had changed so much after death.
You are our protector. Not our executioner!
For Satish, Cirayus had multiplied his weight thirty-fold. Even then, his son did an admirable job resisting it. Hed just risen to his knees when Cirayus doubled his weight again, sending the demon back down to the ground.
Will you not pay for your sins? Satish asked.
My list of sins is nearly endless, son. I learned long ago that to live is to err, and the longer one lives, the more burdens they bear. I have always lived a principled life, yet I have made many, many mistakes along the way. If taking my life could undo all the wrongs Ive wrought, I would give it dly. But I cannot. Not yet. I cannot die here. Not to twisted manifestations of those I loved. And not until the Akh Nara has fulfilled his destiny.
That boy! Is he more important than all of us? Kiyara shrieked.
Despite the knot that wrenched his chest, Cirayus response was immediate.
Yes! That boy will be the savior of our people. Not you, not Satish, not even I can be weighed on the same scale. He is the most precious existence in all the Demon Realm.
His family gave no response. Their silence said everything.
I shall pay for my mistakes, Cirayus said. I have been paying them by carrying the weight of each mistake on my shoulders. Striving to improve myself, that I might do better. Im afraid I can do little to ease your burden, my kin. I can only give you peace. If that means I have to personally deliver you to the cycle, then this is the burden I shall bear.
Cirayus increased Bncer of Scales to a hundredfold, concentrating all of that pressure on their necks. All three were dead before theyd realized it. Before they could feel any pain.
It was all Cirayus could do for them now.
Their bodies crumbled away, leaving milky white ghosts behind.
They floated to Cirayus.
Move, you dolt! Greesha shouted. Do not allow them to touch you!
Cirayus regarded each in turn.
There is no need.
All three ced their hands upon Cirayus, but his soul was not sucked away.
You were a protector, a teacher, and a father to me. No son could ask for more.
Satish, Cirayus whispered, surprised to hear such genuine words out of the mouth that had only just cursed him.
Live, for our sake, oh great warrior. For your role in this is not yet over.
Kamesh.
Know that I love you. Now, and always.
Tears fell down Cirayus face like a waterfall, and he sank to his knees. Kiyara I wish I could have done more. His voice trembled and broke. Oh! How I wish
Hush now. Her voice was gentle, yet strong. Full of confidence. We depart this realm without regret, knowing we stood true to ourselves until the end. Be it battlefield or bed. May Fate reunite us again, my dearest Cirayus.
The ghosts faded, and Cirayus heard their sighs of relief.
May we meet again, he whispered, still on his knees. On the calm shores of destiny.
Minutester, a bony hand touched his shoulder.
You chose the hard path, Cirayus. Know that it was the correct one.
How fares Samar Patag? Cirayus asked, standing to his full height. How fare the Garga?
Surviving. That is all that matters.
Greesha fell silent, and Cirayus knew what she was thinking.
He is capable, Cirayus said. He will be the one to unite the ns.
Assuming he is safe, Cirayus didnt add. Thoughts of the boy had gued him the moment hed been snatched away. If any harm hade to him, gods or not, nobody would be safe from his wrath.
They said the same about Ekanai. We all know how that turned out.
VirSarvaakis different. He will not shirk the mantle.
Greesha regarded her hand, which had faded away. Like the others, she, too, was disappearing.
For all our sakes, let us pray you are right, Greesha said, her white form fading. s, it seems our time together draws to an end. Too soon, as usual.
Cirayus chuckled. You havent changed one bit.
Life under Chitran rule could not have been easy for the Gargan seer. In fact, he was surprised to find her alive at all.
Ha! As if a little war could bend me. Ill be expecting you soon, then?
Cirayus nodded.
The olddy sighed deeply. It seems preparations are to be made.
Though, despite her words, Cirayus saw the barest hint of a smile buried under her face.
She had hope again. They all did.
Chapter 240: Departure
Chapter 240: Departure
Vir wandered the strange chamber in a daze, mind reeling from all that had just urred. The world with the floating inds. Ekanai, Maiya Theyd all disappeared. Had it really just been a dream?
Virs Artifact Chakramy on the ground nearby, but the orb that had contained Maiyas soul was nowhere to be found.
Had she even been there in the first ce? Or was the Maiya he''d seen a facsimile, like everything else seemed to be? It certainly appeared as though that entire world had been fake. Why not the characters within it, too?
Gods, what if it was real? What if Maiya What if shes
Virs breaths came quick and ragged, and his heart beat madly. He opened the Foundation Chakra, allowing its energy to flow into him, calming his addled thoughts.
Keeping it open for long taxed him, making him feel spent and weary. Hed wondered why demons didnt simply keep their Chakras open all the timenow he knew. At some point, hed simply fall over from exhaustion. Not physical, but of the soul.
For now, however, the Foundation Chakra cleared his mind enough to think. He didnt know if Maiya was dead or alive. Or even if it was the real Maiya whod been in that illusion. For all he knew, she could bepletely unaware of everything. Initially, hed feared that possibility. Now? Now, he hoped for it.
I have to contact her.
He had amunications orb. An orb Cirayus had proven he could use.
The Demon Realm. We have to get to the Demon Realm.
Until now, there had been no rush. Not with the time flow difference in the Ash. Hed used the opportunity to grow stronger. Now, however, his top priority was ensuring Maiyas safety. He only needed to hear her voice, and all would be right again.
But what if I dont?
Whether the orb would function in the Demon Realm was anyones guess, but if it didnt, Vir knew what to do.
Hed turn right around and head back to the Human Realm.
Until then
Until then, Vir would focus single-mindedly on that goal. The Garga and the Akh Nara could waitMaiya came first.
Vir took a deep breath, clearing his thoughts, then surveyed his surroundings.
The room in which he stood was unlike any hed seen before. The floor was more a messy tangle of dark green trunks, resembling a wildly overgrown forest more than anything constructed by humans or demons.
Or, for that matter, anything built by the Imperium. Vir had been to their great city. Hed seen their architecture. He knew their style. Angr, tall, ordered, with a hint of the organic.
No, this feels different. Very different.
And yet, it somehow also felt familiar. Like hed seen something simr before.
Where have I
An inky ck pool of liquid forced Vir to jump over it to reach the exitan oval opening that resembled a doorway.
Vir froze, then turned slowly back at the liquid. He knew exactly where hed seen this.
The Ink of rity.
It was the same liquid hed peered through at Saunaks tower, a year ago. The liquid that had shown him visions of faraway ces.
Vir hesitantly approached the pool. Perhaps, if it worked simrly to the Ink...
Maybe itll show me Maiya.
Vir dreaded what he might see. What if it confirmed his fears? What if Maiya was
Shaking his head, he pressed on and peered deeply into the pool. Seconds passed, but the liquid showed him no images. Only darkness.
Vir breathed a sigh of relief, but the feeling was quickly reced with dismay. The anxiety that wracked him would continue.
With a heavy heart, he turned away and headed for the doorway.
The door, as it turned out, was no regr opening. It was an Ash Gate. Perfectly stable, and justrge enough to admit him through.
Peering through the Gate, Vir found far more familiar surroundings. Beautiful blue-lit Imperium architecture stood in stark contrast to the almost natural trunks of the room he was currently in.
Vir took onest nce behind him, then stepped through.
The Gate vanishedas if itd been created solely to admit him.
In the distance, he heard the rhythmic thumping of heavy footsteps.
Prana Current surged, and Vir melted into the shadows. The room hed entered was well-lit, but there were still plenty of exits from the Shadow Realm. Vir peered through the exits and found a very familiar figure.
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Vir left the shadows, sighing in relief. Youre safe? he asked, though he immediately regretted it.
Cirayus whirled and Bncer of Scales activated. Vir felt his weight multiply twenty-fold, but to his Ash-strengthened body ripping with Prana Current, it was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. It would be a different story if he had to fight Cirayus in that state, but there was no danger of that.
It was Sikandar he was more worried about. The gargantuan de shed with terrifying speed. Vir might not die from a single blow, but he certainly wouldnt emerge unscathed.
Vir brought his katar up to defend.
Cirayus eyes went wide in horror. Noticing his mistake, he canceled the ability and halted Sikandar just a hairs breadth from Virs neck.
Tossing aside the de, which nged noisily on the stone, he dropped to his knees before Vir.
I apologize, my liege. I should have identified who it was before attacking. I have no excuse.
Vir dismissed his apology. Cirayus had apologized several times to him over the past year. As they grew closer, it seemed like the giants deference toward Vir only grew. Or perhaps it was due to Virs growth. He couldnt say.
Regardless, he hated it whenever Cirayus acted this way.
The demon stood, then embraced Vir in a great hug. I feared for the worst,d. I thought Id lost you.
Vir remained silent. He wasnt once worried for Cirayus safetyfew beings in the world could truly harm him. Again, his thoughts drifted to Maiya.
I-I see Shan made it out fine, too, Vir said, partially to distract himself. Where were you two?
I cannot speak for the wolf, but I was thrust into an illusion most foul. When I left that horrid ce, I found myself in a room full of gnarled branches and an ancient tree at its center. Departing there, I ended up here. Shan found me soon after.
An illusion. Right. Of course, it was.
Thats pretty much what I went through, Vir said, feeling the knot in his stomach start to untwist. Do you know what any of this is about?
I wish I knew,d, the demon replied. I take it you had a simr experience? Did you also meet with people from your past?
Kinda? Vir said. I met Ekanai. Reaper Ekanai, my predecessor, except in the flesh. And Maiya. She was wispy and ghostlike, though.
Cirayus stroked his beard. How very strange. I met my dead family. It was not a joyous reunion, to say the least. But a necessary one, I think. For me.
Vir couldnt imagine what Cirayus mustve gone through. If it was anywhere near as traumatic as Virs experience, he was sure the demon had suffered a great deal.
Cirayus, do you know if any of that was real? Vir asked.
Cant say,d. In all my years, I''ve not experienced anything like this. I will likely meditate on these events for some time. Though, there was one oddity. In my illusion, I met a certain character. Someone who knows far more about the mystical arts than I. She suggested that though the illusion was not real, the energy giving form to the characters we met had toe from somewhere. As for where, exactly, your guess is as good as mine.
Do you think If someone dies in there, do they die in reality? Vir asked, feeling the knot tighten once again.
In my case, all those I met were already dead. Cirayus frowned in concern. Maiya?
Vir nodded. I dont know what happened to her, and its driving me crazy.
They took the next several minutes summarizing their experiences, and Vir realized that his own ordeal mustve paled next to Cirayus. To face down ghosts of his family whod died? Who bore grudges against him? Vir had no confidence he couldve made it out of that situation nearly as well as Cirayus had.
Vir once again had Cirayus try to activate themunication orb, but to no avail. Though the orb glowed with Cirayus prana, nothing else happened.
You did well to deal with that situation,d. Im unsure if I could have opened a Chakra in that state. Good that you heeded thesss advice.
Vir knew Cirayus was saying these things half tofort him, but he appreciated the words, nheless. Cirayus was genuinely proud of the way Vir acquitted himself. That counted for a lot.
Reaper Ekanai was a formidable warrior, Cirayus said. Even with your newfound strength, with all of his bloodline arts and vast experience, it is difficult to say who would win.
Yeah, well Lets talk once I have a few of those tattoos myself.
Cirayusughed. Thats the spirit,d! Hmm, but yes, I see. Youll be wanting to head to the Demon Realm as soon as possible, then? To see if your lover is safe?
Vir nodded. Ive had quite enough of this ce. Just your Artifact was supposed to lead us to an Ash Gate. Not some bizarre life-or-death illusion. Where even are we? How do we get out of here?
Cirayus held up a hand. You neednt worry about that,d. I have already located the Gate. It certainly leads to the Demon Realm. As for where, your guess is as good as mine. Regardless, we should be able to use it to get through.
O-oh, Vir said. All the ns hed formted for locating an Ash Gate went right out the window.
The Ash Gate floated just off the ground in the center of a nearby passage. As far as Vir could tell, they were now in the tunnelwork hed spotted from the surface with Prana Vision. An Imperium tunnelwork, by its smooth rectangr construction. Why the gods built this system, Vir couldnt say, though he''d felt the same about the great spires in Mahadi as well.
Vir and Cirayus took a few moments to explore the tunnelsit''d have been remiss of them not to search an ancient Imperium ruin for any Artifacts. Unfortunately, the passages either ended in cave-insrge enough that even Dance of the Shadow Demon couldnt get through, or they simply dead-ended. It was almost as if the Imperium had been constructing this ce when their society fell.
Peering through the Gate, Vir found caked red soil. Whether it was truly red, or simply dyed by the yellows, oranges, and reds of the setting sun, Vir couldnt tell. He stood there for a moment, just taking it all in. This was his first glimpse of the Demon Realm. While hed experienced it in some of his memory visions, seeing it second-hand wasnt quite the same.
Cirayus stepped through the Gate first, crouching to fit. Shan bounded right after him.
Well,d? What are you waiting for?
Vir couldnt say. To think the Gate was finally here, before him, felt unreal. Even disregarding the recent bizarre events, this moment was the culmination of almost two years of his life, though itd be considerably shorter than that to denizens of the other realms.
During that time, Vir had witnessed the Imperiums crown jewel city. He''d seen the very moment of their fall, millennia ago. Hed found a real, living goddess and experienced the Imperiums vast magic. Hed met Saunak and Shan and fought endless hordes of Ash Beasts, prating deeper into the Ash than anyone.
He''d struggled through it all. Hed grown. Physically, he doubted many in either realm could pose him a genuine threat. With the powers hed gained, to say nothing of his Artifacthe could now say with confidence that he was truly strong.
Yet despite this, his strength gains paled whenpared to where hed developed the mostas a person.
Vir had entered the Ashen Realm as a boy. A demon raised in humannds, always ostracized, always wondering who he was and where he truly belonged.
He would leave the Ash a man. Forged not only through the endless hordes of beasts but by all the experiences hed gained along the way. Tempered by the burden of his promise to Ashani, which rang like a bell in his head each and every day. And, most of all, through Cirayus, Vir had learned who he truly was. Hed struggled with, and finally embraced, his calling. Now, he was about to return to thend of his people.
Having vanquished the demon in his head, whod tormented him for so long, hed matured. But had he matured enough to face the countless trials he was about to endure? Only time would tell.
There was a new world on the other side, and hed kept it waiting long enough.
Vir took a great breath, steeled his mind, and stepped through.
End of Arc Five & Book Three
Chapter (Arc 6) (Book Four) 241: A Terrible Mistake
Chapter (Arc 6) (Book Four) 241: A Terrible Mistake
Weve made a terrible mistake.
Vir raged at the godsat Adinat, at Janak, at Badrak, Ch, Vera, and especially Yumafor cursing them with such terrible luck.
He hadnt even had the chance to bemoan the muggy air, and the utterck of prana in the area, or to appreciate the gorgeous, blood-red sunset that dyed the cracked desert crimson.
It wasnt luck, of course. A stable Ash Gate in the middle of Demonds was bound to attract a crowd. Its a wonder they hadnt met anyone on the other side.
Actually, I suppose it isnt. They might not be able to handle the prana density there. The illusion world might''vecked prana, but the area the gate had been certainly didn''t.
Drop your weapons! Hands where I can see them. Now! If you know whats best for you.
The demons voice carried a tone of absolute authority, though his speech was oddly inflected. It wasn''t just the entthe dialect was unlike any Vir had heard. While simr enough to understand, it took Vir a moment to parse the words.
What did not take any time at all to understand was the weight of authority his words bore,pelling Vir to obey.
Standing with their backs against their aggressors speartips, Vir and Cirayus exchanged a subtle nce.
Cirayus shook his head. Do not kill them.
Vir nodded his assent while Shan continued to growl menacingly at their foes. Vir was half-sure they hadnt attacked primarily on ount of the wolf.
Hed only just stepped out of the Ash Gate when hed discovered they hadnt been alone.
Ash Gates allowed one to peer through, but whaty behind them was another story.
Soldiers, apparently. Using Prana Vision, Vir put their number at thirty.
His mind clearedthere was nothing to be worried about. These were friendly demons who were just being careful. Who wouldnt be, after seeing them emerge from an Ash Gate in the middle of nowhere?
Vir slowly lowered his katar, before Cirayus Chakradenmand stopped him dead in his tracks.
Snap out of it, Vaak! Cirayus hissed.
Cirayus voice warred with Virspulsion to disarm and please the enemy demon.
Vir turned to the giant in confusion. Confusion became rm when he realized what hed nearly done.
A Chakra attack? He quickly dismissed the thought. Hed had his Foundation Chakra opened the moment they stepped through, per Cirayus advice. Then what was that?
Listen closely,d, Cirayus whispered, relying on Virs enhanced hearing to carry his words.
Virs time in the Ashen Realm had done more than just strengthen him. Prana was the energy of life, and as such, nearly every physical aspect had seen an improvement. His eyesight was better and his hearing keener. Even his sense of taste and smell had grown more sensitivethough sometimes he wished they hadnt. Some scents should not ever be smelled.
Like the smelling from the unwashed demon behind him.
I cannot let my face be seen, Cirayus whispered. Few enough half-giants around, but everyone knows me. The moment they do, theyll know Im back. Theyll guess who you are.
Vir immediately thought back to the words Cirayus had told him in the Ashen Realm.
You cannot reveal yourself until we are ready. No matter what, allow none to see your tattoo. Do not give them even a whiff of who you truly are.
What are you doing? I told you to the man roared.
The manspulsion doubled, but so too did Cirayus counterpulsion, canceling it. Vir felt like a war was being waged in his head, only he was a confused bystander caught in the middle.
On my mark, we run.
Vir nodded subtly.
Thats it, times up, the demon barked. Kill them!
When Cirayus sprang forward, away from their enemies, Vir immediately followed suit. He sted across the barren y, Leaping three hundred paces, powering the Talent with his bodys prana reserves.
Not by choice, but rather necessity. Cirayus had, of course, warned him about the dearth of prana in the Demon Realm, so hed been expecting it to be bad. Just not this bad.
Gods, this is nearly as bad as the Voinds.
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Despite Prana Current surging like mad, the drain wasnt nearly offset by using Leap. It was like a leaky bucket being filled by a drip tap. The drip helped, but itd never match the rate of consumption. Not unless Vir was extremely judicious with his abilities.
Still, Vir could leap like this a hundred times before he ran out of prana.
Id like to see them keep up, Vir said, before realizing he was talking only to Shan; Cirayus was nowhere to be found.
The Ash Wolf looked at him judgingly.
Oh, grak! Vir thought, spinning around. Cirayus was moving fast, taking great bounding leaps augmented by prana but he wasnt using Bncer of Scales.
Their demonic pursuers followed hot on his heels, lobbing prana-enhanced spears and firing all manner of spells at the giant. Most nced harmlessly off, thanks to Giants Hide, but Vir could see some small wounds on the demons back.
To Cirayus credit, he never once looked back.
Shan. Rough them up, but dont kill them. Not a lot of times we get to save Cirayus, so lets not screw this up.
Shan howled in anticipation.
Theyre monkeys, was Virs first thought when he finally neared enough to get a good look at them. Which, of course, meant they got a look at him as well, though that was less problematic for him than it was for Cirayus.
Unlike the giant, nobody knew his face here, and while he hadnt yet applied any makeup, he was confident one or two sightings of his true visage wouldntpromise his identity. This was the Demon Realm, after all. He was loath to wear face paint all the time, like he did among humans. These were his kin though perhaps distantly rted.
There were around thirty, and all of the same species.
Human from the neck down, their faces were apelike, though their mannerisms showed obvious human intelligence. They all wielded either spears or seric talwars with so much curve that they more closely resembled scimitars, and their small steel cuirasses hung over chainmail. All of this, plus their intricately carved, pointed helmets clearly disyed their level of advancement.
They also had tails. Long monkey tails.
Theyd spoken, demanded his surrender, and had used pranic arts. Whatever they were, they werent Ash Beasts. Ash Beasts didnt wear jewelry like these demons did.
Wish they were, Vir bemoaned. He had no qualms about killing Ash Beasts. Unknown demons who just happened to be nearby?
Vir darted around thepany of troops pursuing Cirayus, attempting to distract them. He was only partially sessful. A group of five broke off their pursuit to engage him, clearly believing Cirayus to be the bigger threat.
Vir was about to slip into the shadows ande up behind them when he froze.
Cant use that one, he quickly remembered, grinding his teeth. Dance of the Shadow Demon was an Iksana Bloodline art. Iksana were exclusively ghaelsgangly, hunchbacked demonsVir was quite clearly not.
This is going to be a real hassle, isnt it?
But while Dance was one of his most versatile abilities, it wasnt like he was out of options. Not as he currently was.
Shan, to Cirayus, he ordered. Im more than enough for these grunts.
Shan Blinked and disappeared. When Vir saw him again, hed sunk his jaw into the armor of a monkey demon. By the demons cries, Vir concluded his armor had not protected him.
Who are you? Name yourself! Are you with the rebellion?
Theres a rebellion? Vir thought. Will have to look into that.
Vir easily bobbed and weaved around their thrusts. Though the five of them surrounded him, not a single one couldnd a hit. They couldnt even get him to move from where he stood.
Then they started using magic. Unfamiliar demon magic.
A wave of searing hot air mmed into Vir, nearly sending him to the ground. The explosion that detonated after actually did.
ck smoke filled the air, and Vir coughed as he bounced off the ground. Prana Armor had protected him from injury, but it did nothing to clear the air.
Vir High Jumped, gasping for fresh air.
These warriors were far stronger and more skilled than the average human soldier. Not that they posed a threat to Vir.
Im at a disadvantage since I dont know how they fight. Vir had only be proficient at ughtering Ash Beasts after fighting hundreds of them. His first time had been the hardest.
As Vir soared to the apex of his jump, he found Cirayus, still fleeing from a half-dozen ape-men.
Shan had done a fabulous job of whittling the pursuers down, leaving a trail of injured bodies in his wake. At this rate, hed have taken them all out in just a few more minutes. Cirayus could take a thousand of the sort of strikes the monkeys were lobbing at him, so despite the situation, their defeat seemed inevitable.
Time to wrap this up, then, Vir thought as he began to plummet back to the ground. Cant let Shan hog all the glory now, can I?
Vir was, in fact, slightly annoyed. Opportunities to save Cirayus did note often. He didnt want to lose the giants favor to a wolf.
Still, Vir mused, without Bncer of Scales, he doesnt have a lot of options other than to run. Especially since he doesnt want to kill them or show his face.
Vir mmed into the groundor more precisely, the leg of one of the monkey men.
The demon roared in pain, causing his buddies to look his way.
Itd been the wrong decision. With Haste active, Vir was a blur. And with Blink, he moved so quickly that he was almost invisible.
Vir delivered a punch to the gut of another demon, sending him flying back several paces. The demon was unconscious well before his body hit the ground.
Using the momentum from his attack, Vir swept two nearby demons. The hardness of his bone and the speed of his sweep meant that, instead of simply knocking the two demons down, he broke their legs.
The remaining two jumped away, using an ability that looked very simr to Leap, though Cirayus had mentioned demons relied on their abstract Aspect tattoos for nearly all magic.
W-who are you? the demons voice carried the same authority Vir had experienced before, but this time, perhaps because the demon was about to piss himself, thepulsion was easy to break.
A Warrior of the Ash.
Vir had expected them to ridicule him for not having named a n, but instead, the demons clutched their weapons tighter.
They were on edge, and it was his words, more than his actions, that triggered it.
I guess that title really does carry weight, as Cirayus said. Besides, they couldnt exactly question it, having seen him walk out of an Ash Gate. Works for me.
Now, unless youd like to join your friends here, Vir gestured to the groaning and screaming ape-men, I suggest you put your tail between your legs and scram.
Vir didnt wait to see if theyd taken his advice. He Leaped to Cirayus, quickly catching up with the remaining three demons.
Tch. He clucked his tongue. Only three left?
Vir met Shans gaze, and he could swear he saw smug satisfaction on the wolfs face.
It didntst long. Vir Blinked, barreling through Cirayus pursuers. His momentum, and theirs, did the rest. They mmed face-first into the desert. They did not get back up.
Vir threw a smirk at Shan, who growled in displeasure.
Well, thats not exactly how I intended to return home, Cirayus said as they jogged.
Tell me about it. So, who were those demons? Do they belong to a n?
Hmm? You mean I never told you about the kothis?
Uh, kothis? Vir repeated.
The Chitran. Theyre monkey people.
No, Vir said slowly. No, Cirayus, you never did.
Chapter 242: The Realm of Demons
Chapter 242: The Realm of Demons
Maiya? Maiya can you hear me? Please, say something! Vir said for what must have been the hundredth time.
Might be these orbs dont function across realms,d, Cirayus said, resting a hand upon Virs shoulder. You cant know.
Cirayus reached down and put the orb back into Vir''s ck Imperium rucksack, which he''d smothered in ash, hoping to disguise its exotic fabric further.
Vir ground his teeth in frustration. Cirayus had hit on the crux of the issue. They couldnt know. They couldnt know if Maiya was alive and simply unable tomunicate, or
No! No, I refuse to believe that. I wont. Not until I have proof.
Cirayus hadid out all of their gear and was checking everything over, inventorying their stock. Vir had brought his white, untearable pack from Mahdi, though hed hardly used it for anything yet. With Bncer of Scales, itd always made sense for Cirayus to carry all of their gear. At least, in the Ashen Realm. Here, where prana was so scarce, the Bairan couldn''t use his powers so freely anymore.
Well be needing to resupply soon, Cirayus said. nts dont grow nearly as well here, in the Demon Realm. Especially this far east. Away from the Ash Boundary.
Vir only half heard him as he stared nkly at the sunset-dyed desert, feeling empty. It was always sunset here, which meant the Demon Realm was perpetually cast in shades of red, orange, and yellow near the sun, and the blues of dusk on the other end of the sky.
Good for Dance of the Shadow Demon. Not so good for ones mental health.
Vir never knew how something so pretty when it urred only a few minutes a day could look so warped when it became permanent.
The Demon Realm was not right, though it was broken in a different manner than the Ashen Realm''. The sun hung eternally in the same position, half of it hidden, half peeking just over the horizon. Never quite day, though never quite dusk, either.
At first nce, the Human Realm appeared the least broken of them all until Vir recalled itcked the moon that was supposed to hang in the sky at night.
Theyd been here only a day, and already, Vir felt out of ce. The near-totalck of prana only made it worse. Having grown used to the Ashen Realm, Vir felt like a fish out of water.
Having grown so used to Micro Leaping everywhere, it took real discipline to walk normally. It felt awful. Like hed just lost his legs and was hobbling around on crutches.
This, despite his muscles absolutely rippling with power. Far more than they ever had throughout his life. He had to put in effort to explosively jump via his muscles. Prana, however, was effortless.
Once again, Vir had to conserve his prana usage, and once again, he had to wear face paint to disguise himself. The only difference was that the color was now red instead of cream, and that he no longer had to change his eye color. Most demons had red eyes.
And yet, all of those paled next to his worry for Maiya.
We need to go back, Vir said atst. I need to know if Maiyas safe.
Cirayus, who was on all sixes packing the gear back into his oversized rucksack, paused to regard Vir.
I know how you feel,d. Youre in a foreignnd. Natural to miss thess. Youre worried. But going back will take as long as it took toe here. You know thesemunication orbs do not function in the Ashen Realm. What if shes simply away from her orb? What if she tries to get in touch with you while youre in the Ash?
Vir was sure the demon would scold him for even thinking of going back. He thought Cirayus would me Vir for turning his back on the Demon Realm. But he did none of that. He used something far more potentreason.
Thats fair, Vir conceded. Going back wont solve anything, would it?
Like Ashani, Maiyas fate was something that would linger in Virs thoughtsexcept this was much worse. Could he even be functional without knowing she was safe?
Based on the Chitran activity, I think its safe to say were in Chitnds. Or more urately, Gargannds that they''ve usurped. And, judging from the ambient prana levels, Id say in the far eastern reaches of the territory, at that. Samar Patag ought to be to our west. Which is both lucky and unfortunate.
How is that unfortunate? Didnt you hope wed end up in Garga? Vir asked, darkening at the thought of the monkey people. Hed assumed themand the Chitran had over him had been a Chakra ability, but it wasnt. It was a Chitran Bloodline ArtCoercion. The ability to subtly influence the thoughts of others.
The worst part was how insidious it was. By the time one detected they were under the influence, it was usually toote.
Ill have to keep an eye out for the prana signature of their tattoo, Vir thought, regarding the miserablendscape around him.
He found it hard to believe people really lived in these infertile, prana-starvednds.It made him wonder how any culture could survive in such a barren climate. Let alone prosper.
Aye, though Id hoped we would start anywhere else. This is hostile territory for us. Well have to keep a low profile wherever we go, but well have to be extra cautious here. At least, in Baira, I couldve shown myself.
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So, whats the n? Vir asked.
The n is for you to get us some supplies. And I think Ive found just the ce.
Having grown up in a vige, Vir thought he knew better than most what a vige was. One or two main roadsusually dirt-pavedwith dozens of smaller streets surrounding them. A temple, a dozen or so shops, and a hundred or so homes.
As Vir walked through the deserted roadscalling them roads was too generous, for they were no different from the cracked y outside the vigeVir understood what an actual vige looked like.
Thatched yurtssome round, some rectangr, sat haphazardly around a circr za, though there was nothing within the za to indicate it as such. There couldn''t have been more than a couple dozen of these yurtsprising the whole vige. Not more than sixty or seventy people couldve lived there. It was as though demons built a vige with the criteria it be finished in a single day, using as little effort as possible.
As he walked, the familiar scents of the vige assaulted his nostrils. Not the least of which was dung, though whether it was Ashva or demonic, he couldnt say. Rag-d barefoot demon children ran around, shrieking and shouting, happily frolicking without a care in the world.
Vir looked out for anything that might resemble a trader or provisioners shop, though, in a vige as small as this one, he didnt hold much hope.
He set down his pack and rummaged around. Perhaps he had some offering he could give as a gift to someone to earn their favor. That was always the custom back at Brij.
Am I really going to find supplies here? He asked, half to himself, half to the orb he fondled in his pocket. It was foolish, but he constantly imagined the orb lighting up and Maiyas voice suddenlying through. Vir had insisted on taking it with him, despite Cirayus warnings.
While the demon had precharged the orb, as deficient as the surroundings were, Vir could visibly see the charge dissipate. Itd only be a few hours before Cirayus had to top it off again. Though it was of another tier entirely, it was, at its core, a utility orb like Magic Lamp and Magic Lock. Which meant Vir couldnt power it with his Ash prana.
Vir gave up looking for offeringsprecious little in the Ash could be used as a gift, and gift-giving wasnt high on Virs mind.
The deficient prana hit Vir almost as much as the dry heat as he walked. Earlier, hed tested out several of his abilities. The results, while unsurprising, werent easy to stomach.
With Prana Current cycling as quickly as he could manage, it took a minute to restore all the prana Leap consumed. That was both not very long, and an eternity, depending on whether or not Vir was in a battle. Luckily, he could easily bank a hundred or more Leaps in his body, so that wasnt an immediate worry.
Dance of the Shadow Demon consumed about five times the prana, and thus took substantially longer to recover from. Not that he could use that ability withoutpromising his identity, so the point was moot.
The core issuey in de Launch and Launch Barrage. Those consumed prana with reckless abandon. He could only manage a handful of those. The exact number varied depending on whether he was firing Chakram Launch, Katar Launch, or Chakri Launch. Chakri Launch used by far the least prana of them all, while Katar Launch used the most.
As for Prana de, Vir found he could sustain about thirty seconds of continuous usage at full power before he ran out, and once his body had been fully drained of prana, he suspected itd take a day or more for him to recover. The issue was he had to keep moving to new areas to sustain the recharge rate, or itd drop to a trickle.
Still, Vir had tested using his Talents without Prana Current and found that he could barely invoke a single Leap before depleting the prana in the area. Current allowed him to pull prana from a much wider areahe genuinely pitied the demons here whocked it. It was why the Chitrans had seemed so weak to him before.
The other major downside of the Demon Realm was that Prana Armor now took forever to form. Previously, itd taken a few minutes for it to coalesce back to its original strength. Now, Vir doubted very much he could ever get it to the same density as he had before, and when lost, itd take days, if not a week, to reform. His armor directlypeted with his body for the scarce prana. Hed either have to prioritize either armor or his own pranic reserves.
It was ironic. When Vir first entered the Ash, he felt like he was drowning from the oppressive density. Now, he felt like he was suffocating from theck of it.
Despite all of this, Vir felt he held an overwhelming advantage over his fellow demons. An advantage that ought to scale to more prana-dense regions as well. The only unknown was the effect of tattoos, but after seeing how much less potent Bncer of Scales had be, Vir wasnt overly worried. At least, not against unaffiliated tattoos. Weakened though it may be, Cirayus Ultimate was still extremely formidable.
Vir approached a yurt, hesitated, and finally called out.
Um, hello? Is anybody home? Vir shouted, careful to emte the ent and dialect he''d heard the Chitrans use.
Other than the dozen demonic kids, who all gave him suspicious looks, he hadnt spotted a single person outside.
At least the face paint is working. Vir had never disguised himself as a red demon before, but reds were far moremon than grays, and so it made sense. It helped that Shan wasnt around, either. The wolf, though smallpared to his brothers and sisters, was stillrger than any prana wolf Vir had ever seen. He also attracted attention, though unlike Neel, Shan was quite proficient at remaining out of sight when he wanted to.
Prana Vision clearly showed that most of the yurts were filled to the brim with people. While he asionally heard chatter and sounds of shuffling, no one hade outside until now.
Vir waited a long moment. He began to wonder if the three individuals inside were ignoring him when one rose from a chair and trundled over to the entrance. All their prana signatures were incredibly dim, but Vir saw enough to see she walked with a limp.
We dont get many outsiders here. Whatdya want? the middle-aged woman snapped, a look of suspicion on her face.
I, uh Vir stared at her for a moment, before deciding to take a gamble. Im Gargan. Looking for some supplies.
The womans eyes narrowed. You speak odd. You with the rebellion?
Why would you ask that? Vir asked.
The woman shrugged. They''re always recruiting demons from all over. So I just figured...
Vir considered his next words carefully, sizing the woman. She wasn''t a kothi. She lived in a poor vige in the middle of nowhere, and she was clearly old enough to have lived through the sacking of Samar Patag. That, and her casual demeanor when discussing such a dangerous topic allowed Vir to guess a few things.
And if I am? he replied, leaving all emotion off his face.
The woman burst out grinning. Well, then I''d tell ya toe in,e in! Youll be needing food and shelter, ye?
Uh, no, actually Id just appreciate it if you could tell me where to find some supplies, Vir said in relief.
Ash dung! the woman barked.
Does she mean Ashva dung?
Yer stayin with us. Warrior like yous gotta eat. Keep those mean muscles you got packed on, yeah? Whered you bulk up so much, anyway? Youve got the arms and legs of an Ashva!
Vir flushed at herment. He wasnt that big. Next to Cirayus, he was nothing. Rather, his body contained not even an ounce of fat. It made his dense, toned muscles look more prominent than they were.
I
I wont take no for an answer, young man! Yourein in and thats that.
The woman grabbed his wrist and pulled him along with more force than Vir had thought possible.
Resigning himself, he allowed the woman to pull him along.
Maiya What have I gotten myself into?
Chapter 243: Surprise!
Chapter 243: Surprise!
Still, Sanithe middle-aged mother whod weed Vir into her homesaid with a chuckle. Must say Im surprised. Warrior Callings arent usually so helpful with chores. Or at least, dont let others see you doing chores.
The woman had assumed Vir was of the Warrior Calling and had put Vir to work right away to earn his keep. Despite not wanting any part of this, Vir obliged. While he wanted to see what demons in the demon realm were like, after meeting her four children, he feltpelled to help out in any way he could. They certainly looked like they needed a hand.
Vir began by sweeping the small floor of their yurt and was now apanying Sani, carrying her dirtyundry to the well. Laundry he was certain hadnt been washed in months.
Partially to distract himself from the stench, Vir pondered her words.
Cirayus had mentioned the demons Calling System, once. Long ago.
Listen,d. The demons have a system you wont find anywhere in the Human Realm. At least, its not as codified there. I speak of the Calling System. Demonic society is based on roles. Laborers, Warriors, Rulers and Outcasts. You belong to one, and one alone. Laborers cannot fight. Warriors cant be merchants. Outcasts cant do much of anything other than beg. Been this way for as long as anyone can remember.
It was so long ago that Vir struggled to remember the systems many nuances. Cirayus had stressed the Callings were not equal, though the system was initially intended for them to be. Outcasts upied the lowest rung, with the Rulers sitting at the top.
When Cirayus had described it, Vir expected it to be an unspoken thing, where people knew of each others Calling the same way they did their social ss.
It wasnt. Hanging from Sanis neck was a burgundy painted wooden piece, etched with a symbol of a farmer with a pickaxe tilling a field.
Sani was a Laborer Calling. Specifically of the farming and agriculture Sub-Calling. Each Calling had numerous sub-callings, though shifting between those was far easier. If Sani wished to be a merchant, she might be able to, if she had the means.
Judging from the general poverty of the vige, it was abundantly clear to Vir that these callings were in no way equal.
You alright, son? the woman said with a look of concern. Feeling unwell, by any chance?
Sorry, just lost in thought. A lots happenedtely, Vir replied.
Sani was a red demon like most hede across but was as thin as a twig. Itd been a long time since Vir had seen anyone as emaciated as her. If anyone was unwell, itd be her. Vir wasnt even sure he could get sick anymore, with how strengthened his body now was.
They arrived at the well a short way away. It was a wide well, about ten paces across, and open to the air to catch any rainwater. Based on how low the water was, however, Vir guessed the area received preciously little precipitation.
He operated the hand winch, lowering the bucket all the way, before hoisting it back up.
You do this yourself? Vir asked. He barely noticed the effort, but for a regr demon, itd be quite the workout. Let alone for someone as weak as Sani.
She flexed her nonexistent bicep. Dont underestimate what this woman can do, young man!
Ah, right. Demonic constitution. Even as weakened as she was, she was likely stronger than the average human.
So, what brings you around to these parts? she asked. Howre your kind these days? Havent heard much since your assault. Challish, that. Challish, but daring. Her eyes gleamed.
Vir had a whole Ashload of questions to ask Sani, many of which pertained to the rebellion. How many of them were there? Who was organizing them? How did they hide from the Chitran? What was the sentiment toward them?
Posing as a member of the rebellion had worked well for Vir, but it also prevented him from asking most of those questions, lest Sani grow suspicious. Thest thing Vir needed was to draw attention, even if he was in disguise.
At least Ive learned my lessons there. The weapon at Virs hipa talwar borrowed from Cirayuswould no longer give him away. Only Shan might, though the wolf did a mighty fine job of disappearing whenever he pleased, as had done the moment theyd fled the Chitrans.
Still, maintaining his disguise didnt mean he couldnt ask anything.
I take it youre Gargan, then? Vir asked quietly as he worked the winch.
Damn right, I am. They can make me wear the Chitran badge, she said, gripping her Calling badge, but they cant change the color of my soul. And I tell you, I bleed gold. Always have. Always will.
Vir was confused for a moment before he remembered the colors of the Gargan ga golden bull on a dark brown background with a red border.
He nodded, as if in sympathy, betraying no hint of his misgivings. Riyan mightve been a harsh, twisted man, but Vir honestly didnt know how hed have survived without the acting skills the man had imparted.
How many sympathizers in this area? he asked.
Sanis eyes opened wide. You lot nning something?
Just gathering intelligence, is all.
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Well, not many of us here. About eighty. Of them, Id say a quarter have bought into the Chitrans Ashva dung. Traitors, the lot of them. Another thirty wont get involved in any conflict. Cowards. Say, about ten or so able-bodied warriors you could count on. Make that twenty if you dont need em to fight. Count me in, too, by the way.
The woman had a fire in her spirit that surprised Vir. Hed thought that after all these years, any fight the Gargans had would be long gone.
I need to get in touch with this rebellion.
Hed been agonizing over how to get Sani to tell him how to do just that when she handed him the answer.
So what news from Samar Patag? she asked.
Vir cocked a brow. Meaning?
Thats where you lot are based, iddnt it? You cant tell me you havent heard anything.
Vir shrugged, feigning resignation. Ive been out on assignmenttely, going to various viges. Im afraid any news would be months out of date.
Well, oh well. Sani sighed. All of a sudden, she looked years older.
I screwed up, Vir realized, panicking. Sani had been hoping for a morsel of hope. Anything she couldtch onto. Suchmodities had to have been precious in a ce like this.
I cant say for certain, Vir started, but there may be good things in our future. Do not lose hope. Gather those who believe. Keep your heads low.
Sanis expression brightened, and a devilish smile crept across her face. Now, thats what we want to hear.
A knot formed within Virs chest. It was a lie, and a tant one, at that. He hadnt even met this rebellion. He didnt know how strong they were, or whether theyd even get along. For all he knew, they hated the Akh Naras guts.
Sometimes, the truth is less important than what people need to hear, said a nostalgic voice in his head. It was, surprisingly, Tias voice.
Vir set the bucket of water down nearby, and Sani began immersing the clothes. It was the murkiest water Vir had ever seenand that was before shed put her clothing in. He genuinely wondered whether the clothes would be cleaner after.
As he worked the well, Vir took a look at the other vigers. Parents chatted with each other as their kids yed. Others went about their daily chores. It was overall a peaceful environment. If not for the rags they wore and theirck of shoes, Vir mightve called it idyllic.
Oddly enough, most of the women, and even some of the men, wore some form of jewelry. The women sported an assortment of bronze earrings, nose rings, belly rings, or toe rings, while the men opted mostly for basic ear studs. Though simple, they were very obviously far more precious than anything else they wore.
Why would they sacrifice footwear in favor of some piercings?
There was so much about demonic culture that Vir didnt know about. He was behind the curve, and if he had any notion of ever leading these people, he needed to catch up. Fast.
Thatll do it, Sani said, finishing up. The kids should have food ready by now. A hard days work calls for a hearty meal, dont you think?
Vir nearly cringed. It was inly obvious how little Sani ate. Caring mother that she was, shed been favoring feeding her children over herself.
How many days would she starve with the food she prepared for me? Vir wondered.
He followed her back into the home, thinking of how to decline her generosity. Despite their big hearts, these were not people in a position to give.
Darsh! Sani called out to one of her children.
Darsh was a demon boy of around eight or nine, with a crooked nosethe kind one gets from having their face punched in one too many times.
Bullying? Or something else?
Vir didnt have a chance to ask.
Go and fetch some bread from the baker, Sani said, holding up a single copper coin.
Darsh nced at Vir, and his eyes lit up.
He grabbed the coin and was about to dash out the window when Vir swiped the money from him.
Hey! Whats the big idea?
Sani raised her brow but said nothing as Vir examined the coin.
Its the same. Its the same!
The coin was Imperium currency. The very same currency the Human Realm used.
Vir let out a wryugh.
Something off?
No, no. Just thinking how ironic the world truly is.
Vir handed the coin back to Darsh, realizing just how rich he couldve been in this realm, had he not bought into Badals investment property idea. The money wasnt goneand if all went well, hed one day return to the Human Realm even richerbut right now, he was poor.
Poor, but not broke.
Vir produced ten coppers and handed them to Darsh, closing the boys fingers around the money. Get as many as this much will buy you, he said.
Sani was about to open her mouth in protest when Vir flipped her a silver coin. It was one of the few he had left, but he suspected earning money in the Demon Realm would be far easier for him than it would be for her.
You? Why? Sani stuttered.
Keep it. Use it to further the cause, Vir said, giving her a knowing look.
Sani nodded several times. Today, we feast like kings!
The feast consisted of a few pieces of stale bread, diluted lentil soup, and coconut water.
Basic fare for Vir, but the looks of absolute glee on the familys faces made it one of the tastiest meals Vir had ever eaten.
So, have you been here your whole life? Vir asked, trying to imagine what growing up in a ce like this must have been like. The parallels to Brij were there, but this was on another level of poverty entirely. In Brij, Vir only starved in winter. Here, it felt like emaciation and hunger were the norm.
Their looks of confusion told Vir hed made a mistake.
Sorry. I was training in the Ash before this mission. Im not up to date on recent happenings.
Sani and her children nodded, though they were still somewhat surprised. Apparently, hed asked a very basic question.
Vir was only now discovering how difficult it was to maintain a believable cover identity when he wasnt versed in the local customs.
Only been here a year or so. Were thinking of moving on soon, though no one knows where. Thends barren, and the Chits dont lift a finger to aid us. Maybe people didnt like the routes King Maion had us follow, but at least we never starved. Not like this.
Theyre nomads
The ramshackle structures now made sense to Vir. Not only were the vigers constrained by their poverty, but they never intended to stay long.
If youre wanting to resupply, Im afraid youvee to the wrong ce, Sani continued. This vige aint equipped to outfit a warrior band. Barely enough to get by on our own.
Do you think your baker could spare enough for a weeks worth for two or three people? Vir asked. Hed somewhat anticipated the answer.
Tell ya what? Leave it to me, and Ill rustle up enough for yer folks. On one condition.
Vir raised a brow.
You apany my kiddos to Samar Patag, and well be square. Viges got an Ashva wagon we use to get supplies. You can all pile on that.
Vir didnt respond immediately.
The road''s a dangerous ce these days, Sani continued. Id breathe a lot easier if someone capable like you guarded them. Assuming youre headed that direction, of course. Just thought you might be.
Vir wanted to ask how far Samar Patag was but didnt. That wouldve beenmon knowledge, and Vir knew well that asking such questions was a recipe for arousing suspicion.
Are we closer than Cirayus thought? Vir wondered.
Riding an Ashva wagonwould be about the same pace as Vir and Cirayus could maintain.
I am, though I cannot speak for my brothers, Vir said, hastily using a word a Gargan rebel might use. Id like to consult with them before I ept.
Of course, of course.
Vir excused himself and left the vige alone.
Well, Maiya, they seem like nice people. Its tragic, though, seeing how they live. I wonder if its like this everywhere.
Hed taken to speaking out loud like this ever since the events in that cavern. A part of him recognized it as an unhealthy habit, though a muchrger part didnt care. It helped calm his nerves.
Then I guess youll just have to fix it, wont you?
Right, Vir said, chuckling to himself. Look at me Im talking to myself now.
Wait. He froze. Talking?
Vir dropped his rucksack and rushed to pull out themunication orb. It glowed with white light.
M-Maiya?
Hi, Vir! Long time no see!
Chapter 244: Blessed Prophet (One) (Maiya)
Chapter 244: Blessed Prophet (One) (Maiya)
What do you think youre doing? Yamal cried. Shes still alive, gods dammit! She''s still alive!
The Rector regarded him with as much consideration as one would give a pile of rotting trash.
Our god has spoken. The Swarm has judged her and found her guilty. She is forsaken.
Please, hand her to us Yamal pleaded. Do not do this.
Yamal had known that sted tree was no good the moment he''d set his sight on it. When Maiya had lost consciousness after touching it, Yamal feared the worst. And while the worst hadnt happenedMaiya hadnt perishedYamal was beginning to wonder if it mightve been better if she had. At least it would have been painless.
No. I refuse to let her be burned alive.
Theyor rather, The Silent Onehad acted immediately back then, in the room with the strange tree. Hed checked Maiya for a pulse before deftly slinging her over his shoulder. He''d done it with such grace and precision, it made Yamal wondernot for the first timewhat exactly therge man''s background was.
He''d never had a chance to ask, for they had been too busy running to think about anything else.
The caves corridors were a maze, oftentimes leading to hallways that led to rooms and yet more hallways. Most looked as though they hadnt been upied for centuries, judging from the thousands of cobwebs and the piles of dust. Had there been more light, they would have noticed their robes had turned entirely white from running into the things, and Yamal had to move his hands continuously to prevent the silk from covering his face. The light of their Magic Lamp orbs had only barely pierced the darkness, proving entirely insufficient to drive back the crushing eeriness of those halls.
It was Yamals idea to finally halt, and though hed made the decision partially out of fear, even upon reflection, he could not find fault with it. Despite the dire consequences itd brought upon them.
Those tunnels were abyrinth. Delving recklessly into them mightve kept them hidden, yes, but itd also have gotten them lost. They nearly were lost as it was.
Hed convinced the Silent One to finally stop. Theyd backtracked to a known passage, then hidden until the Children had finished snooping.
Yamal had hoped to sneak by after theyd left. That way, they could monitor the flow of guards and simply follow after them.
What he hadnt anticipated was the zeal with which the guards protected that entrance to thebyrinth.
Theyd posted two dozen zealots, priests, and who-knew-else at the only exit.
And so, theyd waited for Maiya to wake up. A day had passed. Then two. Their situation grew dire with every hour. Neither had brought with them supplies, but Maiya, ever the careful nner, thankfully had. Shed packed a sizeable waterskin and some emergency rations, along with magic orbs. Many, many orbs, in fact.
Yamals merchant eyes had widened further with each one theyd found. After having witnessed them all, he was almost sure theyd fall out of their sockets.
There was so much wealth on Maiya, in fact, that Yamal didnt doubt she was richer than everyone within a hundred milebined.
The woman grew more and more mysterious with each passing day, and even the ever-cid Silent One couldn''t hide his surprise.
Unfortunately, no amount of wealth wouldve gotten them past their predicament. Theyd given Maiya almost all the water they could, and though theyd carefully rationed her snacks, dehydration began to take hold.
Unable to endure any longer, theyd finally given in and surrendered to the cult.
The Children of Ash didnt have a jail, per se, so Yamal and the Silent One had been allowed to wander. Just that their days of being a part of the organization were over. For Maiya, as well. Theyd all been emunicated, but as the perpetrator of the crime, Maiya was to be executed.
No amount of lying and pretending that Yamal or the Silent One had been the one to touch the strange tree convinced them. It seemed everyone who ever did had died immediately.
Which brought them to their current predicamentthe priests refused to ept that Maiya was still alive. A simple test of her pulse would prove it, of course, but these werent rational human beings. They were the craziest, most twisted group of people ever to roam the Known World. Reason had no power here.
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Yamal clutched his hair. He stood around a dusty old table with the Silent One in one of the many abandoned buildings in the vige of Bahurai.
We cannot stop them once their ceremony has started, Yamal spat.
As was customary for the Children, Maiyas cremationno, executionwas to be a ritual.
The Silent One scribbled a sentence in his notebook. We find where theyre keeping her. Take her back.
Yamal shook his head. I considered that already. Itd be good if we could find her, but I suspect theyre keeping her in thatbyrinth. You know as well as I that there is no returning to that ce. And even if shes not inside, they could be hiding her in any one of the houses around here. Itd take far too long to search them all. We have only a few short hours.
The Silent One stared at Yamal in expectation.
Our only opportunity is when they take her from wherever theyre keeping her to the ceremony, but before the actual ceremony begins. Shell no doubt be under heavy guard, but convoys are at their most vulnerable while moving.
The Silent One raised a brow.
I used to be a merchant. Its been several years now, but merchants are always regrly attacked while traveling. Much easier to defeat a few guards on the move than it is to break into a storehouse inside a city. Usually. Still, well need to get past the guards. Think you can knock them out?
His tall friend nodded.
Yamal sighed.
What a mess. Who wouldve thought Id be the brigand, plotting a raid on a convoy? Life truly takes us to some strange ces, doesnt it?
The Silent One chuckled silently, which was the biggest physical reaction Yamal had seen the man give him.
Maiya, you owe us for this. And I, at least, intend to collect in full.
The moment arrived. Yamal had initially feared the Children would make this a private, unannounced ritual. If that happened, there would have been no chance of saving Maiya.
Thankfully, the Children of Ash were not ones for subtlety. With much fanfare, priests marched through the streets of Bahurai. It reminded Yamal of a parade, yet instead of flower throwers, they poured blood. They were followed by yet other priests and a few Sisters of Gray, who all wore dark, hooded robes.
Finally, the procession bearing Maiya arrived. Theyd bound her wrists and ankles to a thick bough and carried her horizontally, with one man hoisting the bough over his shoulder at the front, with another at the rear.
Well, we found them, Yamal murmured to the Silent One. Thats the good news. The bad news is How in the realms are we going to escape with her in this throng?
It wasnt the guards that worried him. Most were far enough away that Yamal and the Silent One could reasonably escape before they could react. The crowd of Initiates that thronged around the group, however, was another story. Even if the mob didnt actively try and stop them, their presence alone would slow the two down.
The procession marched steadily to a pyre that had been erected in the center of the vige. As per cult tradition, it, too, had been soaked in blood, and also oil. Very much oil. It would light quickly, and once lit, there would be no putting it out.
Yamals frustration grew with each step they took.
Shes right there! Why do you always hesitate in times like these?
Yet, the feat looked impossible. What was the point of sacrificing their lives if it didnt even help Maiya? No reward was worth his life!
The Silent One witnessed the spectacle with his typicalck of emotion.
Does nothing faze him? Just who is this man?
If someone were to open the mans head, Yamal suspected they might find steel instead of flesh. Hed encountered no one his entire life with suchposure. Well, perhaps excepting Maiya.
The procession finally arrived at the pyre, and Maiyas bough was raised vertically. She hung from her wrist bindings, and her raised position meant all whod gathered could witness the horror that was about to unfold. The dreaded torches arrivedno less than a dozen of themand the pyre lit.
It took only moments to spread like a ring, heating the fuel rapidly. The fire grew hotter as the wood began to burn, and Yamal knew it was over.
Im sorry, Maiya. Im sorry we couldnt!?
The Silent One moved. He pushed through the crowd with quick, efficient motions, which parted like water before him. Before Yamal knew it, he was following in therge mans wake.
W-wait for me!
By the time Yamal arrivedand by the time anyone had processed what was happening, the Silent One had already leaped onto the tform, cut Maiya from her bindings, and was in the process of jumping back down.
Yamal felt the heat of hope light within his chest.
We can do this! I can help!
He turned, intending to pave their escape route through the crowd, but was instead met with a column of armed guards rushing up to them.
In the span of a single moment, victory had turned to defeat. They were surrounded, and with the Silent One carrying Maiya, he couldnt fight like normal.
Yamal finally unsheathed his dagger.
When his life had fallen apart, hed broken. Hed be indecisive, aimless. Wasting each day drinking and wondering what even the point of living was. On more than one asion, hed considered taking his own life. Who wouldnt, after watching their own wife die with their unborn child? After losing his business, his home his everything?
Now, Yamal felt none of that. If only for a moment, the man he once was surfaced again. Yamal was never a warrior. He barely knew how to carry a de, but it didnt matter.
With a roar, he plunged the dagger into the nearest guard.
His aim was true, but the cultist flinched away at thest moment, and his knife dug into their abdomen. Though it sunk deeply, the cultist grabbed the hilt, preventing him from retrieving the de.
Yamal let go of the weapon and stumbled away in shock.
I just stabbed someone!
Kill them! the man screamed. Kill them all!
The crowd erupted in shouts and cries for blood as they swarmed around them. Talwars, daggers, and spears point inward, promising death.
Yamal backed away, sidling up to the Silent One. This was it. This was where theyd make their glorious stand. Fighting to the death to defend Maiya.
The des closed in. Yamal couldnt say which was more terrifyingthe instruments of death, or the deranged grins of the ones who held them.
No, it was neither. It was the fire that licked their boots. Closing, creeping, with the inevitable promise of a horrible death.
The fire raged so thickly that they could no longer even see the cultists.
The heat was unbearable.
Snap. Snap.
A strange sound came from behind them. Yamal turned, fearing more enemies from behind. Instead, he found Maiya. She was standing. On her own.
His eyes widened.
Maiya rubbed her head. Somebody mind telling me whats going on here?
Chapter 245: Blessed Prophet (Two) (Maiya)
Chapter 245: Blessed Prophet (Two) (Maiya)
Which Ash''va stomped on my head? Maiya thought as she groggily opened her eyes. And whats with the smell? Is something cooking?
She looked around, unable to make any sense of her surroundings. People surrounded her. Lots of them. All jeering.
What did I ever do to you?
Her wrists and ankles ached.
I dont remember getting hurt Wait, injuries?
Her vision cleared, and she realized the smell wasn''t that of cooking at all. It was the smell of burning wood. And the heat signaled that said wood was close. Very close.
What in the realms is going on?
Her wrists and ankles had been bound to a branch, and shed been propped up vertically.
She saw the smoke first. Then the mes eruptedwhich meant the logs had been doused in oil.
Nothing made sense. Who would do this to her? Why? And how long had she been out?
Maiya felt like shed awoken from a thousand-year-long dream. She was groggy and spent, and merely keeping her eyes open took all of her effort. If it werent for the rising sense of panic at the back of her head, she wouldve dozed off again.
Youre insane! All of you! someone roared, and that was when Maiya realized she wasnt alone. Two other men stood within the ring of fire. The smaller one was in front of her as if shielding her from the crowd. The other was working furiously to undo her bindings.
Yamal? The Silent One? What are they
Maiyas mind finally began to work. This is a pyre. Theyre burning me? Us? Grakking ash!
Somebody mind telling me whats going on here? she said.
The Silent Ones only reaction was to redouble his efforts. With one final motion, he finished undoing the knots that held Maiyas hands to the post and began working on her ankle bindings. Yamal froze, then turned slowly, as if disbelieving that Maiya had spoken.
What?
Yamals mouth pped like a fish. Y-y-youre backow!
He recoiled as mes licked his boots, threatening to set his clothes alight. He backed away hastily.
Answerster, he said, thrusting an orb into Maiyas hands. Here! Youre a mejai, right? Get us out of this!
Maiya smirked, despite the gravity of their predicament. Arent you the rescuers? Youre not usually supposed to ask the victim to bail you out, yknow?
Come on! Yamal shrieked, panic staining his words.
Alright, fine. You can back off now, Maiya said, addressing the Silent One.
In seconds, shed charged and fired the C Grade Wind st spell Yamal had handed her, slicing through her ankle restraints.
It was at times like these that Maiya truly appreciated the value of magic. Who knew how much longer itd have taken to undo or cut her ankle bindings without it?
Alright, lets bail, she said, moving away from the post, when she abruptly halted.
The crowds jeers and jibes had vanished, reced by awed silence.
With her mind working better now, Maiya understood that her imprisonment had been the result of her harebrained idea to touch that bizarre tree.
Itd clearly been a sacred item to the Children, and shed vited that sanctity. It didnt take a genius to figure out what mustve happened. Shed been incapacitated, and Yamal and the Silent One were captured alongside her.
Never thought theyd sentence us to death for it, though
Yamal. My orbs. Did you bring them all?
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Yama nodded. Yes, theyre in my rucksack, but is now the time to
Leave your bag and go.
Yamals eyes bulged. Have you gone mad? We didnt risk our lives to
Go! Maiya shouted, then continued in a softer voice. Its okay. Its all going to be okay, Yamal. Illbeokay.
Maiya felt like she''d said those words before, but where, and to whom, she couldn''t quite recall.
Yamal pursed his lips, nodded, then turned and jumped off the pyre. Maiya was surprised to see such decisiveness in the manjumping through mes was no simple feat. Something had changed within the man. There was now a fire in his eyes that was missing before.
The Silent One regarded Maiya with obvious worry. She nodded back. I got this. Trust me.
He nodded, then followed Yamal.
The onlookers made no move to stop them. In fact, they backed away, either out of fear or something else.
Maiya dropped to her knees and rummaged frantically through the dozen orbs shed brought along.
Come on Come on Where is it?
Though shed put up a calm demeanor in front of her friends, itd all been an act. The window for jumping out like they had was rapidly closing, and without the right orbs, shed burn just as easily as anyone else.
That was true for most mejai. While physical defense orbs required only three to protect someone from all forms of physical damageshing Protection, Blunt Force Protection, and Piercing Protectionelemental defense orbs corresponded to each pranic element.
Which meant that, ignoring Ash, there were six, and very few mejai could afford to keep a fullplement on hand.
Maiya just happened to be one of them.
Found you!
Maiya grabbed the ruby red orb, charged it, and slotted it into her robe.
Some might call her actions reckless. Even deranged, perhaps. Yamal would say that she ought to be satisfied with escaping with her life and limbs intact.
But if there was one thing Maiya had learned from Vir, it was to be relentless in the pursuit of power.
Wasnt this the perfect opportunity to turn the tables? She had the eyes of everyone in the za. The fire had hidden her movements as shed rummaged through her bag. Nobody wouldve seen her.
If she coulde across asrger-than-life, then maybe, maybe, theyd be more willing to pardon her. And maybe Maiya wouldnt have to go running back to Princess Ira with her tail between her legs.
The more Maiya thought about it, the dumber of an idea it seemed. Surely the Princess would understand? Yet in her mind, Maiya wasmitted to this course of action, and there was just one way forward.
The orbs power red, and Maiya immediately felt the heat dissipate, allowing her to calm down.
Thankfully, the nature of magically enchanted clothing and armor was that the defensive effects applied to her whole body, from tip to toe, despite her hands and head not actually being within the robe. There were limits, of courseone couldnt enchant underwear and expect it to cover the whole bodybut her robe was no issue.
Maiya waited as the mes licked her boots, then worked their way up all around her.
The C Grade orb drained faster and faster, but Maiya discreetly continued to refill it.
All the while, she analyzed the crowd for any trace of change in their expressions.
What am I even doing? She thought. She still hadnt properly recovered from whatever it was shed been in. Aa? Deep slumber? There were so many questions.
And yet, here she was. Standing in the middle of her own pyre. Distinctly not burning.
The mes grew hotter and hotter, and soon, the mes raged under and over her.
The orb now drained so quickly, Maiya had to reach into her robe to recharge it while it was slotted and active.
Alright. That ought to be enough. Lets hope this is enough to wow them into forgiving me.
Holding her breath, Maiya stepped out.
Yamal paced frantically back and forth, watching the fire grow. And grow. And grow. Maiya looked fineuncaring, even as the mes licked her robe. Though specifics of mejai arts were foreign to him, it was obvious she had some means of defending herself.
Invulnerability to fire, however? Yamal had never heard of anything like that. Either she was quite a high-ranking mejai, or
The mes grew around Maiya, making her disappear.
Yamal exchanged grim looks with the Silent One.
Or she just did something inexplicably foolish.
Even if Maiya screamed for help, there was no saving her now. To enter that bonfire would be suicidal. Whatever happened now, she was on her own.
At least the Children arent giving us any trouble, Yamal thought. We should be able to slip away.
And then what?
The question loomed over Yamals head like a dark cloud. Hed be so wrapped up with Maiyas escapades that he hadnt even considered what hed do after. What if Maiya did perish? Would he go back to being a freeloading bum? Just a month ago, he was happily living that life, but now, the very idea felt revolting.
It was Maiya. After seeing how dazzlingly she lived, after seeing her many varied talents and her indomitable spirit, he felt like some of it had rubbed off.
Grak it, Maiya. Dont you dare die on me!
The mes roared higher and hotter, and soon the whole pyre was lit.
With every minute that passed, Yamals hope waned. Nobody could survive that.
Maiya was dead. Shed allowed herself to die.
A maelstrom of emotions erupted within his chest. She hadnt even screamed in pain.
Why should someone as bright as her have to perish while he lived? Why hadnt shee with them?
You asked us to trust you
The mes parted, and a figure stepped out. Not a burned or disfigured form. Just Maiya. The same as ever.
She stepped off the pyre as casually as if shed just been taking a light stroll, then cast her gaze over the audience.
Was that supposed to hurt? she asked.
The crowd stared at her. One of the Rectors approached her unsteadily. Hesitatingly.
Whats he going to do?
Yamal didnt think the man could do anything against Maiya, now that she had her magic orbs back, but still a part of him worried.
And then the Rector did something unthinkable. Yamal gaped, and even the Silent One before him jerked in surprise.
The Rector didnt admonish Maiya. Nor did he even talk to her.
No, he prostrated.
Praise to the Blessed Prophet! Praise to the divine emissary!
The za was deathly silent for a moment. Then, one by one, each and every Child of Ash followed suit, prostrating in front of Maiya. They began chanting. They chanted Maiyas name. In reverence.
Not as a member. But as a god.
Oh, I bet she will enjoy this!
Chapter 246: Blessed Prophet (Three) (Maiya)
Chapter 246: Blessed Prophet (Three) (Maiya)
I hate my life. Oh gods, I hate my life.
As so often happenedtely, Maiya found herself wondering just how much Fate hated her for things to end up this way. The past week had been full of her most trying days ever, packed with blood rituals, ceremonial blood soakings, and other unspeakable obscenities.
When shed done her fire performance, shed hoped to gain enough bargaining power to haggle for her life. Perhaps even to be allowed to stay within the Children of Ash so she could avoid embarrassing herself in front of Ira.
In a stroke of cosmic irony, it seemed her fire gig hadnt even been necessary. It was just the cherry on topthat shed awoken at all after touching that tree trunk had been the true miracle.
No one who ever had ever lived. At least, not until her. The cult deemed those people to be scorned by the Prana Swarm, to be cremated and forgotten as soon as possible, lest their taint spread.
Who could have guessed theyd not only forgive her, theyd actually worship her instead?
Yes, it was all well and good that she was now a celebrity within the organization shed been tasked with infiltrating. The tone of Princess Iras most recent letter made it sound like shed jumped for joy at Maiyas sess.
A genius! The most valuable asset in the Empire! Shed gone on and on praising Maiya for gaining such a high station within the Childrensomething no one in recorded history had been able to do.
While ttering, said organization was a cult of deranged blood ritualists, and Maiya had now be one of them. How quaint that she once thought the blood baptism was bad. If only shed known what was in store for her
It was a cruel irony that the more power Maiya gained, the more freedom she seemed to lose along the way.
Back in Brij, shed been powerless, and yet, her only expectations were that she help with chores and that she diligently ply herself to her studies.
No swords hung over her head, ready toe down with one wrong move made. There was no royalty demanding she risk her life infiltrating a crazy cult. And there were no disgusting blood rituals.
Maiya looked at her blood-soaked hands, having just spread the innards of a dead Ash Beast around the Childrens temple.
I hate my life.
Who was it that said with poweres happiness? Whoever it was, Maiya wanted to wring their neck.
Yes, Maiyas bank ount in Sonam had ballooned to a dozen serics. Shed been offered a ce of her ownsomething of a small mansionwithin Sonams Royal Quarter,plete with a staff full of maids and butlers of her own. It even had a sweeping view of the vast city.
Or so she heard; shed never had the chance to see it.
What good was wealth and power if she couldnt even enjoy it?
After Bahurai, everyone had returned to the Childrenspound under Jatan Forest, just a stones throw from Sonam. So close, and she couldnt have been any further. Maiya hadnt had a single spare moment to slip away and return to the city.
The princess wanted to meet immediately, but Maiyas new Blessed Chosen duties had taken priority. Maiya had to make preparations well in advance, informing a half-dozen Rectors and even a few Vicarsthe highest level priests. Even then, the Children insisted she be apanied by a guard. Shed agreed, only because she was nning to give them the slip the moment they entered the city.
Maiya was counting the days. Just a few more weeks, and she could visit home. She could see Neel again.
But before she could do any of that, she was to meet with a far more unsavory character, first. The Blessed Chosenthe ultimate leader of the Children of Ash. Their most hallowed member, second only in holiness to the great Prana Swarm itself.
Or at least, that had been the case until Maiya arrived. Now, she was suddenly a prophet, equal in status to the Blessed Chosen, and ted as the sessor to the title, for which she was now being groomed.
What exactly that entailed, she couldnt say. Only that the leader of the Children of Ash put reclusive hermits to shame. Nobody shed ever talked to had ever seen them. No one knew their gender, or even what they looked like. For all she knew, she couldve met them already without even knowing.
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Kinjals intelligencework didnt even have a morsel of information about his identity. They suspected that the title of Blessed Chosen rotated somewhat rapidly, though for what reasons, they only had guesses.
What Maiya did know, however, was that she was going to wring the Blessed Chosen for answers. Answers about that tome shed found. About what itd done to her. And about the true purpose of the Children of Ash.
For as much as she wanted to pass them off as a band of crazy cultists, Maiya had begun to suspect there was more to them than met the eye. Secrets hidden behind secrets. Like that chamber with the vines and the tree.
Well? Where is he? Maiya asked impatiently as she paced around therge hall. It was the same chamber where shed undergone her blood initiation, and every moment she spent here made her skin crawl. That it was underground, three stories in height and built to amodate several hundred people, only made the space feel even more ufortable for a meeting between two people.
Perhaps the Children felt that only such a massive room was fit to hold a meeting between their two most important people.
Please, we beg your patience, Blessed Prophet, the Vicar said, bowing repeatedly. The Blessed Chosen will be here in a moment.
I have already arrived, a thunderous, deep voice boomed. His voice echoed off the walls, and the fact that Maiya couldnt see him only added to the drama. If the man was trying to make an entrance, hed certainly achieved it.
Begone, hemanded. Leave us.
The Vicar bowed deeply and rushed out of the hall, mming its great double doors behind him.
Maiya waited in silence for the man to make his appearance.
As with most temples, there was an area dedicated to the seating of the audiencejust a wide open space where people could sit crosslegged on the ground.
Instead of an altar worshipping the various gods, however, an enormous wooden statue stood in the position of honor. The Childrens interpretation of the Prana Swam sat prominently in the center of the room, rising nearly to the roof. If Maiya hadnt known it was wooden, shed never have guessedthe deep red hue hinted at just how many blood dousings itd been through.
And, standing under the statue, was arge, clean-shaven man. A very The Silent One? she muttered.
The hooded leader approached her with long, confident strides. Even his gait was identical.
The man drew to within ten paces and threw back his hood.
Maiya simply stared at his face for a solid ten seconds, uprehending.
S-sorry, she said atst. I mistook you for someone I know.
He was not the Silent One, though he looked so simr. The heavyset face, the bushy brows. They were almost identical.
Would you, by any chance, be rted to
Blessed Prophet, the Blessed Chosen said, cutting her off. Your time is precious. As is mine. We have important matters to discuss. I rmend we not tarry.
R-right, Maiya said, off bnce. His uncanny simrity left her incredibly confused. Confused and frustrated.
The resemnce he bore to the Silent One was uncanny.
Did the Silent One know? Is that why he disappeared so suddenly?
Much to her worry, she hadnt seen her big friend in days; hed vanished the moment theyd returned from Bahurai. Not only did she fret over his safety, but hed disappeared at the worst possible momentwhen shed needed her friends the most.
Since there were no chairs or table, the two stood. An awkward way to have such a meeting, though Maiya supposed this, too, fit the nature of the organization.
Blessed Chosen, Maiya said in her smoothest voice, I apologize. It is an honor to meet you.
The man gazed at her with intense eyes. The same eyes as the Silent One. Except, with a predatory gaze shed never seen from her friend, the gentle giant. As if the Blessed Chosen were contemting whether he could kill her right then and there.
He probably is. I represent a direct threat to his position.
Maiya didnt flinch.
Tell me everything. What happened to you back there. I need to know.
Er, alright Maiya said, her stage voice slipping. The Blessed Chosen was just about the opposite of everything shed expected. Shed been fully prepared to meet with a mad zealotthe maddest of them all. What shed gotten was a stoic, rational individual that didnt seem at all like he had any screws loose.
In a way, it was far worse. While she mightve recently gained authority within the cult, having apetent leader at the head of the snake would prove far more difficult to oust.
Ira, Im afraid this isnt going to be easy.
I that room, Maiya said, meeting and matching the Blessed Chosens own gaze. With the vines. When I touched that trunk, I cked out. Though, its odd. I feel like there was more. As though I was waking from a dream. A long and terrible dream. Do you know what that was? What is its significance to the Children?
And why does this cult really exist? She didnt add. If this person truly was as capable as his demeanor suggested, shed have to y her cards carefully. The moment he suspected she was a spy would be the end of her.
You feel nothing, then? No different? Maiya thought she saw an earnest hope in his eyes. As though hoping shed agree.
I Maiya paused. Shed been about to say she was fine, and yet Even a full weekter, something felt off. Wrong, somehow. Shed initially attributed it to the stress of recent events, but now she wasnt so sure.
So, you do, the Blessed Chosen said, before Maiya had replied. Apparently, her carefully hidden emotions had slipped onto her face. I see.
The Blessed Chosen hid his emotions well, though Maiya could sense the displeasure in his voice.
Is that bad? I deserve an exnation, dont you think?
You deserve nothing. They seem to have finally taken action. But all is not lost. Not yet.
They? What is he on about?
The Blessed Chosen looked like a man whod just been handed a death sentence.
Gears clicked in Maiya''s mind, and her eyes widened. It was you, wasn''t it? she muttered. You were the one who had them move the pool that would''ve cushioned our fall.
Before she could react, the Blessed Chosen had already left, hisrge frame slipping through the equallyrge door, leaving Maiya with more questions than ever before.
Chapter 247: Twin Pronged
Chapter 247: Twin Pronged
And after that, I ended up helping her wash herundry. You wont believe the conditions people live in here
Vir, youre breaking up, Maiyas image distorted, then cut out entirely. I think you need recharge orb.
Grak it! Vir cursed, unwilling for their conversation to be cut short. Talk tomorrow? Same time?
You got it!
The orbs glow dissipated, and Vir heaved a sigh. He stared emptily at the perpetual sunset, his sense of time warped by the lighting. Though it felt like theyd chatted for only a few minutes, itd been closer to three hours. An eternity, and yet not nearly enough time to discuss all that had happened.
Each side had raced to give an abridged description of all theyd done in the time theyd been apart. Of the troubles theyd endured, and the triumphs theyd enjoyed.
For Vir, it felt like just yesterday that hed had simr conversations with Maiya, in that cavern with the floating inds. Many of the words theyd exchanged had felt like repetition.
For Maiya, itd been nearly a year. She remembered nothing of her time in that cavern.
In the end, Vir hadnt told her. He hadnt been able to. The words caught in his mouth, and even now, he didnt know what to think of her involvement in the whole Ekanai episode. If, after all, it all really was just a figment of Virs imagination, then telling her everything wouldnt hurt. She might even get a fewughs out of it.
But if it was real, and if Maiya truly had somehow lost those memories, he didnt want to burden her with the weight of that revtion. With the precious moments theyd shared, only for her to have lost. Moments shed now forgotten.
Ill have to tell her, eventually, Vir mused. She deserved to know. She was the main reason hed made it out of that whole debacle alive, after all. To withhold information from her would be an injustice.
Next time. Ill tell her everything.
Assuming there was timethey had so much to talk about.
Blessed Prophet, huh? Vir muttered. Fate has some strange tastes.
Turning the orb over in his hands, he muttered a quick thank you to the Gods. That they functioned across realms was something hed scarcely dared to hope for. It was such a long shot, especially when they didnt work in the Ash. Hed nearly given up hope.
And now, I can talk to Maiya whenever I like.
The very thought made his heart flutter and his chest filled with warmth. It wasnt just her voice, either! The orb Maiya had given him was an experimentsomething Kinjal had been working on. Besides her voice, it showed him her face,plete with her facial expressions. It was the next best thing to having her around.
As for why Vir had had three hours on his hands, it was because Cirayus was nowhere to be found. Hed left Sanis yurt to appraise the giant of the situationnamely, the bad news that supplies would be hard to find in this vigebut instead, Maiya had suddenly called him and hed lost track of time.
Finish talking to your mistress? a deep voice asked from behind him.
Vir whirled to find Cirayus with a knowing grin. Chills broke out on Virs back.
How long have you been there?
Hmm, Id say since you two began flirting.
W-we were not flirting! Vir said, reddening. Wait. So youve been here for hours, then!? Why didnt you say anything?
And how did I not even notice?
Vir knew why. Hed been so engrossed in talking to Maiya, hedpletely forgotten to check his surroundings. It wasnt just that, though. The Demon Realm was not the Ash. This was a ce where he could sleep without fear of being mauled by an Ash Beast. And where he could live again, rather than simply survive.
All of these thingsbined to lower his guard, though it was not a mistake hed ever make again. Any realm was dangerous if one got careless.
If you discount what happened in that world of illusions, you havent talked to her in almost two years, Cirayus said. Mightve felt like less to her, but for us, its been a while. I know how much you care about thess. Our ns can wait a few hours.
T-thanks, Vir said, thinking how sensitive Cirayus could be at times like these. Though, he half-suspected the giant remained silent to show Vir just how vulnerable hed allowed himself to be. Ill be more aware of my surroundings from now on.
Good! Now, tell me, did you get a taste of life here? the giant asked, sweeping his two left arms across the horizon.
Vir gazed into the distance, taking a moment before replying. Is this normal? This poverty?
All too normal, Im afraid. The big cities are the exception, though as youll soon see, theye with their own problems. Most of the Demon Realm is barren of prana,d. It''s manageable next to the Boundary, but the prana falls off quickly. Far more quickly than the Human Realm. Its inhabitants all lead difficult lives. The humans have it easy, if you ask me.
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Maybe, Vir replied. Or maybe its why demons are so strong.
Liked what you saw, did you? Cirayus asked.
Theyre honest, hardworking folk, Vir said with a nod.
Aye. That they certainly are. Nowe, let us discuss our next steps.
Vir informed Cirayus of the situation in the vige, as well as their proximity to Samar Patag. Cirayus, whod been out scouting, corroborated Sanis statements.
Were closer than Id thought. Which is good. But this means we have a decision to make.
Such as?
I cannot enter the Chitran stronghold without being discovered. Hard for me to blend in like you do. Wouldnt be a good use of my time, either.
Virs brows furrowed. What exactly are you suggesting, then? You want us to go somewhere else?
Not us. Just me. You should head to Samar Patag. You said this Sani womans sending her children there? Thatll be a perfect opportunity to slip in. See if you can obtain a Chitran Warrior Calling badge once youre inside. I trust youll have no issues slipping into the city. Cirayus gestured to their hilly surroundings. Plenty of shadows in this realm, after all.
And what about you? Where will you go? Vir asked. Cirayus was Virs one anchor in the Demon Realm, which felt even more alien to him than the Ash ever did.
I must inform various trusted parties that Im back. And, with luck, I may be able to organize a protection detail for you. Get the wheels spinning for you, so to speak. ''Tis an exciting time for demonkind, though this leaves me with a dilemma. I am loath to leave you alone while I am gone.
Vir blinked. You''re not joking, are you? Really, Cirayus? I can give you a run for your money. What threat do you think I''m in danger of here?
As he said the words, Vir felt his own resolve build.
The unseen one,d. Aye, you are not the boy you were upon entering the Ash. I proudly recognize you as the warrior you truly are. Yet even a dagger across the neck can be lethal whilst you are asleep. Poison can be consumed without any warning, and hourster, you copse, dead.
I understand, Vir said, thinking back to his own assassination missions. Except, I''m in disguise, and you know how good I am at that. Nobody knows I''m here. They don''t know what I look like, or even the name I''m using. I''ll be fine. You said you recognize my skills. So trust me.
Cirayus let out a great breath. Aye,d. I will. I do. While I am at Camar Gadin, do all you can to learn of the Chits and their ways. Enter Samar Patag and get to know your people. Live among them. See how theyre treated. Experience everything you can, but let no one except Greesha know who you are.
Vir''s eyes lit up with excitement. He genuinely did want to meet his nsmen.
I will. But, Camar Gadin? Isn''t that a Bairan city? Vir asked, recalling a vague memory from Narak''s vision, long ago.
Indeed. The Bairan capital stronghold. I have friends there. Least, I should, if no ill has befallen them. Friends who can apprise me of the goings-on in my absence. I know nothing of what has transpired in this realm after I fled with you in my arms, sixteennow seventeen yearsago. Without that information, we are at a severe disadvantage.
Cirayus ced an arm on Vir''s shoulder. Find Greesha in Samar Patag. Shell be expecting you. She is the seer who prophesied your birth.
Virs expression darkened. Her. The one whod indirectly caused the deaths of his parents and the fall of his entire n.
You want me to meet her?
Lad, I wont ask you not to judge her. But I will ask that you refrain from doing so until youve at least met the woman.
Fine, Vir said, barely restraining his anger. That was not a meeting he was looking forward to. Wait. You said shes expecting me? Hows that possible?
When we were trapped in that illusion, do you remember? I mentioned meeting a friend.
And you think it was real. You think that this friend of yours really was there?
Cirayus shrugged. I suppose there is only one way to find out for certain, isnt there?
Hes got me, Vir thought, once again appreciating just how well Cirayus understood him. The demon knew Vir struggled with the events in that illusion world. Specifically, about Maiya. Whether or not she was really there. If Greesha truly was expecting him, then itd go a long way to proving that Maiya, too, was really there. If not her body, then her soul.
Say, Vir said. The currency in this realm. Its the same as the Human Realm. I wasnt expecting that.
Aye, it is. Was a surprise for me too, when I first entered the Human Realm.
I suppose it makes sense, now that I think about it, Vir said. If there was only one realm before the fall of the Imperium, and if the Imperium spanned the world, then their currency would be everywhere.
True, Cirayus said, stroking his beard. The history books say that in the beginning, nations tried minting their own coin, but quickly discovered it was easier to operate the pre-existing mints. The Rajasthe nlordsall agree on issuance policy during inter-n meetings. Convenient, yes?
Vir nodded. It certainly was. He just wished he had serics on hand instead of a handful of silvers.
Now, before we leave, I wish to leave you with some advice.
Is this what I think it is? Vir asked, feeling his pulse quicken.
The giant grinned. Now that youve mastered your Foundation Chakra, it is time you start opening your Life Chakra. You will soon be in the ideal environment to practice it, after all.
What do you mean? Vir asked.
The Life Chakra allows one to senseand sometimes maniptethe thoughts of their target. Best practiced when around others. Attempt to feel the presence of others around youwithout your Prana Vision.
Thats a bit vague, Vir said. Can you guide me like you did for the Foundation Chakra? It really helped when you injected some of your chakra into my body.
Unfortunately, Life Chakra cannot be transferred in the same manner. Not without assaulting your mind, which isnt helpful. I hardly need to exin how it feels, yes? You have already experienced its effects.
Vir nodded. During our duel in the Ash, when you attacked me with Life Chakra, it just felt like Id lived another version of reality. One where youd cut open my neck.
The pain had been real. None of it had felt like an illusionnot up until itd ended.
Aye. The best way to train it is through meditation around others. Practice until you can feel their presence. Once mastered, you will find it a useful tool, especially against Ash Beasts who havent mastered the Foundation Chakra. Its effects are dramatic and obvious. Nothing like Chitrans Coercion Bloodline Art, which is far more insidious.
Right, the one the Chits used when we first arrived, Vir said, fully suspecting the art would be used against him again, given where he was headed.
Aye. One finds themselves more agreeable to the wielder while its effects are active. Tis subtle and subconscious. By the time you realize you are under its influenceif you ever doit is far toote. For most, it is an ability with no good counter. But for you, I suspect it will not be an issue at all
Prana Vision, Vir replied. Ill be able to see their tattoo light up when they activate it.
Indeed. Even so, be vignt.
I will, Vir said with a nod.
The demon moved to embrace Vir in a great hug. Stay safe, you hear? Keep your wits about you. Listen to Greesha and her people.
I will, Vir repeated. Cirayus was acting every bit like a doting parent, but Vir didnt mind that at all. When will I see you again? he asked.
Cirayus grinned. Soon enough,d. Soon enough.
Chapter 248: Laborer Calling
Chapter 248: Laborer Calling
After handing Cirayus a handful of loaves of stale breadwhich Vir felt was already straining Sanis meansVir set out on the road to Samar Patag with her two children and theirmunal Ashva.
Darsh was the boy whod fetched all the bread, and his hardworking nature reminded Vir of himself in his younger days. Darshs sister, however, was far shier. She hadnt said a word to Vir the entire time theyd eaten together, constantly stealing nces at him.
Dont mind Hetal, Darsh said as he set their Ashvas saddle on the outskirts of the vige. Shes just bad around strangers. Not like we get a lot of you lot, yknow
Vir smiled at the slim-framed ck-haired girl, who promptly hid behind her brother. Like him, she too was a red demon, dressed in very simr rags. Thankfully, theyd both donned sandals for the journey. Vir wouldve raised a few objections if theyd gone it barefoot.
With Virs prana-enhanced constitution, footwear was mostly optional, but for a malnourished demon child, itd be a terrible ordeal.
If this is what the situation is like, even outside of Samar Patag, just how much worse do the Gargans have it there?
I can rte, Vir said. I also grew up in a vige.
Hetals eyes widened. Y-you did? Where?
Far, far from here, though it was quite a bit bigger than yours, Vir said wistfully. He wondered what Camas and his goons were up to, and whether this vige suffered the same issues as Brij. Being far smaller, he suspected they likely faced a simr, yet distinct, set of problems.
Shall we get going? Darsh asked, jumping up on his Ashva. Would you like to ride, orer
What are you saying? Hetal said, snapping at her brother. Mummy will kill us if she learns you let the stranger walk!
Oh. Sorry, Darsh replied, bashfully looking away, but Vir waved away his concern.
Ill walk.
The siblings looked at each other nervously. No need. Well manage just fine. Or why dont we all just sit together?
While most Ashva could take three riders without issue, one look at their skinny, malnourished beast told Vir that itd have its back full with the two kids.
Dont worry about it. I wont slow you down. I wouldnt be able to sleep at night if I forced a kid to walk while I rode. Trust me.
They looked at him like he was crazy, but it was obvious just how scared Darsh was of the idea of walking the whole way.
You sure? Its a two-day Ashva ride, even at his full speed.
Im sure, Vir said. His attention was on the distantndscape as he scanned for any sign of his four-legged friend. Neel always stuck close to Vir, never wandering off, and always returning when called.
Shan was a different beast entirely. Hed disappear for days, only staying close when the hordes of Ash Beasts had be too much for him to handle alone. Now that they were in far less dangerous territory, Vir had scarcely even seen the wolf.
Vir soon gave up his search. Shan was smart. Hed follow along. Besides, Vir suspected hunting for him would be a waste of time. The wolf could be anywhere, and was very good at staying hidden when he wanted to.
They set off, and the siblings suspicion of Virs physical prowess soon turned to confusion, and finally to awe, as they saw him keep pace without even breaking a sweat. For Vir as he was, he could keep it up for a week if he had to. The prana roaring within his body certainly did some strange things to his physiology. He could even go long stretches without eating. That was the only way they were able to survive in the Ash toward the end. There were far too many enemies to be eating two meals a day.
Which was also why the meager food Vir had brought the giant would suffice. Cirayus prana capacity, while not nearly at Virs level, was still far higher than almost every demon in the realm.
Hed debated whether showing off his capability would raise concerns, but Cirayus had assured him it wouldnt, since most demons whod spent any time in the Ash would be capable of jogging alongside an Ashva for a day or two, assuming enough breaks were taken. Vir didnt need those breaks, but the Ashva certainly did, so it worked out.
The terrain changed slowly and subtly as they journeyed, changing from cracked desert to something resembling a savannah. A savannah with red soil. It was actually red, Vir had learned, and wasnt just the eternal sunset ying tricks on them.
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Hours of journeying gave Vir plenty of time to break the ice, and by now, Hetal was chatting nonstop, gesturing animatedly about life in the vige, the other kids, and the festival that wasing up in a month or two. It was to be a festival of lightsone that Vir hadnte across in the human realm.
Its even better in Samar Patag! Youre gonna love it!
Vir began to grow excited. There hadnt been much in the way of festivals in the Human Realm, after all. Especially not in Hiranya.
Theyd stopped for a break, mainly to allow their Ashva, ironically named Garga, to rest. Whether merely amentary on the beasts spirit, or Sanis dig at the Chitran, Vir couldnt know. He suspected thetter, however.
There wasnt any water for miles, so siblings worked together to make things asfortable for the animal as possible. Hetalid out a water bowl, filling it from their waterskin, while Darsh removed the saddle with practiced efficiency.
They both seemed like smart, hardworking children, which made Vir wish they had more opportunity to capitalize upon those traits.
Still, I was surprised you didn''t know we were nomads, Dash said as they chatted.
Im sorry, Ive been in the Ash a while. I dont remember your particr vige, Vir replied. Have they all gotten so... difficult to live in?
The children nodded in understanding. Whats it like? Darsh asked, his eyes sparkling. Is it really as dangerous as everyone says it is?
Darsh! Hetal said, kicking his shin. He asked you a question first! How rude. Sorry, mister Neel, Darsh can be slow like that.
Neel was one of the many aliases Vir had decided to assume until he revealed himself to the world. Vir, Neel, Apramor, Vaak there was utility in having many names, and by now, Vir was an expert.
Hey! Darsh objected. Im not slow!
We only got to this spot a year ago, Hetal said, ignoring her brother. Though, mummy says we might move again soon. Thend is just awful for crops. Everywhere is.
Gets worse every year, Darsh added. Deserts didnt used to be deserts. Dunno whats going to happen. How are we going to feed everyone when the nts dont grow?
Have you considered switching Callings? Vir asked hesitantly. Hed been reluctant to bring up this topic, which shouldve beenmon knowledge, and if he recalled Cirayus lecture from long ago correctly, there was some reason they couldnt be changed. He just couldnt remember the details, and the desire to ask had been gnawing at him all the while.
For whatever reason, not nearly as much prana bled through the Boundary into the Demon Realm, leaving it barren and infertile. Not even the most skilled farmer would meet with much sess in thesends. In a country like Kinjal, farming mightve been a viable way to thrive. The nts grew wildly there due to their proximity to the Ash.
Here, however, it felt like only the Warrior and Ruler Callings held any promise for prosperityand respect.
Which was why it galled Vir that these kids seemed so resigned to their fate as Laborer-Farmer Callings.
The kids exchanged nces. Its been mentioned. Comes up more these days, the worse things get, Darsh said softly. Some folk want to stay. Some want to move, and some say we dont have anything worth holding onto, anyway. That its better to give up our standing among the farmers and move on. But if everyone moves on, howre people gonna eat?
Ah, right. That was it, Vir thought. Changing Callings meant forfeiting the familys reputation within that Callingsmunity. Whatever respect and position their ancestors had built and earned would be lost. Theyd be starting at the very bottom.
Darsh was right. Every Laborer Calling farmer must have had the same thought. Most were likely not as bighearted as Darshwho wouldnt wish to seek a better life for themselves in another Calling?
Yet if too many did, the n would run out of food.
This is such a mess
Forget Chitran oppression. These people were on the verge of starving to death, and Vir couldnt help but wonder whether the Calling System was a system that worked well, or if it was just another way the Chits subjugated his people.
I wonder if other ns are this bad off. Or if its just a Chitran thing.
As far as first impressions went, the Chitran were not making a good one. Not at all.
Mummy said people are having fewer kids these days, Hetal said. Not enough food for so many mouths.
Better than having hungry kids, Darsh replied.
Hes right but also wrong, Vir mused. Reducing the poption might thwart famine, but ultimately, itd result in a diminishing of Chitrans power. Without an edge like the Altani had, the more people a country had, the stronger it tended to be on the world stage, assuming it was run well enough to capitalize on it. Kinjal was a prime example, while Hiranya and Matali were examples of what happened when onecked either good rulership or sufficient poption, respectively.
Vir would happily witness the downfall of the Chitran, if only the Gargans wouldnt suffer for it. Already, even without having seen the situation at Samar Patag, Vir was beginning to glimpse just how nuanced the situation truly was.
S-so, Darsh said when the silence had grown awkward. Can you tell us about the Ash?
Though the boy kept his voice measured, he couldnt hide the excitement in his eyes. Vir might well have been the only demon hede across whod ventured into the Ash. And, well, the journey was long and there wasnt much else to do, so Vir obliged.
Vir carefully chose what stories he told, keeping the descriptions limited to individual fights against Ash Beasts of various kinds. He didnt breathe a word about Ashani or Saunak, nor did he give them any hint of who he truly was.
They didnt seem to notice. Both Darsh and Hetal listened intently to his every word as they gallopedand as he ran. Narrating a story while running was a first for him, but the exertion was so easy that Vir was hardly inconvenienced by it.
They made camp a few hourster. While Vir had to keep consulting the tablet Cirayus had given him to tell time, the siblings seemed to have an internal clock that told them when to rest. For dinner, they brought out some lentil soup Sani had cooked,plementing it with stale bread.
Vir declined, lying that he carried his food with him. He could easily go a night or two without eating. The kids were still growing. They needed all the help they could get.
Vir snuck away, opting to sleep some hundred paces away from them. Close enough that he could monitor them and respond to any threats, while still far enough away to gain a measure of privacy.
Cirayus had recharged hismunications orb, and Maiya was due to call.
Chapter 249: Roadside Thaumaturgy
Chapter 249: Roadside Thaumaturgy
Are you serious? Maiya said. Its been that long already!?
Two hours had passed in the blink of an eye as Vir and Maiya chatted, and soon the sun was setting in Maiyas Realm.
As much as Vir wanted to stay up long into the night, Maiya could not. After bing the Blessed Propheta development that Vir still couldnt believeMaiyas free time had be exceedingly precious.
After her experience in the chamber with the vine treea chamber that sounded identical to the one Vir had experiencedher status within the organization had soared sky-high. Vir believed that with her newfound power, she was close to realizing Princess Iras goal for her within the Children, though Maiya was less certain, thanks in part to the botched assassination attempt on her life.
She seemed convinced there was a secret to the Children of Ash. Something deep and buried, and until she unveiled the truth, she believed that overthrowing the Blessed Chosen was unlikely. And without doing that, she had no chance of taking over the cult.
Vir didnt care about the Childrens secrets as much as he worried for her safety.
Despite his worries, however, these chats remained the highlight of Virs day. He only wished Maiya were with him, so they could explore the Demon Realm together. Verbal descriptions left so much to be desired.
Although saddened that their call onlysted a couple of hours, it meant there was enough charge within themunications orb for another call.
Talk to you tomorrow? Maiya asked.
Sure, but my orbs running out of charge, Vir replied. Might be a couple of days before I can get it working again.
I see, Maiya said, obviously disappointed. Saying goodbye every day was almost as hard as not seeing each other.
As far along as hede, powering human orbs was still impossible. Perhaps the limitation would be ovee one day, but for now, he had to make do. Luckily, Cirayus had proven that demons could charge them, and so once Vir arrived at Samar Patag, all hed need was a helper. Someone trustworthy.
Stay safe, yeah?
You too, Mai.
Maiyas face winked out, leaving Vir alone in his camping bed.
There was still some time to kill before Darsh and Hetal woke up, leaving Vir at a loss for what to do. After spending so many sleepless nights fighting off beasts in the Ashen Realm, hed thought hed look forward to a full eight hours of sleep, but that was nearly impossible for him now. After just two, he awoke fully rested, courtesy of all the prana that coursed within his body.
And so, for the first time in a very long time, he had the luxury of engaging in a hobby. Luckily for him, there just so happened to be a convenient hobby readily essible.
Vir rummaged through his ck Imperium rucksack and retrieved Saunaks thick tome of Thaumaturgy.
He started on page one.
Six hourster, Vir wondered if hed made a terrible mistake. Though his mind should only have needed two hours of sleep, after struggling to make heads or tails of the book, Vir felt like he could use another nap.
I thought hobbies were supposed to be rxing
The tome itself was bad enoughusing jargon such as pathway conductivity, elemental synergy, and loads of other names Vir had a hard time understandingbut Saunaks notes made it even worse.
In some ces, the demon had crossed out the underlying text entirely, recing it with his own nonsensical ramblings. That was bad both because it prevented Vir from reading what had originally been written, and because Saunaks knowledge was far beyond that of the books author. Half of his notes were insults hurled at the writer.
From what little Vir had gleaned, inscriptions allowed prana to circte in a very particr pattern or cycle, at a fast rate, efficiently. Far more efficiently than a demon could manage without the tattoo, and with less mastery required.
In fact, for most demons, creating any type of magical effect at all was nearly impossible, given the prana control it required.
Vir was the exception. Whether it was a primordial ability, or because his predecessors had done the legwork, Virs control had always been exceptional, allowing him to reverse engineer Dance of the Shadow Demon even without the tattoo.
Granted, it still wasnt as good as the original, so Vir looked forward to the day when he could inscribe the real deal on his body. He wondered how much his maniption mastery would strengthen the tattoos.
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Vir also learned that tattoos were simply one application of an inscription. Somewhat like human orbs, these patterns could be inscribed on a variety of objects, though said objects had to have specific prana conduction properties for there to be any hope of sess.
Demonic tablets to tell time and perform a slew of other tasksessentially the demonic analog of human utility orbsrequired such a material. Crystals were ideal but expensive. The next best thing was a particr type of ore.
This random bit of knowledge came from one of Saunaks many notes.
Feeling spent, Vir closed the tome and sunk into his mindscape for an hour. It was a shame he couldnt bring Saunaks tome with him there, though perhaps it was for the better. Spending even more time with the book would have the opposite effect. Besides, he had a sinking feeling that he''d need to train under a thaumaturge if he wanted to make any real headway.
Just as Saunak had intended.
Vir opened the Foundation Chakra and sunk into his mindscape, allowing calming peace to wash over him. The gentle breeze, the chirping birds, and the croaking crickets all aided him, and soon the tangle of thoughts that gued him unwound, leaving his mind as calm as a cid ocean.
Mentally restored, Vir exited mental construct. He found that in its current form, the mindscape granted him a two-to-one time advantage versus reality. Every hour spent in there was a half hour in reality. Cirayus had mentioned that this scaling factor would increase as Vir opened more Chakras. Of course, his body remained where it wasit was only his mind that traveled.
Eager to expand his mindscape, Vir had started working on opening the Life Chakra but found it slow going, especially without Cirayus to help guide the process. The giant had told him to concentrate on the presence of people around himeven when he wasnt actively meditating. Right now, the only people around him were Darsh and Hetal, and they were some distance away.
Vir expected to have a better time of it in Samar Patag.
It was a departure from how he trained the Foundation Chakra, but it made sense that each would have its own unique way of training it.
The initial Chakras were said to be the easiest, but given how long it took him to open the Foundation Chakra, Vir braced himself for the long haul. And while Shardul had mentioned he couldmune with his predecessors upon opening his Chakra, Vir wasnt sure if he wanted to confront Ekanai so soon after the events of the cavern. He wasnt sure how much the demon would be able to help him.
Vir hade to peace with the demon being a part of him But that didnt mean he and the warrior would get along. Of concern was whether the true Ekanai would appear, or the distorted version that had taken possession of Virs body on multiple asions.
Ready to go? Darsh asked as Vir approached. The boy had arisen some minutes prior and was tending to their Ashva. His bleary-eyed sister, however, had only just sat herself up.
We should arrive at Samar Patag before the days out, Darsh announced. Wed best get moving.
Vir nodded. Today was the day he finally saw the city that bore so much of his past. The city his father had died protecting.
Lets go.
Vir had kept his expectations to a minimum. A city that had fallen from its height, that had been conquered and driven to the ground by despotic leadership Vir had seen Daha. Hed seen what effect it had.
Still, this was his city. Thend of his parents. His n. Vir couldnt quell his excitement.
They approached from the east, and Vir took note of the terrain along the way. The desert had given way to a desert forest. Tall trees soared nearly as tall as the Godshollow, but these were spindly and thin. And seemingly half-dead. They bore few leaves at all, and the ground under them, instead of being the rich fertile soil Vir expected from a forest, was sandy, red, and simr to the desert theyd traversed until now.
Vir wiped a bead of sweat from his browthe incessant humidity mightve abated somewhat, but the heat remained.
Then the enormous ind Gargan Sea came into view, and they followed its coast to the walls of Samar Patag. Ramshackle walls. The stonework had been patched haphazardly after the Chitrans had sacked it. Several sections of the wall were discolored, and if Vir wasnt wrong, theyd been patched with y instead of stone. A cost-saving measure, no doubt.
That wall wouldnt stand a chance against a half-decent army.
Then again, what army would attack the Chitrans? Theyd been the ones to unite the tribes, after all. Ironic, since that was exactly the goal Cirayus wished for. The Chits simply used less-than-desirable means to attain it.
For all Vir knew, the demon ns might love the Chitrans. It could very well be a time of prosperity for the realm.
One can always hope
It was a fools hope, Vir knew. Hed seen a vige already, and the sorry state of the travelers who wished to enter the city spoke volumes.
For one, there were only two or three people ahead of them at the checkpoint wishing to enter. About an equal number departed from the city while they waited. That didnt bode well. Even Daha had dozens lining up to enter at all hours of the day, and there was always enough traffic along its roads to cause congestion.
Avi was on another level beyond that. Its ports were bursting with activity.
Theck of traffic spoke volumes about the trade and travel between Samar Patag and the other strongholdslittle to nonexistent.
This is where we part ways, Vir said, before adding, for nowwhen he saw the crestfallen look on the siblings faces.
Y-You sure? Darsh asked.
Ive got my own ways of entering the city, Vir said with a cating smile. Dont worry about me. Get your tasks done, then hurry home, alright?
The siblings nodded obediently.
It was fun, Neel! Lets meet up again soon!
Vir waved as he walked away from the gate. When he was far enough, he began Leaping parallel to the wall, right below it,though he kept his jumps shorter to conserve prana.
The design of Samar Patags walls had the ramparts overhang slightly above the wall itself. This helped to attack enemies right at the wall, but it also obscured thend directly underneathunless someone happened to look straight down through a rampart murder hole.
And while the ramparts were patrolled, there werent nearly as many guards as Daha had had. As rundown as that country was, they at least maintained their defenses.
Likely because King Rayid constantly feared invasion. The Chitrans have growncent.
Thanks to the few guards, Vir had no issue remaining undetected.
Inserting spies into the city would be trivial, even if the gates were guarded vigntly. Which they really werent. Anyone with a Chitran Calling badge could get through.
Using the walls own shadow, Vir invoked Dance of the Shadow Demon and slipped through. Hed briefly considered conserving prana and entering some other way, but with Prana Current, itd take less than an hour to restore what hed lost.
He was in. After a journey across three realms, he was home.
Chapter 250: Samar Patag
Chapter 250: Samar Patag
From the shadows, Vir spotted many exits. He saw the insides of shacks, dark alleys, and plenty of exits along the wall.
In all of them, themon theme was squalor. A disturbing thought crossed his mind. Hed either entered a slum, or the entire city was this way. He prayed to all the gods that it wasnt thetter.
Vir braced himself for the stench and exited a shadow into a deserted alley. His mental preparation did little good. The putrid smell of sewage and grime hit him with the force of Bncer of Scales.
Itd been so long since hed dealt with such putrid conditions that hed nearly forgotten just how horrid it was. Even then, this was worse than the Warrens at Daha. This was unliveable.
Nobody noticed his approachthe emaciated demons who sat slumped against the alleys stone walls either had their eyes closed, or looked off into the distance, defocused.
Are these all my people? Vir thought in horror.
Street after streetthere was little difference. This entire section of the city was a slum. An enormous, overpopted slum full of starving, broken demons.
In the past, hed thought little of the plight of the poor. Hed experience poverty himself, after all. He understood what it was like. While pitiable, ultimately, everyone had to look out for themselves.
But now? How could he possibly think that way, knowing that this was the n his parents and thousands of other Gargans had sacrificed their lives to protect? What would they say if they saw the city in such a sorry state?
Vir could no longer hide behind the excuse of ignorance. These peoples problemsthe citys problemswere the leaders problems.
His mind spun, reaching for ways he could help these poor souls.
While it might be within his means to feed, clothe, and house one or two strangers, how was he to do that for a city?
In some alleys, people moaned. In another, a mother sobbed over her infant child who was so emaciated that Vir surely thought it was dead. Then he saw its small chest rise. To his surprise and horror, he realized it was still alive.
Demons are more resilient than humans. Which also meant they could endure more hardship and torture before sumbing.
The weight of Cirayus expectations suddenly felt a lot heavier on Virs shoulders, and it was only the familiar sight of emaciated bandies roaming the slums that soothed his thoughts.
In a ce where everythingfrom the people to the soil to the sunwas foreign, a familiar sight made all the difference in the world.
Wonder how Neel''s doing, Vir thought, suddenly missing his old friend dearly.
It was stupid of him to have thought he could make a difference here. He had nothing. He didnt even have a spare coin he could toss their way; the few silvers he had on hand were barely enough for himself.
With clenched fists and ground teeth, Vir forced himself to move on. He left his Foundation Chakra closed.
It was all he could do for these people right now. Somehow, relying on the ability to calm his thoughts felt wrong. Like it cheapened the plight of the poor souls who had to live through this nightmare.
Vir couldnt ease their suffering. But he could at least share a bit of their pain.
Soon, the dirt abated and the roads became tidier, the buildingsrger and less dense. Not well built or well maintained, butpared to the cesspool hed just left, this wasparatively a breath of fresh air. The smell was now at least bearable.
Vir soon arrived at a square in the middle of town, where plenty of activity urred.
His first task was to find GreeshaCirayus contact in Samar Patag. The seer whod prophesied his birth.
Vir had mixed feelings about meeting that woman, and he hadnt yet had the time to meditate on his emotions. Hed simply have to work through it when he found her.
Cirayus had provided a descriptionan elderly, stone-faced red demon with white hair and red eyes that looked like they could cut you to shreds.
Shes the most dangerous-looking person in the room. And the loudest voice. Shell be the person in charge. Trust me, you cant miss her.
While Cirayus wasnt concerned about Vir locating her, he was less certain, so hed pressed the giant for more information. Locating a lone demon in a city of thousands would be a tall order, no matter how entric.
Luckily, he had another lead. The woman wielded Life and Shadow prana, which meant Prana Vision could easily locate her, assuming Vir drew within about thirty paces. His mastery over the ability had improved alongside his other skills, and with it, so had its detection range.
Vir jumped up to a rooftop. Unlike Daha, the builders here boasted pointed roofs, many of which were adorned withplex engravings of gods doing battle. The architecture was beautiful, in an austere way, to say nothing of the handful of temples hede across. Multi-tiered and absolutely covered in gorgeous carvings, Vir had found himself enraptured taking them in.
A pity its denizens thought little of preserving that heritage. Vir spotted more than a handful of demons pissing on this ancient, beautiful art. Many had been so covered in grime and trash that they were no longer possible to discern.
Vir forced his attention back to the people ambling around. It was not only an excellent opportunity to train his Life Chakra, it allowed him to witness demons as they lived and went about their business.
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There was a surprising simrity to the Imperium citizens during their heyday. The garbbrightly colored silken garments, were nearly identical, if far less ornate. None of the prana-infused art the Imperium was enamored with, either.
Vir spotted four-armed demons and even one gianta full torso taller than Cirayus, but the vast majority were regr red demons and kothisChitran monkey people. Thankfully, Vir didnt spot a single Iksana Ghael. Cirayus had been right when he called them reclusive.
That was fine by Vir. The fewer Iksana around, the less likely his Ash pranaand thus his identitywould be exposed.
After a half-hour of people-watching, Vir began to wonder if another approach would be better. He hadnt made any progress toward sensing the life signs of others, nor had he caught sight of anyone looking like Greesha. If she was such a famous person, Vir figured he could just ask someone about her.
Doubt lingered in Virs mind. What if Cirayus cavern vision really had been fake? What if Greesha wasnt expecting him?
Just then, shouts erupted in the middle of the za.
A fight?
Vir was about to move closer to spectate when he froze.
At the very center of the za, being pped around by the guards was none other than Darsh, bravely shielding his little sister Hetal. The boy allowed his body to be used as a punching bag and was already bruised in several ces.
The ones doing the punching werent ruffians or bandits. They were Samar Patags guards. Chitran guards.
Vir swore under his breath. No wonder Darsh and Hetal had looked so scared when hed left. They hadnt just been sad at parting! Theyd been worried about their own safety.
Cursing his mistake, Vir Leaped into the air high above the za, all thoughts of maintaining a low profile forgotten.
Some things were more important.
Four monkey-faced guards in cloth-and-mail armor surrounded Darsh. The armor d only their torso and bits of their biceps and thighs, leaving their limbs and tail unprotected. Serviceable, but overall very lightpared to what most in the Human Realm preferred. Whether the choice was because of their inherent demonic resilience, the muggy air, or their fighting styles, Vir couldnt say.
He also couldnt say why a bunch of guards were harassing an innocent kid like Darsh.
What he could say, however, was that not one of them noticed him fall from the sky. Not until it was toote.
Virnded with extreme force, cracking the tiles underfoot, kicking up a cloud of dust.
For a long moment, the guards simply gaped, giving Vir ample opportunity to study them up close.
These guards were stronger than the average human by a significant margin. Though the prana within them matched the surroundings densitylow for the Human Realm, but not as low as the desert to the easttheir tattoos concentrated the prana, pulling in the meager amount to power spells.
Though Vir knew from experience that the tattoos could pull prana from the air and ground with great efficacy, their overall strength wasnt anything specialthe tattoos had their limits.
The Chitran guards wielded an assortment of talwars, scimitars, and spears. None seric, but all well forged and maintained.
Vir decided not to underestimate these demons. Not only did they have tattoos, Vir knew little about the nature of demonic powers. Their abstract properties meant everyone he dealt with would fight in their own unique way. Cirayus had once bemoaned that demonsck of standardization crippled them on the battlefield, but one on one, it made them unpredictable.
Whats the matter? Vir asked. Badrak got your tongue?
Who in Veras name are you? a monkey guard eximed.
Their protection.
A Warrior? The guard asked in surprise. He turned to Darsh. Howd you afford that? Your vige is poor as dirt.
Just happened to be wandering by when I heard a ruckus, Vir said.
That so? the Chitran guard asked, eyeing up Vir. Badge?
This was the moment Vir had dreaded.
Vir had asked Cirayus if he could obtain a Calling badge in advance, but each badge was engraved with the name of the bearer in a very specific, ornate way. Forging one was nearly impossible without an extreme level of skill. Being caught with a forgery was far, far worse than having none at all.
No, Vir would have to rely on every acting lesson hed learned in the Human Realm if he wanted a chance of bluffing his way past.
Shouldnt I be the one asking? Since when did honorable Chitran warriors harass little kids?
Little kids who broke thew, showing their faces where Laborers aren''t allowed. The guards all tensed. Now, I believe I asked for your badge...
For going where they weren''t allowed? Vir thought incredulously. Even if it were the case, the guards'' punishment had been far too severe. No, they were enjoying this. Everyst moment.
Been gone for a spell, Vir said, shrugging. Im afraid the Phantomdes and Ash Wolves took all of my belongings. You never know how it goes when youre fighting one of those. You understand, right? The Ashen Realm is a mean ce, deeper in.
The guards, whod been flustered and angry just moments prior, changed their attitude in an instant, though Vir wasn''t entirely sure to what.
Vir wasn''t yet familiar with their monkey-like expressions, whichplicated his performance. Reading facial expressions was part and parcel of the actors toolbox, and Vir hadnt learned what a monkeys expressions meant.
Youve fought in the Ashen Realm? the guard asked. The suspicion in his tone was obvious, though there was something else, too. Wariness.
Good. I can use that.
Vir nodded slowly. NeelOf Ash.
Well, Neel old buddy, I guess youre a demonic warrior of the Ash, now, Vir thought wryly.
Of Ash? the guard said doubtfully. You? Youre what, not even forty years of age? Yet you im to be of the Ash? You dare cast off your n?
No such thing, Vir said. I merely wish to show the extent of my aplishments there. I entered the Ash as a n demon. I returned as someone more. My age should only prove my capabilities.
Vir guessed the guard had misread his age by virtue of how slowly demons aged once they reached adulthood. That, and the chances of a teen bing a Warrior of Ash were infinitesimal.
I hope you dont expect us to believe your story on faith alone, another guard said, sauntering up to Vir. His gear was a little nicer, and his helm had a red plume sticking up out of it.
Youre the leader? Vir asked.
That I am. And Im afraid we cannot let your ims stand. We require proof.
Vir nearly groaned. He knew where this was going. A test, then?
The monkey demon smiled. You see, we dont get nearly enough practice around these parts. And theres something about sparring thatcks stakes, if you get my meaning? I imagine a mighty warrior of the Ash would give my men quite the challenge. Dont you think?
Fine. Lets get this over with, Vir said with a sigh.
You wont fault us for going three-on-one against you, yes? Such numbers ought to be childs y for Warrior of Ash.
Vir did his best not to roll his eyes. I dont mind, he said, then turned to Darsh and Hetal. You two better leave. No need for you to get caught up in this.
O-okay, Hetal said but was interrupted by her brother.
Are you kidding me? Darsh eximed. And miss a fight between a Warrior of Ash and a bunch of Kothis? Id rather eat Ashva dung than miss this!
The boys colorfulnguage prompted a chuckle out of Vir. Fine, he said, but make sure you stay well away. I dont want to exin to your mother why either of you got hurt.
Darth nodded vigorously, even as he stepped closer to Vir. His sister pulled him back, stopping only when they were a solid thirty paces away.
They werent the only ones watchinga throng of demons had gathered and now surrounded them, crowding in from all around the za.
Well, good thing Im in disguise, Vir thought. He really didnt want to be causing a scene so soon after entering the city, but there was little to be done about it now.
Besides, thisll be a good opportunity to see how demons fight.
Vir turned to the lead guard and gripped his katar. Dont me me if your units unfit to resume their stations after.
The monkey grinned. Oh, you wont need to worry about that.
Vir cracked his neck, returning the grin in full.
Its your funeral.
The monkeys smile dimmed slightly.
Hmm. This might actually be fun
Chapter 251: Hope for the Lost
Chapter 251: Hope for the Lost
So, how should I y this? Vir thought, facing down the three Chitran guards. The captain was notably not taking part, choosing instead to oversee this duel. No doubt he expected this to be a beat-down.
Each fighter wore the same armora small, tight gambeson cuirass under chainmail that covered their biceps and thighs, leaving their forearms and legs open.
Two wielded talwars and round dhol shields, while one wielded a poleaxe. Overall, a solid setup.
Vir wasnt about to let slip even the faintest hint that he was the Akh Nara. Which meant Dance of the Shadow Demon was off the table. Only abilities that were reasonably simr to tattoos were safe. Luckily, tattoos embodied abstract powers, and while some demons preferred to show off the tattoos on their bare bodiesVir thought of Cirayusexhibiting body art didnt seem to be a core part of demonic culture.
Which meant Vir could get away with a lot, so long as he conserved his prana and fought efficiently.
Lets see how they fight first, Vir thought.
Though Vir had learned many lessons in the Ashen Realm, one reigned above them all. Ones ability to safely and reliably defeat enemies hinged less on ones power and more on their understanding of the opponents strengths and weaknesses.
Yes, Vir had gained Prana Current and other boons, but his knowledge of Phantomde weak spots gained from fighting dozens of battleseach time honing his tactics and timingthat was what let him annihte those beasts.
The guards fanned out, with the shield-bearers attempting to nk him. It wasnt a bad strategywhile they heckled him, the poleaxe wielder could sneak in strikes.
Vir, of course, didnt let them. He backed away and circled every time they tried, forcing them in front of him.
A shield-bearer made the first move, thrusting with his talwar. A probing attack to see how Vir would react.
He barely moved, twisting his arm just enough to allow the weapon to whizz by.
The monkey demon frowned, and Vir barely suppressed a smirk.
While Vir had avoided the attack, he couldnt me his foe for mistaking it as a coincidence.
His partner attacked, and again, Vir barely avoided the blow. This time, it was apanied by a sneaky attack from the poleaxe wielder.
Vir allowed himself to fall, avoiding it. Turning his momentum into a reverse somersault, Vir sprang back up to his feet a few paces away.
Are you trying to hit me? Vir goaded. Or was all that just for show?
You dare! Ill show you just
Stop, the poleaxe wielder said, regarding Vir with a curious expression. So youre the real deal, then?
You finally believe me?
Warriors of the Ash are rare. Youll have to forgive us for doubting someone as young as yourself. Especiallycking a badge as you are.
Well, now that Ive proven myself Vir said, hoping he might end the duel early. As much as testing his mettle tempted him, if he could bow out without causing any more of a scene, he intended to do exactly that.
Go all out, the captain ordered, dashing Virs hopes.
Clearly, he had no intention of allowing this fight to end so soon.
Well, I tried.
Vir might not have known what spells the guards were about to cast, but the rapid umtion of Fire and Shadow prana in their tattoos told him they were about to cast something, and that information was invaluable on its own.
Prana Current sped up, condensing theyer of Prana Armor against Virs skin, though it wasnt quite dense enough to be visible.
While he didnt think their spells would break his barrier, to be safe, Vir Blinked just as the spells activated, dodging
Nothing?
Both guards'' tattoos red, then vanished, expelling their prana, which dissipated into the air.
Huh?
Virs surroundings erupted in fire, scorching him with searing heat.
He cursed. Prana Armor blocked prana and, to a lesser degree, helped defend against physical attacks. It did nothing to stop the heat. Or the smoke that immediately followed.
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Vir went blind as the poisonous smoke stung his eyes and choked his breaths. Talwars and poleaxes sliced at him from every direction.
A normal demon wouldve been in a precarious position. Blinded, and with their body reacting violently to the smoke, theyd be incredibly vulnerable.
Luckily for Vir, he didnt need eyes to see. And if they thought pain would cripple him, they were sorely mistaken. This level of difort was iparable to getting gored by a Phantomde or mauled by a Shredder.
Vir Blinked away, putting him just outside the range of the smoke. The Chits all had cloth tied around their monkey snouts, helping reduce the effects of the smoke, but it was obvious from their watering eyes that they, too, were dealing with its adverse effects.
Time to end this, Vir thought. The smoke worked both ways. It hid his opponents from him, but it also allowed him to strike with near impunity.
Or so he thought.
Vir popped up behind his nearest foe, but before he could m the butt of his katar down on the back of the guards neck, the Chitran whirled. Whether it was the monkeys superior hearing or some other ability, Vir couldnt know.
Before Vir could follow up, his foe unleashed an attack. Not anything physical, or even prana-based. A Chakra attack. One that targeted the mind.
A sense of crippling doom stopped his de in its tracks. This Chitrans too strong! Hell annihte me! I need to run!
A split-secondter, Virs Foundation Chakra opened, and the voices silenced. There was nothing to fear here. He was a Godshollow, and this monkey was a mere ant. A being incapable of anything more than climbing its branches.
Virs katar sped up again, but the moment of pause had been enough. The monkey had slipped away.
It hardly mattered. Vir Blinked right into the fleeing guard. The force of his bodys impact mmed the monkey man to the ground He didnt get back up.
The second guard fell before he knew what hit him. Vir had learned his lessonhe had to attack faster. Thankfully, with Haste, speed wasnt a problem. The ability rapidly depleted his internal prana reserves, but hed gotten proficient enough to turn it on and off at will. Simrly to how Cirayus manipted the weight of his weapon with Bncer of Scales, Vir applied Haste right before his attack, super-elerating his movement to extreme effect.
The monkey man went tumbling. Were he a human, Vir wouldve worried about breaking his neck. But these were demons. This level of damage was nothing for them.
The final poleaxe wielder had an incredible disadvantage here. His weapon allowed him impressive range, but the moment Vir closed to within the length of the poleaxe, that very range became his undoing. Vir threw an Empowered uppercut with so much force that the demon lifted right off his feet.
He never felt his body hit the groundthe demon was already unconscious by then.
When the cloud of smoke cleared and the gallery finally spotted Vir again, he was standing with three Chitran spread out on the surrounding ground.
What happened? someone asked.
Vir didnt need to read expressions to know the guard captain was none too pleased. Darsh, on the other hand, had stars in his eyes.
Theyre alive, Vir said, hoping to avoid escting the situation any further.
Youre going to have toe with us, the captain replied, his voice barely containing his anger.
Hed clearly intended the guards to be the ones giving the beat-down, not the other way around.
Even so, it seemed like an overreaction. Vir had proven himself, hadn''t he?
Oh, no.
It was only then that Vir understood the magnitude of his error. He hadnt just proven his skills. Hed humiliated the guards in front of the entire city. A city that was still primarilyposed of Gargans, who harbored no end of ill will toward the Chits.
Well, maybe this will drive more people toward the rebellion, Vir thought, somewhat regretful of his actions. Perhaps this little demonstration would gain him some points with that organization. Maybe some of them were watching?
Look, you asked me to prove that I was of the Ash. I have, so Ill just be on my way now, Vir said as he grabbed the rucksack hed left with Darsh.
I dont think you understand, the guard captain spat. I wasnt asking. Youre under arrest for assault against n Chitran!
Darshs eyes flew wide while Vir barely suppressed a sigh. This was not how he envisioned his first day going. But what was he to do? Allow Darsh and Hetal to get beat up at the hands of these despots?
Then again, he wasnt ready to take on the entire n. Not nearly. Not yet.
I just beat down three of your guards. What makes you think you can force me toply? Vir said, stalling for time.Stop now before you embarrass yourself any further.
Using Dance to slip away wasnt an option, but he should be able to lose them if he activated Haste and Leaped away. He still had plenty of prana left in his body after that fight. Enough where he was confident in his ability to oust any pursuers. Especially since they didnt have the benefit of an internal prana reserve.
If you fight us, or if you escape, well we may just have to vent our misgivings on those two kids!?
Vir had heard enough. He picked up Darsh and Hetal, one under each arm, and crouched, ready to Leap.
He figured theyd threaten the kids, using them as ckmail. Against most demons, that mightve been an effective tactic. Against Vir? It was woefully insufficient; he just had to take them with him.
Prana surged into Vir legs, but just before he activated the ability, a voice shouted out.
What in the name of Adinat are you doing in my city!
There was an aura to that voice that made Vir stop in his tracks.
He turned. A white-haired elderly woman stormed into the square, her hands on her hips. And she looked angry.
Though her body was withered and frail, her presence nearly matched Cirayus. She wore a red silk skirt that fell to her sandals and a matching red top with gold embroidery.
Her clothing screamed priest to Vir.
Nothing, maam, the guard captain said immediately, snapping to attention. Just taking care of a troublemaker
You lit the za on fire, you oaf!
He is of the Ash! We had to test him!
By threatening these children? Oh, believe me, Ive seen enough. If you hurt one hair on their heads, Ill have yours on a tter. Understood?
Y-yes, maam. Of course. We just
Shut up. And get out of my sight.
The captain stared at her nkly.
Today! she roared, spittle flying onto the captains face.
Shocked into action, the guards picked up their fallenrades and hightailed it out of the za in a feat of extremepetency. Vir wondered how hard his fight mightve been if only theyd as well as they ran.
Thanks, maam Vir started, but was cut off.
You! she said, pointing at Vir. Youe with me.
Though there was no prana or chakra in her words, Vir felt like disobeying her would be the worst decision he could ever make.
Nheless, he wasnt about to follow some unknown woman.
Who are you? he asked, standing defiantly.
The woman cracked a smile, though there was no mirth in her eyes, making her look almost sadistic. They call me Greesha.
Vir paled.
And you, youngd,are in a lot of trouble.
Oh, grak.
Chapter 252: Seer of Prophecy
Chapter 252: Seer of Prophecy
Well? Greesha said once theyd arrived at her ce of work. Resembling a miniature temple with pointed roofs, it was nestled in between otherrge, three-story structures. As if itd been there first, and everything else had been built around it.
The temple was in a far nicer part of townpared to where Vir had just been.
Give me one reason I shouldnt have you thrown into jail. Entering my town and making a ruckus right away, hmm?
Darsh and Hetal kept their heads bowed, avoiding eye contact. Vir suspected it had something to do with the badge adorned with a red crown that hung from Greeshas neck. A Chitran Ruler Calling badge.
Youre in charge of this city? Vir asked, earning him a raised brow from the woman. She clearly wasnt used to people talking back to her.
Youre treading dangerous water, boy. Were I any other Ruler in the city, your head wouldve been on a pike by now. Show some deference to your betters. Be grateful that Im willing to overlook this incident and run along. And be sure it doesnt happen again!
Vir glowered at her. This was Greesha? The revered Seer? He wondered if Cirayus had lost his mind by speaking so highly of her. Or perhaps the years had changed her?
This didnt look at all like a woman worthy of Virs respect.
If youre expecting me to bow down and grovel because of that fancy badge youre wearing, think again.
Darsh pulled at Virs sleeve to get his attention. What are you doing!? Shes a Ruler! he whispered, his eyes wide. Beside him Hetal, averted her eyes, looking like she wanted to shrivel up.
Vir exhaled. Look, these kids have nothing to do with me. Why dont you let them go?
Greesha swept her dominating gaze across the children. Vir could almost feel them withering under the power of those eyes.
Fine. But dont cause any more trouble, you hear? Greesha said, addressing the children. Next time, Ill feed you to the wolves.
Understood, maam! It was an honest mistake. Well see to our business and head right back!
The siblings darted for the exit, but Darsh paused, giving Vir a conflicted look.
Vir chuckled. I can handle myself. Get home safe, yeah?
T-thanks. And, uh. Your fight. It was seric!
Blushing, Darsh grabbed his sister and disappeared out the door.
So? Greesha said the moment theyd left. Mind telling me who you are and what youre doing in this city?
Vir narrowed his eyes. As I said, Vaakof Ash. Ive been training there for years.
Oh, I dont doubt it. I saw you fight. Youre strong, clearly.
Then, what do you
You waltz in here showing no decorum. No respect for my badge. You act as though you own this ce. I must say, its almost refreshing.
Refreshing?
So the way I see it, either youre someone important in disguise Or youre just a chal. Well?
Vir regarded her evenly. The Callings are supposed to be equal, are they not?
Greeshas eyes widened in surprise. Which rock have you been living underUnless. Oh no. Youre with the ones protesting the Callings, arent you?
Vir was unaware there even was a faction looking to overthrow the Calling System. Useful information he filed away forter.
Not quite.
It was time to drop the ruse. Hed wanted to scope Greesha out, to get a feel for her character. If he was honest, he didnt like what he saw, but Cirayus had told him she would be a helpful ally. As he was, he didnt have the luxury to pick who he worked with. He needed help if he was to learn they of thend.
Ie on behalf of a mutual friend, he started, watching the woman for any changes in expression.
The womans frown deepened. If youre going to lie, try harder. I havent
Cirayus the Ravager. Does that name ring any bells?
Greeshas expression changed so rapidly, Vir struggled to keep up. First, confusion flitted across her face, before recognition. Then shock, followed finally by something he didnt expect. Fear.
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Impossible.
Very possible, Vir fired back.
Then, she whispered. You are
Vir nodded.
Can-can I see?
Vir paused, looked around, and finding no one within range of Prana Visionno spies who might be listening through wallsVir pulled down his cuirass and undid his undershirt, allowing Greesha a glimpse of his tattoo.
For the first time in a very long time, I admit Im at a loss for words, Greesha said after staring for several moments. Long after Vir had fastened his armor back on. Then your red skin
A disguise. Im sure youll understand my need for excess caution. Even revealing this much to you is an act of faith on my part.
Yes, of course. Just, your disguise is Well, impressive.
Greesha chuckled, and the tension seemed to bleed out of her.
Vir hesitated. You were expecting me, right?
Well, expecting is a rather strong word. Until now, I did not know whether what I experienced was a vision, or simply a dream.
Virs heart beat faster. You were sucked away. To somece else, right? Or your soul was, rather?
Cirayus told you, did he? Where is he?
Attending to some business. Finding allies in n Baira, Vir replied, but his mind was elsewhere. Greeshas soul had been pulled away. Just like Maiyas. Vir couldnt be sure without having seen Greeshas detached soul form, but it certainly sounded like the same thing that had happened to Maiya.
Why Greesha remembered and Maiya didnt, Vir couldnt say. Perhaps Greeshas experience was less traumatic? Who knew what having ones soul sucked into an orb did to a person.
Vir allowed the revtion to wash over him. It was all real. Maiya really was there, wasnt she?
He bit his lip. This meant hed have toe clean and tell Maiya about it. This was something that directly impacted her. She had a right to know. Shed saved him, after all. The least he could do was fill the gaps in her memory.
Are you alright? Greesha asked, though her hard edge had softened a bit. Vir saw some of that fear return. I, er to be honest, Im rightly unsure how to address you, Akh Nara.
Greesha whispered the title, almost reverently.
Vir waved away her concern, surprised to find her fretting over something so trivial.
Continue as you are. My cover cannot bepromised. Which is why I need your help. Cirayus said I could trust you, and I trust Cirayus.
There was so much Vir wanted to talk about. Even now, the blood boiled just beneath his skin. This was the demon whod prophesied his birth. Whod caused the death of his mother, father, and thousands of his n. He wanted to yell at the woman. To tell her she shouldve known what it would mean to reveal her prophecy to the world. That Vir never wanted this burden. That hed have given it all up just to have a happy life with his parents.
He said none of those things. For while he mightve hated her, hed deal with it. Because right now, Greesha was indispensable for him. And there were more important things than being angry at an old woman.
You can, she replied confidently.
There is much I dont know about the Demon Realm, Vir said. About Samar Patag. And my people. How many are left? Do they survive?
Greesha looked off into the distance. She said nothing for a moment, then two. When Vir thought shed forgotten him entirely, she finally spoke.
The war was not easy for any of us. But yes. They do. We live on. Mostly, anyway. Though what we currently have here is well, you ought to be the one to judge for yourself.
Where should I begin?
Greesha rubbed her chin in thought. For one, youll be needing a Chitran Calling badge. Warrior, preferably. I can arrange this, though it may take a day or two.
You can make them so easily? Vir asked.
Not easily, no. Id be pulling many strings. I dont do this for just anyone. But, well your existence is critical to the future of this realm and I owe a great debt to your family, she added softly, looking into the distance, across space and time.
Is that remorse in her voice?
So what if it was, though? Her feelings wouldnt change the past. Rather than dive into an argument that would likely end in a shouting match, Vir took a deep breath and kept the conversation on topic.
There would be time for such chatster.
They really arent equal, are they? Vir asked. The Callings
The old woman chuckled. Well, its no wonder you were so rude before. Is that what Cirayus told you?
Vir shrugged. He said I should see with my own eyes.
Of course he did, Greesha snorted. Typical Cirayus. The answer should be obvious, yes?
Vir nodded slowly. Equal in theory, but in practice
The Rulers hold all the power, kept in check only by the greater number of Warriors. As for the Laborers, theyre the least respected. They can influence the others if they all band together, but that never happens. As for the Outcasts, well
Right. In that case, can you make me a few different badges under different names?
Greesha frowned. Granting one Warrior badge is within my means. Several, however
No, not Warrior Callings. Give me Laborer and Outcast Callings.
Outcast? Why would you she paused, appraising Vir. You are serious about this?
Yes. If Im going to get to know my people, I need to live as they live. I need to see the worst side of this city.
Very well, Greesha replied. Far less scrutiny for those badges. Brace yourself. You will not like what you see.
Thanks, but I can handle myself. Ill also need to hook up with the Rebellion.
Greesha drew a short breath. Nearly imperceptible, but Vir caught it.
Would that be a bad idea?
Perceptive, arent you? Greesha said, looking impressed. The Rebellion is perhaps not what you think they are.
Meaning?
Just dont go revealing your true identity to them anytime soon. You may not appreciate the results. Or their ways, for that matter.
Ah.
They me me for what happened, Vir said.
Some do. Worsetheyre borderline fanatics. Times were rough, after the fall. I myself nearly didnt make it. Managed to establish a footing here thanks to my powers as a Seer. Most of what I do is keep those hooligans in check. Theyre just prana bombs waiting to go off, if you ask me. Always on the cusp of ruining what little we have. Youll find in them at best, a challenge, and at worst, an enemy.
Virs hopes for swooping in and organizing those demons began to crumble before his eyes.
Can you put me in touch? Vir asked.
Greesha shook her head. Itd do more harm than good, Im afraid. My reputation with them is less than pleasant. Better to get noticed by them on your own, if thats your wish. Make a name for yourself. Theyre like hounds; they simply cant resist the scent of fresh blood.
I see, Vir said, understanding that this was going to be a longer road than he thought. Is there hope? he asked atst.
Greesha smiled sadly. There was, at the beginning. It was a chals hope, but the spark was there. Gargans fought back. Theres only so many times you can fail before you get some sense knocked into you. Especially when failure means death. Or worse. Without a leader to rally behind, without resources and allies We never stood a chance. So, you ask, is there hope?
Greesha stared earnestly into Virs eyes.
There wasnt before. There is now.
Chapter 253: The Fable
Chapter 253: The Fable
Vir left Greeshas temple with a torrent of emotions welling inside him. There had been so much more to say, but the time wasnt right. Vir hadnt even broached the topic of Greeshas prophecy of his birth and wasnt sure when he would. He was afraid that if he had, he couldnt have restrained his pent-up anger.
And so hed forced it down. Right now, he simply couldnt afford to lose even a single ally.
Vir crossed the streets, passing by Kothis, red demons, and bandies with his Chitran Laborer Calling badge slung around his neck. There was another in his bag, with a different name and Calling.
Hed altered his makeup and now bore the face of a red demon. Simr to the previous one, yet different enough not to be mistakenthis way, he had a couple of legitimate identities he could shift between as needed. Greeshas pull was realshed had the badges made in just moments, instructing Vir to seek a woman named Janani.
Vir wasnt really sure what he ought to be doing. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he had no concrete goal, other than the vague desire to grow closer to the Gargans living in Samar Patag. He hoped this Janani might give him a bit of direction.
A ck blur in the corner of Virs vision interrupted his thoughts.
About time
Shan was waiting for Vir on a rooftop. The pointed cones of the buildings made for awkward footing, but they also perfectly hid anyone who managed it.
About time you showed up, Vir said, kneeling and stroking the Ash Wolfs jet-ck fur. Itd taken the better part of a year for the animal to open up to pets, and Vir considered it a hard-fought perk. He was willing to bet that for most people, petting an Ash Wolf was thest thing they ever pet.
Bet you were out exploring the city, werent you? Find anything good?
Shan snorted.
No? Well, Im gonna need you to keep doing your own thing for now, alright? I might be able to disguise myself, but you stick out like a sore thumb.
Shan bared his teeth and growled.
Hey, you know its true! How many other wolves like yourself have you seen around here?
Grumbling, Shan started licking his paw.
Dont worry. You know megetting into troubles what I do. When that happens, you can go wild, alright? Just stay close, in case I need you.
Shan gruffed at Vir and threw him a look of what Vir swore was concern before bounding off.
Would it kill that wolf to roll over for some belly rubs from time to time? Vir muttered, sighing.
Through the merchant district, near the northern wall. In the depths of the slums. When the surroundings have gone from bad to worse, youll find the orphanage.
Those had been Greeshas instructions to Vir. Hed dreaded that hed find Janani in the same sort of squalid neighborhood where hed first entered the city.
It wasnt the same neighborhood. But it was just as bad.
The people living here were just a few steps away from death. Some were dead, as Prana Vision revealed.
Vir had only just purged the depressing sight from his mind, and now he was forced to confront it yet again.
The only silver lining was how the slums were contained within the city walls, offering them protection from the elements and animals, unlike Daha. Though, Vir doubted it was out of consideration for the slum dwellers well-being.
It was the voices of children ying that helped Vir find the buildinga two-story affair that was on the verge of falling apart.
The demon children all ran around barefoot, as was the norm for most of the denizens of this part of town.
Come quick, youll miss it! a girl squealed, rushing back into the orphanage. Her friends followed, pouring into the building.
Vir edged closer and peeked through the open doorway. Thirty children packed tightly into the room, which, despite its tall ceiling, was actually quite small. Janani had likely repurposed whatever building she could find.
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Tell us that one again, Janani! a boy said.
Yeah! That one!
Again? I just told it yesterday! The red demon with long ck hairJananisaid. She stood at a lectern at the end of the room and was the only adult around.
Vir crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, wondering just what tale was about to be told.
The chorus of kids voices crescendoed until Janani threw her hands up in defeat.
Fine, fine! Settle down! Quiet! I swear Janani shook her head, smiling wryly.
The din died down as the kids hushed each other. Even Vir was growing excited. If they liked it this much, surely the tale couldnt be all that bad?
Cmon! Tell us!
Alright already! This is a story from before you were born. Of a time when a great Lord ruled oursorry, the Gargan.
Interesting, Vir thought, leaning in. Maybe Ill learn a bit about the ns history.
Our n! Our n! Our n! the children chanted, prompting Janani to look warily around.
Her eyesnded on Vir, who smiled back, but Janani frowned in suspicion.
I I, er Janni looked nervously between Vir and the kids, some of whom turned to stare up at him.
Understanding what was happening, Vir held up Greeshas emblem.
Janani mouthed an O in recognition, and the tension left her.
Cmon, Janani! Why did you stop? Tell us how great Samar Patag was!
Yeah! Tell us!
You lot already know the story! Why dont you narrate it, instead? Janani snapped, but there was a happiness to her expression she couldnt quite mask.
Nooooo! We want to hear it from you!
Janani cleared her throat. Then no interruptions. Promise?
Promise!
Janani nodded approvingly. Very well. Samar Patag was a great city back then. Prosperous and rich. Nothing like today. The streets were clean, and not a single demon ever felt the grasp of hunger.
The kids stole nces at each other, their eyes sparkling.
Not that there werent problems. There were, of course. Life was still hard for many. But the people were happy and everyone was treated fairly.
You were there, right Janani? A boy shouted enthusiastically.
Yes, Bolin. I was a teacher. I taught in a school with many dozens of students. And did you know?
Know what? the boy asked.
Not one of them interrupted me when I talked, she said, giving him a stern look.
Bolin bowed his head sheepishly.
One day, Janai continued, a great seer made a prophecy.
Olddy Greesha! a girl cried out, before sping her hands over her mouth, looking profoundly guilty.
Yes, Ekta, Janani said, her brow twitching. The wise Greesha proimed the reincarnation of the fabled Akh Nara, whose birth would usher in an era of greatness for all of demonkind.
Virs heart skipped a beat. When Janani had mentioned a seer, hed immediately suspected.
This wasnt just any story. It was his story and that terrified him. These kids had heard the tale perhaps dozens of times. What did they think of him? Of the war? Did they hate him? And what of Janani? Shed lived through that dark time herself. There wasnt a chance in the Ash that shed emerged unscathed.
Bracing himself, Vir resolved to soak up every word.
The children whispered excitedly, and Vir heard Akh Nara mentioned over and over. Vir scanned their faces, but he didnt see even a hint of resentment. Only hope. And awe.
However! Janani shouted, silencing the whispering children. The prophecy had a dire condition. The baby would have to be born within Hara Chakaiwithin the Ashen Realm itself.
What happened then, Janani? a girl asked.
King Maion bravely took the pregnant Queen Shari and marched into the Ash with Cirayus, his loyal friend.
The Ravager! Bolin shouted.
Indeed. They were apanied by their entire royal retinue. The strongest Gargan warriors protected them. Yet the journey was an arduous one. The beasts they fought were unimaginable. Terrors beyond anything you lot can imagine!
The children were silent now, as if holding their breaths. Vir could almost feel their fear. Fear of the unknown. Of horrific beasts stalking the Ash.
They arent wrong to fear.
And yet, they persisted. They prevailed! And the young Akh Nara was born! True to the Seers prophecy, the baby bore the tattoo of his predecessors, proving that
What happened to the Akh Nara, Janani? Bolin shouted but was silenced by Jananis angry rebuke.
Bolin!
S-sorry!
No one knows, Janani replied wistfully. Some say he disappeared into the Ash, where he lives to this day. Others say that Chitran killed him when they sacked Samar Patag.
W-what do you think? Ekta asked.
Me? I she paused, and Vir leaned forward unconsciously.
I believe hes alive, somewhere, Janani said softly. Waiting for the right moment to reveal himself. Biding his time to take revenge on those whove taken everything from us. I believe I hope that someday, he will return.
When he does, will we get new clothes? another girl asked. I want shoes! Will he give us shoes?
Janani smiled gently. When he returns, Hiya, you shall have all the shoes you could ever want.
The room burst into joyous hoots and yells.
Vir backed away, his knees unsteady.
This, more than anything Cirayus had ever divulged about his past, hit hardest. It was one thing to be aware of the expectations of strangers. Faceless masses, realms apart.
It was another entirely to witness a room full of children cheering. Rooting. For him. For the hope of a brighter future.
Virs heart pumped madly, but what he felt was not excitement, nor even the hope for which these children so desperately yearned.
It was guilt. Guilt over being sote. Guilt that he couldnt possibly live up to their expectations.
Vir made to leave.
Ah, look! Janani said. It appears we have a visitor!
Every eye in the room in the eye locked onto him. Virs legs nearly buckled. His instincts, honed to perfection in the Ash, told him to run. To flee. To sink into the shadows. Anything to avoid facing the weight of those faces.
But Vir did not run. He hadnte this far, only to cower. He hadnt risked his life over and over in the Ash, nearly dying, to hide.
It didnt matter if the burden of responsibility weighed as much as a Godhollow. Too many had sacrificed too much for him. For the hope he represented. He couldntleave. He didnt want to.
Vir turned and he mustered his friendliest smile.
Chapter 254: The Orphanage
Chapter 254: The Orphanage
That will be all for the day, Janani announced. ss is dismissed!
A round of awws and no fairs resounded through the room.
Some of the children rushed out of the room, talking animatedly. Others stayed, clustering into groups and stealing nces at Vir. There was little doubt that hed be the talk of the orphanage for a good while.
May I help you? Janani asked hesitantly. There was fear in her expression and mannerism, as if Vir mightve been there to spy on her. Greeshas badge had assuaged her fears enough for her to divulge her talesomething Vir suspected the Chitran authorities would not take kindlybut it was clear she didnt trust himpletely yet.
Greesha sent me here. Id er, Id like to spend some time with you and the orphanage if thats alright.
I see, Janani said, obviously confused. Greesha sent you, did she?
Look, Im no one you need to be suspicious of. I Lets just say that, like you, I have no love for the Chits.
Jananis eyes widened, and she mouthed an O.
Please,e in! she said. This is no ce to talk.
Vir stepped into the orphanage, following her into a tiny room attached to the cramped teaching hall.
A small bed sat tucked into a corner, while what looked to be a rudimentary kitchen dominated most of one of the walls. Her living quarters.
Its where I cook for the orphanage, Janani said, seeing Virs gaze. Not the mostvish space, Im afraid, but it suffices.
Not at all, Vir said. Im amazed youre able to cook for all those kids here. It cant be easy.
Vir couldnt even guess where sheid out all the food for the kids with such limited counter space.
She must use the floor
It can be difficult at times, but it isnt our ce toin. Not when the Outcasts have it so much worse. I must apologize for my earlier caution. We dont get many visitors here, and when we do, usually not for anything good. Tea? she asked.
Vir agreed, sitting at the small table.
How did, uh howd youe to run the orphanage? Vir asked. Janani had mentioned in her tale that shed once been a teacher before the fall of the Garga, but teaching a ss and running an orphanage were different beasts entirely.
Many parents perished during the war. There was a dire need to feed, clothe, and shelter the family theyd left behind. I started with a rtive of my own. A nephew.
Janani prepared the tea with the refined motions of an expert. From her movements, Vir suspected she was well-raised. Demonkind didnt have Sawai aristocracy as the humans did, but Vir wouldnt have been surprised if she was high up in the Laborer Calling world.
And well, I couldnt very well leave kids wandering out in the street, could I?
Thats incredibly noble of you, Vir said, thinking that many would do exactly that, passing it off as someone elses problem.
Janani shrugged. I admit, it helps me sleep at night. For every child I help, I am sure three others go hungry. But s, I can only do what I can with the means I have.
Her words were filled with regret.
Im sorry, Vir said, earning him a look of bemusement from the woman.
What for? Not like you caused it! she said, setting down the mugs and taking a seat across from Vir.
Vir could only smile wryly in response.
Not all the children lost their parents directly from the war, though, Janani continued. Some were executed long after it ended. Others were worked to death by the Chitrans. There are always more children bing orphans these days.
What did they do to deserve execution? Vir asked.
Oh, the Chits always have their reasons. Few legitimate. Always looking for an excuse to demote Gargans into Outcasts. Those saddled with the Outcast Calling have little hope. The best they can do is beg and pray theyre not beaten. Some tried to seek a better life for their children by working jobs not suitable for their Calling. It didnt end well.
Are there many Outcasts? Vir asked, somberly sipping his aromatic tea. Vir was sure the leaves she mustve used couldnt have been anything expensive, which spoke to her prodigious skill. Given the gravity of their conversation, however, he found it difficult to appreciate.
More than there ought to be, which in my mind is zero. It was zero, before... But I cant say that life as a Laborer Calling is much better.
Vir frowned. Im sorry. Ive been away from Samar Patag, training in the Ash. Most Gargans are now Chitran Laborers, arent they? Cant the Laborers change their Calling or shift to a different specialization within their Calling?
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You truly know nothing of our situation, do you? Janani asked incredulously. Only the Kothisthe true Chitranhave that luxury. Gargans are locked into their Calling, and their children are doomed to inherit that restriction.
That must be difficult, Vir said. Still, werent most of you Laborers before the fall? Whats the difference?
Were Laborers in name only, Janani said,ughing sadly. In reality, were stuck. We pay higher taxes than the Chitrans do and were banned from any opportunity to make better lives for ourselves.
Vir ground his teeth. Then the Warrior and Ruler Callings
Forget it. No Gargan will ever rise to those stations while the Chitran are in power.
Then why stay? Vir asked, his desperation growing. Your situation here sounds little better than imprisonment.
It sure sounds that way, doesnt it? A brave few attempt to leave the city each year. Some make it, but most are captured and tortured. Then they are publicly executed.
Youre not allowed to leave? For any reason?
Not without explicit Chitran Ruler permission.
Vir revised his earlier opinion. This wasnt like imprisonment. The Gargans were imprisoned.
A girl barged through the room and came running up to him, interrupting their conversation. Her face was an expression of excitement mixed with a hint of fear.
Whats wrong? Vir asked.
O-oh, nothing, she replied bashfully. H-Hey mister! Do you wannae and y with us?
Hiya! Janani scolded. Where are your manners? And cant you see hes an adult? Dont bother us. Hes too old to y with you, and we were just in the middle of a discussion.
O-oh, Hiya said, looking utterly crestfallen. She looked as though shed break down sobbing right then and there.
No, its okay, Vir said. I, uh I know its a burden, but would you mind if I stayed here for the time being? Vir said. Ill earn my keep, and then some.
Can he stay, Janani? Hiya asked, bouncing with excitement. Can he stay? Please?
I assumed he would, Janani said, smiling at the girls antics. There is no issue at all. If you are a friend of Greeshas, you are our friend as well. Please, stay as long as you wish. And, well, I suppose it wouldnt hurt to get to know the kids if you are.
Yayyyy! Hiya cheered, grabbing Virs hand and pulling him away.
But before you do, Janani said, Id rmend changing into more suitable clothing. Its a wonder you havent been found out already.
Vir looked himself over and realized she was right. Seric armor was no outfit for a Laborer ss Calling. Let alone for a Gargan indoctrinated Laborer. While hed hidden it under his robe, it was obvious to anyone that he was wearing armor.
Right. He turned to Hiya. Just gimme a sec, alright?
Alright! the girl replied, giggling.
Virs new home was more of a closet with the barest, thinnest bed of hay hed everid eyes on. It was attached to the other end of the ssroom hall and had been intended as a utility closet. Filled with mops, brooms, and other cleaning paraphernalia, it was hardly fit for habitation. Nevertheless, it was a roof over his head, and it was safe. Vir would have given anything for such security in the Ash.
Shedding his armor didnt mean giving up his weapons. While Vir was confident in his skills, hed be a fool to leave his Artifact chakram lying around. It hung off his back, hidden safely under the robe along with his katar.
Lead the way, he said after hed finished removing his armor. His old robe, having weathered the Ash, blended perfectly with the rags everyone else wore.
The girl grabbed his hand and showed him to the yground where her friends were at. The yground appeared to have once been a garden attached to the building. Itd long since been neglected and overrun with weeds, but the childrens continuous romping had ttened it into an ideal y area.
What do you think, Neel? Bolin asked. Neel was, once again, one of the several aliases Vir had chosen. Hed thought long and hard about his fake identities, discussing it at length with Cirayus while in the Ash. Unlike the Human Realm, his goal wasnt simply to remain hidden.
Vir wanted to create a name for himself. That way, when he did finally reveal his identity to the world, theyd recognizeand hopefully respecthis prior actions. Doing so would build trust with the ns.
It was also dangerous. It was one thing to staypletely hidden, and another entirely to build a reputation while keeping his true identity hidden.
Neel was the anonymous name. Vaak was the name Demonkind woulde to respect, trust, and fear. Or so he hoped.
Its very nice, Bolin, Vir replied, scanning the junkyard. The children had taken refuse and turned it into castles and other structures to roley with.
The sight was a tragedy. Each and every boy and girl was skinny to the point of emaciation. All barefoot. Their clothes were rags, and none fit. Most were covered in tears.
These were the children Janani was able to help. What of all those who had to fend for themselves? How many starved? How many had perished in some back alley, neglected and forgotten? How many elderly? How many women?
Vir supposed the only blessing was Samar Patags temperate climate. Snow was nonexistent here, and while the temperature decreased in winter, with the sun dipping even lower on the horizon, there was little risk of freezing to death.
Cmon, Neel! Lets y tag! Youre it!
They began to run circles around Vir, who pretended to be unable to catch them.
Ack! Got me again! Vir said, prompting a fit of giggles from the kids.
Youre pretty bad at this, arent you Neel? Hiya said,ughing.
Vir smiled. I suppose I am.
Even suppressing his powers, as strengthened as his body was, he couldve grabbed them blindfolded in seconds.
Still, as the Akh Nara, he had his reputation to uphold. He couldnt allow himself to lose so easily to a bunch of kids. After allowing them to be supremely confident in their victory, Vir turned the tables, catching them one by one.
Bolin and Ekta flopped onto the ground, exhausted.
Liar! You werent bad at all! You were just pretending!
Actually, I just had some great teachers to show me how to y, Vir said innocently.
Thats right! Its because of us that you got so good! Heheh.
Yknow? I feel like you could be our friend, Neel! I dunno why.
Because hes not a stuffy old adult! another child said.
Yeah! How old are you, Neel?
Vir took a moment to respond.
Seventeen, he said. He was about to say sixteen, but seventeen was more urate. Though less than a year had passed outside the Ash, hed spent two years of his life in that deste ce.
Im nine! Hiya said, raising her hand straight up. Youre old!
Im twelve, Bolin said. Seventeens not that much older, is it?
It really wasnt. Vir wouldve been five when Bolin was born.
Despite that, Vir felt well into his twenties. There was all the knowledge hed gained from his predecessors, of course, but he also felt like hed lived more in the three years since leaving Brij than he had his whole life before then. In all honesty, he rted more to Janania woman in her thirtiesfar more than he did to these children.
Eh. I still think you can be our friend, Ekta said, holding out her pinky. Ill make an exceptation. Just this once.
Exception, Ekta," Bolin corrected. But I agree.
The others thought hard for a long moment, rubbing their chins. After what looked like a period of intense deliberation, they finally agreed.
Vir did his best not tough as he pinky-shaked with each of them.
I really hope no one saw that, Vir thought with embarrassment.
So? What should we y next? Hiya asked.
Im tired, Bolin replied.
I have an idea! a new voice said. It was deeper and older, though not yet that of an adult.
A teenage boy turned the corner. Five of his friends followed, menacingly twirling wooden nks like makeshift bats.
Their sinister grins said it all.
How about punching bag? the boy said with a vicious grin.
Chapter 255: Demon God Vaak
Chapter 255: Demon God Vaak
Bolin moved forward, bravely shielding the other children from Svar and his gang. As the oldest, he wore the shoes of the orphans leader, and in Virs eyes, he filled them well.
A few other boys and a couple of girls crowded around him, facing off against the bullies. The orphans had the advantage of numbers, but Svars gang were older than them, and most wielded rudimentary weapons.
Go away, Svar, Bolin said. Youre not wee here.
Svar raised a brow. Not wee? His grin widened to theatrical proportions. Not wee, you say? Since when did we need permission to be here?
The bully kicked over a pile of refuse the orphans had fashioned into a castle. It came tumbling down.
All I see here is a garbage dump.
It seemed to Vir that no matter the realm, no matter the race, bullies were universal. What angered him most was how Svar and hisckeys were red demons, just like the orphans. Not Kothisthe race of monkey people the Chitrans belonged to. They were Gargans. His people.
Why were they squabbling amongst themselves when there was a far greater enemy? It was all so stupid. So frustrating.
Dont, Ekta whispered, pinching Virs robe as he was about to intervene. Itll only make things worse next time.
Punching bag! Punching bag! Punching bag! Svar and his goons chanted.
Vir stopped. Ekta was right. As much as bullying made his blood boil, he knew firsthand how this worked. Unless the bullies were thoroughly beaten down and broken, theyd return with a vengeance when Vir wasnt around. In their eyes, they were the victims, not Bolin.
Nevertheless, he hadnt gained all this power just to stand by and witness tragedies unfold before his eyes. He had other, better, means now.
Feigning irritation, Vir huffed off and turned a corner.
He did his best to ignore Ektas heartbroken expression.
I shouldnt have stopped him, Ekta thought, biting her lip. Hes older than us. Hes strong!
It was the way he moved. The way he spoke. His confidence. Like nothing could ever pose a threat to him. Like the very idea wasughable. He wasnt built the same as them.
Ekta knew he couldve stopped the beating Bolin was about to get.
What good would it do? Theyll just double his beating next time. They might even hurt others.
There was no winning against Svar and his gang. Not when his father was as powerful as he was.
Ekta felt a pang of envy. If she had a familylet alone one so close to the Chitsshe wouldnt be bullying orphans. Shed Shed help everyone! Shed give them food and shoes!
Not Svar. That boy was more than happy to ruin their lives. And his status was like an iron shield. Nobody could touch him.
Svar threw his first punch, as he always did. Ekta averted her eyes.
All of this had happened before. She knew how itd go. Svar was big for his age, but his strikes were even nastier. They were augmented by a tattoo. Aspect of the Stone Sentinel. It gave his fists the weight of stone, and Bolin never emerged from the beatings without a few broken teeth or bones.
He couldnt give in too easily, either. Hed tried that in the past. Svar just picked someone else. He kept going until hed had his fill, beating them ck and blue.
As always, Bolin protected them. But who protected Bolin?
Neel could! Ekta thought. But no. Hed stormed off. Because of her.
Ekta waited for the inevitable sound of fist hitting flesh, followed by Bolins grunthe never cried or screamed. It was something Ekta deeply admired. Would she be able to tough it out like Bolin did?
Never.
Yet instead of Bolins pained grunt came a surprised yelp, and some other sound. The sound of someone falling.
Ekta looked up. For a moment, she couldnt believe her eyes. SvarThe Svarhad fallen! Hed tripped over himself!
She wasughing before she knew it. She knew she shouldntitd only anger Svar even furtherbut she couldnt help it.
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Ekta was soon joined by the other orphans. Svars goons averted their eyes, but it was obvious they were embarrassed by their leaders mistake.
Svar stood up and cracked his knuckles. He pretended like nothing had happened, and took another swing at Bolin, who braced himself, his face grim.
Theughter died out just in time for Svar to trip again. Again, he went sailing to the ground.
The orphans roared this time, twice as loud as before. Even Svars own friends couldnt help themselves and started giggling.
Shut up! All of you! This-this is! This isnt what it looks like!
Svar finally lost his cool, and his face flushed blue.
Once more he swung, and once more, he tripped.
Even so, despite the giggles, not one of the orphans goaded him. Taunting him would only hurt them, and right now, Svar didnt need any help making a chal of himself.
I-Ill be back some other time! he said, shuffling hastily to his feet.
C-Come on! he ordered hisckeys as he stormed away. Ekta could almost see the fumesing off of his head.
But how? Ekta marveled at Svars debacle. Shed never seen him trip before. Was he just having a bad day?
She shook off the thought. It didnt matter. Theyd won!
Run, you chals! Svar screamed.
He cursed the gods. What had he done to deserve this? Itd been bad enough embarrassing himself in front of Bolin and the orphans.
Its gaining on us! someone shouted. Svar was too preupied to check who. He was too busy running for his life.
Svar hadnt felt terror like his since the first time his father beat him, years ago. Hed never forgotten that experience. And now, he was reliving it.
He dashed blindly through the streets, through alleys.
It was no good. The ck terror always found them.
Desperation overtook his thoughts. He turned a corner, and only toote did he realize his mistake.
Hed entered an alley. A dead-end.
His friends piled in blindly after him.
Stupid chals. Cant they use their heads!? Im always the one telling them where to go.
Svar rushed back to the entrance of the alley, shoving past his friends.
It was blocked. The ck beast waited for them.
Hed seen nothing like it. ck mes burned off its hide. Its glowing blue eyes seemed to gaze into his very soul. Promising pain. Promising death.
A-Ash Wolf, someone mumbled from behind him.
Impossible. Why would an Ash Wolf be all the way out here?
It made no sense!
Svar opened his Foundation Chakra, gaining him a measure of calm. He could do this. Ash Wolf or not, it was alone and there were three of them.
The wolf bared its vicious fangs and slowly sauntered over. Svar instinctively stepped back. His confidence fled as if itd never existed. He lost control of his Chakra and terror again washed over him.
If it was an Ash Beast, he was dead. As a Tier Three Fiend, only Steel Guardians or higher could best them. Forget Steel, Svar wasnt even ranked! Even Copper was above him.
This is it, isnt it? This is the end.
You will die here today, the wolf said.
The wolf? It spoke!?
But no, the voice hade from behind them.
Slowly, Svar turned, terrified to take his eyes off the ck beast even for a moment.
Standing not ten paces away was a being d in ck me. Just like the wolf.
It wore a jet-ck cloak. A hood covered its head, and a featureless burned wooden mask hid its face. It bore no visible weapons and its limbs were hidden under its cloak.
Despite this, Svar knew. This beast was even more powerful than the Ash Wolf. The mes burning off its body were iparable to those of the wolf. The being was wreathed in a vortex of fire, cker than the Ash itself.
Its mask was a ck, featureless oval, devoid of openings for eyes, nose, or even a mouth.
This was no mere demon.
Oh Yuma, have mercy!
It was an Ash Beast. An Abomination spawned from the Harai Chakai itself.
But it had spoken. What Ash Beast could talk?
Without thinking, Svar fell to his knees and prostrated.
P-please almighty one. I beg of you, spare us! We plead for our lives. Please!
The being in ck did not reply. Svar could feel its gaze on them. Judging them. A predator pondering whether to ughter its prey.
Spare you? the being in ck thundered. Worthless mortal. Why?
Mortal?
A-are you a god?
A pause. Had he offended it?
Oh gods. Were dead.
I am Vaak, the being replied slowly.
Vaak? What kind of god is that?
Anything you wish, O Demon God Vaak! You will have it! Our souls! Well dedicate ourselves to you!
The being scoffed in derision.
Weve angered it! Vera have mercy!
Of what use are your worthless souls? I wish only for peace and quiet. I tire of your antics.
Antics?
Svar paled. The orphans? But why? No, I cannot question a god!
Well stop! I swear on my life. If it appeases you, we wont y with those kids any longer!
The being didnt respond. Had he angered it even more?
Slowly, Svar raised his head. It was gone.
Svar turned. The Ash Wolf was gone as well.
Spread my name, the beings disembodied voice boomed, startling Svar. Let the world know. I have arisen.
I shall! I will!
Demon God Vaak? What have I done?
Vir had seen the gods. He knew of their iprehensible power. He wasnt even close to their level.
Hed just wanted to teach those bullies a lesson and to spread his name! Now, however, he feared hed gone too far.
Shan looked up at him. He shrugged.
Er. That kid will probably forget all about this by tomorrow, anyway. Right? Heughed awkwardly, earning him a disapproving look from the wolf.
Vir didnt believe his own words even as he uttered them. He feared hed unleashed upon the world something that couldnt be taken back.
Shan snorted, as if to mock, then bounded away.
Vir felt a sense of loss whenever the wolf left, but it was for the best. Now that Vaak had been introduced to the world, the less anyone saw them together, the better.
For while Vir mightve said too much, he hadnt lied.
Hed seen enough. Of Samar Patag. Of the Chitran. Of the squalor and the oppression that crushed his people.
Maybe the Chits werent all bad, but something had to be done.
When Vir had entered the Demon Realm, hed been unsure of what he had to do. Of what he could do, as a lone demon.
Now, not a trace of that doubt lingered.
No matter how strong, a single demon could only do so much.
But a symbol? That was another matter entirely. A symbol could inspire hope in demons across the realm. A symbol could instill terror in the hearts of enemies both near and far. A symbol could not be corrupted or killed or suppressed.
A symbol was eternal. Vaak was eternal.
Samar Patag had to change. The Chitran had to change.
And if the price for realizing that dream was to be a Demon God, then it was a price Vir was d to pay.
Chapter 256: Precipice of Change
Chapter 256: Precipice of Change
This mistreatment. This poverty Is there truly nothing that can be done? Vir asked. He paced around the orphanage ssroom, which was currently devoid of children.
Ive been doing my best since the war, Janani said, biting her lip. If there was even a sliver of hope, believe me, Id have grabbed a hold of it. But we have no power here. The Chitrans won the war, and it was no close thing. They wield ultimate authority now. Its Well, its not so bad.
Vir raised a brow. Not so bad? From what Ive seen, I find it hard to believe it can get much worse.
Janani averted her eyes. Weve eked out a life here. I suppose we should be grateful they havent driven us out Although that might actually be preferable for some of us. I imagine wed have a far easier time in Baira or Panav. Assuming we survived the journey, of course.
They keep you within the city walls to prevent that exact scenario, Vir said, his blood starting to boil. The Chits werent happy with just winning. By forcing them to stay within the city walls, they were telling the world that they wanted the Gargans to suffer.
What do you need most right now? Food? Clothing?
Well, Janani said, frowning. Clothes are always appreciated, what with the young ones constantly outgrowing them. But its the food I worry about. Without a proper diet, I fear their growth will be stunted.
How do you usually get your food? Vir asked, wondering if he couldntif not solve the problemat least help.
Greesha does what she can, though we only try to rely on her when our situation grows dire. She takes a grave risk in helping us. Everyone does.
Im surprised, given her Ruler Calling, Vir said.
Not even Greesha is above thew. If shes ever discovered, shed be stripped of her Ruler Calling and made an Outcast. Or worse
Vir had to give the Seer some credit. Risking her life and reputation to feed orphans was a noble act. Regardless of her prior actions.
But if they cant rely on Greesha all the time, then how Ah.
You steal what you need?
Janani nodded. It isnt exactly theft, but yes. I am ashamed to admit it.
What do you mean?
Over the years, Ive managed to reach out to sympathetic grocers. Most are ex-Gargan Laborers, but a few are actually Chitran kothis. We have an informal agreement, of sorts.
An agreement? Vir asked. I thought you saidoh. I see. The children go and steal from these grocers, dont they?
Exactly. Its the only way they can give us produce without running afoul of Governor Asumans enforcers.
Im surprised no ones noticed. It seemed like the sort of secret thatd eventually get out. Especially if several grocers took part.
Jananiughed wryly. Oh, they know. But thankfully, Asuman also knows that without food, well starve. And if word spread that swaths of Gargans are suddenly dying off, I cant imagine itd do anything good for Raja Matimans reputation.
Matiman? So thats the name of the Chitran Rajatheir nlord
Whatshis reputation like these days? Vir asked.
Janani shrugged. News is scarce around here. All we hear are rumors. Whether they are to be believed is anyones guess. Still, nobody particrly likes him. Several ns still harbor misgivings over Chitrans conquest of Garga. As themander of the invading force, I suppose Matimans presence must serve as a reminder of their actions.
So, some of them regret their actions, huh? That was good to know, though Vir found it hard to pity them. Theyd chosen to invade Garga. In the same way that seeking revenge wouldnt bring back the dead, neither would their repentance.
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If Vir seeded in restoring the Garga to their former glory, there would be remuneration to pay. Hed see to it.
I fear that Governor Asuman might be losing his mind ofte, however, Janani said. Either that, or hes losing control of his enforcers.
What do you mean?
He has begun persecuting shopkeepers suspected of helping us. Some did. Others, we had nothing to do with. Everyones afraid now, and who can me them? Nobody wants to have their hands cut off and bebeled an Outcast.
Vir grimaced. If this was the punishment Asumans forces were dealing with for such minor crimes, Vir shuddered to think what sentences more serious offenses got.
We have barely one or two people we can count on anymore. And getting to them is even riskier. I cant put the children in such danger.
It does seem like you''re ying with fire, Vir said.
Janani hung her head in shame. The children have far better odds of escaping unnoticed with bags of groceries. I only send the eldest, of course.
Vir sighed. This was terrible. Had he known the situation was this bad, hed never have tarried in the Ashen Realm.
Now that he was here, though, what could he actually do to help? Should he raid the stores of a Chitran merchant hostile to Janani?
Doing so might feed the orphanage in the short term, but Vir shuddered to think of the consequences theyd pay for it. The shopkeeper would report the incident to the Enforcers, who would no doubte looking.
While they might hide the produce if theyre smart about it, Vir doubted the secret wouldst long. And when his actions came to light, the orphans would suffer dearly.
What of the rebels? Cant they help?
Janani averted her eyes. The rebels To be honest, theyve done as much harm as they have good.
Meaning?
While passion burns strongly in their hearts, theyck the organization to do anything meaningful. Most often, their emotions drive them, and theysh out at the Chitrans. Sometimes even at innocents. The repercussions always haunt us after.
The more Vir heard of the rebels, the more he felt they were an obstacle, rather than an aid. It seemed that, for now, he was on his own.
Vir could protect them by himself, but what would happen if he were elsewhere? What would happen if he left the city?
He was but one demon. Capable of being only in a single ce at once.
But Vaak
Vaak was a symbol. Vaak could be anyone. Anywhere. Anytime.
The seed of a n formed in Virs mind, though it was still far too early to act on it.
For now, he could at least do what he could to ease their immediate pain.
When is your next food run? Vir asked. Ill handle it.
Jananis eyes widened in surprise. That is most kind of you. But I cannot ask you to take such a risk.
Vir smirked. Then its good that you didnt ask. I volunteered.
Y-you dont know the route! Youll be spotted! Janani argued.
I wont. I swear to you I can get there and back undetected. I cant say how, but please trust me. If it means risking one less child, then I am more than happy to do it.
Janani continued to hesitate.
Just tell me where I need to go. Ill handle the rest, Vir said.
Janani finally bowed her head. Thank you. Thank you so much!
Vir walked out of the orphanage with a set of directions. The merchant was in the Chitran part of town at the center of the city. The theft was to take ce in a few hours, after the business closed for the day.
Yo! a voice said.
Vir turned to find Bolin leaning against the orphanages wall.
Bolin, Vir acknowledged. Can I help you?
Bolin red at Vir in obvious anger, though Vir couldnt understand why.
Did I offend you somehow?
I heard everything, you know?
I know, Vir replied. Hed sensed a child outside while he spoke with Janani. But nothing he said was especially sensitiveespecially to any of the orphans. He hadnt paid them any mind.
You know? Bolin asked in surprise.
Vir just smiled. So? Why are you looking at me like that?
You shouldnt be going. Its my duty.
So thats what this is about.
Youre right it is! Youre new to the city. Youll get lost without me. You need me! Bolin said. Desperation stained his voice.
Bolin crossed his arms. We go together.
Vir shook his head. Absolutely not.
Janani She didnt tell you everything, Bolin said quietly.
What do you mean? Vir asked.
The grocers theyre only one way we get food.
Right, Greesha. She told me.
No. Not Greesha. Things have been bad these days. We we had to get creative finding food. Beggars cant be choosers, yknow?
Virs eyes narrowed. You beg on the street?
I wish, Bolin said, scoffing. Wed be beaten the moment we tried! Or worse. No. We rummage for scraps. Garbage piles, trash bins that sort of thing.
Vir stepped back reflexively in horror.
Janani she hates it. Cant stand that we have to do it. Shes the one who goes rummaging, but we help out, too.
I Im sorry, Vir said.
So you see? We cant mess this up! Bolin cried. The food runs are precious for us.
Vir put a hand on Bolins shoulder and stared him in the eye. The boy shuddered under his intense gaze.
Thank you for telling me this, Bolin. I understand how important this is for you. I truly do. But please also understand that I am capable of fending for myself. I only wish to help.
Fine, Bolin said, looking away. Ill give you this chance. But dont mess it up. If you do
I promise I wont interfere again, Vir said with a smile.
G-good, Bolin said, whirling and walking away.
Vir watched the boys back, simultaneously admiring his grit and despising the ones whod forced such a life upon these kids.
Shan, Vir muttered once Bolin was gone.
The Ashfire wolf pounced down from a nearby rooftop.
You saw?
The ck beast gruffed.
Then you know what must be done. Lets go.
Chapter 257: The Bored Savant
Chapter 257: The Bored Savant
Virs jet-ck cloak fluttered gently in the breeze. Samar Patag wasnt a windy city, but the Gargan Sea provided a constant, refreshing wind that moderated the sweltering humidity. It helped to reduce his sweat. Sweat that could ruin his face paint if he wasnt careful.
Vir was currently crouched atop a stone dome in the Chitran neighborhood, looking down over the town. Nonexistent in the slums to the north, domes such as these made for ideal vantage points.
Had he initially entered the city from the southwestwhere the castle and the nicer buildings near it sathe might even have concluded that Governor Asuman was doing a half-decent job running the city. Though they couldntpare to Avi or Balindam, both the roads and the buildings here wererger, fancier, and cleaner. More akin to Dahas Commons than the Warrens that ringed it.
Getting here was far easier than hed expected, for there were no walls dividing the slums from the Chitran part of town. The slums gradually became ex-Gargan Laborer Callingnd, and finally proper Chitran turf as one neared the castle.
From his perch, he could see both the store he was to rob, as well as all the nearby streets, giving him a near-perfect vantage.
Vir nced up at the keep. The castle stood tall and proud in the distance.
My family once lived there, he thought wistfully. It mightve been brief, but for a time, his mother and father had reared him in those very walls.
Walls that stood tall and forbidding to him now. Like Daha, the castle area was walled, and within it, the keep rose prominently above the rest of the city.
Mustve been nice Warm, nostalgic feeling welled up inside Vir. Along with a tinge of regret.
Shan gruffed from beside him, prompting him to refocus on the more pressing matters at hand.
Thats definitely a trap, he muttered. Shan wheezed in agreement.
Vir didnt imagine Bolins supply raids usually encountered a half-dozen armed Chitran guards, lying in wait to ambush him.
Unbeknownst to his foes, however, Prana Vision had just ruined their ns.
To their credit, the guards certainly knew what they were doing. Had it not been for their prana signatures, Vir wouldve thought them deadthey didnt move an inch. These were trained warriors, not some muggers.
Which meant Governor Asuman was in on it.
What if Bolin had been the one toe here, and not me?
Would Asuman have harmed the boy? Or would they have taken him prisoner formitting theft? Either way, Vir doubted Bolin wouldve gone quietly. It wouldve gotten ugly, and so Vir was happy hed ced the child out of harms way.
The question is what do we do now?
The shadows were as long as always. Though the enemy guards hid in the same storeroom that housed the supplies he was to steal, there was a chancealbeit a small onehe could sneak in and out without being discovered.
A part of him wondered if he ought to just abandon the n and do his own thing. There were so many Chitran homes in the area. Homes he could easily break into and steal from. The money the orphanage would raise by pawning them off
But no. Luxury items like that would be discovered in short order. Even if the orphans broke down the jewelry and sold them piecemeal on the ck market, questions would arise about where they were getting all this wealth. Theyd be discovered, and the orphans would be the ones to pay the price.
Likewise, killing the hidden guards would be simple enough. Here again, however, their deaths would spark an investigation, and the me would ultimately be traced to the orphans. Guilty or not, members of the Outcast Calling made for convenient scapegoats.
Despite all of this, simply stealing the food and leaving with no one being the wiser felt like the wrong solution, too. Yes, Vir could get the supplies this time, but what of the next run Bolin had to do? Itd just be dying the inevitable.
No, Vir had to both obtain the food and ensure the guards would stay away in the future. From all who donned the mask.
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Currently, that was just Vir. But soon, he hoped, members of the Rebellion would follow suit.
Thats another mess I need to deal with soon.
Vir had learned a thing or two about the rebellion from Janani, and what hed heard hadnt boded well.
The rebels were willing to use any means necessary to achieve their goals. They seemed vengeful and disorganized, and were notorious for mugging random Chitranssometimes even killing them.
If Virs venture was to be sessful, he needed to contact the rebels, and he needed them under control.
That all starts here. Greesha wants me to make an impression? Well, thats exactly what Ill do.
Vir reached into his robe and produced a Chitran Warrior Calling badge. One of a few hed had Greesha make. It showed a fake name and was thus untraceable.
Shan. Stay in the shadows and take down whoever you can. Do not kill. Do not be seen.
Vir took a deep breath and finalized his n.
Vir waited several minutes before dropping into the stores rear yard with barely a sound.
The single-story store was like other buildings in the area, in that it had a yard behind it, about fifteen paces square, and open to the sky. Sturdy stone walls ten paces high secured the space, preventing easy ess.
Only heavy barrels and other difficult-to-steal items had been ced here.
Vir perused the wares and learned that the bags containing the food he needed werent there. This was a trap, after all. Sadly, Vir guessed hed be returning empty-handed.
A momentter, four of the Chitran guards whod been disguising themselves under covers and inside crates leaped out.
Not bad, Shan. Not bad at all.
The Ashfire Wolf had neutralized two of the guards. All without making a sound or raising an rm. Even Vir had lost sight of the ck beast.
Stop right there, criminal! they shouted, surrounding him. Each wore the armor of the Chitran guards. Their monkey tails swished in the air behind them excitedly.
Vir shifted his weight to one leg and crossed his arms, standing nonchntly.
Who are you? a monkey asked. Why do you wear a mask?
Hmm? I could ask the same of you, Vir said, putting on his best haughty voice. What business would a half-dozen guards have here?
His Calling! Look! someone shouted.
Virs Chitran Warrior Calling badge hung off his neck for all to see. A gold border ringed it, signifying him from one of the upper echelon Warrior Calling dynasties. The fake name on the badge had been hidden under a small piece of cloth, obscuring it from view.
What of it? Vir asked, passing his gaze from one to the other. He could almost feel them flinchthe mask he wore had only the barest slits for the eyes. So small, they wouldnt be discernable from even a few paces away. It had no nose or mouth openings, so to them, it was featurelessand thus eerie.
Apologies, a guardthe captain, Vir assumedsaid, stepping forward. We werent expecting a Warrior Calling.
Which means you were expecting someone, then? Vir asked, putting on his most refined haughty voice.
Y-yes. A boys been stealing from this store. We were going to bring him to justice.
To justice, is it! Well, then! This must be quite the disappointment for you, then! Vir said, theatrically gesturing with his arms.
Er, yes. Look, ser. You really shouldnt be here, the guard captain said, scratching his head. May I ask what your business is here?
My business is my own, Vir said, scoffing. Only part of it was an act. The treatment he was receiving was night and day with how hed have been treated if hed brandished a Laborer or Outcast Calling.
Well, I suggest you hurry along
Still, Vir said, cutting the captain off, I suppose you could say this is a hobby of mine.
A hobby? the captain asked, looking at his guards in confusion. Im not sure I understand.
Well, you see? Theres nothing good at all to fight here! What good is all of my wealth and status when I cant even test my mettle? As guards, surely you understand?
The guard backed away a half step. Im afraid I dont, ser.
Now that you know Im someone high in society, you wont dare lift a finger, will you?
Vir didnt especially enjoy fights. But he would look forward to this.
This is the perfect opportunity, dont you think? Fight me! Right here and now!
Er, Im afraid I cannot do that, ser, the guard said, visibly nervous despite his mask.
Ah, yes, of course. Your silly code of conduct, right? Well, then. I hereby announce that I ammitting a crime, Vir said grandly.
A crime?
Yes! I am robbing food from this merchant!
W-why? Surely someone of your stature cant want for food
Why? Vir asked as if the answer was obvious. Well, for the thrill, of course! Do you have any idea how boring my life is? Its just all so droll, isnt it?
The guards stood stunned for a moment. Vir moved to a barrel and sliced it open with his talwara weapon he chose intentionally to avoid giving away hints about his true identity.
Inside were potatoes, stacked to the brim. Vir took one and tossed it into the air.
H-Hes with the Outcasts! Look! another guard asked, but was immediately shushed by the captain.
Outcast? Vir said, as if the word were a profanity. Dont you dare lump me with those vermin. What I do, I do for myself, and no one else. You offend my very sensibilities by uttering that word.
O-Of course, ser. Of course, the captain said, bowing repeatedly. Stand down, everyone.
It was ironic to Vir that the Chitrans own Calling System enabled this gambit. The captain understood Vir was someone high in the Warrior Calling social strata. Someone, perhaps, with connections that could get the captain fired. Or worse. Someone they could not afford to offend.
Ser, please just take the food and leave. We are upholders of thew. We will not fight you.
Vir sighed theatrically. Well, then I suppose I shall. You wont mind if I take my pick?
If you must, the captain replied.
Youre just letting him get away with this? another monkey said.
Stop, Javin. You do not yet understand our ways, the captain said, now visibly sweating.
Oh, no. I understand. I see what is going on here. And I will not stand for it!
Vir couldnt help but admire the demons sense of honor.
Too bad its so sorely misced.
No! Stop! That is an order! the captain bellowed, but it was toote. Javin rushed forth and shed at Vir.
Vir spun, his talwar nging with the guards. Under his mask, he smiled. The enemy had so graciously taken his bait.
Chapter 258: To Craft A Symbol
Chapter 258: To Craft A Symbol
Vir had several reasons for wanting to fight this band of Chitran soldiers. At the moment, it was the thrill of a fight that interested him most. What tattoos would he get to see? What bloodline arts? What techniques?
He didnt have to wait long to find out.
The first attack was swift, but it was neither physical nor Chakra, as Vir had expected.
Earth Affinity prana red from the demons tattoo.
The guard bellowed, and the world shook. A good chunk of Prana Armor sheared off, and Vir Micro Leaped back.
Warlords Battlecry? Vir guessed. The Chitran Bloodline Art. emboldened ones courage and aggression while striking fear in their enemies. Vir had wondered how a pranic ability aplished such a thing. Now he knew.
The shockwave washed over Vir, and without Prana Armor, he didnt rightly know what wouldve happened to him. The battle mightve ended right then and there.
Come on! the Chitran warrior roared. His voice was an octave lower, deeper. More primal. Even his stance had lowered into something more feral.
The monkey man lunged at Vir with motions that mimicked an ape. After bounding left, then right, he threw a wide right hook.
Vir blocked but aborted and dodged at thest moment. The attack was heavy. Too heavy for a mere prana-empowered blow. No, the hook was d in Warrior Chakra.
Cant let their attacks hit me!
No armor would protect him from a strike at his soul, and Prana Armor wouldntst long against attacks reinforced with prana. Besides, he needed to preserve it for any further prana-based attacks like Warlords Battlecry.
The guard leveraged the momentum from his punch to initiate a spinning slice of his Talwar.
Once again, Vir sensed the heavy aura of Warrior Chakra coating his de. Promising to slice his soul.
Though the danger was ret least, once Prana Armor had been defeatedwith Haste active, attacks of this level were no match for Vir. Not one on one.
Movement arts, huh? Aspect of the Forsaken Skies? Or perhaps Crossroads his opponent snarled, licking his monkey lips. Now, this ought to be fun.
Vir once again thanked the gods that demonic tattoos had so much variety. It allowed him to pass off a lot under the guise of some Aspect tattoo.
No! Stop, the guard captain orderedthough it came off as more of a plea. He was overruled.
Once again, a shockwave of prana smashed into Vir, taking another chunk of Prana Armor with it. Another guard had activated Warlords Battlecry.
Current surged to its maximum strength, but he couldnt take many more blows before the armor failed. With the surroundingck of prana, Vir was unable to replenish much between attacks.
Lets get him! the other guard roared. The captain, perhaps unable to resist his soldiers Warlords Battlecry, followed suit.
Now thats interesting, Vir mused.
Whatever mental effects Warlords Battlecry had upon the caster affected their nearby allies as well. One wasnt enough to overpower themanders instincts, but two seemed to do the trick.
The two warriors joined the fight, attacking Vir with Chakraden strikes, forcing him on the defensive.
Vir heard a snarl from somewhere.
Stay out of this! Vir ordered.
What? Begging for mercy? You are far toote! the guard hollered, thinking the words were intended for him.
It was as if they were drunk. Which was why they never noticed Shans jet-ck form, only paces behind them. Ready to lop off their heads.
The Ashfire wolf, however, reluctantly backed away.
For Virs n to work, Shan couldnt be seen with him. Not yet, anyway.
Vir ducked and dodged the iing punches, burning prana for speed. Haste gave him an unfair advantagetheir strikes couldntnd.
Unfortunately, it also consumed prana with reckless abandon.
Need to finish this fast.
Grabbing a guards arm, Vir mmed an Empowered fist into their wrist.
The guards talwar went flying, and before he could retreat, Vir tripped him, sending him to the ground.
Vir turned to his next foethe captainwhen he detected a prana surge from within their body.
Bracing himself, he jumped away or tried to.
His movements had suddenly slowed. Not only that, his adversaries speed had also doubled.
They were now even.
Warlords Domain! Vir btedly realized. Another Chitran Bloodline art.
Take him down! the frenziedmander roared.
ng!
For the first time in this fight, Vir was forced to block.
It was good that he didthe Chakra in his opponents sword had simrly grown. Both themander and his guards eyes glowed red, and they moved so erratically, Vir was barely able to fend off their strikes.
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ng! ng!
Only now did Vir understand the potential of the Chitran Bloodline Arts. One warrior could empower hisrades and all of hisrades could in turn empower him.
For the duration of their art, they became, in essence, super soldiers. The more of them they were, the more pronounced the effect.
Where they mightve been Br fifty before, they were each easily over Br One Hundred now.
Vir barely dodged a talwar, losing a few hairs in the process. He snuck low beneath the strike to drive an Empowered punch into his enemys sr plexus.
The weight carried the full might of his power, and his enemy was lifted cleanly off his feet and into the warehouses nearby wall.
The guard was unconscious before he even hit the ground. Vir silently thanked his demonic constitutionhad they been human, theyd have surely died.
The attack hadnte without cost, however.
Themanders sword eviscerated Virs Prana Armor, blowing it away entirely.
Now, Vir was exposed. The next strike that hit him would sh his soul, dealing permanent, crippling damage.
Vir cursed. Until now, hed refrained from using any of his pranic powers, lest they be used to identify him.
He no longer had such luxury.
Prana Darts flew from his hand, colliding with the seric talwar the captain wielded, throwing him off bnce.
Vir Blinked, smashing the pommel of his de into the captains steel armor.
Yet, instead of sailing through the air from the impact, it was Vir who was sent off bnce. The captain had wrenched his body away at thest moment in a feat of extreme dexterity, redirecting most of Virs force.
Vir stumbled, pouring prana into his muscles to stop himself.
He was toote.
The temperature cooled rapidly, freezing the sweat on Virs face.
A storm of icicles mmed into him, tearing through the gaps in his armor, and drawing blood. His wooden mask cracked.
For the briefest moment, pain consumed him. Then his instincts, honed from years of fighting Ash Beasts, activated. Toughen pulled blood from his wounds, and his pranites went to work healing him.
That was too close, he thought.
The captains Aspect of Midwinters Embrace had, luckily, not beenden with Chakra. ording to Cirayus, only the most capable warriors could. If it had, Vir would be dead.
Thats it. Time to end this.
Vir Blinked rapidly around his enemy, leaving only afterimages in his wake, and mming Empowered punch after punch into the captains body.
The Kothis metal armor protected him, but the rigid metal was weak against blunt force attacks. And Virs hit like an Ashva.
The captains movements suddenly seized. His godly speed left him, and he stumbled. The captain looked around, as if confused.
Vir cocked his arm to deliver the final blow.
W-wait! the captain yelled, though it was more a plea for mercy than amand.
Virs fist stopped just a hairs breadth from the demon, ready to demolish his ape-like nose.
The captain sunk to his knees.
Please, stop! Any more, and Ill have to report this.
Vir canceled Haste and lowered his arm.
Well, he said, using his haughtiest voice. I suppose youve given me a good bit of exercise. This shall do for tonight.
Vir swept his gaze across the two downed kothis, who groaned in agony as they tried to regain their bearings. Seeing Vir, they panicked, desperately trying to scramble away.
The monkeys crawled on all fourstrying, and failingto get up.
Virughed.
Whatever drug Warlords Domain and Warlords Battlecry was, it had some debilitating after-effects.
I presume Ill have no trouble from the guards in the future? Vir asked.
Also on all fours, the captain nodded vigorously. We know better than to trifle with a Warrior of such high prestige.
Good. Now, let us discuss your remuneration.
Remuneration? I-I am to me for my subordinates actions, honored warrior, the captain said, bowing his head. I can only beg for your forgiveness.
I am afraid I cannot let you off so easily, Vir replied smoothly. Tell me, what would your superiors think if they learned your guard acted so rashly? Attacking someone of my status? What would they think of you, when they learn you lost control of the situation?
The captain gulped. What would you ask of me? the terrified captain whispered.
Only that you tell your friends to leave the figure in the ck mask alone. Nothing goodes of crossing my kin. You understand?
Your kin? Ah! Yes, of course, ser. Is is that all? the captain asked, evidently surprised to have been let off so easily.
For now.
The captain looked up at Vir. Consider it done. The guards shall bother you on your escapades no longer. I know better than to trifle with a Warrior of such high prestige. Besides, no one would dare you after witnessing your skills this night. If if I might ask, who are you?
Would you like to know? Vir asked, peering through his cracked mask.
Please. I must know the name of the one who bested us! For our honor!
My name is Vaak. Vaakof Ash. See that you do not forget it.
Vaak, of the Ash! the captain repeated in awe. I will remember it!
Good. Vir whirled, his robe fluttering behind him. Now begone.
The captain rounded up his injured guardsincluding the ones Shan had managed to knock outand left in a hurry, leaving Vir behind to take his pick of food.
With a sack full of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, he Leaped up to the wall and left.
Vir took his time returning to the orphanage. For one, he had to be sure he wasnt being tailed. Chasing someone who could move as fast as he did, who was actively searching for pursuers, and who could detect prana signatures, wasnt an easy feat.
After confirming that nobody had followed him, Vir stopped on a rooftop. Partly to allow his prana to recover. Partly to check in on Shan, whonded silently next to him a momentter.
Nice work, Shan, Vir said, moving to pet him, but the wolf pulled back and growled.
Look, its not that I didnt want your help. You saw how close that was! But you cant be seen with me. Not while Im Vaak. Please understand. I had to fight them alone. And Ill have to do it again in the future.
One of the main reasons hed provoked the guards was to prove that he wasnt to be trifled with. Such lessons generally only needed to be learned once. At least, he hoped. There were limits to how far hed go.
He couldnt maim or kill themthatd spark an investigationbut showing the authorities Vaak was not to be trifled with would keep them off his back, at least for a while.
As for his identity, Vir didnt think the captain could find anything, even if he did investigate. For now, at least, Vaak was safe.
Which meant that Bolin would be too when he donned the mask.
Protecting Bolin was only one of his goals, however. Vir wanted Vaaks name to spread. Between the bully Svar spreading the word and news of what happened here, he hoped certain others would take notice.
Shan gruffed, and after giving him onest look, disappeared.
Vir took off his mask and crossed his legs on the roof, exhausted. The fight had taught him several valuable lessons.
For one, Vir now knew he could wipe the floor with the guards and guard captainsif he was willing to kill them.
Prana de wouldve neutralized those three in moments, even without help from Dance of the Shadow Demon.
Hed nearly crippled himself for this fight. Aside from that one time he shot his Prana Darts, hed relied only on his prana-enhanced body, fighting skill, and basic movement arts.
Itd been tough, but only because he hadnt known what to expect. Chitrans Warlords Domain and Warlords Battlecry were certainly something to look out for, but nothing he couldnt handle. Isted soldiers werent anything to worry about. Against groups, the key was to take them out before they could activate their abilities.
Even doubly boosted, they hadnt been a match for him. Rather, it was on the battlefield where the Chitran abilities would shine. If it ever came to an army battle, Vir genuinely feared their might. Especially with their Ultimate Bloodline ArtDemonic Overlord.
Aspect of Midwinters Embrace was more problematic. Not so much because of its potency, but rather because of its essibilitynearly any demon could learn it. If every foe Vir fought couldunch icicles and freezend, Vir would have a hard time.
As he was learning, fighting demons was like fighting proficient Talent Wielders Who were also mejai. And stronger physically than a human.
Cirayus is right. One-on-one, demons would destroy humans, hands down.
The most worrying part of the fight had been the prana drain. The Prana Armor hed spent days building had been stripped clean, and hed burned through two-thirds of his bodys capacity.
Even an hourter, it hadnt appreciably recovered. At this rate, itd take the better part of a day.
I gotta be more efficient with my prana consumption from now on.
Haste was the worst culprit. Whenpared to de Launch, it consumed little, but it was still many times costlier than Leap and Blink.
Vir would have to rethink his strategy. And improve.
But that was alright. Because improving was what Vir did. Just like the beasts in the Ashen Realm, Vir would find the most optimal strategy.
And then, when hed perfected his form, no one in the realm would threaten him.
Chapter 259: Demigods
Chapter 259: Demigods
I can''t! I just cant! Maiya guffawed. Her face, while not perfectly projected through themunication orb, was more than sufficient to convey her emotions. I mean, Demon God Vaak!? Seriously?
Yeah, yeah,ugh it up, Vir replied. Blessed Prophet.
Maiyas mirth disappeared instantly. Ugh. Did you have to bring that up?
Hey, fairs fair! Vir said with a satisfied smirk. And your titles much more meaningful. Youve got a whole cult worshiping you, now!
Really wish I didnt, Maiya said. Still, Im d were able to talk like this. Was worried youd have a hard time trusting anyone to charge it.
You and me both. I found someone, though. It shouldnt be an issue from now on. At least, while Im at Samar Patag.
d you did, Maiya replied. Janani, right? That was really nice of her.
Yeah, it was. Didnt even ask any questions, he replied, looking off into the distance. Of course, returning with a haul like that didnt hurt.
Itd been a week since Virs run-in with the Chitran ambush, and since then, hed gone on another two raids without issues. There wasnt any amount of gold in the world that could buy the look on Janani and the orphans faces.
The children werent back to being healthy, but if Vir wasnt mistaken, he thought he saw a bit more flesh on their bony bodies these days.
What are you thinking about? Maiya asked.
Oh, nothing, Vir said distractedly. You wont believe the sky here. Perpetual sunset. Its really something else. Like its always on fire.
Wish I could see it, Maiya said wistfully. Still, I suppose I should be grateful I can even see your face. Speaking of Wheres the face I wanna see?
Maiya made a show of scanning the horizon.
Hes right here, Vir said, rolling his eyes. Shan? Cmon, dont be shy. Introduce yourself.
The ck wolf sauntered up to the orb, eyeing Maiya suspiciously.
Maiya drew in a sharp breath. Hes beautiful!
Shan gruffed, obviously pleased with her response.
Count on you to befriend an Ash Wolf, she said. Can you imagine how much of a stir hed cause here in the Human Realm?
Oh, believe me, Vir said, he causes plenty here in the Demon Realm, too. Hes mainly kept himself out of sight until now, lest he terrorize the city.
Smart.
Shan strutted in front of the orb for a few more minutes, thoroughly appreciating Maiyas oohs and aahs.
That reminds me. Just a few days until youre back at Sonam, right? Vir asked.
Yup! You cant know how much Im looking forward to it. And dont worry, I know you wanna see Neel. I feel so bad for the poor guy. I have people looking after him, but he misses me. And He misses you.
That makes two of us. I cant wait, Vir said with genuine excitement. Itd been ages since hed seen the bandy. As impressive as Shan was, he simply wasnt the same as his old friend. No one would be.
So howd Bolins run go? Maiya asked.
Well. No issues at all.
Still, I cant believe you got him to wear that mask, Maiya said.
It wasnt even my idea, Vir said, shaking his head.
You think that bully Svar spread the word?
Vir shrugged. Either him or those guards. Had to be.
Now, half the orphans were running around with ck masks, ranging a gamut of materials and designs.
It wasnt just them, either. News had spread faster than Vir couldve hoped, and the masks had started popping up all over the city. Evento his surpriseamong the Chits.
Theyd kept most of the food from their raids at Greeshas ce as a precaution. There wasnt any telling when Chitran guards woulde to investigate the orphanage, after all.
Yet, nothing like that had happened. Virs deception had worked better than he couldve hoped. As far as Greesha could tell, nobody suspected Demon God Vaak of being an agent of the orphans.
Except, of course, the orphans themselves. It hadn''t taken long for Bolin and the others to suspect the identity of the one bringing them so much food. Vir hadnt had much reason to hide it eitherNeel was yet another fake identity, after all.
Soon after that, Bolin himself had volunteered.
Maiya chuckled. Look at you! Setting trends. Helping orphans, making the world a better ce! Sometimes I wonder when we finally meet again whether youll still be the same Vir I knew.
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I hope not, Vir chuckled. I better be stronger.
Thats not what I meant, Maiya said, pouting. All I ever do are blood rituals, recitations, and other profane acts. All for crazy people. I feel like Im wasting my life here.
Your actions might very well thwart a war between Kinjal and Hiranya, Vir said softly. You oughta give yourself more credit.
That Maiya had soared to such heights within the Children of Ash astounded Vir. It seemed like shed bypassed all the rungs and leaped to the summit overnight. If he was honest, he was a little jealous of her sess. Vir had barely even begun making inroads with demonkind himself.
Just keep yourself safe, alright? Even demigods can die, Vir said. I dont like that youre surrounded by cultists all the time, without any allies.
I have a couple of friends, but hey! Now you know how I felt when you were in the Ash!
Vir pursed his lips. It had to have been even worse for her, being unable tomunicate.
It isnt all a waste, at least, Maiya continued. I dunno, I feel like theres more to the Children than meets the eye. That chamber with the tree. The way the Blessed Chosen acts. Every day, I wonder if these blood rituals are just a front for something deeper. Or maybe Im the one going crazy here.
Virs expression darkened. Until now, hed chosen not to tell Maiya about everything hed experienced in that cavern in the Ash, where hed fought Ekanai. Where Maiya had saved his life. He wasnt sure if it was all real until hed met Greesha. She remembered being called there. If not in body, in spirit.
Which meant Maiya likely had been as well.
Maiya, theres something you should know
And then I woke up, and I was in a room identical to the one you described, Vir finished an hourter. Maiya had listened quietly the entire time. Her expression had changed continuously, from curiosity to disbelief and wonderment, to shock, horror, and finally eptance.
You probably think I made all of this up, dont you? Vir asked.
No. I Maiya trailed off, deep in thought. I thought you were hiding something, but I never guessed itd be something like this. Wow. This is a lot to take in.
I dont even know how much of it was real, Vir admitted. Its bothered me ever since. What was that ce? Who built it, and why? When you said there was an identical room in the Human Realm, I really didnt know what to think.
This confirms it, Maiya said. It was real, Vir. At least, I think it was. Ever since I touched that tree, Ive felt off, somehow.
Vir frowned. Why havent you said anything?
Well, why didnt you say anything? Maiya fired back.
Vir cringed. He really had no goodeback to that. Hed wanted to wait until he knew whether or not those events were real, but now that he thought of it, wasn''t he just running away from a hard conversation?
But what do you mean by off? Vir asked. Are you hurt? Is it
My soul? Maiya said with a smirk. No. At least, I dont think so. Its not a bad feeling. The Blessed Chosen thinks
What?
Well, he thinks Ive awoken some power of some sort. Says well be training it up. So that I can serve them.
Oh yes, your almighty Prana Swarm, Vir said sarcastically. Im sure youll be a great servant of the mutated pranite terror.
Hed expected Maiya to reply with a wittyeback, but she just bit her lip.
I dont think he meant the Swarm. Dunno why, but thats just the feeling I got. Anyway, I gotta head to my next blood ritual. Talk when Im in Sonam?
Vir nodded. Lets.
Maiya looked around anxiously, then brought her face closer to the orb. Too close.
Did you just kiss your orb? Vir asked, dumbfounded.
Maiya flushed furiously. Its an indirect kiss, okay! Geez, way to go and ruin the mood.
Virughed. I didnt mean
Maiya had cut the call.
Grakking chal. Shes gonna be mad about that one, isnt she?
As he often did these days, Vir took a stroll through the city wearing his Outcast Calling badge. While no Gargan Callings technically existed, it was only the Gargans who bore that unsightly mark. They, and certain criminals.
Itd been eye-opening just how poorly the Calling was treated, especially when donning the Outcast badge after wearing a Chitran Warrior badge. In a matter of moments, Vir went from living well to not living at all.
Someone spit at Virs sandals, which he, of course, dodged.
Tch. This citys gone to Ash, the Chitran woman said, giving Vir a look of utter disgust.
Such encounters were entirelymonce. Vir had initially been at a loss for how to react. Now he just bowed, avoided eye contact, and moved on.
Any other reaction generally resulted in a beating.
His destination was a spot hed grown fond ofthe summit of Greeshas temple.
The tiered four-story stone steeple was tall enough to avoid the eyes of those below yet low enough to be close to the traffic of the city square.
A requirement for training the Life Chakra.
Vir had oftene here during his free time. It was usually full of people and thus made for an ideal practice environment.
Sitting cross-legged, Vir settled into his meditation. Shutting off Prana Vision, he closed his eyes and attempted to sense the life that thronged around him.
As usual, after an hour of concentration, he felt the faintest thread of something, drifting far away.
Attempting to pull the thread was of no use; it just wiggled away from his grasp. Focusing too hard on it caused it to dissipate entirely.
This time, Vir opted to simply stare at it. To try to understand what it represented. Was this life force itself? Was it the power of the soul?
Thin and wispy as it was, it was difficult to say.
Eventually, Virs concentration broke, and the wisp dissipated.
Opening his eyes, Vir ground his teeth. This wasnt working.
Right now, he was at an incredible disadvantage,cking the Shield and Warrior Chakras.
Even forgetting the ability to dish out Chakra-infused attacks, which would make his existing attacks far deadlier, the Shield Chakra was what Vir was really after.
His inability to defend against them meant he had to avoid them entirely. Prana Armor had protected him thus far, but it had its limits. Its capacity was finite, and it only protected him from the physical medium carrying the Chakraden attack. If a Chakra attack even grazed his skin, hed be crippled.
Thus far, he hadnt faced a single warrior capable ofunching Chakra attacks independently of their weapons. While rare, Cirayus could, which meant others could as well. Those, Vir would have to dodge entirely. No amount of Prana Armor would help him then.
The Shield Chakra negated that weakness, giving him a true Chakra-based defense.
The Life Chakra was, in many ways, a necessary stepping stone to the higher Chakras. Its utility in battle was negated by the Foundation Chakra, which protected against it. Much in the way the Warrior Chakra was negated by the Shield.
Still, it could be a potent weapon if used properly. Chakras could not be held open indefinitely, and so tactical applications became incredibly important. As Vir had learned firsthand, a sessful Life Chakra attack was as good as incapacitating ones opponent.
Vir fully understood that Chakras were supposed to take years and decades to master. Except he didnt have decades.
Besides, it all felt wrong to him. Ever since hed learned about Chakras, it felt like such a waste that he had to relearn it. Ekanai had mastered them, and Vir was pretty sure all of his prior incarnations had as well.
Why did he have to start from nothing every time? It wasnt just unfair; it was wrong.
Except there was a solution to this problem, wasnt there? A solution Vir had considered and rejected several times.
But perhaps
Vir drew in several deep breaths and closed his eyes again. If this worked, itd be a windfall. If it didnt Well, Vir was about to have an incredibly hard fight on his hands.
Calming himself, Vir entered his mindscape.
Suddenly, he was no longer in Samar Patag. He was in the center of a circr meadow in the Godshollow, where gargantuan trees soared to the sky.
This had better work.
Vir opened his Foundation Chakra and summoned Ekanai.
Chapter 260: Home Again (One) (Maiya)
Chapter 260: Home Again (One) (Maiya)
Maiya had dreamed of this moment for months. When she fled her cult prison and returned to civilization. To normalcy. To safety.
ying the role of an undercover agent had ced far more stress on her than she couldve imagined, to say nothing of the assassination attempts.
Yes, attemptsthere had been more than one. First, it had been poison. If Riyan and Kinjal hadnt trained Maiya to detect exactly that sort of thing, shed be long dead by now. When the third poisoning attempt failed, the Blessed Chosen seemed to get the hint, switching to assassination.
Needless to say, that didnt go over well. There was no one in the Children of Ash who could take Maiya head-on, and she was far too careful to allow anyone to get the jump on her. Even in her sleep.
As for it being the Blessed Chosen behind these attempts, she had little doubt it couldve been anyone else. The Sisters of Gray were on her side, Camas and his buddies had been cowed into submission, and there wasnt anyone else with sufficient motive.
On the other hand, the Blessed Chosen had everything to lose. She was nearly ready to depose him, and hed made his hostility clear during theirst encounter. Furthermore, even if he possessed the strength, he couldnt kill Maiya himself. The moment the Sisters learned of this actand they would learnhed be ousted.
No, the Blessed Chosen had to act carefully, targeting Maiya through means that would never trace back to him.
Maiya sighed.
When heaped on top of her obligations as the Blessed Prophet, the constant pressure had threatened to crush her. She yearned desperately for the security of Sonams sturdy walls.
Her only reprievetely had been the precious hours she spent talking to Vir.
Is it the same for him as well, I wonder.Hell be at Samar Patag by now Cant wait to hear what its like!
It was strange to talk to someone who was realms apart. Until shed establishedmunications, shed been almost convinced it wouldnt be possible. Shed hoped, of course. But what were the chances?
Maiya was sure the designers of the orb didnt have an inkling it worked between the Human and Demon Realms.
Nor would they. Maiya wasnt telling anyone about her secret. Not even Princess Ira. Her lifeline to Vir was the most precious thing in her whole world, and nobody would take that away from her.
Erm, youre just gonna skip the line, then? Yamal asked, and Maiya suppressed a sigh for what felt like the tenth time.
When shed secured her leave from the Childrens secretpound beneath Jatan Forest, shed braced herself for an uphill battle. Even convincing the cult to allow her to leave had taken intense pressure and weeks of negotiating. The Children were adamant that their holiest figure never leavethat shed have her every need taken care of.
Too bad for them, they were dealing with Maiya. When shed threatened to walk out on them and abscond from her duties, theyd finally agreed. That was, only if she took a small army with her.
Which was not going to work, for several reasons. Waltzing into Sonam with a band of cultists would be like announcing to the world who she was. There was no way the guards would let them all through into the city, let alone the royal castle.
It was Yamal and the Silent One whod intervened on her behalf, and while Maiya couldnt be sure, it seemed to be the Silent Ones support that had ultimately swayed them.
Maiya still hadnt broached that topic with her big friend. She had no right tonot until she came clean about who she was.
And that required gaining permission from Princess Ira first. Her reports had all been one-way, and while shed written in great detail to the princess about Yamal and The Silent Ones personalities and actions thus far, Maiya intended to leave them at some bar before her meeting with Ira.
Before that, though, she looked forward to seeing her new ceher housefor the first time.
Yes, Maiya said, answering Yamals earlier question. Im cutting the queue.
Im quite certain the guards wont tolerate that, Maiya, Yamal said, ncing nervously at the dozens of people who gave him dirty looks.This is Sonam. Capital of the Kinjal Empire. Theyre sticklers for the rules. Its what theyre known for.
Maiya ignored the man and strode up to the gate guard captain, who looked her over.
Im sorry, maam, Im afraid I must ask you to wait in line like the oh.
Maiya shed a badge. The guards eyes bulged.
My apologies, he said, standing straight. Please, carry on.
Maiya nodded her approval and continued into the wall that served as Sonams exterior gate.
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Okay, just who are you, Maiya? Yamal asked as they walked through the wall. Therge passage was wide enough to amodate even the Silent Onefortably, having been designed for carriages and other vehicles. It turned to the right and continued for fifty paces inside the wall, before turning left again to admit them into Sonams Fire Fields.
Sorry, guys, Maiya said once they were through. Ill tell you everything. Just bear with me a little longer, alright?
They continued in awkward silence until the second set of walls that divided the fields from the city proper. Sonam was essentially a citadel, just built on the size of a megacity. It was a maze of walls within walls within walls, with every district separated from each other.
Maiya shed her badge again, and this time, the guard stopped her.
One moment, maam, he said, handing Maiya a sealed letter. For you, with highest urgency.
Maiya broke open the royal seal before Yamal and The Silent One could see, and unfurled the letter.
Wee home, Maiya! Why dont you head to your house once you arrive? Oh, and bring your two friends as well. I cant *wait* to catch up and have tea together! Dont be a stranger!
Yours,
Ira
Maiya reread the message in disbelief.
How is this urgent, Ira?
It sounded exactly like a teenage girl writing about wanting to chat with a friend. Except, it had the royal seal, which meant Ira had used a royal messenger to deliver it.
This country is doomed, she muttered, hanging her head.
What was that? Yamal asked.
Change of ns, Maiya said. Well go together.
If Ira wanted the two along, then it meant she approved of them being privy to Maiyas situation. At least, to a degree. If Maiya had learned one thing about the princess, it was that her every action hadyers of hidden agenda and meaning.
Go? he asked. Where?
Youll see
Yamal smirked at Maiyas back as she led them through Sonams South Commons district. If she thought she could surprise him, she was in for quite the shock.
So this is the moment you show us your Sawai manor, yes? Yamal said, fully intending to make Maiya suffer. She hadnt uttered so much as a whisper about her true identity, yet now, an image was forming in Yamals mind.
No? Then allow me to share my theory, he said.
Go right ahead, Maiya replied with obvious annoyance.
Well, its clear as day from the way the guards treat you that youre someone important. Which can only mean one thing.
Oh? Maiya asked, navigating the crowded streets. She moved through the throng with the grace of someone whod grown up in the city.
Sawai. You are nobility. And if I may say it, you do a poor job of hiding it.
Oh? Maiya asked, turning just enough for Yamal to see the slight grin on her face. Go on, Yamal. I insist. Id love to hear this.
Yamal pushed past people in the narrow streets, struggling to keep up. But he couldnt afford to fall behind. His honor wouldnt allow it.
You were on the fast track to bing a prominent mejai within the Brian military, he said. Except this wasnt the life you wished for. It was the life foisted upon you by your overbearing father. Perhaps your mother as well.
Wooow. Youve got me all figured out, dont you? Maiya said. From his position behind her, he couldnt make out her expression, but Yamal could hear the surprise in her voice.
I have you now!
Tisnt not an umon tale, Im afraid, Yamal said. I saw it many times during my merchant days. Even made some good deals with young Sawai off to spend their parents coin. So? To which house do you belong?
Maiya turned, and this time Yamal saw her grin.
Why dont you wait and see? she said, looking up at the wall theyd arrived at.
Yamal craned his neck. It took him a moment to gain his bearings. Why were they here, of all ces?
The traffic had thinned, and few people went in or out of the gate.
Er, Maiya? I believe you might be lost. This is the Royal Quarter.
Maiyas grin widened. Yes? And?
Yamals brows furrowed further. Maiya shed her badge at the guardtoo quickly for Yamal to seewho admitted her as speedily as the other guards had.
Except something was wrong. The guard shouldnt have allowed her in. Let alone Yamal and the Silent One.
Yamal looked up at the big man and found that he, too, was frowning.
That makes both of us, friend, Yamal thought.
The Royal Quarter wasposed of several sub-districts. At the very core was the castle itself. Most had neverid eyes on its grounds, and they never would; only royalty and their guests could enter and exit at will.
Suffice it to say, Yamal hadnt ever dreamed of seeing that ce in this life.
Ringing the castle walls was the headquarters of the Brian Garrison. While notrge enough to house the entire Brian army, a significant number were stationed at the Garrison at any time. It was where they trained and lived.
If Kinjal were ever attacked, invaders would have to fight their way through the Garrison to make it to the castleassuming the unending rings of walls didnt stop them.
It was absolute overkill. It was thoroughly Kinjal.
Outside the Garrisony the outer Royal Quarter. Only the uppermost echelon of the Sawai aristocracy had their mansions in this district. It was considered a great honorthe highest.
Yamal had been here only once in his life, back when hed been part of arge Merchants Guild trade deal with a dozen others. He was a small fry, brought along only by the whims of his friends.
Hed felt like a fish out of water back then, and he felt the same way now.
Shes not just Sawai. Shes someone incredibly high up.
The mystery surrounding Maiya continued to grow ever thicker. Why would such a high-ranking daughter eschew her silvernay, goldenspoon? Yamal understood rebellious teenage streakshed seen it many times in his career. But this? Who would give up all of this to fall in with blood cultists?
Perhaps Maiya was more far gone than she had them believe.
Still, Maiya was clearly Sawai. Likely a noblemans daughteron the fast track to bing a prominent mejai within the Brian military.
And then, when Maiya breezed past the opulent estates and arrived at the wall to the Brian Garrison, Yamals understanding of Maiya shattered all over again.
Shes with the Kinjal Military!?
This changed everything. If Maiya was a Brian Warrior, many things suddenly made sense. Her powerher confidence. Yet why would Kinjal send a lone Brian Warrior into the ranks of cultists? She didnt have a chance in the Ash to destroy the Children on her own.
Unless she isnt the only operative. Is she part of arger initiative? Have the Children been seeded with Brian Warriors?
Chills ran down Yamals back at the implication. If Kinjal was about to wage war with the Children of Ash, then Yamal was in a very precarious position. He could find his head on a pike for no reason other than being at the wrong ce at the wrong time.
The gears in Yamals head spun as he devised ways of extricating himself from the organization.
And then, against all odds, Maiya arrived at yet another wall.
Oh no. Oh nonono. Youre joking. Tell me youre joking, Maiya! Yamal shouted in panic.
Even the Silent One was wringing his wrists.
This couldnt be possible. Was this a dream? It had to be.
Maiya shed her badge and was once again admitted.
Into the Castle Grounds.
Yamal gazed up at the sky andughed helplessly.
Maiya wasnt Sawai. She wasnt part of the Brian Guard.
She was royalty.
Yamal locked eyes with the Silent One.
Weve been yed. Weve been thoroughly, splendidly, yed.
Chapter 261: Home Again (Two) (Maiya)
Chapter 261: Home Again (Two) (Maiya)
It took every ounce of training and every morsel of Maiyas acting skills to maintain herposure. To mp down on her facial muscles to avoid bursting intoughter at Yamal and the Silent Ones reactions as she led them closer and closer to Sonams castle. It was, perhaps the greatest challenge shed ever faced.
Maiya could vividly imagine their thoughtsor Yamals, at least. The Silent One, he took in the surroundings with erged eyes, looked otherwise unaffected.
Whether his mind was truly at peace, or whether he was simply a master at hiding his emotions, Maiya couldnt say. What she could say, though, was that Yamal shouldve gone into entertainmentpeople wouldve paid good money to witness the wealth of facial expressions he was making.
What had begun as skepticism had slowly evolved to brooding, and finally to outright shock as they passed each district in turn.
Now they were in the castle groundsa ce Maiya doubted either of herpanions had ever dreamed of setting foot inside. Even the most prominent Sawai rarely ever got that honor.
Which, of course, prompted Maiya to consider why Ira wanted the two with her in the first ce. Maiya had indeed vouched for them both, but from Iras perspective, it was simply too much of a liability to let them in on her ns.
The reward for bbing about Iras ns for a royal coup would be enormous. Enough, even, to shatter the loyalty of even the most devout allies.
The royal grounds consisted mainly of the keep and its gardens, but ringing the wall on the inside sat other structures belonging to persons of honor. Bodyguards, the royal priest and Maiyas abode.
It was both a point of honor and terror for her. Maiya knew little of how the rest of the royal family felt about her. Apparently, Ira had cleared Maiyas house location with her family, but Maiya had yet to meet the Emperor or the Empress.
She genuinely hoped it stayed that way. Blood cults were enough to worry about. She didnt want to add royal intrigue to the list.
Maiya turned a corneraway from the castle itself.
Yamals expression changed once again.
He must think Im royalty or something Lets see what he thinks now!
Are you sure you know where were going? Yamal asked after Maiya had led them around for ten minutes.
I could swear it was one of these, Maiya muttered under her breath. There were manors here, just that they were all far toorge. Maiyas would be smaller. And yet, she couldnt just barge up to their doors asking them if they knew where her ce was
Maiya was saved the embarrassment by an old friend.
Awoooo!
A brown-and-white bandy rushed across the yard of one of those very manors, chased by an ever-growing number of frantic attendants who tried desperately to get him toe back.
Neel sailed over the wrought-iron fence and crashed into Maiya, sending them both onto the ground, tumbling, as he licked her face with glee.
Neel! Maiya giggled. Ive missed you so much!
She wrestled with the bandy for a moment, before suddenly feeling the judging eyes of her bodyguards on her.
Coughing awkwardly, she disentangled herself from the dog and stood up, brushing off her skirt. Neel continued to run circles around her.
My sincerest apologies, miss, I!?
The attendants finally caught up, and at least one among them seemed to realize who Maiya was.
Madam! I wasntI didnt! Please, forgive us!
She went down on her knees, followed shortly by the handful of attendants beside her. Some appear confused, and others stricken.
Seeing a prime opportunity to recover from her embarrassing moment with Neel, Maiya sighed theatrically. Its fine. Hes difficult to control when he gets this way. Please, dont punish him.
Of course not, madam!
Very well. Then I shall apany you to my manor.
At once!
The attendants snapped to attentionMaiya noticed their immacte military disciplineand led her party through the gates.
This is my home? Maiya wondered as she took in the structure.
While itd been described to her via letters, her new three-story stone house was by far thergest building Maiya had ever lived in.
It sat on its own, surrounded by a well-manicured garden, which was in turn surrounded by the wrought-iron fence that Neel had bounded over, with the rear of the grounds running right up to the tall castle walls.
A gardener worked thend, while six ceremonial Brian Royal guards stood at attention at the front entrance.
A bit overkill for a handmaidens residence, Maiya thought, walking up to them. Nor were these ordinary guards. They were the Brian Royal Guard. Overkill and wasteful.
Not that Maiya disliked the honor.
Despite her entourage, she was still required to show her badge in front of the stoic guards, who scanned it, looked her over, then nodded and opened the tall mahogany door.
While ornamental, like all Kinjal construction, it served a defensive role as well. Standing half again as tall as Maiya, each weighed as much as an Ashva, and Maiya knew that nothing short of a battering ram would defeat them.
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A maid came running up just as Maiya entered the house, and bowed deeply.
Good form, Maiya thought reflexively. Shes well-trained.
Mdy, please allow me to wee you home. Im afraid we were unable to organize a more appropriate reception on such notice. If you like, I shall
No need, Maiya said, thinking how truly ironic it was that she now had maids standing on her. Maiya was technically still a handmaiden, although her job description had deviated so significantly that the title was almost a joke at this point.
This is my first time on the premises, Maiya said. I assume youll be the one giving us a tour?
The maid flinched. I would love nothing more, mdy. However, Im afraid that you are called upon.
Maiya raised her eyebrow, suspecting the identity of the one whod called upon her. Where?
I shall guide you to the veranda. Your friends, Im afraid, will need to remain here. We shall see that they receive every hospitality.
Maiya had thought Yamal wouldve taken offense, and was preparing an excuse when she saw his face light up.
Does that include Sonamite royal wine I hear so much about? he asked with a ravenous grin.
The maid smiled demurely. Of course, ser.
Well, thats at least one less problem to deal with. Maiya thought, her mood souring. She began to see what was going on, and if she was right, Princess Ira had just made Maiyas life far more difficult than it needed to be.
Dont get too drunk, she said to Yamal. I shouldnt be gone longer than an hour.
I hope
Yamal held Maiyas gaze for a long moment before replying.
When you get back, youre telling us everything. My heads about to explode.
Maiya smirked. Well see.
Maiya found Princess Ira sitting at the veranda on the second floor that overlooked the rear of the manor.
Well? Ira asked, setting down her mug of tea. Howd you like your new home?
Maiyas lips went taut. It sure is big.
Big? Ira asked, giggling. Is that all?
Well, I couldnt say, seeing how I just arrived.
A few months ago, Maiya wouldnt have dared address the princess in such a manner. Lately, though, their rtionship had deepened, growing past merely that of a business rtionship. Budding, unexpectedly, into genuine friendship.
Ira dismissed Maiyas gripe with a wave. Youll have plenty of time to wander after. Its not often a princess visits people in their own homes, you know? Nowe, tell me about your exploits! I want to hear about everything! Everything!
At times like these, the princess sounded less like a genius mastermind, and more like the teenage girl she really was.
Smiling despite herself, Maiya took a seat across the princess, and after a handmaiden poured out some tea, began her tale.
She left nearly nothing out, summarizing her blood baptismgoing into gory detail to hammer home just how terrible of an ordeal it wasand finally, the events of the Orientation Camp and the strange room. She had, of course, summarized most of this in her reports, but there was only so much that could be written.
Maiya did not, however, mention Vir or hermunication orb. As much as she liked Ira, she didnt trust the princess not to take the orb away for research purposes. For Ira, nothing took higher precedence than Kinjals interests. Than overthrowing her fathers rule. Not even Maiya. If she could gain an edge, she would.
Frankly, Maiya couldnt me her. A part of her felt guilty hiding the secret of the orb from the princess. If trans-realmmunication wouldve benefitted Iras cause, Maiya would havee clean. But it didnt. And as such, shed hold on to that secret just a little longer.
Fascinating, Ira said, her elbows ced on the table and her head resting on her interlocked fingers. To think they had that buried under there! I wonder what it could be
Me too, Maiya said. Ive felt different, ever since I touched that tree.
Different? How? Ira asked with a frown.
I dunno, Maiya replied. I feel like something within mes changed, but cant put my finger on what.
Would you like our Life mejai to examine you?
Maiya bit her lip. Maybe.
Consider it done.
Thanks Ira, Maiya said. This has all been a lot for metely. The rituals. The whole Blessed Chosen thing and I cant help but feel like theres more to the Children than meets the eye. I dont think theyre just a crazy cult.
While I admit it is a curiosity, it is only a curiosity, Ira said, dismissing Maiyas concern. You are now the Blessed Prophet. The Blessed Prophet, Maiya! You have aplished what no one in recorded history ever has! Youve infiltrated the Children and risen to the top! When I had you go undercover, I imagined itd take you years, not months, and even then, I put your odds of sess at fifty-fifty!
Gee, thanks, Maiya muttered, sipping her tea.
Did she assume I might die along the way? Maiya thought it was a definite possibility, though she knew Ira would do everything she could to save Maiyas life if it ever came to that.
This is incredible! Ira continued. Thanks to you, I can put my ns in motion sooner than anticipated. Can you imagine what boons having the Children under my control will bring?
Ira paused, taking a long, hard look at Maiya. Maiya knew that look. The princess was nning something nefarious.
Dont tell me you want me to kill someone? Maiya asked.
Ira smiled. Oh, no, no. Nothing of the sort. Just a small mission that will require your presence.
Ira, you know I cant get away from the Children.
It wont take long. Just one night, I think. Yes. With your actions, this would be a most opportune time for it, Ira said, tapping the table. We can discuss the detailster, but dont worry. Itll be a nice change of pace for you.
Maiya had known the princess wouldnt have had her return to Sonam without a good reason. Yes, this was supposed to be a respite from the Children, but the princess was a schemer. Whatever this mission was, the details must have been too sensitive tomunicate via letter.
Just a bit longer, Maiya. Then you can be back among us.
Thats honestly nice to hear. Maiya genuinely longed for the safety and security of Sonams walls. She wanted nothing more than to lead a cozy, boring life, where her greatest worries were paperwork and boredom.
And yet, she couldnt return. Not yet. Not until Ira had aplished her ns. Defeating the Blessed Chosen was but the first step. Iras ambition would never relent until she donned the Empress crown. And that would be a long, bloody road. A road that Maiya would have to ze.
Dont you think we should understand the Children? she asked. I just have this feeling that without all the information, itll be impossible to dethrone the Blessed Chosen.
Nonsense. The Blessed Chosen is just one man. One broken man.
Maiyas eyes narrowed. You know something of him?
Nothing concrete yet. Nothing I can say without more investigation of my own. Regardless, you will soon be inmand of the Children. Soon, they will be an extension of Kinjals military might. Our might.
Maiya pursed her lips in concern but didnt pursue. She knew from experience that there was little chance of changing the princess mind on the matter.
Seeing Maiyas duress, Ira sighed. Look, you can dabble in whatever hobbies you like, so long as it doesnt distract you orpromise your cover.
Maiya cocked a brow. Compromise my cover? Like bringing those two here?
Ira grinned. Oh, that. Thats nothing of the sort. You see, thats insurance!
Princess Ira nodded at the gawking Yamal.
Y-y-y-your highness! Yamal wheezed.
Ira threw him her most innocent smile. Its a pleasure Yamal, yes?
Y-yes! Yamal said, choking his words out. For the princess to know my name. Tis the greatest honor.
Ira held Yamals shaking hands in hers. Please, the pleasure is all mine. I hate to presume when weve only just met, but would you hear this frail princess selfish wish? Ira said with upturned eyes, and Maiya had to resist the temptation to roll hers.
Yamals eyes went wide. Whatever your wish, princess. Please, tell me!
Please, protect her. Both of you. Can I ask that of you?
O-o-of course! Yamal squeaked, resembling a mouse more than a man at that moment.
Oh thank goodness! Ira said. I truly feel better, knowing she has both of you to count on.
Maiya didnt fail to notice how the princess gaze lingered on the Silent One, who nodded subtly.
Why would she single out the Silent One? Yamals the ky one here.
Maiya followed the princess out to the frontwn, where she gave Maiya a warm hug, to the bewilderment of Yamal, who peeked out from the manors door.
Do stay safe, yeah?
Maiya smiled. I will.
Princess Ira squeezed Maiyas hand, then turned and alighted her carriage.
Maiya was alone atst.
She turned back to the house, where her two friends awaited.
Well, not alone This is going to be such a mess.Curse you, Ira!
Chapter 262: Mindscape and Matter
Chapter 262: Mindscape and Matter
Who in the Ash are you? Reaper Ekanai rasped, clenching and unclenching his gangly fists.
As did Vir, who faced off against him, some ten paces away.
A gentle breeze rustled the nearby leaves of Virs mindscape. Great Godhollows soared around their clearing, while birds chirped from their canopies. An idyllic setting, but one whose peace was about to be violently broken.
You dont remember? Vir asked. Or is this a ploy to get me to lower my guard?
Remember what? Where am I?
Youre in my mindscape, Vir replied, taken aback at Ekanais words. The demon had been many things, but he''d been no actor. Rather, Ekanai was forthright and earnest in his hatred of Vir and Maiya. Hed assumed the demon would attack him immediately and had braced himself for battle.
Mindscape? Ekanai scoffed. What sorcery is this?
Vir had expected a variety of reactions and had nned for several contingencies, but hed never guessed the warrior would appear before him dazed and confused.
You truly dont know who I am? Vir asked.
Are you my enemy?
No, Vir said, feeling, surprisingly, a pang of loss. His experiences with the demon had been far from pleasant, but for better or for worse, they had a history together. For Ekanai to have simply forgotten struck Vir hard. Harder than it ought to have.
Vir thought back to what his predecessors had done for himwhat theyd all sacrificed, including Ekanaiwhen hed first entered the Mahdi Realm.
So this is the cost. This is why they can never intervene on my behalf again.
His predecessors had always maintained some semnce of awareness in his mind. Some part of themselves, however imperfect, had remained conscious. Now that was all gone. The Ekanai before Vir was not the Ekanai Vir had interacted with in the past, but another. Likely a version created by Virs own imagination, based on Virs memories.
Vir watched Ekanai wander around the clearing, his footsteps unsteady.
Release me! Ekanai barked.
Vir averted his eyes. Im sorry. I cant.
So you are my captor, the demon replied, a grin forming on his Ghael face. his faltering footsteps steadied, and he crouched. Then there is only one thing to be done.
Vir barely had time to react before the demon was upon him.
Blinking away in the nick of time, Vir avoided the Reapers vicious w-like nails that shot from his hands.
Thats new, Vir thought as he circled behind his opponent.
I dont want to fight you, he said, but his words fell on deaf ears. Lacking any weapons, the Reaper was forced to fight with his bare hands.
Despite this, Ekanai had quite the arsenal at his disposal. Between his ws, tattoos, and Chakras, he was still a formidable threat.
Even nails became lethal weapons when augmented by the Warrior Chakra.
Vir reeled when the world fell away from under him, activating the Foundation Chakra in the nick of time, which brought him back to the present.
When he did, the Reaper was in front of him, plunging his Chakraden ws in a vicious downward strike.
He expected me to use my Foundation Chakra to block his attack! Vir realized, narrowly dodging the demons attack.
Ekanai struck while Vir dodged, and with each encounter, Virs fear drifted away. He found himself forgetting the danger, falling into the rhythm of the fight.
Ekanai was nowhere near as powerful as hed been in the subterranean chamber of illusions. Now, he was more akin to a normal demon.
Vir felt the almighty force of Bncer of Scales, but hed long since learned to deal with its pressure.
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Ekanai stepped back in surprise when Vir shrugged off its effects.
Vir activated Haste at the same moment that Ekanai used rity.
A stalemate ensued. While the Reaper could see the future, Vir moved fast enough to negate its usefulness.
A rush overcame Vir, and soon, their fight resembled less a lethal duel and more a dance. Their timing and movements flowed from attack to defense to attack.
They were, surprisingly, evenly matched. Ekanai with his reach, tattoos, and Chakra, and Vir with Prana Current, his agility and his invulnerability in the mindscape.
Vir hadnt been able to dodge all the veteran warriors strikes, and several hadnded. Initially, Vir had assumed Prana Armor had protected him, but then he saw the truthEkanai hadnt even dented the armor.
His strikes simply werent getting through. This was, after all, Virs own mind. Here, he had unlimited prana. Here, he could set the rules of engagement, and here, he could not be harmed. At least, not physically.
Though he knew he was cheating, Vir couldnt help but appreciate the battle. Ekanai fought with such unbridled ferocity and skill that only Cirayus could hope to match him. Even then, Vir figured itd be an even match.
Vir missed those fights. As ridiculous as it sounded, he missed the hordes of Ash Beaststhe days of pitting himself against monsters again and again, always striving to be faster, deadlier, and smarter.
Vir pushed aside Ekanais strike and used the demons momentum to trip him.
They fell to the ground, with Vir mounting the gangly demon, grappling with him. Though despite Vir having the dominant position, Ekanai held a far greater advantagehis gangly arms more than made up for hispromised reach, and hended blow after blow on Vir until he suddenly stopped.
The demon stared at his ws, retracted them, and let out a great breath.
Vir dismounted the demon and offered a hand. Ekanai took it.
Your prana. You are me, Ekanai said. You are my next incarnation.
Vir nodded.
Ekanaiughed wryly. Then I am dead.
You died five hundred years ago, Ekanai. Youre just a memory. My memory. Of you.
Ekanai heavily sat on the trampled grass. I see. How did I die? I remember nothing.
Despite everything Ekanai had done to him, Vir was beginning to pity the demon, despite all that had happened. After all, the version of Ekanai whod threatened and harassed him was apromised and distorted one. The Ekanai before Vir looked lost. Lost, and scared.
Vir sat beside the Reaper. You ventured into the Mahdi Realm, but your body couldnt take it. You perished soon after.
Tell me, Ekanai rasped, his voice even more hoarse than usual. What transpired after? Why have you brought me here? Tell me everything.
Vir ripped a piece of grass and let it fly away, watching it pensively. I suppose I should start from the beginning. From our first encounter.
Vir spent the next hours narrating his encounters with Ekanai, from the Godshollow, and how the demon hadmandeered his body, to their fights in the chamber of illusions in the Ashen Realm.
Impossible, Ekanai said. I know nothing of the workings of the soul. I couldnt have siphoned your lovers soul into an orb.
I figured as much, Vir replied, his lips pulled tight. I feel the chamber was using you as a vessel for its own ends. Or something to that effect. To this day, I cant understand it all.
Ekanai grumbled. You must hate me. After all those atrocities Imitted. You consider me your enemy.
I dont, Vir said. The realization came as a surprise to him. The you I knew wasnt really you, was it? I know that now. But even before I did Id resolved to ept you. For who you were. You are a part of me. Only by recognizing that could I move on. Only by epting that did I open my Foundation Chakra.
Ekanai grunted.
Then I suppose I have redeemed myself somewhat, though my actions remain uneptable. My memories are few, but I at least know that I fought for my people. To protect them. To ward off the destruction of all that I knew.
Ekanai, Vir asked. What is the purpose of the Primordial? The Akh Nara. Is it really to reunite demonkind?
I do not know, Ekanai said slowly. Memories of my life elude me. It is an aggravating feeling.
I suppose that makes sense, Vir said, disappointed. All you have are my memories, after all.
If I were to wager a guess, however Ekanai said, I feel as though there is more. What need was there for our earliest incarnations to unite the Demon Realm?
Thats true. The splintering of the ns was a recent thing. A millennia ago, the politicalndscape would have looked quite different.
Vir was left with more questions than ever before.
Tell me, Ekanai said. Why have you summoned me here? What do you require of me?
Oh, right.
With all that had happened, Vir had nearly forgotten about why hed summoned Ekanai to his mindscape in the first ce.
The Life Chakra. I need help training it.
Ekanai looked away for a moment. My instruction would do you little good. I have learned by instinct. Through adversity. I would make a terrible teacher.
I figured, Vir replied, deted. Well, it was worth a
All I ever did, Ekanai continued, all I have ever known, is fighting. If nothing else, I can strike you with Life Chakra attacks.
Vir winced. Will that help?
Who can say? Perhaps youll be driven mad. But it is how I would train.
Vir stood up. Well, I suppose it cant hurt to try.
Vir quickly learned that indeed, it could hurt to try, as Ekanai catapulted Virs mind into nightmare after nightmare.
Vir lived through visions of Maiyas death. Of Neel getting gored. Of Shan being ripped into two, and of Cirayus being burned alive.
He lived through personal agony. He witnessed the failure of his uprising against the Chitran and the subsequent annihtion of Garga.
When it stopped, Vir could no longer stand. Hey sprawled on the grass of the Godshollow mindscape, twitching.
Who said I couldnt get hurt here? Vir fumed. Maybe he couldnt be physically harmed, but it seemed there was no limit to the damage his mind could sustain.
Are you undamaged? Ekanai asked.
What a strange choice of word, Vir thought dazedly.
Sitting up, he pulled on the Foundation Chakra and cleared his mind.
Ill be fine, he replied. I just dont know if this helped or hurt.
For the first time in their encounter, Ekanai grinned. Oh, it helped.
How do you know? Vir asked.
Because I can feel it. I can feel you, striking back at me whenever I assault your mind.
Virs eyes bulged. Really? Im opening the chakra?
Ekanai scoffed. No. Not even close. It will be a long path. A painful one. But if you persist, the Life Chakra will be yours in due time.
There was no hesitation in Vir''s response.
Then lets continue.
Chapter 263: The Rebels of Samar Patag (One)
Chapter 263: The Rebels of Samar Patag (One)
Virs rebellion summons didnt arrive quite in the manner hed expected. Though in hindsight, he should have expected it, with all the nces Janani was throwing his way these days. She must have thought he wouldnt notice, but he did. Her skills at subterfuge left much to be desired.
Vir had just been thinking of the cial progress he was making with Ekanai in the mindscapeof the long journey that was Chakra masterywhen Janani finally said something.
They wish to meet with you, Janani said, averting her eyes. Theyve been impressed with your exploits.
My exploits? Vir asked innocently. He sipped the tea shed prepared, looking her over appraisingly.
I wasnt sure at first, Janani said, squirming under his gaze, but its much too much of a coincidence. The masked hero. Vaakof Ash. The one whos been gvanting as a Chitran Warrior Calling, stealing food.
Oh, that guy, Vir replied. Yeah, Ive heard of him. What a chal, huh?
Janani threw Vir an unamused look. The timing is too perfect. Every time this Vaak character steals food, Greeshas food stores grow. Every timeIve checked! Greesha refuses to say a word about this to me. Shes never been so withdrawn! If that isnt suspicious, I dont know what is!
Vir didnt reply immediately. Itd be difficult to dupe Janani for much longer if shed gone to such lengths. Not that he ever intended to. Itd be bad if word got out to the general populous about his exploits, but with Janani running the orphanage, he figured it was only a matter of time until she learned.
Youre certainly thorough, Vir admitted.
Neel, who are you? Janani asked.
What do you mean? Vir asked, keeping his expression perfectly neutral.
I mean, you suddenly appear out of nowhere, not knowing our most basic customs.
I was training
Training in the Ash. Yes, youve said so. Several times. But why help us when you have no attachment to this city? Why put your life in such danger? Why start all this? she asked, pointing to a ck wooden mask on a nearby table. It was just one of many that had started circting around the orphanage. These days, it was hard to go a hundred paces without encountering someone wearing a ck mask.
Itd been mayhem for the Chitran guards, which worried Vir. Thus far, the masked figures had kept to themselves, only sometimes causing crimes, but if left unchecked, itd get out of hand.
It was, in fact, Virs most pressing concern. Hed wanted to create a symbol, but hed never nned for it to be such a sess. He feared hed set into motion events that were quickly spiraling out of his control. It needed to be stoppedand soon.
This may sound crazy, Janani murmured, but Are you the Akh Nara?
Virughed, which made Jananis face flush.
Right. Sorry. Forget I said anything, Janani said hastily, twiddling her thumbs.
Can you ept that Im just someone who sympathizes with your plight? I just want to do what I can. While I can.
Janani fell quiet. Youve already done so much. Who among us can question you? I can scarcely recall a time when weve eaten this well. The children are happier than ever. This is truly a blessing.
Its nothing that impressive but, well. Youre with the rebellion. Arent you?
Janani nodded. How could I not be? The sooner we escape the thumb of the Chitran, the better it will be for the children. For myself, as well. There was a time when Id have fought for the future of this city. Now Now, I just want to live like a normal person.
Vir hesitated. What you told the kids the other day. About the Akh Nara. Do you really believe all that?
Janani smiled, embarrassed. I apologize for earlier, Janani said with a smile. I suppose if youd asked me only weeks ago, Id have said yes. I needed the Akh Nara, you see. After so long dealing with the Chitran with our situation I needed hope. Something to help carry us through our day. Even if that was nothing but a fantasy. Also, the kids truly do enjoy stories about the Akh Nara. Sometimes, I worry if theyll all develop heroplexes as a result.
But now? Vir asked, sensing where this was going.
Well now, we dont need the Akh Nara. We have you.
Vir bit his lip. I was afraid of this.
I really think you should meet the rebellion, Janani said. Theyve been anxious.
Youve told them about me, then?
Vir hadnt exactly been forthright with her about his identity, but hed hoped shed exercise discretion on this matter.
Janani shook her head. I have not. But I am not the only one noticing the changes in the children. Some among the rebellion have pieced together that the fruits of the raids may be finding their way into our hands. It has been difficult to deny. Several are convinced I know your identity.
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Which, of course, means the Chits have caught on as well.
The reason the Chitrans hadnt yet mobilized was precisely because of the mask sitting on the table. When everyone was Vaak, how could they be sure? When every downtrodden Gargan wore the mask, how could they know they werent about to attack a high-ranking Chitran Warrior?
No Chitran wanted to be the one to take the fall for that.
And so, they were left alone, and a tenuous peace existed.
Yet Vir knew well just how fragile that peace was. The moment a rebel, or a desperate Gargan,shed out and hurtor killeda guard, thered be war.
I have to say, I never figured you were one of them, Vir said, understanding the real reason Greesha had sent him here. It was smart of her to do so. Vir was hooked right into sympathizing with the orphans, and now, hed been dangled as bait for the rebellion.
Truly? Id have thought the opposite, Janani said. Would you like to meet them?
Of course, Vir replied without hesitation. Itd been his n to link up with the rebellion all along. Only Greeshas words of caution had given him pause. Of how the rebellion wasposed of fanatics, and to exercise extreme caution about who he revealed his identity to.
But then, that was the beauty of disguiseit never just had to be a singleyer. Hed admit to the rebels that he was VaakWarrior of Ash, responsible for the symbol that was Demon God Vaak, and for stealing the orphans food.
His mask would be peeled back, but all they would find was anotheryer. For he wouldnt divulge that he was Sarvaak, son of Maion and Shari, prince of Garga. He wouldnt say he was the Akh Nara.
Not yet. Not until hed gained his peoples favor.
Vir rose. Take me to them.
Vir entered the warehouse hoping to learn how the rebellion conducted their daily business. He figured such an organization would have several tricks and tactics for conducting ndestine operations under the Chitrans watchful eye. He also wanted to gauge their cohesion and capabilities.
As such, hed asked Janani not to introduce him right away, and pretended to be a new member that she vouched for. Hed remained at the back of the storehouse all the while. Listening. Observing.
Now, less than an hourter, Vir wanted to groan.
And Im saying we ought to strike while the irons hot! someone said. Weve never had a better chance to take down the Chitrans! The people will unite. We have the numbers!
Therell be no one to stop us. Once we take Samar Patag, the Chitran will have no choice but to let us keep it! another stated with absolute confidence.
This wasnt a rebellion. It was a hodgepodge group of downtrodden Gargans driven to desperate measures.
Count me out. You lot want to get yourselves killed, go right ahead, a gruffy-looking demon said.
Cowardice is what theyre relying on! Dont you see that? Fine. Stay behind. Ill storm the castle myself if I have to. Vaak will protect us!
The room erupted into arguments and insults, and all the while, Janani kept stealing looks at Vir, pleading with him to do something.
Vir, in fact, wanted to do the exact opposite. He wouldve liked nothing more than to slip away, but as the cause of this heated debate, he felt like he had an obligation to intervene. If left unchecked, Vir was certain these rebels actions would end in tragedy. Not just for them, but for Gargans everywhere.
No, I will not, Vir said, donning his mask.
The rebels turned.
Who the grak are you?
Everyone! Janani said energetically, Allow me to introduce tonights guest of honor. Vaakof Ash.
The room silencedas if someone had cast a muting spell on their throats. All eyes rested on Vir.
You sure? someone asked. Anyone can wear that mask. How do we know its him?
Because I vouch for him. As several of you have suspected, Vaak has indeed assisted the orphanage. For the first time in years, the children have more food than they can eat. All thanks to him.
A wave of whispered chatter filled the warehouse, and among them, grumbles of skepticism. Itd take more than Jananis words to convince them.
Luckily, solving this issue was simple.
Vir Blinked into the middle of the crowd. His talwar shed, and the thick logs that had been stacked on a pallet were suddenly bisected into two.
The grumbling silenced. The crowd moved away, giving him a wide berth. This time, there was no doubt as to their feelings.
By Adinat, its him!
It is, Vir said, slowly panning his head across the audience. And as I just said, I will not support you in this attack.
Why not? Is this not why youve done all this? Why else did you spread your name? Our hour is at hand! someone said.
Each face that stared back at Vir was weary and haggard. Hardly surprising, given what theyd endured. And yet, each and every rebel in the room had defiance burning in their hearts. These people would go to any length to strike against the Chitran.
They reminded Vir of the Pagan Order Except while the Order was organized, disciplined, and well-supplied, these people had nothing. No army, no resources, no real leadership, and no strategy.
And that was exactly what worried Vir. They were both brave enough and foolish enough to do something drastic. A ragtag band trying to hurt the Chitran without understanding the consequences of their actions would have disastrous repercussions for all of Samar Patag.
Youve relit the me of hope in us, Janani said quietly. The Gargans are finally standing up to the Chitran, all because of you.
Then tell me, Vir said, addressing the room. What exactly is your n? Convince me you have a chance at this.
Its simple. Well rally all the Gargans, and together, well storm the castle.
Oh? And how do you intend to breach it? What strategic magic or siege equipment do you have in reserve?
Thats We dont need any of that. Against our numbers, what can they do?
And how many would join your little crusade, hmm?
All the Gargans, obviously. There are thousands of us! Easily more than the guards.
And how many of them possess Aspect tattoos? Vir asked. How many are trained in the way of the de? You are talking of Laborer and Outcast Callings, many of whom have never seenbat a day in their life. Elderly, children, and starving adults unfit to fight. Youve all seen the slums. Half the poption is so far gone that they can barely even stand. Let alone fight.
The room was silent, but Vir wasnt done.
You said youd round up the Gargans. Pray tell, where will you obtain the talwars and armor for your troops? Why would anyone risk their lives fighting against a trained enemy with nothing but his fists? An enemy who has beaten them down time and time again. You say there is hope now, and I agree. There is. But there is a realm of difference between hope and suicide. Your people are bent, broken, untrained, and ill-equipped.
This time, the silence was oppressive.
You would have us sit still? Against them? someone shouted. Vir felt the frustration and the agony in their voice. Youre out of your mind! No. Youre worse. Youre a coward. We dont need you. We can do this on our own.
Vir Blinked to the demona four-armed manwhod said that.
You call me a coward? Me? Whos been risking their life raiding food stores? Whos been feeding the orphans?
Vir backed off from the terrified demon, taking a moment topose himself. Very well then, he said. I propose a deal.
Vir brandished his talwar, pointing it at demons around the room.
Fight me. Here and now. Together. All of you. If any of you manage tond even a single blow on me, Ill support whatever n youe up with. But if you cannot, we do things my way. Understood?
You? Alone? The demon scoffed. You may be strong, but it seems your time in the Ash has made you overconfident.
Whats it matter? another said. If it means getting him to help, I say we put him in his ce.
The crowd tightened the noose around Vir.
dly, the demon said.
Vir smiled, but there was no mirth in his eyes. The rebels were about to learn a painful lesson. One that he would carve into their bones and etch into their skulls.
A lesson they would never forget.
Chapter 264: The Rebels of Samar Patag (Two)
Chapter 264: The Rebels of Samar Patag (Two)
The demon swung at Vir, his fisting wide and well-announced. Vir didnt even have to step away to avoid it; a simple shift of his neck, and the punch sailed by harmlessly.
The attacks came in quick session, from all directions. Often, three or more attacks threatened him simultaneously. All to no avail.
As Vir fluidly dodged the fists and legs, mostly fists and legs, blending Kri arts with his own fighting style honed by battling Ash Beasts, the frustrated attackers started using more lethal weapons.
Soon, talwars, scimitars, and even some katars and spears all came at him.
Why arent you hitting him? a rebel snapped.
I could say the same for you! Hes as slippery as an eel!
The rebels attacks grew more desperate with each missed swing.
Just a little longer, Vir thought, easily avoiding the lethal strikes. Had he been surrounded by trained warriors, it mightve been a different story, but these rebels were not only weak and malnourishedthey were also untrained. Not one of them belonged to a Warrior Calling, after all. Whatever theyd learned, theyd scraped together on their own. And unlike Vir, they hadnt had hordes of Ash Beasts to temper them.
The rebels strikes came more wildly now, driven by frustration and anger. They were faster, yes, but also desperate, and thus less urate.
A lull in the fight ensued. The attackers heaved for breath.
How? someone rasped. How is he unharmed? What magic is this?
No magic, Vir replied. Only skill. Youve had your chance. Now its my turn.
Vir activated Haste and Blinked at the nearest rebel, using his momentum to drive a punch to the demons stomach that sent him into a fit of retches on the ground.
Well before his foe copsed, Vir was already taking down his next target. Then the next.
It was good practice for Haste. Hed been trying to use the ability in short, quick bursts to conserve it. Opponents such as these made for ideal training, and he found his control over the ability improving with each rebel downed. He waited longer to activate it and canceled it sooner.
Less than a minute after the fight began, the rambunctious demons calling for the sacking of the Chitrany groaning on the floor, nursing their injuries.
At their center stood Vir, unharmed, like the eye of a storm.
Ive left you with only bruises and minor injuries, he said. Nothing that will cripple you.
See? someone said. He cant kill us! He doesnt have the grit! Hes got nothing!
Fool! A familiar voice thundered. It belonged to a scowling woman who strode into the warehouse as if she owned it.
It was Greesha, and she was not happy.
Any warrior worth his salt knows just how much easier it is to kill than incapacitate. Vaak here has spared your livesnot because he couldnt kill youbut because he possesses such mastery over his might that he chose not to kill you. Do not mistake expertise for weakness, you useless chals!
Greesha was right, of course. Vir was surprised to find her here, and even more surprised to see her sticking up for him. While he knew Greesha regarded him as crucial to the future of demonkind, their initial meeting hadnt given him the impression that she was especially fond of him.
Vir nodded appreciatively at the seer, who backed away, yielding the room to him.
You called me a coward, Vir said, addressing the groaning rebels. I braved the Ash. I fought the beasts of your nightmares, and I fought them by the hundreds. I am no coward. But youre right. Im scared.
Not for you. For everyone else. For all the souls that will suffer the consequences of your actions.
What do you mean? someone said.
I decimated you in minutes. Had I wanted to kill you, Id have taken half that time. And yet, the Chitran have dozens of warriors skilled enough to keep me upied. Against them? Youd be fodder. Nothing more. Hardly even a warmup.
Thats not true How can you know that? someone said, but his defeated voice said it all.
If, by some miracle, you get past the soldiers, how are you going to take the keep? How will you siege the castle walls? How will you breach the gate? You have no artillery. You have no magic. No leadership, and no organization.
If we can at least take down some of those Ash damned chals, itll have been worth it, no matter the oue, a rebel said, though the fire in his voice was gone.
Yes, many will die, Vir said. But it will not be the Kothis. Itll be you. Itll be Janani. Itll be the orphans. The Outcasts. The slum dwellers. Itll be Gargans that pay the ultimate price. Whats moreyoud be giving the Chits the excuse theyve always wanted. Youd give them the perfect reason to wipe out the rest of the Gargans in Samar Patag. Theyll retaliate against every man, woman, and child. All to set an example. So tell me, do you really want their blood on your hands?
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Easy for you to say, hiding behind that mask, a demon spat.
You fault me for keeping my identity a secret when Ive brought you your first victories in a decade?
There was no response, but Vir wasnt done. He had to beat the hopelessness of their situation so thoroughly, theyd never dream of doing anything so rash ever again.
Lets say, Vir continued, that Adinat, Vera, and Badrak bless you with divine fortune, and that, against all odds, you somehow take the keep and liberate Samar Patag from the Chitran. The Kothi army at the Ash Boundary numbers over twenty thousand. What will you do when they inevitably march back to retake the city? How will you, with your ragtag band of civilians, defend this city?
Vir locked eyes with each demon in the room. Each averted their eyes. As I fearedyou wont. Youll perish. Samar Patag will burn, and your legacy will be that of extremist zealots who doomed what was left of the Garga. Youll be cursed by future generations as the fools who ended what the Chitran had begun.
Vir let out a long breath. He hadnt meant to get so animated, but he couldnt help himself. The rebels selfishness was going to get everyone killed.
Then what would you have us do? Janani asked softly, tears in her eyes. Would you have us give up?
All eyes turned to Vir, who let the tension drain from his shoulders.
No. No, thats not what Im saying at all. What Ive done with Vaakwith this mask, he said, pointing to his masked face, was for the Garga. But this is not the way. If we truly wish for a better world, we must tread lightly. We musty the foundation, and, only when we are ready, do we act.
Do you have a n, then? Janani asked.
I do. The Gargan Warrior Callings. Are they all dead? Vir asked.
Janani shook her head. No. Many perished in the sacking of Samar Patag, but many more surrendered when it was obvious we would lose. They, like us, are Outcasts now.
But where did they go? Vir asked. The Chitrans wouldnt have sent them away. Theyd keep them under their thumb. Unless
Virs eyes widened in realization. Realization and horror.
The Ash Boundary.
Thats right, one of the rebels said. While you were off training in the Ash, our warriors have been forced to fend off the beasts thate through the Boundary each and every day.
It would ordinarily be the Chitrans responsibility, Janani said, but they im that due to the injusticesmitted by the Garga throughout history, that it is only fair to push that burden onto our warriors. They are run dry, fighting every waking hour of each day without rest
Vir didnt immediately reply. Any sessful coup would need their support. But how to get it? The Boundary was far, and itd be heavily fortified with Chitran.
To say nothing of the physical and mental state of the Gargans there. Organizing a coup in Samar Patag was one thing. Freeing the Gargans at the Boundary was quite another.
Though the plight of the Warrior Outcasts was a tragedy, it was not one Vir could solve right now. Itd have to be enough knowing they were alive.
We cant rely on their help, Vir said. Whatever we do, we have to do alone. From within.
Which is?
Hear me, Vir said, raising his voice. There will symbol. One that the Chitrans fear and respect. So long as Vaaks identity is kept a mystery, it will keep you safe.
Theyll ransack the slums to find you! a woman said.
No, Vir replied. They wont. They think Vaak is a Chitran Warrior Calling in disguise. Someone high up. Someone with connections. They dont have the means and political connections to pry into my identity, and they cant risk acting without knowing for sure. That is, unless Vaak does something stupid enough to force Governor Asumans hand.
Youre telling us to defend ourselves, but not to anger them? Sure, that might reduce the number of muggings, but thats all! It wont change an Ash Damned thing about our situation!
Murmurs of assent spread through the rebels.
I know, Vir said. Which is why I intend to personally intervene. If there is anything I can do to improve our lives in the interim, I will. But I am new here. I need your help. Tell me, what are the biggest issues guing Gargans? What would help the most?
Hushed voices once again broke out. This time, there were few arguments, as the rebels discussed the matter in earnest.
Before long, everyone was volunteering their opinion.
They take too much in taxes from us! Whatever we earn, they steal! Were barely better than ves.
No, thats not the real issue, someone else said. Its that we cant get any of the good jobs. Forget the Outcasts, even Laborer Callings have to dredge the bottom of the barrel. When we make coppers on the silver, its no wonder we cant make better lives for ourselves.
If I may? Janani asked, raising her hand.
Vir nodded for her to continue.
Everyone brings up valid points, but they all stem from one source. Asuman.
Indeed, a rebel said. If we could get rid of him
Jananis eyes widened. Oh, I wasnt
Thats right! If we can kill him, our problems will be solved. But how do we do it?
Vir put his hands up to hush the crowd.
Janani, tell me more about Asuman.
Janani looked at him in panic, but Vir smiled catingly. Im not considering an assassination, Vir said, easing her concern.
Unless executed masterfully, itd be far too easy for the Chitrans to me the Gargans, resulting in dire consequences. Even if that worst-case oue was somehow avoided, there was no telling if Asumans sessor would be better or worse. Vir refused to roll the dice with other peoples lives so carelessly.
Janani cleared her throat. Asuman detests Garga.
More like he hates our guts, someone else said.
Yes, well, losing a child to the war does many things to parents, Janani shot back, ring at the rebel.
His child died? Vir asked.
Yes, Janani replied. He lost his son during the invasion. He has harbored a grudge against our n ever since.
If he were deposed, who would take his ce? Vir asked.
Chatter broke out again, with each rebel offering different names. It soon became clear that there was no obvious sessora dangerous situation.
What about Greesha? Vir asked, eyeing the woman whod kept mostly silent until now.
Greesha let out a short, sharpugh. The sun will set before I sit in the governors seat. I might be a Ruler Calling, but its only because Raja Matiman values my abilities as a Seer. Even today, Im under constant surveince. As an ex-Gargan, hed never be daft enough to put me in a position of power.
I see, Vir said. This was going to be a tougher nut to crack than hed thought.
Vir fell into thought as the room broke out into arguments once again.
Eventually, Janani came up to him. Im sorry, she said. I truly wish we could do more, but
Vir shook his head. If this couldve been easily solved, it would have been, long ago. I just thought the Vaak persona wouldve helped.
It has! Janani said. It absolutely
Her words were cut short by a demon who broke into the warehouse, panic written all over his face.
Whats the matter? Greesha asked. Is this locationpromised?
The demon shook his head. No. Worse. Theres been a breach in the Boundary. Ash Beasts have broken through and theyre stampeding this way!
The room fell deathly silent.
Chapter 265: Prelude to a Slaughter
Chapter 265: Prelude to a ughter
When? Greesha asked. How many? Her tone was urgent, and the tension in the room was palpable.
A runner just arrived. The demon spoke rapidly, on edge. They broke out some days ago. Theyll be here by the morrow!
sted Ash, Greesha cursed.
Vera have mercy. Why now, of all times? someone else said in despair.
Were done for, yet another voice mourned.
I dont understand, Vir said. Were in a walled city. The Chitran have defenders. Sure, the walls might not be in the best shape, but the Ash beasts will have lost most of their prana this far from the Boundary. What threat could they pose?
Have you looked at Samar Patags walls recently? a rebel asked. It cant be described as just disarray. There are gaps everywhere!
Still
This has happened before, Janani said softly. The Chitran are spread too thin to defend the wall, with its dpidated state.
Vir frowned. Then what do they do? If you say youve been attacked before, then you must have somehow recovered, right?
They cloister everyone worth protecting in the Keep and the surrounding areas, Greesha said heavily. Everyone inside stays safe. Everyone outside, well
Then the slums The Gargans? Vir reeled in horror.
I mentioned how children continue to be orphaned, even well after the war, yes? Janani said, barely containing her anger.
Vir couldnt believe this. Until now, hed done his best to treat the Chitrans as impartially as he could. Theyd attacked Garga for grievances that ran centuries deep. Whether or not those grievances were justified, they at least had a usible justification for their action.
Vir was even willing to attribute somenot allof their atrocities toward Gargans to mismanagement and ipetence.
But this?
This was unforgivable. Not only were the Kothis keeping Gargans prisoner in their own city, they werent even trying to save them when danger struck. It was a deration to the world that Gargans were not their equal.
Whateverpassion Vir mightve had for that n evaporated in that single moment.
He turned to leave. This could not stand.
What are you nning? Janani asked, stopping him.
I will resolve this personally, Vir said, straining to keep his voice level and even. And when I do, Ill have each of you swear to uphold the peace Ive fought for.
Vir swept his pointed finger across the room, meeting the rebels gazes. Perhaps it was because of his mask, or perhaps they were simply too worried about the horde to reply. Not one refused.
Vir stormed to Samar Patags castle, using the shadows to propel him.
The time for subtlety was over. Rather, there was much to be gained by making a bold statement to the Chitran authorities.
Until now, Vir had avoided Governor Asuman to avoid rocking the boat, lest he shatter the fragile bnce that supported the Gargans livelihoods.
When faced with the prospect of annihtion, however, such concerns suddenly became unimportant byparison.
While Vir had never entered the Keep beforenot as an adult, anywayDance of the Shadow Demon made infiltrating the facility easy enough.
It was perhaps a good thing the Iksana preferred to stay within their tunnels deep underground. Theyd make for truly terrifying assassins; itd take Vir less than an hour to decapitate the entire Chitran government in Samar Patag.
If only his problems were so easily solved. No, he needed to think not only of the immediate future, but of what came after. For both Gargans and everyone else currently living within the city.
Vir found Samar Patags leadership cloistered around arge oval desk in a tall room with vaulted ceilings.
How much time do we have? someonea Chitran general, by his military uniformasked.
Not long, another Chitran asked. Our runner says theyll be here by the morrow. I give us another six hours. Maybe eight, if the marshes bog them down.
Theyre Ash Beasts. Poor terrain does not slow them.
And their numbers?
Many. More than thest one. Im afraid the casualties will be quite severe this time around.
We can only pray that by the time theyve had their fill of the Gargans, theyre ready to move on. Its about time those dregs contributed to our citys prosperity.
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Vir felt an overwhelming desire to skewer the monkey bubble up within him, but he forced his emotions back. The Chitran would have their reckoning in due course. Acting now would only jeopardize his n. And his n had to work, for the sake of all who lived in the city.
Then its settled, a Kothi in a more ornate robeGovernor Asuman, Vir presumedsaid. Order the guards to fall back to the Keep. Bring in as many of our people as possible, starting with the highest Callings. Hide the rest underground outside. With luck, well emerge from this crisis mostly intact.
How about a more ptable alternative? Vir asked, ensuring to keep his voice hoarse and raspy like Ekanais.
The Chitrans jolted at the sudden voice, spinning to locate its source.
When their eyesnded on the figure dressed in ck, emerging from the shadows, the color drained from their faces.
Dance of the Shadow Demon? Iksana!? Here? How? And that mask!
Vir cackled. Just because we prefer our tunnels does not mean we are incapable of leaving them, yes?
Asuman cleared his throat. You are him? This Vaak character? Id thought he was a Chitran Warrior.
Vaak is Chitran, Vir responded. Vaak is Iksana. Vaak is Panav, and Vaak is Baira.
I-I see. I hadnt realized he had gained the support of the ns, Asuman said, twitching reflexively. His words came shakily, bearing none of the confidence hed exhibited only moments earlier.
Vir remained quiet, and in doing so, unnerved the upants of the room even further. As Riyan had taught him long ago, there were few better ways to unsettle people than to hide ones features behind a featureless mask, remaining silent when spoken to.
How may we help you, esteemed Iksana? Asuman said. Though he was clearly trying to regain the initiative, his voice betrayed his fear.
A horde of Ash Beasts threatens your walls, and yet you squabble like pigs, secretly conspiring to throw your own people to the wolves.
Chitran Callings will be protected, Asuman replied quickly. This, I assure you.
Yet Kothis are only a portion of your poption, are they not? I do not believe you understand the gravity of your situation, Governor. Vir said, stressing thest word.
The Ash Beasts are dangerous, yes, the monkey demon said, scratching his head. But we have dealt with them before.
Dealt with? Vir scoffed. You n to feed them and hope they move along once their hungers satiated! Pray tell, where will they go? East? Where the prana is barren? No. North. To Panav. And south. To Iksana. Your problem has already be our problem. And the Iksana will not suffer further Chitran ipetence.
It was a lie, of course, but the ind Gargan Sea would split any hordeing from the Boundary, diverting them north and south, spilling over to Iksana territory. It was what had happened thest time a horde broke through.
Asuman gulped. I understand your concern. Well ensure they are dealt with. You have my word that they will not reach Iksanand.
They already have! Vir rasped. Ive seen your walls. The level of training your troops receive. You cannot stop them. Even if you could, it would do you little good.
Why do you say that? Asuman said, frowning.
Because, Governor Asuman, you have a rebellion on your hands.
A rebellion you have participated in! another general barked.
The Iksana do not meddle in other ns affairs, Vir replied calmly. We merely keep watch. I am no more a part of this rebellion than any Gargan in the street who wears this mask. We infiltrate and we observe. Ie to you now with critical intelligence. I take it you are aware of the quality of Iksanas informationwork?
Of course, Asuman said. We would never question the Iksanas intelligence-gathering capabilities. Without your help, our liberation of Garga would never have met with sess. Tell me, what word do you bring?
Vir turned his head slowly to each Kothi in the room. Your time is almost nigh. Should you choose to do nothing to fight it.
Asumans fingers had turned white from clutching his chairs backrest. I suppose you havee to us with a n?
Indeed, Vir said slowly. In the spirit of inter-n cooperation, I offer you salvation. A way to defeat this horde with no loss of life, and keep your control over Samar Patag.
And in return, you expect what? Asuman asked.
Stability in our northern neighbor, Vir replied. Rebellion is chaotic. Dangerous. We wish for the Chitran to uphold yourmitment to defending your Ash border. And we wish for peace.
Asuman exhaled in relief and his face lit up.
Of course. Of course! Then, will n Iksana be providing an army of their own? Though, I fear you will not be able to mobilize one in time
Eliminate the Outcast Calling. Allow Gargan Laborers the opportunity topete with Chitrans for jobs on an equal footing.
Asuman blinked. I beg your pardon?
As I said, governor, Vir said slowly, drawing out each word, you have a rebellion on your hands. Quelling the Ash Beast horde will buy your n only a brief extension on life. If you wish for our aid, you must banish the Outcast Calling and allow the Gargans parity. Their mistreatment leads to hatred. Their hunger leads to desperation. Desperation leads to rebellion.
This is their wish? Asuman asked. The wish of this Vaak character?
Do not underestimate the phenomenon that is Vaak, Vir said. Vaak may once have been a demon, but that is no longer. Vaak is a symbol of all that is wrong with Samar Patag. Make an example of him, and you will have created the perfect martyr for rebellion. Kill him in secret, and ten will take his ce. Vaak cannot be eliminated or squashed or ignored. Only appeased.
Asuman nced skeptically at his peers, who responded in kind.
Theyre not yet convinced Just a little further.
You said the Iksana will provide a solution, yet you havent rified how, Asuman said, shifting the topic.
Incorrect. I said only that the Iksana can solve this problem for you. You see, Vaak has promised us they will drive off the horde.
So Vaak ns to raise an army, then? An army of rebels? Asuman said, tapping his chin. His monkey tail, which had been still until now, began to sway rhythmically.
Vir remained silent, content to watch Asuman form his own incorrect opinions. Let him think Vir was an army. The shock of witnessing him decimate the entire hordeon his ownwould only cement Asumans obedience. No doubt the governor was thinking he could kill two birds with one stonerid Samar Patag of the rebel faction, while also ridding it of Vaak.
Very well, Asuman said atst. Should Vaak destroy the horde, thereby protecting the Chitraner, Samar Patagfrom harm, then I shall honor our agreement. If they fail, however, Im afraid I will not be able to ept your terms.
eptable, Vir said, tossing a magical tablet onto the table. Record it.
These tablets served a variety of functions in the demon realm, forming an analog to human utility orbs. Though, while orbs were integrated into nearly every aspect of human life, tablets were somewhat rarer in the demon realm. Or at least, in Samar Patag.
Asuman pressed his hand upon the tablet, which began to glow with prana. I, Asuman, Governor of the Chitran stronghold Samar Patag, do swear to abolish the Outcast Calling and allow Garganborers equal and fair ess to Laborer Calling jobs, should the entity known as Vaak defend this city from the uing Ash Beast horde.
Asuman removed his hand from the tablet and tossed it back to Vir. Will this suffice?
It is done, Vir said, sinking into his shadow. Vaak will meet with you once the horde has been repelled.
And then he was gone, leaving behind a room of stunned Chitran to digest what had just happened.
Though they did not realize it, they had just set into motion a series of historic events. Events that would forever change the face of the realm.
Chapter Fiction Launch Announcement: Soulweaver
Chapter Fiction Launch Announcement: Soulweaver
Hey everyone!
I justunched Soulweaver, an isekai LitRPG here on RoyalRoad. With this, I have joined the hallowed ranks of LitRPG authors on the site! XD
This story is the product of half a year of nning and is a coboration with several of my most avid Ashborn readers. I feel like it incorporates all of my Ashborn learnings, with the strongest characters, action, plot, and worldbuilding I''ve ever written - so please consider checking it out! (And follow and rate if you enjoy it!)
What do you do when the god who summons you wont say why?
This tale has been uwfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Greg walked into a bar hoping to wash away the sour taste of a bad day at work. What he got instead was a bartender offering him the opportunity of his dreamswith a catch. A ticket to purchase a ss that could make him the strongest being alive. If he can afford the asking price.
Thrust into a world he knows nothing about, Greg will need power on another level entirely. To get ahead, he''ll need the kind of power only deities possess.
After all, the whole worlds your yground when you can make anything level up.
- - -
What to Expect:
- Weak to very strong progression
- A mix of action, crafting & enchanting, character dynamics, and story
- Tropes: Some subverted. Others yed straight.
- No Harem
- No Edgy or Murderhobo MC
- An MC with a fondness for /fiction/82936/soulweaver-otherworldly-enchanting-litrpg
Chapter 266: Ray in the Dark (One)
Chapter 266: Ray in the Dark (One)
And Im telling you, well die if we congregate! The four-armed rebel mmed his fist on the table. Our best hope is to disperse. That way, the beasts will waste time hunting us down. Several may survive!
Youd feed our own people to those monsters, then? Youre no better than the Chits!
How dare you! I am merely
The warehouse door mmed, and in strode the masked figure of Vir, his ck robe ring behind him. All eyes turned to him, and all conversations hushed.
You! Whereve you been? someone asked.
nning for our future, Vir replied smoothly. For the future of this city, and the Gargans within. Now tell me, how do you intend to survive this crisis?
Thats just what we were discussing, the four-armed rebel said. All our options are grim. I say we should spread out. It gives us the highest chance of surviving this.
At the expense of half our numbers or more, his opponent said.
What do you think, Warrior of Ash? someone who hadnt spoken before said.
I agree that, under normal conditions, concentrating our numbers would be a death sentence should the beasts ever find us.
See?
Except, Vir said, holding up a finger, these are not normal conditions. Not by any means.
What do you mean?
Shan, Virmanded.
The Ash Wolf bounded silently into the room. His appearance shifted the mood within the room in an instant.
Some rebels braced forbat while others muttered prayers. A few cried out in panic.
Theyre here already!? Adinat save our souls.
Rx, Vir ordered, raising a cating hand. He is an ally.
An ally? Are you out of your mind? Ive seen those things rip through an entire room in seconds! Were not safe.
I should ask you the same, Vir replied calmly. Does he look as though hes about to rip your throats out?
Shan sat obediently next to Vir, gazing impassively at the terrified faces in the room as he licked his paw.
Vir sometimes wondered if the beast could understand them. His intuition was otherworldly.
I dont understand, Janani said, her voice faltering as she spoke. You have tamed an Ash Wolf? How? This is impossible.
Not so much tamed, as befriended, but yes, Vir said.
Shan grunted in agreement.
So those reports they were factual? Greesha said, rising from her chair to get a better look at Shan. Sightings of a ck beast, prowling the streets. Id passed it off as nothing more than fear-mongering, perhaps exaggerated sightings of a stray bandy. But this
Id appreciate it if you kept this quiet, Vir said, addressing the room. Vaaks image has meaning precisely because anyone can don the mask. If it bes known that I travel with an Ash Wolf, that deception loses its value.
Aint none of us gonna go b, if thats what youre worried about, another demon said. But an Ash Wolf, huh? Hell be an asset during the fight, thats for certain.
Their relief, however, was short-lived.
Oh, Shan isnt going to fight, Vir said.
Deathly silence fell on the room.
Hes not? someone asked atst.
Hes not, Vir confirmed. I want you all to gather in a defensible location. Find thergest structure that can fit everyone, wherever it is.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition.
Aint no one building gonna fit us all, a rebel said.
Then a cluster ofrge buildings. The closer they are, the better.
Well, thatd be stores, in the Chit part of the city, the four-armed demon said. Backs up to the wall itself. Wouldnt call them defensible, though. Lots of ways beasts could get to us. Or Chits, for that matter.
Thats fine, Vir said. Shan, here, will keep you safe. And you wont need to worry about the Chitran. Theyll all be long gone by the time you get there. Theyre retreating to the keep and the castle grounds that surround it.
The wolf? Alone? I mean no disrespect. Your friend looks mighty strong, but I dont thinkGrakking Ash!
The demon speaking fell over as Shan allowed Ash prana to leak from his body, wreathing him with ck mes.
Vir smirked under his mask. You should know that my friend is not only incredibly powerful, hes also highly intelligent.
He can understand us? Greesha asked, her eyes wide with wonder. Wonder, and a hint of fear.
To a degree, Vir said nonchntly. Anyway, you have nothing to worry about. Shan here has ended the lives of hundreds of beasts in the Ash. Even apany of Chitran Warrior Callings couldnt take him down. Besides. There wont be many for him to deal with.
Shan whined unhappily at Virs words.
Its alright, friend, Vir said, petting him. Youll have your moment. I promise.
Certain rebels flinched when Virs hand came into contact with Shans burning prana. Their concern turned into wonderment when he emerged unscathed.
I wouldnt try petting him, Vir said with bemusement. For a variety of reasons.
You said few beasts will enter the walls, Janani said. Where will you be?
Vir turned, his robe fluttering behind him. Driving off a stampede, Vir said, just before he Blinked out of the room.
Greesha looked to Janani. Is he always so fond of dramatic exits?
Janani smiled wryly. It would seem so. I do wonder if hes nning on fighting them alone?
Greesha grunted. Just like his father, she whispered.
Sorry? Janani asked. Did you say something?
Oh, nothing. Nothing at all, Greesha replied, cracking a sly grin. I believe that this will be a night to remember.
Vir felt hed done a good job with the rebels, confident that his bravado had betrayed none of the anxiety that roiled in his stomach.
The rebels needed an infallible symbol. Not a fretting, lone demon. Yet it was with a grim expression that Vir surveyed Samar Patags surroundings. Surroundings that would soon be a bloody battlefield.
While the city mightve been constructed in a defensible position, it was built with the assumption that the city would be defended by a full regiment of warriors manning the walls. Not a lone individual.
The issuey both in geography and the nature of their opponents. To the westy the ind Gargan Seait was safe to say that the city was shielded from that direction, at least from ground-based enemies. As for aerial foes, the runner hadnt reported any Shrike sightings, nor did Vir think theyd survive in this prana climate.
Even with only ground forces to worry about, however, Vir was at a crippling disadvantage.
The city was no doubt intended to dissuade invaders from attacking from the north. Directly to the north of the Gargan Sea spanned the Western Teetha north-south mountain range that crossed into Panavnds.
Only a tiny sliver of coastliney between the mountains and the sea, and no army would be stupid enough to march through that soft, marshy soil. The path was boggy and circuitous. Even if they did cross, they would then face the des of Aksthe dense forest that surrounded Samar Patag to the north.
A nightmare for any army, but his enemies were no army. They were Ash Beasts, guided not bymanding officers, but instead driven by primal instinct.
They could very well attack from the north.
And yet, the nature of the sea meant that most beasts would fork to the south, entering Iksanands. Vir had initially hoped they would disperse there, but Janani said that while some of the previous hordes veered further south to Jk KallolIksanas underground strongholdmany came straight for Samar Patag. Whether attracted by the denser prana of a demon-inhabited city or for some other reason, nobody knew.
Immediately to the south of Samar Patagy the natural barrier of the Garga River, which originated from its namesake ind sea. A single stone bridge crossed itone that Vir was now rushing to destroy.
Yet even without that passage, Vir feared the river wouldnt stop the horde. Years of careless trash dumping into the seaanother Chitran legacyhad led to debris gumming up the river, and its flow was pitifully low.
While an army might not attempt to ford it, Ash Beasts would have no such reservations. Destroying the bridge made senseanything to slow them downthough Vir regretted being unable to do any more.
Maybe its for the better, Vir thought as he cut through the bridges supports with his katars de Projection. Itll be easier to guard the city with an enemy right at the walls. Less distance to travel.
It was a dangerous gambit, and Vir knew it. One slip-up and the monsters would charge through Samar Patags decrepit walls, flooding into the city.
It wouldnt take many before Shan was overwhelmed. It wasnt a question of numbersShan held a full reserve of prana within him. Vir fully believed his friend could down dozens of the weakened horde.
The issue was that there were many paths enemies could take once inside the city. Buildings in which they could hide. He couldnt find them all before they found the hiding Gargans.
Vir cut thest support and observed as the bridge crumbled in on itself. Most of the debris was swept down the river. The ones that didnt budge, Vir cut up further to dislodge them. Minutester, all traces of the bridge had ceased to be.
The Chitrans would have their work cut out restoring it, but that was a problem for a different day. For now, Vir focused on the present. His means were limitednot only could he not use Dance of the Shadow Demon, hed be forced to fight efficiently, conserving everyst drop of his bodys prana.
A difficult trialy ahead. Perhaps the hardest of any hed ever faced.
For this time, it wasnt his own life that was at stake, but an entire citys. People were depending on him to keep them safe. Men, women, and children.
Am I truly ready for this?
Vir didnt feel like he was. Unfortunately, Fate wasnt one to pay feelings any mind.
Vir glimpsed movement on the horizon to the south. Time had run out.
The horde had arrived.
Chapter 267: Ray in the Dark (Two)
Chapter 267: Ray in the Dark (Two)
Bolin snuck out of the orphanage, eyes darting for any sign of Janani as he ushered the others to follow.
Quiet! he hissed, silencing the whispers that had broken out between Hiya and Ekta.
Janani had guided the children to the old storehouse where the rebels always had their talks. It was one of the few buildings in town bothrge enough and sturdy enough to stand up to an attack. But Bolin knew well that no structure could withstand an Ash Beast. Let alone a horde.
Theyd be no safer in there than they would be out on the walls.
And on the walls, theyd get to see Neel, or rather, Vaak. A true Warrior of Ash. Fighting off an enemy that would ordinarily require an army to subdue. Alone.
It felt impossible. It felt like something out of a heroic tale. If Bolin knew anything about fights, it was that this one would be one to watch.
I dont know, Bolin, Ekta whispered. Im scared. I-I think Janani will be worried and look for us!
Its fine, Bolin replied, waving off her concerns. Neel will keep us safe. You worry too much.
It didnt take long to reach the southern wall. Bolin knew the city like the back of his hand, and could navigate its streets with his eyes closed. Still, while this was by no means their first foray to the walls, they hadnt ventured this far in years.
The guards didnt take kindly to their presence. Whenever they got too close, theyd be thrown out, usually with a painful lesson to dissuade them from trying again. They stoppeding after a few of those encounters.
It wasnt so much the beatings that gave Bolin pause; he was used to it. He could handle suffering. It was watching Hiya, Ekta, and the others in pain that wrenched his heart open.
Ordinarily, Bolin would never have agreed to Hiyas idea to sneak out. Hed never subject her to that pain again. This time, however, was different.
The ramparts were deserted.
This doesnt make any sense! Ekta, youngest among them, said. How is it that nobodys here? Where are the guards?
Bolins expression darkened. He found himself grinding his teeth. Protecting the keep, of course. Just likest time. Were nothing to them, Ekta. Nothing.
Ektas face fell. She knew he was right.
All their lives, the orphans had suffered under the Chitrans thumb. Theyd endured shopkeepers swatting their emaciated hands away, all while happily doling out fresh fruit to fat Warrior Calling kids. Kids whod then smirk, taking a bite in front of them before tossing the rest to the ground,ughing as orphans desperately scrambled for the fruit before it became tainted with the grime of the road.
The orphans had dealt with hunger, mistreatment, and guards who heckled them for no reason other than sheer boredom.
Bolin ascended the stairs with the girls, dark thoughts coloring his mind. He couldnt envision a world where the Chitran would ever protect them with their lives. There was only one person who would.
Look! Over there! Hiya shouted. Theyd only just reached the ramparts, and she was pointing into the distance.
Great trees surrounded Samar Patag to the south, east, and west, but a clearing of a few hundred yards ringed the city in each direction.
Bolin strained his eyes, and when he finally saw what she had, he paled. There, somewhere inside the forest, was a wall of dust. A wall that grew steadilyrger.
Thats Is that what I think it is? Hiya asked.
What else could it be? Bolin said. What else can kick up a dust cloud sorge?
The horde had arrived. And they were stampeding toward Samar Patag.
But I thought they werent due for hours! Hiya said, panic rising in her voice.
Bolin hardly heard her. His attention was elsewherefixated on the small, dark form that stood at the edge of the forest. Alone.
Its him, Bolin whispered. Its really him!
Alone? Ekta said. Why, Bolin? He Hes gonna die!
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Shut up, Bolin snapped. Just watch.
The cloud of dust grewrger andrger. But Vaak did not move. He did not tremble. He did not back away in fear.
Finally, the horde broke through the forest, and Bolin understood just how enormous the threat really was.
Bolin wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that Neelthat Vaakcould defeat them. Another, more sensible, part of his mind, told him that Ekta was right.
This is impossible.
There werent just a handful of beasts out there, nor even a dozen. There were hundreds. Nightmarish abominations Bolin had only ever heard of. Beasts that were only ever whispered and rumored. The stuff of campfire stories.
They were real. They were here. They brought with them a promise of certain death, and the only thing standing in their way was one lone demon. Their dear friend. Whod brought them food and clothing.
Ekta gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.
Perhaps sensing the threat he posed, the horde converged on Vaak, encircling him in a mass of monsters, each individually capable of annihting squads of soldiers.
Hes risking his life. Just for us, Hiya breathed, tears falling down her face. For strangers he only met weeks ago. Why?
The beasts descended, and Vaak disappeared.
For a long moment, Bolin feared the worst. That Vaak had valiantlyand pointlesslygiven his life for them.
But then something strange happened. Something no one could ever have predicted.
No way, Hiya whispered.
Those invincible beaststhose terrors of nightmaresfled, in what Bolin could only describe as terror.
Beasts limbs went flying, sheared from their bodies. Creatures the size of three stacked Ashva keeled over and died on the spot.
Bolin found himself moved to tears. Why does he risk his life? he said, echoing Hiyas words. He pointed at Vaak. Because hes a hero, Hiya. Because that is what heroes do.
The trio stood in shocked silence, watching in awe as Vaak reaved into his enemies.
The grounds around the Warrior of Ash soon became a death zone. It was as if Vaak had turned into a whirling de of Destructionslicing, dicing, and grinding any beast unfortunate enough to cross his path.
Bodies piled up in a ring around him. The ring soon became a mound. The mound became a mountain.
He was an army unto himself.
The Ash Beasts, perhaps fearing their lives, slowed, then routed. They dispersed in all directionssome running back to the forest, some heading east and west to the Gargan Sea, and some, for Samar Patags walls.
This is bad, Hiya shouted in panic. We have to warn the others!
Wait, Bolin said, stopping her. Trust Vaak. Trust our friend.
Hiya paused, turning her eyes back to the battle.
The terrifying bipedal beasts covered ground at a terrifying pace. Faster than any creature Bolin had ever seen. One hundred paces. Fifty. Twenty-five!
The horde would be upon Samar Patags walls in moments. Dpidated walls that wouldnt even slow them. And yet, Bolin didnt once think of fleeing.
Before they reached the wall, the beasts all died. Suddenly. Inexplicably.
The momentum carried them all the way to Samar Patags walls, but when they arrived, they were little more than mutted corpses.
It was only then that Bolin spied Vaak, standing amidst the bodies like a god who had manifested before them. He walked up to each corpse, and put his hand on each in turn, though for what purpose, Bolin couldnt say. None of the orphans knew much of the magic that existed in the wide realm.
Is he honoring the dead, do you think? Ekta asked.
Do you really think hed take the time in the middle of a battle? Hiya said.
Well, look at him! Those beasts arent even a challenge! Ekta said excitedly. Her prior doom and gloom had vanished, blown away by Vaaks divine wind.
Their celebration was cut short when a group of Ash Wolves whod fled west suddenly turned north, aiming for the walls.
No! Hiya yelped. Theyre too far!
It didnt matter how fast Vaak washe wasnt going to make it.
Vaak disappeared, reappearing some fifteen paces from the beasts, right under the walls ramparts.
Bolin leaned over the railing, straining to see, as did Hiya and Ekta.
Hes toote! Ekta shrieked.
Then Vaak did something truly nonsensical. Something that should have been impossible.
Vaak swiped his talwar. It should have been a meaningless gesture; his de was simply too far to connect.
And yet, as if some invisible magic carried Vaaks talwar, propelling it into the distance, his strike connected, bisecting the raging beast, and continued on to the next. And the next. And the one after that.
With a single strike, Vaak had decimated a half dozen wolves, each capable of killing all the orphans in the blink of an eye.
How? Ekta muttered. How is this possible? How can he do those things?
Its like Like hes a god, Hiya said.
Hiyas words reminded Bolin of a rumor hed heard recently. A rumor about a demon god who had taken up residence in Samar Patag.
Who had carved such fear into Svar and his goons that theyd actuallye to Bolin begging for forgiveness. Them!
Itd taken him the greater part of a week to understand that this wasnt an borate prank on their part. That it was real, and that they were genuinely trying to make amends.
Whatever had happened to them had shaken them to their very core. And now it all clicked.
Demon God Vaak, Bolin whispered. It was Vaak who had struck the fear of god into Svar, and it was Vaak who would save them from this threat.
And, like a god, Vaak disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a devastated field strewn with the corpses of his enemies.
For the first time since hearing about the horde, Bolin breathed easily.
Were going to make it. Hell save us.
Hey! Ekta said, scanning the area. Whered he go?
Where else? Hiya said, her eyes glinting devilishly. To fight more beasts, most likely. Anyway, Bolin, dont you think this is our chance?
What do you mean? he asked.
I mean, theres an entire field of treasure out there! All those hides! Teeth, bones Can you even imagine what they sell for on the ck market? We gotta grab some before Asuman snatches them for himself!
Bolin blinked at the girl. Are you out of your mind? There could be more beasts out there! You saw how some of them ran away. What if theye back?
Thats why well take the ones near the wall. Only what we can carry! Can you imagine how happy Janani will
A deafening scream pierced the deserted city, cutting off Hiyas words.
What was that? Hiya asked.
It sounded close, Ekta replied.
Bolins blood ran cold. Shivers rippled through his body. It could be anything, he told himself. But deep down, he knew. This timing could only mean one thing.
For while Vaak might very well be a god among demons, not even he could be in multiple ces at once.
Ash Beasts had entered the city, and there was no one to help.
No one, except us.
Chapter 268: Ray in the Dark (Three)
Chapter 268: Ray in the Dark (Three)
Vir swore in rage as he hacked the head off a Shredder.
Im toote!
Hed anticipated that the northern wall of Samar Patag wouldnt holdthat the beasts wouldnt be daunted by the thick forest to the north, nor the soft, narrow coastline that led to it. But he had expected those terrain features to at least slow them down.
That logic mightve worked for normal beasts, yet even without their prana, Ash Beasts were in a league of their own. While Vir had been busy to the south, theyd flooded in through the north, breaking the tired old wall as if it were paper. Several had already entered the city.
Those rebels better have heeded my advice and hunkered down, or this is going to get ugly, Vir thought worriedly. While Shan was more than capable of fending off the beasts that made it through, like Vir, he could only be in one ce at any time.
Vir knew Janani would keep the orphans cloistered and hiddenrather, it was the rebels who were the type to do something rash.
It soon became clear that Virs n wouldnt work. The distance between the walls was simply too vast, and while he dispatched enemies with easefar faster than most demons wouldve thought possibleit wasnt enough. By the time he finished with the monsters at the northern wall and arrived back south, the city was perilously close to falling.
More than once, Virmented the Chitrans neglect of Samar Patags most valuable defense. If only theyd maintained the walls. If only theyd filled the gaps
Faster. I need to take them down even faster.
Vir nced up worriedly at Samar Patags ramparts. Whether emboldened by his sess at protecting the city or because they had a death wish, he now had a gallery.
From this distance, he couldnt be sure if it was Chitran guards or civilians, but either way, it meant his movements were now under scrutiny, his every strike observed.
Vir had two choicescontinue as he had, thereby allowing Ash Beasts into the city, or unleash the might of his full power, revealing his unique strengths. Any unique power he used now, hed have to hide in the future, lest people trace his identity back to Vaak.
Vir didnt have to ponder hard. That risk was iparable to the value of even a single life saved.
Reaching under his cloak, Vir retrieved the Artifact chakram from his back.
He grinned. Lets see how you do now.
The artifact buzzed angrily, and were this the Ashen Realm, Vir could have left the weapon to its own devices, flying autonomously and annihting any Ash Beast it came across.
The demon realmsck of prana, however,promised its capability. Without prana to power it, the disk was no different from any other finely crafted chakram. Vir had spent long hours struggling with making it useful again.
The deadly razor des spun at unimaginable speeds as it ripped through the air, homing in on the nearest Ash Wolf. The poor beast fled, but it couldnt outrun an Artifact of the Gods.
The chakram entered its belly, exited the other side, and lodging itself into the dirt. When Vir recalled the disc, it sailed right back into his hands.
By itself, the disk wouldve been useless, but as it happened, Vir possessed an ability that synergized perfectly with the Artifact. As if they had been made to work together, when fired alongside a Chakram Launch, something magical urred.
Itd surprised Vir so much that he had to reproduce the phenomenon several times just to convince himself it wasnt a fluke.
His hard-won ability, Chakram Launch, sent a disc of pure Ash Prana flying from Virs body. While he couldnt alter its path, the Artifact had no issue consuming its energy as it flew. At first, Vir wondered if Ashani had built the feature in to allow it to function outside the Ashen Realm, but quickly realized that wasnt the case.
The Artifact simply pulled prana from its surroundings. In this situation, all the prana was concentrated in one particr areathe Chakram Launch disk. This meant that the prana disk could power the Artifacts spinning des, multiplying its lethality. More importantly, however, just enough residual energy remained within the Artifact afterward to be recalled to Virs hand, thus preserving its most useful feature.
While not as potent as it was in the Ash, the weapon remained supremely devastating, nevertheless. Groups of enemies that had previously taken Vir ten minutes to dispatch now took barely a third of that as Vir shifted his fighting strategy, engaging targets directly around him while simultaneously throwing the chakram at more distant threats.
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The weapons range was limited only by the range of Chakram Launch, and while an incredibly prana-intensive ability, Vir just happened to have hundreds of nearby reserves to tap intothe Ash Beasts themselves.
What had once been an effective offensive strategy in the Ashen Realm now served to also replenish Virs own reserves, allowing him to remain fighting far longer than he otherwise could have.
Well, Vir thought. Now that the secrets out of the bag, might as well make the most of it.
Vir whirled, confronting another horde that had just broken through the forest.
He hurled his Artifact Chakram and Blinked into the fray.
This way! Hiya whispered, urging Bolin and Ekta through Samar Patags streets. I think it came from over here!
Why are we doing this again? Ekta muttered anxiously. I feel like we should have told Janani.
And how long do you think thatll take? Hiya replied. The people who screamed need help right now! Isnt that right, Bolin?
Thats right, Bolin said with a serious expression. We cant just leave them.
But what if its an Ash Beast? Ekta said with slumped shoulders. Wed just die.
Bolin gave her a confident smile. You saw what Neels doing for us out there. Hes fighting all by his lonesome. If we dont help him out, who will?
Though Bolin did his best to project an aura of confidence, he could hear the shaking in his voice. Ekta knew he was scared. Because she was scared. And she was rightif an Ash Beast truly had entered the city, there was little any of them could do.
But how could they just turn back? They couldnt. Not after seeing Neel fight.
For years, hadnt theyined about their meager rations and their ripped, too-small clothes, expecting Janani or Greesha to help? But what had they ever done about it? What had they done to change things for the better?
Nothing. Not one thing. At least Bolin went on the food raidsthe others just sat quietly at home. Theyd growncent.
That was until Neel came along and showed them that anything was possible. That one demon could change the fate of an entire city. Hiya may not have been a Warrior of Ash, nor even a Porcin-ranked Guardian, but she did know the city like the back of her hand. So did Ekta and Bolin.
They rounded a bend, and in less time than it took to gasp, Hiya knew shed been wrong. About fighting. About the Ash Beasts. About everything.
Her body refused to move. Her eyes were glued to the bipedal monster in the distance, pecking at a dead body on the street. Its skin was see-through, revealing its bones and blood and ghastly organs.
It was the most hideous thing Hiya had ever seen. She knew, then, that they would die if it noticed them. Forget fighting or even distracting itthere was no running away from such a beast.
Worse, backed up against a wall, cowering in terror, was none other than Svar and two of his friends.
Finally regaining her senses, Hiya inched backward Only to collide with Ekta, who had rounded the corner just after her.
Hiya whirled in panic, desperate to shield Ekta from the horrific scene, but she was toote.
Ektas eyes widened in horror. And then she screamed. AAAAAAAAH!
Bolin sped her mouth from behind, but the damage was already done.
We should never have brought her. Shes too young, Hiya thought as dread flowed through her veins. Were all too young! What was I thinking?
Bolin reacted first. Run! he screamed, shoving Hiya and Ekta into the alley theyd juste from.
C-Come here, you lousy monster! Bolin shouted. Svar! Lets work together!
Bolins plea fell on deaf ears. Svar and his goons had taken the opportunity to sprint in the opposite direction. The beast ignored them, focusing on Bolin.
Hiya didnt think. Her instincts took over. Before she knew it, she was tearing down the alley, holding Ektas wrist in a death grip.
Hiya! Ekta shouted. Hiya, stop it! Youre hurting me!
Hiya finally came to her senses. She was drenched in sweat, and her breaths came ragged and uneven.
We just left him there! Ekta squeaked.
You saw that thing! Hiya shrieked, knowing just how hysterical she sounded. Do you think we can fight that? You were right. You were right, Ekta. I was a chal for thinking we could help.
Im scared, Ekta said, breaking down into tears. Im scared, Hiya. I wanna go home.
Somehow, witnessing Ektas panic calmed Hiyas own raging torrent of emotions. Her thoughts came more clearly, and she took a deep breath before looking Ekta in the eye.
I know, Ekta, Hiya said. I am too. And youre right. We cant leave Bolin. Ill Ill go back to help. I want you to go to Janani, alright? Tell her everything thats happened. Shell send help. Okay?
She expected the terrified girl to obey, so she was shocked when Ekta frowned and shook her head, her expression full of determination.
No, she said. Wherever youre going, Iming too. I wont abananadon you.
Hiya paused. Was this the right decision? Perhaps not, but she didnt have the time to argue. Stay close, alright?
Ekta nodded.
Then lets go. Oh, and Ekta?
Yeah?
Its abandon.
Hiya drew a deep breath and made her resolution.
Hiya led Ekta through Samar Patag, quickly homing in on Bolins position. Finding him wasnt nearly as hard as she fearedhis shouts and running feet carried far in the empty city streets.
But what to do when we get there?
Theyd recklessly approached the beast without a n, and it had nearly gotten them killed. If Bolin was still alive when they reached him, they needed some way ofif not winningthen at least escaping together.
What would Neel do? What would Vaak do?
Hiya wracked her mind as they ran, yet no solution was forting. She wasnt like Bolin or Neel or even Janani. She simply wasnt smart enough to think on her feet like that.
When they finally found Bolin pressed against the wall at the end of an alley, Hiya still had nothing. So she did the only thing she could.
Hey! Over here! she yelled, causing the beast to spin and regard her. Bolin was covered in tiny scratches that covered his face and arms.
Ekta gasped, and Hiya frowned.
How is he still walking? She wondered. While the wounds looked bad, they looked only as bad as the ones Bolin got when Svar beat him. The beast couldve killed Bolin in seconds, so why hadnt it? It had chased him into this alley instead. Why?
Because its toying with him! Hiya realized. And maybe, just maybe, they could use that to their advantage.
Hiyas mind whirred, and a n began to form. A n that could very well
A ck blur descended from the sky, so fast that before anyone had registered the neers arrival, the bipedal beasts head was rolling on the ground, cut cleanly from its body.
The body of the translucent beast that had nearly killed Bolin fell over, dead.
The new beast stood on its hindlegs, spread its webbed wings, and roared.
Chapter 269: Ray in the Dark (Four)
Chapter 269: Ray in the Dark (Four)
With each beast in, Virs sense of dread deepened. Yes, he was faster than before. Yes, any normal demon would gawk at his performanceand many of the rampart observers, including Janani and Greesha, did. Vir didnt know why theyd congregated on the walls when hed told them to stay put inside, but he didnt have the time to worry about that right now.
Hed won every battle, but he was losing the war.
Already, several Ash Beasts had broken through the wall. At this rate, the city would soon be flooded, the spectators on the walls the first to die.
I cant let that happen, Vir thought, decapitating a Phantomde with his Prana ded katar. Without the prana of the Ashen Realm to strengthen them, these beasts were little more than fodder. Unlike Vir and Shan, they hadnt learned to prevent their prana from leaking out.
Their sheer numbers, however, were astonishing.
Even as Vir defeated the current wave, dust clouds in the forest to the south signaled the arrival of another. It was a never-ending onught, and Vir now had a tragic choice to make.
Continue protecting therger Southern front? Or quickly hop to the northern wall, dispatching enemies there, hoping he would make it back before the southern wave overran the wall?
It was a terrible decision to make, and it was the second of such decisions hed had to make on this day. Either way, people would die. All Vir could do was choose whom.
The slums ringed the walls around the entire city, so it would be his peopleGarganswho suffered worst.
The castle and its keep were situated slightly closer to the northern wall than the south. If Vir stayed to fight therger wave to the south, there was a chance that some of the beasts that broke through the north would attack the keep, which stood a better chance of defending itself.
Only one option might allow him to keep everyone safe. With Dance of the Shadow Demon, he could move quickly between the two fronts to save the city. But only if his prana held out, which he highly doubted. Itd take too many invocations to get him there all the way.
If Ibine Dance with Blink, though
It might just work. Yet even if it did, itd give away his identity. With so many on the walls, using the ability without being detected would be tricky.
As Vir struggled with this weighty decision, a new presence suddenly appeared from behind him.
Vir whirled instinctively, slicing the new threat before his mind had even registered the demons red skin, its four arms, and giant stature.
Hail, friend, Cirayus said, easily blocking Virs de with Sikandar. I am Cirayus of n Baira, and I mean you no harm.
Vir froze for a full second, shocked by Cirayus sudden appearance. Vir was about to reply when Cirayus cut him off.
While we have never met, I am here to aid Governor Asuman and n Chitran in their time of need, Cirayus said, speaking loudly. Far louder than was required for the short distance that separated them. Know that n Baira supports the plight of Samar Patag during this crisis. Would you ept my aid, masked warrior? I assure you, I can hold my own in battle.
I see, Vir thought, catching on to Cirayus n.
Well met, Cirayus of Baira. Your reputation precedes you, Ravager, Vir said, speaking loud enough for the demons on the ramparts to hear. I hear your offer, and dly ept your aid.
Vir couldnt hear the spectators on the ramparts, though with half of them pointing at Cirayus, it wasnt difficult to imagine what they were saying.
Allow me to deal with the southern horde, Cirayus said. You have other ces to be, do you not?
Vir nodded. You sure know how to make an entry, Ill give you that, Vir muttered, too softly for anyone on the walls to hear.
It was as though the weight of a Godhollow had been lifted from Virs shoulders.
Hey, Cirayus replied in a simr tone, winking. I cant let you hog all the glory, can I?
Vir shook his head wryly. Thanks, Cirayus. Its good to finally have you back. I dunno what Id have done without you.
Aye. We have much to catch up on. But that can wait. First, let us save this city.
Vir nodded again, and Blinked away, High Jumping over Samar Patags wall.
As he bounded over the ramparts, he was greeted with shouts, hoots, and cheers. Most came from red demonsGarganbut a surprising number of Kothis cheered as well. Vir hadnt expected that.
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He sailed over the crowd, rushing for the northern wall, never noticing the one voice that called out to him. Jananis voice, pleading for him to save her lost orphans.
The fight for the northern wall raged longer than Vir expected. The bulk of the wave went down quickly, but it was the stragglers that gave Vir the most trouble. The forest, denser here than in the south, hid the rampaging beasts, forcing Vir to delve into its depths to eliminate them all.
It was times like these that Vir wished for wide-area magic like Bncer of Scales.
Maybe Cirayus will have some good news on that front, Vir hoped.
By the time Vir finished with thest of the horde, he was spent. Surrounded by dead bodies and covered in the blood of his foes, he felt as bad as he looked.
His prana reserves had run low, and exhaustion wed at both his body and spirit. He wanted nothing more than to copse on the spot. Both to recover and to avoid learning of the damage the beasts he failed to stop had caused.
Vir wasnt nave enough to believe that there wouldnt be casualties. While he understood that without his intervention, many more Gargans would have died, it was still difficult to ept.
And yet, dying the inevitable would solve nothing. So, with great effort, Vir picked himself up and returned to the orphanage.
He needed only one look at Jananis expression as she came running up to him to know that something was terribly amiss.
Bolin, Ekta, and Hiya, she said in desperation. Theyve gone missing. Please, find them!
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The terrifying winged Ash Beast smashed at the stone house in which Bolin, Ekta, and Hiya had hidden. It was avish two-story residence with four separate rooms. One whose Chitran owners had left in a hurry. While theyd locked the door, theyd forgotten to batten down the window, and Ekta had wiggled through the small opening to unlock the door from inside.
Theyd barely made it in time, and while they breathed easily the moment they locked the door, their relief was short-lived.
Though theyd prayed that the Chitran dwellings sturdy walls would keep them safe, Badrak seemed to have abandoned them on this day, and they understood it was just a fools hope. The door was too small for the big Ash Beast, so instead, it chose to bring down the door and the walls around it, which it was in the process of doing.
What do we do? Ekta whispered, on the verge of tears.
I dont know, Ekta, Bolin replied, fully aware that these were not words the girl needed to hear. He was only just barely holding back the tears, himself.
What would Vaak do? he thought in desperation. Well, thats obvious
Vaak would use his godly might to y the beast. That was a luxury none of them had. They were just kids without magic or any sort of training inbat. If they were to survive, they had to think differently.
We cant fight it, Bolin said tly. We need to distract it long enough for us to escape.
The answer was obvious. They wouldnt escape unscathed. One of them would have to y the part of decoy. One of them would have to die to allow the others to escape.
As Bolin stared off into the darkness, he came to terms with the truth. Hed never allow the others to take that role. As the eldest, that burden fell upon him.
We need a diversion, he said, his voice now calm and steady. Something that will give us enough time to run away. Does anyone have ideas?
We could throw a stone out of the upstairs window? Ekta said.
Bolin shook his head. Not enough. We need to keep it upied long enough for us to escape through the front door. When it notices were gone, we have to be far enough away that it cant find us again.
Hed already looked through the ce, and there were no windows or doors on the rear wall since the house shared a wall with another behind it.
Hiya frowned, pointing to a dark corner of the room. What about that? Isnt that a ball game?
Bolins eyes lit up. Hiya, youre a genius!
Bolin quickly exined what they had to do, and while Ekta and Hiya worked to attach stones to each corner of the, Bolin prepared himself for the role he was to y.
The beasts banging grew louder as it chipped through the stone with its terrifying ws.
Bolin stood in the two-story-tall hallway, ready to face it. Ekta and Hiya stood above on a balcony on the second floor that overlooked the hall, in hand.
Not long now
With a screech and a roar, the bipedal winged beast broke through, squeezing through the opening it had carved.
Its spittle flew through the room,nding on Bolin, but he refused to avert his eyes. He refused to back down or run away, despite shaking in terror.
Wait! he shouted. Just a little longer!
The Ash Beast had to clear the door before theyid the trap, or else theyd be stuck inside along with it.
Crawling and squirming, the Beast finally came through, standing to its full height inside the house. It gazed hungrily at Bolin, paying no attention to the girls who stood above it.
Now! Bolin roared.
Ekta and Hiya flung the into the air. It deployed perfectly, with the weights on its corners pulling it down to the ground. Directly onto the Ash Beast.
Now run! he shouted, keeping both eyes on the floundering creature. Confused, it thrashed violently, upending furniture, and smashing into the walls.
Ekta and Hiya rejoined Bolin, but none of them dared approach the door.
While their n had worked, they hadnt expected the Ash Beast to move around so erratically.
Hey! Bolin said, hurling an urn at the beast. Over here!
Bolin? Hiya said. What are you doing?
Quickly, Bolin replied. When ites this way, run for it!
But what about you?
Bolin gave her a confident smile. Ill be right behind you.
Promise?
I promise.
The Ash Beast lunged but became tangled in the, falling over face-first.
Go! Bolin shouted, pushing Hiya, who sidestepped around the beast and dashed for the door.
The creature turned, raising its w to slice them through.
Im right here, you overgrown bat! Bolin shouted as he charged, an iron skillet in his hand.
He raised the skillet and mmed it on the beasts snout as hard as he could.
The bat-creature jerked, going dazed for the briefest of moments. Less than a breath, but long enough for Hiya and Ekta to dash out into the street.
Bolin heaved a sigh of relief. He dropped the skillet and burst after them.
Were going to make it? We did it!
He couldnt wait to tell Vaak about his adventure. How theyd saved Svar from an Ash Beast. How theyd led it into a house, trapped it there, and escaped!
Pride blossomed in Bolins chest as he rushed for the door.
Pride and something else. Something cold.
Bolin stumbled.
Huh? Thats weird.
Though hed stumbled, he didnt fall. As if something was propping him up.
And then he looked down. At his stomach. It was red. And something protruded from it.
A spear?No
A w.
Bolins feet dangled in the air for a split second before the beast flicked him into the air, lifting him off the ground.
Strangely, there was no pain.
Bolin watched in a daze as he sailed through the destroyed house. The world seemed to slow as he met Hiyas gaze, staring back at him with horror from the street.
Whys she so sad? We won! We did it didnt we?
Bolin never felt the impact of his skull on stone. His vision simply went dark, and all the pain all the worryeverything suddenly ceased to be.
Chapter 270: The Terrible Cost of Victory
Chapter 270: The Terrible Cost of Victory
Vir tore through the streets of Samar Patag, searching desperately for prana signatures that matched the kids. Their prana was meager, but it was all he had.
News was getting around that the horde had been defeated, and the streets were far less empty than they had been just an hour ago,plicating the search. Every minute that passed served to tighten the knot in his chest.
Vir hadnt felt anywhere near this much anxiety even while fighting off hundreds of Ash Beasts. Growing increasingly desperate, he exhausted his bodys prana reserves, Leaping and Blinking as fast as he could.
It was Shan who picked up their scent first, bounding up to Vir and barking for him to follow.
At Leap speeds, Vir had only a fraction of a second to take in the scene before him. A lone Garuda thrashed around, enraged. Its batlike wings were caught in a web ofting that it was in the process of tearing through. Thirty paces away, Hiya and Ekta ran for their lives.
The Garuda crouched, preparing to pursue.
That was all Vir needed to see.
The Garuda lunged, blurring as it moved.
Vir Blinked past, intercepting the beast in midair. His Prana ded talwar shed so quickly that even Shan struggled to follow it.
When theynded, the Garudas bodycked a head. Its body stumbled before the terrified girls, then copsed with a great thud.
Vir eyed the girls, breathing a sigh of relief when he found them uninjured. Yet there were only two when there shouldve been three.
Bolin, he said. Where is he?
Ekta opened and closed her mouth, but no words emerged from her throat.
Hes Hes dead, she whispered. He died saving us.
WHERE? Vir roared, startling the girls.
Hiya hesitantly pointed down the road, to a house that was half-destroyed. At the same moment, another Ash Wolf rounded a corner at the end of the street, eyeing the girls.
Shan. Protect them, Virmanded, then Blinked for the house.
It was a war zone. Whatever had happened here had devastated the ce, making it unrecognizable as a dwelling.
Virs eyes came to rest on a body thaty face down in a pool of blood.
Bolin.
Virs heart nearly seized as he rushed to the boy. He knelt and ced his ear against Bolins chest, desperate to hear a pulse.
I failed him, Vir thought. He died because I wasnt strong enough. Because I wasnt fast enough. Because I let those beasts through.
Vir heard something. He lifted his head in shock. It was faintso very faintbut it was there. He saw the prana inside Bolin. Weak, and dissipating with each passing second, but not yet gone.
Hes alive, Vir whispered. Hes still alive!
Without a second thought, Vir gently scooped Bolin into his arms and Leaped out of the shattered home.
Vir raced across Samar Patag, bounding from rooftop to rooftop, carrying the dying boy in his arms.
His destination? The only one he knew who could heal Bolin. The only one he truly trusted.
He found Cirayus cleaning up the remaining beasts near the southern wall. Vir plummeted to the ground beside him.
Hes dying. He needs healing, Vir said urgently.
Cirayus turned to regard Bolin, even as he ttened a nearby Ash Beast with Bncer of Scales, finishing it with Sikandar.
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The Bairan bloodline tattoocked the tremendous force Vir was used to, and for a moment he wondered why Cirayus had gone easy, before realizing the demon had no choice. Bncer of Scales barely functioned here, outside the Ash.
Impaled, looks like, Cirayus said,ying out the healing orbs Maiya had given him.
Missed his spine, but his organs are in rough shape. Massive internal bleeding.
Can you help him? Vir said.
I will certainly try,d.
Cirayus pressed the B Grade Mend Flesh orb against Bolins injury and got to work.
Vir paced anxiously while Cirayus worked his healing magic, keeping an eye out for nearby enemies. There were nhe giant had done an excellent job of annihting the rest of the horde.
Vir almost wished he hadntkilling beasts wouldve made for an excellent distraction. From the pain. From the guilt. The minutes that followed were some of the longest in Virs life.
What if Bolin dies? he thought, over and over again. What would he say to the rebels? How would he face Janani? All his bravado, his big talk about improving the lives of the Gargans; itd all have been a lie.
You cannot me yourself for what happened to him,d, Cirayus said as he worked. I assume it he was out roaming the streets?
Vir nodded.
Then the burden, as difficult as it is to ept, is this childs to bear. Not yours.
If I hadnt let those beasts through, he wouldnt have been in danger.
Arrogance! Cirayus scolded. That you saved the city with as few losses as you did is a miracle,d, and Ill personally deal with any who say otherwise. You must be content with this. Else, youll run yourself to the ground. Ive seen others copse over less.
Vir bit his lip, tasting blood. He knew Cirayus was right. But he simply couldnt ept it. The emotions were simply too raw. Too fresh.
Think of what is toe,d. Of the decisions youll be forced to make in the course of this rebellion, and even after. Do you truly believe this is thest death youll face? Nay. Tis scarcely begun!
Will he live? Vir asked when Cirayus switched orbs to repair Bolins skin. His voice was broken and raspy.
I cannot say, Cirayus said, heaving a sigh. I have healed his physical injuries to the best of my ability, but the boy remains unconscious. Im afraid I am not well enough versed in the healing arts to know if anything more needs to be done. Youd best get him to a demon healer. They may know more.
Vir was silent a moment. Thank you, he said atst.
Cirayus gave him a sad smile. Dont thank me just yet. Ill mop up any stragglers here and meet you in the city. Where can I find you?
Jananis orphanage. Ask Greesha. Shell know.
Aye, Cirayus replied. I sppose she will. Now get going!
Vir scooped Bolin up, gave onest nod to Cirayus, and bounded back to the city.
What do you mean theres no one wholl look at him? Vir snapped, making Janani shirk back.
No doctor in town will treat the orphans.
Just tell me where the best doctor is. Ill make him, Vir said coldly.
Neel, please, Janani begged. Please allow me to look. It may not be much, but I am well versed in the ancient arts of natural healing. Leave him with me.
Fine, Vir said,ying Bolin down gently on Jananis bed.
He turned and stormed out of the room, rage bubbling just beneath his skin. It was irrational; he knew. He had no business taking out his feelings on Janani.
He was angry at himself, but as Cirayus had said, even that was unjustified.
Neel? Janani said quietly, watching him leave. Thank you.
Her words only served to rub the salt in his wounds even deeper.
Vir didnt want thanks. He wanted justice. He wanted Bolin to make a full recovery. And he wanted to hear that no demons had died.
How many? Vir asked. How many Gargans perished?
Janani looked away. I am unsure. I wasnt
And what would you do, knowing that number? Greesha said, stepping into the orphanage. Heavy bags shadowed her eyes, and she looked utterly exhausted. With her Ruler Calling, Vir could guess how busy shed been, managing and directing both Gargans and Chitrans during this crisis.
I must know, Vir said.
Why? So you can go on a guilt trip for not having saved everyone? Greesha admonished. So you can hate yourself for not being perfect?
I Vir had no words. Greesha was exactly right. That was exactly what he would do.
Such arrogance! Gresha said, echoing Cirayus words. Thinking anyone can be perfect! Ha! Let alone a whelp with barely a decade of experience under his belt! Arrogance and hubris.
Vir looked away, ashamed.
Listen to me, son. Nobody. And I mean, nobody in this Ash-damned city expected you to drive off that entire horde on your own. Its ludicrous. Insanity! Even Cirayus wouldve struggled with that, and he has four long centuries of life to aid him! Listen to Janani. Shes far wiser than youll ever be.
Janani worked on treating Bolin and pretended not to hear.
What you did was a miracle, Greesha repeated. Do you understand?
Vir ground his teeth. How many?
Greeshas face fell. Her words hadnt gotten through. About twenty dead. Fifty more injured. We wont have urate figures for a few days, most probably.
I see, Vir said, his voice barely more than a whisper. Who were they?
Half rebels. The others well, either they couldnt get to a shelter in time, or they chose not to. Those I wouldnt worry about. Not even the gods can cure idiocy.
Any Chitran? Vir asked.
You already know that answer. Dont you? Greesha said.
I suppose I do, Vir said bitterly, leaving the orphanage building.
Not a single Chitran would have perished. While Vir took no pleasure in death, it meant the Chitran guards had forsaken their duty. Just as the rebels said they would. Theyd hidden safely within the keep, sacrificing innocent civilians to the horde.
This has to change.
Yet, as desperately as Vir wanted a coup, now was not the time. Rebelling now would only result in terrible bloodshed, and the ones to suffer the most would be the ones he was trying to save.
But things couldnt stand as they were.
Where are you going? Greesha asked.
Vir donned his featureless ck mask.
To ensure their deaths werent in vain.
Chapter 271: A New Calling
Chapter 271: A New Calling
Tis simple, A Chitran general said, mming his palms down on a centuries-old wooden conference table. We deny the legitimacy of this Vaaks im.
If only it were that simple, Governor Asuman said. Im afraid the existence of the tablet I signedplicates matters significantly.
The general scoffed. Bah, so what if he has a tablet? Who will hein to? Raja Matiman himself?
His words earned him chuckles and mutedughter from around the table.
No, Asuman said, but he could use that tablet to incite an insurrection. The Gargans may not be rebelling just yet, but word of Vaaks feats will soon spread, and when it does, they will feel empowered. Perhaps even empowered enough to revolt.
Your fears are unfounded. They will fail, said the general.
Nevertheless, they may very well see fit to try, and that would cause sufficient damage of its own. Never underestimate the madness of crowds.
What of The Ravager? another general asked. I admit, that was not a face I was expecting to see after a decade and a half of absence.
Yes, that is a problem as well, Asuman said, stroking the fur on his wide chin. Vaak not only has the support of the Iksana but also the Ravagersand by extension, the Baira. I fear we may have no recourse but to honor the agreement. At least for now. I wish I had not so casually signed that tablet.
Who could have expected this? s, I never expected him to survive, let alone defeat the entire horde on his own. When was thest time this realm witnessed such a feat?
We are not here to extol the virtues of this Gargan sympathizer, another general said, his eyebrows twitching. We are here to devise a solution out of this mess.
The solution is simple, Vir said, throwing open the rooms double doors and waltzing in with every bit of gusto he could muster.You listen to your governor. You honor the pact, and nobody has to get hurt.
Virs entry bought him the results hed hoped for. A few generals knocked their seats back in panic, while others gripped their chair handles as if their lives depended on it. Their tails all wagged madly, and some even made very monkey-like hooting sounds.
Despite his best efforts, Vir was unable to suppress a smirk at their reactions, though it was hidden under his featureless ck mask.
Using his most powerful voice, he addressed the governor.
Governor Asuman, Im afraid the tablet you so regret signing has already been copied dozens of times. By now, it will have reached the hands and hearts of Gargans well across the city. As such, should you renege on our agreement in any way, I fear a rebellion will be all but guaranteed. And while I am sure your guards could suppress a normal insurrection, do remember that I personally ughtered hundreds of Ash Beasts on my own. And that, as you have already mentioned, I bear the support of both the Iksana and the Bairaand will be leading said rebellion myself.
A heavy silence fell across the room.
Your regime will fall, Asuman, should you fail to keep your end of the bargain.
Vir knew he was ying a dangerous game, invoking the name of the Iksana. It was only a matter of time before his lie was exposed. And yet, it was still a game worth ying. If Asuman agreed to the terms set out by the contract and gave all Callings equal rightsabolishing the Outcast Callinghed have a far worse rebellion on his hands if he were ever stupid enough to revoke it.
The ruse need onlyst until Asuman signed the mandate intow. After that, it would matter little if he learned hed been lied to. Besides, even if the Iksanas backing was a lie, the Bairans certainly was not. Cirayus assistance on the battlefield had proven that beyond a shred of a doubt.
Perhaps youd like to hear the Ravagers promation from his own mouth? Vir asked, nodding to the corner.
Asuman frowned. What do you mean!?
The four-armed half-giant demon threw open the door and strode through, ducking under the too-small doorway.
Dont tell me you were about to have a ndestine meeting without me, were you? Cirayus was followed by an entourage of four kothis, all of whom bowed repeatedly before Asuman, proffering their sincerest apologies.
Apparently, theyd been given orders to keep me out, Cirayus grinned.
Nave of them to think they could stop him, Vir thought, pitying the poor guards. They were lucky Cirayus was in a good mood. The demon may have been as fearsome as a stuffed Ashva to his friends, but he was utterly ruthless to those he deemed his enemy. Vir had seen ample evidence of that side of his godfather in the Ash.
Governor Asumans face, which, until now, had been screwed up in an expression of intense concentration, regarded the Ravager with uncertainty. Finally, his shoulders slumped, and he shook his head.
No, Ravager. Of course not. I was just about tomit to the agreement I made with the esteemed Warrior of Ash, here.
Oh, Cirayus said, crestfallen. Well, thats a letdown
Sorry? Asuman asked, confused.
Nothing, Cirayus replied, waving the governors concerns away with two of his hands. I suppose Ill take my leave, then.
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Er, of course, Asuman replied, clearly thrown off bnce. Wee back to civilization, he said as an afterthought.
Thank you, Cirayus replied over his shoulder. I have a feeling this realm is about to get quite interesting. He cast a knowing smirk at Vir, who suppressed the urge to sigh.
It didnt take long for Asuman to sign the decree, which Vir asked to have copied. He left the royal pce with a copy of the deration in hand, but instead of handing it straight to the rebellion, he pinned several up on a pole in the very center of town, where itd be seen by allChitran and Gargan alike.
Vir retreated and watched as passersby gave the papers a once-over, before doing double-takes and reading it with their full attentiontheir expressions shifting from confusion to wonderment, and for some, to suspicion and even outright anger, depending on political leanings.
It wasnt a true victory, Vir reflected. Not in the grand scheme of things. Nor was it a rebellion. It was, however,a step away from the edge of the Ash.
Thatll have to suffice. For now.
Vir made his way back to the orphanage, thinking to regroup with Janani, but a prana signature sitting on a barrel within the rebels warehouse forced him to divert.
Virnded lightly at the entrance, pausing as he ced his hand on the door.
Cirayus is back
Vir knew what that meant. It meant his godfather had finished whatever preparations hed hoped to make.
And it meant that Vir would likely leave Samar Patag soon, bound for whichever destination the giant had nned.
Vir hesitated.
For the first time in a very long time, he didnt want to leave. After a lifetime, after crossing a blighted realm, hed finally found demonkind. Thend of his birth. The city that was once his.
And it felt good. Ever since Camas and his goons had alienated him in Brij, Vir had longed to fit in. Theyd made him crave that feeling of inclusion.
A hole hed thought hed plugged when hed found Tia. And then again, with the Pagan Order. In both cases, the storms of Fate had conspired to force him on, seeking ever more distant shores.
Now, however, hed crossed that horizon, and he didnt want to go.
Dont forget why youre here, he reminded himself, squashing such selfish thoughts. He wasnt meant to live afortable life. He was here to save his people. And to do that, hed do whatever it took.
Vir turned the handle and entered.
When I told you to live with your people, I must say, I never expected to return to a masked hero and a rebellion, Cirayus said, tapping one of the many facsimile masks that had be so popr around the city. Are you trying to start one? A rebellion, I mean.
Vir stopped in his tracks. No, I
Well, count me in if you are,d! Cirayus said,ughing heartily. Been waiting for the day ever since you were born.
I bet you have, Vir thought wryly.
Im not, Vir replied, taking a seat on a wooden crate across from the giant. Im actually trying to stop one.
Ha! Youre doing a piss-poor job of that,d, Cirayus said, tapping the mask. These sorts of things are pretty much destined to cause them. What were you thinking, devising such a powerful persona? Not that Imining, mind you. I think its grand. A stroke of genius, even. Just unexpected.
Cirayus, Gargans have no lives, Vir said, looking off into the distance. Past the warehouse walls. Past the Chitran sector and into the slums. No, its worse than that. Theyre pretty much prisoners here. To this day, the Chitran subjugate my people, subjecting them to a life barely worth living. I couldnt bring myself to witness all that and do nothing, Cirayus. Something had to change.
Aye, and dangerous gambit it is,d. You walk a razors edge between peace and anarchy.
I know, Vir murmured.
Youve seeded, then? Seeing how Gargans arent riding in the streets as we speak?
I think so, Vir said. Asuman has agreed to abolish the Outcast Calling and remove the limitations on Gargans preventing them from moving between Callings.
And? Cirayus said, crossing his arms. Are you satisfied with this state of affairs?
Of course not, Vir scoffed. But a rebellion now would be suicide. Ive seen what the rebels here are like, and Im not convinced that the city would be any better with them in power, even if they did seed. Which they wouldnt.
Aye. So Ive learned, Cirayus said sadly. The real warriors have been sifted out, put to work elsewhere. Only the dregs remain.
Youve been gone so long, Vir said, shifting topics to what he hoped was a lighter one. I take it you aplished whatever it is you set out to do?
Aye, Cirayus said, stroking his beard pensively. I learned of what transpired after I left this realm. And of what is toe.
What do you mean? Vir asked.
As you may already have learned, the Chitran force Gargan warriors to fight at the Ash Boundary. A policy that went into effect soon after the fall of Samar Patag, Im afraid. While the years since may not have been kind to the denizens of this city, they have been far worse for those doomed to fight at the Boundary.
The Boundary Vir echoed.
Hed known this was the case. Itd torn open a hole in his heart when hed first heard of it from Janani. A hole that grew wider with each day that passed, bringing with it more Gargan deaths.
And yet, there can be no sessful rebellion without the aid of the Gargan Warriors who remain, Cirayus said. By virtue of their continued survival, the survivors there are all grizzled veterans. Said to be among the best in the realm.
Vir grunted in approval. Fighting Ash Beasts day in and day out will do that to you.
Aye, Cirayus said. And it is why you must venture there.
Vir looked the demon in the eyes. You want me to unite the Warriors there? he asked, surprised Cirayus had brought it up. Hed already been hatching ns for rescuing his Warrior brothers.
Cirayus held up the mask. You seem to have a knack for this kind of thing. Word has already spread to the other ns. Which means it has also spread to the Boundary. Rally those warriors. Protect them. Give them the hope they need to fight for a brighter tomorrow.
Vir bit his lip. Yes, hed nned on going, even if Cirayus hadnt brought it up. Yet, the thought of leaving Samar Patag so soon, especially now after they had won such a hard-fought victory, wrenched his gut.
Does it have to be right away? Vir asked. As much as I want to help them, the city is in a tumultuous state right now. I dont know if I should leave just yet.
Even if he left Shan behind to guard the ce in his stead, Samar Patag would need help navigating the new world, and Bolin was still unconscious. How could he leave now, when his people needed him the most?
s,d. I wish you could. For there is a reason to hurry, Cirayus said, the corners of his mouth inching upward. The Bairan Tournament is to take ceter this year, and you need to be there.
The Bairan Tournament, Vir thought, chills running down his arms. His only opportunity to obtain Bncer of Scales.
You have served them well, Cirayus said. Your n is a hardy bunch. Theyll survive without you. But tell me. Will your rebellion benefit from having n Bairas Ultimate Tattoo? Cirayus asked, studiously examining his fingernails.
The giant had him and they both knew it. Vir set his jaw in determination. The Boundary. When do we leave?
Well yed, EkatMamented to herpanion, who was also covered in a hooded ck cloak.
For an ovender, anyway, the Iksana ghael rasped back in a slightly deeper scratchy half-whisper. It was right to keep tabs on the Ravager. Who would have known hed brought such an interesting individual from the Ash? Shall we intervene?
No, EkatMa replied. We fulfill the intelligence bureaus purpose, and return to Jak Kallol to inform Raja SagunRa of all that has transpired.
The Akh Nara had returned. Had she not seen it with her own Sight, EkatMa may never have believed it. Whaty ahead, she could not be certain. Years of demonic avarice had made her apathetic to the plight of the other ns.
And yet, she couldnt seem to suppress the quickening of the beats that thumped within her chest.
The times may be changing. Atst.
Chapter 272: To Distant Shores
Chapter 272: To Distant Shores
I just feel like Im abandoning them, Maiya, Vir said, speaking into themunications orb. He sat on top of the orphanage, gazing fondly at the children ying in the yard below. It was one of his favorite spots in the whole city, and hed spent hours up there before, either meditating or talking with Maiya.
What game are they ying now? Maiya asked.
Some sort of tag. Except the person doing the chasing is wearing a Vaak mask, Vir said exasperatedly.
There was silence for a moment as restraint fought a losing battle, then the dam broke, and Maiya burst out in giggles. Ah yes! Vaak, the vaunted Warrior of Ash. The enigmatic demon who ushered forth an era of peace and prosperity!
Shut up. Virs retort was, however, lost over Maiyas deluge ofughter.
Except its all true, isnt it? she said after finallying back to her senses. You said it yourself. Jananis getting paid again. The kids have shoes, and theyre eating better than ever before. The slums are getting cleaned up and everyones happier. I really wish I was there to see it.
Vir grunted begrudgingly. Still, I ought to be here to oversee the change. Theres bound to be abuse, and if Vaak isnt present
Except thats the beauty of the symbol youve crafted, isnt it? Maiya asked. Everyone is Vaak. Sure, maybe the rebels dont have your strength, but they do have magic. They will fight back if anything goes awry. The looming threat of you returning will keep Asuman in check. That, and the other ns who support you. And Shans presence. Dont worry. Besides, its not like youre going back to the Ash or something. You can always hop over if anythinges up.
I know, Vir said. Hed repeated the same line of reasoning several times in his own mind, trying to convince himself he was doing the right thing. I just wish I could finally settle down in one ce someday. Im sick of saying goodbye.
When Cirayus had given him a week, hed thought it would be all the time hed ever need. Now, just hours before he had to leave, he was fraught with second thoughts.
Thatd be nice, Maiya said wistfully. Id like that too. Maybe once youve restored your n. Until then, trust Cirayus. Has he ever led you astray?
No, Vir admitted. But what about you? At least I have Cirayus and the Gargans. You dont have anyone you can trust. I cant imagine how hard it must be for you.
Well, I do have Ira. And Yamal and the Silent One, though theyve been more distant ofte, Maiya said, her expression falling. Ira gave me a new mission. This feels bold, even for her.
What, is she nning on having you kill Imperator Andros or something? Vir asked, his brow knotting in worry.
What? No! Maiya said. Im not an assassin, Vir! I dont kill people like that.
Vir had been sure she was about to say like you, though could he me her?
Right. Sorry, Vir hastily replied, shuddering at how quickly his mind had gone to assassination. When did I start thinking killing people like that was okay?
Hed have to be careful of such thoughts from now on.
But honestly? Maiya continued. What shes having me do may not be any easier. For Ira to stage her coup, she needs to destabilize Andros power base. Which means ridding him of his allies, both inside Kinjal and out.
Sounds like a tall order, Vir said. Isnt Andros one of the strongest Kinjal Imperators in recent history?
He is, Maiya agreed, her head drooping. Which is why this is so hard. Hes also a notorious warmonger.
But Iras trying to prevent the war, isnt she? Inciting one seems like it only serves Andros ns.
Right. She wants to avoid a war at all costs. Which is why shes sending me to Sai, whos historically been Kinjals ally. If I can stage a conflict in Sai and ensure they know it was Kinjal who precipitated the assault
Then their faith in Kinjal, and in turn, Andros, will be destabilized. Wont that paint a target on Iras back, though?
Not if Im disguised as Princess Kira, Iras younger sister.
Really? Vir asked. A princess personally raiding another country? A bit farfetched, dont you think?
Actually, its perfect. Kiras a battle junkie, through and through. Even better, shes pulled stunts like this in the past with Matali. The Matali incident wentrgely unpunished, but when she went and ughtered apany of Ranian soldiers, Andros was furious.
She sounds unhinged, Vir replied, thinking immediately of a certain mad Thaumaturge.
She absolutely is. Which is why shes been under house arrest ever since. But Iras going to arrange for the princess to conveniently give her guards the slip one night.
And thats the night youll raid Sai, Vir said.
Look at us! You, off to incite a rebellion at the Ash Boundary, and me, sewing the downfall of the most powerful ruler in the Known World. Wevee so far, havent we?
Maiya wiped a nonexistent tear of pride from her eye, but there was an element of truth there as well.
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Youre right about one thing, Vir said. I never imagined wed end up here. Makes me wonder where well be in another year.
Hmm, lets see. Youll be Demon God Vaak, supreme ruler of the demons, and Ill hmm. I think Illbe a saint! The most powerful mejai ever to live, revered and loved by all of humanity. Wouldnt that be poetic?
Vir snorted. More likely that well both be dead. Or imprisoned. But we can dream, I suppose.
His wistful expression darkened into something more sinister.
Are you gonna kill anyone on this mission for Ira?
Nah, Maiya replied. Im just gonna burn a few warehouses in the Sawai district and give them a few good fights. The Sawai there might find themselves without fine wine for a few weeks, but theyll live. Maybe itll even do them some good.
I dont like this, Mai, Vir said. Ira already has you infiltrating a crazy cult. Now shes making you go on raids. Its too dangerous.
Just like its too dangerous to cross the Ash? Maiya shot back. Or to rebel against an entire realm?
Thats different, Vir said. I had help. I had Cirayus.
Yeah, well I have the Silent One and uh, Yamal, Maiya said, hanging her shoulders. Yeah, I know. Not the most reliable help in the world, but hey! Better than nothing! Though, theyve been more distant with me, ever since they found out about my connections with Ira. They think Im her personal attendant now. Or at least, Yamal does. I can never tell what the big guys thinking.
Well, its not far from the truth, Vir said. She really ought to be giving you more support, seeing everything youve done for her.
Tell me about it. I did get a sweet estate, though.
I just worry for your safety, Maiya. I wish you didnt have to do this.
I know, Maiya said, sighing. With luck, my time in the Children will be over soon. And, yknow? I worried too. I went everywhere with that infernal orb, on the off chance you reached out. I couldnt sleep the first several weeks you were gone.
Im sorry, Vir said. I didnt know.
Yes, well, I made sure you didnt, Maiya said with a small smile. Can I say something selfish?
Anything.
Keep worrying? For me. It, um it feels good. Knowing theres someone out there who really cares for my safety. Not just as a means to an end.
I will, Maiya. I do. Just wish there was more I could do. I wish we could be together.
So hurry up and unite the demon realm and make me your queen, Maiya replied, sticking her tongue out.
Vir chuckled. Right. How careless of me. Let me just get right on that.
Maiya giggled and then froze, as the implication of what shed just said dawned on her.
Vir came to the same realization at the same time.
I, er
Oh, um, I just
A great shadow appeared beside Vir, providing a god-sent distraction.
Cirayus? Maiya asked, seizing on the chance to shift the topic.
Hello,ss, Cirayus replied, shoving Vir aside, and beaming like a doting father. d to see youre well! Taking care of yourself?
You bet I am. Just wait, when you guyse back here, well have to fight. I need to make up for that trouncing you gave us before you left.
Cirayus roared inughter. Aye,ss, he said. Id like that. Now, I know you two were catching up, but Im afraid Im afraid your marriage ns will have to wait. Weve a long journey ahead of us.
Both Vir and Maiya went promptly red.
R-right. Keep him safe, yeah? Maiya said softly.
You have my word,ss.
Vir? I know youre going on undercover, and we wont have a chance to talk for some weeks. So please give them my regards?
Vir nodded, all levity gone. I will, Maiya. Love you.
I know, Maiya said with a coy smile.
With that, Cirayus ended the call.
Are you ready,d?
Ready as Ill ever be, Vir replied, and donned his mask.
Meanwhile, in a decrepit old building in Samar Patags slumsa building that was bing steadily less decrepit thanks to recent funding that had allowed restoration work to begin, Hiya knew that today would be the worst day of her life.
Ekta, Hiya, and Svar stood inplete silence, shaking in their shoes, while Janani regarded them with an expression so stern that to Hiya, she looked like someone else entirely. Someone harsh. And cold. And scary.
Janani was joined by Greesha, which showed the girls just how severe this talk would be. Greesha had only lectured them like this once before when theyd been thrown off the wall for trespassing.
Do you know why you girls are here?
Ekta stared at her feet. Hiya felt an overwhelming urge to speak up. To take responsibility. But she couldnt. It was as if Adinat himself had sewn her lips shut. They simply wouldnt budge.
You are here because your actions put the lives of other children in mortal peril, as well as the lives of all those who risked themselves searching for you. Do you have any idea what youve done?
At that moment, Jananis words could freeze the room. Hiya had never heard her speak like this before.
I have nothing to apologize for, Svar said, breaking the silence. I shouldnt even be here, with these dregs!?
The sound of Jananis p echoed off the walls, leaving Hiya stunned. She wasnt the only one. Svar froze in shock, seemingly unable to even turn his head.
Your idiocy has left one of my children in aa from which he may never awake! Do you know what youve done? Jananis words came increasingly frenzied, and she looked about ready to choke Svar to death. He saved you, and this is how you speak to me?
Janani, enough, Greesha said in a soothing voice.
Yes, put some sense into this woma
Say one more word, and I will have your tongue cut and delivered to your father, Greesha said in a cold tone that was, somehow, even more terrifying than Jananis deranged shrieks.
Neither Ekta nor Hiya dared move a muscle.
Be grateful that I have not fed you to our guardian wolf. It certainly wanted to feast upon your flesh, and I would be well within my rights to.
G-guardian wolf?
Shan? Greesha called.
All necks turned as a presence made itself known. Hiya felt its power before she saw it. The terrifying ck beast oozed ck prana off its hide like fire, and it was all Hiya could do to stare at it. Forget speaking, her entire body had gone rigid.
Are we to be eaten!?
Hiyas head spun at Ekta, who looked absolutely stricken.
No!
Before she knew it, Hiya had fallen to her knees, sped her hands, and was pouring out a torrent of words.
Please spare Ekta she had nothing to do with this it was my fault please take me instead dont let her be eaten please I beg you!
Tears flowed from her eyes in rivers, puddling on the ground. She had been the one to nt the idea in Bolins mind. It was only because of her insistence that any of this had happened.
Vaguely, she registered Ekta crying beside her, but it was hard to tell through her watery eyes.
Janani knelt and regarded Hiya with a sweet, motherly expressionbut her hard eyes remained the same.
Nobody is feeding you to the beast, dear. However, do you understand what you have done?
Hiya sniffled. Yes. Bolin is... Because of me. Its all my fault.
Had Hiya been looking at Janani, and not down at her slippers, she mightve noticed the stern expression on Jananis face crack, held together only with sheer force.
Yet as Hiya continued to sob her heart out, Jananis mask finally crumbled, and she swept both girls up in a deep hug. She, too, was shedding tears.
Never do this to me again.
I wont, Janani. I wont I swear.
And she never would. Hiya made an oath to herself, right then and there. That everything she did from now on would help people. Not for her own selfish pleasure. But because it was good.
Svar looked at the three with disgust, his eyes alternating between the sobbing children and the ck beast that bared its saliva-dripping fangs at him.
So, what? You want me to get on my knees and beg for my life? W-well, youll get no such pleasure from me.
Oh, no, Greesha said, a sinister smile spreading across her already daunting face. For you, we have something extra special nned. Shan?
The Ash Beast loped toward Svar, growling and seething.
Svar backpedaled. He spun. And he ran. He ran for his life.
Chapter 273: (Arc 7) Kartara Nights (One) (Maiya)
Chapter 273: (Arc 7) Kartara Nights (One) (Maiya)
Maiya bid her attendants goodnight, locking the door to her bedchambers behind her. She lost no time, stripping off her unholy garb, and dumping it unceremoniously in a pile on the floor. Rushing to her mirror, she began the arduous task of applying her makeup, starting with a moisturizer, before moving through primers, foundations, bronzers, and blush, finishing with her highlighters and eyeliner.
It was quite an involved process. One that shed long ago mastered. This time, she worked off an incredibly detailed canvas painting of Princess Kiras likeness that Ira had given her when shed visited Sonam. Maiya would be on the move and it would be dark, so the details didnt matter overly much, but the closer she got, the more likely it was that Iras n would actually work.
There was little time. The operation was due tomence in just a few short hoursassuming Iras handmaidens managed to break Princess Kira out from her house arrest. Maiya wouldnt know until she met Iras agent at the meeting spot. Jatan Forest was convenient in that it was both close to the Childrens Sanctuary and also offered an ideal location for ndestine meetings.
With her makeup applied, Maiya was now the spitting image of Princess Kira, Iras younger sister. Beautiful, silver-haired, and slightly deranged. While shed never seen the princess in person, Ira had provided a detailed dossier summarizing her character and her past behavior. She was, by all ounts, an epitomal Kinjal. Despite being a mejai, she lived and breathedbat. Her technique was said to be superb for her age, and though she had little actualbat experience, her instincts were nearly feral.
She was also somewhat deranged, picking fights seemingly at random, mauling nearby guards when she got the fancy. And, crucially, she possessed a lesser affinity for Ice magic. It was one of the reasons Ira had chosen Maiya for this operation, despite the risk.
A wild princess. Wonder if wed get along
Envisioning Kiras character, Maiya did her best to approximate the princess facial expressions, ranging from creepy smiles to battle-crazedughter. She was thankful her rooms stone walls were so thickthough if she was honest, she was likely at one of the only ces in the Known World where derangedughter wouldnt cause anyone to bat an eye.
When she was satisfied, she donned a in ck robethe armor she was supposed to wear tonight would be provided by Iras agents at their rendezvous point. Itd have been far too risky to deliver the clothes to Maiya while she was sequestered inside the cults sanctuary, after all, so this was the next best option.
As for why she stripped off her clothes before applying makeup, it was a lesson shed learned the hard way, long ago. Face paint had a tendency to get on to clothing, despite the care taken. Under normal circumstances, it would be an annoyance. Here? it might very wellpromise Maiyas cover, should any of the cleaning staff discover.
Donning light shoes, Maiya swiveled the bookshelf at the back of her room. For once, Maiya was thankful for the cultists paranoia. They had insisted on assigning their most precious member a room with not one, but two secret exits. They told her to use the passage only during emergencies, and Maiya had happily lied that she would.
Shed already used the passages several times, though usually just to get some fresh air and privacy. Her position within the organization afforded her precious little free time. Annoyingly, her hectic schedule was the best insurance the cultists could have bought to keep an eye on Maiya at all times.
Even at night, shed have attendants knocking at her door to ensure all was well.
Which was why shed arranged a countermeasure.
When Maiya exited the one-way door at the end of her secret passage, she held it open. The Kinjal handmaiden who appeared from the forest was almost the spitting image of Maiya herself.
The operation is on schedule, the handmaiden said sinctly before stealing into the passage.
Well, alright then
Iras handmaidens were all well, they were like Neeti, the head handmaiden. As disciplined as they came. With all the emotions of granite, too, Maiya noted.
She seemed to be the sole exception, and on more than one asion, Maiya had wondered if that was why the princess had taken a liking to her.
Shrugging, Maiya inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh scent of the forest. She peered up at the stars, peeking through the gaps in the canopy so high above, and took a moment to appreciate the sound of wind rustling through leaves.
Living underground was insidious. The absence of sunlight and natural sounds and smells slowly eroded ones sanity, to the point where she wasnt sure what was worsethat, or the cultists.
Maybe thats why all the Children are so kooky, Maiya thought, running easily through Jatan Forest, relishing the feeling of the cold air against her cheeks. Then again, maybe not.
The Lighten Load orbs slotted into her magical robe reduced the normally arduous trek into something that was nearly effortless, and she wondered why more wealthy people and mejai didnt use them more.
She soon arrived at the designated clearing, where another handmaiden awaited beside an Acira. A very familiar Acira.
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Frumpy!
Maiya ran up to the beast, hugging its snout. The great Acira purred in her arms.
At her request, Frumpy now belonged to her. Shed initially been ecstatic, but her happiness had been short-lived when shed received word that Frumpy had fallen ill, being cooped up in her hangar all the time. Feeling bad for the beast, Maiya allowed the other handmaidens to ride her, on two conditions. Firstly, Maiya got top priority whenever she needed the beast, and Frumpy had to receive better than all the other Royal Acira.
Maiya neednt have worried. It seemed apetition of sorts had cropped up amongst the other HandmaidensFrumpy was the most in-demand and well-taken-care-of Acira in the entire royal hangar.
Looks like theyve been feeding you well, at least, Maiya said, taking in the ck beasts muscr form.
Frumpy cooed in her ear, making her giggle.
Mdy, we must depart, the handmaiden, a petite woman with apact, muscr build and short ck hair, said, handing Maiya her magical armor, as well as a sack containing herbat orbs. Owing to the time-sensitive nature of your station, we have pre-positioned fresh Acira all along the route. Well be able to fly faster and without worry for our mounts longevity. Frumpy will only apany us for the first leg.
And also minimize the downtime between stops. Smart. Iras really holding nothing back for this mission.
It was also how theyd reach KartaraSais capitnd return by morning. The journey of a thousand miles would ordinarily take a day or more, with breaks. With this strategy, they could be there in only six hours.
Six hours to cross half the known world Incredible.
Until recently, Maiya wouldve thought such a feat impossible. Depending on the route and season, it could take weeks to attempt such a journey on Ashva.
Frumpy nuzzled Maiya, bringing her attention back to the Acira.
You havent overworked her, have you? Maiya asked, frowning.
No, mdy. Weve seen to it that shes been exceedingly well taken care of.
Good, Maiya said, finishing changing into her armor and slotting her orbsonly C Grade Ice Affinity orbs this time, to emte Princess Kira. Then lets be off.
Flight without Magic Heat wouldve been torture at best, and deadly at worst. Frumpys thick scales mightve protected the beast from the elements, but her riders were far less fortunate.
Luckily, Iras handmaiden had brought along more orbs than theyd need, and the nighttime journey wasfortable.
Maiya relished every moment as the forest fell away from beneath them and the city lights of the distant Sonam came into view. Even as far as they were, it shone like a beacon in the darkness. Humanitysrgest bastion of civilization.
Though shed only recently visited, she yearned to be back there, amongst its people. Her people. She mightve grown up Hiranyan, but her soul was now dyed Kinjal crimson and ck, and she wouldnt have it any other way.
They rose even further as they flew northwest. To Sai.
Even now, Maiya knew little of Sai, other than of their support for Imperator Andros. They were a smaller nation to the north of Hiranya, which itself was located to the northwest of Kinjal, and both Hiranya and Sai shared a border with the Ind Sea, as did The Altani.
Like Hiranya, Sai was far from the Ash. Worse, their countrys northerly locale meant the ce was frigid, and its weather austere.
Perfect for an Ice and Wind mejai like me, I suppose, Maiya thought wryly. Despite her affinities, she hated the cold.
Given their inhospitable climate, Sais economy was built on ore mining and the crafting of non-magical weapons. Thetter was like Hiranya, though Sai was better known for their quality craftsmanship. Saian cksmiths were to steel what Altani Thaumaturges were orbs.
Of course, Sai, like Hiranya, was also under the thumb of the great powers. In their case, theyd allied with Kinjal, putting them at odds with both The Altani and Hiranya. This, however, gave the Kinjal presence to the north, splitting their enemies in two.
It was a delicate political and military bnce, and Maiya wanted nothing to do with any of it. Her orders were simple. Get in, light up a few buildings, cause a ruckus, then get out.
With any luck, shed be returning home before the break of dawn. Shed im shed had nightmares and would shirk her duties for the day to catch up on sleep.
Duties, Maiya scoffed. Animal sacrifices, blood rituals, and profane worship.
Maiya felt tainted. The longer she spent among their ranks, the worse the sensation became. Like she was being dyed with a substance that couldnt ever be washed off, regardless of how much soap she used.
The switch-off points allowed Maiya a much-needed chance to stretch her body and to clear her mind. At each point, another handmaiden awaited, ready with fresh water and food for the avian beasts, ensuring theyd be ready for the return journey.
In scarcely any time at all, they crossed the Kinjal border with Hiranya, with the lights of Hiranyas northernmost cityBramshining far below them, to the west.
Shed never visited, though she doubted there was much to see there. It was a Hiranyan city, after all. She said that not with condescension, but an acute understanding of where the countries stood. Hiranya was poor. That poverty was evident in every nook and cranny of the kingdom, with one ring exceptionRayids pce.
The temperature plummeted soon after they crossed the Hiranyan border with Sai, and Maiya found herself activating more Magic Heat orbs to stay warm, continuously moving them to the parts of her body that needed them most.
Maiya breathed in relief when Sais capital of Kartara came into view, nestled against the soaring cial Alps, their ck silhouettes blotting out the sky.
Im getting cold just looking at them, Maiya thought, shivering.
Their glossy peaks were frozen over and reflected the starlight with an immense coating of ice and snow.
The city itself was no less impressive. Aze with light, it resembled arge slice of a multi-tiered cakethe kind often seen at Sawai balls and banquets. Each tier was walled, and ringed the tier above it, making Kartara one of the prettiest cities Maiya hadid eyes on.
She wished she could spend more time there one day, exploring the citys shops and inns and attractions. Maybe with Vir. Maybe even romantically.
Maiya blushed, a sudden warmth filling her chest and driving away the cold.
The handmaiden ordered their Acira to descend rapidly, overflying the outer rings of the city beforending in what must have been the Sawai district.
Yet even before theynded, Maiya knew.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Despite the frigid nighttime conditions, tiny dots ran chaotically, this way and that.
The people are panicking, Maiya thought, her concern growing with each passing moment.
And then finally saw it. The lights that had zed so brightly werent all the same. Some were steady, while others danced, shining a redder hue.
Fires! Maiya realized.
Fires zed through the Sawai district, and when they finallynded, it wasnt to frigid cold, but searing heat.
I cantnd here! the handmaiden said, tying a handkerchief around her mouth to ward off the fumes. Maiya did the same.
Its fine. Leave me here and set down where you can. Ill contact you via themunications orb when Im ready to be extracted.
The handmaiden nodded. Then may Vera be with you, mdy.
The Acira took to the sky, leaving Maiya alone in a burning city, saddled with an impossible goal.
How in all the realms am I supposed to make sense of this mess?
Chapter Ashborn Primordial is now on Kindle and Audible!
Chapter Ashborn Primordial is now on Kindle and Audible!
Hey everyone!
At longst, Book One of Ashborn Primordial hasunched on amazon in ebook, audiobook, and paperback (almost 900 pages!). Narrated by the legendary Heath Miller (He Who Fights With Monsters), I''m incredibly happy with how the audio has turned out. The paperback and eBook also have all the world and city maps from those arcs.
Ashborn''s sess on amazon will influence how long this series ends up being, so any support you can give me is greatly appreciated. As many of you know, writing is how I earn my living.
How can you help? Aside from purchasing the ebook or audiobook, if you have Kindle Unlimited, downloading the book counts as a purchase. Ratings and reviews also help immensely, especially in these early days to get the story get off the ground.
This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
If you''ve left a review on RoyalRoad, please copy that over to amazon and Goodreads - no purchase necessary! (Fair warning - I may DM those of you who''ve left reviews asking the same XD)
I''m incredibly excited about thisunch, and I thank you profusely for your support!
eBook: /amazon/B0CL9ZMVNP
Audiobook: /amazon/B0CW225VCC
Chapter 274: Kartara Nights (Two) (Maiya)
Chapter 274: Kartara Nights (Two) (Maiya)
This could be a problem, Maiya muttered, monitoring the carnage that devoured the city from her perch atop a temple spire. The rioters, while clearly trying to minimize civilian casualties, had no qualms at all about butchering the guards. And if innocents got in the way, well, they didnt seem to mind that, either.
Maiya had incapacitated more than one rioter to save people. They werent her people, but well, they were still human, and Maiya couldnt just stand idly by and watch a tragedy unfold. Undercover mission or not. Shed worked too hard to earn that privilege.
Which put Maiya in a dilemma. The original n had called for her to make a scene, but to not actually kill anyone. Princess Ira didnt want to risk the sort of esction lethal assault would bring, fearful that such actions might elerate events, thus giving Andros a reason to swoop into Sai and seize them as a vassal territory.
That would only give the Kinjal Imperator more power, undoing all that Ira had worked for.
The smart thing to do would be to abort the mission, yet Maiya was keenly aware of how difficult itd be get another shot at this. For one, sneaking out of the childrens Sanctum with no one noticing was a feat in and of itself. Iras logistical preparation was also quite the investment. Itd be many months before they could try again. If they could try again. Who knew how much the political situation would have changed by then? Especially in light of this ongoing rebellion.
It hadnt taken much to deduce that the rioters were, in fact, rebels, what with their cheers of down with the king whenever they wrangled a victory against the guards. Not exactly subtle, but then again, rebellions rarely ever were.
They cant be allowed to seed, Maiya thought with worry. Though their causes were seemingly aligned, that was only on the surface, and Ira was right to fear. Any destabilization of Sais government would create a perfect excuse for Andros to move his troops in, under the pretense of reestablishing order.
No, if the rebels won, the only way Maiya saw for the rebels to keep their sovereignty over Sai was to pledge fealty to Andros. Either oue was detrimental to Iras ns for a peaceful Kinjal.
ns Maiya wholeheartedly supported. Her goals, then, were twofold. Cripple the rebellion and advertise to the world that Princess Kira, while not aiding the rebellion, was seen sewing chaos within the city.
Maiyas lips curled up into a smirk.
This might actually work
Greetings, citizens of Sai! Maiya shouted, speaking from one of the highest towers in the Sawai district. She spoke through a voice amplification orb, which carried her voice well across the district.
I am Princess Kira of Kinjal, and I am hurt. So much fighting, yet you saw fit not to invite me to the party? I will not tolerate this offense! Rebels, hear me! Town Guard, hear me! If there is any worthy among you,e and fight me in the central za. If you do not, I shall hunt down capable warriors and challenge you to duels. Especially the rebels! I care not to which faction you belong, but the rebels sound strong. Maybe youll give me a good fight? I can only pray that you dont disappoint. The consequences would be most dire.
Maiya stepped away from the edge of the roof, very unsure whether her gambit would seed, and made her way down to the street, where she adopted a suitably unhinged persona, brandishing her talwar at passersby, sneering at them.
Maiya truly wondered whether anyone really behaved this way, but ording to all the reports she had read about the princess, it really did seem that she did. It seemed almost like a caricature of a real person. Then again, that could also be said about Kinjal and their single-minded focus onbat.
Maiya had initially worried that her challenge would go unanswered. That she would, indeed, have to roam the city to hunt down targets. The danger there was that while she wasted time roaming, the rebellion would seize all the glory. They already held the initiative and the attention of the entire city. Maiya had to wrest some of that away.
It was why she directly challenged the rebels in her speech. While the towns guard had their hands full with the rebels, the rebels may choose to eliminate her, seeing her as a potential threat.
Which would, of course, draw guards into the fray. So long as Maiya beat up a few guards along with the rebels, itd be clear that she was just a crazy battle junkie, and not an operative for either side. She could almost hear the chaos in the Kinjal courts.
Stolen novel; please report.
Poor Kira. However this goes down, youre in for a terrible time.
Maiyas fears were unwarranted. Before long, Maiya found her first targets. A group of guards rushed through, heading toward a fire that zed in the distance.
Maiya jumped into their path, forcing them to stumble to a halt.
Evening, gentlemen! Care to fight?
What? Who are you? Move aside, we haveGaah!
Maiya swept his leg, sending him tumbling to the ground. She followed up with a quick flurry of punches, moving between the guards like water.
She did her best to mimic Princess Kiras fighting style, which, surprisingly, wasnt the Kinjal Brian standard. As abat genius, Kira had developed her own style, taking inspiration from the Rani Queendom and their unique flowing arts.
It helped that the Kri arts Riyan had taught Maiya so long ago were simr in that regard; it took only a bit of effort to alter her style.
With the guards groaning on the ground, Maiya moved to her next targeta group of rebels.
Unfortunately, the rebels proved even less of a match, sumbing to her surprise attack.
Injured guards and rebels began piling up in the za as Maiya picked off any and allbatants who entered the area.
Soon, a steady stream of fighters filtered in, all with orders to finish her off.
The za devolved into utter chaos as rebels and guards met, often forgetting about Maiya to fight each other instead.
Maiya wasntining; they made for easy targets, allowing her to efficiently dispatch the distracted fighters.
It went this way for several encounters before the rebels suddenly broke off, beating a hasty retreat.
Theyre fleeing? Is this enough, then? Maiya wondered. Shed certainly shown her face and caused enough havoc to be remembered. Whether her interference would be overshadowed by the rebels, she couldnt say. Her actions, along with the guards, had appeared to stop the rebellion in its tracks. The many fires that zed around the city when shed arrived were already dying down, and fewer new ones sprung up to take their ce.
Maiya was about to leave when a shiver ran down her spine. While she mightvecked Virs Prana Vision, all veteran warriors developed something of a sixth sense after fighting countless battles.
And Maiya was nothing if not a veteran. She turned slowly, finding a tall, powerfully built man standing before her. She understood then, that he wasnt like the others thus far.
He was strong.
The man wore a flowing white robe, and his face was covered in linen wraps, leaving only two small slits for his eyes. He gripped a talwar in his right hand. His left was empty.
He said nothing, disappearing before immediately appearing next to Maiya.
Grakking Ash! Hes a Talent Wielder.
Powerful Talent welders were the bane of all mejai. Even those whod trained extensively inbat like Maiya.
Maiyas armor took the full brunt of the masked warriors assault. The air in her lungs was forcibly expelled as she went rolling on the stone.
Though her B Grade protection orbs absorbed most of the damage, they hadnt nullified it allsuch was the strength of her foe.
Rolling to her feet, Maiya retrieved a C Grade Icicle orb as she put some distance between her and her enemy.
Are you their leader? Maiya asked, trying to stall. She had no defense against her enemys movement arts. Quicker than Leap, it had to have been Blink that the man had used earlier.
She wasnt like Virable to move rapidly, dodging spells, and closing the distance with impunity. Few mejai were, and no amount of Brian Arts would protect her from an enemy who attacked faster than she could react.
I need to escape, she thought. But could she? Would her enemy let her?
Emergency extraction, Maiya said, holding hermunications orb.
Understood, Stand by, came the reply.
Maiya wouldve loved nothing more than to stand by. The enemy disappeared, and on reflex, Maiya activated Icicle.
By sheer luck, her spell happened to cross paths with her enemy, skewering his forearm.
The man grunted and jumped back, but Maiya didnt allow him. She surged forth, attacking the man with a relentless Princess Kira wouldve admired.
He blocked her every blow, though he was unable to go on the offensive with the injury to his arm.
Even so, Maiya knew her time was running out. Her opponent was far too skilled to let something like an injured arm stop him. Sheunched another Icicle, but the man dodged, sweeping with his leg.
Maiya saw the attacking and lunged forward, crashing into the broad-shouldered man.
He fell heavily but Blinked away before Maiya could take the fight to the ground, attacking her with a deadly sideswipe.
It missed, and yet Maiya was blown backward, her defensive orbs ring.
de Projection? Hes good. Really good. Not only was his strength impressive, hisbat instincts had been honed to perfection. Despite the gravity of her situation, Maiya couldnt help but admire his style. It was simr to her own Kri, yet slightly different. If she didnt know better, shed say he had extensive experience fighting Ash Beasts, or other enemies just as strong.
Maiyas lucky break came from above, in the form of the only affinity that was impossible to avoid.
A lightning bolt struck her enemy right in the head, sending him crumpling to the ground.
Get on! the handmaiden shouted, throwing Maiya a ropedder as the Acira hovered some twenty paces above.
In one smooth motion that resembled a dance more than it did abat maneuver, Maiya leaped, spun, and grasped thedder, taking onest look at her enemy as she began to rise.
The mans facial bandages hade undone.
At least I nicked him, Maiya thought with some satisfaction. He hadnt been an easy opponent.
The bandages fell away to reveal a hideous visage underneath.
Half of his face had been burned? No, not burned, Maiya realized. Something much worse. Itd been eaten away.
The man stood slowly, staring up at her as she fled, hatred burning in his eyes.
How could any man hate someone hes never met? Its almost as if
Maiya went rigid. The pieces of the puzzle suddenly snapped into ce. His formidable experience. The familiarity of the style with which he fought.
She knew that man. She knew him very well.
Chapter 275: Kartara Nights (Three) (Maiya)
Chapter 275: Kartara Nights (Three) (Maiya)
To Maiya, the flight back took no time at all. She hardly noticed when they crossed the border to Hiranya, and then finally to Kinjal, barely even registering the Acira transfers in between.
Her thoughts roiled within her head, entirely consumed with the image of the man shed seen. A man whose face had been shorn off and shoddily healed.
Hes still alive.
She shouldnt have been surprised. Riyan was like a cockroach. He wouldnt have died so easily.
Memories of another life flooded her mind. Of training and living together with Vir in Riyans strange, yet somehow cozy, abode. It was a different time, then. A simpler time, with fewer responsibilities. It was only a year ago.
Maiyas thoughts wandered as the frigid air slowly turned warm again, stoking the mes of her nostalgia.
How had Riyan survived? Where had he been all this time, and what had he been up to?
Why was he in Sai, of all ces?
Yet the more she stewed over it, the more it made sense. Riyan was not a difficult man to understand. Scarred, jaded, and ruthless, yes. But notplicated.
Riyan loved Hiranya. That was the core of his very existence. To that end, hed devoted his life to ensure Princess Mina would never wear the crown, and hed seeded.
He paid a hefty price. Though I suppose he wouldnt see it that way, Maiya thought bitterly.
Riyan wouldve dly sacrificed his face or an armeven his lifeto see Mina dead.
She wasnt dead. Not quite, but close. From the Kinjal intelligenceworks reports, it sounded like the princess had fallen into delirium, babbling nonsense and ranting at anyone who came near. Apparently, Hiranya had to have her locked up. Both for her safety and for those around her.
Does it give him joy seeing her this way? Maiya wondered. She somehow doubted it.
Riyan seemed to have turned his sights outward after his pyrrhic victory. Sai was Kinjals ally, and a border nation to Hiranya. As such, they posed his country a threat. It wasnt hard to guess that Riyan intended to install a government hostile to Kinjal.
Which would, ironically, interfere with the Princess ns. Though she was nning a coup, would the new Saian regime see it that way? Maiya wasnt certain. She was also uncertain whether this new government would survive the invasion Andros was bound to initiate.
Too many pieces were moving, and Maiya felt as though shecked sufficient information to decipher it.
As Frumpynded in Jatan Forest and the excitement of the night finally began to wear off, Maiya felt fatigue take its hold. It waste, she was cold and tired, and her bed called.
After submitting a brief verbal report of the nights events to the handmaiden pilot, she tromped off into the chilly forest, her Magic Lamp guiding the way.
The pilot would remain on standby until Maiyas double returned which should be in just a few moments.
It took her some doing to locate the well-hidden secret hatch, but once she did, it took only a few more to reach the false wall bookshelf that hid the entrance to her room.
Back home atst!?
Maiyas eyes widened in horror.
Blood covered the stone ground of her chambers. Her bedding was shredded, the chair and desk had been obliterated, and her personal effects were strewn all over the room.
Standing in the very center of that carnage was none other than the Blessed Chosen. He gripped the neck of her double, holding the poor girl in the air as she suffocated, her legs iling helplessly.
Oh good, the Blessed Chosen said, turning his head almost casually toward Maiya. Youve returned atst. This will be easy.
The handmaiden wrenched her head and locked her eyes with Maiya. She didnt need to whimper or scream. From her eyes alone, Maiya could see her fear. Her terror.
She was young. Even younger than Maiya.
Please put her down, Maiya said, showing her open palms. She was acting under orders. The me rests with me. I dont know what you want, but Ill cooperate. Please, just let her go.
You will cooperate, then? the Blessed Chosen said.
Whatever it is you want, Maiya repeated.
The Blessed Chosen regarded her without even the barest trace of emotion. Whatever I want, is it?
Ill do it. So just let her
Crack.
The handmaidens legs abruptly stilled. The Blessed Chosen dropped her limp corpse, which thudded onto the ground.
Her neck was twisted at an impossible angle.
Good, the enormous man said, teeth glinting. Come. Have a seat.
Maiya didnt respond. She simply stood there, gaping at the dead girl on the ground, trying desperately to blink back her tears. She was unsessful.
Maiya sat in the chair in a daze. It wasnt that she was unused to death. Just that this was so sudden. So cruel. So unnecessary.
She was so young
The girls corpsey just a few paces away, and the poor girls pleading expression was all Maiya could look at. Pleading for Maiya to help.
Eyes on me, the Blessed Chosen said. Maiya begrudgingly shifted her gaze.
Why? she whispered. What threat was she to you?
You would say this? After betraying your people?
Maiya scowled. My people, is it? Thats rich,ing from you. Ive yet to see you at a single blood ritual. Where have you been? What do you do all the time?
I need to y this carefully, Maiya thought, fighting to purge the shock and guilt from her mind. There would be time for griefter.
Stolen novel; please report.
To Maiyas surprise, the Blessed Chosenughed. A great, bellowing guffaw that echoed off the walls of her chamber.
What do I do? the Blessed Chosen said, wiping a tear from his face.
I fail to find the humor in this, Maiya said tersely. If she believed she could kill the Blessed Chosen on her own, she would. But she knew nothing of his power, other than his superhuman strength. He could very well be a Talent wielder, which meant Maiya would have to be exceedingly cautious dealing with him.
Moreover, Maiya understood how fragile her position was. The Blessed Chosen would be well within his rights to have her executed. It was exactly the opportunity hed been waiting for. Which was why shed taken every precaution. She hadnt made a single mistake. He couldnt have known of her foray.
So how? How had he found out?
I suffer, the Blessed Chosen spat. I suffer in a way that no human does. All thanks to you. You! So blissfully oblivious. Soon. Charging at my throne as if it is some trophy. Soon, you wille to understand. You will share in my suffering. Only, by then, it will be toote. You will regret your every action. You will curse your ignorance.
If youre trying to scare me from your position, you know it wont work, Maiya said.
Oh, I know. I know it well. Your ambition has brought you this far. Words of warning from an enemy wont sway you.
Then why not strike me down now? It would be well within your right to, yes?
The Blessed Chosens expression turned sour.
I have already killed once tonight. You may consider me a monster, but I had hoped to avoid another.
Maiyas eyes narrowed, and she fell into thought. That wouldve been a lot more believable if you hadnt tried to have me assassinated and poisoned. Which means I see. You cant harm me, can you? The Sisters of Gray would frame it as an act of aggression!
Maiyas heart raced. If the Blessed Chosen was hesitating despite having this much evidence, the Sisters must havemanded more power than Maiya had given them credit for.
Therge man growled. Allying with those witches was the smartest move you have made. It sounded as though each word caused him pain. Maiya could even hear him grinding his teeth. At best, we devolve into a civil war. At worst I lose my life and the mantle passes on to you. Either oue benefits them.
Them? Maiya said, feeling for her Ice Prison spell beneath her robe. It was a B Grade spell, and itd been precharged. You mean the Sisters?
If what the Blessed Chosen said was true, then maybe she could take him out here and now. The Sisters could craft a cover story and spin this in her favor.
I wouldnt, if I were you, the Blessed Chosen said calmly.
Maiyas fingers froze. How did he notice?
Maiya was no amateur. Shed been trained by the best and forged in fire. Shed been extremely careful not to give away any clue of what she was doing. Which meant she hadnt. There had been no tells. No signs of her actions. Her hands had been beneath the table, well out of sight of the Blessed Chosen. The same as her n to sneak out for Iras mission. wless.
I once had asked if you felt any different since your experience, the Blessed Chosen said, tantly changing the topic.
And I told you I did. You never said what it meant, Maiya replied. She didnt like that he was controlling the conversation, though she went along with it for now. She needed time to think. To formte a n.
It means you are one of us now.
Maiyas eyes narrowed. Ive passed enough tests and rituals. Ive been one of you for a while.
Not that, the Blessed Chosen said, shaking his head and crossing his arms. One of us. The Chosen. The soul of the cult. The imprisoned.
Maiya felt a headacheing on. Shed been through a long night, and now she had the trauma of a dead handmaiden on her mind as well. At their first meeting, the Blessed Chosen had struck her as more sane than the others, but now, she was starting to doubt herself. Had she been wrong? Or had he changed in the interim?
Im afraid I dont understand, Maiya said. Moreover, I would like to know what happens now. The way I see it, I have the upper hand. You cannot hurt me without risking your reputation. I, on the other hand, have nothing to lose.
This was her chance, and Maiya took it.
But before Maiya could activate her orbs, the Blessed Chosen grabbed her wrist and brought her hand to his chest.
What are you doing!? Maiya shrieked.
Her body went ck. The room around her disappeared, and she was suddenly surrounded by darkness. Darkness punctuated by dots of white light. Threadstendrilsreaching out to everyone.
Spanning the world, she sensed Presences. Life forms, though she knew not how.
W-what is this?
This is the world you have been awoken to, the Blessed Chosen said. This connection to the Children. You were always one of us. But now? Now, you are the core. They are connected to you.
Maiyas voice shook. Youre saying Im sensing the Children of Ash?
The connection didnt scare her. This ability was a form of powerstrange magic that followed no rules she was aware ofbut power nheless.
That was, if it wasnt also apanied by the crippling sense of loss.
Every. Single. One, the Blessed Chosen confirmed, releasing her hand. Maiya snapped back to reality, a sudden sense of nausea making the world spin around her.
What was that? Maiya thought, heart nearly pounding out of her chest. That sensation It was unlike anything shed ever felt.
Death, Maiya whispered. It was death. This is what you live with?
It was as if someone had ripped her very being into pieces. Like her soul had been corrupted, somehow.
She quickly checked herself over. To her relief, whatever it was had been temporary. Only the memory of the feeling remained.
This is your final warning., the Blessed Chosen said, and this time, Maiya listened. You are delving into matters far beyond yourprehension. Turn back now, or forever regret your actions.
Maiya didnt know what to make of all this. Her head was still reeling from that experience.
What was that? Maiya asked. Please, tell me.
Power, the Blessed Chosen said. And its terrible cost.
Its how you found me, didnt you? Maiya asked, biting her lip. You felt me leave the premises.
The Blessed Chosens silence answered her.
Then youve known. Youve known I was a Kinjal agent all along, Maiya said, grinding her teeth. Shed been in far more danger than shed thought.
I cannot harm you. But I can harm those you care about. Yamal. My brother. Even that dog of yours that lives in Sonam. The gods are on my side.
If youre counting on dead gods to save you, Im afraid youll be sorely disappointed, Maiya said. The confidence in her voice was nothing more than a thin act. Maiya had every reason to believe the Blessed Chosen would kill them. One look at the handmaidens corpse was all the proof she needed.
You speak of the Prime Imperium, the Blessed Chosen said, a small grin creeping upon his lips.
Maiyas eyes narrowed. She knew about the woman Vir had met within the Ash. This Ashani Automaton. It had all sounded so fantastical, yet from all that shed heard, the gods were well and truly dead. Ashani may very well have been thest vestige of their legacy.
False gods, the Blessed Chosen spat. No, I speak of those who surpass them. Those truly deserving of the mantle of divinity.
Just a few moments ago, Maiya would have dismissed his words as deranged rambling. After experiencing that connection to the othersthat soul-crushing weightshe wasnt so sure anymore.
I dont understand, she said. Ive never heard of these gods. Do they have a name? Why arent they in the history books?
Youll find no reference to them. Though invisible, their influence can be felt. Though unknowable, they weave the threads of reality. You will never meet them. You will never see them. But you will feel their presence, if only by way of Fate. They are quite real, Im afraid.
That was a lot of words to say very little, Maiya thought, feeling a headachee on.
Life is so impermanent, wouldnt you agree? the Blessed Chosen said. People are born. People die. Nations form, thrive, and fall. And through it all, certain entities remain.
Entities? Maiya asked.
Organizations. The Guild of Merchants. The Order of Mejai Sorcar. But do you know which among them is the oldest? Which among them has existed ever since the fall of the Imperium? Which thrives even to this day?
The Children of Ash, Maiya said bitterly. Shed never thought about it before, but now that she did Not even the Order of Mejai Sorcar boasted that record. They formed centuriester. Yet records of the Children go back all the way to the Age of Gods. Shed know. Shed researched those records extensively as preparation.
The Blessed Chosen smiled wryly and leaned back as if having made his point. Odd, is it not? That an organization such as ours should bear that distinction?
Maiya considered the implications of the man''s words and summarily rejected them.
No gods watch over this cult, she thought. Dont fall for his lies.
Maiya only wished she had more conviction in that assertion.
There is still time. Leave this ce. Nevere back.
Maiya remained silent.
The big man stared at Maiya for a long moment. I see. Then I will have you under guard from now on. I dont know why I waste my breath, anyway. You may think you have control over your actions, but the gods prevail. They always have. Thest few words came out as a whisper.
Then, abruptly, the Blessed Chosen stood, forcing Maiya to do the same in reflex.
He strode to the door and left without a second nce, mming it behind him.
Maiya was, very suddenly, alone. Alone, and utterly exhausted. Like a marite with her strings cut, Maiya crumpled next to the corpse at her feet. She tenderly held the girl''s quickly cooling hand and blinked back her tears.
Ira. I need to see you.
Chapter 276: Ashfire Providence
Chapter 276: Ashfire Providence
Vir stumbled into the clearing, screaming through his mouth gag. His wrists were bound together, making it difficult to run. His feet caught on a vine, and he fell over, his face scraping against a root.
He desperately regained his footing and ran headlong into a barrel-chested brute of a demon.
Vir looked up at the tall red demon and paled.
Well, well, the demon said, cracking a toothy grin. More than a handful were missing. What do we have here?
Vir took in the Ashva, pulling not canvas-topped wagons, but cages. Cages filled with demons of all kinds. His panic-stricken expression devolved into pure horror.
Here. Let me help you with that. The demon reached out and yanked off Virs gag.
No. No, please! Vir begged, stumbling away from the demon. But with his hands tied, there was little he could do.
The demon smashed his stomach, sending him doubling over and writhing in agony on the ground.
Looks like weve got a runner! he shouted to the others, who encircled Vir. Hed curled up into a fetal position, his eyes wrenched closed against the pain.
Whats the story with this one? someone asked.
Dunno. Just ran right out of the forest.
Think it was another group?
Nah, shouldnt be anyone else around here.
Oi! Whered yae from? one of them asked, wrenching Vir up and onto his knees.
I-I didnt. I didnt mean to! Its not my fault! I swear! Vir said, pleading with them. Please, just let me go.
Several rough-looking demons surrounded him.
A runner, then, one of themwith an especially gruff voicekicked Virs stomach with his boot, sending Vir to the ground, crying in agony.
The demon grabbed Virs Calling badge. See? An Outcast. Mustve run from Samar Patag. Then was caught by the guards, like.
The ruffian put his boot on Virs head, driving his face into the soil. Grakkin chals what he is. Didnt learn yer lesson da first time, didja? Well, yer mine, now.
Aspect of the Final Sanctuary, someone said, rudely lifting Virs shirt.
Good. Hell fetch us some coin, then. Not a bad gift from the gods. Not bad at all.
Someone snapped a cor around Virs neck, and he felt it glow with prana. Only then did the demon remove his boot and turn away. Throw im in with the others, Vir heard the demon say.
Vir grinned, his face still stered against the dirt.
Well, that was easy enough
Vir was rudely shoved into a cage housing with a half-dozen other demons. But before he could even grow frustrated at his treatment, his eyesnded on a creature he hadnt expected to see. A creature hed once fought in the Ashen Realm, on the Mahakurmas back long ago.
What? the creature hissed, its forked tongue flicking out as it talked. Got a problem, kid?
No. My apologies, Vir replied calmly, with a tone thatcked even a trace of the fear and anxiety hed shown his captors.
It wasnt a humanoid bipedal who spoke those words, but a naga. A red-skinned half-demon, half-serpent creature that formed the majority of n Panavs poption.
Contrary to their bestial looks, most Panav tended to specialize in healing magic, and most of their bloodline tattoos skewed that direction.
Vir scanned his fellow prisoners, finding them all to be able-bodied males, who, like him, wore simr metal cors. Vir noted that they were both smaller and more basic in design than the Artifact cor Cirayus wore in the Human Realm. After analyzing them with Prana Vision, he concluded they were far less advanced as well. Likely not an Artifact, but rather a creation of demonkind.
Surprisingly, not all demons wore the cors. Prana Vision gave him a clue, and the tattoos confirmed itonly the small minority of demons whocked a tattoo went without.
The situation was the same in the other wagons he could see. Cored prisoners and dead looks. Given their destination, it made sense.
Finding no ce to sit, Vir stood in a corner, squashed between a four-armed red demon and the naga. The nagas tail took up a quarter of the cage on his own.
So? the naga gruffed. What brought your sorry soul here? You looked like you were running from something.
From the Chits, Vir replied. I was captured escaping Samar Patag. Figured Id try my luck and make a run for it.
Several of the demons in his cage snorted or shook their heads.
A pity. Where were bound, well, youll wish for that safe Kothi prison, thats for sure.
There was a hollow emptiness to the prisoners expressions. As though theyd given up on life itself. Which, Vir reflected, wasnt entirely unsurprising.
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Why? Vir asked innocently. Where are we going?
This is a ve convoy, boy. Use your head. Only one ce were needed. The Boundary.
Were to be fodder for the Ash Beasts, thats what.
Virs expression darkened. But I thought theyll train us as warriors?
The naga snorted. Training. Sure. Theyll give us some rusted iron, have us swing them around for a week, then send us into the Ash.
Into the Ash? Vir asked, eyes widening in horror. I thought we were defending the Boundary!
And what better way than to defeat the beasts before they can venture across the Boundary, eh? the red demon said. Not a terrible idea. If we were well equipped. If we had a way to get back.
They send us into the Ash without any way to get back? Vir asked. This wasnt what Cirayus had said.
Sright. Dem Kothis got this great idea that we dont need no feedin'' if were off fightin, a third demon, a two-armed red demon, said. This way, dey dont een need to clean up our corpses. The beastsll do a fine job of that.
Oi! a Kothi guard said, mming the cage with the haft of his spear. Shut yer traps before I make you.
The conversation ceased, and Virs expression darkened. First, the very, and then condemning people to death by throwing them into the Ash These practices never existed under Maions rule. They mustve been new, instrumented by the Chitran in the endless fight against the encroaching Ash.
Just when Vir thought the Chitrans crimes could get no worse, they seemed to surprise him in the worst of ways.
The next several days passed in difort as the caravan trundled its way to the boundary, meandering through several viges, both to procure supplies from the locals and to buy more ves.
Vir half-expected the vers to raid the settlements, but they paid with coin. Had it not been for the nature of their cargo, Vir might even have called them polite in their dealings.
Of course, with the prisoners, it was another story altogether. They were entitled to a single meal a day, and that was only for the well-behaved among them. Those who acted outor didnt grab their food fast enough when it was thrown through the barsstarved.
The food was usually a cooked potato, and if they were lucky, some rice. Hardly even a single meal, let alone a whole days worth. They didnt skimp on water, however, which Vir felt was shrewd of them.
While the ves worth was dependent on their physical health, the journey onlysted a few days. Not long enough for demonic bodies to wither. It cost the vers less to feed them only a single meal instead of three, but water? That would kill them.
By the time they happened upon a family caravan on the third day, Vir felt as though hed be sick. The only silver lining was the increasing prana density the closer they drew to the Ash.
The flora grew thicker and taller, and the air felt more alive, though the difference wasnt as drastic as the human realm. Whether less prana bled out of the Boundarypared to the human realm, or whether they were still far from the border, Vir wasnt sure.
The vers stopped to interact with the passing familya group of five demons. A mother, a father, and three children of various ages.
Vir had thought nothing of the encounter until he caught one of the demons in a nearby cage staring intently at the family, his hands gripping the bars.
Whats going on? Vir asked. His cagemates looked away.
Great. Even less room for the rest of us, someone muttered in irritation.
Vir nced back at the family. The vers had surrounded them as they spoke, their hands resting on the pommels of their weapons.
So thats whats going on.
The vers were nning to im yet another victim. The father, and likely his eldest son, would be captured. As for the females Vir didnt want to guess what would happen to them.
This is what passes forw in this country, Vir thought darkly. Even if the father of this family ever escaped, hed be considered an escaped ve by the Chitran. Rather than punishing the vers, Vir suspected the opposite would be more likely; theyd reward the vers by delivering the poor demon right back to their hands.
The prisoners reactions told Vir much. Most sat dazedly, their hollow eyes gazing deep into nothingness. Others gave the confrontation no mind. Some, like the one whod spoken earlier,ined about the inconvenience another ve would cause the rest.
There were only three among them who behaved differently. Who saw what was about to happen, and ground their teeth in frustration. Who visibly spurned what was toe.
Vir made a note of them. One was a clean-shaven, bald red demon in another cage. Another was a gray demon like Vir, though scrawnier, like how he used to be.
Thest, surprisingly, was the naga beside him.
Vir looked up at the warriorfor it was clear by his movements that he was capablewho looked away.
To have fallen so far so fast, the naga said, gnashing his teeth. His tail thumped upon the too-small cage, eliciting shouts of irritation from the others.
I know the feeling, Vir murmured.
That familys future is over. Not through any fault of their own. But because they happened to be at the wrong ce at the wrong time. A twist of Fate a slightlyte morning, or perhaps a different route taken, and theyd never have encountered us. Now
Vir understoodhed sometimes wondered about such things. Chance encounters seemed so fragile. Meetings that changed lives, that forged lifelong friendships, or wrought unspeakable tragedies all hinged on a particr series of events going exactly right. Or exactly wrong. Any one differenceany tiny nudge in any direction, and the whole sequence would be broken.
It was something even Maiya had never thought about. Vir wondered what twist of Fate allowed him to find someone whod mused about the same thoughts, here, of all ces. In a vers caravan, bound for certain death.
Itll be alright, Vir whispered, soft enough so only the naga could hear. A short, sudden pulse of Ash prana erupted from his palm,ncing off into the grasnds. Trust me.
The naga scoffed. His eyes remained trained on the encounter.
The father was on his knees, pleading with the vers, though Vir couldnt make out what the man was saying.
Hes pleading for their lives, the naga said. Hes a good man.
Ah, right. Nagas have enhanced senses. Cirayus had mentioned this to Vir in the Ash, but Vir hadnt considered just how enhanced it was. The exchange was taking ce several hundred paces away. Not even the boons granted to Vir from his incredible prana density allowed him to overhear their words.
The vers surrounding the family finally acted. One rushed up to the man, pressing a talwar against his neck, while another three surrounded his children.
His son, as expected, was roughly pulled from his mother and sisters, who all cried out in panic.
Theyll kill the women. Theyre of no use to the vers, the naga said softly.
Plop. Plop. Plop.
Blood dripped from the serpent warriors clenched fist.
The guards closed in on the women, tightening the noose.
The naga whispered a prayer.
Vera answered.
The versboth those who had surrounded the women and the ones holding the fathers life hostagefell to their knees. Dead.
Their heads rolled on the ground, eliciting screams from the terrified women.
The father looked around dazedly, as did the vers. None could understand what had just happened, but it was the father who reacted first. Grabbing his wifes hand, he barked an order, breaking his children out of their trance.
They sprinted to their Ashva.
The vers moved to pursue but their leader called them back.
Even from this distance, Vir could see the abject terror etched on his face. His eyes were wide, and he stood as still as a statue. Looking off into the distance, as if transfixed by the afterimage of a ghost.
The father and his family mounted their beast and rode off.
None dared follow.
Looks like Vera answered your prayers today, Vir said.
The naga turned, staring at him with eyes wide in fear.
It wasnt Vera I prayed to, but Yuma. That their passing be without pain.
Vir smiled awkwardly. I suppose theres some justice yet left in this world, then.
The nagas eyes narrowed, appraising Vir. So it seems, friend. So it seems. I am called Bgra, of the Panav.
Neel, Vir replied, sping the demons arm. Pleasure to meet you.
Then the naga did something Vir couldnt have possibly expected. He transformed.
Chapter 277: Garrison at the Edge of the World
Chapter 277: Garrison at the Edge of the World
Vir was no stranger to hardship. Having endured years in the Ashen Realm, having fought day in, and day out against hordes of beasts, each powerful enough to decimate a city, his mental limits had soared beyond most mortals. Yet even he eagerly awaited the caravans arrival at the Ash Boundary two dayster.
To say the conditions within their cage were squalid would be a disservice to the truth, and while Vir required far less food and sleep than most demons thanks to the prana that surged within his body, the cramped confines and the stench of unwashed bodies was starting to get to him.
Not even Bgras transformation could alleviate that. True, the naga suddenly shifting into a bipedal purple demon had simultaneously shocked Vir and freed up significant room within the cage, but ruminating about how impossible such a feat ought to have been only kept Vir upied for a day before he came to terms with it.
There was much, it seemed, that Vir didnt know about the Demon Realm. Nagas apparently had three forms. The half-serpentine one Vir had seen, a fully bipedal form, and a fully serpentine form resembling an Ash Beast.
Because of these unique abilities, some thought them closest to the godshailing from divinity.
Vir was thinking about naga physiology when the caravan approached the Boundary. Vir felt it well before he saw it.
Prana density increased steadily, and for the first time since entering the demon Realm, Vir no longer felt like he was in the middle of a barren desert of prana.
While it was nowhere near the levels he was used to within the Ashen Realm, nts flourished, and thend looked overall more alive. Vir used the opportunity to bolster his Prana Armor.
To his surprise, however, the caravan stopped well short of the shimmering Boundary wall itself. So far, in fact, that Vir had to strain his eyes to make out the details.
The Boundary here was somewhat different from the human realm. There, it had spanned t ins, rising like a wall into the sky. Here it bisected great mountains, as though a grand curtain had been draped on top ofor rather, throughthem. To enter the Boundary, one had to either scale the peaks, or find a suitable pass, which, judging by the rocky, steep terrain, was easier said than done.
Vir guessed the Garrison was set so far back to buy them a measure of safetyas dense as the prana was, itd be iparable to the levels right next to the Boundary. Ash Beasts wouldve lost a good deal of their bodies prana by the time they made it there. A good strategy for dealing with the beasts, though at the cost of some of the most bountifulnd in the realm.
The garrison itself was well built, and if Vir hadnt known better, hed have guessed it was constructed and maintained by a different n than those who upied Samar Patag. Then again, it had to be sturdy to have any hope of withstanding attacks from Ash beasts this close to the Boundary.
Its wooden palisade walls were constructed of thick trunks, easily a pace in diameter, and over twenty in height. Unlike Samar Patag, whose walls were bare and exposed, the garrison boasted a line of pikes dug deep and pointed out, ready to secure any Ash beasts that tried to attack. Furthermore, a dry moat surrounded the wall, with a drawbridge spanning the gap. The moat also boasted pikes that were embedded into the ground, ready to skewer any Ash Beast unfortunate enough to fall inside.
The blood that stained the pikes and the gashes in the timbers spoke to their sturdinesstheyd withstood Ash Beast attacks, and survived. If there was a silver lining to the prisoners plight, it was that theyd be safe within those walls.
If they remained within those walls, of course. As they neared the Garrison, Vir found hundreds of demons, lying or sitting outside. Most carried weapons, though only some were armored, and many suffered from injuries that went untended.
The rabble, Vir thought darkly. Likely prisoners themselves, or those whod contributed the least to the defense of the Boundary.
Peeking over the bridge as they passed, Vir spotted work crews lighting fires to burn the corpses of Ash Beasts that had fallen in. The bodies look fresh, which meant the garrison had only recently suffered an attack. Whether amon urrence, or a result of the stampede that attacked Samar Patag, Vir couldnt say.
Virs eyes passed over his fellow cagemates as they entered the Garrison. The morale among his fellow prisoners had been low to start, but now, it had hit rock bottom. Not a single conversation could be heard, and most gazed lifelessly into the horizon. The rest muttered prayers under their breath or wept silently.
At least Vir had a mindscape he could retreat to, where he either meditated in the peace of the Godshollow, or fought against Ekanai, training his Life Chakra. The others werent so lucky.
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The garrison itself was packed. Wooden buildings ringed the wall on the inside, followed by rows upon rows of canvas tents, scarcely even a paces gap between them.
Only a single area within the Garrison remained unupieda diamond at the very center. Likely used for gatherings, training and prisoner deliveries.
Out! All of you out! a Kothi ver shouted.
Vir shuffled out after the others in his cage, his body aching from days of being squashed against the others.
The prisoners were made to assemble before a Kothi Warriora demon with tworge scars adorning his face. One ran vertically, through his left eye and split his lips, while the other raked the bridge of his wide primate nose. He walked down the line, stick in hand, inspecting each of them in detail.
The look of disgust he wore told them exactly what the monkey man thought of them.
Trash, he said, pping the stick against his open palm repeatedly. Utter trash.
His eyes came to rest on Vir, but quickly dismissed hispact frame, well hidden under his toorge robe.
As a precaution, Vir had covered his chest tattoo with a semi-permanent paint Cirayus had procured. They were still working on a way to hide Virs prana signature, but until then, the paint would keep Vir hidden, should he ever be strip searched.
A distinct possibility, given his current environment.
Only that Naga, and maybe one or two others, are fit forbat. the Chitran said to the ver. What are you trying to pull, selling us these dregs?
Vir gnashed his teeth. The Chit wasnt even bothering to hide the ndestine nature of this dealing, speaking loudly and openly. Which meant such practices were bothmon and sanctioned here, in Chitran territory.
The very existence of such a system was an affront to all that Maion had stood for. While some of the other ns practiced very, Maion and Shari had been staunch proponents of its eradication throughout the realm.
If they saw whats be of their n now
Vir shook his head. There was no use brooding over it. When the rebellion finally did happen, Vir would be making some sweeping changes. Of that, he was certain.
What do you mean, trying to pull? the ver retorted. Youre gonna train them. Isnt that the point? If you want me to bring you trained warriors, you can expect to pay a lot more than the pittance you people give me.
Waste your breath haggling with the superintendent. I have troops to train.
The ver left for a wooden building in a huff, slinging curses under his breath.
Paying the demon no mind, the Kothi stood on top of a raised tform and cast his stone-faced gaze across the prisoners.
Wee to Boundary Garrison Atnu. I am the Overseer, and I will be responsible for you sorry chals. Here, you will learn to fight. The Overseers voice, while not loud, carried with it the voice of authority. All eyes were locked on him, Virs included.
Hes strong, Vir thought. Both his attitude and his prana spoke to his power as a warrior. Vir suspected hed find few imposters here, at the Boundary. Only veteran warriors, tempered by battle, made it out here.
You will learn to survive, the Overseer continued. Or you will die. Perform well, and you will be rewarded. Better clothing. Better armament. Better training. And yes, better food and amodations. Excel, and you might even find a spot for yourself within the safety of this Garrisons walls.
The prisoners stole nces at each other. Some had alreadye to the same conclusion as Vir, while others looked about, confused.
You heard me right, the Overseer continued. I hope you didnt think youd be sleeping in here, did you? he swept his arm across the garrison. That privilege is earned. No, youll start outside, with the others. If you survive your training, youll be granted tents, and you oughta thank us for that. Perform well on your Guardian Rankings, and you can earn even more.
But what of the beasts? a prisoner asked. Wont they attack us?
The kothi cracked a nasty grin. Im d you asked. Consider it an opportunity. You all get first blood when they attack. And yes, they will attack. Fight well, and youll be promoted to patrol duty. Do well there, and we might even send you into the Ash!
Thats suicide! another prisoner shouted. Id rather die by hanging than take my chances in there.
The Overseer eld up a finger. A sh of prana arced out from the prisoners cor. He twitched for a single moment, then crumpled to the ground.
His corpse was being hauled away before anyone could even react.
Insolence will not be tolerated, the Oversees said. Theres always one I need to teach the hard way. Do learn. Killing you costs us a good deal of coin, you know?
The crowd was deathly still.
Good! To answer the demons question, yes. Survive in the Ash, and youll be granted a Chitran Laborer Calling. Your criminal records will be wiped, and you can return to living whatever sorry lives you used to lead.
What a load of Ashva dung, Bgra muttered from beside Vir.
Theyre lying? Vir asked, eyes darting around to see if any of their guards had heard Bgras nder.
Who knows? Ive never heard of anyone surviving long enough to take them up on it. They talk of earning weapons and armor, but I saw what they dole out. Useless pig iron. The rejects of their forges and foundries, most like. With such equipment, we have no chance in the Ash. Even if we survive the prana poisoning.
Quiet! the Chit Overseer barked, silencing the prisoners. Now, all of thats only if you perform. Fail, and you die. Run away, and your cors activate. well hunt you down.
Vir agreed with Bgra. The Chits might dangle the carrot of freedom before these prisoners eyes, but what sense did it make to allow their convicts back into society where theyd cause more harm? It was just a ruseone designed to get the prisoners to work themselves to the bone on the dim hope of a better life.
In reality, theyd perish, fighting an endless war against the onught of beasts from the Ashen Realm. Why let the unwanted rot in a jail cell, when they could be made to fulfill a far more useful purpose before they die?
Vir thought he was going to be sick.
Now, listen up! The Overseer said. Im going to tell you what will happen. You pathetic chals are going to follow me outside, where youll be assigned your berths. Then, six hours from now, youll assemble.
For what? a prisoner asked.
Evaluation! Excel, and youll be awarded. Fail, and you will be punished. And may Yuma help those who do.
Chapter 278: Physical Evaluations
Chapter 278: Physical Evaluations
Just hours after being led to their amodationslittle more than shallow rectangr pits that offered the barest protection from the wind, and none at all from the rainthey were once again herded back to the Garrison.
What scared Vir the most wasnt the proficiency examination itself, not even the ever-present Ash Beast threat, but rather the physical inspection all prisoners were required to undergo. As Vir stood in line, stripped down to his underwear, he prayed that Cirayus new body paint sufficiently protected him from the Chitrans prying eyes.
If it didntor worse, if they had an Iksana with Sight in their employVir would be forced to abandon his ns.
He strained to get a good look at the examiner, but the tests were taking ce in one of the wooden buildings within the Garrison, and the line extended well outside, depriving him of a view. He was just too far to be discovered.
Rx, friend, Bgra the Naganow in his humanoid bipedal formsaid. You should be happy if they fail you. Some of the invalids are culled, but I hear rejects work as janitors and errand boys. Much less likely to die. Though, Brga eyed Virs tattoos, I suppose with those tattoos, you stand little chance of that. Are you perhaps afraid that youll pass?
Nothing like that, Vir mumbled. After discussing the various options with Cirayus, theyd settled on inscribing a temporary Aspect of the Final Sanctuary on Vir. Final Sanctuary was primarily a defensive tattoo, granting the wielder enhanced protection against various forms of damage. Masters of that tattoo could sometimes even create domes of protection, enveloping those around them, though like all Aspect tattoos, its abstract nature meant its power varied drastically between demons.
For this operation, Vir wasnt nning on using Prana Darts or any other Ash-based offensive magic. Hed also left his Artifact Chakram and katar behind, so Final Sanctuary made the most sense since itd allow him to use Toughen and Prana Armor without arousing suspicion.
Even so, hed been reluctant to paint on any tattoos at all. Cirayus convinced him against that route, however. While itd posed the least risk, itd also arouse suspicion when Vir defeated Ash Beasts without using tattoos. Itd make him look like an anomaly, or worse00, a genius. Still, while Cirayus had insisted the tattoo wouldnt easilye off, Vir had his doubts. Hed have to be careful to protect the tribal tattoo on his shoulder at all costs.
Listen, you seem like a kind soul, so allow me a piece of advice, Bgra said. Keep your head down. Dont make a scene. Stay by my side. Ill protect you the best Im able. Maybe it isnt much, and maybe dying early would be a blessing. But Ill do this at least.
Why? Vir asked, finally finding an opportunity to ask the Naga the question that had been at the back of his mind. Whats in it for you?
Do I need a reason to be kind to another?
You do if it means putting your life in danger. Protecting me could very well get you killed.
If Im to die anyway, at least let it be on my terms, Bgra said, shuffling forward in the long line.
The demon seemed to have said his piece about the topic, so Vir tried looking for the other two hed scouted on their journey over, but failed to locate them. The Chits had batched several new arrivals, and there were well over two hundred in line.
You not only possess an Aspect tattoo, but you also have a bloodline art of the Panav, Vir said, eyeing the beautiful silver tattoo that marked Bgras back. While Vir had yet to memorize all the various tattoos, its Water affinity, along with its color, and Bgra being a Panav naga, made it simple to guess. That means youre someone important in the Panav. Howd you end up here, of all ces?
The naga frowned. Suffice it to say that Fate sometimes deals random hands, and through a series of unfortunate encounters, Inded here. Ill not speak of it any further Bemoaning ones past changes nothing. Still, I am no criminal. These vermin might only care for saving their own skin, but I believe there are other, greater things in life.
Bgra turned away, saying nothing more. While light on details, Bgras exnation confirmed Virs suspicions. The naga was cut from a different cloth from the others in this camp.
The line moved slowly, and Vir tried striking up conversations with others nearby, but only received the cold shoulder and looks of disdain. Hed stopped trying soon after.
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It was hourster that Vir finally drew near enough to the wooden building to gauge the prana signaturesing from within. What he saw made him pale.
Youve got to be kidding me
There were several signatures in the room, yet of them all, one stood out ringly. Shadow Prana, and a lot of it. The signature also possessed other, lesser affinities, but it was Shadow that shone the brightest.
On its own, itd be little cause for concernthere were plenty of demons with Shadow Prana. In this setting, however? It could only mean one thing.
They have an Iksana Ghael in there.
If true, Vir had no chance. The moment the Iksana spied him, his cover would bepromised.
And yet, he had to pass this physical exam.
Think, Vir. What can you do?
As he was, very little. He needed more information. For all he knew, it might not be an Iksana in there. Virs mind flew to forging the results of his inspection. If he could figure out how they recorded the prisonersperhaps steal their logbookVir could write in the results of his inspection.
Unfortunately, the only way to know for certain was by using Dance of the Shadow Demon. By the time he entered the building, itd be toote.
Can you keep my ce? Vir asked Bgra. Gotta, yknow Gotta go.
Might need you to do the same for me when you get back, Bgra replied. Never expected this Ash Damned line would be so long.
Vir nodded, then hailed one of the several Kothis who stood watch over the prisoners.
Pisser? the guard asked even before Vir asked.
He shook his head. No, sorry. The other one.
The guard sighed in obvious annoyance. Fine. Come along.
Vir followed the guard to a wooden outhouse nearby, holding his breath as he entered. The stench was some of the worst hed endured. An impressive feat, given his experiences at Daha.
Five minutes. And if youre not back in time before youre up, you go to the very back, he said, thumbing to the line that snaked nearly out of the Garrison.
Vir nodded, thinking about how losing his ce wouldnt be so bad. Ill be sure to hurry, he said, closing the wooden door. There was notch, so hed have to hope the guard didnt intrude while he was gone.
Losing no time, Vir sunk into the shadows, choosing an empty gap between two wooden structures nearby as an exit. He worked quickly, both to learn as much as he could and to get away from that stinking cesspool. Vir was almost thankful the prisoners outside the Garrison were forced to dig holes and do their business outside.
Another invocation of Dance of the Shadow Demon brought him to the examination building. Nestled safely within the shadows, he spied on the room, and a cold dread overcame him.
There, clothed in only a loincloth and bearing several tattoos, stood a gangly Iksana Ghael, his head nearly touching the ceiling of the low-roofed building.
This is bad. Really, really bad.
Virs problems didnt end there. There were far too many people in the small building for him to steal the book and forge his results, which meant hed have to wait untilter. Though, what excuse would he give to dy his results? Even if he was sent to the back of the line, hed only dy the inevitable.
Virs mind whirred as he stared at the ghael. It made no sense for an Iksana to be all the way out here. Did that mean the Iksana were helping the Chitran? No, that didnt make sense eitherGovernor Asuman wouldve called Vir out on his bluff if that were the case.
Which means
Vir noticed the metal cor wrapped tightly around his neck.
Theyre using him. So hes a prisoner? Vir thought. Can I use that?
Vir considered it briefly, though ultimately rejected that n. He couldnt be sure what state of mind this Iksana prisoner was in. Had they broken him? Had the Chitran promised him freedom in return for cooperation?
There were too many variables, and trusting a random Iksana with his deepest secret didnt sit well with Vir. No, he needed a better solution.
Still, time had nearly run out. Hed have to return to the outhouse soon, and then hed be back in line. With onest look at the Iksanas tattoos, Vir returned.
You about done? the guard shouted. Donte in there and make me have to get you. Oi! You hear me?
Im done! Vir said, opening the door, his nose wrinkled.
Good. You wouldnt have been happy if I had toe get you. Now, back in line!
Vir rejoined Bgra, who took his turn right after. While the naga was away, Virs mind spun. Only ten prisoners remained before he entered the building.
Half a dozen ns came to Virs mind, none of them viable. Neither he nor Cirayus had predicted the presence of an Iksana here. Cirayus had assured him the chances of seeing one were infinitesimal. It took a truly special event to get them to leave their caves, which made Vir suspected the Iksana werent aware that one of their own was being held captive here.
That might be information Vir could use if he found a way past this current crisis.
Bgra returned, and they finally entered the examination room.
Once again, Vir found his eyes trained on the Iksanas tattoos. Something about them stood out to him. But why? Though the Iksana boasted more tattoos on his body than many of the prisoners, that wasnt the reason.
Cirayus words echoed in Virs mind.
Iksanas Purple Bloodline tattoos stand in stark contrast to their bodies.
Purple.
Vir heaved a sigh of relief. Everything would be alright.
Vir stepped up for his examination, allowing the Kothis to pinch his muscles.
Well? a Chitran asked. How is he?
Tough to say with this one, the Ghael rasped disinterestedly, his eyes barely even registering Vir. He looked like he was bored out of his mind. Which usually means theyre weak.
Hmm. Hes got some good muscle on him, and Aspect of the Final Sanctuarys good for defense.
The Ghael said nothing, staring at his w-like fingernails.
I suppose well see in thebat exam. Next!
And just like that, Vir was given back his clothes and shoved out of the building.
Hed passed.
All because the Iksana theyd held captivecked the rity bloodline art.
The Fates had been kind to Vir on this day, but he resolved to be more cautious in the future.
Now Lets see about thisbat exam.
Chapter 279: Guardian Ranking
Chapter 279: Guardian Ranking
After standing in line for an hour for a ration of stale slop, Vir and the others were shepherded outside the walls.
Ash rained from the sky, and distant rumbling of thunder kept thendscape from ever bing truly quiet. Dark clouds reced the perpetual sunset of the demon realm, making for a depressing twilight.
Now, Im sure youre wondering why Ive brought you all the way out here, the Chitran Overseer barked, his raspy voice amplified by a magical tablet. The demon stood on a wooden tform hed forced the Gargan prisoners to haul.
Indeed, several of the prisoners had been ncing around skittishly, eyeing the dark forms of Ash Beasts that loomed in the distance. Outside the confines of the wall, the monsters were ubiquitous, the danger ever-present.
Are we to fight Ash Beasts, then? someone muttered, prompting a round of hushed murmuring.
Nonsense. They wouldnt be that crazy. Would they?
What are you scared of? See those guards? Theres nothing to worry about.
Bgra snorted. The guards arent there to protect you. He motioned with his chin to the thirty-odd Chitran who ringed the group. Theyre there to keep you from acting up.
The Overseer allowed the whispers to continue for a moment. The grin on his face told Vir that the scarred Kothi relished every moment.
Expecting organized duels, were you? the Overseer thundered. Perhaps single-elimination tournaments? As if wed waste precious time and resources overseeing you sorry excuses. No, what we do here is far more efficient.
At least hes having fun, Bgra muttered.
Vir wondered if the Overseer added those barbs just to watch the prisoners squirm.
You will participate in a free-for-all! the Overseer cried. Fists, magicanything goes. We have temporarily reduced your prana cors restrictions. Your prana will be avable, but limited. Use whatever means you have at your disposal. There is only one rule. You kill someone, you die too. And dont even think of harming a guard. Those cors do more than merely suppress your prana. A singlemand from us, and youll be missing a head. Got it? Good.
Vir wondered if that was true, or just a tactic to scare the prisoners. He also wondered how quickly the cors must activate to give the guards such a sense of confidence. There were far more prisoners than guards, and with the number of tattoos Vir spied, he was sure his fellow inmates could wreak some mayhem, even prana-restricted as they were.
The Overseer continued before any objections could be raised. Now, we arent cruel here. As I said beforeperform well, and you will be rewarded. Armor, weapons, shelter. And yes, even the protection of our garrisons walls. There is something else, however. Something all of you will benefit from. Guardian ranking.
The murmurs hushed, and Vir furrowed his brow.
Guardian rank? It was the first hed heard of such a thing.
Yes, yes, I know what youre thinking. Guardian ranks are only bestowed to Warrior Callings. Out here, everyone is a Warrior. At least, while youre on the wall. We use it to gauge your potential, which in turn determines what roles youll take. Should you ever earn your freedom, that rank will persist. I dont need to tell you how beneficial that is, do I?
The Overseer looked around. Thought so. Those still standing after a half hour will automatically earn the rank of Porcin. Fight well, and you might even make Bronze or Steel. Porcin gets you an iron weapon of your choice. Bronze gets you armor, and Steel? Well, steel gets you better of both, and a tent to put over your head while you sleep. Hows that for a reward, eh?
The murmurs erupted again, and this time, there was excitement in their voices.
Bgra, however, was not among them.
Theyre corrupting the bloody system, he spat. Guardians are so named because they protect the realm. They fight Ash Beasts, their ranks determined by the tier of beast killed. To earn a rank by fighting ourselves Make no mistake. This is nothing short of sphemy.
While this Guardian system resembled the Br Ranks of the Human Realm, Vir questioned how simr the two truly were, and whether this system suffered the same issues that gued the Br Scale.
Both attempted to quantify the caliber of a Warrior, though if Bgra was right, the Guardian Scale ranked Ash Beasts, and determined the level of a Warrior based on that. It sounded more robust to Vir than the number-based system the Humans used, though while he wanted to know more, he couldnt simply ask about a system everyone knew about without raising suspicion.
I take it youre a ranked Guardian, as well? Vir asked.
Bgra grunted. Steel.
My apologies for the obvious question, but Im not a Warrior Calling, Vir said, sensing his opportunity. What tier of beast does that correspond to?
If Bgra thought the question odd, he didnt show it. Tier Four. Ive taken down an Ash Wolf on my own, though I admit it was a close thing. Still, there is a vast chasm between myself and someone of Silver rank. Let alone Gold and Seric. Those might as well be living legends.
Vir cocked a brow. Downing an Ash Wolf was no mean feat. They were fast, vicious, and intelligent. A lethalbination that made them far more dangerous than other physically superior beasts. Especially within the Ash, where their capabilities were multiplied several-fold.
Thats quite impressive, Vir said, genuinely meaning it. He wondered where hed rank, were he allowed to go all out. Bgra, however, took his words another way.
Stay close, and Ill protect you as best I can.
Thanks, Vir said, deciding not to correct the misunderstanding. Bgra would find out soon enough, anyway. I wonder how many Gold and Seric demons there are?
Fewer than youd think, Bgra replied. Even Cirayus the Ravagar was said to only rank Gold, and I know of only a handful who boast that rank, though none are his equal in strength.
That came as a surprise to Vir. Hed thought Cirayus would undoubtedly be at the top. Bgras next words rified that, though.
I doubt there will ever be a Seric-ranked Guardian. Not until the Akh Nara returns, and even then Not all of his incarnations attained that rank. After all, there are few demons who could put down a Wyrm.
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The Akh Nara, huh? Vir said wistfully. I wonder if hell ever return.
I wouldnt hold your breath, Bgra said, before turning away. Whether because he tired of the conversation or for some other reason, Vir wasnt able to ascertain.
I guess that makes me Gold, Vir thought. While he technically had defeated a Wyrm, it was weakened, and even then, only with Ashanis help.
Typical Cirayus, Vir thought. The demon had never once informed him about this Guardian System, nor of his own high rank in it. Cirayus cared little for designationshed even forgotten his own Br Rank. No, Cirayus only cared aboutbat and improvement. Titles served him no purpose.
Vir looked around at his fellow demons. Truthfully, hed hoped for more time toe up with a n of action. His goal in infiltrating the Boundary Warriors was toy the groundwork for an eventual overthrow of the Chitran Garrisons in preparation for a rebellion.
With the garrisons out ofmission, the Gargan Warriors in uprising, and the rebels of Samar Patag sewing chaos, the Chitran would have their hands full dealing with fires on multiple fronts.
Vir would then lead the Boundary Warriors back to Samar Patag,y siege, and infiltrate the city alone, disposing of its leadership in whathe hopedwould be a bloodless coup.
At least, that was the n, and Vir knew well that ns rarely ever went the way he wanted.
To that end, he needed to make an impression with the Gargans here, but the challenge was far greater than the one he faced in Samar Patag. He couldnt simply don a mask and masquerade with impunity. The Warriors here were both more numerous and more capable than those at Samar Patag. The Garrison was much smaller, and too much moving around would invariably attract unwanted attention.
No, Vir had to rouse the Gargans, building their spirit and gaining their loyalty all while avoiding the notice of the Chitran.
With all that said! the Overseer shouted. Should you perform poorly, or, Vera-forbid, if youre among the earliest to get knocked out, you will be punished. Mark my words. You do not want to be punished. So youd better give it your all! The fight begins now! You have half an hour. May the best among you win.
Vir pursed his lips. This would be bloody, brutal, and exceedingly tricky.
Mayhem broke out in an instant.
Vir wasnt sure what hed expected. That the prisoners would collectively revolt against the guards, that theyd refuse to fight one another, or that theyd organize matches of their own.
Reality was far more grim. Magic of all affinities flew in every direction, and demons sank into each other like packs of rabid wolves, hurling kicks and punches, and even biting each other.
A dozen fights among pairs or groups of three or four broke out, devolving into what Vir imagined a battlefield must look like. At least on a battlefield, there was some sense of directionsome sense of purpose. Here, there was only chaos.
Some fought bravely, while others scampered away. Yet others preyed on those who couldnt fight, avoiding the strongerbatants.
Vir saw a demon fallunconsciousonly to have his head trampled by another, shattering his nose.
Stray magic hit unsuspecting demons, who were in turn taken down by others. A few strayed Virs way, but Prana Armor kept him safe, allowing him to ignore it. Since no one present could actually see prana, he seeded in avoiding any attention.
That was, up until a blow came his way. Almost subconsciously, Vir grabbed the arm, tripped his assant, and sent him to the ground.
Alone, such an attack posed no threat to him anymore. Whenbined with the Warrior Chakra, however, it became an attack he could no longer ignore.
Without Chakra, Vir doubted there was a single demon present who could pose him any real harm. Yet again, reality was not so kind, and Chakraden mind attacks and physical strikes filled the battlefield, turning it very lethal for Vir.
An icicle hurled for Vir, but he dodged, taking down another demon.
Thought you werent a Warrior? Bgra huffed, having just driven away a group of nearby demons. He was in his half-naga form, and a cloud of silver prana hung about him. His legs had disappeared, reced by a serpents tail, which he used to strangle and whack his opponentsoften sending them flying. Even if it didnt, the chakra he imbued in them forced them to defend.
Does one need to be a Warrior Calling if they wish to protect themselves? Vir shot back.
Bgra grunted and cracked a smile. Fair enough. What do you say we watch each others backs? I could use someone capable beside me.
Vir returned the Nagas smile. Hed been nning to ask the same, after all. Fine by me. But only if you can control your magic so it doesnt harm me.
Vir had been observing the demon fight, and what hed seen had left him confused. Bgras tattoo functioned quite differently than anything hed envisioned.
That, at least, is no issue, Bgra chuckled as he pummeled another demon nearby. The demon tripped and fell and then his skin started to bubble. The demon screamed and ran.
I thought the Panav specialized in the healing arts? Vir asked. Bgras magic had created something of a moat around himself, with demons quickly attacking before retreating around whatever it was that burned off their skin.
Im unsurprised you havent heard of Corruption, Bgra said casually, even while he fought. Among the Panav Bloodline Arts, it is by far the rarest. And not looked upon with any fondness by my people, Im afraid.
Vir wanted nothing more than to ask Bgra all about what led him to choose such a tattoo, but it would have to wait untilter. Unlike Bgra, Vir possessed no physical Chakra defenses, and even the mental ones required him to open his Foundation Chakra to counter.
The issue was that no Chakra could be left open indefinitely, and Vir had only recently opened his. He had to exercise extreme caution about when and how long he left it open. Toote, and hed sumb to an illusion, leaving him vulnerable. Too early, and he may not have enough concentration left to defend against the next attack.
This wasbat on another level than what he was used to. There was the physical ne, with strikes, dodges, and parries. The prana ne, with bloodline arts and prana-infused attacks, and finally the Chakra ne, with its metaphysical elements.
Combat in the demon realmtruebat, among mastersseemed to be in another league whenpared to human fighting.
Making matters worse, the weaklings had all been weeded out. Either from being knocked unconscious or by pretending they were.
Those that remained were strong, and Vir was ted to count the gray demon and the kothi hed scouted among their number. Either they were proficient atbat, or they were extremely good at running away from danger. Both were valuable traits in their own right.
Lets avoid those two if we can, Vir said, pointing to each in turn.
Bgra shrugged his agreement, and they continued to fight, quickly falling into a rhythm. Bgras Corruption field kept enemies at bay, moving as they did. The courageous ones who attempted to prate were met with Virs grappling techniques, which had them pinned and writhing on the ground.
Luckily, there seemed to be none among them who could imbue their ranged prana attacks with chakra.
Together, they proved to be a near-unstoppable force. Teamwork, it seemed, was thest thing on most prisoners minds, and with Bgras training, they brought demons down wherever they went.
True to his word, Bgra ensured Vir was never harmed, and Vir couldnt help but be amazed by the demons level of control.
The free-for-all had gone surprisingly well, and only five minutes remained. Vir was starting to suspect theyd all make it out of this unscathed when the inevitable happened.
Vir scanned the battlefield, his eyesing to rest on the gray demon hed scoutedthe one whod visibly reacted to the family the vers had nearly turned into vesfighting some fifty paces away. He watched as the four-armed red demon behind him red his tattooprana building.
It built and it kept on building. Worsethe red demons expression was warped into a mask of rage so fierce it was almost feral.
Vir knew then that there would be no escape from such a blow. Whatever grudge this demon held was personal, and whatever magic he was about to unleash would be lethal.
With that realization came anotherthat there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Vir would have to Blink there to make it in time. A movement art so powerful that itd ordinarily be impossible here in the demon realm would raise questions. Questions Vir would be entirely incapable of answering.
And yet, he couldnt let that demon die. It may only have been a hunch. He might very well be wrong. But Vir didnt believe that the gray demon was a bad person.
And so, he disappeared. Carrying the momentum of Blink, he smashed his elbow into the four-armed demons back.
The poor fool didnt even realize what had hit him. His target spun, but he saw nothing. Vir Blinked back to Bgras side. Hoping the demon wouldnt have noticed his absence.
Bgras eyes narrowed, and Vir silently cursed.
It seems youve been holding out, Bgra said softly.
And that concludes ourbat evaluation! the Overseers cheery voice boomed. Those of you conscious enough to hear my words, good work! As for the rest of you, well Not so much, I suppose.
The magic that had been hurling back and forth halted abruptly, and Chitran guards flooded in to break up any lingering fights.
Return to your berths, the Overseer said. Well have your results tomorrow. Until then, enjoy your free time.
The Chitran leveled his gaze on Vir and smiled, but it failed to reach his eyes.
No, not you. You areing with us.
Chapter 280: Brick by Brick
Chapter 280: Brick by Brick
Sit down, the Overseer said in a voice that was both soft, yetmanded absolute obedience.
Vir slowly lowered himself into a basic wooden chair. It wouldnt do toply immediatelyprisoners like him would resist the Overseer in every petty way they could, and so Vir had to y the part.
The room itself was a small, dingy affair, feeling more like an afterthought that was squeezed into an open space well after the others had been built.
Im going to ask you some questions, the Overseer said. Answer honestly, and therell be no problem. Lie
The monkey man yed his hands over a tablet, and Vir saw prana of all affinities re to life on his cor.
Ah, yes. Thats my cue.
Virs eyes bulged. He gripped the cor, screamed, and fell off his chair.
The Overseer grinned. Not much of a pain tolerance, eh? That was a low setting. Good. Means youll be obedient.
Guess I overreacted
Vir struggled shakily to his chair, making full use of his well-honed acting skills to pretend like he was recovering from severe trauma. The cor, of course, did absolutely nothing to him, as it didnt use Ash prana. Even if it had, Vir doubted itd break through Prana Armor so easily, and if it could, hed just absorb the energy, anyway.
Hed never understood how, for most demons, forced injection of their own affinity was a painful affairlet alone an affinity they didnt possess. For Vir, it simply meant he couldnt absorb them into his body, but such attacks otherwise had no effect.
Perhaps it was due to Ash Prana being the origin of all affinitiesdenser, superior, and more resistant.
Well start out easy, the Overseer said, circling slowly around him. What was that movement art you used?
Vir frowned, pretending as if revealing his power was difficult for him. W-well, its called he trailed off.
Yes? the Overseer said, leaning closer.
Ash, Vir whispered.
Ash?
Burn in Ash.
Vir smirked at the Kothi, who was expressionless for a moment. Then his lips curled slowly upward into a savage, tooth-filled grin. Or at least, one that showed whatever teeth the Overseer still possessed.
So, youre one of the stupid ones. Alright. Have it your way.
He tapped on the tablet, and once more, prana surged through the corfaster, and with more force this time.
Vir screamed in agony again and writhed on the floor.
Stop! Please! he begged, but the cor remained active, so Vir continued acting like he was in extreme pain.
Geez, Vir thought when the prana didnt relent. If this actually worked on me, Id probably be unconscious by now
To y the part, Vir pretended to ck out.
Tch, the Overseer clucked. Somebody bring me some water.
Vir heard shuffling, and was soon sshed with a bucket of cold, murky water, jolting him awake.
Wha-what happened? He mumbled, blearily looking around.
Well? the Overseer snarled. Had enough? Or would you prefer another round? I can do this all day if you like.
N-no, Vir said shakily, gripping the chair and raising himself up with mock difficulty. Ill tell you. Ill tell you everything.
The more normal Vir came across, the less attention hed bring to himself. Capitting right away mightve made the Overseer suspicious, so he yed the part of an uppity prisoner who thought he knew better. Vir figured such types were a dime a dozen around a ce like this.
Its my tattoo, Vir said with sagging shoulders. Aspect of the Broken Realm.
The Overseer grunted. Thought as much, but still Broken Realm? How does a tattoo about a blighted world bestow movement arts?
In my head, a broken realm has Ash Tears everywhere, Vir lied smoothly. I use those Tears to move through the world. Well, not exactly. But thats how I see it, anyway.
Curious. Can you do anything else with it?
Vir shook his head. Im afraid not.
The Overseer grunted again. Unsurprising. Still doesnt exin how you managed to move so far at once, though. Not even the strongest of us can do that outside the Ash. I dont buy it. Youre a spy, arent you? So who is it? The Iksana? Panav? Fess up.
Huh? A spy? Vir said, only partially feigning his surprise. The Overseers intuition was both terrifyingly on-point and as wrong as could be.
Makes sense, doesnt it? Whats your angle? I should have you killed, just to be sure.
That wont be necessary, a new, deep voice said.
The Overseer turned, ready to go off on whoever dared interrupt his interrogation. Yet when he took in the massive form that had stood hunched over, he paled instead. Ravager! To what do I owe the honor?
You dont, Cirayus said curtly. Because I am not here for you. Id like to question this prisoner if you dont mind.
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O-of course, sir, the Overseer said, snapping to attention, but making no motion to leave. I''d be happy to have you here. I believe this one will crack easily. Low pain resis
Cirayus raised a brow. Alone.
Oh, er right. The Overseer threw him a crisp salute and marched out. He met Virs gaze as he left. As if to say, Im not done with you.
Youve got a lot of backbone to pull something like that here, Cirayus boomed, loud enough for any ears outside to hear.
Then, in nearly a whisper, he added, What were you doing,d? Attracting attention like that? Youll undo everything youve worked for.
Please! No! Dont hurt me! Vir replied, also loud enough to hear.
I couldnt let them die, Cirayus, he muttered. I need all the help I can get, and I think hell be useful. You saw the rebels at Samar Patag. Theres no one there who can fight, let alone lead. And we need leaders if this is to work. Im building the foundation. Brick by brick. Stone after stone.
Youll tell me what I need to know, or would you like some more cor? Cirayus thundered, grinning. The words were a facade. The grin was not. Turning my own words back on me, are you? Look at how youve grown! he whispered.
Can you cover for me? Vir asked softly.
Cirayus chuckled. What are Godfathers for, eh? Youre lucky I was here. You''ve certainly managed to catch that kothi''s attention. Aye, Ill get the Chits off your back, though Im afraid theres little I can do about the suspicion your fellow prisoners must now have.
Let me deal with that, Vir replied, before shouting, No, please! Not the cor. Not again!
Cirayus slumped his shoulders. Im set to deal with another Ash Beast horde some days from here so I thought I''d drop in. Ill be gone awhile. Irks me to leave you alone like this.
Is it normal for Ash Beasts to be so active? Vir asked. And I can take care of myself. You know that.
Aye, I do. And no, not at all normal, Im afraid. Something is brewing within the Ash. Something dangerous. Youd best prepare,d. Both yourself and those around you. I fear youll have precious little time to prepare before they send you in.
Well be ready, Vir said.
Aye, I expect you will. Im due to visit several garrisons on my journey. Ill take note of their defenses and weaknesses. Might keep an eye out for any talent that stands out to me.
Thanks, Cirayus. That will be incredibly helpful when the timees. Just, uh try to temper your expectations? Fighting near the Boundary mightve hardened the veterans here, but I doubt any of them will live up to your standards.
Cirayus snorted. Who do you think youre lecturing,d?
Though his words were harsh, the stupid smile on the big demons face carried a very different meaning. Just be careful. This is an awful risk you take, and I fear you arent sufficiently prepared for this challenge.
When have I ever been? Vir fired back. Dont worry. Itll work out. His expression darkened. It has to.
Vir returned to the encampment outside the walls under escort.
The reason for the escort soon became apparent. Multiple camps surrounded the Garrison, each with around two hundred demons.
While Vir had observed this on the way in, he hadnt realized that each batch was kept strictly under guard. It appeared that while prisoners were allowed to freely roam around their own encampment, any mingling between camps was strictly prohibited. Whether a security measure or for some other reason, Vir wasnt sure.
Apart from a few curious nces, he received no attention as he was marched to his berth.
After all, only a handful had seen him Blink to the gray demons location. Unfortunately, one of those happened to be his assigned roommate.
The guards thrust Vir back to his spot of dug-out dirt. A spot that was being slowly filled with ash.
Bgra was currently in his bipedal form, shoveling ash from his own spot with his bare hands.
Vir silently knelt and started working on his own.
Are you alright? Bgra said after a moment had passed.
Ill live, Vir said.
I imagine the Overseer must have only just asked you, Bgra said, pausing his work to nce at Vir, Who are you? Ive seen my fair share ofbat, and yet, Ive never witnessed movement arts capable of such a long-distance travel. At least, not outside the Ash.
Virughed. Youre right. The Overseer did say almost exactly that.
And what did you tell him?
Vir shrugged. That it was my tattoo. Aspect of the Broken Realms.
And the truth? Bgra asked.
Vir stopped shoveling and looked at Bgra with amusement. You dont believe me?
Bgra snorted. I mightve, if I hadnt seen you. Broken Realms is one of the most difficult Aspects to master. Ive seen no one capable of doing what you did. Let alone someone who ims not to be a Warrior Calling.
Well, that wasnt a lie. But youre right. Im not who I say I am.
Bgra nodded. A spy, then?
No, a Gargan, Vir replied, returning to shoveling.
Bgra snorted. You mean like nearly everyone else here?
Not quite. Im a rebel, Vir said in a lower voice.
I see, Bgra said, resuming shoveling beside Vir.
I see? Thats all? Vir asked, sure the naga would probe deeper.
I sympathize with your plight, Bgra said slowly, choosing his words carefully. What the Chits did to your people It was unforgivable. Ill have you know I disagreed with my ns decision to participate.
Did you? Take part, I mean?
Bgra shook his head. One of the several decisions my n holds against me. Though admittedly less so these days, after seeing what the Chitran have done to your n.
So you agree the Chitran need to be stopped, Vir began, but Bgra held up his hand.
Ill stop you there, friend. Whatever it is youre nning, I must ask that you leave me out of it. I said I sympathize with your plight, and I do. But yours is not my n. This is not my fight. Ive my own troubles to deal with.
Even if joining me meant getting out of here? Vir asked, gesturing to the encampment. This was the carrot hed hoped to dangle in front of Bgra. Who wouldnt support a prospect like that?
Im not just saying that, either, Vir continued. Iming up with a n. A solid one.
Bgras response, however, left Vir at a loss for words.
Im afraid escape would do me no good, friend, Bgra said with a tight smile, before returning to his shoveling.
Vir stood there for a moment, grappling with Bgras reaction.
He doesnt want to leave? Truth? Or a lie? Vir dusted off his hands. Either way,hell be a tough one to convince. The others had better be easier.
Vir found the gray demon easily enoughgrays were rare, after all, and if nothing else, theirplexion gave them something inmon to break the ice.
While Vir had been unsure about visiting another demon even within their own camp, several others were milling about, chatting, or arguing. Some small tussles even broke out, and the guards stationed at the periphery had to intervene.
It made crossing the camp simple, and soon, Vir was hailing the gray demon.
You! the demon said, his eyes widening in recognition. This was the first time Vir had gotten a good look at him. He was of a slight build, like Vir had been before hed entered the Ashen Realm. His eyes, like Virs, were red, but his head was clean-shaven, and he wore faded rags like most everyone else.
The demon paced over to Vir and grabbed his bicep, guiding him away from his bunkmate, a red demon who snored loudly, a fineyer of ash building up on top of him as he slept.
It was you, wasnt it? You were the one who saved me, yes? he whispered. I couldnt be sure, but
Vir nodded.
Why? For a total stranger? the demons eyes shifted as he spoke, never resting in one ce. Despite this, he didnt strike Vir as skittish, but rather as observant. A supremely useful trait.
Vir shrugged. I just felt like you werent a bad person.
The demon stared at Vir incredulously. Not a bad person. That was all?
Id be lying if I said I didnt have an ulterior motive, Vir admitted. Im looking for friends. They''ll likely have us fight in groups, and the more people I have watching my back that I can trust, the safer I figure I am.
That is fair, yes. You deem me trustworthy, though? Id call you foolish, had I not witnessed that feat you pulled off back there.
On our caravan journey here, we happened upon a family. You were one of the few who were visibly distraught at the vers attempt to capture them. Thats not nearly enough to trust you, but it is a start, wouldnt you say?
Oh, that, the demon said. Never thought I was being tested at the time.
Which is exactly why your reaction had value, Vir replied. Im Neel, by the way. Of Garga. You are?
Malik. Of er, of Garga, I suppose. He whispered the n name, though there was hardly a need to. As Bgra had said, most of the prisoners were Gargan.
Well, Malik, its nice to meet you, Vir said, pping the demons shoulder. Now, lets talk about your friend. The one who tried to kill you.
Chapter 281: The Burden of Success
Chapter 281: The Burden of Sess
Listen up, ya sorry sods, the Overseer shouted, hands sped behind his back in perfect military form. His monkey tail swished rhythmically in coordination with his swagger as he walked the length of a raised wooden podium.
A day had passed since Virs Guardian Ranking evaluations, and the prisoners from Virs batch had all been gathered at the center of Garrison Atnu, raising the spirits of all present. While the garrisons walls may not offer any protection from the falling Ash, at least here, the chilling winds didnt bother them as much. Here, for the time being, they were safe from the Ash Beasts.
What have you learned? Bgra whispered to Vir as they listened.
Vir didnt answer, hesitant to share what hed learned.
For an entire day, his batch had been left alone to their devices, so long as they didnt attempt to mingle with the other camps. It was a limited luxury, though Vir was surprised they were granted even that much. It hadnt sat well with either Vir or Bgra, so Vir had done some digging.
Do you know what they have in store for us? Bgra asked again.
Unfortunately, their batch mates were as clueless as everyone else, and it was only over the past hour, when theyd passed another group on their way in, that Vir learned of what was in store for them.
Hed been wracking his head, tryingand failingtoe up with a countermeasure ever since.
Nothing good, Im afraid, Vir whispered back. Our suspicions were right.
Figures, Bgra grunted in resignation. There was only one reason why the Chits would segregate the camps. It wasnt an uprising they were worried aboutthe cors were more than enough for quelling thoseit was information exchange.
Allow me to exin why youre all here, the Overseer said, casting his gaze across his audience as he paced. While it normally takes us a little longer to determine your results, I have worked extra hard to deliver them to you as swiftly as possible. Today, you will learn your fate. Some of you will be rewarded handsomely!
The prisoners looked around. Some hopeful, others suspicious.
The others
The Overseer made a slicing motion across his throat. Whatever relief the prisoners had at being within the safe confines of the Garrison walls evaporated, leaving the area deathly silent.
I must say, youre the first batch in a while where anyone attained Silver. The ranks to be awarded today are those of Steel, Copper, and Porcin. Those failing to make even Porcin, but who we believe are suited for manualbor and logistical tasks, shall be granted the privilege of living another day.
The Overseer stopped his pacing and faced his audience.
The n has little need for dregs and dead weight. Still, most of you have little to worry about. Those who put in a good showing have nothing to fear. The Overseer locked eyes with Vir as he said that, and Vir thought he saw a vile grin sh by the Kothis face.
The knot in Virs stomach tightened, and he dreaded what was toe. This was not going to end well. Not for him. Not for anyone.
Rationally, there was nothing to fear. Vir had put in a solid showing. A better than solid showing, in fact. He was willing to bet good money that the Silver rank was his. With Cirayus intervention, the Overseer wouldnt dare attempt to kill Vir, no matter how deep his grudge ran. Were he stupid enough to try, Vir could easily return the favor and escape on his own. His cover and his mission would be blown, but at least hed get out alive.
Yet Vir knew, deep down, that hed never take that option. Not if it meant sacrificing Bgra, Malik, and the Kothi prisoner he still hadnt found. Not if it meant sacrificing the Gargan farmers, merchants, cksmiths, and fathers who had no business being here. Whose only crime was being born to a disgraced n.
The Overseer epted a rolled scroll of parchment from an aide and cleared his throat. In no particr order he announced in a voice that clearly showed he was enjoying this. Barid! Porcin. A weapon for you! Vimal! No rank. Well use you in the kitchens. Hunar! Bronze! Well done. A weapon and armor for you. You can retrieve them when were done.
As the Overseer continued calling names, Virs anxiety slowly abated. After fifteen names, not one had received an execution, with most receiving Porcin, and a handful earning Copper. As for ironthe rank that sat in between copper and steelthere were none.0
And finally, we have the shining stars of our little group, the Overseer announced. Even now, not one among them had been ted for execution. Bgra! Neel! Why dont you twoe on up here and join me?
Vir looked around to find several demons just as confused as him. He exchanged nces with Bgra.
Whats going on?
That wasnt a request. Up here. Now! the Overseer barked, forcing Bgra and Vir to amble up onto the stage.
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Take a good look at these two. Thats right. Youre looking at the only Steel rankers in your group. In fact, theyre among only six prisoners who are at Garrison Atnu, and the others earned them throughbat against Ash Beasts!
The crowd began whispering and murmuring to one another, no doubt just as confused as Vir and Bgra were.
What does this mean? the Overseer asked, grinning savagely. It means that these two now own your sorry asses. From this day forth, they will be your leaders. You will do as they say, or you will be severe punished.
Why? Vir wondered. Why would the Overseer be doing this?
Was this standard for new batches of prisoners? Or was he doing this owing to Vir and Bgras ster performance?
Why? You must be wondering, the Overseer continued. Why would you need leaders when weve yet to even begin your training? Of course, youre wondering. I can see it in your sorry eyes. That confusion. That pathetic weakness. Well, not for long.
The Overseer allowed his words to hang in the air, settling like a dark cloud upon the prisoners.
Not for long! Out here, you either toughen up, or you die. And mark my words. When were through with you, you will either be tough Or you will be dead. Your choice.
Vir couldnt bring himself to believe the Kothis would shell out resources training up prisoners, and by their chattering, the others felt simrly.
Yes. Exciting, is it not? The chance to learn new skills! Perhaps even open your next chakra! Fear not. Youll have ample opportunity on your first training assignment, the Overseer said, seemingly savoring the nervous gazes of his audience. You will journey to a nearby city to bring back as much weapons and armor you can get your hands on. Your leaders will be none other than these two capable souls standing beside me.
The kothi gestured to Vir and Bgra.
The prisoners looked relieved, and so was Vir. In fact, wasnt this precisely what hed wanted? By putting him in a position of authority, the Overseer had unwittingly vaulted Vir closer to his goal than he could ever have dreamed.
And if they actually let Vir lead Well, he was confident he could rally them to his cause. Doing so under the Overseers thumb would be difficult, but that was a problem he could
Which city? Bgra snarled, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Which city do you intend for us to raid?
This will be no raid, the Overseer replied. Merely a scavenging operation. And where else does one scavenge but Praya Parul?
The crowds sense of relief vanished immediately.
You cant be serious, Bgra hissed. You would send untrained soldiers to that ce?
Then I pray you give it your all, Naga, the Overseer said softly. If you dont want their blood staining your hands.
Praya Parul
The name sounded familiar to Vir, though he couldnt initially ce why. Bgras words, however, stirred a memory of when Cirayus first told him of the demonic ns and their various capital cities, atop the Mahakurmas back.
There were several reasons the Chitrans had grown desperate over the centuries, the foremost of which being their never-ending battle with the Ashen Realm. Their plight had struck Vir as simr to that of Matalisthe slow, unceasing expansion of the Ashen Realm had slowly eroded their territory over centuries.
Yet, unlike Matali, the Chitran capital had the misfortune of existing in the western reaches of their n.
Praya Parul wasnt a city, but a graveyard. A city that existed half within the Ash, and half in the demon realm, right at the Boundary.
A city that roamed with Ash Beasts.
Vir closed his eyes and took a breath. This was a setback, yes. But nothing he couldnt handle. Hed simply have to take extra precautions. With Bgra and Malik at his side, though, Vir was confident theyd pull through.
He looked over at his friend and gave him a nod.
Well get through this.
You heard me, the Overseer said, spreading his fists wide on his wooden table. Either you allow half of them to die on this excursion. Every. Last. One.
Vir and Bgra stood within the Overseers room, having been called there immediately after the Overseers demonstration had ended.
The two stood stiff, not daring to meet the Overseers gaze. The first thing the kothi had done was to buzz their cors for half a minute, leaving them writhing on the ground. Bgra for real, Vir acting the part.
I know your types. The heroes. The ones who sacrifice themselves for the good of others. An unnecessary attitude out here. Dangerous. But we can beat that out of you. The others? The Overseer brought his snout to within inches of Bgras face, but to his chagrin, the naga did not falter. We dont need dead weight around here. We have neither the food nor the armament for anyone who brings down our capabilities.
And if we choose to overpower your guards and run off? Bgra said.
The Overseer brought his face even closer to Bgra. So close that they almost touched.
I have made you leaders, yes, but do not think for an instant that this gives you power in this ce, the Overseer muttered, pulling away and circling around them. I will personally monitor every move you make on this outing, and I will be apanied by enough guards to end your sorry cadre of prisoners on a moments notice, even without those cors. And make no mistake, your cors will be armed.
Bgra chuckled softly.
Something funny, naga? the Overseer said.
For a moment, I actually thought youd be giving those poor fools a chance, Bgra said, ensuring he kept his back ramrod straight. This isnt training. Its a culling. Those who survive will earn the privilege of being used as meat shields against Ash Beasts, I imagine. Or, if theyre lucky, as scouts to probe for soft spots in enemy lines. Alone.
The Overseer cocked a brow, and so did Vir.
Astute, the Kothi said. As I suspected, you are military trained, are you not? I wonder what your background is
When Bgra kept his silence, the Overseer continued, seemingly unperturbed.
No matter. As I said, Ive seen your type before. You fashion yourselves as heroes and martyrs. Saving the downtrodden or dying gloriously in the process. Death does not scare you. I could torture you all day long, and Ive no doubt you would gantly sacrifice yourselves to save the rest.
The Overseer stopped pacing, switching his gaze between the two as he spoke.
Which is why I am giving you an ultimatum. Either you sacrifice half, or everyone, along with yourselves, die upon return. Do I make myself clear?
Crystal, Bgra seethed through gritted teeth, staring holes into a wall in the distance. Despite his calm facade, Vir knew his friend was raging underneath. He only hoped the naga could control himself, lest he trigger the Overseers wrath. That ended only one waywith the cor.
The Overseer turned to Vir, who was far more sullen.
Was this the Ravagers wish? Vir asked, having surmised as much. His question earned a pointed look from Bgra, who regarded him with a tinge of suspicion. Vir was nning on giving him a usible exnation eventually, so hiding his connection with Cirayus was pointlessor at least, hiding the connection he wanted the world to believe he had was pointless.
Putting you in charge? Yes.
And the deaths? Vir asked, mostly for Bgras sake.
Mine, the monkey man grinned. Now, are we understood? Or do we need another round of cor?
Were understood, Vir muttered.
Good. Now get out of my sight. And dont forget to collect your weapons and armor on your way out. And your tent. One of the few perks ofmand. Do enjoy it while itsts.
Chapter 282: Scales of Life
Chapter 282: Scales of Life
And for the tenth time, Im saying youre being irrational, Bgra muttered to Vir, careful to keep himself from being overheard by the two hundred demons who marched behind them. Itd struck Vir as odd that the Overseer had put them in charge of so many, though it was a perfect tactic to ensure maximum chaos.
March may have been a generous word for the prisoners disorganized movements. The untrained, ragtag mob of would-be soldiers barely managed to stay in a single group, let alone form an orderly formation. A fact made all the more obvious by the crisp marching lines of the Kothis who guarded them.
No, Im saying Ill find a third option, Vir said, reducing his voice to almost a whisper. His troops werent the only ones whod be trying to listen in. One thatll ensure as few people die on this mission as possible.
Bgra stopped and turned, meeting Virs gaze. You think youre doing these people a favor by extending their lives? Youre not. Youre merely lengthening their torture. You are out of your mind to even entertain the idea of keeping all of them alive, but lets say youre sessful. What then? What fate do you think awaits these poor souls? The Ash. Thats what.
Bgra allowed the words to hang, as if daring Vir to respond. He didnt, so the naga continued.
Ive seen the way you fight. I know you could handle yourself in that blighted realm. But mark my words. Surviving alone and protecting others are different beasts entirely. Ask yourself. Could you save those who have no business entering that realm? I think not. Dying here, or dying in the Ashwhat difference does it make?
Bgra started walking again, just as the nearest troops began to approach earshot. At least dying here puts them out of their misery sooner.
Vir didnt immediately reply. This was hardly the first time they had this conversation, and Vir doubted it would be thest. The hardest part was that Bgra had a point. Many of these demons were wholly unfit to be anywhere near the Ash, let alone marching right up to the boundary.
While the Warriors who fought at the Boundary were undoubtedly veterans, that was only true because those unfit to fight had perished long ago.
Even with proper training and the best equipment, Vir suspected many would still perish. If there was one thing the years time in the ash had taught him, it was that fighting was about more than just tactics, skill, and weaponry. It was a mindset. The mindset to put aside ones fear, survival instincts, andpassion, to end the life of another.
Vir readjusted his ill-fitting iron cuirass as he scouted the terrain ahead. The armor had been part of his reward for attaining iron rank during the guardian ranking fight. Hed also won a steel sword, though it may as well have been trash next to Virs Artifact Chakram and seric katar. Weapons he missed dearly.
They were in the safe care of Cirayus while Vir was undercover, along with hismunication orb. The weapons and armor were one thing, but it was the orb that he missed the most. The stress of remaining undercover and dealing with Samar Patags expectations of him had been manageable, in part, due to his near-daily conversations with Maiya.
It was only now when he was deprived of that luxury, that he realized just how cathartic those moments had been. And, he suspected, how much it had done for Maiyas state of mind. She was tough. One of the toughest people Vir knew. Yet, he still worried for her. He longed to hear herforting, melodic voice, and to hear her tell him that everything would be okay.
Or what? Bgra asked. Do you intend to kill the Overseer?
Thats a leading question, and you know it, Vir said, snapping back to the conversation. This was reality, and flying to delusional fantasy would make it no better.
Yes, but do you?
I may be new to leading others, but I am no chal, Bgra, Vir fired back. If we kill the Overseer, hell merely be reced, and well be on the run.
Not to mention wed be stranded without supplies. Between the rucksacks the demons carried on their backs and the supply Ashva, Vir guessed they had three days of food. Perhaps a week if they truly rationed. For water, theyd be relying on runoff from the nearby mountains once their initial stock ran out.
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You see my point, then, Bgra said. Even taking the whole Garrison would not be enough. There are no half-measures here. Either you take every garrison all at once, or you agree to y the Overseers games. Ruthless as they may be, there is a certain pragmatism to his actions.
Vir didnt have a reply. Because right now, even more than at Samar Patag, Vir was at a loss for what to do. Bgra was right. Vir had, of course, considered assassinating the Overseer. It wouldve been simple with his means, yet it would only have made the situation worse. Even if Vir was never seenmitting the crime, a Chitran investigation would only have tightened the already too-literal noose around everyones necks. While chaos and confusion had a ce, it was not here. Not now.
Besides, Bgra continued. I fear that, despite our best efforts, many will perish on this suicide run.
Im aware, Vir said softly, the memories of Samar Patags defense still fresh in his mind. I just
Sir! Malik said, running up to Vir. Though Vir never asked him to, the gray demon had begun referring to Vir as his superior officer the moment hed been appointed leader of their expedition.
We may have a situation brewing, the gray demon said. A scuffle, about halfway down the line.
Thank you, Malik. Ill be right there, Vir said.
Bgra squeezed Virs shoulder. A piece of advice. One that was given to me long ago by a warrior many times my better. Dont worry about the monsters of the distant future, for they may nevere to pass. We have enough worries of our own. Stay present. Stay aware.
Thats wise, Vir said. But I have to wonder. If we dont worry for these poor souls, then who will?
Bgra grunted. Criminals? You have a big heart, Ill give you that.
Vir retrieved a piece of rolled parchment and pressed it against Bgras chest.
What is this? the naga demanded.
A roster of every demon under our charge. Or mine, at least. Read it. Then let me know if you still feel the same.
What is this about? Vir asked, approaching the two groups of prisoners under his charge whod started grappling with each other. He was reluctant to call them soldiers, as they disyed absolutely none of the behavior one would attribute to a military professional. Hooligan was closer to the mark.
With a resigned breath, Vir jumped into the fray.
The issue with ground fighting was that it blinded one to the environment around them. A fatal mistake if said environment happened to be a battlefield.
Vir reached down and plucked the burly red demon off the ground, tossing him aside as if he weighed no more than a baby.
Vir then took the ce of the grappler, pinning the other demon whod been on the ground. The demon scowled up at Vir.
I just threw that guy ten paces. Do you really want me to do the same to you?
The demons scowl turned into a look of horror, and he shook his head with vigor.
Nothing to see here, Vir shouted at the crowd. Move along.
They did move along, with some shooting him looks of awe, and others, suspicious res.
Earning their respect is going to be a long, arduous journey, Vir mused.
Oi, lookie who just showed up, someone in the crowsa scrawny red demonsaid. Mebbe well be gettin some some, eh?
What answers? Vir asked.
Theres been a rumor, sir, Malik said, scratching his neck and looking away awkwardly as he spoke.
Yes, and? Vir asked, frustrated that nobody wasing clean.
What dere too afraid ta tell ya, the red demon from before said, is dey think were all gonna die! Dat true?
Its my job to make sure that doesnt happen, Vir replied swiftly.
The rumor is false, then, one of the fighters on the other side said. You didnt receive orders to have half of us killed?
Vir relied on every bit of acting experience he had to ensure he didnt give away any tells. Even then, he wasnt altogether sure he seeded.
How in all the realms did they find out? The only ones who knew were Bgra and me and
And one other. The Overseer.
I can assure you there is nothing of the sort, Vir replied loudly, scanning the group to find expressions of relief and skepticism alike. I wont lie to you. We journey to a dangerous ce. We will inevitably fight against Ash Beasts. Likely many of them.
The crowd grew grim.
There are some who believe life is the real punishment here. That death is the easy way out. Maybe theyre right. Maybe it is the less painful road. I disagree, Vir said, sweeping his head across the dozens of onlookers. As long as you are under mymand, I will do everything within my power to keep you all alive. So lets work together and keep our wits about us, and maybe well get out of this Ash damned ce in one piece.
Vir whirled and stomped away, not bothering to see their reactions. For better or worse, his path was set. So was theirs.
He found Bgra waiting a handful of paces away.
Are you sure that was wise? the Naga asked. Youremitted now.
I always was, Vir replied.
Did you mean everything you said?
Do you even have to ask?
Bgra hefted his spear. No. Though Im afraid you may have to demonstrate your resolve sooner than youd like.
Why? Vir asked, frowning.
A scout just reported back. The Ash Beasts. Theyve encircled us.
Virs eyes widened.
Malik, he said softly. Order the troops to brace forbat.
They werent ready. He wasnt ready. Hed hoped to spend at least a few hours teaching his troops the very basics ofbat. How to strike and block and such. Hed hoped to establish formations that put the weaker fighters towards the rear. It wouldnt have been much, but it would have saved lives.
Hed had none of that. Theyd been attacked just a few short hours into their journey. Vir had a sinking feeling that he was about to face the greatest challenge hed encountered in the demon realm. Perhaps even surpassing the defense of Samar Patag.
And as Bgra so eloquently put it, saving ones self was realms apart from protecting others. As for an exposed, untrained army against Ash Beasts? At that moment, Vir was not at all confident he could live up to his lofty words.
Chapter 283: Journey to the Lost City (One)
Chapter 283: Journey to the Lost City (One)
Form up! Huddle togetheras close as you can! Vir roared at the top of his lungs. Lacking the armored Ashva mounts the Chitran guards rode, Vir was forced to Micro Leap if he had any hope of having his orders heard. Hearing, however, was only half the battle. To his immense frustration, Vir was learning that hearing and obeying were two very different things.
Dont they understand Im trying to save their lives?
Vir focused on the positives in a bid to fight down his mounting frustration.
As far as silver linings went, there were precious few. With just a hundred under hismand, Vir thankfully didnt have to move far to address all of his troops.
So much was stacked against them on this excursion. Not only did theyck the protection of the mountains that loomed to their left, but theyd been caught with little time to prepare and no time to train. The ragtag mob of demons were as likely to hurt themselves as they were their enemies.
Complexmands and organized formations werent an option, and any attempt to force them toply would only end in tragedy.
Instead, Vir Leaped around hispany of troops like a shepherd, barking orders to huddle closer, encircling them like a closing noose.
By the end, hed mustered them into a circr formation, though there was much left to be desired. Those whod failed to earn Porcin rank had no weapons at all, and yet, a worrying number of them were on the outside of the formation where they were most vulnerable. Vir wanted those with spears and shields to form the outer perimeter of the circle, but for now, hed have to take what he could get.
ncing at Bgra, Vir saw that the naga had attempted to do the same with his troops, but without Virs mobility, he struggled.
Vir was about to go help Bgra organize his troops when several figures appeared in the distancetheir scouts. They were followed closely by another, muchrger mass of ck figures that could only mean one thing.
Theyre not going to make it.
With this realization came another, more chilling oneVircked the time to prepare Bgras troops and save the scouts. Doing one would condemn the other.
Go! Bgra shouted, sensing Virs dilemma. Save them. If we lose them, were done for.
Vir hesitated. In the few minutes theyd had before they were forced to sortie, Bgra and Vir had quickly scanned their troops and picked the ones who possessed tattoos well-suited for reconnaissance. Especially within the abandoned city, theyd be invaluable.
As such, theyd picked some of the best talent for the joblosing the scouts would be a hard blow.
As would having Bgraspany decimated even before theyd arrived at the city.
It took only a split-second for Vir toprehend all this, and he quickly made his decision.
Leaping to the scouts who were still a few hundred paces away, Vir readied himself to reave into the iing Ash Beasts.
The talwar he wielded wasnt bad, per se, but against the hide of most beasts of the Ashen Realm, most demons would struggle to do damage. Even beastscking much natural armor, like Shredders, would pose significant hurdles. While the de would have done the job when paired with demonic physical strength, it wouldnt have been fast enough to take down so many.
Vir, however, was not most demons. A coating of Ash prana surged over the edge, wreathing it in ayer of lethality.
Vir reduced the power to prevent the ck prana from turning visible, though even if it had, he doubted the terrified scouts would have noticedrunning for their lives as they were.
Vir blurred past his scouts, leaving a wake of buffeting wind and ash behind. He flew into the throng of beasts and began to destroy.
Bgra had been dealt a stroke of fortune. He just didnt know if it was good or bad yet, and whether to thank the gods or curse them.
Realistically, they had no chance. Bgra would wager gold that none of his troops had ever fought an Ash Beast before. Even if they had, there was no such thing as a guaranteed win against those monsters.
While Bgra had bested an Ash Wolf and a handful of other beasts in that blighted realm, hed always had the good sense to avoid groups of them like the gue.
Anyone who saw what happened to even the mightiest Ash Beasts when beset upon a horde would. Bgra was hardly as mighty. As for his troops?
Well, at least Neel wouldnt have to worry about his moral dilemma much longer. If Bgra was right, no one was getting out.
It wasnt too bad, as far as death sentences went. Some were made to suffer for years before they were granted their sweet release.
At least it would be quick, which was far more than any traitor to their n could expect.
And yet, Bgra found himself going through the motions, nevertheless. He barked orders to his troops in a vain attempt to force them into some semnce of a formation. He shouted words of encouragement and pped their shoulders, hoping to instill some measure of confidence beyond what their failing Foundation Chakras could impart.
Bgra fully understood the hypocrisy of his actions.
Why even bother? Hadnt he given Neel a long list of reasons exining why surviving only lengthened their suffering? Better to kneel and let themselves be taken by the beasts. At least then, theyd deprive the Overseer of his sick pleasure. Maybe the kothi would be demoted for his failure.
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Wouldnt that be a sight to see?
Regardless of what his rebel acquaintance felt, sacrificing themselves was about the only thing they could do to make a difference.
Having fortified his troops as much as possible, Bgra tapped into his Panav Bloodline tattoothe art that marked him as different among his people. The brand had ostracized him ever since itd been thrust upon him by his father in hising-of-age ceremony.
The very tattoo that ruined his life might very well be what saved them now.
Searched the horizon for the gray demon whod recklesslyunched himself at the enemy, Bgras eyes came away empty.
I suppose I should assumemand of hispany, Bgra thought wearily. A pity. He seemed like a good kid, too. Nave and reckless, like the rest of his n, but good.
Bgra would mourn his passingif given the chance.
The cloud finished forming. It was invisible, of course, beingposed of prana. Which was why Bgra had no reason to doubt what his eyes showed.
His troops, who had been silently making peace with death, began to whisper.
Impossible, Bgra muttered under his breath.
The scouts had returned safely. Not only had they returned safely, but behind them was another form. Not Shredders or Ash Biters, but someone familiar.
He killed them?
It was Neel, and he didnt even look injured.
The idea was so ludicrousso utterly imusiblethat Bgras mind instinctively rejected such an oue. There must have been some exnation. Perhaps some hidden art that them away. Was he secretly of the Aindri? Had hemuned with the beasts to pacify them?
Even as Bgra thought it, he knew it couldnt be. More than a few Aindri had tested their taming skills on Ash Beasts. Most who tried had perished. To Bgras knowledge, none had ever seeded.
Yet If, by some miracle, Neel truly was strong enough to defeat so many beasts on his own
Then maybe he isnt as nave as Id thought.
Bgra shuddered. His heartbeat quickened. He clutched his spear tighter, and a feeling hed not felt in a long, long time awakened.
It was that of excitement. For the future. That, perhaps, their fate may not be as bleak as hed feared.
Almost before hedpleted the thought, a great avian beast mmed into the ground, kicking up plumes of Ash and rock.
A sickening crunch could be heard, followed by a gulp. The beast beat its great wings, clearing away the ash cloud and revealing half a demon. Only half.
Shrikes! Get on the ground! Bgra roared, hurling himself against the sooty dirt.
He almost made it. Just an instant earlier, and hed have avoided its vicious beak.
As it was, his stomach lurched, the ground fell away, and Bgra managed a single wryugh, filled with every ounce of spite, regret, anger, and desperation he could muster.
Then his body ripped with agony, and the world went dark.
Vir watched in horror as the Shrike plucked Bgra off the ground and rose to the air.
He watched, but he didnt freeze. That bad habit had been drilled out of him thousands of dead Ash Beasts ago.
Even before the Shrike took to the sky, Vir was crouching. An instantter, heunched, High Jumping on a trajectory that intercepted the avian creature.
Midair maneuvering was never easy, and while sting prana out in various directions could somewhat alter his direction, its capacity was extremely limited.
Without hundreds of prior attempts to execute this exact maneuver within the Ash, Vir would surely have missed.
Vir did not miss.
An invisible de of pure prana ripped forth as Vir sent a Talwar Launch flying. The unsuspecting Shrike never knew what hit it as its head was severed clean off.
Its body continued soaring, but its head,cking wings to keep it aloft and weighed down with Bgras body, came tumbling down.
Right into Virs arms.
With his left hand, Vir gripped Bgras body securely, and with his right, he hurled the head away.
The naga was, thankfully, still in one piece, though that was all that could be said about his condition. The Shrike had shorn off Bgras left leg, forcing Vir to look away from the gruesome sight as they plummeted to the ground together.
Not out of squeamishness or disgust, but because Vir knew exactly what that meant for the demon.
Not even the Human Realms finest mejai could regrow limbs. Even if he survived, Bgras days as a warrior were over.
Virs eyes yed over the field of ughter, as more and more Shrikes swooped to the ground, each dive reaping yet another life.
Though Vir fired off Talwar Launches as they dropped, he hit none, aplishing nothing other than dying a few.
That situation changed the moment Virs boots found dirt. With Prana Current surging to its maximum, he Blinked forth, hoisting Bgra over his shoulder. While he worried for the crippled demon, if he went any slower, there would be no one left to save.
Virs form blurred as he decapitated, de-winged, and bisected Shrike after Shrikeany attempt at hiding his power long forgotten.
The ravenous Overseers eyes tracked his every movement. Virs cor allowed only a fraction of his normal prana usage. He shouldnt have been able to do any of the things hed done.
Which was why Vir was sure the kothi mustve thought hed just found the prize of the century.
The Overseer could think what he liked. Vir had known early on that protecting his people might requirepromising his cover. Hed also decided that no cover was worth the lives of innocent Gargans. If he couldnt ovee this crisis, then he had no chance of restoring his n.
When the skies cleared, Shrike corpsesy strewn all over the ground. Too many demons had perished, though not as much as Vir had feared. Thanks, inrge part, to Bgras Corruption Field persisting even after Bgra had been taken out.
Itd forced the Shrikes to hesitate. It was, perhaps, the only thing that had kept them alive long enough for Vir to reach them.
Which was all the more reason Vir couldnt let the nagahis frienddie.
Is there anyone with healing skills here? Anyone! Vir roared. He ced Bgra gently upon the ground and whirled, eyes searching for any demon in sight who mightve helped.
Malik was upon him in an instant, ripping off his shirt and wrapping it tightly against the base of Bgras leg. The blood raging out of the nagas stump lessened substantially, though hed lost so much blood already. Even with his demonic constitution, Vir was unsure how long hed survive.
It was the Overseer who answered, a sickening grin stered across his face.
Congrattions, Neel. You are now the leader of not one, but two Help him, Vir demanded.
The Nagas dead. Not a big loss, if you ask me. Their ilk are always a
One more word, Vir said, barely keeping his prana and anger checked. The feat took every shred of determination he could muster. One more word, and I swear to Adinat I will end you.
Even if it risked his cover. Even if it risked punishment, Vir couldn''t allow Bgra to die. He wouldn''t. With such skill and experience, he''d be indispensable to the cause.
The Overseer snarled. I take it back, prisoner. I was about to give you a promotion. I was about to give you the snakes troops. I see now that I have made a mistake. What you need is not a reward, but rather punishment. Which I shall dly award. After that demon is dead.
The kothi turned to his guards. Kill the naga! Remove us of this dead weight
The Overseer never finished his words. Rather, they devolved into garbled gibberish before suddenly ceasing.
For a moment, nothing happened. Those around the Overseer wondered why he had suddenly stopped talking.
Then, slowly, like a peeling banana, the corpse that only moments before had been the highest-ranking Chitran present Was split cleanly in two.
Chapter 284: Journey to the Lost City (Two)
Chapter 284: Journey to the Lost City (Two)
The Overseers body split not at his waist, but rather vertically, down the very center of his body.
Vir stared in stunned disbelief as the wreckage of the kothis body tumbled to the ground. He continued staring a long moment after, as did all whod gathered around.
Fearing this exact situation, Vir had reduced the prana in his katar. Rather, he feared the oppositethat his attack would be trivially brushed away. Hed expected the Overseer to at least block his well-telegraphed strike. Hed wanted to get the Overseer to back off, not to kill him.
Yes, there wouldve been consequences. Hed likely have to feign pain as the Overseer buzzed his cor and made an example of him. Bgras life was more important than any of that.
Now, though?
Now What?
It was a hacking cough that broke Vir out of his reverie.
H-Hese to! Malik said. Hed been squatting beside the downed naga ever since hed applied the tourniquet, applying pressure on Bgras stump to further reduce the blood flow. You better not turn back to your naga form, he muttered.
Why? Vir asked, joining Malik in applying pressure. What happens if he does?
Nothing good.
Bgra looked up dazedly at Vir, trying to form words. Only a wheeze escaped his lips, however.
Dont talk. Can you heal yourself? Vir asked, applying pressure on his wound with both hands. Bgra grunted, but it significantly lessened the bleeding. Even so, Bgra had lost too much blood.
By now, the other Chitran guards had encircled the group, their talwars and spears pointed inward. Though, whether out of caution or fear, they did not attack.
The naga nodded almost imperceptibly, raising a weakened hand. Unsure of what else to do, Vir took Bgras hand in his own, but the demon shook it off. He brought his hand to the cor.
The cors restricting his prana. If I can break it
Vir hesitated. Ever since theyd pped one around his neck, hed been studying the cors in great detail. Unlike human Artifact cors, they didnt consume prana from the environment. Rather, they stored prana within them, releasing them whenmanded. Vir was almost certain an overload into its storage mechanism would cripple the device. He just didnt know if it would harm Bgra as well. After all, injecting prana into his enemies had proven an incredibly deadly attack in the past.
Then again, if he did nothing, Bgra would die.
Halt! a guard barked, just as Vir rested his hand on the cor. Break it up. All of you!
Vir ignored him, attempting to concentrate on the task at hand, but when Malik squeezed Virs shoulder, he begrudgingly stole a nce behind him.
In the Chitrans hand was a tablet.
Stay back! the guard said. While he didnt quite stutter, his fluster was obvious. He waved the tablet in front of him, as if it were an orb capable of warding off the demons who slowly encircled him.
And why would we do that? a gruff voice said from the crowd.
Fool! This is the control tablet for your cors. Do as I say! Ill use it! S-stop!
The guards voice grew increasingly more desperate as the demonic noose tightened.
In desperation, Bgra clutched Virs arm. His wheezing had grown suddenly worse, and Vir knew he didnt have much longer to live.
Its now or never, Vir thought, silencing the ruckus brewing around him.
Vir gripped the cor, pushing the tiniest trickle of prana he could into its inscription. Under other circumstances, hed never dare attempt something this dangerous. Now?He simply uttered a prayer to Badrak for good luck.
Nothing happened, so Vir upped the prana. Then, to his horror, he saw the inscription light up. It wasnt his prana, however. It was abination of every other affinity.
Theyve activated the cors.
Vir immediately surged prana into the cor, gripping the metal with as much force as he could muster.
Crack!
Bgras body jolted in pain. His body seized once, then went limp as the cor surrounding his neck crumbled into pieces.
Malik, who had been diligently pressing against Bgras wound, screamed out in pain. He fell to the ground, clutching his head, writhing.
Simr screams erupted from all around Vir, though he spared them only the briefest nce.
Vir searched Bgras prana signature for any trace of Ash prana. He couldnt find any, though that didnt mean
Bgra heaved, his eyes flying wide open. His silver Panav tattoo glowed, and the blood ceased pouring from the demons body within moments.
Well, at least he wont die, Vir thought sadly. Though he wanted to watch over the naga, the crisis unfolding around him denied him that luxury.
Vir stood and swept a nce across the field, quickly taking stock of the situation.
It was as hed fearedthe prisoners writhed on the ground, while the Kothis watched over them with a range of expressions ranging from smug to sadistic.
Not for long.
Vir didnt bother physically striking the kothi who held the tablet. A Talwar Launch bisected the object, much in the same way it had with the Overseer, taking the kothis hand with it.
The prana link shut off instantly, as Vir had hoped. But when the demons cries didnt immediately cease, Vir worried hed made a terrible mistake.
He nced at Malik, still clutching his cor in agony.
Destroying the table doesnt turn them off!?
Desperately, Vir wracked his mind. A minute more of this torture, and theyd be unconscious. One more after that, and theyd be dead.
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There was but one answer. Only a single option that had a chance of working.
An ability Vir had theorized about and ruminated on, yet had never tested.
This had better work
Vir activated Haste, summoned every ounce of prana within his body and exploded.
When Vir came to, it was not to a field of dead demons, or even to a gag and shackles, as hed expected. Hed beenin down on no less than three cushionsif stinky unwashed robes could be considered cushions.
What happened? Vir thought groggily before turning to his side. He came face to face with a serpentrger than any hed ever seen. Vir panicked, thinking some foul Ash Beast hade to finish him in his sleep, but the ill-fitting cuirass it woreridiculous on a snakeand the spear nearbymade him reconsider.
Bgra?
Vir had never once seen the naga in his full serpent form, and he wondered why. For it was magnificent. Twin bright white lines traced down the length of Bgras otherwise jet-ck scales. In all, he had to have been twelve paces long, though coiled up as he was, it was difficult to estimate.
The snakes body neither rose nor fell, so Vir couldnt tell if ithewas breathing, but then again, Vir knew little of serpent anatomy. The most hed ever seen were the small snakes that always slithered away before he could reach them in the Godshollow.
Still, while his eyes failed him here, the prana in the nagas body told Vir all was well.
Youre up! a voice said. Good.
Vir looked up to find Malik handing him a bowl of hot soup.
Whatever you did made the cors cease functioning. Some of us have Aspect of the zing Forest, so we were able to rustle up some hot rations. Figured youd want some when you awoke.
Vir sat up, rubbing his temples. Prana Burst Right. The initial idea for the ability involved a spherical burst of prana in all directions. Like Prana Dart, just multiplied. It was supposed to be ast-ditch defense against multiple foes.
Here, hed needed something a bit more discerning. Instead of a globe, hed fired a half-dozen darts at every nearby demon. Of course, six wasnt nearly enough, so hed Blinked around, stopping barely long enough to fire off handfuls more.
The entire process had taken less than a minute, draining him , and leaving him little more than a desated husk.
As abat ability, it wasnt nearly ready. Though, judging from the soundsing from outside the tent, it sounded like its trial run hadnt failed, either.
How did I ever manage to live like this? Vir wondered, thinking back to his life at Brij. He felt gutted, and even the slightest movement seemed to require inordinate effort.
Thanks, he muttered, cycling Prana Current as he slurped the soup with gratitude. It wasnt prana, but it did fill him with an inner warmth. Prana Current would have to slowly rebuild the rest. Itd be a day or more before he was full again, but, well, it could be worse. At least he wasnt dead.
Bgra? Vir asked.
Alive, Malik reported. Albeit barely. Had his cor snapped a momentter, Im afraid wed be cremating a corpse instead.
Vir winced. To think hed cut it so close Vir needed Bgra. He was talented, had military experience. More than that, though, Vir didnt want the naga to die. Whatever deeds hed done in the past Vir knew there was a good soul lurking beneath that rough exterior. Hed eventuallye around to Virs cause. Perhaps not soon, but someday. Maybe theyd even be fast friends.
Thank you, Vir said. For looking after him. If you hadnt applied that tourniquet
Malik waved Virs sentiment away. It was the least I could do.
Vir took a look around the infirmary, finding countless demons, most lying down, but a few up and milling about.
Everyones safe, then?
Better than safe, Malik replied. Do you understand what youve done? he asked. Youve liberated them. Us! Were no longer prisoners!
Virs eyes widened in panic. What about the other guards? Did they
Kill them? Malikpleted. No. We stripped them of their weapons and armor and ced the spare cors they were carrying around their necks. Symbolic, mind you, since the tablet was destroyed, but we have them under heavy guard. Im hoping Bgra can concoct something when he awakens to put them under. With their Chakras and bloodline arts, they could wreak a lot of havoc before we brought them down. Best to keep them unconscious.
Sounds like a good n, Vir agreed. He couldnt understand how demonic jails worked when everyone was this powerful.
I have to tell you, Neel. That moment? When we snapped those cors on our captors? I havent felt that good in a long while. I only wish you were conscious to see it.
Vir gave Malik a pained smile. He didnt hate the Kothis. Not truly. He hated Asuman, yes, and Raja Matiman, as well as anyone actively suppressing the Gargans. But Vir wasnt nave enough to believe that every kothi was evil. It was akin to iming that all humansor all demonswere nothing but monsters. How was that any different from Tia? Hadnt he argued exactly that point to get her to see reason?
No, Vir had lived through too much to pretend that the world was ck and white. There was no such thing. No convenient good or evil. Only shades of ash Which only made it so much harder to reconcile the turmoil raging within his chest.
Take me to them, he said.
The bound kothis looked up at Vir with a mixture of spite and fear. Gagged as they were, none uttered a word. The fifty-odd angry demons who thronged around them mightve also had something to do with it.
Rx, Vir said. I wont harm you. And I wont let the others either.
The prisoners expressions shifted. Some to confusion, others to relief.
Not while Im in control. And I am in control, am I not, Malik?
The gray demon nodded. Some prisoners ran off on their own. Those were the dumb ones. The smarter among us understand your power, Neel. The smarter of us understand that our chances of surviving go up drastically with er
With what?
Well, with you. Whawhoever you are, Malik hastily corrected. Hed been about to say whatever.
I see, Vir replied. Fear and rumormongering werent Virs preferred tools for gaining obedience, but given the circumstances, it was about the best he couldve hoped for.
Well, you heard him, Vir said. Im the leader now. So, can I expect you to behave?
The guards, as it turned out, did behave. Even without the implicit threat of getting cored. That was better than Vir had hoped for.
What was not what hed hoped for, however, were the incessant questions and looks of fear, respect, and hope on his charges faces. And to Virs chagrin, on a select fewanger. Betrayal. Hatred.
Those may be a problem, eventually
Not all the demons were Gargan, though most did hail from his n. Even so, Vir wasnt ready to reveal who he was. They were thankful to the one whod rescued them, yes. Thankful enough to ignore that his existence had caused their lifetime of suffering? Likely not.
No, Virs Akh Nara reveal would have toeter. Once he could trust his troops with his life. Both implicitly and explicitly.
He could, however, divulge his other secret identity. Layers uponyers had their uses, after all. The Endless hours of effort cultivating his identity were spent precisely for moments like these. And it was all about toe to fruition.
Long have we been oppressed. Downtrodden and trampled. But hear me now! The rebellion ising, Vir said, impersonating the best smug grin he could musterwhich was to say, masterful. Be sure youre on the right side when it happens.
He could almost hear the kothis gulp. The stronger among them looked away in shame, while the weaker, less experienced guards nervously exchanged nced with one another.
They wont be a problem, Vir thought as he walked away. Justwish I could say the same for the others.
Alright, look, Vir announced, his voice amplified by the same tablet the Overseer used. Bgra had charged it, and if hed had any reservations about why hed been asked to charge it, he kept them to himself. Having his life saved had had a profound impact on the nagas attitude to Vir.
I wont im to have all the answers. Who am I? Gargan rebellion. Yes, I said it. No, Im not afraid. Yes, Id be a grakking chal to think we could rebel and flee right now. Where would we go? To the Ash? Wed die. Across the border? Wed be fugitives. And I doubt any of you harbor delusions that wed be let back into Chitran-controlled territory.
So what should we do? someone asked.
For starters, we head to a secure location. By those mountains, Vir said, pointing to the jagged peaks that were bisected by the Ash Boundary.
The prisoners shuffled anxiously, and some uttered prayers, though not one spoke up against him.
I know its dangerous, Vir said. But its the best shot we have. The mountains will protect us from Ash Beasts. The Kothis arent expecting us back for a week or more. Well use that time, though not in the way they intended. Well train. Ill train you. Youve all seen what I can do. When were done, youll wield those weapons of yours as well as you move your own arms. I cant say youll win one-on-one against Ash Beasts, but three-on-one? Doable.
Excited whispers sounded through the crowd. They were hesitant, but onboard. Vir could work with that.
For those of youcking weapons well, I n to raid Praya Parul. On my own. And Ill bring back better gear than you could ever have dreamed of.
What about after? someone asked. What do we do then?
Then we return to Garrison Atnu. Well be wearing our cors, but well no longer be ves. No longer prisoners. Well be rebels. And when the timees, we will destroy them.
A cheer unlike Vir had ever expected burst forth, deafening the ears of all those present.
And, to Vir, Malik, and Bgras immense satisfaction, more than one Chitran guard pissed their pants.
Vir looked over his future troops with feigned pride. If only it works out that way
Chapter 285: Unseen Battles and Unsung Heroes
Chapter 285: Unseen Battles and Unsung Heroes
As it turned out, marshaling the prisoners towards the mountains proved exceedingly difficult, though not for the reasons Vir expected. While the prisoners seemed happy to obey hismands, their obediencested only until a horde of Ash Beasts broke through the Boundary, scrambling down the jagged mountains on a collision course.
It had taken thebined efforts of Vir, Bgra, and Malik to keep them from routing. Vir and Bgra to drive off the enemies, and Malik to keep the demons from routing. Advancing further, however, seemed like a lost cause until Vir Leaped ahead, chopping up Ash Wolves, Shredders, Phantomdes, and Ash Biters before they ever threatened the group.
He knew such actions were precisely what hed been hoping to avoid. That the more extraordinary the skills he disyed, the more questions it would raise. Questions that would be difficult to answer without revealing who he truly was. At the same time, however, Vir was more joyous than hed ever been since entering the demon realm.
During Samar Patags defense, Vir not only had to conceal his true strength, but the safety of an entire city also hung in the bnce. Here, close to the Ash where the prana was denser, and where he needed only to protect two hundred instead of twenty-thousand, he could truly revel in the thrill of battle.
Vir lost himself in the fight, flowing from one enemy to another like water, sapping their Ash Prana as he ended them. Years of preparing for the demon realm whilst inside the Ash had honed his prana efficiency to the limit. As he fought, he actually ended up gaining prana, despite relying heavily on his abilities to dispatch foes.
It didnt take long for the horde to rout. Vir allowed them to fleehunting down Ash Beasts would force him to expend too much prana.
Follow me! Vir roared. Hurry! Before more arrive!
The demons didnt need any further coaxing, especially when a fresh group of beasts began charging after the group from behind.
Vir moved swiftly around the prisoners, covering for the stragglers and killing any beasts that drew too close.
It took an hour for the group to finally make it to the rtive protection of the mountains, and another to scout an appropriate location for the group to hunker down.
Once there, however, Vir and Bgras task became much easier. With only one direction to protect, they had a far easier time of it. The Ash Beasts soon gave up, seeking softer prey.
Vir found it somewhat ironic that the most secure location was worryingly closer to the shimmering boundary, just a few hundred paces away. Part of him worried that the location put the prisoners at risk of being suddenly yanked into the Ash. When Bgra pointed out that it was either this or being constantly harassed by Ash Beasts, Vir concluded the crescent-shaped piece of t ground was the better option.
Here, at the base of the jagged mountain range, steep slopes surrounded them on three sides. Slops that rose hundreds of pacestoo high for most Ash Beasts to survive, especially without the full prana of the Ashen Realm bolstering their strength.
Thanks to the natural barriers, there was just one entrance and exit to the camp. An exit the prisoners were already working to shrink under Maliks watchful supervision. Vir was unsure what arts the demon possessed, but his leadership skills were second only to Bgras. The prisoners hefted rocks and rolled boulders without uttering a singleint, moving with both speed and efficiency, and betraying none of the exhaustion they all felt.
While demons boasted stronger bodies than the average human, the physical toil of running for an hour was nothing to scoff atto say nothing of the mental stress of continuous Ash Beast attacks. Even with Vir protecting them, theyd reached their limits long ago.
So it was of little surprise that they began keeling over the moment their camp had been staked out, falling t upon the ash in some cases.
As a leader, Vir unfortunately couldnt afford that luxury. Neither could hismanders.
Malik? Vir asked, approaching the gray demon. What are you doing?
Assigning berths to our troops, sir, Malik replied with his usual deference. Though its well that we made it here safely, Im afraid there is yet much work to be done. I find its always the mundane matters that get overlooked. Tallying rations, partitioning thepanies, tending to the Ashva, establishing watch details. The drudgery. Important drudgery, but drudgery all the same.
Thanks, Vir said with genuine gratitude. To tell you the truth, Id been putting that off.
Vir had never organized logistics beforenot on such a scale. If Malik wasnt around, Vir knew that hed be struggling to keep the camp from devolving into confused chaos right now. For his help, Vir was eternally grateful.
Understandable, Malik said, gesturing to a group of demons who were guiding a supply Ashva to a makeshift corral theyd assembled from volcanic rock. This is nobodys most-loved business, I assure you.
Why separate Bgras soldiers from mine, though? Vir asked. Do you think theyll have issues getting along?
Nothing of the sort, Malik said. Merely that when asked to muster, I dont want demons tripping over one another. Keeping them separate ensures we minimize the chaos when Ash Beasts are breathing down our necks.
Vir couldnt help but be impressed. Have experience at this sort of thing, Im guessing?
Malik shrugged. Not in a military sense, but yes. I was officially a bodyguard for a merchantwork, but the job often devolved into logistics management as they traveled between viges. Coordination isrgely the same, I find, no matter where you go.
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I see, Vir said, feeling like hed only scratched the surface of Maliks vast experience. Mind joining me for a moment? Id like to check in on Bgra.
Of course, Malik replied, barking some orders before falling into step behind Vir.
The naga warrior had consistently healed himself along the ride back, so Vir had expected to see the demon to be resting with a stump for a leg. Hed beening up with several options to help the demon recoverif not physically, at least mentally.
Bgra possessed vast battle prowess, and as such would be invaluable in training up their warriors. As for what came after Vir was hoping Cirayus could whisk him away to safety. Somewhere remote, where hed be able to live out the rest of his days in peace.
So when Vir walked into the makeshift infirmary tent and found the nagas limb regrowing before his very eyes, he couldnt help but gape.
Your leg, Vir whispered. Where hed expected to see a stump was instead a brand-new limb. Not yet fully grown, but nearly halfway. Like a childs.
Another day and I should be good to go, Bgra said. He was sweating profusely, evidencing just how arduous the process must have been for him. Ironic how the very prana that empowered those beasts will allow me to heal faster than ever before.
So the Panav can regrow limbs, Vir muttered, transfixed at the sight of the fresh flesh. It was grotesque in a way, though also marvelous.
I admit it is my first time seeing this as well, Malik said. Quite the impressive magic.
Lies! If by impressive you mean, grotesque, then Ill believe you, Bgra said with a wry chuckle. Not often that we nagas have to heal our own bodieswhat with most of us being back-line nobatants. Though Ill admit it is certainly handy. Or perhaps the proper term here is leggy?
Malik winced at his terrible pun, but Virs mind was elsewhere.
What the human realm would give for this
Vir thought back to Mina Hiranya. To how Maiya said the Princess had be disfigured, likely during her battle with Riyan. Was she still that way? Thinking of the human realm struck Vir with a pang of longing. Itd been days since hedst spoken with Maiya.
Two years apart and now I can hardly go two weeks, Vir thought in exasperation.
Hed left themunication orb with Cirayus for safekeeping, and knew it would be some time before he could take it back. At least shed have Cirayus to keep herpany.
I gotta talk to her once we return to Garrison Atnu. A couple of hours of privacy would be difficult to swing, though Vir thought he could manage it. He felt like he had to.
What you said back there? Bgra asked quietly. Did you mean it?
Vir nodded. Every word. Were going toe out of this together. Say, I hate to ask anything of you while you are injured
Bgra scoffed. Ill be good as new by the morrow. I know you need someone to train the troops and keep them in line. Malik runs a tight camp, but maintaining morale and training up troops requires a different set of skills. I assure you, the camp will be capable hands while youre gone.
Thanks, Vir said with a small smile. I really mean it. Cant really say this has all gone ording to n. Were in a precarious situation right now.
Ill say, Bgra replied. Without weapons, armor, and training, were dead meat. Still, do you truly n to have everyone return after this? Freedom is an infectious thing. Might have trouble corking that nectar now that its out.
I have to agree with the naga on that one, Malik said. The soldiers are already whispering about overthrowing the garrison and iming it for their own.
Suicide, is what it is, Bgra said. Ill have to smack some sense into those louts.
Vir just barely suppressed a smirk. Since when did you care so much about this? A few hours ago, you were plotting how to kill off half of our number.
Thank the gods I no longer am, Bgra sighed. Dont get me wrong. What youre nning is more likely to get us all killed than just obeying the Chits. But, well, if you do seed, I suppose there might be a life for us after all.
We will seed. But only when the time is right, Vir said. What we need now is order and discipline. Im trusting you two to handle that. Recruit as many trustworthy officers as you need. Get them trained as well.
Not that I have any issues with this, but what is your n? Malik asked. Even if we convince these prisoners to return, what of the Chitran guards? Do we kill them as well? Returning with no escort will appear extremely suspicious. The secret is bound toe out.
I dont doubt that it will, Vir said. But were not killing the guards. Theyre under heavy guard right now, but I was hoping Bgra could put them under.
Already on it, Bgra said, holding up a vial. I can make more. The supply Ashva had all the ingredients I needed, and Malik was kind enough to fetch them for me.
Vir exhaled in relief. Its so nice having capable help.
Good, he said. Lets deal with returning to Atnu after I return. I have a n for that.
Im sure you do, Malik said. Though you still havent answered my question about what we do with the guards when we return.
Ill think of something.
I pray that you do, Malik replied.
Ill have to, if we dont want to be put on the chopping block when we return, Vir said. Trust me, I am fully aware of importance of this decision.
You are nning to leave, then? Bgra said. Right now? Alone?
Vir shrugged. I can move faster than anyone here.
What of the gear youll need to haul back? Surely, you dont n to make trips to and fro?
I intended to take some of the supply Ashva, Vir replied.
Id rmend at least a few demons to tend to them. Youll be able to take more if you do, Malik said.
Vir hesitated.
Ill be delving into the city, he said. Itd leave them unprotected.
Bgra pinched the bridge of his nose and grunted. Look, I wont tell you what to do with your powers, but it looks to me like youve been trying to keep a low profile. I know, you feel that your secret has been exposed now, but trust me. The more people see something, the harder it bes to ignore. Id wager most of the camp is struggling to ignore the seemingly impossible feats you pulled out of your hair. Thest thing you want is to show it off again. With luck, many will have forgotten about that by the time we return.
You really think so? Vir asked, skeptical. I figured the first thing theyd do was gossip about my powers.
Theyll gossip, yes, the naga replied, shifting to a morefortable lying position. What they will not do is tell the Chitran guards. Because right now, they see you as a strong, capable demon. Not as something more.
Malik frowned. What do you mean?
Bgra locked eyes with Vir, who nodded.
Neel here, if thats his real name, managed to not only y the strongest Chitran here, he pulled off all manner of feats that ought to have been impossible without centuries of training.
So, hes a powerful demon in disguise, Malik said. Is that what youre saying?
Well, he mightve been, except he didnt sumb to the cor, either. More than that, he broke mine and somehow disabled the cors of every prisoner present. Tell me, do you know of any demon who could pull that off?
Malik fell silent, and Vir felt the demon edge away from him ever so slightly, before clearing his throat and standing straight to attention.
Its fine, Malik, Vir said. You dont have to hide it. Its true. I am not who I im to be. I am a rebel, that much is true. And I meant everything I said about returning alive. Can we leave it at that for now? When the time is right, I promise, you two will be the first to know.
Bgra nodded, followed shortly by Malik.
Everyone has their secrets. I can work with that, Bgra said.
Good. Then I have preparations to make, Vir said, then paused before Malik could interject. Im assuming you have a list of who I should take along?
Oh yes. A few, Malik replied, a glint in his eyes.
Chapter 286: Of Rebels and Kings (One) (Maiya)
Chapter 286: Of Rebels and Kings (One) (Maiya)
Riyan had once said that to Vir the passage of time heals all wounds. For Maiya, it seemed to be that the opposite was far truer. Each passing day brought with it mounting anxiety, and it certainly wasnt helped by the predicament she was in the midst of dealing with.
We wish for you to kill the Blessed Chosen, the woman seated across from Maiya said. Dressed in an unassuming robe, the middle-aged leader of the Sisters of Gray had somehow wrangled a one-on-one session with Maiya, guard-free. That one act alone spoke volumes about her power, even if her nd appearance didnt.
Why? Maiya asked. Not you, too? She thought.
It felt like everyone and their mother wanted the Blessed Chosen dead, and Maiya couldnt help but wonder if there really was some mysterious force at work, guiding events with an invisible hand.
The Blessed Chosen and the Sisters Suffice it to say that we do not see eye to eye, the Sister said. The Chosen is something of an autocrat. During his tenure, he has systematically gutted the Sisters power. Would you believe the Sisters were once equal in power to the Chosen himself?
Maiya raised a brow. That was indeed a surprise. Shed simply assumed itd always been this way.
And now that a woman is the Blessed Prophet, you see a chance to put someone sympathetic on the throne, Maiya said. Though it wasnt real sovereignty, for all intents and purposes, the Blessed Chosen was a monarch. The undisputed ruler of the Children.
Youre a smart one, Maiya, the woman said. You no doubt see this as a y to install a puppet Chosen the Sisters can control. I assure you, this is nothing of the sort. Rather, quite the opposite.
Oh? That was exactly what Maiya had assumed it was. What better strategy than for the Sisters to regain that control they had lost?
For you see, should you assume the mantle of Blessed Chosen, I will relinquish leadership of the Sisters. To you.
Maiya remained silent. Ira would be ecstatic. To not only be Blessed Chosen, but to gain control of the most prominent opposition faction within the organization? Shed have the Children dancing in the palms of her hands!
Which only made her leerier.
Why would you do such a thing? Maiya asked.
The woman across herwhose name Maiya still didnt knowsmiled knowingly.
Do you understand how rare it is for a Blessed Chosen candidate to be even partially rational? Our current leader is an exception among exceptions. When he assumed the mantle, wed hoped to have a healthy partnership for once, but s such is not to be. With you, however? With you at the helm, our organization will thrive. Perhaps together, we can restore some semnce of sanity to the cult.
Good luck with that, Maiya thought, fully aware of the irony. She was attempting to do exactly that, after all.
What makes you think I can take him down? Maiya asked.
Tis no secret the Chosen is enamored with you, the woman said. I am certain someone with your impressive capabilities should have no issues.
Was that a threat? Maiya wondered. Did the Sisters know of her involvement with Kinjal, like the Chosen did?
She shook off the thought. Maiyas identity was simply too strong a hand not to y. If the Sisters knew, theyd have mentioned it. Besides, neither Maiya nor Ira had made any mistakes. No, the most the Sisters knew was that she was a strong mejai.
The only reason the Blessed Chosen knew of her involvement was because of his unique ability to sense the locations of all Children of Ash, and she highly doubted hed have told them. Even if he had, theyd suspect anything he had to say, given their poor rtionship.
Trying to understand that mans actions made Maiyas head hurt.
Ill consider it, Maiya said. Id like to maintain a line ofmunication until then.
The woman nodded. I am sure something can be arranged.
Well, its not nothing, Maiya thought bitterly as the Sister rose to leave. The door opened, and Maiya was led back to her room. Under guard. Heavy guard.
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That was ten days ago.
While Maiya wanted to meet with Princess Ira right away, the Blessed Chosen hadnt seen fit to grant her that kindness. Maiya was, for all intents and purposes, under house arrest.
The Children didnt see it that way, of course. Under the guise of recognizing Maiyas right of session, the Blessed Chosen had assigned her no less than a dozen cultists who stuck with her at all times like glue.
The guards even apanied her within her own bedchambersat the Blessed Chosensmand, of course. As much as the Children revered her, they downright worshiped the Blessed Chosen. His word was as good as the word of their god, and no amount of effort had convinced them otherwiseSisters of Gray excepted.
Which meant the secret passages in Maiyas room were unusable, unless she was willing to burn all of her hard work and her imminent ascension to Blessed Chosen. As much as she loathed the cult, and as much as she wanted to return home, Maiya wasnt willing to throw that away.
She cast her gaze on the spot where the murder had beenmitted.
The handmaidens body had been removed by a pair of the Chosens personal guard. No questions were asked, and Maiya had no clue where theyd taken the poor girls corpse. She somehow doubted theyd given her the heros funeral she deserved, though.
Maiya caught herself grinding her teeth again. A recent habit, though what else was she supposed to do? She couldnt leave the room except to use the facilities, and even then, her guards followed her most of the way there.
All while chaos could be brewing and kingdoms falling outside Argh!
Not that shed done nothing. While her guards were the Chosens elite cadre, those who brought her foodnamely, agents of the Sisters of Graywere not.
There was little that Maiya could sneak by the watchful eyes of her captors, but she was nothing if not resourceful.
Scratching messages into the bottom of the soft y tes as she ate, reading the paper hidden beneath her foodpaper that contained secret messages These were her tools, and she utilized them to their fullest. The only difficult bit was eating those pieces of paper after. Hardly a pleasant experience, but it did eliminate any evidence.
Through these limited means, shed devised a n to break herself out. There was just one problem. The n should have been executed days ago. The messages had suddenly ceased, and Maiya found herself in the dark, fearing the worst.
Maiya clutched her hair as she paced around her bedchambers. If the Sisters had beenpromised, shed have precious few options avable.
Her guards watched her circle the room with the eyes of a hawk, though if they thought her behavior strange, they showed no hint of it. They were likely used to far more unpredictable behavior from their less-than-sane charges.
It was in the middle of one of her pacing sessions that the door to her bedchambers opened.
Maiya wouldve paid it no mind, were it not for two things. For one, the unusual timing. Her guards switched every four hours. On the dot. They hadnt tried to hide that from herthe hourss sat prominently on one of the tables.
It was still half full.
For the otherthis wasnt the slow, deliberate opening of the heavy stone door. No, it was panicked and rushed.
A figure darted into the room. The Blessed Chosen is in danger. Hemands your help! he shouted. Then he was gone, rushing off into the hall. Maiya barely had time to notice that he wore the same crimson garb as the Blessed Chosens personal guard. That, and his face, which looked oddly familiar.
Her guards gave each other a look, then looked at Maiya. Their hesitation was obvious, but then a half-dozen additional guardsregr cultists, in this caseflooded into the room, taking up positions around the perimeter.
We have been assigned as your recement, one of them said.
This seemed to be the final straw. The Blessed Chosens guards nodded their acknowledgment and filed out of the room, leaving only her new guards behind.
Maiya didnt know what to make of the situation, so she readied herself for anything. Had her contacts finallye through? Or was the Blessed Chosen really in danger? Or was this, perhaps, yet another of the Chosens stratagems to have her killed?
Your presence is requested, one of her new guards announced curtly. We shall escort your Eminence.
Maiya turned to her new captor, and to her shock, found a most familiar face.
Camas? she whispered. What are you doing here?
Your presence has been requested, Camas replied tly. Please do not resist.
His tone left no room for debate, and soon, allowed them to march her out of her room. Shed taken Camas down once before and could easily do so again, but once more, the importance of maintaining her cover barred her from overt violence. Shed have to handle this as delicately as possible.
Where are you taking me? she asked, fully expecting silence as her answer. It was silence she receivedher guards may as well have been as mute as the Silent One.
She felt a sudden pang of nostalgia for her old friends Until her guards led her into a room, quickly sealing the door behind them.
Then, nostalgia turned into confusion.
Waiting for her, and dressed in the Blessed Chosens personal guard armor, was none other than Yamal himself. Quickly, he said. Put these on.
Maiya recognized the clothing. It was the unassuming robe shed worn countless times on missions for Princess Ira. Worn when she was trying to stay hidden.
Where did you get this? Maiya asked.
From us. The voice came from a tall man who stood beside Yamal. From his ramrod-straight parade rest to his chiseled jaw and powerful frame, he looked like a fish out of water.
Maiya whirled, her eyes narrowing. Youre Brian Guard.
Brian Royal Guard, he corrected.
No Grakking Way.
Id tell you just how special this operation is, though it appears you already know.
Maiya nodded vigorously. The Brian Royal Guard could only bemanded by Kinjal royalty directly, and they rarely ever left the royal familys side. If one was here, it meant Ira had gone to mind-boggling lengths to have Maiya rescued.
And even greater lengths to keep the details secret, Maiya thought. What price the Princess had paid for this, Maiya couldnt even begin to imagine. That worried her. And yet, for the princess to have done all this just for her made Maiyas chest warm with pride.
Whats more, this operation represented a joint venture between Ira, the Sisters, and, Maiyas own cadre, which now included Camas gang, Yamal, and a handful of others.
So that Sister had known
Riyans rebellion, the Blessed Chosens revtions, the Sisters working with Kinjal There were so many moving pieces it made her head spin.
Lead the way, Maiya said exhaustedly, ready to be done with her prison atst.
Chapter 287: Of Rebels and Kings (Two) (Maiya)
Chapter 287: Of Rebels and Kings (Two) (Maiya)
The Kin''jal pilots hadnded a half-dozen Acira at different locations around Jatan Forest. Overkill, by all ounts. Just about right for the Royal Brian Guard.
They imed it was to ensure sufficient air cover in case the Children pursued, though Maiya wondered if theyd simply used the mission as an excuse to conduct a field training exercise away from the castle. Or rather, whether Ira had gotten them out by convincing it could be used as such.
It was a wholly unnecessary precaution, as it turned out. Theyd taken to the air with no one being the wiser, and it stayed that way the entire trip. The cover of night certainly helped, though Maiya doubted that things would have yed out any differently had it been done under broad daylight. The Royal Guard were easily stronger than Iras handmaidens, and many boasted Br Ranks in the hundreds.
The strategy had another benefit, howeverit allowed some of the other Acira to race ahead to Sonam with advance warning of Maiyas impending arrival. And Maiya felt there was indeed a great need to warn Ira.
The truth was, after learning of the Blessed Chosens powers, Maiya was no longer sure whether she ought to meet with Princess Ira in person. Ever again. The Blessed Chosen might only be able to track the locations of the cultists, but it wouldnt take a genius to figure out who she might be interacting with if he learned she was frequenting the Royal Quarter.
Then again, she had alreadydone exactly that, so she figured the damage had already been done. Rather, she couldnt understand why the Blessed Chosen had chosen to ignore her Kinjal affiliation. Was he simply too deranged to care? Or, as he imed, was he working under the influence of some greater power?
He certainly seemed to believe so. If that was the case, however, and Maiya was being handed power, the question became why. Nobody granted such powerful gifts without strings attached. Least of all gods.
Maiyas turmoil was abruptly cut short when their Aciranded in one of the stables for Sawaioutside the royal quarter.
I suppose thats one way around it, Maiya mused as she gracefully alighted. Meeting outside the castle grounds wont give anything away to the Blessed Chosen.
Yamal approached the moment theynded.
I was beginning to think wed never get you out of there, Yamal said, visibly relieved.
Kinjal forces wouldve had to work with someone on the inside. I take it that was you? Maiya asked.
Well, I just put them in touch with the Sisters. If not for your groundwork, none of this wouldve been possible.
Maiya gave Yamal an appraising look. He was useless in a fight, but it seemed he had other talents shed overlooked. Shed remember that.
And Camas? Maiya asked.
Surprisingly helpful. You seem to have gained quite a posse with that group, Yamal said, his lips taut.
Maiya guessed the man was thinking of the demonstration she gave Camas little gang. True to her word, shed been putting them to good use, getting them to squash cultists who didnt quite agree with the idea of a new member ascending the ranks so quickly. Shed initially expected little, but theyd done a decent job.
About time he atone for all the evil hes wrought.
This way, madam, a Brian Royal Guard said, gesturing for Maiya to follow. Your friend is wee as well.
A look of surprise passed over Yamals face, though he fell in beside Maiya as they walked the wide Sawai streets.
Any words from the Silent One? Maiya asked. I feel like he disappeared off the face of the realm.
Yamal shook his head. I put feelers out as well. No luck. No one knows what happened to him.
Maiya suppressed a frown. What would he do if he learned I killed his brother?
She only hoped the princess could shed some rity on this murky situation. If she couldnt, Maiya doubted anyone could.
Princess Ira Kinjal was seated alone in a private room on the third floor of an upscale Sawai lounge. She wore no disguise, though she wore novish dress or makeup either, and that was almost as good.
Ira was naturally beautiful, but she was as thin as a needle. Those who knew of her reputation would never expect her to leave the castle without guard, and those whod seen her with her puffy gowns and masterful makeup would never guess she was as frail as she really was.
Though, in her case, the frailty was a carefully crafted deception. Ira purposefully ate little and kept her frame slim, precisely to maintain her image.
Which only made her scarier in Maiyas mind.
The princess rose from her table and embraced Maiya in a tight hug.
Maiya, whod never grown ustomed to Iras casual behavior, stood awkwardly, waiting for the moment to pass.
Would it kill you to reciprocate, even just once? Ira said, pulling away with a pout.
Maiya simply raised her brow.
Hah, fine. This room is secure, Ira said somewhat irritably, gesturing for Maiya to take a seat across from her. We have much to discuss, so tell me everything.
Maiya nced out the window, which overlooked the clean, orderly streets below. It didnt look like a secure location, and not a single guard was with them inside the room. That, however, meant little. Maiya didnt doubt Iras handmaidens had the building covered and surrounded. That, and the fact that no one likely knew of this meeting, granted them security.
So Maiya shelved those concerns aside, organized her thoughts, and dove into the heart of the matter.
The Blessed Chosen knows Im an agent. The Sisters of Gray want me to take his ce. And there may be eldritch gods who wish for the same.
Maiya spent the next hour narrating events, pausing only to provide her thoughts and analysis of the situation. During that time, food and water had been brought, though shed hardly touched her te.
Ira, as usual, allowed her to speak uninterrupted, and even after shed finished, the princess said nothing, opting to gaze out at the streets below.
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It was when Maiya was halfway through her third vegetable kebab that she finally spoke.
I agree, Ira said atst.
With what? Maiya asked.
With your assessment that something may very well be going on here. Though, it is not some unseen deity that I fear, but rather the political machinations of another nation. I fear we may already have lost the battle for dominance over the Children.
Maiya frowned. If that were true, though, why would he be so afraid of me? You think its a ploy to bring me down?
Ira stood and paced around the room, one hand tapping her chin. Perhaps. Perhaps not. The situation in Sai has unfortunately taken a turn for the worse.
The rioters, Maiya said, understanding Iras meaning. You hadnt known?
Ira shook her head. On the contrary, Id known about the rebels activity for some time. It was why I wanted you there before they acted. Id hoped that your actions would have bought us some time, forcing them to reconsider their actions. I hadnt calcted theyd move as quickly as they did.
Why didnt you tell me about Riyan? Maiya asked softly, keeping all traces of usation out of her voice.
Ira sighed. Im sorry, Maiya. You deserved to know. I am aware of your history with that man. I wasnt sure how youd react. If the rebels hadnt moved that night, youd never have met him. I see now that I was wrong. For that, you have my sincerest apology.
Ira didnt lower her head, though Maiya never expected her to. An apology was already far beneath her station.
Its fine, Maiya quickly said, acutely aware of the gravitas of a royal apology. Did, er Did they seed?
Not yet, though Sai is in quite the predicament at the moment. While your actions had the intended impact, Im afraid the rebels attack has pushed the current regime to their breaking point. It is difficult to say how long they willst.
Thus realizing your worst fears, Maiya said, addressing the elephant in the room. If Sai falls, Andros will move in under the guise of re-establishing order. At best, hell install a puppet regime. At worst, hell expand Kinjals borders, seizing Sai entirely.
Indeed, Ira said, chewing on a fingernail. Im afraid that events are elerating out of control.
Maiya was silent for a moment. Then she said something she never thought possible. We should contact Riyan. Itd be foolish not to work together.
Ira threw her a look of surprise.
Perhaps, though I fail to see how this solves our biggest problem. No matter how strong this rebellion is, they will fall before Kinjals military might. Being a new government, theyve yet to forge rtions with the Altanirtions that would have kept them safe from my father.
Maybe. I wouldnt underestimate Riyan, though, if I were you. I abhor that man, but I have to admit hes fanatical about Hiranya. If theres even a babys chance in the Ash, hell wrangle a deal with them. Im sure of it. Besides, Maiya said coyly. Theres another angle we could take.
A babys chance in the Ash, is it? Ira said with a wry smile, causing Maiya to flush. But pleasedo say more. Im listening.
As I said, Maiya said, clearing her throat. Riyan wants Hiranyas prosperity above all else. King Rayid is Well, you know how he is.
Ipetent, Ira said tly. Neither great nor truly terrible. Mediocre.
Exactly. And there just happens to be someone in the line of session who, by all reports, is anything but mediocre.
You speak of Prince Sanobar Hiranya? Ira said. Ive met the boy once or twice. It is true that he has a good head on his shoulders But I fail to see your point here. If youre suggesting we incite a coup within Hiranya to put Sanobar on the throne
If I am?
Then I am disappointed, and you are far more nave than Id thought. Rebellions are not simple affairs, Maiya. Even if Sanobar was willing to oust his father, which I highly doubt he will be given his nature, where is his backing? Where is his army?
Maiya smiled devilishly. Riyan would be more than happy to handle all the legwork. Mark my words. Also, I never said anything about a sessful coup. Did I?
Ira ceased pacing. Her eyes widened as she caught onto Maiyas n.
You truly do wish to see your country burn, dont you? Ira said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
Not everyone, Maiya muttered. But Rayid? Mina, and her ilk? dly.
A daring gambit, Iramented. Nay, an insane one. You hope to y upon Andros obsession for conquest. You hope to draw out his forces to the borders of both Hiranya and Sai. If we instigate both rebellions in tandem
Itd leave Kinjal, and specifically Sonam, quite unprotected, dont you think? After all, whod be crazy enough to waste valuable Brian warriors defending an impregnable citadel like Sonam while theres conquest to be had, let alone two?
Certainly not Andros, Ira said, her eyes envisioning this potential future.
Certainly not Andros, Maiya echoed. Itll be the opportunity of a lifetime. Too irresistible for someone like him to pass up. Youll never have a better chance.
And yet, Fate could not be more cruel. It is too soon, Ira said. I am not ready.
Get me a meeting with Sanobar and Riyan. I can work with them to coordinate. Maybe theyll even helpe up with a n to take down Andros. At least, Im sure Riyan would. I know youve been struggling with that.
Indeed, Ira said pensively. There is just one w with your n.
Her expression turned into a predatory smile, and Maiya almost shirked back.
Yes? she said, mustering her confidence to counter whatever Ira was about to say.
The Childrens intelligencework is far too valuable an asset to ignore. Especially if we n to go after two countries at once. If we do this, you will have to assume the mantle of Blessed Chosen.
Maiya opened her mouth but couldnt find the words to argue.
I know. I will.
Bheem stole through Kaiyas cool night streets with the natural grace that only a native of the city could. One might assume that, despite his great stature, hed have a difficult time remaining unnoticed. Bheem, however, had no such issues.
A hunched back, short, timid steps, and averted eyes went far to make the big man appear smaller from afar, allowing most peoples attention to slide right off. He would knowhed had a lifetime to perfect the art, even if hed had no cause to dust off those skills in a while.
Angling off the thoroughfare, Bheem turned onto one of many breezy streets that led to the ocean. The northern chill had rarely ever bothered him. Quite the opposite, actually. Kinjali weather might have been idyllic, but there was something visceral about a Saian winter he sorely missed. Most would call it difficult and harsh. For him, it was home.
Tracing his steps to the familiar ess hatch hed used countless times, he dropped into the sewers.
The stink and the pitch-ck darkness would scare anyone. Bheem had felt the same the first few times hed delved its depths, pulled along by his elder brother.
But feelingswhether of happiness or terrornever won against the unavoidable might of monotony.
By the dozenth time, Bheem felt no fear.
By the hundredth, hed grown bored of it.
Now, the long journey to the bottom-most depths of the ancient sewer system was nothing more than a chorea task to bepleted. Danger was the furthest thing from his mind.
No, what he feared was his response. After all, the Silent One had failed. Hed run away, tail between his legs. What would he say? Would he provide guidance, as he always had? Or would he banish him?
The closest thing Bheem had to a father. Whod named him and his brother. Names theyd treasured and kept as secret as precious gems.
The pitch-ckness gave way to beautiful shimmering blue lights, illuminating a long-lost city. Or rather, an Outpost, as Janak had corrected him so many times.
If there was one thing, however, that had never once dulled in its awesome grandeur, it was this ce. Bheems amazement at the buildings grandeur remained as intact as it had been on that day when he and his brother had first discovered it.
This was their secret. Something no one else knew.
For Bheem had been raised by a god.
Janak appearedas he always didwithout warning or indication, his brilliant white-and blue form materializing as majestically as ever. His flowing white beard and glowing azure eyes alwaysmanded a measure of respect, and Bheem fought his instinct to kneel.
Itd taken many years, but Janak had broken him out of that habit long ago, and Bheem didnt want to start off this reunion on the wrong foot. It was unlikely to be pleasant, as it was.
To Bheems surprise, it went nothing like hed thoughtthough by now, he really ought to have expected it.
Unable to bear the weight of your task, you have returned, Janak said in a voice both deep and full of divinity. Even now, Bheem refused to believe he wasnt real. That he was a mere copy of the great Lord Janak. To Bheem, Janak was every bit a deity. Especially when his wisdom ran so deep.
No, child, I am not disappointed. Merely weary. Weary that, I must be the messenger of terrible truths.
Bheem opened his mouth, though a wheeze was all he could manage. It was all he could ever manage, ever since that day his tongue was cut.
If you cannot save your brother, then you must be the one to kill him, Janaks words, though spoken softly, thundered in Bheems ears.
Kill
No matter what, you must be the one to take his ce. Do you understand? She cannot seed. If she does, the future of this realm may be lost.
A lone tear rolled down Bheems cheek. Then the hesitation was gone. He closed his eyes and nodded.
Bheem understood what needed to be done. He would not let his brother die. No matter what. Not even if it went against his brothers wishes.
Chapter 288: Well of Despair
Chapter 288: Well of Despair
The few Malik had mentioned were a four-armed red demon Vir was unfamiliar with And the red demon whod tried to assassinate him during theirbat exam the other day. The very same demon Vir had shut down.
Youre sure youre not just trying to hoist him off to me? Vir asked, an eyebrow pointedly raised.
You have to admit, he is quite the capable warrior. You saw that for yourself, Malik replied, deftly avoiding Virs question.
Vir had chatted with Malik about their history together, and it seemed their bad blood ran deep. To where Vir suspected some cosmic force had to be responsible for their continuous unfortunate encounters.
The two had been childhood acquaintances, much in the same way Vir and Camas were. One mightve guessed that it was Malik who was the bullied party, but that wouldve been wrong. It was, in fact, the bigger, more muscr demon who was the victim.
We all mature as we age. I truly regret what I did to him during our childhood, you know? Malik said, hanging his head.
And then his wife left him to be with you, Vir said, unamused. Surely, you could have seen thising?
It was her choice! Malik replied. And all the rites were properly performed. We prayed to the gods to bless our marriage. We did nothing wrong! He just doesnt see it that way.
The world shed white and thunder cracked from nearby, prompting the two to flinch. The lightning was an ever-present danger this close to the Boundary, but between ash Beasts and lightning, Vir considered the natural danger the lesser of the two.
I suppose, Vir said, letting out a long breath, having wisely decided that this was a Prana Swarmir best left untouched. Having him along will be of great help. He seems to be reasonable around everyone who isnt you, at least. And I wont have to worry about you being stabbed in your sleep while Im gone.
That too, Malik said sheepishly, no doubt understanding that Vir had known the real reason all along.
After hammering out a few more details, Vir dismissed his logistical officer and headed for the opposite end of camp. There was one other he wished to bring along. One demon whose participation might very well determine their fates, and whod deftly eluded him until now.
As he searched, Virs mind filled with the dilemma of the captured Chitran guards. The issue had been weighing heavily on his mind, and he was honestly at a loss.
If the prisoners killed themsomething Vir was loath to dothen returning to Garrison Atnu would be all but impossible. Bgra was right on that point. A group of demons returning from the lost Chitran City with their cors broken and captors missing would only result in everyones summary execution. Itd be far too suspicious.
If he let the guards go, however, theyd undoubtedly deliver Vir and Bgras heads on a tter the moment they returned.
For now, Vir deferred that difficult problem, as it would be something of a luxury if they all lived long enough to worry about that. Right now, he had farrger issues. Issues that forced him to delegate the troops training to the injured Bgra, despite Virs immense reluctance to do so.
The rations the prisoners had would onlyst two or three more days. Perhaps slightly longer if Malik sessfully collected and rationed it, but either way, time was of the essence, and they had none to lose. Vir didnt envy the demons job, and had thanked Badrak more than once for the luck thatnded such a capable and talented ally into hisp.
Vir finally arrived at the spot hedst sighted his final recruit, only to find no one there.
So I wasnt imagining things. He really is avoiding me.
That was alright. Vir Blinked away, reappearing right next to his target.
You really dont want to have anything to do with me, do you? Vir asked, causing the scrawny kothi to yelp and jump away in fright. To his credit, he managed not to fall t on his butt in panic But only barely.
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N-nothing like that! the kothi stammered. As far as Chitran went, he was on the smaller side, and not only because he was malnourished. The demon boasted neither the physique nor the confidence Vir would expect from a warrior, and if he was honest, he didnt know if this particr demon had anything to offer. Even if Vir was correct about his character.
That doubt evaporated the moment he saw the kothis Chitran bloodline tattoos.
Rx, Vir said. Im not here to hurt you. Just why are you running away from me? Have I wronged you in some way?
The kothi stood up, dusting off his robe. Im Chitran, he said. His voice was higher-pitched than Vir had expected.
Ah. Of course
Vir fought the impulse to pinch his nose. Look, he said. Id be lying if I said I didnt have issues with the Chitran. I imagine every Gargan does. But you need to understand that this does not mean I hate all kothis.
The skittish demon gave Vir a look of extreme suspicion. But Youre a rebel.
Yes. I did say as much. And yes. I am working to overthrow the Chitrans. I am not, however, trying toeradicate them, as theyve tried so hard to do to the Gargans. I dont even know you. How could I have anything against you?
You may not hate me, but did it ur to you that I might hate you? Youre Gargan.
Vir shrugged. Maybe you do, but I doubt that. Call it a hunch. Besides, I think well have ample opportunity to learn more about that in the near future. When youe with me to Praya Parul.
P-Praya Parul? The kothi stiffened visibly, taking a half-step back. Surely, there are more suitable warriors? he said, ncing nervously around. I cant fight, you know?
There are, and I know. Vir said. But I need someone to tend the Ashva that will haul our gear. Thats you.
The kothi looked around, and finding no one he could foist the responsibility to, finally gave up. He hung his head and nodded.
As you wish.
Vir set out with little fanfare, pausing only to announce his departure to the troops in hopes of procuring the weapons and armor theyd need to survive. Hed initially wanted to sneak away without making a scene, but Bgra had convinced that their leader stealing away would demoralize the troops to the point of no return.
Vir was d hed listened. Rather than despair, many of the demons felt a sense of renewed vigor. That, if Vir seeded in his mission, theyd have proof to bring back to the Chitran. Valuable spoils of war that might just allow them to be pardoned.
Given the dire supply situation, Vir took only the bare minimum for a three-day trip. They could stretch that if need be, but Vir was loath to take any more food and water than they absolutely had to. The prisoners would have a hard enough time as it was.
Riding alongside Vir was the kothi Gunin and Maliks lifelong enemy, Lagen. While they were oddpany for such a mission, Vir had ns for them both, and he hoped to use this outing to advance that n several steps. Whats more, they both boasted strong tattoos, even if only Lagen considered himself a warrior. Their powers would be crucial for defending themselves and their beasts of burden.
Lashed behind them were three more Ashvataken from the supply beasts and those the Chitran guards had ridden. Theyd need every ounce of their hauling capacity if they wanted to bring back enough gear to outfit two hundred people.
So, about Praya Parul Gunin said, breaking the weighty silence that weighed upon the group. Has anyone been there?
If any of us have, itd be you. That was your ns city, after all, Lagen replied curtly. So? Have you?
Not personally, no. Though, my father told me enough stories that I certainly feel like I have, the Chitran replied. I admit Im a little excited to see it after all this time. Even despite the danger.
Then by all means, please regale us with stories of your wonderful city, Lagen said, making no effort to hide his distaste for the kothi.
Id hardly call it that, Gunin said softly. Praya Parul was an unsafe ce decades before my people fled it. Many of our n perished manning the walls. Defending the city against unending Ash Beast assaults.
You were hardly the only ones who lost good demons to the Ash. Still doesnt give you the right to annihte another n, Lagen said.
No. No, I suppose it doesnt, Gunin replied, earning a look of surpriseand derisionfrom the red demon.
Vir remained silent. Cirayus had said that the Chits had felt the effects of the encroaching Ash the most. That they spent an inordinate number of resourcesmore than any other ndefending their vast border, even as it was slowly eroded away.
Just like Matali.
Vir knew all too well the sort of desperation and hopelessness such a slow, inevitable destruction could have on a people. It didnt excuse what the Chits did. It certainly didnt excuse Asumans mistreatment of the Gargans in Samar Patag. It did, however, shed some light on how Gargas downfall came to be, and Vir couldnt help but wonder if things mightve been different had his mother and father paid more attention to the Chitrans before events came to a head.
When the first opportunistic Ash Beast swooped in on the convoy, Gunin and Lagen had nearly soiled their pants.
When Vir drove them away for the dozenth, they barely even fazed hispanions anymore.
Never thought Id look at one of those Ashen terrors with pity, Lagen muttered under his breath.
On that, we agree, Gunin replied, nodding vigorously.
Theyd both kept their voices low, to avoid being overheard by their leader. Unbeknownst to them, said leader possessed hearing far above those of any ordinary demon. Vir allowed a small smile to creep onto his face, which, of course, went unseen by either.
Virs good mood was swiftly vanquished when the soot-ckened ruins of Praya Paruls walls came into view.
What is this feeling? Lagen said from behind him, shuddering.
Death, Vir replied. He didnt need Prana Vision to inform him of the death trap that lurked within those walls.
The shrieking wails did plenty of that already.
Chapter 289: The Ruins of Praya Parul
Chapter 289: The Ruins of Praya Parul
The world shed white. Deafening thunder struck just paces away, leaving ringing ears and a sizzling, scorched earth behind. The sky had turned nearly ck, and the Ash fell almost as heavily as it did in its namesake realm. All that was missing was the overwhelming prana of that blighted realm.
I want you two to retreat to a safe distance, Vir said in a tone that left no room for dissent.
Were not following you in? Lagen asked. Not like I want to run headlong into whatever it is thats in there, but, well No demon should have to deal with those foes alone. No matter how strong they may be.
Vir squeezed the demons shoulder. Thank you. Truly. Ill be alright. We cant risk stray beasts attacking the Ashva, and since my arts allow me to move quickly, I can ferry the armament to you. Just have them strapped and ready to go. I dont want to linger in this ce any longer than absolutely necessary.
That makes two of us. May Vera be with you, Neel, Lagen said. Gunin nodded his sentiments, already marshalling the Ashva away.
Vir had hoped the city wasnt so far gone. Itd been a fools hope. With half the city enveloped by the shimmering Ash Boundary, the condition was dire, and certainly no ce for Ashva.
After seeing the two off, Vir turned his attention to infiltration. With no eyes on him any longer, there was no need to restrict his powers. Even so, hed be lying if he said Praya Parul didnt scare him just a bit. Logically, the beasts that lurked within wouldnt hold a candle to the hordes hed fought deep inside the Ash. Let alone the Wyrm hed taken down with Ashanis help.
And yet, as he gazed up at Praya Paruls tall, sturdy wallsnow stained ck with Ashhe wondered just what lurked inside. That the city was such a trove of weapons and armor spoke to the chaos that must have ensued when its citizens fled the city. This was a ce of death. More a mausoleum than a proper city.
Lightning struck and Virs ears rank with the boom of thunder, as if the skies confirmed his thoughts.
Vir pushed aside the thought and cycled Prana Current to its maximum, condensing theyer of Ash Prana that surrounded his skin. Then he Leaped over the walls, intent on honoring his words to Lagen and Gunin; theyd linger here not one moment longer than was absolutely necessary.
Would it kill you to speak to me? Gunin asked. The first time his words went unanswered by Lagen, hed assumed the Gargan simply hadnt heard him. The second time, he wasnt so sure. After being ignored thrice, it didnt take his sisters prodigal talent to understand that he was being ignored.
Normally, Gunin wouldve liked nothing betterhed always preferred to keep to himself, even as a boy. Instead of confronting the demon, hed rather have spent hours agonizing about whether Lagen hated him,ing up with a myriad of responses, and never acting on them. Just that guiding a dozen Ashva, unfortunately, required them to work together. To say nothing of riled up beasts that needed to be pacified. These were gentle creatures, unused to being surrounded by such danger.
You are not the only ones Gunin stole a nce at the shimmering Ash boundary that bisected Praya Parul just a few hundred paces away. A permanent reminder of the danger they were all in by merely being there.
I see no need to speak to the enemy, came Lagens curt reply.
Gunin stiffened. Because I am a kothi, he said.
Dont feign innocence. You know well what I think of your kind, Lagen said. There was genuine loathing in his eyes. Hatred restrained only by the thinnest veneer of self-control.
Hell kill me if he gets a chance, Gunin thought, nearly taking an involuntary half-step back. Gunin stopped himself. He isnt the only one with such feelings.
Youre all the same, Gunin said, panic rising in his chest even as he uttered the words. What are you doing? Hell kill you! You think you were the only ones who lost something in that war?
Lagen turned slowly, his jaw flexing. That action, more than his red nostrils, or the hand that went to his talwars pommel, spoke more about just how close Gunin was to receiving a de to the throat.
This was not his element, and Gunin feared hed made a grave mistake.
You would lecture me about loss? You, who invaded ournd? Who enved my people? Lagens voice rose as he closed the distance. Barely a pace remained between the two now.
You dare im that we were at fault for protecting ourselves?
This time, Gunin did step back.
Lagen stopped. He drew in a long, slow breath. You know? he said with a wryugh. Id agonized over what I was about to do. Over what had to be done when I had the chance to kill one of you.
The anger had left Lagen. He seemed moreposed nowhis tone even.
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So why am I shaking?
I must thank you for making the decision easy. Lagen unsheathed his talwar slowly. Golden Gargan tattoos red to live around his exposed arms. I will rest better at night, knowing one less of your kind draws breath.
This is it, Gunin said, readying his own tattoos, knowing fully well it was a futile gesture. If he could defend himself worth a damn, his family would never have banished him in the first ce. Hed never have been sold as amon ve. Him. Heir to his noble family after his prodigal sisters death. After the Gargans had murdered her.
Well, dear sister. It seems I will be joining you shortly.
It was neither Lagens mercy nor Gunins own battle prowess that saved him. It was a howl and a shriek. A terrible, otherworldly scream.
The Ash Beasts had arrived.
Only moments after entering the city, Vir realized something was off.
As he bounded from rampart to roof to spire, hed encountered nothing but a city being progressively buried with Ash. Whatever mechanism prevented its buildup within the Ashen Realm seemed to be absent here, and the streets were covered in it.
While thatplicated Virs task, it was the Ash Beasts that worried him.
Forget being attacked0hed spotted not even a single one. Not one solitary beast roaming the soot or digging around for scraps.
Then where did those shriekse from? Vir wondered. Rather than relief, his worry deepened. This was not normal behavior for Ash Beasts.
He pressed deeper into the city. It was clear from the first moment that the Chitrans old capital was a far cry from Samar Patags squalor. Even abandoned and ravaged by the ash, Vir could easily imagine its former splendor. Enormous monkey statues standing in heroic poses lined the streets and served as gateways to thoroughfares.
The roads were wide, and the buildings tall. Taller than Vir would have expected. The shorter ones had been buried under the Ash, of course, though Vir felt those couldnt have been more than a tiny minority. Almost every building in the city soared six or seven stories into the air, with bridges and catwalks often stretching between their upper floors, making for a sort of elevated roadwork.
Did they put those up in response to the ash? Vir wondered. If so, it sounded like the encroaching Boundary had been far greater of an issue than Vir had given them credit for.
Why did you ignore their plight? Vir asked histe father, Raja Maion of Garga. Maybe things wouldnt have unfolded the way they did if you had Maybe you wouldnt have had to die.
s, whatever Maions reasons were, they went with him to his grave. If not even Greesha knew, no one would.
The very wind that ravaged the city and broke down the Chitran structures had kept many of the bridges free of Ash, allowing Vir to alight on a hanging bridge to reorient and recover his prana.
The process would take several minutes without Ash Beasts to drain, so Vir used that time to enter the building that stood at the end of the suspended bridge.
He forced open a door on its uppermost floor, expecting to find the room within empty. Instead, found a room with four narrow bedsone at each corner. Charcoal decorations were etched on the walls, with four wooden dressers filling the space next to each bed. All covered in a thick coating of ash.
Everything too heavy to carry was left behind, Vir surmised as he walked through the room. Two decades ago, someone lived here. A family, perhaps?
In the next room, Vir found a darker space slightlyrgeramon area with arge table and chairs. Owing to its boarded up windows, this room had substantially less ash than the other, and therge rectangr table and chairs all looked to be in good shape.
It drove home just how short a time twenty years really was.
This was their reality.
The Ash Boundary may gained ground every day, yes, but it hardly moved quickly. Itd been encroaching upon both the Human and Demon Realms for millennia, which meant its pace couldnt have been more than a cial crawl.
The situation Vir was dealing with now must have been simr to what the Chitran had dealt with for a century or more. He couldnt even imagine what living like this had been like. Demons wouldve had to clear the streets of Ash constantly, transporting and dumping it elsewhere.
Soot would have stained fingers and clothing, clogging the lungs of children and the elderly.
No matter what Cirayus and the others said about the Chitrans underhanded ways, they were a hardy people. People who dearly valued their n and their home, and fought dearly to defend it against an unstoppable enemy.
What other exnation would they have had for refusing to flee as refugees into Garga and the other ns?
With Prana Current having recovered enoughVir wanted a healthy reserve for any enemies he encounteredhe stepped out of the abandoned seven-story house, back onto the bridge, and scanned the city.
Even now, he saw nothing. No sign of Ash Beasts, nor any of the weapons and armor he sought. Not for the first time, he bemoaned hisck of Chakra mastery. The Life Chakra would have been especially useful here, allowing him to sense the general direction of the Ash Beasts. Despite many hours training in his mindscape with Ekanai, his efforts had proven fruitless.
As with the Foundation Chakra, there was something Vir was missing. Some crucial element that would allow him to progress.
If he couldnt rely on Chakra, hed have to leverage his oldest ability instead.
Vir took a moment to adjust the flow to Prana Vision. The Ashen Realm had forced him to recalibrate its sensitivity to avoid overloading his senses, which hed had to do again upon entering the Demon Realm, albeit for the opposite reason.
Now, he tuned it to something in between.
Despite his extensive tinkering, Vir had never gotten Prana Vision to show the subtle differences in a particr affinitys density. Hed sorely missed that capability in the Ash, where all prana was ck to his eyes. In the other realms, prana shone in different colors, allowing him to easily identify their presence.
At least the ground is still gold with Earth prana here, Vir thought. This wasnt quite the expanse of overwhelming darkness he was used to in the Ash, though it wasnt much better, either.
Which was why it took him a dozen attempts before he thought he saw something. An area of the city with Ash Prana that appeared slightly darkerslightly denserthan the rest.
Following his eyes, Vir Leaped in that direction, kicking up puffs of soot with each rooftopnding, lingering just long enough to jump again.
With each moment that passed, his sense of unease grew, as did his confidence that he was on the right track.
Ash Beasts craved prana. This was as true within the Ashen Realm as it was outside.
The cloud grew more distinct as Vir approached, darkening and thickening.
The terrible screech resounded once more, prompting Vir to grip his talwar a little tighter. Prana Current surged at its maximum, and Prana Armor was as dense as the ambient prana conditions would allow.
Vir was prepared. He held every advantage. And yet, he couldnt understand what caused his stomach to churn and his palms to sweat.
It was only when he Leaped across thest building that he understood why. It was only when he fell into the yawning crater that gouged into the earth like a cosmic wound that realization dawned and his unease morphed into full-blown horror.
No. Thats Thats impossible!
Chapter 290: The Serpent’s Ploy
Chapter 290: The Serpent¡¯s Ploy
Insufferable. Arrogant. Conceited.
The words repeated in Ajunes head like a mantra as he walked the camp. He wasnt like the others. Hed done nothing wrong. He didnt deserve to be here.
Neel. The word echoed like a curse through his head, vibrating through his skill.
Hed ruined everything. Hed doomed them all. The Chits may have been harsh rulers, but theyd at least promised salvation! Put in the time, keep their heads low, and theyd be granted freedom. As if that werent enough, the prisoners had bowed their heads and followed like the blind sheep they were.
Ajune was no sheep. He likened himself more to a wolf. Ajune knew he didnt belong here. Fate had conspired against him. Fate and Neel.
Now, there was no hope. No chance at all of a happy oue. Not after Neel went and murdered the Overseer in cold blood.
Yes, he might survive, but what of the rest of them? As if proving his point, the chal had left so suddenly, taking the Ashva with him. To find weapons and armor?
Only a fool would believe such things.
Ajune wanted to yell in rage. So stupid. So nave. The others they believed him! They actually believed him!
Hed left with their most valuable assets. And theyd let him!
No, they would never see that gray demon again. The others would soon understand. Theyd realize theyve been abandoned. Theyde to terms with the hopelessness of their situation.
And what then?
Then it would be toote. It was already toote That was, of course, for everyone else.
Just because Ajune had been forced onto this sinking ship didnt mean he deserved to go down with it.
No, he was smarter than that. He always had been, hadnt he?
Ajune didnt sneakthat was what amateurs did. He simply strode to the ce where the Chitran guards were being held, pretending like he hadnt a care in the world.
The foul naga Bgra had forced the kothis to drink some concoction that had put them undera decision that puzzled Ajune to no end.
For whatever reason, Neel had been unwilling to end their lives. What reason such a cold-blooded murderer could possibly have for sparing them was lost on him. Perhaps the demon intended to use them as bargaining chips against the Chitran?
It wouldnt work. Not after hed in the Overseer in in view of everyone. The Chitrans response would be so fierce, so unbridled in its wrath, that an offering of guards would be like dousing a raging fire with a single bucket of water.
Which was precisely why Ajune needed to take action. On his own.
Theyd all been prisoners. All vescarted in cages like livestock. So what gave Neel and Bgra the right to determine their fate? Merely because they were strong?
Granted, it was the demon way, but Ajune refused to ept that. That was little better than thew of the jungle. He was cultured, dammit. He didnt belong here.
The demons assigned to guard the Chitran were, rather predictably, enjoying a game with the cards theyd stolen off their charges bodies. That was Neel and Bgras first mistake. Theyd thought of these demons as an army. They werent. They were little better than a mob cowed into obedience through fear.
Ajune had considered riling them up to sow chaos, but their glorious leaders had actually left someone halfwaypetent in charge. The camp remained orderly, and was growing more so by the hour. An impressive feat For ayman.
After some contemtion, Ajune had opted for a simpler approach.
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You two. Malik wanted to speak with you. He sent me to take your ce.
A professional soldier wouldve regarded such a request with suspicion. He only sent one to rece us? theyd have asked. They might even have interrogated him about his capabilities.
The guards, of course, did no such thing. Rather, they appeared more irked that their card game had been interrupted than anything else. With the lethargic motions of someone doing something they absolutely detested, they slowly rose and marched off to the other end of the camp, where the so-called leaders had erected theirmand tent.
Ajune watched them go, then produced several vials from his pocket. Hed been part of the group whod searched the Chitrans bodies. Rather, hed ensured hed been part of that group.
For what soldiers wouldnt carry around somemon antidotes? Whatever Bgra had cooked up to keep them asleep couldnt have been anything fancy. Where would he have gotten the ingredients?
Ajune uncorked the stopper and drained half a vial down each guards throat. There wasnt quite enough for them all, but this would at least rouse them. Which suited him just fine. Awake, but not in any capacity to panic or resist. Perfect for selling them his pitch.
Malik was fussing over his camp organization ns when he was interrupted for what had to have been the tenth time in as many minutes.
What is it? he asked wearily, unable to recall thest time hed gotten some proper rest. The caged caravan wasnt exactly the most hospitable environment, nor were the open pits they were supposed to call a camp. How anyone ever adjusted to resting with soot continuously falling upon them, Malik could not fathom.
This time, it was arge-framed, muscr Warrior who approached. At least a familiar face.
The water, sir. Were running low.
While not everyone had adopted the military discipline Malik had so badly desired, there was progress. And, while it was cial progress, Malik supposed he ought to be thankful he had even that.
Already? he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. Are you sure?
Yes, sir. We seem to have gone through our stock at an rming rate.
Check the food, Malik said after a pause. Double the guards and bring as much of our supplied to themand tent as you can. Just dont make a big deal of it, yes?
The demon hed appointed nodded slowly. He caught on quicklyone of the reasons Malik had chosen him in the first ce. That, and hisrge stature and Aspect tattoo helped dissuade any whod oppose him.
Understood, he said, nodding in salute before walking off.
I must admit, you are more patient with them than I would have been, Bgra said, taking a sip of water.
Yes, well, spend a few years in logistics, and you will learn patience, Malik replied, sagging his shoulders.
We have a saboteur, Bgra said quietly. Though they were the only two in themand tent, its walls were hardly thick enough to muffle voices.
Seems that way, Malik agreed. I anticipated not everyone would agree with Neels actions, though I hadnt expected treason so early.
Which means hes smart, Bgra said. He sees our dismal prospects and aims to take action to avoid that fate.
At least we can ensure no more food and water is taken if we bring them here. Id considered it, but decided against. Itd have sent the wrong message.
Perhaps, Bgra said. But is a hit to morale more important than starving or dying of thirst?
That is an unanswerable question, and you know it.
Bgra let out a slow breath. Perhaps it is.
Do you believe in him? In Neel? Malik asked. In truth, the same feeling had been nagging at the back of his mindand, he suspected, the minds of everyone else. What now?
Malik understood the need to address their immediate worries, of course. Food, water, better armament. Then training and discipline. But what then? What came after?
I like to focus on the present, Bgra said, avoiding Maliks question. If our saboteur seeds, it will be he who benefits.
At our expense, Malikpleted, his lips tight.
Indeed. As I said. A smart one.
I suppose the only question that remains is to see just who is smarter, Malik replied. Us? Or him?
Neither spoke what didnt need to be said. Whoever this personor personswere, they had the initiative. And if theyd already managed to drain the water without being detected, they were likely up to worse. As for how much worse? That was in Badraks hands. Only the trickster god would know.
Perhaps I should make a round, Malik thought, though no sooner had he decided that a pair of two demons ambled up to him.
You two are the guards assigned to watch over the Chitrans, yes? Why are you here? Malik asked with annoyance. And why would you leave them unguarded?
The look of confusion on their faces, however, sparked some of his own.
You asked us here, didnt you?
Malik frowned. I did not. Who told you this?
Dunno. Some bloke. Said he was sent to relieve us.
Maliks eyes shot wide. That wasnt me, you dolts! Seize him. Immediately!
Youre awake, Ajune said. Good. Keep your eyes shut. I fear we have little time.
The Chitrans did as they were told, hardly giving a single sign that their consciousness had returned.
This was what professional troops looked like. Discipline, even in the midst of confusion and crisis.
The prisoners drugged you and put you under, intending to feed you to Ash Beasts to eliminate any evidence, Ajune lied. The only reason they were still alive was because Neel and Bgra saw some value in it. But the Chits didnt need to hear that.
I disagree with their n. I disagree with what Neel did to the Overseer. As such, I am setting you free. In return, I would like protection back to Garrison Atnu. Wag your tails if you agree.
Ajune kept his voice low and his tempo quick. He wasnt joking about time being short. The moment those guards reached Malik, hed have a minute or two at best.
Several of the kothis tails wagged.
Good. I have brought your weapons, though I was unable to procure any Ashva as they are under heavy guard. When I give word, take your weapons, turn right, and follow me.
Ajune took a nce at their surroundings. Demons milled about, blissfully oblivious to his actions.
He cracked a grin. Finally, something was about to go his way atst.
Now!
Chapter 291: The Prana Gorger’s Lair (One)
Chapter 291: The Prana Gorger¡¯s Lair (One)
Vir had seen much during his time in the Ash. Hed even visited the lost city of the gods, and had witnessed all the terrors that lurked deep within. In fact, hed bet that aside from Cirayus and perhaps a select few other demons, there were none who had fought as many Ash Beasts nor ventured as deep as he had.
Which was why, when the writhing ck mass screeched from below, it terrified him in a way that the only City Enders such as Wyrms and Prana Swarms could.
This was neither, and yet just as fearsome. For what stretched beneath Vir as he Leaped was an enormous creature that had neither arms nor legs, but jet-ck, oily tentacles. Dozens of tentacles that each a dozen paces long. Each as thick as tree trunks at their base. The creatures torso resembled no animal, but rather a misshapen hemispheric dome with bumps and ck protrusions all along its surface.
Its main body was easily fifty paces in diameter.
Vir hung midair. Time slowed as Haste activated, allowing him to digest the inexplicable sight.
There were no buildings in this part of the city, having all been subsumed by the abomination long ago. All that was left was a pitor crater. Barren and empty, save for the creature and the hundreds of minions that surrounded it.
These smaller Ash Beastscked the forms Vir was used to. Or at least, theyd been changed so drastically, Vir could barely identify them. Some resembled Phantomdes, but where those had oblong turtle-like shells, these were misshapen and deformed, like poor replicas.
Like the gigantic monster, their hides were inky ck, and slopped off as they shambled, bumping into one another repeatedly.
It was all Vir had time to take in before he fell. Slow at first, then faster.
Directly into the middle of the swarm of demented beasts.
de Launch arced out in front of Vir, cutting a path through the minions.
Somehow sensing danger, they parted to allow it through.
Theyre intelligent, Vir noted. They had moved not like a mob of individual creatures, but as one entity with multiple bodies.
Vir took the opening and sank into the ground, leveraging their shadows to sink fully into the Shadow Realm.
There, he took a moment topose his thoughts. He knew too little of these beasts to understand what it would take to defeat them. He suspected he had to defeat them if he wanted any hope of retrieving the weapons and armor that littered the floor of the pit.
It was evident that some great battle had been waged here long agoperhaps against this very beast. If so, the body count spoke volumes about its strength. This was not a foe to be underestimated.
Which prompted Vir to ask just how the prisoners were supposed to deal with this monster? Even if their cors had been fully disabledwhich they wouldnt have been, not without Virs effortsthe beast was far outside their means.
From the shadows, Vir could see the utterly gargantuan amount of prana that filled the creature. Even the minions were stronger than they ought to have been, given the ambient density.
No, the prisoners wouldve had no chance.
Half must die.
Thete Overseers words repeated in Virs head. No wonder the prison camps had been so heavily guarded. Vir had thought it strange he wasnt allowed to talk to the other, more veteran encampments, despite being able to wander around his own without issue.
These monsters werent new. From the way theyd destroyedor consumedthe nearby terrain, theyd been here a while. Which meant the Overseer knew.
And that meant this training was really a culling. Only the strongest, most capable Warriors had a chance of fleeing with their lives.
This wasnt a mission to procure weapons. It was a ughterhouse designed to eliminate all but the very best.
Vir couldnt feel chills while in the Shadow Realm, but he felt like someone had applied ice onto his mind, nheless. That, and a sour taste in his mouth.
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If true, the Chitrans had no recourse. They would pay, and pay dearly. Yet now was neither the time nor the ce to sentence the Chits for their crimes. He had to find a way to deal with these monsters. To ensure they would never harm another demon again.
Easier said than done. Right now, Vir knew too little. He needed more information about these foes.
Snaking his talwar out of a nearby shadow, he swung at a deformed beast. As expected, its high prana density acted like armor, allowing ck leathery hide to deflect the blow.
What surprised Vir was not that his attack had failed, but rather that all nearby minions reacted instantly the moment his talwar swung. Even in the time-slowed world of shadows, Vir could see them repositioning, preparing tobat this new threat.
Vir hurriedly withdrew his arm, freezing time once more. There was no doubt about it. They moved with collective intelligence. How, Vir couldnt begin to guess.
Extending his arm out through another shadow, he imbued his talwar with Prana de. This time, his swipe did connect, bisecting the beast with barely any effort. It crumpled to the ground, dead.
Opting to keep his arm extended this time, Vir watched as the beasts moved. This time, they didnt flee, but responded with strikes of their own.
Attacks of this caliber couldnt hurt Vir. Not with Prana Armor. Hed been nning on defending with his extended arm when he felt their presence. Metaphysical weight that made these seemingly benign attacks all too lethal.
Warrior Chakra.
Chakra wasnt like prana, which was invisible to most demons. No, Chakra announced its presence to even the most untrained. Babies nearby would cry, and even demons whod never held a weapon in their life would understand that death approached.
Vir hastily retracted his arm, sinking back into the protection of the Shadow Realm.
He was toote. Almost instinctively, a burst of Prana Darts fired from his body in all directions. Several struck the blob-monster, altering its paw by the smallest sliver.
The deformed beasts swipe passed harmlessly by, though it came with a speed Vir hadnt expected.
That was too close. If Prana Armor had failed Vir didnt even want to know.
Cirayus had once described sustaining a Chakra attack as being partially killed. Not physically, but in existence. It was a pain that would never healnot without the Heart Chakra. A wound that affected every aspect of ones life.
Vir silenced his rising panic and formted a new n. He had to rid this ce of these abominations as quickly as possible. He had to be efficient, and he couldnt allow them tounch even a single attack against him. While Prana Armor might give him a thin margin of safety, he couldnt rely on it. Not when his soul was at stake.
Just before his time in the Shadow Realm ended, Vir exited.
The momentum hed carried into the shadowsunched him back out, turning him into a living weapon that cleaved through a half-dozen minions before hede to a stop.
For while they might be able to move as a group, itd do them little good without time to react.
The instant his lethal prana rushed out, he Blinked, hurling three de Launches in three different directions. Aiming was of little concernwith so many foes around, he could hardly miss.
Prana des speared through two-dozen minions each, leaving a Y shape of corpses crumpled around Vir.
For the briefest of moments, Vir felt that this fight may not be as difficult as hed thought.
He was, of course, proven wrong.
The moment the Ash Beasts had been torn asunder, a terrible shriek pierced the air. Vir spun to find its source, only to frown in confusion.
For every beast hed killed, new ones were already emerging. Not from the ground, or even from outside the pit, but from the dome of the tentacled monster. They appeared from the top and scrabbled down its inky hemispherical body, rejoining its allies.
That was a problem, but Vir didnt have the time to dwell on it, for there was another, more pressing, issue.
Until now, the great beasts tentacles had remained inert, undting in the air high above the pit. Now, they flew into a frenzy. Some even smashed the ground nearby, though the monsters avoided it as deftly as theyd avoided Vir.
Its not just the monsters. The tentacles are also connected, Vir realized, dodging another Chakraden trunk-sized appendage. Due to theirck of uracy, itd taken him a moment to notice, but the tentacles had been aiming for him.
Between the tentacles, the Chakra-wielding mobs, and the main body that birthed new foes, Vir had his hands full. Worsehis prana was running low.
Vir darted toward the nearest minion and drained its prana, then moved for another, finding he had to leverage Blinks full speed to ce his palm on the Ash Beasts inky flesh.
He drained this one in a simr fashion and went for a third. This time, however, he found a Warrior Chakraden sh waiting for him. Aborting his attack, Vir focused on another nearby beast, but met with the same response.
Theyre learning, Vir thought with both frustration and amazement. They were learning that he was weak to Chakra attacks.
Suddenly, a tentacle mmed down from above, and this time, it too carried Warrior Chakra, forcing Vir to give it a wide berth.
Sinking into the shadows, he re-evaluated his options. Since the enemy moved and thought as a single entity, it hadcked the normal blind spots. Since Vir had to physically touch the beasts to drain them of Ash Prana, that posed a significant hurdle. He could still easily dispatch them at a distance, but that would eventually drain him. And with each enemy he killed, a new one took its ce.
Vir briefly considered killing as many beasts as he could to force the main body to drain its own reserves, but quickly abandoned that idea. The three minions hed consumed had barely refilled his reserves. Hed be the one to run dry first, and then hed truly be exposed.
Where is it getting the prana?
Creating fully grown Ash Beast abominations out of thin air had to have consumed an immense amount of it.
Think, Vir. What else can you do? Whats its vulnerability?
Vir looked out at the beasts main body in the distance. Could it be so simple?
The massive hemispheric blob couldnt moveat least, not that Vir had seen. Which meant it mustve had protections. But did it have protection against someone draining its prana?
Vir surged out of the shadows and lunged for the main body. Hed hoped for a small sliver of opportunity to attacka window before the mob readjusted to his tactics.
Hed been wrong.
Grakking Ash!
Chapter 292: The Prana Gorger’s Lair (Two)
Chapter 292: The Prana Gorger¡¯s Lair (Two)
Vir sailed through the air, and for the first time in his life, he trulymented his inability to change directions mid-flight. It simply wasnt an ability one appreciated until the need arose.
The need had arisen, and now, Vir would give anything in the world to have it.
The creature hadnt just adapted. Itd nullified Virs attack even before itd begun.
Showing impossible speed, the monsters steadily crawled up the hemisphere, covering it in ayer of armor. Armor thatprised their own bodies.
It was better than armor, actuallydozens upon dozens of projectiles shot at Vir, even as the main bodys tentacles smashed down left and right. Each wielding Warrior Chakra, and severaling far too close forfort.
Vir barely managed to activate Haste in time, allowing him to twist away and barely avoid a tentacle by a hairs breadth. Less, actually.
Vir felt the icy grip of death as the tentacle brushed against his skin. Prana Armor negated the damage, though even that brief encounter left it severely depleted.
As much as Vir wished to sink into the shadows and regroup, he didnt have that luxury right now. He continued sailing through the airdirectly at the dense swarm of beasts. With each pace of distance closed, the chance a projectile actually hit grew.
And with Prana Armor running low
It''s what they want!
The beast wanted him to smash into it. So it could pummel him with unavoidable Chakra attacks.
It was a trap, and Vir refused to let himself fall into it.
Time slowed to a crawl as Vir maximized Haste. Doing so burned his internal prana reserves at a furious rate, but it was a necessary sacrifice.
Mustering his concentration, Vir focused on a Phantomde spike that sailed toward him in slow motion.
The issue with Haste wasnt that his body moved slowlyit was that every tiny movement generated tremendous force. After all, to the world, he was moving tremendously fast. And speed generated force.
Right now, force was not what Vir wanted. Surging prana into his arms to Toughen them, he reached out, and as delicately as possible, grasped onto the iing projectile.
Virs greater mass met with the spikes fearsome speed, stopping it cold. In the process, he altered his own trajectory.
Letting go of Haste, Vir plummeted to the ground and into the realm of shadows.
If he was to defeat this monster, hed need a new n. One that ounted for its surprising level of intellect.
It was no use. Whatever Vir tried, the enemy countered with a prescience that made Vir wonder if he was actually fighting an Iksana wielding ritythe Ultimate Bloodline Art that allowed them to glimpse the immediate future.
He tried cleaving a path with de Launch. He tried surfacing next to the giant beasts hemisphere to drain it. Hed been thwarted every time by minions who rushed to fill their fallen brethrens ce.
And through it all, Vir felt his frustration rising. Frustration, not at the strength of his foe, but his own weakness.
Chakraden spikes whizzed past his ear as Prana Darts fired outward, annihting anything within five paces.
The opening bought him a few precious seconds, but as always, it did little good. More spikes followed, forcing Vir to dodge.
There was one reason, and one reason alone that exined why he couldnt deal with this foe with ease. His utterck of defense against Warrior Chakra.
The Shield Chakra protected against such attacks, and the Heart Chakra allowed one to recover from themessentially healing the soul.
However, bemoaning his deficiency, as cathartic as it was, would not help him defeat this foe. He needed a new strategy, and needed it soon. His prana reserves were so depleted that Vir could feel the lethargy seep into his muscles, and Prana Armor was all but stripped away. From the earlier tentacles swipe, and from the handful of near misses hed had since then.
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It was only now, with his back against the wall, did Vir realize his mistake.
Hed been thinking of this foe as a beast. The same as all the others hed fought in the Ashen Realmtheir minds broken by the Ash. Their tacticscked both depth and breadth, making them easy to dispatch once one understood their strengths and weaknesses.
Except here, in the Demon Realm, there was no such prana poisoning. No overwhelming pressure that slowly corrupted the minds of all creatures who lived there. That usually meant the monsters here were far weaker. In fact, this mightve been the first time Vir encountered a foe simr to himselfa beast capable of retaining its prana reserves in a deficient, barrennd.
Perhaps as a direct result, it had developed intelligence. Vir had known that from the first moment hed fought it, yet hed been unable to alter his tactics. If he had perhaps he wouldnt be in such dire straits.
Maybe I should retreat
It was nothing more than an errant thought. Were this a year ago, Vir might very well have done exactly that. Were this the Vir who thought of only himself and those close to him, hed have turned tail long ago. It was the sensible choice, of course.
But when his eyes scanned the battlefield, when he took in the hundreds of weapons and pieces of armor just lying unused, he understood that fleeing was not an option.
Time was not on their side. Vir had to return to his demons before their supplies ran out. He didnt have the luxury of waiting around another several days for his prana to recover, and the prisoners needed this equipment if they were to have a fighting chance. Hed need it to prove that they really had braved the dangers this pit posed.
Vir used the remaining moments in the Shadow Realm to formte yet another n. When his time ran out, he exited.
Prana de wreathed his talwar, its low consumption making it one of the few effective weapons Vir had left.
With precise applications of Micro Leap, Vir danced with death as he darted between lethal Chakraden swipes as he cut open enemy minions.
Before him, arms were severed, and legs cut. He sliced the digits off the minions paws and stabbed into their abdomens.
Never killing. Only injuring.
This was a gamble, pure and simple. On some level, all strategies were, but this one was especially borne of desperation.
The minions mightve acted as one unit, but they were each clearly living beingseach possessing hearts and minds of their own. Which meant they could be hurt. If there was one truth Vir knew, it was that all animals felt pain. And pain was the enemy of rational thought.
Their interconnectedness that formed the backbone of their formidable strength would be their most damaging weakness.
Because it wasnt only thoughts they shared, but sensations as well. Sensations such as pain and feelings of fear. Of terror.
The effects didnt take long to manifest. Minions shirked back whenever Vir approached, their self-preservation instincts warring with the mandate of the hive mind.
Vir continued to pierce, slice, and cut. Now, instead of a field of corpses, Vir was surrounded by a ring of emptiness.
Is that all you have? Vir roared, brandishing his talwar and pointing at the beasts who formed a circle around him, staying a good twenty paces away.
You cant make more if I dont kill any, Vir said, his pose showing absolute, infallible confidence. Can you?
Wails of pain were Virs only reply. Which was fortuitous because his mental state was far from the confidence he projected. Running on hisst wisps of prana, he felt weary, spent, and most importantlyexposed.
He stood in a den of beasts fully capable of tearing him limb from limb, and as he was, he barely even possessed the capacity to escape.
Now!
Vir disappeared into the shadows, praying to Badrak, God of Luck, that his own fortune would hold.
Emerged next to the hemisphere of the beasts main body, Vir struck. This time, instead of rushing to form ayer of armor, the nearby beasts hesitated..
Some shirked back, while others moved timidly forward, their individual minds refusing themand to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
Itsted only an instant.
An instant was enough.
Virs palm met the inky ck flesh of the hemisphere and with every ounce of force he could muster, he began to drain.
Several things happened in quick session.
Prana surged into Virs body at an absurd rate, rapidly refilling his blood and re-establishing Prana Armor.
The ck hemisphere visibly shriveled around Virs palm, bing leathery and gray as if aging at an elerated rate.
Finally, the beasts around Vir began to rampage. Whateverpulsion that had beenmanding their obedience disappeared all at once, and theyid into one another, ughtering with reckless abandon.
Vir took the opportunity to fire a de Launch directly into the hemisphere before High Jumping to a safer position, breaking his drain of the hemisphere for the briefest instant.
If the monster noticed the cessation of his draining attack, it certainly didnt show it. Not when it was writhing in pain from the de Launch.
Once on top, Vir smashed both palms against its slimy membrane and ruthlessly pulled. When his body could take no more, Vir began hurling Talwar Barrages back at the beast, using the very prana he siphoned to inflict wound after wound.
Like a deting hot-air balloon, the hemisphere copsed in on itselfdead.
Precious few minions had survived the mad ughter, but their efforts earned them only the briefest extension of life. Like marites whose strings had been cut, each and every surviving minion copsed lifeless to the ground.
Vir hardly had the time to notice. Standing atop the hemisphere as it deted, he found himself suddenly falling.
Hed expected tond on the ground beneath the hemisphere, and as such, braced himself for impact. A fall from this height would hardly faze himhis Leaps and High Jumps often took him much higher.
Which was why his stomach fell out from under him when he didnt stop. Nor did he even slow. In fact, he gained speed. Falling. Deeper and deeper into an abyss whose bottom was nowhere to be found.
Chapter 293: The Buried Secrets of Praya Parul
Chapter 293: The Buried Secrets of Praya Parul
The pit disappeared around Vir, darkness enveloping him as he fell.
Vir was no stranger to darkness. That wasnt what bothered him. It was the torrent of prana assaulting him that consumed his attention.
This wasnt Ashen Realm prana, or even Mahdi Outskirts prana. It was prana so thick, so dense, that Vir struggled under pressure he hadnt felt in a very long time. As he fell, he felt the prana pushing past thest vestiges of Prana Armor, worming its way into his body. Into his blood. Stretching and expanding it.
Vir might have taken a moment to appreciate the somewhat diforting-yet-satisfying pain were he not falling into an abyss.
The ground rushed up at a furious pace. Just moments ago, Vir would have worriedwithout prana, he was barely stronger than a normal demon.
After draining the Ash Beast and consuming the prana that rushed hungrily into his body, his worries had subsided.
Using Light Step, Vir touched softly onto the rocky ground. Looking up, he could see the storm clouds far in the distancethe ever-present lightning shing brightly against the bleak backdrop.
The perfectly cylindrical tunnel had clearly been dug by handsbut by whose, Vir couldnt say. Nor had Vir heard of any rumors of a powerful font of prana lying under the Chitran capital city.
Which either meant it was new, or itd been triggered by something after the Chitrans left. At least it exined how the beasts there were so powerful.
Good thing I didnt try to oust its prana reserves With this amount, hed have died of old age before that beastwhich Vir tentatively dubbed The Prana Gorgersumbed.
Prana Vision was nearly worthless due to the overwhelming abundance of Ash Prana, so Vir was forced to rely on his eyes and groping around to feel his way around the pitch ckness.
While Leaping out was certainly an option, Vir feltpelled to explore whaty at the source of this mystery. If nothing else, the environment made for ideal training conditions. Itd been so long since Vir had encountered a truly prana-dense environment that he was beginning to fear his prana capacity would never expand again.
Even if only for a few hours, Vir wished to spend as much time soaking the prana as possible. Perhaps, after hed sent back the weapons and armor that were now ripe for the taking, hed return here and spend a few days meditating.
Virs eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, allowing him to spot a darker patch of wallslightly darker than the rest. It was there that the Ash prana density was greatest, so Vir slowly made his way toward it.
What Id give for a Magic Lamp orb right now
If the hole hed fallen through was dark, the tunnel that led to it was pitch ck. Not a single mote of light prated these depths, forcing Vir to ce a hand on a wall to guide him. His only worry was that this wasnt simply a tunnel, but rather an undergroundwork of tunnels like the ones under Daha. If so, he could easily get lost in here.
His worries were put to rest when his fingers brushed up against a cold stone wall.
The end of the passage.
Had Vir only his nonexistent sight to rely on, hed have turned back. Except, evenpromised as it was, Prana Vision painted a very different picture. The surging torrent of prana that blinded him originated from here. Behind the wall.
Which made Vir think that maybe this wasnt a wall at all, but a door.
So Vir sunk into the shadows, fully intending to emerge on the other side.
Here, in this ce of total darkness, he ought to have had his pick of exits. In fact, he often ran into the opposite problemthere were usually so many exits that it made choosing difficult.
Indeed, there were plenty of exists, but they ally behind him. Not a single one existed past the door.
Was I wrong? Is there nothing beyond here? Vir wondered, surfacing in front of the door again.
Using both hands, he felt around for anything that might resemble a doorknob.
He found no knob, but he did find a bump along the door. His fingers traced the bump, and he soon realized it was part of a design, flowing and curving.
Thinking it fruitless, Vir was about to stop, but something prevented him. His fingers continued tracing the design until they came to a sharp point.
Heartbeat quickening, Vir traced a new line originating from there. A straight line that went diagonally down to another point. From there, it turned right, before a third line finally connected back to the original.
A triangle. An upside down equteral triangle.
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Vir felt for the other lines and found them to be circles. Three circles that intersected with the triangle.
He retraced the designthe insigniaseveral times to be sure.
There was no doubt. The lines traced a symbol hed seen his entire life.
The symbol of the Akh Nara.
Without hesitation, Vir surged Ash prana from his fingers into the symbol. As the only being in all the realms capable of doing so, he was certain this was the key.
He became less certain when, after a full minute, the symbol continued to suck his prana, forcing him to cycle Prana Current to draw in more from the surroundings.
Virs body became a conduit, cycling greater and greater amounts of prana.
He could scarcely remember a time when hedst done this. It was dangerous. It stretched his body well past its capacity. It was intoxicating.
So much raw, unbridled power flowed through his body. Enough to match the very best mejai in the Human Realm. And it was all his.
Virs thoughts grew muddy as the surge overwhelmed him.
He caught himself just in time. The calmness of the Godshollow flooded him as he opened his Foundation Chakra, blowing away the fog that had clouded his mind.
In that moment of rity, Vir understood that this door needed not just prana, but mastery over Chakra as well. For a split-second, he worried he hadnt unlocked the right chakras. That the door would not admit him passage.
Then the torrent of prana suddenly ceased, and Virs world went dark.
Vir didnt ck out. Not quite. Hed knowhe had plenty of experience in that area. No, Vir maintained his consciousness, even as his body was transported past the door to the other side.
He was alivehe could feel the beating of his heart and the air of his breathjust that Virs mind was elsewhere. Taken to another ce. Another time.
In front of him, a brightly lit room materialized. Aboratory that Vir was intimately familiar with.
Mahdi. Janaksb.
In the distance, a person in a white coat stood hunched over, though it was somewhat difficult to make out. Parts of the room were foggyall detail lost. Items ced on the many cluttered tables sometimes disappeared, only to reappear momentster.
Vir stood and approached the demon. He too, seemed to flicker. Sometimes freezing in ce before suddenly appearing a few paces away. It wasnt the same as when someone used a movement art. No, this looked corrupted. As if whatever memory Vir was experiencing had faded through the ages.
Even with the anomalies, Vir was half-certain of the mans identity, even before he turned around. The head of shiny ck hair and the earring in one ear were good hints, as was the locale.
When Janak turned, it was not the proud, bronze-skinned man whod beamed in front of his daughter.
A single nce was all Vir needed to know that this Janak was dead. Not physically, but mentally. Bags lined his eyes, and his skin had gone pale. Wrinkles even shone on his foreheadsomething Vir knew the Imperium had solved ages before their fall.
Janak had the look of a man who hadnt slept in months. Whose reason for existence had been robbed. A soulless, lifeless husk of the person he once was, and it wasnt hard to guess why.
This is a vision from after the fall. So Janak survived?
Either that, or Vir was looking at his replica. The one whod contacted Vir in Vka Amara in the caverns under Daha.
A million questions went through Virs mind, but Janak interrupted them. In a delirious rage, the demon clutched his head and spun, sweeping the contents off a table and sending them ttering on the ground.
Vir recoiled, despite having never been there. His mind struggled to reconcile the man before him with the wise god whod spoken to him in Vka Amara.
The distraught Janak didnt seem to notice the clutter hed caused. His eyes were focused with singr intent on a piece of paper on the table.
Curious, Vir edged closer to the table.
Its a map?
Draped across the table was a piece of Well, not quite paper, but its Imperium equivalent. Glowing lines rose from the map, giving it depth normally impossible.
Along it, borders were drawn. Strange borders that Vir didnt recognize.
He did, however, recognize the beam of red light at its very center that shone up, nearly reaching the ceiling of the tall room.
Mahdi. In various locations around the continent were dozens of other dimmer red beams. Red, Vir realized, for destroyed.
It was a map of the realm. The one realm from before the fall. But the state of the cities showed this was clearly a map of after.
He wouldnt have had the ability to chart out the new realms. Hes using old information.
It made Vir question when exactly this scene took ce, and what Janak was hoping to achieve here.
Vir was soon able to ce terrain features in the Human Realm. To the westy Jatan Forest near Sonam. The Godshollow. The North and South Legion mountains that divided Rani from the Pagan Order.
To the east, Vir recognized the terrain that corresponded to the Demon Realm.
And in the middle, where Mahdi sat That must be the Ashen Realm!
It was, surprisingly, far smaller than Vir had thought it would be. Just a mere sliver in the shape of a vertical eye, with Mahdi at its very center. At its greatest width, it couldnt have spanned more than half that of the Human Realm.
Yet Vir had spent years there, traveling. Hed known the Ashen Realm was broken in some fundamental way, but seeing the full map like this truly put into perspective its true extent.
Janak yed his fingers over a tablet nearby, and several blue beams popped up around the map.
Vir leaned over the table, taking a closer look. They were spread out across the world. Some in the Human Realm. Some in the Demon Realm, and some even in what was now the Ash.
Hang on a minute
Vir found the Gargan Sea and traced west to the mountains that met with the Ash Boundary. From there, he went north
No way!
One of the blue beams corresponded to Praya Parul. Specifically, to the chamber beneath Praya Parul.
Which means the other ones
Vir willed his body to move. While the connection was tenuous at best, it did exist. Slowly, agonizingly, Vir moved his arm to his belt pocket, and retrieved the piece of parchment hed appropriated from a supply Ashva, along with a charcoal pencil.
The action was akin to moving his arm while it was asleep. He couldnt feel it at all, which made the involved task of transcribing a map an incredibly arduous affair.
Vir soon gave up on the details, opting instead to mark the general locations of each of the blue beams, along with a majorndmark nearby.
By the time he was done, Vir could feel his body heaving with exertion.
While Vir was busy transcribing the map, Janak moved busily around the table. Almost frantically. A sound in the distance caused both of them to stare. Vir knew the sound well. It was the wing and scratching of Ash Beasts out for blood.
Janak returned his attention to the table and touched his tablet. The red beams winked out of existence all at once. The blue beams, however, dimmed and disappeared one by one.
By the time thest lightthe light of Praya Paruls chamberfaded, Janak had already gathered his things, stuffing them unceremoniously into a rucksack, and fled to a door on the other side of the room. Rather than afraid, Janak looked worried. Anxious. His eyes rested upon the table at the center of the room for a long moment, before he uttered a garbledmand Vir couldnt hear.
The lights turned red. The tables and work stations all began to descend, retracting into the ground. Within moments, no trace of Janaks work remained. Including the table map.
Janak turned and left through the far door. Right as the world went ck.
Chapter 294: A Close Haul
Chapter 294: A Close Haul
Hold! Hold, or by the gods, I will take your kothi head myself! Lagen barked, dealing a vicious blow to an Ash Wolf in mid-jump. Without the prana of the Ashen Realm to protect it, Lagens talwar cut deep into its soft belly. Such was the force of his blow that it redirected the animals momentum, sending it sprawling past Gunin, who stood with shaky legs and ttering teeth.
Get a hold of yourself, Chit! Lagen shouted. There was an edge to the Gargans voicea sheen of deranged anger that no amount of self-control could suppress. Gunin shirked back from the pressure Lagen exuded, but then it was gone, with Lagen targeting his next opponent.
While the Gargan Bloodline Art Lionheart boosted his physical capabilities to monstrous degrees for a short time, it also robbed him of some degree of sanity. Complex thoughts became difficult, and if left unchecked, good even result in his total loss of control.
Control he was finding difficult to maintain, considering the demon who fought beside him.
In all his years, Lagen never once thought he would fight side by side with a Chitran. Back to back with the very chals who put his own n into the ground. In fact, he nned to end the kothi the moment Neel had left alone to Praya Parul.
Then hed flee. With the cors no longer operational, and with his pick of Ashva, there was no need to linger. He could escape to Panav and make a new life for himself. The nagas had always been sympathetic to Gargan refugees, after all. Even with the cor around his neck, Lagen was confident hed be allowed to stay there.
That had been the n, right up until Ash Beasts had swarmed them.
Lagen took a swipe at a Shredder, who jumped back in the nick of time. No longer deranged by the Ashen Realm, these foes fought intelligently. While Lagen was no stranger tobat, he certainly hadnt expected such difficulty facing weakened beasts.
Difficulty, however, did not mean inability. Lagen roared and charged the beast, ignoring the swipes it took at his arms. With Braveheart active, itd take more than a few swipes to hurt him. He felt emboldened. Stronger than hed ever been.
A part of him knew it was not his own power that deserved the credit. Not entirely. Lagen ignored that part.
He hurled into the bipedal beast and took it down, smashing its face with the pommel of his sword. Perhaps not the ideal strategy, but it sure helped vent his anger. He had quite a bit of that, for it was only well after the creature breathed itsst did Lagen rise, storming back to Gunin.
Just looking at the code kothi was nearly enough to set him off, and with Lionheart, Lagen wasnt confident he could stop himself before he did something he regretted.
Releasing the ability, he took a deep breath, and addressed his newfound ally.
How are you such a coward? he asked.
Ive always been this way, Gunin replied, looking away ashamedly. Ive never had any talent for fighting.
Your n just gave you those bloodline arts from an abundance of goodwill, did they? Lagen spat. The kothi was lying. He had to be.
No, Gunin replied, refusing to meet his gaze. They threw me out because I was not worthy of them.
Lagen paused. Growing up in Chitran-controlled Garga, Lagen had seen the brutality their kind were capable of inflicting.
They disowned him just for that? Lagen almost spoke the words aloud, catching himself at thest moment. What did it matter that his enemy had led a difficult life? It changed nothing. It didnt change the fact that his entire family was dead for no reason other than the childrens selfish thirst for conquest.
It didnt change what he needed to do now.
We make a pretty good team, you know? The insufferable kothi said, eyes still averted. Lagen almost wanted to grab his face and force the Chit to look him in the eyeshis behavior was insufferable.
Team? Lagen said. We are no team.
No, we are, Gunin replied, shaking his head. My Warlords Battlecry emboldens your own Lionheart, magnifying your strength and making the enemy more susceptible to panic. Did you see how the beasts hesitated? If I didnt know better, Id almost say they were meant to work together!
Lagen wanted nothing more to refute the little kothi, but something held his tongue.
A-And my Warlords Domain, Gunin continued, picking up steam. It makes them move slower, and it makes you faster too! That makes their attacks weaker. And with your Braveheart doing the same, youre several-fold stronger! Its truly incredible!
Gunin stopped abruptly, perhaps fearing hed said too much.
Lagen said nothing, neither acknowledging nor refuting the kothis words. As much as it called him, the Chitrans bloodline arts had aided him in the battles until now. Though hed never admit it, Lagen was unsure whether he would still be standing were it not for Gunins help.
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Shrieks in the distance interrupted their conversation. Shrieks which could only mean one thing.
Incredible enough to fight off those? Lagen asked, pointing to the horde that had just appeared from the Ash Boundary.
Gunin gulped. I suppose we shall find out.
It wasnt long before Gunin, Lagen, and their Ashva were surrounded. Defending themselves was tough enough, but protecting the vulnerable beasts of burden? That was a lost cause.
Cut it loose! Lagenmanded, arriving toote to save an Ashva from the lethal fangs of an Ash Biter, jumping away just in time to avoid being swarmed by its allies.
The poor beast of burden whined in pain as it fell, swiftly disappearing under the countless Ash Biters who rushed to take bites out of its flesh.
Its sounds stilled soon after.
Lagen and Gunin herded the remaining beasts into a tight circlepacking them in as close as they possibly could. The Ashva, while terrified, seemed to understand that they were safer obeying, and were being as brave as anyone could ask. The rest was up to the warriors.
Warrior, rather. While Gunins powers certainly augmented his allies and suppressed his enemies strength, it was only Lagen who was capable of putting down their foes. No matter how strong he was, Lagencked movement arts of any kind, meaning he could only be at one ce at one time.
It didnt take long for their enemy to realize this weakness. After that, it was simply a matter of dying the inevitable.
Well die here, Gunin shouted in panic.
And? Lagen fired back as he blocked an iing attack. What would you have us do? Believe me, dying on a suicide mission for the Chitran was not how I intended to meet my end.
Lagen wanted nothing more than to flee with his life. Attempting to, however, would only shorten his already limited lifespan. For it wasnt merely a handful of beasts that surrounded them, but dozens, of all shapes and sizes. Some slow, and others more than capable of running him down.
No, this was where they met their end. And such a fitting and at that. Fighting fruitlessly at a barren, forgotten husk of a city against beasts who bore them no malice. Who were only searching for their next meal.
This was no glorious death in service to his n. No, like the rest of his family, he would perish against overwhelming odds. Unable to make even the slightest difference. Forgotten by time and buried by ash.
Yet, his body soldiered on, even when he had long ago given up. His arms swung, his torso twisted, and his legs dodged. More out of habit than anything else. Dying the inevitable.
Lagen didnt believe in miracles. For the gods had blessed his lineage with none.
Lagen didnt believe in miracles. So when it arrived in the form of a cket, hurdling from the sky, he refused to believe it.
He refused to believe it, even when it carved through the horde with impossible speed.
He refused to believe it when, in the span of just a few seconds, the sea of deadly monsters that surrounded them had themselves been offed by a monster far greater than themselves.
Lagen, however, could no longer refuse to believe when their salvation appeared in front of them, gazing at them with the eyes of a ruler.
Sorry Imte, Neel said, setting a suit of te metal on the ground. I brought some armor.
Rounding up hundreds of suits of armor turned out to be simultaneously more and less effort than Vir had anticipated.
With the Praya Paruls Ash Beasts eradicated, Vir felt safer bringing the Ashva into the pit in the middle of the city, rather than leaving them out in the open where they could be attacked again. Lagen and Gunin had put up an impressive fight, but Vir was terrified at how close theyde to sumbing.
Even a minuteter, and Vir could very well have returned to corpses instead of allies. Powerful allies, judging from their performance.
Furthermore, ferrying suits of armor one by one was tedious and time-consuming, even with Leap and Blink, which would never havested long enough. Topped up though Vir was on prana, so many activations wouldve drained him dry well before hed carried all the equipment.
Yet even with the Ashva present, it took surprisingly more time than hed anticipated tosh them to the beasts of burden, organizing them in the most efficient manner possible to allow them to carry everything back.
That task he left to Gunin and Lagen, who, despite looking like they absolutely loathed being in the same realm as each other, made a surprisingly efficient team. Vir suspected their recent near-death experience may have had something to do with that.
Roaming the now-empty pit, Vir searched for the best weapons and armor, evaluating both their construction quality and condition before bringing them back. Havingin out in the open for almost two decades, subjected to the elements and the trampling of Ash Beasts, less than a third remained usable. Even so, it would be an invaluable haul for his troops.
Picking proper armor, while important, was hardly an absorbing task, and so Virs mind wandered. To the pit nearby, whose deluge of prana had ceased the moment Vir had been returned to his body. It was as if all that prana had been for one purposeto show him the memory of Janak. Clearly, itd beenpromised over the ages, showing only bits and pieces.
The map crumpled in Virs pocket told him hed obtained some very important pieces, however. Where it led and what it meant, he didnt know. Not yet. But hed find out.
As he worked, the voice of worry grew stronger. What were the chances of him stumbling upon these ruins? What were the chances that the first chamber he found conveniently only required the Foundation Chakra to open? Were they all like that? Or did they require more chakras?
Discovering this ce had been an incredible coincidence. Or, perhaps, it wasnt a coincidence at all. If someone had guided him to this ce
But who? And for what purpose? Could it have been Janaks avatar, somehow? Vir doubted it. Janak had remained silent even when Vir visited Mahdithe very ce Janak had told him to venture to when he was ready.
Either Janak had no intention ofmunicating with Vir, or he was physically unable to.
Vir thought back to the illusion chamber hed encountered in the Ash, and the strange tree-like room hed been deposited to after. To Saunaks Ink of rity.
And what was the purpose of those Primordial Chambers? Yes, Vir had benefited from the monstrous influx of prana, expanding his capacity, but that felt more like an ident than anything intentional. Were they all connected somehow?
It felt like with every bit of the mystery Vir uncovered, his confusion only grew, spawning more questions than they answered.
s, there were no more questions to be had here. Vir had tried returning to the chamber at the bottom of the pit, but found its door inert. Dead. Though he had no issues using Dance of the Shadow Demon to appear on the other side of the door, it led only to a featureless rectangr chamber. The one where hed presumably been shown the vision. Finding nothing else of note there, Vir had returned to the surface.
Were just about ready, Lagen said in a voice that was slightly different from before. Stiffer. More deferential. It was a slight thing, and Vir mightve missed it had he not been trained to recognize such things.
The tools as well? Vir asked.
All secured, though were not quite sure what you n to use them for. Shovels, pickaxes You nning on having us dig?
Vir gave them a mysterious smile as he surveyed their handiwork. Perhaps. Perhaps not.
The gear would prove useful. The trust hed build with Lagen and Gunin, however? That was priceless.
As Vir set out for his camp of demons, he couldnt help but feel rather high-spirited about their situation.
Chapter 295: Mantle of the Blessed Chosen (One) (Maiya)
Chapter 295: Mantle of the Blessed Chosen (One) (Maiya)
Maiya braced herself for a bloody battle. Against an enemy she knew next to nothing about, no amount of precaution would suffice. Nor would the Blessed Chosen go down easily. His assassination attempts and his show of force had proven that abundantly.
She didn¡¯t know what powers therge man boasted, so Maiya would hold nothing back. She¡¯d brought every orb she could conceal, precharging them all. The uing fight would be neither simple nor clean. It was, however, necessary.
At this point, it was no secret she was a mejai, and the she doubted the Sisters would mind her breaking decorum by packing a few extra weapons for the ritual. There wasn¡¯t a soul present who didn¡¯t see this crowning ceremony for the farce it was.
Maiya only hoped the casualties would be few. She¡¯d feel terrible if the Sisters, or any other innocents, got caught in the crossfire. The Children might¡¯ve been deranged, but that didn¡¯t mean they needed to die.
So it was with a great deal of surprise that Maiya arrived in her crimson ceremonial garb to find the Blessed Chosen absent.
¡°Did he flee?¡± Maiya asked the Sister of Gray presiding over the transfer of power. She still didn¡¯t know the woman¡¯s name, nor, for that matter, the names of any of the Sisters. Eschewing names was something of a mark of honor within their group.
¡°We do not believe so, Blessed Prophet,¡± the Sister replied, leading Maiya out of the ritual chamber and down a hallway. ¡°We believe he has cloistered himself in his quarters.¡±
¡°You mean you haven¡¯t gone inside?¡± Maiya asked, her panic mounting as they walked. Up ahead, she could see a half dozen guards keeping watch in front of the Blessed Chosen¡¯s quarters. ¡°You do realize his room has secret exits, just like my own, right?¡±
¡°Exits we have been monitoring very closely, I assure you.¡±¡°Of course,¡± Maiya said. ¡°I apologize. I did not mean to doubt you. What do you propose we do?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, the Blessed Chosen is required for the transference of the title. The cult will never ept a new Chosen without the incumbent.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Maiya said distractedly. She¡¯d always thought that odd. It was the Blessed Chosen¡¯s ultimate trump card, after all. He didn¡¯t need to kill Maiya. He could simply abscond. It wasn¡¯t as though he¡¯d taken part in any of the cult¡¯s activities, anyway. If he simply left, Maiya would be stonewalled¡ªunable to take his throne.
Her questions were answered when the door swung open, and out emerged¡ For a moment, Maiya didn¡¯t know who.
She wondered if the Blessed Chosen had escaped after all, leaving behind a doppelganger.
As far as doubles went, however, this one was about as poor as one could be.
Gone was the towering physique Maiya had witnessed kill her handmaiden with ease. Gone were the rippling muscles. The person before her stood hunched over, holding a cane for support. His rich tan had given way to a lifeless gray. Heavy bags hung from under his eyes, and his muscles seem to have vanished, leaving bby skin behind.
This was no double. It was the Blessed Chosen, and he was on death¡¯s door.
Maiya¡¯s eyes shed to the Sister, who stared at the man with shock and confusion.
Not her. That eliminates the Sisters. Who, then?
Maiya wasn¡¯t aware of any poison that had such effects, though that hardly meant such a thing didn¡¯t exist. It had to be poison. What else could be responsible for such a thing?
¡°I¡¯d nned to reason with you,¡± the Blessed Chosen said, his voiceing hoarse and raspy. ¡°Now, I only wish for this all to end.¡±
¡°What¡ happened to you?¡± Maiya asked.
¡°A curse,¡± the Blessed Chosen said, limping past her into the hall. ¡°A curse for which there is no cure¡¡±
So it was poison, after all, Maiya thought with a frown, though she wondered why he¡¯d used the word ¡®curse¡¯.
Frowning, Maiya followed a few paces behind him. He could barely even walk. If some unseen benefactor wanted to help her out, she could hardly refuse. She only wished she knew who it was. Being in the dark never sat right with her. She wanted to be the one controlling the pawns. Not the other way around.
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That was alright. Once she was crowned Blessed Chosen, she¡¯d have the Children at hermand. Whenbined with the vast Kin¡¯jal intelligencework, whoever they were wouldn¡¯t be able to hide for long.
Maiya was thankful that, for once in her life, crisis seemed to have been averted. No blood would be spilled today.
The next hours passed in monotony as Maiya partook in various blood rituals that were part and parcel for such a ceremony. Dozens of Children were in attendance, lining the sides of therge hall in the very center of the Sanctum, and it felt like it¡¯d go on forever.
Maiya tuned it all out. She¡¯d done this countless times and had absolutely no interest. Neither did the Sisters of Gray, nor even the Blessed Chosen, for that matter. It seemed to take all he had just to stand, and halfway through, he¡¯d been forced to ask for a seat.
Maiya almost felt bad for him¡ Until she recalled the Handmaiden¡¯s terrified face the moment before she died.
Whatever pain the Blessed Chosen was experiencing, he deserved everyst bit.
It was when the ceremony neared itspletion that Maiya started to grow anxious. She knew there was something else to this ceremony. Some other, secret part. Despite her status as the Blessed Prophet, there was one door in the entire Sanctum she¡¯d never been allowed ess to.
A door that one person and one person alone could enter.
The Blessed Chosen limped forward, leading them down a low and narrow hall that sloped down, descending to a lower floor.
The lowest floor, in fact.
Here, there was no gallery. Only a handful of the Chosen¡¯s personal guard apanied them. The only light came from the Magic Lamps they carried, casting long, hard shadows upon the hall.
This was not a ce meant to be frequented. The cobwebs and mold made Maiya wonder how long it¡¯d been since the Blessed Chosen had. After ten minutes of walking, she started to wonder just how far they were descending. This room was far deeper than the rest of the Sanctum.
The end came shortly after, with the hallway leading to a door so thick that it looked like a wall. A healthy Blessed Chosen might¡¯ve been able to open this door, but his current condition made that impossible.
His guards shimmied past Maiya and the Sister of Gray, and heaved it open, allowing the stale air of whaty beyond to assault them.
¡°She stays,¡± the Blessed Chosen said, nodding to the Sister of Gray as he wandered through. He pointed at Maiya.
¡°Shees.¡±
Maiya exchanged nces with the Sister of Gray, and nodded. With the orbs at her disposal, there was little the Blessed Chosen could do. Especially not when Maiya was on guard.
The door mmed shut behind her, sealing her in the dark room with the Blessed Chosen. She yed her Magic Lamp orb around, but its dim glow was insufficient to pierce the darkness of the enormous chamber they were in.
It was a room farrger than most of the Sanctuary¡¯s other chambers.
¡°What is this ce?¡± Maiya asked in a hushed voice, though she didn¡¯t know why. It simply felt like the right thing to do.
¡°A relic of the ancient gods,¡± the Blessed Chosen said. ¡°The ce of transference.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why go through all of this?¡± Maiya asked. ¡°If you wish to die, you could¡¯ve just killed yourself, right? It¡¯d have been far simpler. And¡ easier on your body,¡± she added after a pause.
¡°Would that I could,¡± the Blessed Chosen whispered. ¡°Come. We must begin. Before we are interrupted.¡±
Maiya raised a brow. ¡°Expecting someone?¡± Perhaps the one who poisoned you?
¡°Come!¡± the Blessed Chosen repeated, his tone firmer. ¡°And extinguish your light.¡±
Maiya couldn¡¯t see much anyway, so she shrugged and turned it off.
It was only then that she realized the room wasn¡¯tpletely dark. Just very dimly lit. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, the more she perceived, and the more her confusion grew. The forms that her eyes took in made no sense to her mind. The lights that provided illumination were not ced on the walls, or even on the ceiling.
Nor did they originate from individual points, as she was used to.
Rather, the entire room glowed a dim greenish-blue. Lines of faint light that had no beginning ran along the ground, curving upward, tracing along the exceptionally tall ceiling before finally reconnecting with the lines on the ground in a loop.
There had to have been thousands of them decorating the entire space. All curving upward at the very center of the room.
Forming a structure that Maiya immediately recognized.
A tree trunk¡
This was the same kind of chamber Maiya had inadvertently fallen into with Yamal and the Silent One. The one that Vir said had sent her soul into an illusion world. Only far, far What is this ce? Maiya thought in wonder as she followed the veins of light, leading her closer to the trunk. Not veins¡ Roots.
Other than the other chamber, Maiya had never once seen a tree like this.
¡°It seems they used to exist in great numbers, before the Fall,¡± the Blessed Chosen said from up ahead, almost as if he were reading her thoughts. ¡°Now, only a paltry handful exist.¡±
¡°These aren¡¯t normal trees,¡± Maiya said, following him to a hollow where the roots split at the base of the great trunk, leading into it.
¡°No,¡± the Blessed Chosen said. ¡°No, they are certainly not.¡±
¡°Are they¡ connected to the gods? The ones you mentioned earlier?¡± Maiya asked, unable to resist asking. There was something so mystical about this ce. Her heart raced in her chest, and she wished she could tell Vir. After all, hadn¡¯t he experienced something simr in the Ashen Realm?
¡°In a way. Though exactly how, I do not know.¡±
Maiya stared up at the great roots that curved up to form the trunk of this tree as she passed through the cavity.
The short passage led to a small chamber, within which a circr table sat, upying a good half of the room.
As Maiya approached, she realized it was no table at all, but rather a basin filled with an inky ck liquid.
¡°Grab a hold of it,¡± the Blessed Chosen said, taking a position opposite her and grasping the edge of the table.
Maiya obliged. The moment she did, the liquid began to swirl. It glowed with light¡ and a scene began to take form in the water in front of her.
¡°And so, the transference begins.¡±
Maiya hardly heard him. She was too transfixed on the image forming within the pool.
Chapter 296: Mantle of the Blessed Chosen (Two) (Maiya)
Chapter 296: Mantle of the Blessed Chosen (Two) (Maiya)
It was winter there.
Having only recently traveled to the frigid, snowy terrain, Maiya understood she was being shown a vision of Sai. Not Kartara¡ªthe capital she¡¯d raided¡ªbut some other town. Likely either Kaiya or Ksaia, she wasn¡¯t sure.
So cold¡
Two brothers sat huddled by a wall in some slum, their shoulders touching for warmth, shivering, with only the thin rags of a nket to cover them. They couldn¡¯t have been more than eight.
The scene rapidly shifted, now showing more of the brothers. In each, they appeared slightly taller than before, though no less bony and frail. The liquid pool showed them stealing for food and huddling in abandoned hovels before ultimately being thrown out.
The passage of time continued, showing the brothers joining gangs and heckling others. Those were better years¡ªthe brothers were nicer clothing. While not happy, Maiya could see they were at least surviving and packing on some weight.
Weight that marked them as different from the others. The brothers had always been taller than the other children, yet now they were bulkier. Maiya knew then whose story she was witnessing unfold. Why she was being shown the Blessed Chosen¡¯s past, she couldn¡¯t understand, but she watched on, transfixed nevertheless.
The brothers¡¯ bulk continued to build as the years passed. The young teens graduated from mere intimidation to bullying, and sometimes even borderline torture. All for their gang. Their clothing improved, and they no longer lived on the street. As leaders, they¡¯d imed a building all on their own.
Their operation expanded. The two brothers were feared and respected by their rivals and members alike.Until, one day, their reign was suddenly cut short, their stronghold ravaged.
Not by the city officials¡ªthey¡¯d been well bribed to leave the gang alone¡ªbut by another gang. Arger one, who worried the two brothers would someday pose a challenge.
They didn¡¯t kill the boys. They killed most everyone else, but the leaders they left alive.
Maiya gasped, knuckles clutching the edge of the pool as she leaned closer.
Two thugs forced one brother to kneel while the other was dragged to a chopping block. The brother was forced to watch as his sibling¡¯s tongue was ruthlessly cut and burned to staunch the bleeding.
The Silent One¡¯s screams became muffled, guttural noises that were almost worse. The elder brother who¡¯d been forced to watch railed against his captors, kicking and screaming in his brother¡¯s stead¡ but it was no use.
What followed was a brutal beating and breaking of bones, after which the brothers were thrown out onto the streets like dogs.
With nowhere to go, the elder brother guided his now-mute sibling into the sewers. Deep into its depths, where none would find them.
From there, he raided the surface, bringing back food, lighting orbs, and other supplies to make their lives livable in the dark, putrid ce.
Months passed, and when one fell sick¡ªan inevitability in such a ce¡ªthe other would fetch medicine, often ransacking healers¡¯ stores to do it.
The scene shifted again, and this time, Maiya saw the brothers plumbing the depths of the sewers. It¡¯d be something of a hobby of theirs¡ªfor there was precious little to pass the time in that ce.
To their amazement, the tunnels led deep. Far deeper than they¡¯d ever anticipated.
They discovered an entire maze of streets and roads beneath the sewers. Attracted by the call of adventure and more sanitary living conditions, they moved their home deeper and deeper, intent on mapping the area in its entirety.
Maiya saw the joy on the brothers¡¯ faces. Joy they hadn¡¯t felt in years. This was their castle. A castle no one would knock down.
And then, one day, they found something buried so deep, so long forgotten, that they were sure no one alive knew of its existence.
They discovered the ruins of an ancient city. From before history. From the Age of Gods.
Chills ran down Maiya¡¯s back. What she was witnessing had likely only ever been witnessed by two other sets of eyes. No one else.
The city wasn¡¯t a ruin at all. Just¡ dormant. Awaiting the arrival of the right people.
Blue-white lights zed to life, illuminating the road to the many buildings.
As if summoned from a deep slumber, a giant being formed out of thin air, right before the brothers¡¯ star-struck eyes.
A god. With a face so grotesque, Maiya knew immediately. This was no benevolent entity. Its face was a mask of wrath and hatred. Not the hatred any mortal could possess, but hatred that had simmered and cooked for thousands of years.
She also knew his identity. While she¡¯d never seen him, she did know someone who had. Someone who had exined his features in great detail.
¡°You have arrived,¡± Janak said to the brothers, as if he¡¯d expected them all along. ¡°Good. For they are not the only ones who can guide Fate. There is much work to be done, and little time. You seek vengeance. You seek a life beyond dregs and sewers. You seek power. Work with me, and I shall see to it that you obtain power the likes of which you cannot fathom.¡±
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Maiya couldn¡¯t understand. Why was she being shown all of this? Why would a god broker a deal with these two urchins?
She tore her gaze from the pool, intending to ask the Blessed Chosen to rify.
She found him missing. She¡¯d been so absorbed in the pool¡¯s visions that she¡¯d lost track of her surroundings.
Cursing her mistake, Maiya¡¯s eyes darted around the small room. She caught sight of the Blessed Chosen toote. Toote to avoid the man¡¯srge hands as they wrapped around her head.
Maiya¡¯s vision spun.
What in Adinat¡¯s name?
The small room had disappeared, reced by the bustling streets of a northern city in the midst of winter. The same city from the pool¡¯s vision. Except now, she was in it. She felt the icy ocean¡¯s wind and the salt on her skin. She saw the ships¡¯ sails flutter and the seamen bustle.
What magic allowed the Blessed Chosen to transport her like this, Maiya did not know.
¡°We are in my mind, now,¡± the Blessed Chosen said, looking upon the scene with nostalgia. ¡°The part of it most sacred to me. Fitting, perhaps, for it to take the form of this ce.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand any of this. Why did you show me all of that? How did you bring me here? Why?¡±
¡°To talk. Yet even here, in the depths of my own mind, I am afraid I cannot say all that I wish to say. Cannot show you what you need to see. Despite my desperate desire for you to know,munication is not sacred. Not here. Not anywhere. I ask that you ept my apologies¡ And my gratitude.¡±
Gratitude? Why would he be thankful? To me, of all people?
When she¡¯d begun the ritual, she¡¯d expected hardship, in the form ofbat. Whatever this was¡ it was far beyond anything she couldprehend. Thest thing she¡¯d expected was for the Blessed Chosen to apologize to her, of all people. For the first time in a long while, Maiya felt truly lost.
¡°What can you tell me?¡± Maiya asked, desperate to slot more pieces into this ever-more-confusing puzzle. Part of her wanted to believe that the Blessed Chosen had lost his mind. Another,rger part, felt there was a method to his madness.
¡°When I took the mantle of the Blessed Chosen, I felt I was strong enough to resist their effects. I felt I could handle the burden. To thwart whatever it was they had in store for us. I¡ was wrong. If there is one thing you take away from this, Maiya, let it be that mortals have no business meddling in the affairs of gods. To try is to invite tragedy.¡±
¡°You speak of your god,¡± Maiya said cautiously, trying to piece together this puzzle. ¡°Not the Prana Swarm in Mah¨¡di, but these gods only you im to know of.¡±
¡°The Swarm is nothing but a minion¡ªa useful symbol behind which to rally,¡± the Blessed Chosen replied. ¡°As are the rest of us. Unwitting minions. Minions who can never rebel or escape their prison. For who can rebel against Fate itself?¡±
The Blessed Chosen turned from the idyllic dockside scenery to stare Maiya in the eyes. Here, in this ce, he was not the frail man on death¡¯s doorstep. He¡¯d returned to hisrge, muscled, and powerful glory. And yet, Maiya sensed no hostility from him. Only resignation¡ And the faintest glimmer of hope.
¡°He does not wish for what I am about to do. He feels that you will bring the end of realms. Yet, I am now convinced that this is the only chance we have to save it.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Maiya said. ¡°You speak of gods and their almighty powers¡ and you expect me to do something about it? Me, of all people? I have my hands full plotting the overthrow of two countries. I can¡¯t do what you ask.¡±
¡°You must. I have seen you grow, Maiya. I have seen your rapid rise through our ranks. Have you ever once asked yourself how such a thing came to be? Have you once asked yourself how you rose so quickly through the ranks of Kin¡¯jal? How younded in that most sacred of chambers? How every event and decision in your life has led you to this ce? Here? Now?¡±
Maiya took a half-step back. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she said, her voice little more than a whisper.
¡°I mean that Fate is real. More real than you can imagine. And that there are those who seek to control it.¡±
Maiya¡¯s world spun. She stumbled, finding the Blessed Chosen¡¯s sturdy arm for support as the implications of his wordsnded.
¡°You¡¯re saying that me taking the mantle of the Blessed Chosen¡ was some deity¡¯s doing?¡±
¡°There are forces acting upon this realm, Maiya. Forces who have vied for supremacy against one another for millennia, locked in constant battle. Know this¡ªmore than who we are, more than our very identities as people, we are, first and foremost, but pawns on a celestial stage.¡±
¡°Why tell me all this?¡± Maiya asked breathlessly. ¡°What makes you think I can do anything about this?¡±
¡°A feeling. Nothing more. Nothing less. Perhaps you will seed where I have not. I sense¡ something different about you. I simply¡ª¡±
The world of boats and winter disappeared, and the dim hollow chamber under the tree reasserted itself with jarring suddenness.
It was only Maiya¡¯s years of trainedbat instinct that saved her. She twisted away, just in time to avoid the dagger that had been bound for her neck.
The dagger sliced into her skin, avoiding her all-important arteries, throwing blood against the tree¡¯s root. Blood that was absorbed, disappearing only momentster.
The Blessed Chosen? No, it can¡¯t be¡
Wielding the dagger was a giant of a man. The Blessed Chosen may have been a powerful man in the world within his mind, but right now, frail and sickly as he was, hemanded none of that imposing presence.
¡°The Silent One,¡± Maiya whispered, suddenly understanding.
¡°Why? I don¡¯t want to fight you!¡± Maiya said, though her words were lost over the ng of her dagger with his.
Ordinarily, Maiya would stand no chance against a man wielding such immense natural strength.
Which was why the dagger she wielded boasted not just one, but two Enhance Speed orbs. What shecked in power, she made up for in speed, giving her de far more weight than it could otherwise have.
The Silent One, however, was fighting for his brother¡¯s life, and would risk everything to do so. Even as their des met, the Silent One¡¯ swung,nding a clean blow on Maiya¡¯s torso.
Such was the force of the impact that Maiya was lifted briefly off her feet, mming into the roots that formed the walls just behind her.
Rolling, Maiya shrugged off the blow. While the thin fabric armor under her ceremonial robe was useless on its own, when strengthened by no less than five defense orbs, it gave Maiya unrivaled protection and mobility.
Even so, Maiya knew she couldn¡¯t take many more of those before the orbs¡¯ charge ran out. And there was recharging them in the midst ofbat.
She took a different approach.
The Silent One moved to strike. This time, Maiya opened her arms, showing not even the hint of aggression. She didn¡¯t block. She didn¡¯t dodge. She made no move to defend herself.
¡°I want to help him, too,¡± she said, speaking from the heart. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? He¡¯s dying?¡±
The Silent One¡¯s dagger ground to a halt a hair¡¯s breadth from Maiya¡¯s chest. He turned, and perhaps for the first time, regarded his brother¡¯s pitiful state.
Dropping his dagger, the Silent One rushed to the Blessed Chosen¡¯s side, barely reaching the man before he copsed onto the floor.
The Silent One sobbed silently, his body shaking as he held his dying brother in his arms.
¡°Weep not, Bheem,¡± the Blessed Chosen rasped. ¡°It is what I want. For I am relieved of this burden atst.¡±
The Blessed Chosen¡¯s eyes wandered to Maiya, and despite his failing body, there was a resolve in those eyes. A determined hope that Maiya would be the one to right all of his wrongs.
Maiya met those eyes¡ and held them.
The Blessed Chosen uttered only a single word before his heart stilled, and the air left his lungs for thest time.
¡°Try.¡±
Maiya had no time to register his passing. For the moment the Blessed Chosen passed, Maiya inherited his burden.
Her consciousness bloomed. Awareness expanded in every direction. And a heaviness settled upon her soul.
Unable to resist, Maiya clutched her head and screamed.
Chapter 297: Leaps of Faith (One)
Chapter 297: Leaps of Faith (One)
¡°I must admit, your tending skills are quite impressive,¡± Lagen said. The trio walked beside the Ash¡¯va that had all been tethered together. Laden with armor and weaponry, they resembled a rich merchant caravan on their way to a lucrative sale.
¡°Please,¡± Gunin replied. ¡°Without you, we¡¯d have perished long ago. All I did was ensure we had enough beasts of burden to haul this stuff back.¡±
¡°And yet,¡± Vir said, ¡°the mission would have been a failure had it not been for your efforts.¡±
He was pleased to see Gunin and Lagen get along. They¡¯d been far less talkative on their outbound journey, and he was sure he¡¯d have to intervene at some point. The development gave him hope. Hope that one day, Garga and Chitran could coexist¡ªif not in harmony, perhaps at least in peace.
Despite Gunin being a Chitran and with Lagen harboring a deep hatred of their kind, the two were still able to get along. Vir had no doubt Lagen still had plenty of misgivings, but if the demon could bottle them up and work together for mutual benefit, that was fine by him.
¡°Still, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen this much wealth in one ce,¡± Lagen muttered. ¡°Sure would fetch a tidy sum in Panav.¡±
Vir walked in front of Lagen, but could guess that both of hispanions were staring holes in his back at that moment.¡°We certainly could,¡± Vir said, surprising them. ¡°I imagine the gear here would fetch enough for each of us to live happily for years. We selected only the worthiest armor and weaponry, after all. All arebat ready, and of high quality, to boot.¡±
Their haul contained quite the assortment of styles, though if there was one constant, it was that they were all of high quality. These were armaments built for front-line warriors. High carbon steel chainmail and steel te weremon, though there were few full sets that protected all the limbs. Demons seemed to prefer mobility far more than humans, and this was especially true for the nimble kothis.
Even so, their armor was well-built and protected all the vitals. Vir approved¡ªhe¡¯d chosen the mobility route himself, after all.
As for the weapons, there were steel and seric spears, talwars, scimitars, and a variety of maces, polearms, and other instruments of war. With a bit of sharpening and honing, they¡¯d be ready for war.
¡°We very well could,¡± Vir repeated. ¡°If we sacrificed the lives of two hundred of our brothers. Is that something you are willing to do?¡±
Lagen stiffened. ¡°Of course not. It was just a passing thought.¡±
Vir nodded, knowing fully the demon would never betray the prisoners. He was fiercely loyal, especially to the Garga. It wasn¡¯t him Vir was worried about. He threw the kothi an expectant nce.
Gunin sighed. ¡°I would not. The Chitran would no doubt catch on, eventually. Especially when all the gear is built for Chitran Warriors. People would ask where I got all of this, and I¡¯d have no suitable answer. At least, none good enough to resist scrutiny. And the subsequent imprisonment.¡±
Vir wasn¡¯t exactly happy that the kothi seemed to reject the idea on a practical basis rather than a moral one, but he¡¯d take what he could get. He hadn¡¯t exactly chosen his bedfellows in this case.
Wonder if there¡¯ll evere a day when I lead a proper army. Well trained, and loyal only to me¡
An interesting thought, but ultimately a useless one. If Vir couldn¡¯t retake Garga with the resources he had, there was no point thinking of the future.
Vir¡¯s eyes came to rest on the horizon. They would be arriving shortly.
¡°Can you imagine their faces, though?¡± Lagen said, echoing Vir¡¯s thoughts. ¡°They¡¯ll shit their pants when they see this haul. Say, how are we going to assign the equipment, anyway? I had my eye on some pieces¡¡±
¡°I-I as well,¡± Gunin chimed in.
Vir chuckled. ¡°As the ones who risked their lives obtaining them, you two can have your pick. As for the rest, Bgra and I will¡¡±
Vir trailed off, his eyes catching something on the horizon. Still too far to discern, the mass of ck looked out of ce, even from this distance.
¡°What is it?¡± Lagen asked,ing up next to Vir. ¡°More Ash Beasts? We¡¯ll handle them, same as the others. Or, I suppose, you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll handle them. We¡¯ll just sit tight while we nurse our bruised egos.¡±
Lagen and Gunin chuckled wryly, but Vir hardly noticed. As they neared, his concern mounted.
¡°Those are no Ash Beasts,¡± Gunin said, jumping deftly up onto aden Ash¡¯va, which caused it to neigh in annoyance. ¡°They¡¯re demons.¡±
¡°Gunin is right,¡± Vir said slowly. ¡°And not just any demons. That¡¯s an army.¡±
¡°But what army would¡¡± Lagen stopped in his tracks. ¡°The Chitran. They¡¯ve found us? But how?¡±
¡°It appears that way,¡± Gunin replied. ¡°My eyes see around five hundred. A hefty chunk of the garrison. Based on their movements, I¡¯d say they¡¯re already engaged inbat.¡±
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Vir cursed under his breath. How had they found out? What had transpired at the camp in their absence?
Either way, there was nothing to be done about it now. In fact, there was only one thing they could do. The one recourse Vir had dreaded being forced to rely on now seemed to be their only hope.
¡°Lead the Ash¡¯va to the Boundary. Get close, but not too close. And prepare forbat.¡±
¡°What will you do?¡± Gunin asked.
¡°What else?¡± Vir replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to help our brothers.¡±
Vir crouched and Leaped, kicking up a cloud of ash that sent the two others coughing.
¡°I hate it when he does that¡¡±
Bloodline Arts flew in every conceivable direction, some sting the rocks that formed the prisoners¡¯ wall while others dissipated harmlessly in the sky. The prisoners had rolled boulders into the entrance, sealing themselves inside their barricade as they pelted the approaching army with magic from above.
This much was expected¡ªchaos and danger.
It was when Vir drew close enough to feel Warrior Chakra attacks sailing through the air that he began to panic. This was no fair trade of blows, but a one-sided massacre. Stuck in the rtive safety of their encampment, the prisoners were being pummeled, unable to escape or fight back.
Nothing could fight Chakra, except other Chakra. And only the Chitran army possessed Warriors experienced enough tounch ranged Chakra attacks. Bound by neither physical nor magical constraints, they tore into the walls, rending asunder the souls of anyone unfortunate enough to stand behind them.
It was an effective tactic, if cruel¡ªthe Chitran army slowly advanced, preventing the prisoners from harming them as they matched over the open ins. Then, when they arrived at the rock wall, it would be far toote.
While the mountain¡¯s natural protection had kept them alive until now, it wouldn¡¯t be much longer until they were overrun. After that, only a massacre awaited the poor souls on the other side.
That was, of course, unless Vir sowed some chaos in their ranks.
Leaping near the back of the Chitran forces, Vir allowed himself to fall into the shadows. From there, it was a simple matter of killing without being seen. A skill Vir had extensive practice with.
One by one, the kothis fell. A Prana ded talwar swipe here cut leg tendons, while a thrust there slipped his de between the gaps in their armor, ending their lives in an instant.
Perhaps it was wrong to kill so freely. Ordinarily, Vir wouldn¡¯t think of it. But the Chitran had made up their minds. They¡¯d marched their army out here for one purpose and one purpose along¡ªto send a message to the world. To tell other prisoners that any act of rebellion would be met with overwhelming force.
As the one responsible for putting the prisoners in that situation, it was Vir¡¯s duty to clean up his mess.
For them, Vir spared no remorse. Even if it required killing everyst foe.
As it turned out, he hadn¡¯t needed to. Only momentster, several kothis bellowed out roars, which Vir knew to be the initiation trigger for Warlord¡¯s Battlecry¡ªthe Chitran bloodline art that emboldened allies while striking fear into their foes.
Their response was swift and efficient¡ªthe hallmarks of a well-trained organization that had drilled groupbat tactics to perfection.
The bloodline art was followed by another, with waves of prana rippling through the ranks. Warlord¡¯s Domain. The Chitran ability that sped up allies, slowed enemies, and allowed the caster to sense the location of all enemies in its domain.
Vir sunk into the shadows before the wave passed over him, revealing him to the caster.
The Chitran bloodline arts were ill-matched against Prana Vision, though by no means did that make them any less worthy of respect. The battlefield was where the Chitran arts shone brightest¡ªwith each invocation of their abilitypounding to boost their allies and cripple their enemies.
It was due to this multiplicative effect that Chitranbat prowess was so feared by the other ns. One kothi was a joke, but a hundred? Better to bring an army several times that size to have any chance of defeating them. The Chitran knew this well, and it was why they boasted one of thergest, most organized militaries of all the demonic ns. Not quite on the scale of Kin¡¯jal or the Altani, but far more than anyone else in this realm.
Unfortunately for the prisoners, they had neither the numbers nor the individual skill required to overpower such a foe. Forget outnumbering them¡ªVir¡¯s demons didn¡¯t even match the Chitran in that area.
To fight was to die. A fact driven home when Vir¡¯s final Leap took him soaring into the camp. As hended, a fellow Gargan fell, but he wasn¡¯t dead. He twitched on the ground, having been struck by some unseen force. Alive, but vegetative, his mouth foaming as he spasmed.
No magic had done this to him. Vir could feel the aftereffects of the Warrior Chakra. No, this was an attack to the soul. The first of its kind Vir had witnessed anyone sustain.
While only moments prior, the demon had a life, a future, and perhaps even a family, now, the poor, crippled soul was doomed to this state that was neither life nor death. It was his fellow demon who brought his ax down on his friend¡¯s neck, ending his suffering, and leaving Vir stunned into silence.
The downed demon twitched once more, before he exhaled his final breath and his movements stilled forever. His killer looked Vir in the eyes with desperate insanity. ¡°To ease his suffering,¡± he said, before climbing back up to the ramshackle stone wall to rejoin the fight.
That was the true horror of Chakra attacks. Unless one opened their Heart Chakra¡ªthe fourth in the line¡ªthere was no recovery. No healer in the realm could undo the damage, nor would it even heal on its own.
And I¡¯m as exposed to it as this demon here. This is what lies in wait for me if I sustain even a single such attack¡
Vir shuddered at the thought, murmured a quick prayer for the dead demon, before forcing his legs to move. Now was not the time for such considerations. He had to find Bgra, and fast.
The task was thankfully not difficult. While Vir¡¯s first instinct had been to head straight for themand tent, he knew Bgra would not idle by when there was a battle going on¡ªnot even if he was crippled.
Vir found the demon in his half-serpent form by the wall, directing troops the best he could. Which was to say, with limited sess. Lacking training, the demons fought as most demons did¡ªindividually, with little regard for organization or group tactics.
¡°You have returned,¡± Bgra said with obvious relief. ¡°I only wish it were under better circumstances.¡±
¡°As much as I want to know what happened, that can wait forter.¡±
¡°Indeed. I presume it was you who halted their advance?¡± the naga asked.
Vir nodded. ¡°They probably suspect an enemy in their ranks now, which is why they¡¯re being so slow to advance.¡±
His attack had never been intended to get them to rout or retreat, but rather to buy some time. Vir seemed to have seeded in that endeavor.
¡°Well, I appreciate the breathing room. Yet, what now? You must know we cannot win. I¡¯ve fought my fair share of battles, and I have to say this situation is hopeless. Can¡¯t fight, can¡¯t run. Can¡¯t surrender, either. Even if we wanted that. Which we don¡¯t, of course,¡± he added hastily.
¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Vir replied.
Bgra looked at Vir like he¡¯d grown an extra head. ¡°You truly intend to surrender? Impossible. They have made it clear they wish to take no prisoners, and good luck getting our demons toy down their arms. It¡¯s either death here or death by execution. Pick your poison.¡±
¡°Not that. You¡¯re wrong about fleeing.¡±
Bgra scoffed. ¡°Even if we could somehow escape our encampment, where do you suggest we run? The Ash?¡±
When Vir failed to reply, Bgra¡¯s mocking expression morphed into one of confusion, then understanding, then terror.
¡°You¡¯re joking. Oh, Adinat, please, have mercy on our souls¡¡±
Chapter 298: Leaps of Faith (Two)
Chapter 298: Leaps of Faith (Two)
¡°There are so many issues, I do not know where to begin,¡± Bgra said, staring at Vir with a mixture of confusion, fear, and hope. Malik had joined them, and was nodding in agreement.
¡°Then speak quickly. We have little time,¡± Vir replied, peering out over the rock wall at the halted Chitran troops, some hundred paces away.
The order had been given to break camp, and demons rushed this way and that. A few had questioned the intent of the order, but none resisted. After all, to stay was to die, and thus far, Vir had kept far more of them alive than the Overseer had ever intended.
¡°Supplies. Food and water,¡± Malik said.
Vir didn¡¯t address Malik directly, but instead turned to Bgra. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Ash,¡± Vir said. ¡°You know how bountiful itsnd is. Food will never be a problem there. As for water, we¡¯ll find a spring. Until then, we¡¯ll make do withke water.¡±
¡°Indeed, thend can be bountiful, if one is strong enough to brave the dangers,¡± Bgra said. ¡°I suspect you certainly are. And with your ludicrous mobility¡ With you as our scout, we may very well find what we need to survive there. But what of the beasts?¡±
¡°You¡¯ve seen the strength of the wolves and Shreddersing through this region of the Boundary,¡± Vir replied. ¡°They aren¡¯t the strongest. Which means we¡¯ll end up somewhere in the periphery.¡±¡°Even so, that is a gamble. The Boundary is known to fling people to the deepest parts of the Ash, regardless.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a gamble we¡¯ll have to take,¡± Vir said. ¡°It¡¯s either this or attempt to hide from the Chits here in the Demon Realm, and that is a losing proposition.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Bgra grumbled. ¡°If they can survive the beasts.¡±
¡°I will protect them until they are strong enough to defend themselves. Besides,¡± Vir said, ¡°the beasts are part of the training. When we return, it will not be as a ragtag mob, but as an army.¡±
¡°How exactly do we n to return, though?¡± Malik asked. While the demon¡¯s worry was obvious, he kept it out of his tone, which Vir greatly respected.
¡°I know you¡¯re afraid,¡± Vir replied in a soothing tone. ¡°We all are. I just ask that you trust me. I will scout the Ash far and wide until we find a suitable Gate. If we enter the realm near the periphery, as I¡¯m hoping, there should be several Gates leading back to this realm. It¡¯s deeper in the Ash that they be nonexistent.¡±
¡°Would be good if we end up near the edge,¡± Bgra said. ¡°Most of these demons haven¡¯t been to the Ash. They¡¯ll be sick with prana poisoning. Without me, several would almost certainly die. Aren¡¯t you d you have a Panav in the group, eh?¡±
Bgra smiled, attempting to bring some levity to the situation.
Vir gripped therger demon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That I am, friend. Now, let¡¯s get these demons out of here.¡±
Getting the camp packed didn¡¯t take long. It did, however, take longer than they had. Once the Chitrans discovered that the demons no longer intended to hold the position, they rushed the walls, and the fighting turned instantly chaotic.
Chaos was unwee here. It forced those upied with dismantling their tents to rejoin the fight. It was, however, beneficial for Vir, as it allowed him to reave into the enemy¡¯s lines without worry of discovery.
Chitrans fell far faster than they should¡¯ve as Vir sliced through their skin. Their armor did little against the devastation Prana de and de Projection could wreak, and so, despite their superior numbers and training, the Chitrans had a difficult time making headway against the defenders.
Even so, with so many Chakraden attacks, Vir had to move slower than he otherwise would¡¯ve, hampering his efforts.
They were slowly losing. The only question was whether the wall would be breached before they were ready to leave.
¡°Leave the Ash¡¯va!¡± Virmanded. ¡°We can¡¯t take them with us, and they¡¯ll just slow us down.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not looking good,¡± Bgra replied, slithering up to Vir. A fog of Corruption nketed the battlefield outside the wall, yet the Chits seemed only mildly distracted by it.
¡°They must have someone with a powerful Aspect of the Stone Sentinel,¡± Bgra said. ¡°They are mitigating the effects of my power.¡±
¡°What affinities?¡± Vir asked. ¡°What affinities does that Aspect tattoo use?¡±
¡°Earth, primarily, though also Life or Wind or Lightning, depending on the demon.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Vir said, Leaping over the wall. He fell right into the lines of the enemy, and sunk into the shadows uponnding. To anyone observing, it¡¯d look like he¡¯d disappeared¡ªlikely using a movement art. At least, he hoped. He didn¡¯t have the luxury ofpletely masking his every move at the moment.
From the shadows, Vir closed his eyes and allowed Prana Vision to guide him. Chitran Bloodline Arts tended to use a mixture of Fire, Earth, and Shadow, making the task somewhat difficult. Earth, however, was a minor element in their arts, and so Vir focused on the brightest Earth affinities.
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There were not one, but two heavy Earth Affinity wielders in the attacking Chitran forces.
A Prana ded talwar snaked through a shadow and plunged into the back of one ended that demon¡¯s life immediately. For the other, Vir let loose a Talwar Launch, decapitating the kothi and sending his head flying, but not before someoneunched a Chakra attack.
Stuck in the Shadow Realm, Vir¡¯s mobility was nonexistent. His arm simply couldn¡¯t dodge or avoid the strike, bound to the shadow as it was.
Thinking fast, Vir resurfaced and Leaped, using the momentum from his prior jump to evade the lethal soul attack. It also shot him up and over the wall, allowing him tond right beside Bgra.
That was too close, Vir thought, his heart pumping madly within his chest. Far too close.
The naga shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re incredible, you know that? You¡¯re just one mystery after another. Like theyers of an onion, when I think I¡¯ve figured you out, you show me something new.¡±
¡°Just doing what I can,¡± Vir said, forcing calm in his worlds. ¡°Looks to have helped.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll say!¡± Bgra said,ughing hard. ¡°Look at them! They¡¯ve turned tail! Now that they¡¯ve lost their Stone Sentinel wielders, they can¡¯t handle my Corruption Field any more than a child!¡±
Though the Chits had retreated, they hadn¡¯t exactly fled. They¡¯d simply retreated past Bgra¡¯s field, and were continuing to fling ranged Chakra attacks. Unfortunately, strong Chakra bearers didn¡¯t register to Prana Vision, or else Vir would¡¯ve taken them out long ago.
¡°The troops are ready!¡± Malik shouted as he came running up to Vir and Bgra, looking winded and worn around the edges. ¡°We¡¯re ready to leave on your mark.¡±
Vir nced back at their camp and nodded. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s make sure everyone gets out safe and sound.¡±
Breaking down the wall was easy. Getting a throng of nearly two hundred untrained and skittish soldiers out while being pelted with ranged prana and chakra attacks? That was something else entirely.
¡°Stay in formation!¡± Bgra roared, moving to the forefront of the column despite his weakened state. By moving forward, he¡¯d extended the range of his Corruption field, pushing the Chitran back in hopes of stalling out their Chakra attacks.
¡°sted kothi,¡± Bgra cursed.
¡°They¡¯re hitting us from this far? How?¡± Vir asked, watching helplessly as another of his demons suddenly copsed.
¡°His Chakra is strong, that¡¯s how. Curse our luck.¡±
A panicking four-armed red demon broke ranks and charged the enemy.
¡°No!¡± Vir roared. ¡°Stop!¡±
It was toote. The instant he split off, he was targeted by concentrated Bloodline Arts. Fireballs, icicles, and a slew of other attacks bombarded him, and when he got within range of their Warlord¡¯s Domain, he slowed considerably.
That was his death knell. Punctured and skewered by magic, the demon copsed halfway to the enemy¡ªdead.
¡°Let them burn in Ash!¡± Bgra shouted, though it was more a scream than a shout.
This¡ won¡¯t work, Vir realized. He¡¯d been too optimistic about their ability to flee under fire. Had this been a trained army, there would¡¯ve been no issues. As it was, however, they looked dangerously close to routing. Once that happened, it¡¯d be all over. They¡¯d be picked off and decimated.
Even if they didn¡¯t rout, the demons would not only have to stop to pick up their armor and weapons, but they¡¯d have to skirt around the mountain range that had protected their encampment to get to the Ash Boundary.
Weighing the pros and the cons, Vir made his decision.
¡°I¡¯m going back out. Keep them in line until I return.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous. You are too young. Youck the Shield and Heart Chakras, yes? What you did earlier was dangerous enough. If you¡¯re struck¡¡±
¡°I know,¡± Vir muttered, thinking of the close call he¡¯d just had. It was precisely why he hadn¡¯t already annihted the Chitrans. The danger was very real. One misced step, one wrong move, and he¡¯d suffer a fate worse than death.
¡°I know, but at this rate, we don¡¯t stand a chance. I told you before, that after what I did to the Overseer, it¡¯s now my responsibility to ensure these demons survive. Look me in the eyes and tell me that we¡¯ll make it if I don¡¯t do this.¡±
Bgra couldn¡¯t. He averted his eyes and frowned. He couldn¡¯t. Bgra had too muchbat experience to believe in such fantasies. ¡°Go, then. But do not take unnecessary risks. You are strong, yet you are but one demon.¡±
Vir smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t. Trust me.¡±
With that, he Leaped back into the enemy¡¯s ranks, sailing above Bgra¡¯s cloud of death, and skewering a kothi as hended. Warlord¡¯s Domain¡¯s slowing effects were negated by Haste, though to do so, Vir had to keep the ability active at all times, burning prana.
Talwar Launch ripped forth, killing a half-dozen kothis before they could respond. Vir Blinked¡ and just in time, feeling the icy chill of death strike the location he was just at.
Prana Burst exploded outward, and this time, Vir didn¡¯t need to select targets. Given no warning, kothis all around him were struck, and fell.
And then their defensive arts activated, and the soft targets toughened up immediately. From that point on, only Prana de and de Launch were effective, as the kothis¡¯ various arts protected them from Vir¡¯s weaker attacks.
Dance of the Shadow Demon was, of course, not an option. Not when the enemy had been alerted, and all eyes were on him.
That didn¡¯t mean he was out of options, however.
Grabbing a nearby kothi, Vir broke his arm and whirled him around, using him like a shield. From there, he fired Prana Darts in rapid session, targeting eyes, mouths, and other vulnerable areas.
On their own, the darts contained little prana and did only minor damage. When efficiently targeted, however, they could be devastating, and their prana consumption worked both ways. Vir had plenty in reserve.
After taking out a few more demons in this manner, Vir abandoned his position¡ªright as a Chakraden attack pierced through his captured kothi, breaking his soul.
They have multiple Warrior Chakra wielders¡
It made sense, given the size andposition of this military unit. That meant Vir had to Blink even faster than normal, leveraging Haste more and more, using mobility to keep himself safe.
Vir flitted around the battlefield, surging prana directly into enemies¡¯ bodies and slicing necks and other targets of opportunities whenever he could.
To the prisoners, he looked like a god of death¡ªblurring among the enemy, reaping lives with impunity. His actions on that battlefield would be discussed with both reverence and terror for years toe from those who survived.
Vir, however, knew the truth. His time had nearly run out, and on more than one asion, he¡¯d dodged death by just a hair¡¯s breadth.
These Chitran warriors were both tough and smart. His de Launches that could kill a dozen ordinary demons merely injured a single one, thanks to their magical defenses. His Kri arts that allowed him to defeat enemies in physicalbat were met with an equally fluid Chitranbat art, stunting his efforts.
And through it all, Vir had nearly run dry of prana.
Cursing, he Blinked to safety, then Leaped back to his prisoners, wondering if his actions had aplished anything at all.
Had he bothered to count, he¡¯d have realized that of the five hundred kothis who had set out from Garrison Atnu, nearly fifty had perished in the fight against the demons. Vir, in just a few moments, had reduced that number by another hundred.
And there was no army in the world that wouldn¡¯t hesitate in the face of such losses.
Chapter 299: Leaps of Faith (Three)
Chapter 299: Leaps of Faith (Three)
¡°Unstrap the weapons and armor,¡± Gunin shouted at Lagen. ¡°Hurry!¡±
¡°Huh? Which ones?¡±
¡°All of them!¡±
Lagen whipped his head around to the chaotic cloud of ash dust that was rapidly approaching. It was followed by another,rger cloud. One that was far more orderly.
It didn¡¯t take the demon much to put two and two together. ¡°On it,¡± Lagen said, rushing to the nearest Ash¡¯va.
Gunin hardly heard the demon, he was too busy pulling out knots and dropping sps. Though he knew not how, the Chitran army was in hot pursuit, with only a buffer of a hundred paces between them and the prisoners.
While Gunin found that somewhat odd¡ªthere ought to have been no gap at all between the more mobile kothi troops and the prisoners¡ªhe was far too busy to care. Lacking even the time to set the pieces of armament down, he hurled them away from the Ash¡¯va as fast as he could.
The army wouldn¡¯t have time to choose their weapons or don their armor. They¡¯d simply have to grab what they could and keep running. Even that may take too long.
As he worked, a question rose at the back of the kothi¡¯s mind.
Where are they running to?
There was nothing this way, save Praya Parul, and that was simply much too far to run. Especially when they were being pursued by the Chitran Garrison. There were only open fields, covered in ash¡ and precious little of anything else.
Running would be suicide. They didn¡¯t have a hope of outrunning the superior troops. Nor did they hold an advantage fighting a Chitran army in open space, where they could utilize their Bloodline Arts to the fullest.
A faint voice at the back of Gunin¡¯s mind proposed a possible exnation, but it was swiftly squashed before Gunin could properly register it. Some thoughts were just simply too dangerous to acknowledge, after all.
Gunin was still working to unsp thest armor when Neel suddenlynded in a cloud of soot, ranging ahead of the approaching group.
¡°You¡¯ve begun unstrapping the gear,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Good. The troops will stop only to pick up what they can. Then we run.¡±
¡°What of the Ash¡¯va?¡± Gunin asked.
¡°Leave them behind!¡± Vir shouted, already preparing to jump back to the group, who were now about a hundred paces away. Gunin had never understood how the demon could soar so far with a single bound.
¡°Are you certain?¡± Gunin asked. ¡°Should we not take one or two with us?¡±
Vir turned. ¡°We head for the Ash. They will not survive there.¡±
And then he was gone, his signature plume of ash expanding behind him.
Gunin stood for a moment, his body frozen.
¡°The Ash,¡± Gunin deadpanned. ¡°He did say the Ash, didn¡¯t he? It wasn¡¯t my imagination?¡±
¡°Bold n,¡± Lagen said. ¡°Daring.¡±
He was smiling. The demon was actually smiling at this insane prospect.
¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± Gunin cried, finally spurring his body to move again. The prisoners would be upon them in less than a minute, and yet, he found it impossible to muster the same energy he¡¯d had only moments prior.
¡°With that mysterious monster of a demon guiding us? I imagine we¡¯ll do just fine,¡± Lagen replied, clearly unfazed. Of course he would be¡ªhe was a Warrior. The Ash would strengthen him, allowing him to test his mettle.
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For Gunin, it¡¯d be nothing but a nightmare. A terrible, painful nightmare¡ªassuming he even survived the prana poisoning. There was a reason his parents had banished him as a failure, after all. His ability to use his tattoos was simply iparable to other demons. His body just didn¡¯t respond as well to prana as it should.
No, Gunin knew that if he stepped through that Boundary, he would die, and no amount of Panav healing arts would save him.
Which was why his legs took him, step by step, away from the Ash¡¯va. Away from the prisoners who mobbed talwars and armor like their life depended on it. Theirs certainly did. The gear Neel had returned with could spell the difference between survival and doom on the other side of the Boundary.
Suddenly feeling unsteady, Gunin lowered himself and sat upon the ash, hugging his knees.
What now? What fate lies in store for me?
If he didn¡¯t follow, Gunin would be left behind. On his own, with neither supplies nor direction, he¡¯d perish. Even if he had both, he¡¯d still likely die. He¡¯d never been good with surviving in the wild. Maybe, if he made it to a Panav town, he might be able to start anew¡ªhe¡¯d always been good with people. Getting there, however, was another matter entirely.
It was hopeless. To go was to die. To stay was to die. Was there truly no other way?
His thoughts ran amok in an endless circle. They were broken by a crash as a ck form fell from the sky paces away, kicking up a cloud of ash.
Gunin shielded his eyes from the dust, though he didn¡¯t need to see to know the neer¡¯s identity¡ªthere was only one among them capable of such movement.
¡°You should be with them, leading them,¡± Gunin said.
¡°And you should be following. You don¡¯t n to join us. Do you?¡±
Gunin looked up into their leader¡¯s eyes. ¡°Can you honestly say I will survive there? I am no warrior. Ick the durability needed to survive there.¡±
Gunin braced himself. No doubt Neel would do all he could to convince him otherwise. Perhaps he¡¯d promise that Bgra could heal his wounds, or that Gunin would be useful around camp, even if he couldn¡¯t fight. That he¡¯d be protected.
I don¡¯t want to be protected, like some fragile vase¡
It wasn¡¯t just shame that hadpelled him to run away from home, after all.
¡°I know,¡± Neel said, dropping a rucksack heavily beside Gunin. ¡°You do.¡±
¡°Sorry?¡± Gunin asked, confident he¡¯d misheard. ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯ll die if I go there?¡±
Neel shrugged. ¡°Difficult to say, but it is true that youck the same prana capacity as the other demons. If you do not wish toe, I will not push you.¡±
¡°What, then?¡± Gunin asked, standing up and dusting off his pants. ¡°I can¡¯t survive alone.¡±
¡°Gunin,¡± Neel said, turning to meet his gaze. He was so young, and yet his every word and action bore such resolve¡ It was infectious. It was one of the several reasons Gunin had stayed away from the demon in the first ce. That was the sort of attitude that got everyone killed.
¡°Do you believe in the cause I fight for?¡±
¡°For the liberation of your n?¡± Gunin asked, gulping. ¡°I¡¡±
He paused for a moment, knowing fully well that Neel did not have the time to humor him like this. Neel shouldn¡¯t have even been here in the first ce. Every moment away from his people was a moment they were in grave danger.
Which was why Gunin gave the rebel an honest answer. If Neel was risking so much, just for him, it was only fair that he no longer hid behind his petty family squabbles and lies.
¡°I do,¡± Gunin said. ¡°What my people did was¡ was wrong. I wish for a world where we can coexist.¡±
Neel nodded. ¡°Then take this rucksack. It has enough food and water for a day or two. Circle around us and the army¡ªthey¡¯ll follow us all the way to the Boundary. Return to our encampment and don the armor of one of the dead kothis and hide his body. Take his ce¡ªthe army will return to scout for any injured. When they find you, tail them back to Garrison Atnu.¡±
¡°You want me to be a spy.¡±
¡°I want you to gather as much information you can. On Garrison Atnu. On the prisoners in the other camps we were forbidden frommunicating with. When I return¡ªand I will return¡ªI want to know who among them is sympathetic to our cause.¡±
¡°You ask for much,¡± Gunin said, even as his heart leaped at the opportunity. This was risky, yes, but it had a chance. That was better than what he currently had. A whole lot better.
Neel smiled. ¡°Nothing outside your capabilities,¡± he said. ¡°Aid me now, and I will remember thister.¡±
As Neel readied himself to leave, a question slipped out of Gunin¡¯s mouth before he could stop himself.
¡°Who are you?¡±
Neel locked eyes with Gunin. ¡°One who everyone thought dead. Who has returned to undo the wrongs that gue his people. I am Vaak¡ªof Ash.¡±
And with that, Neel¡ªor Vaak, rather¡ªdisappeared, leaving Gunin alone, and with more questions than answers.
Vir stood just paces away from the Ash Boundary with the others. The incessant booms of lightning made speaking difficult, but he¡¯d already said his peace.
When he¡¯d announced that they were fleeing into the Ash, they¡¯d taken it better than he¡¯d hoped. Perhaps they realized how hopeless their chances were. Surrendering was obviously not an option. Nor was fleeing with the limited supplies they had on hand.
Not even for a moment did Vir entertain the idea that they followed him out of respect and hope that he might carry them through. No, he hadn¡¯t earned that yet. He was the one who¡¯dnded them in this mess, after all. And while this particr oue worked in his favor in the long run¡ªit got him an army, and one that was stuck with him for better or for worse¡ªit was by no means the oue he¡¯d wished for.
There was real risk in what they were about to do. Many would likely perish, and this time, Vir was squarely to me. Even if fewer died than at the hands of the Chits¡¯ suicide mission to Praya Parul, Vir would still feel responsible.
Which was why the time for lies and deception had passed. When they stepped through, after they¡¯d established a camp, Vir coulde clean.
He¡¯d tell them who he truly was.
Vir inhaled deeply and roared.
¡°Enter!¡±
Chapter 300: A New Start
Chapter 300: A New Start
It wasn¡¯t the howls of enemy Ash Beasts that Vir noticed first. Nor was it even the blinding crack of lightning and the deafening thunder that apanied it.
It was the prana. The sweet, sweet sensation of power flooding into him all at once was unlike anything he¡¯d felt outside the Ash.
Vir took a great breath and flexed his entire body, feeling it ripple with the life-giving energy.
I¡¯ve missed this ce, was Vir¡¯s first thought upon entering the blighted realm of death. Vir considered that something might not be quite right with his mental faculties, but quickly dismissed the thought.
Breaking out of his reverie, Vir finally registered the screams and agonized wails of the other demons. All but a handful had copsed, and were writhing in agony on the ground.
Bgra, thankfully, was not one of them. He was bounding around the downed demons, treating them with his Panav healing arts.
With only one healer and almost two hundred demons, Bgra was stretched thin. By prioritizing the ones whose prana poisoning was most dire and working without even a moment of pause, the naga was only just barely able to keep them alive.
As much as Vir wanted to help his friend, it was all he could do to stand and watch over them, ensuring no opportunistic Ash Beasts drew close. For all Vir¡¯s power, the only one he knew how to heal was himself. His strengthsy elsewhere.
A pack of Ash Wolves broke off from therger horde in the distance, making a beeline for the injured prisoners. Vir could almost smell their ravenous hunger as they eyed the prisoners with unbridled bloodlust.
As far as prey went, the demons couldn¡¯t have been any better. Weak, helpless, and utterly unable to flee or fight back.
Luckily, they weren¡¯t alone.
Vir turned to meet the creatures. He¡¯d fought thousands of these things in the past¡ªa dozen would hardly even register. If, of course, he wielded his true power. That was assuming he didn¡¯t hide his abilities out of fear of discovery.
As a maelstrom of prana coalesced around Vir¡¯s body, as it became visible to the naked eye, wreathing him like ck me, Vir knew.
There would be no going back from this. He would soon be forced to confront his demons and reveal who he truly was.
And he was fine with that. For too long, he¡¯d hidden out of fear of precipitating events before he was ready. For fear of the hatred he might receive.
No longer.
Unleashing the full might of his unbridled power, Vir Blinked¡ªthe ability surging him fifty paces forward. Furious, deadly ck prana coated his talwar, begging to be released.
Virnded with a plume of ash as tall as a geyser.
His six Ash Wolf foes crumpled in a heap, tumbling end over end, before they finally came to rest¡ªdead¡ªin front of the prisoners.
In a single movement, without even breaking stride, Vir had punctured their hearts and their heads, ending them before anyone had even registered his departure. Least of all his enemies.
Vir once again took a deep breath, allowing the prana to surge within him. There was just so much of it! Vir felt so alive here.
When Cirayus had first entered the Ash, the giant had had a simr reaction, and for the longest time, Vir had wondered if the giant was actually crazy. It was ironic¡ªVir was now protecting others in the same way that Cirayus had protected him when they¡¯d first entered.
His godfather had been right. The feeling was intoxicating. So much so that Vir feared he might grow irresistibly addicted to the sensation if he wasn¡¯t careful.
His eyes scanned the demons. Most hadn¡¯t even noticed the wolves that had been about to end them, let alone Vir¡¯s actions.
Most. Not all. The few who¡¯d managed to retain their wits despite the onught of prana regarded him with a varied range of expressions. Some stared wide-eyed, others with suspicion. There were a couple who prostrated¡ªthose worried Vir the most.
Vir Blinked to Bgra¡¯s side as he worked his healing magic. ¡°Will they live?¡±
Bgra grunted. The perspiration streaming from his face showed just how much stress the demon under.
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¡°Give me another five healers and I¡¯d say we have decent odds. With just me? Best pray that Yuma smiles on us. No deaths so far. Whether that continues, only they can say.¡±
¡°Understood. I¡¯ll not bother you then,¡± Vir said. ¡°Let me know when we¡¯re out of danger.¡±
The next several hours passed in tense anxiety as Bgra worked nonstop, rushing to one demon after the next.
Despite his words of caution, not a single one had perished. Vir didn¡¯t credit the feat to Yuma or any of the gods.
The credity with Bgra alone, and his tireless efforts to ensure that they all lived. How the demon drove himself so hard for so long, Vir couldn¡¯t know.
All he knew was that he was immensely, deeply grateful for this miracle worker. Vir wasn¡¯t sure he could ever properly thank Bgra for his actions on this day, but he certainly intended to try.
Despite what Bgra thought of himself¡ªan outcast¡ªhe was a hero, through and through.
¡°How¡¯s he doing?¡± Vir asked, looking at the sleeping form of the naga, who¡¯d shifted into his full-serpent shape the moment he¡¯d dered the demons safe.
¡°Well enough, considering the ordeal he¡¯s just been through,¡± Malik said, crouching down beside him. ¡°Now, I¡¯m no healer, but I think he ought to be fine with some rest. Thank the prana of this realm. It either kills you or it turns you invincible.¡±
The gray demon was one among the many who would have perished without the healer.
¡°Not invincible,¡± Vir said with a small chuckle. ¡°Not quite. Let me know when he¡¯s awake. I¡¯ve set the others to guard duty, but I¡¯d feel a lot safer with Bgra on watch.¡±
¡°You and me both,¡± Lagen said, approaching with a couple of other demons Vir had scouted. Or rather, the only demons who hadn¡¯t immediately sumbed to prana poisoning. ¡°We owe our lives to this naga. We¡¯ll watch over him like mothers.¡±
¡°You sound as though you¡¯re going somewhere,¡± Malik said.
¡°I am,¡± Vir replied. ¡°We¡¯re running through thest of our food and water. It is imperative I find a new source quickly.¡±
¡°What of the Ash Beasts?¡± Malik asked. ¡°We may be able to drive off one or two weaker ones, but without you¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Vir said. ¡°When Bgra awakens, you¡¯ll be in good hands. Over the past hours, I¡¯ve driven away or killed all beasts within a full mile of here, and I won¡¯t be gone long.¡±
Lagen¡¯s eyes met Malik¡¯s, and they exchanged a look. Vir knew that look. That clearing the area for a mile ought to have been impossible, but both epted his words as fact. They¡¯d seen what he could do firsthand, after all.
¡°We¡¯ll do our best to stay alive while you¡¯re gone,¡± Malik said atst. ¡°Please, do be careful.¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°You have my promise.¡±
Armed with arge rucksack filled with canteens and a couple ofrge cloths for hauling back any food he found, Vir set out, Leaping three hundred paces with each bound.
At that pace, it didn¡¯t take long to locate a nearby forest,plete with more than enough fruits and wild edibles to feed the prisoners. Landing, he plucked several oversized melons simr to the ones Cirayus had first brought for him when he¡¯d first entered the Ash. After filling the bags, he pushed deeper, and came upon several springs. Protected by the forests¡¯ canopy, this fresh water was likely what kept the forest alive. Amon feature in the outer regions of the Ash.
As Vir worked to fill up the canteens he¡¯d brought along, he thanked the gods for their luck. Yes, the transition had been arduous, but ultimately, they¡¯dnded in the outer regions of the Ash as he¡¯d hoped.
He¡¯d had reason to hope, of course, with how weak the Ash Beasts had been where they¡¯d entered the Boundary, but that was only a rough guideline at best. Cirayus had mentioned how he¡¯d been thrown deep into the Ash, despite having taking every precaution.
As Vir finished up with the spring, his thoughts turned to the longer term. Food and water were essential, but those were easily solved with a source nearby. Shelter, however, was another matter entirely.
With the encampment the demons had made on the other side of the boundary, protection was of utmost importance, even above basic needs.
Forests offered excellent concealment, though that cut both ways. The forest was alive with life, from insects farrger than they had any right to be, to ground critters, and everything in between. Ash Beasts were not the only fauna that survived in this realm, after all.
With so much prana in the roots and trunks, Vir would be hard-pressed to spot predators before they attacked.
Even if he did notice them, an attack coulde from any direction at any time. And what about when he was asleep?
Then again, the Ashen Realm offered few locations suitable for building a base. The base of a volcano was a possibility, but how would they ferry the materials needed to construct a true, fortified base? Rocks and boulders might¡¯ve worked, but what they wanted were wooden palisades with proper gates.
And if Vir was the only one who could ferry supplies, he feared he¡¯d spend most of his time doing just that.
No, they¡¯d need something that was both defensible and convenient.
Vir looked at the tall, spindly trees that soared easily as high as the trees of the Godshollow.
The forest truly was the perfect location for constructing a fortified garrison. Perhaps not out in the open, but if they cleared trees and built a fort¡ They could even dig a dry moat and erect sharpened pikes, giving them a clear field of view for any potential attackers. Their supplies had included basic survival items such as saws, axes, and knifes, after all. With some work, such things could be fashioned.
Not only that, but the forest¡¯s natural canopy shielded from the sight of Shrikes, and as for building materials¡ They would never run out. If they were smart, they could even build their garrison right on top of a freshwater spring¡ªeliminating their most pressing need.
The more Vir considered the idea, the better it sounded. Maybe the demons wouldn¡¯t ever sleep infort in this blightednd. But at least they could sleep with a proper roof over their heads, and a sturdy wall to protect them.
And yet, how to lead those demons into such a ce, where dangers could lurk around every corner?
It was this thought that weighed on Vir¡¯s mind as he returned with fresh water and food.
It was on his mind when he set the supplies down and distributed it to his demons.
Hourster, most demons had regained consciousness, huddling near each other, either for warmth or protection. The camp was mostly silent, and the demons were sullen. Though they¡¯d just survived an incredible ordeal, most were exhausted. Worse¡ªtheir eyescked the me of hope, and no amount of food or water would change that.
They needed something more.
Vir stood at the center of the seated demons, cleared his throat, and addressed them.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity to Vir, he shed his lies and his deceptions and addressed the camp as the person he truly was.
¡°Friends. My fellow demons. We have entered the Ash, and we have survived. And now, the time hase for you to know the one who brought you here. The time hase to tell you who I truly am and why we are here.¡±
Chapter 301: Unmasked—Unchained
Chapter 301: Unmasked¡ªUnchained
More than a few heads perked up. Looks of confusion, excitement, and skepticism regarded Vir from all directions.
Bgra was one such, having recently arisen from his well-earned rest. Malik also regarded Vir intently, though his eyes flitted regrly from Vir to the crowd, as if he was as interested in their reactions as much as Vir¡¯s own words.
Were this a couple of years ago, he¡¯d have shrunk back, losing his words, but time and experience had tempered both mind and body, and Vir did none of those things.
¡°I suppose I should start from the beginning,¡± Vir said, ensuring his voice carried to the farthest parts of the camp. With almost two hundred assembled, however, he doubted everyone would hear him. That was alright. What his voice didn¡¯tmunicate, gossip surely would.
And there would be no end to the gossip, that was for certain.
¡°Due to various circumstances, I was not born in the Demon Realm,¡± Vir began. ¡°Soon after my birth, my godfather was forced to flee with me across the Ash. Through its very depths, to the other side. To the Human Realm.¡±
Whispers broke out, but Vir didn¡¯t pay them any mind.
¡°It was there that I grew up, in a rural vige as a lumberjack¡¯s son. Oblivious to who I truly was. Events happened to force me out of that cradle, and I had to adapt. Adapt¡ªand grow strong.¡±
¡°You returned?¡± Bgra called out. ¡°Through the Ash?¡±Vir nodded. ¡°That I did. With the very same godfather who ferried me as an infant. The journey was neither short nor simple. I spent years in this realm, growing stronger. I¡¯ve fought and defeated thousands of beasts, big and small. In fact, I¡¯ve spent more time here than I have in the Demon Realm.¡±
Prana Current surged through Vir¡¯s whole body, forming an attractive current unparalleled to any he could create in the Demon Realm.
Vir slowly unsped the cheap iron cuirass he wore, allowing it to fall to the ground. ¡°As for who I am? I left out one important detail. I said I was not born in the Demon Realm, and that is true. Nor was I born in the Human Realm, however. I was born, here, in the Ash. I am Ashborn.¡±
Prana coalesced around his body like a tornado, reinforcing Prana Armor.
Vir unbuttoned his undershirt, and for the first time in his life, bared his chest to the world, turning slowly so that all could see.
¡°I am the Akh Nara, and after a lifetime of being away, I have finally returned.¡±
The jet-ck pranapacted, growing denser and denser¡ Until, suddenly, it manifested visibly.
All at once, ck mes erupted to life, wreathing Vir¡¯s body like a cloak. Those nearby jerked away. This wasn¡¯t mere me, but something far, far deadlier.
The mes continued to mount, and soon, Vir¡¯s body was no longer even visible.
What stood in his ce was a demon in every sense of the word¡ªa mythical figure of Ashfire, whose red eyes promised the end of all those he called his enemy.
¡°I show you this not to threaten or to scare you,¡± Vir said, his voice altered by the prana flowing through him. ¡°But to inspire you. Because I have fought Wyrms and survived. I have visited Mah¨¡di and met with ancient gods. And Ie here to you today to tell you that there is a brighter future for our people. For all of Demonkind.¡±
What greeted him was a sea of wide eyes and nearly two hundred demons who¡¯d be frozen in ce.
¡°Those of you who wish to leave,¡± Vir continued, ¡°are wee to do so the moment I find a suitable Gate. I will not fault you. For the rest, stay with me, and I will forge you into warriors the likes of which the Demon Realm has never seen. And then! When no Ash Beast can challenge you, we will march. Together! To take back what is rightfully ours! To reim Samar Patag for the Garga! To show the world what our n truly is!¡±
Deafening silence followed Vir¡¯s speech, and for the briefest moment, he wondered how ridiculous he must look, talwar extended to the sky.
I failed¡ He hadn¡¯t motivated them. He ought to have known better¡ªfor all he knew, these demons hated him. Resented him for bringing them to this blighted ce. For pitting them against the Chitran without a choice.
Vir slowly began lowering his talwar, wondering how he¡¯d extricate himself from this mess, even as his cheeks began to flush with embarrassment.
And then, someone roared. Vir¡¯s eyes snapped to the red demon in the distance, standing with his weapon to the sky. It was Lagen, and he bellowed a guttural battle cry that resonated all the way to Vir.
He was almost immediately followed by dozens. Then more, and more, and soon, the entire camp was standing, raising their des high in the air.
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Chanting.
The words were indiscernible at first, as most group chants tended to be. But slowly, steadily, their rhythm synchronized, their voices amplifying one another with singr purpose.
Vir felt the energy resonate in his throat as they shouted two words, again and again.
¡°Akh Nara! Akh Nara! Akh Nara!¡±
In response, Vir lifted both hands to the sky, and the volume redoubled.
Though he didn¡¯t notice it, Vir was beaming.
Father? Mother? Do you see this? This is just the beginning.
Still in a daze, Vir had mobilized the army, ordering them to follow him into the nearby forest, where he promised shelter and safety.
He still couldn¡¯tprehend it. He¡¯d braced for hatred. For insults, using him of abandoning his people during their most desperate hour.
He¡¯d received none of that. The reluctance and fear that had been present in the troops only hours before had vanished, reced by a sort of reverence. They began nodding, averting their eyes, and some even outright bowed when they approached.
While Vir certainly wasn¡¯t about toin, he did feel awkward at this change in dynamic.
I suppose I ought to get used to it, as Cirayus said.
¡°Ahem.¡± Someone nearby cleared their throat, prompting Vir to look up.
It was Bgra and Malik, and neither met his gaze.
¡°Not you too,¡± Vir groaned. ¡°I¡¯m the same person I was this morning, you know?¡±
¡°I, er, beg to differ, your Eminence,¡± Malik said, prompting Vir to roll his eyes, ¡°but you are most certainly not. This morning, we¡¯d thought your Eminence was simply another demon. A powerful one, perhaps. But now? How could we possibly treat you the same?¡±
Vir wanted to rip his hair out. He¡¯d teased Maiya about her title of the Blessed Prophet, finding her situation hrious. Now, having to deal with it himself, he found the humorpletely absent.¡±
¡°Alright, first of all, you are not calling me ¡®Eminence,¡¯ or anything of the sort. Are we clear?¡±
¡°Even if we were to ignore that you are the Akh Nara¡ªsomething that cannot be ignored, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Bgra said, ¡°as the son of Maion and Shari Garga, you are Gargan royalty. You are quite literally a prince. To refer to you by any other means would be improper.¡±
¡°Is that right?¡± Vir said, growing irritable. ¡°Well, this prince is ordering you to call him by his real name. Your choices are Vir, Vaak, Sarvaak, or Neel.¡±
Malik and Bgra exchanged concerned nces, clearly wishing to speak their mind, but unsure of whether it would be proper to do so. Despite Cirayus¡¯ warnings, Vir found himself at a loss for how to deal with this situation.
¡°Look,¡± he said after a moment. ¡°Formality and honorifics have a time and a ce. I¡¯ll not deny you that. But keep in mind that I grew up as the son of a lumberjack. Nobody has ever treated me that way, and it makes me ufortable. If I can¡¯t even consult with my closest generals without them stepping over themselves, how in all the realm are we supposed to lead an army?¡±
¡°May I at least call you Prince Sarvaak?¡± Malik asked, earning him a sidelong stare from Vir. The demon cleared his throat. ¡°Just Sarvaak, then.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll have to be Akh Nara for me,¡± Bgra said. ¡°At least for now. As I said before, this is your fight. Not mine.¡±
¡°You say that, but I question whether you truly mean it,¡± Vir said, looking the naga in the eye. Bgra nced down immediately, perhaps thinking it improper to make eye contact with one such as him.
¡°I am Panav. Your fight is for the liberation of your people,¡± Bgra said, though there was no confidence behind his words.
¡°Yes, as my first task,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Once Garga has been restored, I n to turn my eyes to the rest of the demon realm. Surely you don¡¯t need me to tell you the benefits of aiding me?¡±
Bgra smirked. ¡°Aiding the Akh Nara? Herald of change? Why, I couldn¡¯t fathom how that might be in my best interests.¡±
Vir smiled back. ¡°Good. So you do still remember how to tell jokes.¡±
Bgra¡¯s eyes went wide as he realized what he¡¯s done. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came.
Vir burst outughing, which made the naga huff with embarrassment.
¡°If you¡¯ve had quite enough of that, how about we discuss the ns for this base you¡¯re nning on constructing,¡± Bgra said, desperately hoping to change topics.
¡°Yes, lets,¡± Vir said. ¡°Between our powers and the tools I brought from Praya Parul, I think we¡¯ll have ourselves a little home in this blightedndscape before very long.¡±
After consulting with Bgra and Malik, Vir had the troops stop a few hundred paces outside the forest. Close enough to allow easy ess to the work site, yet far enough that they retained enough buffer against threats emerging from the forest.
While there were a few extra tents carried on the backs of the Chitrans¡¯ Ash¡¯va, most had to do without.
At least it would be a temporary affair.
By the end of the first day, they¡¯d selected a site and cut down all the trees surrounding the camp¡ªa job easily aplished with abilities such as de Launch and certain Aspect tattoos.
Food and water were procured by demons running supply missions twice a day to the springs and vegetation within the forest, and security was provided by those demons who possessedbat tattoos, of which there were a decent number. The going was difficult at first, slowed by thick vines and shrubs, but as more and more demons trod the same path day after day, a trail formed, making the journey less arduous.
It certainly didn¡¯t hurt that Vir regrly ranged a mile into the forest, taking out any Ash Beasts who dared venture too close. Despite their addled minds, they eventually began to understand that this territory was taken.
As the days passed, fewer and fewer beasts attacked their camp, and by the third day, Vir feltfortable relocating the demons to the work zone within the forest. With nearly a half-mile of trees cleared, they¡¯d have ample warning, and with the new garrison being constructed over a surging spring, only food had to be gathered.
Morale remained high, and grew even higher as demons applied themselves to their work. As Bgra had said, there was something immensely satisfying about building something from nothing.
Despite that, the inevitable tussle finally arrived one day. Led by Lagen, a zealous faction had formed, intent on stamping out any skepticism or disagreement with the Akh Nara.
Vir mped down on them with an iron fist, though he feared this was only the beginning. For better or worse, the reputation of the Akh Nara was deeply steeped in demon history. Oveing it would be no simple feat.
ttening and preparing the grounds, digging the deep holes required to hold the walls, and preparing thend for an eventual moat had taken the longest.
When the first enormous palisade went up, the demons all gathered and cheered. It didn¡¯t take long after for the outer wall to be erected.
A mere week after entering the Ash, Vir and his two-hundred demons slept within the sturdy protection of their own base. A base with palisade walls twenty paces high with trunks five across, as well as the beginnings of a solid rampart.
It¡¯d take more than Ash Wolves and Shredders to break down something this sturdy, and for the first time in a while, Vir breathed easily, knowing he was no longer the only line of defense for these demons.
When the barracks and a few other basic structures had been built, the demons¡¯ training would begin.
Vir couldn¡¯t wait. After years of worry and anticipation, it was finally happening.
Though it¡¯d urred in a way he could never have expected, the seeds of rebellion were now sewn. All that remained was to water them.
Chapter 302: To Build an Army
Chapter 302: To Build an Army
¡°The work progresses,¡± Bgra said, standing beside Vir. ¡°But I have to ask¡ªat what cost?¡±
Vir pursed his lips as he cast his gaze over the budding base from the ramparts of its tall walls.
A week had passed, since Vir had led his demons to the forest, and the camp was finally beginning to feel like a home. It wasn¡¯t just the many wooden structures that had stood proudly where there had previously been only dirt, or even the routine the demons had fallen into. It was the small things¡ªsleeping under a roof, the pounding of the cksmiths¡¯ hammers, the idle chatter.
There was an atmosphere of hope here that simply couldn¡¯t have ever existed at Garrison Atnu. Thanks, in part, to the rtive peace they¡¯d won. The local Ash Beasts had mostly kept to themselves, and the opportunistic among them had either fallen into the moat, where they¡¯d been picked off by defenders, or had turned tail and run when they¡¯d been sted with magic.
It hardly felt like the Ashen Realm at all.
And with Malik overseeing logistics, concerns such as sanitation, orderly distribution of food, ash sweep duties, guard duty, and a myriad of other affairs had been taken care of with little issue.
Of course, Malik certainly didn¡¯t feel that way, but the demon had proven exceedingly capable of handling problems on his own without Vir¡¯s aid.
As for himself, Vir continued his regr scouting patrols outside the garrison, but he¡¯d been doing fewer and fewer of those as his attention shifted from construction to instruction.
That was both good and bad¡ªit allowed him to concentrate on the real reason they were here. It also deprived him of the opportunity to search for nearby Ash Gates. There were practical reasons for those outings, beyond just Vir¡¯s desire to report to Cirayus.While the camp had a handful of cksmiths among their number, they¡¯d need ess to new metal to repair armament when they inevitably wore down. Not to mention, cksmiths could only do so much without anvils.
They also needed a thaumaturge¡ªboth for Vir to try and learn the arcane art¡ªand to inscribe tattoos on the demons who currentlycked them.
The sooner every fighter in their army possessed an Aspect or Bloodline tattoo, the sooner they could begin mastering it. Vir was under no delusions that they¡¯d learn quickly, but some tattoos were easier to wield than others. They might not turn the force into an Ash Beast ying machine overnight, but they¡¯d at least help even the odds.
On the whole, their situation would be almost idyllic, were it not for the unusual characteristics of their current location within the Ash.
¡°The time flow might not favor us here,¡± Vir said, ¡°but we do have time. We have no other pressing engagements. No reason why we couldn¡¯t spend another month in this ce.¡±
¡°A month that may be close to a year outside,¡± Bgra said. ¡°I suppose the world had written us off, anyway. What¡¯s another year?¡±
While that might¡¯ve been true for the troops, it certainly wasn¡¯t for Vir, personally.
What of Cirayus? What of Maiya?
It was thetter he worried for the most. Maiya had been in a precarious situation when he¡¯d left her. Was she alright? Was she safe?
Vir had to find a solution to this issue¡ªand fast. As much as he wished to spend time in the Ash with his troops, he had obligations outside that he couldn¡¯t afford to miss.
While he couldn¡¯t be sure of the time discrepancy, he doubted¡ªhe hoped¡ªonly a month or two had passed in the outside world while he was gone. Whether that was simply a fool¡¯s hope, or hope brought about by his understanding of how deep they were within the Ash, he couldn¡¯t know.
For now, it was a problem without a solution. For now, the demons came first.
¡°Care to join us today?¡± Bgra asked. ¡°Not that they¡¯re ckers, but the troops really give it their all when you¡¯re around.¡±
Vir smirked. ¡°I was nning to, regardless.¡±
¡°Again!¡± Bgra barked, and fifty demons fell into a forward stance, throwing a right punch and holding it there. After experimenting withrger groups, they¡¯d found that fifty was the workable maximum with the limited instructors they had. While the garrison wasrge enough to easily support more troops, any more and the demons wouldn¡¯t receive the attention they needed.
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If there was one thing worse than no form, it was poor form, and Bgra wouldn¡¯t have any of it.
Both Vir and Bgra walked¡ªwell, Bgra slithered¡ªthrough their orderly ranks, inspecting their form, but it was Bgra who oversaw the ss.
¡°No, twist your torso,¡± Bgra barked. ¡°Your strength flows from your legs, through your body, and into your arms. To deal damage, your whole body must be engaged. Why, you ask? Why does it matter when we have our bloodline arts? Because a strike with magic begins with proper form. Master your body, and your arts will follow, growing stronger, faster, and deadlier.¡±
Vir paused to consider those words. While he hadn¡¯t ever questioned it, Cirayus¡¯ training in the Ash had forced the errors out of his form¡ªnot that it was bad to begin with. Especially for Vir¡¯s own magic, which relied heavily on his body, it made total sense. That the same principles applied for everyone else made him a little happy. He¡¯d spent so long being different that normally could be nice at times.
As Vir walked, he nodded to the trainees, who either gawked openly or averted their eyes. There didn¡¯t seem to be much middle ground in their reactions.
Unlike Bgra, Vir didn¡¯t speak loudly, or even at all. He simply corrected their form when he saw errors, nudging their limbs gently. It was plenty. In fact, his attention seemed to have far more effect than Bgra¡¯s.
¡°Good! Now, break up into pairs. Grab your training spears. We¡¯ll fight one-on-one,¡± Bgra barked.
The response was mediocre. Several of these demons weren¡¯t warriors, and they weren¡¯t used to being injured, even if Bgra healed their wounds after.
Which was why he¡¯d had the bright idea of tricking Vir.
¡°For this section, the Akh Nara himself will provide instruction. Listen well. Not every day you get to learn from a living god.¡±
Vir resisted the urge to Blink to the naga and wring his neck. Barely.
¡°Right,¡± Vir said, scrambling toe up with some words of wisdom that wouldn¡¯t make him sound like a moron.
When he nced back at the naga, he found him smiling back.
I swear, he¡¯s got it in for me¡
All eyes locked onto him with anticipation.
Vir cleared his throat. ¡°I brought you to this realm to train. To grow strong, by pitting your mettle against Ash Beasts. But the first thing you must learn is that learning to fight Ash Beasts and learning to fight demons are entirely separate things.¡±
Falling into a rhythm, Vir paced as he walked, hands sped neatly behind his back. ¡°Ash Beasts do not use tactics. They do not need tactics. They will shred you with brute strength alone. While some demons prefer such straightforward ways, most will not. What beasts teach you, however, is the mindset of the Warrior.¡±
Weaving in between pairs of demons, Vir made eye contact as much as he could. To try and hammer home just how important this lesson was.
¡°Mindset is everything,¡± Vir said loudly. ¡°The grit to look death in the eye and fight¡ªthis is what you must learn during your time here. Tactics? Skills? Weapons and armor? Yes, these are all important, but without the proper mindset, you will fail. And here, failure means death. Remember that when you spar with one another. Do not see a friend in them. Do not see a demon. See an Ash Beast, desperately attempting to end you. Only then will your training have merit.¡±
Vir rejoined Bgra, returning with a smile of his own. The naga¡¯s expression was halfway between surprised and impressed. He nodded back.
¡°You hear that? Fight with all you have. Better to drop some blood here than drop an arm out there! Now get to it!¡±
The demons shouted back enthusiastic affirmations and fell into their training.
Vir watched over them for a while before retreating to his quarters. There was a more pressing matter he had to attend to. A wall in his training he¡¯d been hammering at with every spare moment. One he absolutely needed to break down.
Vir sat cross legged in the moderately sized log room that had been assigned to him. He¡¯d initially refused, iming such a space was an extravagance they couldn¡¯t afford. Not even Bgra had that privilege¡ªhe shared a cabin with Malik and the other ¡®officers¡¯, as Malik had taken to calling them.
The remainder of the troops lived in the four long, rectangr barracks they¡¯d erected. While cramped, it was still an enormous upgrade over the open bivy they¡¯d had prior. Not a single one hadined. At least, not about their sleeping arrangements.
Fights had broken out¡ªusually either over minor disagreements, or over one vor of Akh Nara fanaticism versus another.
In the end, Vir had talked the demons down from building a multi-room abode to a singlerge space. With a raised bed of leaves in the corner as its only amenity, it felt painfully empty.
Vir hardly cared. He merely needed a ce he could be alone for hours.
Opening his Foundation Chakra, he sunk into his mindscape.
The brown wood of the cabin disappeared, and Vir found himself in a forest like no other. Crisp, natural air tingled his nose as overgrown songbirds chirped high above in the forest canopy through which the rays of sunlight danced on the forest floor.
Vir wasn¡¯t under that canopy. He was seated in a clearing, and there, the sun shined brightly, casting its warmth upon him.
A gangly demon crouched atop an enormous fallen Godhollow some paces away.
¡°Suggestions?¡± Vir asked Ekanai, who jumped down from his perch.
¡°This is not working,¡± his predecessor replied. ¡°It seems that inflicting mental pain upon you will not open your Life Chakra.¡±
Vir¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°There must be a way.¡±
Given his powers, Vir should be iparable to other demons. Untouchable. And yet, he was forced to tread with utmost caution every time he entered battle.
First against the Prana Gorger, then against the Chitran Army. The Warrior Chakra was like a knife in the dark, threatening him at every turn.
The one ability against which he had no defense. The Life Chakra, while useful in that it allowed him to hurl Chakra attacks, forcing his opponents to react in the middle of battle, was merely a stepping stone in his mind.
The one after that¡ªthe Shield Chakra¡ªgave him proper defense against that of the Warrior.
¡°While I may not have grown closer to the Life Chakra, training with you here hasn¡¯t been without merit.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Ekanai rasped.
¡°I can feel it. It¡¯s the same as when I trained with Cirayus. I can feel that I¡¯ve grown closer to opening it. Perhaps not fully, but enough.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Ekanai said. ¡°Just as you summoned me to this ce.¡±
¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to summon Shardul.¡±
Chapter 303: Sown Seeds & Minor Breakthroughs
Chapter 303: Sown Seeds & Minor Breakthroughs
It¡¯d been only a day since Cirayus arrived at the Chitran¡¯s southernmost garrison, and he¡¯d already witnessed all that he needed to. This one was no different than the rest, forcing Cirayus to ept that he¡¯d been a fool for hoping otherwise.
The garrison itself was serviceable, as all garrisons near the Ash Boundary had to be. If they weren¡¯t, they¡¯d have fallen long ago. The discipline and capabilities of the troops, while somewhatcking in Cirayus¡¯ view, were sufficient for the task at hand. No, the issuey with the free prisonerbor they exploited.
At every garrison, the poor Gargan Warriors slept outside in open ditches, exposed to elements and Ash Beasts alike, and treated little better than livestock. They received no training, save for those lessons they learned in the forge of lethalbat, and survived with neither luxury nor hope.
Many died, while those who lived hardly had a life at all. Even rotting away in a dungeon was preferable to this abhorrent treatment.
Especially when it was only the Gargans who suffered so.
Had Cirayus been a couple of centuries younger, he¡¯d haveshed out, perhaps ying those responsible in a heat of rage.
Time, however, had tempered those emotions. The best shot they hady with Vir and the rebellion. Lashing out here would only worsen the lives of those most affected¡ªa lesson Cirayus had learned the hard way long ago.
Even so, while most of the prisoners had the fight beaten out of them, Cirayus spied a few who¡¯d kept the spark alive. He¡¯d begunpiling a list of those prospects¡ªtheir names, and their abilities. When the time finally came, these would be the ones to spur the rest to revolt, serving as the initial spark.Much groundwork needed to beid before then, of course. That would be up to thed and his forces¡ªthere was only so much Cirayus could do given his fame.
It shackled him in a way these prisoners could never understand. In many ways, it was far worse. Too many eyes restricted his freedom, preventing him from sneaking away to do anything truly meaningful. Hisrge frame didn¡¯t do him any favors, either. Cirayus had long ago epted that stealth would forever be a lost cause for him.
And yet, one did not live four centuries without picking up a few tricks along the way.
¡°Truly, we are grateful to have you here,¡± his assigned Chitran liaison repeated. The kothi followed him around everywhere, ready to serve at a moment¡¯s notice. It was quite honestly infuriating. ¡°Admittedly, weck the resources for such rigorous inspection.¡±
Cirayus waved away the demon¡¯s concerns. ¡°I understandpletely. Out here at the Boundary, you have your hands full keeping those foul beasts at bay. I¡¯ve seen it time and again. The wood rots, inspections are skipped and regr maintenance schedules go unobserved. To tell you the truth? You are right to do so. The defense of the realm takes precedence. I am simply doing what I can where I can.¡±
Bncer of Scales activated, and the tall palisade trunk shivered slightly.
Cirayus hadn¡¯t lied¡ªhe was inspecting them. Just that he wasn¡¯t looking to call out any weaknesses he found, but rather to note them down as potential entry points for an eventual invasion.
The kothis were none the wiser, of course. Even when Cirayus jostled some logs a bit too enthusiastically, further weakening their foundations, they suspected nothing. It wasmon knowledge that gates were the weakest link in a wall, but the prisoners wouldn¡¯t have that option. Theycked both battering rams and the equipment that would keep them safe from archers and magic while storming the garrison.
With the right preparations, however, they might stand a chance. It¡¯d be bloody, of course, and there would be casualties, but they¡¯d have a chance.
After wrapping up his inspection, he approached the garrisonmander.
¡°Leaving already?¡± the kothi said, crestfallen. ¡°I¡¯d been hoping we could count on your help against Ash Beast attacks in theing days. Give our troops a chance to rest.¡±
¡°I¡¯d have liked nothing else, but s, duty calls. I must now journey to Garrison Atnu, for I fear they require my aid more than you. If the beasts are in such force this far south, they¡¯ll be under immense pressure over there. I fear the worst.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± themander said. ¡°May Vera smile upon you during your travels.¡±
¡°And you as well,¡± Cirayus replied, sping the kothi¡¯s arm. The temptation to break the filthy monkey¡¯s limb crossed his mind, but he reminded himself that now was not the time. Cirayus was more than capable of patience when the need called for it. He¡¯d have the chance to skewer this monkey¡¯s head another day.
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It galled him to cooperate with the people who¡¯d ughtered his friends and family. Like a taint upon his soul that could not be scrubbed off nor healed by any Chakra.
Bidding the garrisonmander farewell, Cirayus bounded away, happy to be rid of that foul ce.
If only that were the extent of his problems, he¡¯d have thanked Adinat for his boundless mercy. As it was, however, he couldn¡¯t help but worry.
Something foul was brewing in the Ash. Never before had the Demon Realm dealt with this many Ash Beasts. At least, not in recorded history¡ªwhich was saying something, given that those records dated back millennia.
Events were moving beyond Cirayus¡¯ sight, and he didn¡¯t like that at all. He had to regroup with Vir and devise a n forward. He feared that without fully understanding this unseen threat, their rebellion would be in grave jeopardy. They simply couldn¡¯t afford to deal with an Ash Beast outbreak until the rebellion had solidified its control over the Chitran nation.
Besides, there was another reason to return to thed, apart from ensuring his safety. While Maiya had been an angel humoring him, her worry was clear. She was going through no small and tribtion of her own, and Cirayus felt the wrong person tofort her.
Cirayus could help but smile when he thought of the pair. The Akh Nara with a human vige girl? Never in his long life would he even dream of such a match. Let alone cheer for it.
And yet, that was precisely what he wanted.
Him! A proud demon of ns Baira and Garga. Cheering for a human! Even despite the terrible trials and eventual sadness that awaited them both. Despite the tragedy of demonic longevity.
Their future would be fraught with peril, and yet, Cirayus would not have it any other way. He¡¯d watch over them, protecting them and guiding them¡ªbut not without allowing them to stumble and learn on their own. Some lessons were best learned firsthand.after all.
It was with these warm thoughts that Cirayus arrived at Garrison Atnu almost a half-dayter, having bounded his way across the country, dealing with Ash Beasts as and when he found them.
Well before he¡¯d arrived at its gates, he knew something was amiss. The encampment of prisoners that surrounded each garrison was misshapen. A circle with a missing slice.
As he neared, he discovered the slice was the one thed had been a part of.
A sick feeling formed in his stomach.
Bypassing the gates, Cirayusnded within the Garrison itself, causing no small amount ofmotion.
¡°You! Where are the missing prisoners?¡± he asked a local trainer. ¡°Have they been deployed to the Ash?¡±
The stricken kothis scampered away and Cirayus was about to ask another when someone came running up to him.
¡°Ravager! ¡®Tis good you are here. The prisoners. Theymitted suicide.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you dare lie to me, Chitran!¡± Cirayus roared, causing the kothi to shirk back.
¡°I-It¡¯s true, Lord Ravager! They rebelled¡ They fled to the Ash!¡±
The color drained from Cirayus¡¯ face. Things weren¡¯t about to go wrong. They already had. Horribly so.
With closed eyes, Vir focused on the Life Chakra. Its feel¡ªits meaning. Chakras, though metaphysical, seemed to upy their own ce within his body. For example, the Foundation Chakra sat at the very base of his spine, while the Life Chakra was just above it.
Concentrating on his memories of Shardul the Vicious, Vir cracked it open. Not fully¡ªjust as much as he could manage. Which was, admittedly, not very much at all.
The feeling reminded him of wading through water. When fully mastered, opening the Chakra offered no resistance at all. Right now, however, it was all he could do to nudge it even slightly.
It seemed to be enough. When Vir opened his eyes, he found a new presence. A gray demon stood before him. d in ck steel te and chainmail, with wavy ck hair that fell to his shoulders, he cut an imposing figure. Shardul, of Garga. Shardul the Vicious.
Vir¡¯s predecessor felt like an odd choice for mastering the Life Chakra¡ªParai the Ancient or Jalendra the Wise might¡¯ve been a better fit, but try as Vir might, he¡¯d been unable to. It seemed like he¡¯d have to march back through time, predecessor by predecessor, regardless of whether they were the best option.
Vir rose, finding Shardul staring at his armored fist.
¡°So. I am dead, then. This is a memory conjured within your mindscape?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ correct. You seem to be taking this rather well,¡± Virmented. ¡°Ekanai took a whole fight to convince.¡±
¡°Ekanai¡¡± Shardul said, ncing at the ghael who stood hunched over some paces away. ¡°I take it you are a sessor, then?¡±
¡°Shardul,¡± Ekanai said with a slight nod.
¡°Odd for an Iksana Ghael to be selected as Akh Nara. Then you must be the current incarnation,¡± Shardul said, turning toward Vir. ¡°Exceedingly young, I must say.¡±
Vir¡¯s face fell a bit. ¡°You¡ don¡¯t remember me. Do you?¡±
Shardul cocked his head slightly. ¡°Would I have asion to?¡±
¡°No. I suppose not,¡± Vir replied. ¡°You saved my life, though. Taught me Dance of the Shadow Demon.¡±
¡°I did?¡± Ekanai asked with a raised brow. ¡°Surprising.¡±
¡°Well, maybe taught is an exaggeration. You took over my body and used it to get me out of danger. I¡ kinda took it apart and learned it on my own.¡±
This time, Shardul¡¯s surprise was obvious. ¡°Impressive. I¡¯d not thought such a feat possible. Especially not without the bloodline tattoo. Odd that I have no recollection of this.¡±
Vir bit his lip, thinking of what happened at Mah¨¡di. ¡°Yeah, well. Things happened.¡±
¡°So? Why have you summoned me?¡±
¡°The boy struggles with the Life Chakra,¡± Ekanai rasped. ¡°Despite endless duels, the Chakra eludes him.¡±
Shardul snorted. ¡°Of course it would. What in the realms made you think you could open the Life Chakra by fighting?¡±
Vir and Ekanai could only respond in silence.
Now that I think about it¡ He¡¯s right, Vir thought, scratching the back of his neck with embarrassment.
¡°This was your idea, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Shardul asked Ekanai. ¡°Let me guess. You single-mindedly focused onbat strength?¡±
¡°Strength is power,¡± Ekanai replied.
¡°And yet, the boy¡¯s existence means you died. Didn¡¯t you? I can only wonder why.¡±
Ekanai growled, and Vir wondered if he¡¯d have to break up a fight. A fight! In the middle of his head, no less!
Maybe I really am going mad¡
¡°Quite frankly, I am amazed you managed to get even this far with such a crude approach,¡± Shardul said, returning his gaze to Vir.
¡°Crude?¡± Ekanai said, clenching his fists.
Shardul ignored the demon, continuing to address Vir. ¡°Come. Walk with me. And perhaps together, we can start you upon the path to opening your Life Chakra.¡±
Chapter 304: Tears of Life
Chapter 304: Tears of Life
¡°I have to say, for a manifestation of my memory, you¡¯re quite detailed,¡± Vir said, observing the armored gray demon beside him. ¡°I only ever saw you once, and that was when I was about to die.¡±
The scarred and pony-tailed gray demon in segmented te armor walked with his hands sped behind his back, metal boots crunching the dirt of Vir¡¯s mindscape forest. Vir had dismissed Ekanai, finding it required most of his focus just to keep Shardul materialized, and so now they walked together through the forest.
Keeping the Reaper around would only have led to more fights between the two predecessors¡ªsomething Vir was only too happy to avoid.
¡°The subconscious is powerful,¡± Shardul said. ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯ll recall more of your other predecessors when the timees.¡±
¡°Still, you really are taking this awfully well. It¡¯d be nice if the others do, too,¡± Vir said, avoiding a tree root. Given that this was his mindscape, he felt like he ought to have more control over it, but thus far, changing any facet of the meadow had proven difficult.
¡°I believe you¡¯ll find the others quite amenable. I¡¯m sure Jalendra the Wise would like nothing more than to chat philosophy for hours, while Narak the Destroyer would likely talk your ear off about battlefield tactics. Parai¡ Well, I¡¯m afraid he may prove a poor conversation partner, but at least he will not attack you.¡±
Virughed. ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s all downhill from here, then. But enough about them. What of the Life Chakra? Can you help me?¡±
¡°Perhaps. You must already be aware that the Life Chakra¡¯s domain is over all living beings, yes?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vir said. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to sense life, but it¡¯s useless.¡± In fact, he was starting to rte to Maiya, and her inability to sense prana. Vir supposed this was the normal process for most people, however he wasn¡¯t most people.¡°I just don¡¯t understand. You¡¯ve all opened your Chakras. Why do I have to start from scratch every time?¡±
¡°Chakras¡ªand their meaning¡ªare unique to every demon. This is why, even after millennia, there is no form or shortcut for sess. The details always differ. So it is with you. Besides, you do have an advantage. You have me.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fair, I suppose. Believe me, I¡¯ve been trying.¡±
¡°I do not believe you have, Ekavir. You see Chakras as a means to power. As weapons to be used inbat.¡±
¡°Is that wrong?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Quite. Chakra¡¯s powers are nothing but a side-effect. Take the Foundation Chakra, for example. It allows one to be attuned with the concept of solidity. Yes, this defends our minds against attacks of the Life Chakra, but we are fundamentally wiser for opening it.¡±
¡°A form of enlightenment,¡± Vir said, catching on. ¡°Cirayus had said something like that at one point. So, what¡¯s the meaning behind the Life Chakra?¡±
¡°That is for you to uncover. For me, it was the realization that ughtering my enemies was not inherently evil. That the guilt I bore was ill-founded and misced.¡±
That was an interesting lesson, Vir felt, and not one he was sure he wished to learn. He wondered if this realization was what forged Shardul into Shardul The Vicious. Luckily, as he¡¯d said, all demons were different. Vir¡¯s path to enlightenment would not be the same.
¡°Tell me, Ekavir, what is prana?¡±
Vir frowned, wondering where the demon was going with this. ¡°The Energy of Life,¡± he replied. ¡°I can sense it just fine with Prana Vision. But prana and chakra have nothing to do with each other.¡±
¡°And this is where you are wrong,¡± Shardul said, stopping to face Vir. He took in a deep breath and gazed up at the mighty Godhollows that ringed the meadow.
Shardul opened his left palm. ¡°Prana,¡± he said, before opening his right. ¡°Chakra.¡±
Bringing his hands together, he sped his left in his right. ¡°They are two sides of the same coin. Think of it. Without Chakra, the soul cannot exist. Without prana, life cannot exist. Yet, without life, there is no soul. And without soul, well¡ You have seen what Warrior Chakra attacks do to people.¡±
Vir cringed, recalling the lifeless eyes of the demon who¡¯d fallen to one such attack. Not alive, yet not quite dead either. A state from which there was no recovery¡ªno magic that could heal it, aside from one¡¯s own mastery of Chakra.
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¡°So you¡¯re saying I need prana to learn Chakra?¡±
¡°You already have an incredible ability to sense life around you. It¡¯d be foolish not to capitalize upon it, yes?¡±
¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s worth a try.¡±
Vir sat in the meadow, crossed his legs, and cycled prana to his eyes.
Prana Vision red to life, illuminating the nearby forest in all the various hues of prana, despite none of it being real. It made Vir wonder just how close to reality this space was¡ªperhaps a fair bit closer than he suspected.
¡°Now, look at how they flow,¡± Shardul said from beside him.
As usual, the lines of pranay out before him, showing the flow of energy through the trees, through the shrubs and the grass of the meadow. In the air and the ground.
¡°Iste only those forms you see in life. Ignore the rest.¡±
Vir concentrated on the des of grass and the prana within them, ignoring the prana of the air and ground, though he couldn¡¯t help but voice some concerns.
¡°If prana is the energy of life, then why does it exist in the air at all?¡± Vir asked. ¡°The air isn¡¯t alive. It has no Chakra. Right?¡±
Opening his eyes, he found a knowing smile on Shardul¡¯s face. What could that mean?
Vir didn¡¯t have a chance to find out. Before the demon could reply, Vir found his control over the Life Chakra slipping away.
¡°Until next time, then,¡± Shardul said, his form disappearing.
Vir sighed, once again alone within his mindscape. Just when he was about to make the next leap, too.
That was alright, though. He now had a path forward. The rest was a matter of time, and that was one thing he certainly didn¡¯t have.
As Vir Leaped above the barren wastnd of the Ashen Realm, the first thing he noticed was the sheer number of Ash Tears. A good sign¡ªfor it meant they were deeper within the Ash than he¡¯d thought, yet not so deep they led only deeper within the Ash. Peeking through, Vir saw a few exits that looked as though they may have led to the Demon Realm.
Unusable, given their shattered, dangerous state, but encouraging nheless.
The prevalence of tears also meant the time skew was likely less than Vir had feared.
There was just one issue¡ªas Vir traveled, more and more tears appeared. Far more than there ought to have been, given the rtive prana density.
It was almost as if denser prana gave way to more tears¡ªlike the density was too great a burden for space in the area to bear.
For there to have been this many here? It was odd. It was even more odd that, despite the prevalence of tears, Vir had yet toe across a single stable gate.
For hours, he scoured thend, ranging further and further from their base. It wasn¡¯t the danger that bothered Vir¡ªhe could easily handle anything that lived in this part of the Ash alone¡ªbut rather, getting lost.
The Ashen Realm wasn¡¯t beholden to the normal rules of navigation. Land looped back upon itself, turning it into abyrinthine maze. Without an Artifact to guide him, the danger of getting lost forever was very real, thus limiting the area Vir could search.
The restriction might have slowed Vir, but it did not stop him. If he wasn¡¯t practicing opening the Life Chakra, he was out searching.
Thendscape was not a static one, after all, and Vir loathed remaining within the camp. The reverence and awe his troops gave him alienated him somewhat¡ªit made the camp a stifling environment. A safe andfortable ce to sleep, perhaps, but nothing more.
It wasn¡¯t as though he could help much with the troops¡¯ training, either. Bgra had that well in hand, and Malik had the camp running so tight, Vir doubted anyone could improve upon it. Morale was high, training was progressing¡ and Vir had work to do.
And in that time, he had ample opportunity to visit Ash Tears¡ªcloser than he¡¯d ever have dared when he¡¯d first entered it with Cirayus.
More than that, it was his effort into Life Chakra that had first tipped him off.
Vir had always been perceptive of the surrounding prana¡ªbut as a tactical tool, not as a means to enlighten himself.
Under Shardul¡¯s guidance, that was now beginning to change. He perceived the beauty in the way the prana moved. He appreciated it for what it was, not for what it could be made to be.
Ash Tears, like everything else in this realm, consumed Ash Prana. Initially, Vir had thought they simply acted like funnels, pulling prana through to wherever they led.
This wasn¡¯t true, however. The prana didn¡¯t pass through. It disappeared.
Vir had only noticed this after staring at the beautiful flow of prana for a good while. He hadn¡¯t even been intending to scrutinize it.
Yet once he noticed, there was no un-noticing. He was witnessing an impossibility, pure and simple. Prana could neither be created nor destroyed. It merely transformed into different forms of energy. Fire prana to fire magic. Ash prana to Leap, Dance of the Shadow Demon, and Vir¡¯s other movement arts.
No, the prana wasn¡¯t being destroyed. It was being consumed. By the Ash Tear itself. But why? For what purpose?
Vir thought he had an answer.
Landing at a Tear that led off into the Demon Realm, Vir approached as close as he dared.
This one was at the end of its life. Ash Tears didn¡¯t explode when they died. They simply faded away, and now Vir knew why. The prana the Tear consumed from its surroundings had dissipated, rendering it on the verge of copsing.
But why let it?
Vir swiped his talwar, sending de Launch ripping at the Tear.
Neither was physical, and so no damage was done. The de dissipated¡ and the Tear strengthened.
Disbelieving, Vir fired several more, strengthening the Tear, stabilizing it.
Realizing his method was inefficient, he simply shot prana in a fan to the Tear, allowing it to consume the prana he¡¯d built up within himself. Meanwhile, Prana Current surged, allowing Vir to send it more and more prana.
The more the Tear stabilized, the closer Vir was able to draw without fear of injury.
Finally, his palm came in contact with the gate¡¯s edge¡ªnot a physical surface, but one constructed of pure Ash Prana.
Then, in a deluge, Vir allowed his energy to surge outward. Into the Tear.
No, not quite. Into the Gate.
Vir couldn¡¯t control himself. He started tough. Heughed so hard he fell to his knees.
It was so simple. It was right there, all along!
Vir had just stabilized an Ash Tear into a Gate. And he was fairly certain he was the only being alive who could.
Chapter 305: Gates of Rebellion
Chapter 305: Gates of Rebellion
As Vir stepped through the Ash Gate¡ªno longer a mere Ash Tear¡ªhis mind reeled at the implications of this profound discovery.
To his knowledge, no demon who had ever lived had managed such a feat. There simply was no Bloodline Art that allowed one to stabilize Ash Gates.
As for whether his predecessors ever aplished it, Vir somehow doubted it. It¡¯d have been in the record books, and even if they had wished to hide it, Ash Gates were not so easily concealed. Then again, from what Vir had learned, Ash Tears had been far more rare back then. Perhaps there hadn¡¯t been much opportunity.
Whatever the case, aside from Ashani, Vir was the only living being with power over Ash Gates. And that gave him immense power over the realm. While he couldn¡¯t quite create them as the Imperium Goddess could, once he found a suitable tear, he could now turn it into a permanent¡ªor at least, near-permanent¡ªfixture.
Gates would allow his budding army to march from realm to realm, using entrances and exits only they knew about, with absolute impunity. It¡¯d allow them to establish bases deeper within the Ash, allowing their troops to benefit from the higher prana density and positive time effects. By relying on intermediary Gates to bring them to the periphery, they could then connect to the Demon Realm.
Vir could scarcely think of a time when his heart pumped so madly. For so long, they¡¯d been against hopeless odds. Vir was only one demon. Even with his powers, he¡¯d agonized over the uing war.
Now? Now, they had a chance.
The extent to which it worked would, of course, depend on how often they needed to be maintained, but Vir was nevertheless optimistic. Perhaps in just a few months, he could have a viablework built and ready for use.
I suppose they¡¯ll see this as yet another feat of the almighty Akh Nara, Vir thought with a sigh. There was nothing to be done about that, however. If further reverence and alienation were the price for this incredible advantage, then so be it.Vir took in his surroundings, finding t desert and rolling hills off in the distance. He could be literally anywhere in the demon realm. Vir wasn¡¯t too worried¡ªone nice perk about it being perpetually sunset was that the sun was always in the same position in the sky. To approach the Ash Boundary, one needed only to move toward the sun. The rtive prana density also cued Vir in to how far away he was from the Boundary¡ªcurrently, quite far.
That was a consideration forter. Before Vir delved back into the Demon Realm, he had work to do and people to inform.
¡°You did what!?¡± Bgra thundered, making Vir shirk back.
¡°Speak softly!¡± Vir hissed, looking around themand tent to see if anyone had heard. From the prana signatures outside, it seemed several demons had, and were currently edging closer to listen in.
Vir thought about driving them off, but resigned himself to the fact that his little secret wouldn¡¯t be a secret for much longer. He didn¡¯t want it to be, after all. Just¡ He wished he could¡¯ve broken the news to them on his own terms. Now, unnecessary rumors would spread, fanning the mes of the Akh Nara even further.
Bgra looked at Vir as though he were a Prana Swarm, while Malik edged back slightly.
¡°Look, I understand if you don¡¯t believe me, or if you think I worked some mysterious, magical power. I didn¡¯t. Anyone who wields Ash prana could do the same. I should¡¯ve realized it long ago. Can¡¯t believe I never did,¡± Vir said, genuinely meaning his words.
¡°Have you forgotten, oh living god, that you are the only person in all the realms who wields the prana of Ash Beasts?¡± Bgra said.
¡°I¡ no. I just meant it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Just a quirk of my prana.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive us for not believing your humility,¡± Malik said in a soft voice. ¡°If what you say is true¡¡±
¡°This changes everything,¡± Bgrapleted. ¡°Supply lines, troop movements¡ The very nature of warfare. Everything! Do you know why the Ash is so dangerous?¡± Bgra asked, but continued before anyone could respond. ¡°It¡¯s because you never have a way back out! It¡¯s because you never know where it¡¯ll dump you! Not with any certainty, anyway. You could end up roaming these wastes for years and never find a way back. With this¡¡±
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Malik nodded. ¡°We can send troops here anytime we like. We can house them within our garrison, ensuring they have ess to healers and safe housing until they¡¯re ready to take on beasts.¡±
¡°We can exploit this realm like no demon ever has!¡± Bgra said,ughing with maniacal glee that spooked even Vir. He¡¯d never seen the demon this excited.
¡°Forward operating bases, Ash-sourced supplies¡ The list is endless,¡± Malik said. ¡°Sir, if I may, how many Gates can you stabilize?¡±
Vir shrugged. ¡°Remains to be seen. Depends on how quickly they deteriorate. I don¡¯t have any personal limit, though.¡±
¡°Well?¡± Bgra asked. ¡°What are we waiting for! Show us this new marvel of yours!¡±
Vir looked outside with Prana Vision to find demons running all over the ce, whispering to each other as they stole nces and point at themand tent.
Oh, well¡
A dayter, Vir was back at his Gate, this time, with aplement of a dozen of their strongest demons¡ªBgra and Lagen included.
Malik had tagged along, insisting that he measure the dimensions of this Ash Gate for future logistical purposes. Vir was pretty sure the demon had just tagged along due to excitement. It must have been quite severe for him to have voluntarily joined an excursion that included Lagen¡ªhis mortal enemy in romance.
Like all the other demons in their small party, he spent most of his time boring holes into Vir¡¯s back. When he wasn¡¯t, Lagen kept throwing looks at Malik, but one word from Vir put the fear of god in the demon. There would be no tussles¡ on this trip. Whether this situation would resolve peacefully in the future remained to be seen.
The trip had taken a full day not only because of the size and limited mobility of their group, but because they¡¯d stopped every mile to dig wooden way signs into the Ash¡ªestablishing the route for future travel.
While Vir wasn¡¯t sure if this particr destination would be useful, Malik felt it¡¯d be good training for subsequent Gates. A trial run that would help them improve upon their signage system in subsequent iterations.
The Gate itself was nothing special. An oval a couple of heads taller than Vir, situated right on the ground. It was located nearby a copse of trees, but that was the onlyndmark in sight in an otherwise featureless, t expanse.
Vir was about to step through when Bgra stopped him.
¡°Make clear the Gate!¡± he barked.
Lagen and the others rushed to the Gate, forming a perimeter.
¡°Clear!¡± Lagen shouted, prompting six of their number to rush through the Gate, setting up positions on the other side.
All the while. Bgra shook his head, muttering under his breath. Their performance, while perhaps not up to professional military standards, struck Vir as more than adequate. Not adequate enough for the veteran warrior, though.
¡°Alright. The rest of you lot, follow us through,¡± Bgra said, slithering through the portal to the demon realm.
Vir followed, finding the same bleakndscape unchanged from the day prior.
¡°If you told me this was a natural Gate, I¡¯d believe you,¡± Bgra said, peering intently at the rift in space. ¡°How¡¯s it look to your eyes, Akh Nara?¡±
Vir bit back his desire to tell the Naga not to call him that, and instead focused on the prana signature.
¡°Intact. And barely any signs of degradation,¡± Vir replied.
¡°Most fortuitous,¡± Malik said. ¡°At this rate, you could maintain several Gates without issue!¡±
¡°Certainly seems that way,¡± Vir said with a nod. ¡°Any idea where we are, by the way?¡±
Bgra shrugged. ¡°Most of the demon realm looks like this. Could be anywhere.¡±
¡°Sounds like I¡¯ve got some scouting to do,¡± Vir said.
Bgra cocked a brow. ¡°Is that wise? If we¡¯re in Iksana territory¡ If they spot you¡ Better you leave that task to us.¡±
¡°And how many days would that take? You know as well I that no one in our group can match my speed. Trust me,¡± Vir said, sping the naga¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of experience hiding. I¡¯ll be sure to stay well away from any.¡±
Bgra nodded. ¡°Very well. In the meantime, we¡¯ll construct a makeshift outpost on the other side to guard the Gate. Wouldn¡¯t want beasts causing carnage now¡¡±
Taking careful note of the surroundings, Vir set out to the west, Leaping over barrennd for as far as the eye could see.
Soaring a hundred paces into the air with each bound, Vir expanded his field of view considerably, and soon spotted a tall and jagged mountain range running north-south.
At its base near a pass was a settlement, not unlike the one Darsh and his sister Hetal lived in¡ªsmall and primitive. From his high vantage, Vir observed that the vige was around the same size, too, supporting no more than a hundred people.
Coming to a stop a few hundred paces away to avoid suspicion, Vir wandered in, earning the stares of the serpentine folks who lived there.
Had Vir not already met Bgra, he might¡¯ve panicked. But the Panav were a mostly peaceful people who regrly took refugees from the Garga. Not that this excused their involvement in the sacking of his n, but Vir was at least happy he hadn¡¯tnded in Iksana territory. The moment one of their kind spotted him, it would be the end.
Luckily, this was both the first andst time Vir would travel through an Ash Gate alone. From now on, he¡¯d bring demons with him, who could scout thend beyond to determine whether the exit pot was in a useful location. A Gate that led to the eastern sea would have little strategic importance, except perhaps as a hidden staging area.
¡°You lost, stranger?¡± An elderly half-serpent half-woman Nagini asked, slithering up to Vir.
Vir scratched his neck with mock embarrassment. ¡°Er, I seem to be! Would you be so kind as to point me to the Gargan border?¡±
Chapter 306: Return of the Guardian (One)
Chapter 306: Return of the Guardian (One)
¡°And I call myself a Naga,¡± Bgra said, spitting on the ground. ¡°I suppose my emunication isplete if I cannot even recognize my own country!¡±
¡°To be fair, you were right,¡± Vir replied. ¡°This could be anywhere.¡±
¡°Still¡ I thought I felt something familiar. The scent of the air, perhaps,¡± Bgra said, making Vir smile. That would¡¯ve been quite the ability, should such a thing really exist.
¡°What do you n to do now?¡± Malik asked. ¡°I admit, reinforcing this position seems¡ inconvenient.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Bgra said. ¡°We¡¯re a ways from the border. The mountains you saw lead to Vraj Parah, which tells me we¡¯re nearly all the way east. I¡¯d reckon we¡¯d hit the ocean if we went much further. Not much out here, other than a possible relief area, as Malik said. Could be worse, though. Panav likely won¡¯t make a ruckus, even if our presence here is discovered.¡± Bgra gestured to the surroundings. ¡°An exceedingly unlikely proposition, as you might¡¯ve guessed.¡±
¡°Practicality aside, I¡¯ll be needing this Gate for at least a while,¡± Vir said.
¡°Why? Do you have business in the demon realm?¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°I need to meet up with Cirayus. And ideally Gunin, too. I need to bring more demons to our cause.¡±
¡°The Ravager, eh?¡± Bgra said, stroking his chin. ¡°I admit, I would like to meet that fabled warrior. He¡¯d prove an invaluable asset for training our troops.¡±¡°He can also ferry demons if need be. I¡¯d love to have him with us again,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to upy our soldiers with guard duty, though. I¡¯ll be quick about this. I promise.¡±
¡°Look at this!¡± Bgra chortled. ¡°The Akh Nara! Apologizing to his lessers!¡±
Vir received awkward looks from the other demons, as if they didn¡¯t know how to react.
¡°A bit of advice?¡± Bgra continued in a voice low enough so that only Vir could hear. ¡°Drop the humility. It doesn¡¯t suit one such as you.¡±
Vir¡¯s lips tightened. ¡°I¡¯ll¡ keep that in mind.¡±
Truthfully, he wanted to remain the same. He hated the airs someone in his position was expected to put on. But Cirayus had said the same¡ªthat leaders with too much humility appeared weak and incapable.¡±
¡°We shall remain at the Gate and man this position until the Akh Nara returns,¡± Bgra said, barking orders to the demons. ¡°As long as it takes.¡±
Vir nodded, then turned and Leaped away, happy to finally be rid of the demons¡¯ reverent stares.
Vir took few supplies with him as he bounded across the realm at speeds matched only by Acira, and while those avian beasts needed to rest every several hours, Vir did not. His body could survive for days without sleep, water, or food, allowing him to travel lighter, which in turn made him faster.
Even so, crossing a mountain range and a border took him longer than he¡¯d have liked, as he was forced to stop for directions at every settlement until he found the single road connecting Panav with its Chitran neighbor to the south.
The going became smoother after that, though Vir had to be wary of anyone traveling the path. While no one could identify his face as he bounded, he¡¯d undoubtedly attract unwanted attention that way.
Crossing the border into Chitran territory, Vir turned west and crossed yet another mountain range before finallying up familiar territory near the Boundary.
The journey felt far longer than it ought to have¡ªsomething Vir attributed to the never-setting sun. Time became difficult to keep, and the only reason the concept of a day existed was due to tradition and convenience.
The other reason for the lengthy journey was Vir¡¯s mounting exhausting due to his diminishing prana. Despite rationing as best he could, with so many invocations of Leap, he¡¯d depleted nearly all of it, forcing him to slow towards the end.
Resting regrly would not have helped, given theck of prana. Not even Prana Current could replenish what wasn¡¯t there, so Vir had opted to drain himself and recharge near the Ash Boundary, where Ash Beasts roamed aplenty.
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Despite his best efforts, however, the Ash Boundary proved out of reach. Rather than slog there, Vir had another idea. One that would allow him to kill two birds with one stone and offer an opportunity to reunite with some old friends.
Cutting south, Vir changed his destination, a newfound spring in his step.
Vir sunk into the shadows and appeared within the walls of Samar Patag, bounding lightly across rooftops, using only the strength of his own muscles to propel him.
Not a minuteter, a ck form blurred up to him, knocking him down mid-flight, and grappling with him until he crashed heavily onto a rooftop.
Vir wasn¡¯t angry, however. How could he be, when Shan was licking his face happily?
¡°Easy, boy!¡± Virughed, petting his old friend. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you this happy!¡±
For a split-second, Vir thought someone had reced the Ash Wolf with his old bandy, Neel.
¡°I¡¯ve missed you too, buddy,¡± Vir said, righting himself. ¡°You been keeping everyone safe?¡±
Shan yipped, nuzzling against Vir¡¯s chest. ¡°You must¡¯ve been so lonely, if you¡¯re showing me this much affection. Now, how about we go pay a good friend a visit?¡±
Standing, Vir jumped off the rooftop, sailing to another.
It¡¯d been so long since he¡¯d been back to a city, let alone a city so dear to him as Samar Patag.
It empowered him. Refreshed him. And with Shan by his side, the world felt right again. Better than it had in a long while.
By the time Vir dropped silently into Janani¡¯s orphanage, he¡¯d all but forgotten his exhaustion.
¡°Hey,¡± Vir said, popping up from behind Janani, who¡¯d been diligently preparing a meal in her kitchen.
The petite demon swung, and to her credit, her hand was not empty. She swung the cast-iron skillet with all the force she could muster¡
Only to have her strike nullified by Vir¡¯s palm, which wrapped around her wrist, killing her momentum.
He grinned, watching her expression turn from fear to shock to recognition.
¡°It¡¯s been a while. Thought I¡¯d drop by to chat.¡±
¡°N-Neel?¡± Janani said breathlessly. Her wrist lost strength, and the pan fell, but Vir caught it before it could hit the ground.
¡°Better watch it with that! What would you have done if I¡¯d gotten burned?¡±
Janani flushed in shame as she shook her head. ¡°Ah, you! You¡¯re teasing me. You saved this entire city on your own, and now you fear a cooking pan?¡±
Vir grinned, carefully setting the hot pan back on the wood stove. Vir might be resilient to burns, but he was quite sure Janani was not.
¡°I take it things are well, then?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see any riots in the streets. That has to be a good sign, right?¡±
Janani gave him a smile, and while she did her best to hide it, Vir couldn¡¯t miss the pain in her expression. One that said things were not going well at all.
Vir¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Tell me everything. What has transpired in the months I¡¯ve been away?¡±
Janani shook her head. ¡°No, I apologize. I did not mean to worry you. Let me make some chai, and we can chat.¡±
The orphanage teacher seemed to leave no room for argument, so Vir obediently took a seat at the small square table nearby and waited.
Shan, who¡¯d watched the whole encounter from nearby, settled on his haunches beside Vir¡¯s chair.
The tea Janani brought out shortly thereafter was hot, rich, and absolutely delicious.
¡°An improvement fromst time,¡± Vir noted, earning himself a look of contempt from Janani.
¡°How rude! I am just as proficient at tea making as I was a few months ago.¡±
¡°Then it must be the ingredients. You¡¯re using higher-quality leaves, and some spices, too.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Janani said, sipping her tea. ¡°Provisions have never been an issue after what you did for us. Shoes, clothing, food¡ The children eat well these days.¡±
¡°Then the issue isn¡¯t with the orphans¡ but the city atrge? Is it the rebels?¡±
¡°Yes¡ and no. The rebels have been more activetely, though I can hardly me them. In fact, I am thankful that they protect us when the fights break out.¡±
¡°Asuman¡¯s at it again, I see,¡± Vir said, already thinking of a n to refresh the governor¡¯s fear.
¡°No, actually. Asuman has been doing his best to keep the peace, and our faithful guardian has dutifully defended us in your absence.¡±
Shan exhaled sharply, straightening his back.
Janani chuckled, petting the Ash Wolf. ¡°Y¡¯know? Sometimes I almost think he can understand us.¡±
¡°He¡¯s the most intelligent wolf I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°Though, if not Asuman, then who?¡±
¡°The Warriors. Well, all the kothis, really, but they are led by the Warriors. The Rulers remain mostly under Asuman¡¯s thumb, but the Warriors hold sway due to their physical strength. It¡¯s normally never an issue because the families are always squabbling with one another. This time, though¡ I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve provided a verypelling g for them to rally under.¡±
¡°Asuman can¡¯t squash them without looking like he¡¯s Gargan-friendly, but he¡¯s also scared of Vaak, should he allow the Warriors to harm us.¡±
¡°A sticky situation if there ever was one,¡± Janani said, taking a sip of her tea. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we may have a civil war on our hands if nothing is to be done.¡±
The way Janani looked at Vir strongly implied her desires.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Janani. You know I want Gargans back in control of our city, but it¡¯s too early. I¡¯ve only just started assembling an army. They¡¯re not ready. I¡¯m not ready.¡±
Janani deted. ¡°I¡¯d assumed as much. Still, to hear you already have an army gives me hope. I only pray you are quick enough.¡±
¡°No prayers required,¡± Vir replied. ¡°The gods will not keep Samar Patag peaceful. Only action will. It appears I need to pay Governor Asuman a visit.¡±
¡°I think I speak for all of us when I say that would be appreciated,¡± Janani said with relief. ¡°Shall I prepare your room?¡±
¡°Appreciated, but no,¡± Vir said, finishing his tea and standing up. ¡°I¡¯m not here long. I¡¯ve business at the Ash Boundary and only stopped in to check up on things. Before I head out to see the governor, though, I¡¯d like to visit Bolin. Has he recovered from his injury?¡±
Janani¡¯ tea cup stopped halfway to her mouth. Slowly, she set it down and smoothed out her apron.
¡°Neel¡¡± she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Please understand that I am grateful for all you¡¯ve done. The orphans are so grateful. I need you to promise me you don¡¯t me yourself for all that happened.¡±
¡°Janani?¡± Vir said, frowning. ¡°What are you saying?¡±
¡°You couldn¡¯t have known. Even if you¡¯d been here, you couldn¡¯t have helped. Neel, Bolin is gone.¡±
Chapter 307: Return of the Guardian (Two)
Chapter 307: Return of the Guardian (Two)
Vir and Janani stood at the shores of the Gargan Sea, just outside Samar Patag to the south. The world was silent, save for the sound of wavespping against the coast. None of the turmoil and injustice of the city reached here. It was peaceful, in direct opposition to Vir''s own state of mind.
¡°It was here. This was the spot,¡± Janani said. ¡°As per tradition, we cremated Bolin¡¯s ashes. While we wished to keep them interred in an urn, Chitranw prohibits Gargans from following our tradition.¡±
Vir felt the taste of copper in his mouth, but willed himself to remain quiet. Forget saving Bolin, he hadn''t even known the child had died. He hadn''t attended his funeral.
¡°And so, we spread his ashes upon the sea, that his soul may return to the great cycle. That his next life may be better than hisst,¡± Janani added softly.
Vir said nothing for a long moment. In his head, a storm raged. Thoughts of hatred at the Chitran for being so cruel. Hatred at the Chitran for failing to protect the city when the Ash Beast horde arrived. The guilt had passed. Now all Vir felt was anguish at his powerlessness as he idly stroked Shan¡¯s fur.
It was a gentle squeeze on his shoulder that brought him out of this forest of dark thoughts.
¡°As I said, nobody mes you, Neel. Not in the slightest. So, please, do not me yourself.¡±
¡°It was a Chakra wound, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Vir asked somberly, watching the wavesp against the shore.
¡°We cannot be certain. It could have been trauma to his mind. Or, yes. It could have been Chakra. His condition was stable for a time. Then it took a turn for the worse.¡±¡°I have a naga friend. Perhaps he¡¡±
¡°No,¡± Janani countered. ¡°The Gargans rallied Greesha to bring in a Panav healer. There was nothing she could do.¡±
¡°I see. Would you give me a few moments to pay my respects?¡±
¡°Of course. Take all the time you need,¡± Janani replied, backing away to a respectful distance.
Vir sank to his knees and closed his eyes, hearing thepping of the waves, and believing that Bolin¡¯s spirit was somewhere among them.
When he spoke a long whileter, his voice was softer, more mncholic. ¡°Did you know? Someone once told me that for most demons, the Chakras are steps toward enlightenment. Toward letting go of the shackles that bind us to this world.¡±
¡°They sound wise,¡± Janani said softly.
¡°Perhaps. But if that means not caring about children like Bolin¡ about tragedies¡ is that enlightenment, Janani? Or is that simply hiding from the truth?¡±
¡°As someone who has only opened her Foundation Chakra, I am hardly one toment. I think, perhaps, that your answer may lie elsewhere. Perhaps enlightenment is not about feeling apathy to such tragedies, but rather growing from them? At least¡ It¡¯s what I¡¯ve done. These orphans¡ I treat them the same as the children I never had. Believe me when I say that I understand what you feel. I understand it all too well.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Vir said, rising to his feet. This time, it was Vir¡¯s turn tofort Janani, whose face was now covered with tears. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how hard it must have been for you.¡±
¡°He¡¯s in a better ce now,¡± Janani said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. ¡°His next life will be prosperous. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±
¡°As am I,¡± Vir said. ¡°As am I.¡±
The pair leisurely made their way back to Samar Patag''s gates, reminiscing about Bolin and his virtues, while Shan scampered off, not wanting to be noticed by others.
¡°Will you go to see Greesha?¡± Janani asked when they¡¯d arrived inside the city.
¡°I think not. Please send her my regards. I¡¯m due to pay Asuman a visit. I¡¯ll just be needing my mask¡¡±
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Asuman, as usual, was not difficult to find. For Vir, that was. For anyone else, they¡¯d have to deal with multiple levels of castle security. Even Cirayus would¡¯ve struggled. For anyone wielding Dance of the Shadow Demon, however, it was as simple as picking an exit.
¡°It has been awhile, Asuman,¡± Vir said, firmly mping his hand over the kothi¡¯s mouth.
The governor had been sound asleep in his enormous four-poster bed¡ªthe same bed Vir¡¯s own parents had once upied.
¡°M-mmmfff!!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t bother calling for your guards. You know who I am. You know what I can do. If I wanted you dead, you¡¯d be dead already. Nod if you understand.¡±
The kothi obliged.
¡°Good. I am here to chat. Scream, and you die. Does that sound amenable to you?¡±
Again, Asuman nodded.
Vir released his grip on Asuman¡¯s face and stepped back, allowing Governor Asuman to sit up in bed.
The dimly lit room hid Vir well, and he nearly blended into the darkness.
¡°Y-you!?¡± Asuman muttered. ¡°How¡¯d you¡ªno, you always have a way, don¡¯t you?¡±
The kothi sat up and kicked off his nket, forcing Vir to resist every instinct that told him to look away. If he¡¯d had any uncertainty about kothi anatomy, he had them no longer.
Purging the terrible sight from his mind, Vir forced the conversation along. ¡°You know why I am here.¡±
¡°I can guess,¡± Asuman said, donning a shimmering silver robe and hastily tying a sash around his waist. Vir couldn¡¯t begin to guess how much such an extravagance was worth.
¡°You worry that I can no longer control the Warriors who call for my expulsion. You are here to take care of matters with your own hand, hoping to avoid a civil war. Well, I can tell you, killing me will only hasten the war, not stall it. I am the only reason this city hasn¡¯t fallen apart yet. It was me who¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯m not here to kill you, Asuman. Or to depose you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re¡ not?¡±
¡°Let me make one thing clear, Asuman.¡± Vir spoke slowly and without emotion. ¡°I hate you. I wish for nothing more than to cut your head off and put it on a pike for all the world to see. After all the atrocities you¡¯vemitted, after all the children you¡¯ve allowed to die, death would almost be too lenient. You deserve worse.¡±
¡°You said you¡¯re not here to kill me!¡± Asuman replied, wheezing.
¡°I did not lie. I hate you. But I am no fool. You are an evil¡ªa blight upon this realm¡ªbut you are a necessary evil. For now. If you fall and the Warriors depose you, I fear it will only end in ughter. But I am tired of death, Asuman. My heart aches when innocents die for nothing more than petty political squabbles. I wish to fix your mess without resorting to the genocide of an entire Calling.
¡°On that, we are aligned,¡± Asuman replied. He¡¯d poured himself a drink and taken a big gulp. He gestured to a pair of luxurious upholstered chairs. ¡°Care to sit while we discuss?¡±
Vir simply stared at the demon, his nk mask betraying no emotions or expression. The kothi predictably shirked back.
¡°S-suit yourself,¡± he said.
Vir studied the kothi in the darkness and came away pleased with the results. It hadn¡¯t taken much to cow the governor¡ªthe memory of their prior encounter must have seared themselves deep into the kothi¡¯s psyche.
The groundwork had beenid, his adversary made pliable.
¡°Now,¡± Vir said, slowly approaching the seated Chitran. ¡°Let us discuss what happens next.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m telling you! We strike hard. We strike fast. We can overrun the keep. It¡¯s Warriors manning those walls, anyway. Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they open the gates when we ask.¡±
Gatiman stood at the center of his manor¡¯s ballroom, addressing the several dozen representatives of the most prominent Warrior families of Samar Patag. Normally reserved for festive asions, on this evening, they plotted something far more sinister.
¡°I say we attack the Gargans straight away. Why bother with all of this nonsense?¡± It was Shawan, the young upstart of the Satyana family, who¡¯d said this, but it was a sentiment shared by several of the others.
¡°Would that we could, Shawan,¡± Gatiman replied. ¡°Governor Asuman must be removed if we want to avoid shedding our own blood. Asuman is more than the Gargans¡¯ protector! He is the only bastion holding up their morale. And as Warriors, I know you all understand the value of morale.¡±
Gatiman paced around in a circle, catching the eye of each of hispatriots. Personal attention was key in tense environments like this, where even a snubbed gesture or a mistimed response might reinforce the doubt in their minds, instead of squashing it.
Thankfully, Gatiman was an expert. He had them in the palm of his hand. Just a little more pressure, and they¡¯d be his. The n would be set in stone, and soon, Samar Patag would fall into hisp. After decades of scheming, to think it had happened so easily.
¡°I agree,¡± a voice said, and Gatiman smiled. The first of them had fallen for his trap.
¡°And why wouldn¡¯t you! The n is solid. Our strength is unmatched!¡±
¡°You are Warriors, after all. The city will fall into the palm of your hands, should you will it.¡±
¡°Yes! Yes, exactly¡ª¡± Gatiman paused, a doubt forming at the back of his neck. This fresh voice. It was a strange one. Muffled and distant, and unfamiliar to him. It spoke with none of the refinement of high Warrior society.
Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t very well ask. To do so would be an immense embarrassment. It¡¯d tell them he was unfamiliar with one of their ranks¡ªunthinkable, given the pedigree of those assembled. He might very well lose the favor of the Warrior agreeing with him. Worse, it¡¯d send a message of ipetence to the rest of the group.
¡°Exactly,¡± Gatiman continued. ¡°Who would hesitate in the face of such assured victory?¡±
¡°Asuman¡¯s head will sit on a pike!¡± the same voice said.
¡°Er, yes. Indeed,¡± Gatiman replied, searching the faces for the speaker. He wasn¡¯t alone, several other Warriors appeared simrly curious.
¡°We shall cut his body and let his blood flow through the streets!¡± the voice said, louder this time. It came from another direction.
¡°I, er¡ That may be a bit too much¡ª¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± the voice said. Closer. Far too close.
Gatiman whirled.
¡°For we must hammer into that blight what it means to go against the will of the city.¡±
¡°Y-You!?¡±
Chapter 308: Return of the Guardian (Three)
Chapter 308: Return of the Guardian (Three)
The kothis backed away, looking ready to lob magic at Vir.
Vir raised a hand to stop them. ¡°Rx. Ie in peace. In fact, I wish to aid you.¡±
His audience looked unconvinced, but Gatiman regarded Vir with an appraising look.
¡°You are Vaak, yes? A Warrior Calling with the bleeding heart. You are the source of our problems. If we kill you here¡¡±
¡°Come now, Gatiman, you can¡¯t possibly be that stupid,¡± Vir replied calmly. ¡°If you think a dozen Warriors are enough to defeat the one who drove back an Ash Beast horde on his own¡ Well, I would like nothing more than to be rid of you all myself. Just give me a reason.¡±
The ballroom went silent. Idle boasts wouldn¡¯t faze these Warriors, but it was precisely because they were Warriors that they understood what a monumental, impossible feat Vaak had pulled off.
¡°What is it you want?¡± Gatiman asked in a hushed voice.
¡°I want Asuman dead. I dislike the way he has run this city.¡±¡°Raja Matiman will never allow a Gargan to rule Samar Patag,¡± Gatiman said. ¡°Let alone a masked Warrior. Surely, you must know this. If you rise to power¡¡±
¡°Every kothi in the city will rebel against me,¡± Vir said. ¡°I know. Even if I somehow held the city, Raja Matiman would bring the Chitran army, and that would be that. No, I have no n to seek the governor¡¯s seat for myself.¡±
¡°You are saying you will support my ascendance to the seat?¡± Gatiman said in disbelief.
¡°I shall,¡± Vir replied.
¡°And I suppose you wish for better living conditions for the Gargans?¡±
¡°A foolish question. You already know the answer.¡±
¡°This is an outrage!¡± someone from the crowd roared. ¡°First the banishment of the Outcast Calling, and now this!? Keep giving them rights, and they¡¯Il soon take over. It¡¯ll be as if we hadn¡¯t won the war!¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± another kothi said. ¡°I¡¯ll not stand for this.¡±
Gatiman raised a hand. ¡°Do not be so rash. We could gain much by working together. What sort of terms are you thinking about?¡± he asked Vir.
¡°Nothing difficult,¡± Vir replied. ¡°In return, I give you my personal guarantee that I will keep the Gargans in line.¡±
¡°Then let us discuss further,¡± Gatiman said, his eyes dancing with eagerness, undoubtedly calcting how having Vaak on his side would cripple the Gargans¡¯ bargaining power.
¡°I am confident we cane to some arrangement.¡±
Their discussion took the better part of the next hour as they hammered out details of their agreement. The other Warriors were initially highly skeptical, questioning every concession Gatiman made, and fighting back against anything they perceived as a threat.
When they found Vir more than amenable, however, they became less aggressive. Some even warmed up to the idea. Though they tried to hide it, their ulterior motives couldn¡¯t have been clearer.
It didn¡¯t matter. Soon, it would all be over. They¡¯d moved into nning the mission soon after, and while the kothis had wanted to wait, Vir had convinced them that acting fast would assure them the highest chance of victory.
The dozen Warriors selected for this operation had been split into three squads at Vir¡¯s request. Vir would join Gatiman¡¯s squad, while the others would infiltrate the castle at the secret locations Vir had indicated.
¡°You are sure they will be open, yes?¡± Gatiman asked. While the kothi had been aware of the keep¡¯s many secret passages, he¡¯d been surprised that Vir had known of them.
Not only did Vir know of them, he had people on the inside who¡¯d open the one-way doors, allowing Gatiman¡¯s teams to infiltrate¡ªsomething the demon found difficult to believe.
¡°Trust me,¡± Vir said, showing his featureless ck mask to the kothi as they moved into position. ¡°I have contacts within the castle. They¡¯ll be open.¡±
Unlike Sonam or even Daha, Samar Patag¡¯s castle sat in a walledpound that was surrounded by the Commons. There was no District of Internal Affairs or a Royal Quarter that would ordinarily separate the royalty from the others.
Part of it was due to scale¡ªSamar Patag was simply iparable to the size of thoserger human cities. Part of it was philosophical¡ªon ount of a tradition of Gargan rulers wishing to be closer to the citizens they ruled.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition.
Whichever the reason, Vir was happy for it¡ªit reduced the difficulty of their task considerably.
Rounding the bend into a nondescript alley, Vir looked around to ensure it was empty. It was¡ªa lone kothi leaned against a wall. His contact.
Vir wondered for a moment why all secret passages seemed to end up in alleys, but he supposed it made sense. They were convenient locations that wouldn¡¯t arouse much suspicion.
Vir looked back at Gatiman. ¡°Are you ready?¡±
Gatiman nced at his soldiers, then nodded. ¡°Let us proceed.¡±
From under his mask, Vir smiled.
So far. So good.
Shawan arrived at the location this Vaak character had marked, half expecting to find nothing. The very thought of that Gargan ordering them around made his blood boil. Only his immense strength kept Shawan fromshing out. Besides, with that mask, and with how it¡¯d be something of a fashion trend among the Gargans, it was impossible to know if he had the right one.
At least they could use him for this operation. If Vaak could truly sneak them into the castle¡ªsomething Shawan still doubted¡ªthen this cooperation between them would prove useful, after all. Then, when Gatiman had imed the mantle of Samar Patag¡¯s governor, they would hunt down Vaak and execute him.
Strong though he was, there were any number of ways to end Warriors such as him. Poison, or a dagger to the throat while he was asleep. It was impossible for anyone to maintain their guard at all hours.
Shawan only wondered whether killing Vaak would be enough to wipe the stench of impurity he currently felt by allying with him. What if it never washed off?
Well, perhaps it was the price they all had to pay for sess.
Shawan nodded to the lone kothi in their alleyway, who nodded back and walked to a door. Unlocking it, he entered, beckoning Shawan and his squad of four to follow.
The door led into the dinghy sort of room one might expect for such an area. Small, damp, and rotten-smelling.
Normal in every way¡ Save for the propped-open hatch in the center of the floor.
¡°These exits are one-way,¡± their guide said. ¡°You may exit, but none may enter.¡±
¡°Who are you,¡± Shawan asked, his curiosity peaked. This was already further than he¡¯d assumed Vaak¡¯s aid would bring them. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t as stupid as he¡¯d thought.
Why the Gargan wished to oust Asuman¡ªwho fought far harder for the Gargans than Gatiman would ever do¡ªShawan didn¡¯t understand. It was for this reason he suspected an ulterior motive.
And yet, the prospect had been far too tempting for Gatiman to ignore, despite Shawan¡¯s warnings.
Perhaps it is I who was wrong, Shawan admitted to himself as he watched his troops climb down the hatch. Perhaps the moron truly does intend to aid us.
Shawan slipped down thedder once his squad was through and exchanged a small nod with the one who¡¯d allowed them in.
Dropping into the tunnel, Shawan found it dimly lit, with only a handful of magical Light Tablets ced along the walls.
Deficient for most other demons. Plenty for them. Kothi eyesight and hearing was superior to all but the Iksana, after all.
They made good time down the hall and up the circr stairwell, pausing only to listen for sounds above and around them. This was nothing to be afraid of. They were within the walls of the castle, after all.
Shawan took the lead, and soon, they arrived at a wall. Their destination.
Assassinating Asuman was Gatiman¡¯s job, but simply killing the governor would not grant them the keys to the city.
Asuman had friends and allies. Those who would oppose such a change of power. Of course, Raja Matiman could swoop in and decry their usurpation, but Shawan doubted the Chitran lord would care. Politics and government seemed distant from that kothi¡¯s mind, and few even knew where he was.
All that mattered was that he wasn¡¯t in Samar Patag.
Shawan pushed open the door and charged out, talwar high in his hands.
He made it as far as the middle of the room before his blood cooled and his steps ground to a halt. His troops followed suit.
¡°W-what is the meaning of this!?¡±
Meanwhile, Vir stole down a passage of his own, following Gatiman and their squad of five. While Asuman was not a Warrior on the level of Gatiman, he¡¯d decided it prudent to bring along extra help.
Vir wholeheartedly agreed.
Too bad it wouldn¡¯t help him one whit.
Gatiman pushed open the secret door, leading his squad to storm into the room.
¡°What!?¡± Gatiman gasped. ¡°Where is this? Where are¡ª¡±
The confused kothi¡¯s words died on the tip of his tongue as he stared at the armored kothi warriors that surrounded him.
¡°Tsk, tsk, Gatiman,¡± Asuman said, speaking from the midst of the thirty-odd soldiers who upied the room. ¡°What a foolish move, even for you.¡±
Gatiman whirled, his confusion turning to full-blown panic.
His eyes came to rest on Vir, who leaned with arms crossed against the now-closed, hidden door.
¡°You!¡± Gatiman shouted.
¡°Yes. Me,¡± Vir replied, looking at Gatiman through his featureless mask. ¡°Did you truly think I believed one word of what you said? All your promises about fair treatment for the Gargans once you ascended to power? You are a fool, Gatiman. Worse¡ªyou are a blind fool.¡±
¡°Y-you were working with Asuman this entire time!¡± Gatiman said. ¡°You¡ªthis¡ You think you¡¯ll get away with this?¡±
¡°That I do,¡± Vir replied, smiling wryly from under his mask. It seemed the situation hadn¡¯t quite sunk in yet.
Vir nodded to Asuman. ¡°Why don¡¯t I let the governor exin in my stead?¡±
¡°Let us discuss your crimes against the state,¡± Asuman said. ¡°Leading a coordinated assault into the Royal Castle with the intent of murdering the head of state and those sympathetic to him. That is your crime, and the crime of those you have led. You understand, don¡¯t you?¡±
Gatiman looked very much like he did understand. The color had drained from his face. His shoulders sagged and his talwar drooped.
¡°Now. Will you resist?¡± Asuman asked. There was a nging of metal as his troops tensed. ¡°Or will youe peaceably?¡±
Truthfully, I detest even giving you the option. You should thank our mutual friend.¡±
Gatiman¡¯s eyes slowly turned to Vir. ¡°You?¡± He asked in disbelief.
¡°I am no cold-blooded murderer. Which is, sadly, more than I can say for you.¡±
¡°You say the words,¡± Gatiman muttered. ¡°Yet you do not mean them. You knew how we would react. You know that there is but one option for honorable Chitran Warriors!¡±
Vir did his best not to snort. ¡°If you¡¯re honorable, then I dare not imagine what a scoundrel looks like.¡±
¡°Die!¡± Gatiman roared, lunging to Vir.
Vir didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t have to.
A single supercharged Prana Dart shot out and pierced the kothi¡¯s head.
Gatiman copsed,ing to rest in a crumpled heap in front of Vir¡¯s shoes.
Vir gave the dead demon a cursory nce, then looked up at Gatiman¡¯s Warriors.
¡°Anyone else?¡±
His query was answered by the sound of swords being flung onto the ground.
Chapter 309: Return of the Guardian (Four)
Chapter 309: Return of the Guardian (Four)
¡°I must admit, the n went off more easily than I¡¯d hoped,¡± Asuman said, holding up a drink from a reclining chair in his bedchambers.
The only other upant was a Warrior in a faceless mask.
¡°Greed is a powerful motivator. And a powerful blinder. Do keep that in mind,¡± Vir replied. He leaned against a wall a few paces away.
¡°You needn¡¯t worry. With Gatiman gone and his ilk behind bars, there will be no one to heckle your Gargans.¡±
Vir ground his teeth, but Asuman didn¡¯t hear. ¡°They are your Gargans, too.¡±
¡°Yes, yes,¡± Asuman replied offhandedly, irking Vir to no small degree. It served as a cold reminder that while the governor had cooperated thus far, he was not an ally. Nor would he ever be.
His deep-seated hatred of Garga was not something he¡¯d soon forget, and Vir knew that one day, he¡¯d have to make a tough decision.
Vir wasn¡¯t averse to killing. It was why he hadn¡¯t hesitated to end Gatiman. Yet, he wasn¡¯t a cold-blooded murder either. That was why he¡¯d spared the lives of Gatiman¡¯s supporters.
He dreaded the day he¡¯d have to kill Asuman, who was neither evil nor good, but that was a concern for another time. For now, he¡¯d restored order in the city.¡°Then our business is concluded,¡± Vir said, leaving through the hidden passageway to Asuman¡¯s chambers.
He didn¡¯t wait for a response.
¡°You are like a passing storm. Intense and ever-moving,¡± Janani said. ¡°Can I not persuade you to linger a little longer? The children will be shattered to see you leave.¡±
¡°You know I¡¯d like nothing more,¡± Vir said, idly smoothing Shan¡¯s fur. They were outside the orphanage, watching the children y. It was much the same sight as before, except now, their clothes actually fit, and only some were barefoot.
¡°I thought footwear was no longer a problem?¡± Vir asked.
Janani sighed. ¡°It isn¡¯t. Still, some of the children were barefoot for so long, they say they find the shoes ufortable. If I force them to wear some, I¡¯ll just find them discarded somewhereter.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± Vir said, wondering what other effects a lifetime of poverty and malnutrition would have on them.
¡°You still me yourself?¡± Janani asked softly.
¡°I¡ I¡¯m unsure,¡± Vir said.
¡°Good,¡± Janani said. ¡°You have grown, then. Is this why your eyes linger on Hiya and Ekta?¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Vir replied.
¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Janani said with a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can to cheer them up, but I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve only grown worse as the days pass. This is one wound I¡¯m afraid to allow time to heal.¡±
¡°Would it help if I spoke to them?¡±
¡°In truth, I wanted to ask you myself,¡± Janani replied, visibly relieved. ¡°I think it might. And, you may find that it may very well help you as well. Though you are in a rush, are you not? Can you spare the time?¡±
¡°For them? I have all the time in the realm.¡±
After thanking Vir, Janani left to attend to her duties, while Vir waited until the girls finished ying, though he didn¡¯t wait long. It was clear from the beginning that their hearts weren¡¯t in the game.
The girls moved away from the rest of the group, but Vir cornered them before they left the orphanage for wherever they were bound.
¡°Neel?¡± Hiya said, taking a half-step back. ¡°I, er¡¡±
¡°My apologies,¡± Vir said. ¡°I did not mean to scare you. I just thought¡ er¡¡±
Vir found his pulse quickening, and his face growing hot. His palms grew sweat, and the words simply refused toe.
He¡¯d just ckmailed two of the most powerful groups in the city. He¡¯d arrested a coup before it resulted in the annihtion of Samar Patag¡¯s heads of state¡ And here he was, struggling to speak with a child.
At that moment, Vir understood something profound¡ªhe¡¯d never been one for small talk. To get through to these frightened girls, he had to speak from the heart. And that is what he would do.
¡°Let¡¯s take a walk. I¡¯d like to talk about Bolin.¡±
Hiya froze mid-stride, causing Ekta to bump into her. ¡°Y-you do?¡± she squeaked in a voice a full octave higher than normal.
Behind her, Ekta had gone just as rigid. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Ekta said.
Vir knelt in front of the younger girl and took her hands in his. ¡°These feelings you feel¡ These nasty feelings¡ I feel them, too. I feel them more strongly as one who could have saved him.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± Hiya said. ¡°You weren¡¯t even here.¡±
¡°True,¡± Vir replied. ¡°I wasn¡¯t. But I do know powerful healers. Healers who might¡¯ve saved him.¡±
If it truly was a Chakra attack, as Vir suspected, then no Panav healing art would have mattered. But he didn¡¯t know that for certain.
¡°That¡¯s like saying you feel bad for not saving everyone who ever needed saving. It¡¯s challish,¡± Hiya said, more firmly this time.
Vir gave her a small smile. ¡°Then, is it not even more challish to me a child who had no ability to change what happened?¡±
Hiya went red, and Ekta clung onto Vir¡¯s sleeve just a little tighter.
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¡°W-what makes you think we me ourselves?¡± Hiya said, sniffling.
¡°Because it¡¯s what I would do, were I in your shoes.¡±
Like a bursting dam, Hiya fell to her knees.
¡°He¡¯s gone, Neel!¡± she cried, sobbing into Vir¡¯s clothing. ¡°He¡¯s gone. And there¡¯s nothing that¡¯ll bring him back.¡±
¡°I doubt even the gods can resurrect the dead, Hiya,¡± Vir said, softly stroking her head.
It¡¯d taken a bit to get the two children to open up to him, but now that they had, it was as if a dam had burst, and all the pent-up emotions they¡¯d been keeping bottled inside spilled out.
Years ago, Vir might¡¯ve panicked and tried to make them stop. Now, he understood it for what it was. A healthy response. And necessary, if they were ever to properly grieve for the brave boy who had sacrificed his life for them. If they wanted any hope of moving past the trauma, they needed this.
¡°Then what should we do?¡± Hiya asked. ¡°How do we make the world right again?¡±
Vir thought for a moment. He thought of consoling words, of sweet talk that might ease her pain.
Except, he realized, none of that would. No, only substance¡ªtruth¡ªand the grim cliffs of reality would force upon them the perspective they needed.
It had worked for Vir, after all.
¡°That Garuda,¡± Vir said. ¡°Do you know why it attacked you?¡±
Hiya looked to Ekta, who shook her head. ¡°B-because that¡¯s what Ash Beasts do¡¡± she said at at length.
¡°Right. Ash Beasts are ever-hungry. They rip apart anything they see.¡±
¡°Then?¡±
¡°Hiya, that Garuda attacked you because I let it.¡±
¡°You were protecting the city! You defended us!¡±
¡°Yes. And I let some through. Because I couldn¡¯t protect you all.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ you did your best! You confronted them on your own! You¡¡±
Vir gave the sobbing girl a gentle smile.
¡°Yes. I did. And until now, I¡¯ve med myself. Just like you. Just like how you attacked that Garuda to save Svar, I protected the city. Just like how a bunch of kids held off an Ash Beast most Warrior Callings wouldn¡¯t dare attack, a lone demon stood against the might of a horde.¡±
¡°N-No¡ It¡¯s different,¡± Hiya said.
¡°It¡¯s not.¡± It wasn¡¯t Vir, but Ekta, who corrected her. ¡°Neel is right! It¡¯s the same.¡±
Hiya bit her lip and looked away.
¡°Do you know how many perished in that attack?¡± Vir asked.
The girls shook their heads.
¡°Nearly fifty, with a hundred more injured. Fifty people died because of my actions, Hiya.¡±
¡°H-how!?¡± Hiya asked. ¡°How do you¡¡±
¡°How do I live with that? I live with it because I know in my heart that I did everything I could. I gave it my all, and then I went even further. And I think of all the lives I saved that day. Demons who would have died had I not been there.¡±
Until that very moment, Vir had been unsure of his feelings toward the horde¡¯s attack. He¡¯d borne the weight of the lives lost and agonized over his actions. If he¡¯d defended the southern front for a while longer¡ªif he¡¯d used some other strategy¡
¡°We can ruminate and rationalize all we want,¡± Vir said. ¡°Yet doing so will not raise the dead. Nor will it make us feel any better in the end. Only worse.¡±
¡°So, what do you do, Neel?¡± Ekta asked, wiping the tears from her face.
¡°I do what I can for those I can. I live my life to its fullest. Without regret. So that, when everything is said and done, I can look upon my actions and feel happy. I move forward and I use my failures as an opportunity. To learn. To grow. That I might seed where I erred in the past.¡±
Ekta sniffled and a fresh round of tears poured from Hiya¡¯s eyes.
¡°You¡ Wish for us to be better?¡± Hiya said softly.
¡°Is that not what Bolin would want?¡± Vir asked. ¡°For you to grow strong, so you can protect others in his stead?¡±
¡°He would,¡± Ekta said with a nod.
¡°We were stupid to go out that night.¡± Hiya spat. ¡°It was my idea. I convinced Bolin. It was me!¡±
¡°And yet, Bolin agreed, did he not?¡± Vir said. ¡°Without you¡ Without Bolin¡¯s sacrifice, Svar and his friends would have died.¡±
¡°One life. For three. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Hiya said.
¡°No,¡± Vir replied. ¡°I refuse to weigh lives on such a scale. Lives are far too precious to think of as merely numbers. What I¡¯m saying is that Bolin made a conscious decision. As did you. Your choice resulted in his death, yes, but the burden was also his to bear. As the eldest, it was his responsibility to stop you, was it not?¡±
¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±
¡°Then the burden is not only yours to bear. It belongs to Bolin. It belongs to Ekta, for following. It belongs to Janani, for not monitoring you closer. And it belongs to me, for allowing that monster inside the city.¡±
¡°I¡ understand,¡± Hiya said, as the tears continued to trickle down her face. ¡°I¡¯ll be better. For Bolin. I¡¯ll be strong, Neel. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll be so strong that I¡¯ll protect everyone. Just watch.¡±
¡°M-me too,¡± Ekta said.
Vir ruffled their hair. ¡°Of that, I have no doubt. It¡¯s all any of us can do. To forge ahead, despite the challenges. To never give up. Do this, and you will be the sort of adults that serve as an inspiration to others. Do this, and you will honor Bolin¡¯s memory.¡±
It was, perhaps, a cruel burden to ce on their small, fragile shoulders. And yet, Vir felt it was necessary. Not only for them to move past Bolin¡¯s death, but to be reforged and tempered by the tragedy. To emerge stronger, and better suited to deal with the harsh reality of the world thaty ahead.
They huddled that way for a long while, each lost in their own heads. When Vir finally bid them goodbye and returned to the orphanage with the children, it was with a newfound sense of peace. Of eptance of what happened at Samar Patag, and at the Ash Boundary in defense of his demons.
And, crucially, of what would happen on this road to rebellion he¡¯d embarked upon. For it was a road paved with sweat, tears, and the corpses of hopeful demons. There would be death toe, and plenty of it. As their leader, the responsibility would be Vir¡¯s to bear.
Now, finally, he could ept that. And with that eptance came a realization. A moment of epiphany of the true weight of life. Of its transience and fragility.
A gate opened within him, and as he returned to Janani to bid her farewell, Vir felt he wasing to understand what Shardul meant about Chakras being a personal journey.
The secret of the Life Chakra had revealed itself, and was now open.
¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Vir asked, eyeing his wolf skeptically.
¡°I mean it. You should take Shan,¡± Janani said. ¡°He¡¯s missed you dearly, and with the rebels improving and Gatiman gone, we have little need of him.¡±
Vir looked at his Ashfire wolf, who stared up with hopeful eyes. The wolf had been oddly affectionate as ofte, and perhaps it was the time apart. Vir could rte¡ªhis time away from Maiya had only shown him just how precious she was to him.
Janani was right, though. Vir had briefly inspected the rebels during his brief stay, and they had indeed improved. He gave them a few pointers, but their drive and willingness to protect the Gargans had fueled much of their progress. They weren¡¯t Warriors yet, but they soon would be.
¡°Then I suppose I will.¡± Shan would be invaluable in guarding his budding army¡¯s camp. And to be honest, he missed the wolf as well. Shan¡¯s presence was always a warmfort.
¡°Then I guess this is goodbye, for now,¡± Vir said.
¡°I suppose it is,¡± Janani said with a pained expression.
They stood there for a moment, neither saying anything.
¡°Neel?¡± Janani finally asked. ¡°I¡¯ve known you what, months now? And yet, I still don¡¯t know who you truly are. You appear out of nowhere. You win us rights we¡¯ve been unable to win for decades. And now, you¡¯ve eliminated the only group who posed us any threat. Who are you? Really? Are you¡ Are you who I think you are? Are you¡¡±
Vir smirked. ¡°And just who do you think I am?¡±
¡°Our guardian angel,¡± Janani said before flushing furiously. ¡°No, forget I said anything. I apologize.¡±
¡°I¡¯m a demon. Just like you. Just like anyone else.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t expect me to believe that. After all this¡¡± Janani muttered.
Vir looked off into the distance. ¡°You once told a fable. About a soul long lost. You said he was still alive.¡±
¡°Y-yes?¡± Janani said, her voice trembling.
¡°You thought he was biding his time. Out there. Waiting for the right moment to return.¡±
Janani¡¯s breath grew ragged, and she fumbled for a nearby chair for bnce. Her eyes widened as Vir unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a brilliantly white tattoo that contrasted against his pale gray skin.
¡°Wonder no longer. Your years of suffering are nearly at an end.¡±
Vir shifted his gaze and met her eyes. Ash prana red, bing visible and wreathing him in ck mes. Shan red his own prana, growing far more vicious and regal, before following Vir into the shadow.
Janani cupped her face in her hands and fell to her knees, shaking uncontrobly.
¡°For the one you thought missing has returned.¡±
Vir sunk slowly into the shadows, never once breaking his gaze.
Vir slipped into the ground, ashen mes hiding him like the physical incarnation of a living god.
¡°W-Wait!¡± Janani blurted. ¡°I¡ªI never even thanked you! For what you did. For Garga. For the orphans¡¡±
¡°And you will never have to.¡±
The mes died off, leaving only the sound of Janani¡¯s sobs behind.
Chapter 310: To Atnu
Chapter 310: To Atnu
Vir made poor time to Garrison Atnu¡ªhe¡¯d used his powers extensively at Samar Patag, so instead of recovering prana, he actually left the city with less than he previously had.
That state of affairssted up until Vir encountered his first Ash Beast. Using thest fumes of his prana, he Leaped at the Shredder, cing his palm on the beast¡¯s back before it could react. Feeling the prana flood back into his body, Vir sucked his foe dry, letting it drop dead on the ground.
From there, he repeated the task a dozen times, using as little prana as possible while draining his enemies. As he ended a Phantomde, couldn¡¯t help but reflect on how unfair this ability was. For most, Ash Beasts were terrors to be avoided at all costs.
For him, they were akin to a tasty snack.
With his reserves partially replenished, Vir bounded the rest of the way to Garrison Atnu, and while he¡¯d been worried about Shan¡¯s own reserves, the Ash Wolf was surprisingly adept at conserving his prana. Shan rarely had asion to use his movement arts, andcked prana-intensive powers like de Launch and Haste.
Vir was d, though he felt that ought to change soon. Between his duties marshaling the army and his Life Chakra practice within the mindscape, Vir had precious little time to study Saunak¡¯s cryptic tome. He desperately wished to find a Thaumaturge to teach him the art of Inscription. Perhaps not for his own body, but for Shan. If Vir could equip the wolf with bloodline arts, and if Shan could master them¡ He¡¯d be a force to be reckoned with.
As for himself, Vir hadn¡¯t yet decided if he¡¯d pursue the Ultimate tattoos. Doing so came at the cost of the regr Bloodline Arts, and after seeing them in action, Vir had to admit they offered significant benefits.
Coming up on Atnu, Vir slowed.
¡°Stay here,¡± he ordered Shan. ¡°Thest thing we need is a panic.¡±Shan grunted and sauntered off, while Vir sank into the shadows. Bounding from shadow to shadow, he rapidly approached the camp, and unless someone happened to notice the brief instant where his body transitioned from one shadow to another¡ªlike a salmon jumping upriver¡ªhe waspletely invisible.
Given that there were only Gargan ves outside the Garrison walls, and that none of them were particrly interested in keeping watch, Vir¡¯s arrival went unnoticed.
Once within the walls, Vir¡¯s true task began.
Finding one kothi among a Garrison of nearly a thousand might¡¯ve stymied the ordinary demon, but thanks to Prana Vision, Vir could search for Gunin¡¯s prana signature. And since Dance of the Shadow Demon allowed him to conduct this search from a position of absolute invisibility and invulnerability, it wasn¡¯t long before he located the small-framed failure of a Warrior.
Vir bided his time, observing the kothi from a nearby shed with Prana Vision, and waited until he was alone. Then he popped up next to Gunin, cing a hand around his mouth.
Sure enough, the monkey iled his limbs and tried desperately to scream¡ªto no avail.
¡°Rx!¡± Vir hissed. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±
Gunin¡¯s resistance faded, and Vir slowly removed his hand from the demon¡¯s mouth.
¡°Neel?¡± Gunin whispered, turning around. ¡°W-what are you doing here? You went into the Ash! How!?¡±
¡°Much has happened, friend,¡± Vir said. ¡°And we have much to discuss. Do you know of a safe ce where we can talk?¡±
Vir searched the demon for any signs of fear or anxiety, but found none.
Can I trust him? The thought lingered at the back of Vir¡¯s mind. In truth, he didn¡¯t know.
¡°Yes. Yes, of course. I have news for you as well. Wait for me in the warehouse by the outer wall. I shall head there as soon as my shift is over.¡±
Sensing a pair of prana signatures approaching the door, Vir wrapped up their conversation. ¡°Don¡¯t make me wait too long,¡± Vir said, walking behind Gunin and sinking into the floor.
Gunin¡¯s eyes shot wide at Vir¡¯s disappearing act, butposed himself just in time to greet the Chitrans who¡¯d just arrived.
Without knowing more about Gunin¡¯s actions and whether he remained loyal to the cause, Vir couldn¡¯t risk revealing his true identity.
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Which was why he continued monitoring the demon from the shadows, instead of heading to their appointed location straightaway.
When Gunin finally arrived at the storehouse, Vir was waiting. The warehouse was packed from floor to ceiling with wooden crates, with narrow aisles allowing passage between the rows.
Vir had already confirmed there was no one else here.
¡°Sorry for the dy,¡± Gunin said. ¡°They have us working to the bone.¡±
¡°Us, huh?¡± Vir asked.
¡°I mean¡ªyou know what I¡ I see,¡± Gunin said.
¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if I¡¯m a little cautious,¡± Vir replied.
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Gunin said, massaging his forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve plied myself day in and day out for your cause, but of course, you have no reason to believe me. Well, how about I tell you all that I¡¯ve learned. Perhaps then, you can be the judge of whether or not I¡¯ve betrayed you.¡±
Vir nodded, gesturing for the kothi to proceed.
¡°First, the situation at these camps is far more tenuous than they¡¯d have us believe. The recent monster outbreak has stretched their forces thin, and every Garrison is operating at limited capacity. Weapons are damaged or destroyed, and are not reced and repaired quickly enough. Casualties have spiked, cing Panav healers in desperate demand. There are simply not enough of them, and there are too many needing healing. We¡¯ve resorted to non-magical healing arts and those with Aspects with healing properties, but they are even rarer than the Panav.¡±
It struck Vir just how much leverage the Panav had over the other races. Ignoring the Baira, whose Bloodline Arts made them resistant to harm, every other tribe relied exclusively upon their n for healing. It was no wonder the Panav hadn¡¯t ever bothered with training their Warriors to the extent of the other ns¡ªthey simply had no need to.
The other ns would be more than happy to man their portion of the Ash Boundary in return for priority healing. Of all the ns, Vir believed the Panav to be the most cunning.
¡°What of the prisoners?¡± Vir asked.
¡°That situation is a bit less optimistic, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Gunin replied. ¡°They rule with an iron fist here. Especially after their debacle subjugating you and your forces. The Garrisonmander was executed, and they¡¯re now thrice as hard on the prisoners as before. I¡¯m afraid whatever hope they once had is now long gone.¡±
¡°There must be some out there who show promise, though?¡± Vir asked.
Gunin sighed. ¡°A few, though nobody in their right mind would rise up now. Even convincing them to escape will be an undertaking.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Vir found it difficult to keep the disappointment out of his voice. ¡°It seems our path will be longer than I¡¯d initially hoped.¡±
¡°Yes, well,¡± Gunin said. ¡°If you can solve the morale issue, I do think we have a fair chance of toppling the Garrison. And from what I hear, the situation is simr at the others as well.¡±
¡°I see. This is good information,¡± Vir said. ¡°Continue your observations.¡±
Gunin was silent for a moment. ¡°And yet, you feel I am not worthy of your trust.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± Vir began.
¡°I understand,¡± Gunin replied. ¡°You need something more. Further proof. I don¡¯t me you.¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re saying you have such proof?¡±
¡°I do. Ajune.¡±
¡°The one who sabotaged our camp while I was out at Praya Parul?¡± Vir asked. In fact, Ajune was the other piece of business Vir needed to take care of.
¡°The same.¡±
¡°He needs to die,¡± Vir said simply. ¡°He had the chance to walk away. Instead, he sabotaged us, causing the deaths of many.¡±
¡°My thoughts exactly. I thought you¡¯d want him dead. There is no need.¡±
¡°Gunin, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t let him live. You know this. There is only one end for traitors.¡±
There was no room for negotiation in Vir¡¯s mind. Certain actions simply could not be forgiven. Vir recalled the demon who¡¯d sumbed to that Warrior Chakra attack, and the dozen others who¡¯d died. All because of the actions of this one Ajune.
¡°Oh, you misunderstand,¡± Gunin said. ¡°There is no need to kill him¡ Because I have already seen to his death.¡±
Gunin¡¯s preemptive action went a long way to prove his fealty to Vir. Not only had the kothi seen to Ajune¡¯s death, he¡¯d done so in a way that raised no suspicion¡ªcoercing various Garrison Warriors that the traitor couldn¡¯t be trusted.
He was right, of course. A turncoat could rarely ever be trusted by either side.
Vir was impressed, and was even more so when Gunin had given him information of Cirayus¡¯ whereabouts. He¡¯d left the Garrison not long ago, and should be on his way to the next.
After thanking Gunin, Vir slipped out of the garrison, reunited with Shan, and was currently bounding north, toward the border with Panav.
Preparing himself to intercept Cirayus at the next Garrison, Vir stocked up on prana by killing off the many Ash Beasts he found on his way. Gunin hadn¡¯t been joking¡ªthe number of beasts was downright startling, and there were far too few demons to defend the whole boundary.
It worried him to imagine these creatures attacking unsuspecting viges. What terror brewed within the Ash to cause such a thing?
Amidst these thoughts, Vir came across a red figure seated near the boundary. The demon seemed to be in the midst of animated conversation, despite being alone for miles.
If the four arms andrge stature weren¡¯t a giveaway, the enormous sword strapped across the demon¡¯s back certainly was.
¡°Cirayus,¡± Vir said,nding lightly next to the demon.
¡°Wait! Just wait!¡± Cirayus said. ¡°He¡¯s right here!¡±
Vir frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Lad, where have you been!? I was worried sick. It¡¯s Maiya,d! She needs our help.¡±
¡°Here?¡± Vir asked, looking around.
¡°Not quite,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°You nearly missed the Tournament. Even if we hurry, I fear we may not arrive in time.¡±
¡°The Tournament¡¡± Vir¡¯s eyes bulged. The Bairan Tournament. It was supposed to have been months away! ¡°The time shift¡¡±
Those months had been burned away during his time in the Ash.
¡°But I can¡¯t go now,¡± Vir said. ¡°My demons need me. They need you! I was hoping you could help them. We need to train. We need to expand our forces.¡±
¡°Lad, there is no time. You must make a choice. Either participate in the Bairan Tournament topete for Bncer of Scales¡ Or return to your army.¡±
Vir hesitated. Worries about his demons filled his mind. They weren¡¯t ready. They needed him to build awork of Ash Gates. And what if the Gate he¡¯d gone through copsed? They¡¯d be stranded in the Ash without him.
¡°Fine,¡± Vir said atst. ¡°But we need to make a little detour first.¡±
Chapter Book Two of Ashborn Primordial Is Now On Audible and Kindle!
Chapter Book Two of Ashborn Primordial Is Now On Audible and Kindle!
Hey everyone! Book two of Ashborn Primordial (which consists of the contents of Arc 4), is now on Kindle and Audible!
It''d mean the world to me if you would consider purchasing, but even if you don''t, please drop a rating or a review! Those help immensely to boost the story on the amazon algorithm, which gets more eyes on it, and ultimately more sess. I do write full time for a living, so every little bit helps!
If you have Kindle Unlimited, consider downloading the book. That''s totally free if you have KU, and counts as a purchase :-D
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To be found is to die...
Exiled and on the run, Vir must now contend with not only a strange and foreign world far from home, but a princess'' elite assassins as well.Assassins who happen to wield the strongest living being in the realm.
Seeking answers to the long-buried secrets of his identity, Vir flees south to the fertilends of the Rani Queendom, creeping closer to the fabled Boundary between realms.There, Vir might very well find the answers he¡¯s looking for. Or he might learn that some secrets are better off lost to time.
- - -
Join Vir as he climbs the mercenary ranks in this action-packed sequel to Ashborn Primordial, where epic fights, power progression, and political intrigue await!
Chapter 311: Blessed Curse (One)
Chapter 311: Blessed Curse (One)
Agony. Torture. Endless, unending pain.
The past months had been a waking nightmare for Maiya.
She thought she had it under control. While the pressure she¡¯d felt upon assuming the mantle of the Blessed Chosen was unlike anything she¡¯d experienced, Maiya was no stranger to pain.
The pain would subside, eventually. She merely had to tough it out like she always had. Or so she¡¯d naively thought.
Days passed, and yet the pain did not subside. Instead, it grew and grew, seeping into her. For this was no physical change. It was something deeper. Something that touched at the very core of her being.
And she¡¯d been utterly unprepared to deal with it. The situation had worsened to where even the Children had grown concerned. This was not a normal reaction, they said. Something was amiss.
Yet instead of seeking help, they prayed, believing Maiya¡¯s issues to be a sign of strength. A testament to the great power the Hallowed Prana Swarm was bestowing unto her.
If only they knew the truth.
Mind polluted with the fog of pain and stress, Maiya had sealed herself in her chambers. She¡¯d lost her appetite and had stopped eating entirely as ofte.Her muscles, once well-toned and hard, had atrophied, leaving her weak and barely conscious.
Maiya slept more and more these days, feeling her life slip slowly away. When Cirayus finally called to check in on her, it was far toote. She was so weak that she could no longer even hoist herself out of bed to pick up the orb.
Maiya couldn¡¯t recall a single time in her life when she¡¯d felt this horrible.
I¡¯m going to die¡ Aren¡¯t I? Maiya thought, wiping the sweat from her brow. The fever had persisted for a week now, and showed no signs of abating.
When the Communication Orb red to life, Maiya barely registered it. A voice full of concern came through.
Cirayus again, asking for her. Maiya wanted nothing more than to tell him of her pathetic situation, if only to have someone to talk to. How many times had it been? She¡¯d lost count. She was sure the orb would lose its charge soon, and then it would be toote.
And then a new voice sounded.
¡°Maiya?¡±
Maiya¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She knew that voice. It was dear to her. So terribly dear.
"Vir¡¡± She rasped through her parched throat.
As if possessed by some almighty force, she rose from her bed¡ And immediately crumpled on the cold stone floor. Pain wracked her body. Her bones throbbed in protest. But Maiya was undeterred.
Her body might¡¯ve withered, and her muscles may have atrophied, but in this one moment of rity, her mind functioned.
Undaunted, Maiya drove every shred of her willpower into forward motion, putting one arm in front of another to haul herself across the room. The effort left her dazed and her vision darkened.
She slowed.
Less than a pace away, Maiya¡¯s body finally failed her. She couldn¡¯t go on any longer.
¡°Maiya, if you¡¯re there¡ Please. Please answer me!¡±
Vir sounded so desperate. So worried.
This voice struck something deep within her. If only for one final time, Maiya wished to hear that voice again.
She extended her arm, reaching as far as she could. Her fingers stretched¡. And wrapped around the orb.
¡°Maiya! Are you there?¡± Vir shouted through the orb.
¡°It¡¯s no use,d,¡± Cirayus said as he bounded across Chitran territory toward Panav. There was no time to be lost, and while Maiya¡¯sck ofmunication sickened them both, there was no choice.
They¡¯d decided that, while Vir could easily keep pace, there was no need for both of them to burn prana uselessly. He rode atop the giant¡¯s right shoulder, like he¡¯d done long ago within the Ash. Shan alternated between riding on Cirayus¡¯ left shoulder and running beside them.
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¡°Thest we talked was months ago,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°She¡¯d been preparing to battle the Blessed Chosen, and after that, nothing.¡±
¡°Something went wrong,¡± Vir said heavily.
¡°Perhaps. Or it could simply be that her orb malfunctioned or broke. Or perhaps Maiya¡¯s duties took her away for a time, much like yours did.¡±
¡°She¡¯d have said something,¡± Vir replied. ¡°She¡¯d have told you what was happening. If she couldn¡¯t, it means something unexpected has transpired. Something terrible.¡±
¡°We shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions,d. I say we keep trying.¡±
¡°And if that doesn¡¯t work? What do we do then?¡± Vir asked, at his wits end. ¡°I should go back for her.¡±
¡°It¡¯s impossible,d. You know this.¡±
¡°Not impossible,¡± Vir said. ¡°Not anymore. I can stabilize Ash Tears now. I can make Gates, Cirayus. The Ashen Realm is no longer the unnavigable wastnd it once was. It doesn¡¯t need to be.¡±
¡°I¡¯m telling you,d, you can¡¯t just¡ªsorry?¡± Cirayus came to a jarring halt. ¡°What did you just say?¡±
Cirayus froze,prehension slowly dawning.
¡°I said¡ª¡±
¡°Vir¡¡±
A feeble voice from the orb silenced Vir¡¯s words, and both pairs of eyes locked onto the orb.
¡°Maiya!¡± Vir said, grabbing the orb. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?¡±
From her voice alone, Vir could tell she was weak, but it was her next words that caused his worry to balloon into full-blown panic.
¡°It¡¯s¡ not looking good.¡±
Vir locked eyes with Cirayus, their expressions grim. For Maiya, of all people, to say this, she truly must¡¯ve been in mortal peril.
And here he was, realms away, unable to lift a finger to help. Vir¡¯s heart raced, and it felt like the weight of a mountain crushed his shoulders.
¡°Save your breath,ss,¡± Cirayus said, starting to bound again, albeit at a slower pace. ¡°Tell us only what we need to know. What ails you?¡±
¡°Not eaten in forever. My fault,¡± Maiya said, chuckling feebly, which turned into a hacking cough. ¡°Not the issue. It¡¯s the pressure, Cirayus. Can¡¯t take it anymore. The weight of their souls. Everyone.¡±
Cirayus frowned. ¡°You speak of the link of the Blessed Chosen? With the other Children of Ash?¡±
¡°What¡¯s she talking about?¡± Vir asked, mind racing toprehend their discussion. He cursed himself for allowing himself to be gone for so long. There was so much he¡¯d missed. So much he didn¡¯t know.
¡°Months ago, Maiya mentioned the Blessed Chosen had a certain¡ Awareness, of all the other cultists,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°How this can be, I do not know, though it struck me as simr to the Chitrans¡¯ Bloodline Arts. Either that¡¡±
¡°Or Chakra,¡± Vir muttered.
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Lass, this power of yours. Does it feel like it touches something within you? Something¡ deep?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ exactly how it feels,¡± Maiya said, coughing weakly.
Cirayus stroked his beard and looked off into the distance, where distant lightning clouds struck the jagged mountain tops.
¡°Then this may indeed be a Chakra issue.¡±
¡°What¡¯s¡ Chakra?¡± Maiya asked.
¡°Not important for now,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°What matters is that we may have a way to aid you.¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The Foundation Chakra. If she learns that¡¡±
¡°Aye, it might just stabilize her mind,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°¡®Tis impossible to know if the Foundation Chakra alone will suffice. This may also require her to open the Life Chakra, but opening the Foundation should at least provide her some relief.¡±
¡°But can humans even open their Chakras?¡± Vir asked. ¡°I¡¯d never even heard of the word until I met you.¡±
¡°Let us hope that, for Maiya¡¯s sake, they can,¡± Cirayus said softly.
¡°I¡ Didn¡¯t catch that,¡± Maiya said, barely louder than a whisper. ¡°What are you guys are talking about?¡±
¡°Just that we¡¯re confident you¡¯ll pull through,ss, though I warn you, this is no easy solution. It will be a long and arduous path.¡±
For anyone else, Cirayus¡¯ words may have sounded discouraging. But they both knew Maiya¡¯s character. She wouldn¡¯t take it that way, and her next words proved it.
¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Maiya said. ¡°If it helps¡¡±
¡°That¡¯s a goodss. Now, listen to what Vir and I tell you. And listen carefully.¡±
Vir waited in anxious silence as Cirayus bounded across Chitran territory.
Maiya tried. She really did. For hours, she followed Cirayus¡¯ instructions, remaining at the very edge of her consciousness.
To no avail.
¡°I can¡¯t go on,¡± Maiya said atst.
¡°You need food and water,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°We shall continue once you¡¯ve eaten.¡±
¡°No! We¡¯ll continue,¡± Maiya said stubbornly.
It was clear she wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind, and likely hadn¡¯t been for some time.
Vir wondered how the Children had let their precious leader fall into such a state, but the Blessed Chosen was the closest being they had to a god. If Maiya had told them to leave her be, they¡¯d likely have obeyed.
If only I was there with her. I could do more.
Vir had always had Cirayus to help boost him along his way. Maiya had no such aid. She¡¯d have to struggle alone, with what limited instructions they were able to give her.
¡°Once again, picture the mountain,¡± Cirayus said in a deep, calming voice. ¡°Picture its great peaks. The mountain of stone. Its foundation. For thousands of years, it has stood, unyielding.¡±
Maiya had finally managed to sit up, and was currently cross-legged, eyes scrunched in frustration.
She shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡±
¡°Er, Cirayus? Do you mind if I try?¡±
Cirayus gestured with his two right hands. ¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Er, Maiya? I think the image might be the wrong one. For us, I mean. I want you to picture something else. Something you should know very well. Imagine the Godshollow.¡±
¡°Okay¡?¡±
¡°Now imagine yourself looking up at thergest one¡ªin the center of the forest.¡±
¡°Big Red,¡± Maiya said, smiling gently.
¡°That¡¯s right. We used to stare up at that tree for hours¡ªyou even fell over backward trying to crane your neck once,¡± Vir said.
Maiya chuckled softly.
¡°Imagine it in as much detail as you can. Now think of its roots, piercing deep underground, and spreading wide.¡±
¡°We found a root the size of a trunk a hundred paces away,¡± Maiya said.
¡°We did. When we traced it back to the tree, we could hardly even believe it,¡± Vir recalled,psing nostalgic.
¡°I can almost smell the forest, Vir,¡± Maiya said, a smile creeping up on her emaciated face.
¡°Good. Now think of how many centuries it¡¯s lived. Of how many storms it¡¯s weathered, and fires it¡¯s survived. Think of how many Brijers have looked upon its great trunks.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t even imagine,¡± Maiya whispered. ¡°It¡¯s¡ overwhelming.¡±
¡°Right. It¡¯s survived everything. It¡¯s always been and always will be. Nothing can bring it down.¡±
¡°I feel it. I feel it, Vir!¡± Maiya said excitedly. ¡°I feel its strength flowing into me. Calming me.¡±
Vir exchanged a surprised nce with Cirayus. ¡°That¡¯s¡ great, Maiya! Keep at it. With time, you¡¯ll eventually¡ª¡±
¡°Vir! The voices,¡± Maiya eximed. ¡°They¡¯re softer. Not gone. But softer. The pressure¡¯s going away! I think¡ I think I did it! We did it!¡±
Vir¡¯s surprise turned into outright bewilderment.
¡°You have got to be kidding me.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 312: Blessed Curse (Two)
Chapter Ashborn 312: Blessed Curse (Two)
The feeling wasn¡¯t immediate. Not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, Maiya would have missed it entirely, if it wasn¡¯t for her utterly miserable state. For some reason, it heightened her senses, allowing her to be more in tune with her body than she¡¯d ever been.
Perhaps that was the delirium talking. At first, she dismissed it as a hunch, but as the feeling grew stronger, she grew more certain. It was guiding her. Like muscle memory that had been long forgotten, but that had never truly disappeared.
With intense concentration, Maiya focused on the sense of stability building within her, experimenting, struggling to delve deeper into this strange new sensation.
¡°Think of the changing of the seasons,¡± Vir said softly. ¡°Of watching children grow into adults, having children of their own, and passing on. Through it all, Big Red persists.¡±
Like roots spreading deep under the earth, stability flooded through Maiya, pushing back the pressure.
They were still there, but the pain she¡¯d felt¡ªthe weight upon her soul¡ªdissipated.
Lost in her meditation, Maiya spent an indeterminate amount of time in that state, guided by Vir¡¯s soothing voice. For the first time in a very long time, she felt at peace. She felt in control again.
The voice became significantly less soothing after a while, and Maiya wanted to tell Vir that he was being annoying. That he ought to remain quiet instead.Less soothing? What¡¯s¡ Oh, no!
Coming to her senses, Maiya opened her eyes and grabbed the flickering orb.
¡°Mai¡ hear¡?¡±
¡°Sorry!¡± Maiya said, recharging the orb. ¡°I lost track of time. How long has it been?¡±
¡°Worry not about the time,ss,¡± Cirayus said from the other end. ¡°For you, we have all the hours in the world.¡±
¡°But, you¡¯re just¡ Actually, where are you two?¡±
¡°Oh, y¡¯know,¡± Vir said nonchntly. ¡°Near the Ash Boundary.¡±
¡°What!¡± Maiya cried. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? What are you doing in such a dangerous ce?¡±
¡°Dangerous?¡± Vir asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous at all. It¡¯s nice! I get to snack on the Ash Beasts that pop out on this side.¡±
¡°Snack?¡± Maiya said, utterly confused.
¡°Yeah. I mean, not literally. I consume their prana,¡± Vir said.
¡°Thed has gained some unusual abilities, I must admit. Best brace yourself for when you two meet.¡±
Maiya¡¯s expression fell a bit, though she did her best to conceal it. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±
In truth, Maiya couldn¡¯t fathom how they¡¯d see each other anytime soon. She certainly couldn¡¯t cross the Ash, so it¡¯d have to be Vir who returned. And with the liberation of his people only just kicking off, Maiya feared it¡¯d be years yet.
That was alright. She was strong. More than strong enough to wait a few years for her loved one.
¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± she asked, still hesitant.
¡°Take all the time you need, Maiya,¡± Vir said. ¡°Both Cirayus and I can go days without eating or sleeping. Trust me. We want to help you.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Maiya said, and closed her eyes.
This time, she was determined to push the pressure so far away that it disappeared entirely.
Vir jumped off Cirayus¡¯ shoulder, ced the orb on the ground, and gestured for Cirayus to follow.
Maiya had fallen silent, focusing on her meditation as she¡¯d often done over the past two days, leaving Cirayus and Vir to bound in silence across the Demon Realm. They¡¯d stopped only briefly to rest, and were now approaching the Ash Gate Vir had stabilized.
Vir spoke only once he¡¯d put twenty paces between himself and the orb.
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¡°So?¡± Vir asked. ¡°What do you think?¡±
Cirayus stroked his beard in contemtion, gazing off into the distance. ¡°¡®Tis difficult to say without being there,d. But from all she¡¯s said¡ I think she¡¯s close.¡±
¡°Close to learning the Foundation Chakra. After only three days of effort,¡± Vir said tly. ¡°I spent the better part of two years learning it, and that was with you pushing on my soul to help me along.¡±
¡°Aye. I¡¯ll be honest,d. In all my life, I¡¯ve seen nothing like this. Not even the most talented geniuses havee anywhere close to her on this.¡±
¡°If it were anyone else, I¡¯d be amazed. Considering it¡¯s you, who¡¯s lived so long, that scares me instead.¡±
¡°Yes, this is¡ unprecedented. In history. As much as I love thess and wish to credit her talent¡¡±
¡°Not a single human has ever opened a chakra,¡± Virpleted. ¡°At least, that we know of. If anything, she ought to be struggling. This shouldn¡¯t have worked. I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong¡ªI couldn¡¯t be happier than that it did. Maiya sounded¡ Well, not good. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯d have survived otherwise.¡±
¡°Of course,d. I understand your meaning. I take it you have some theories, then?¡± Cirayus asked with a knowing look.
¡°I can think of two exnations, and they both rte to our experience in that illusion realm,¡± Vir said, holding up two fingers. ¡°First. Ekanai¡¯s Ash Prana. I saw some enter her ephemeral body, strengthening her. Though since she wasn¡¯t really there, I don¡¯t know if that means anything. She certainly doesn¡¯t seem to possess Ash Prana.¡±
¡°Hmm, true. A mejai like her would¡¯ve noticed the potency of the prana in her body, even if human orbs are ipatible with that affinity. And your other exnation?¡±
¡°I think¡ In that realm, Maiya entered Ekanai¡¯s body. She took control of him. And since she was purely soul energy¡ªChakra, I assume¡ªand prana¡¡±
¡°You feel their souls co-mingled? That perhaps some of Ekanai¡ªor the projection that world built of Ekanai¡ªbled into her. Into her soul?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. When you put it like that, it does sound rather farfetched,¡± Vir said.
¡°Lad, that entire experience was farfetched. If souls can be transported vast distances, who¡¯s to say something like this can¡¯t happen?¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Vir replied. ¡°At least, I can¡¯t think of any other exnation for her growth rate. If it¡¯s true, I have to wonder what else has changed about her.¡±
¡°Well, seems to me quite a bit. At least in rtion to this pressure she¡¯s feeling. The ability to sense souls across the world is unheard of,d. Doesn¡¯t exist in this realm, and I¡¯d wager it never has. The Chitran Bloodline Arts are the closest thing, and even they¡¯re not anywhere close to this.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vir said with a frown. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll just have to see. If there are any negative effects, I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll ovee them by mastering her Chakras.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°It will remain to be seen whether she zes through the remainder of her Chakras. If so¡ She might turn into a true monster.¡±
¡°In a realm where nobody has any defense against Chakras?¡± Vir shivered just thinking about it. ¡°Which is why you were wrong, by the way. Even with our more limited numbers, demons wield an all-powerful advantage over humans in Chakras.¡±
Cirayus grunted. ¡°Perhaps. Perhaps not. There are simply too few of us who have mastered the Warrior Chakra. Even a devastating weapon can be outnumbered. Even I can only be in one ce at one time.¡±
The subsequent days passed in a blur as Maiya meditated. Her appetite came back with a vengeance¡ªmuch to the relief of her guardians, and really, to everyone in the Sanctum. She¡¯d received no end of pestering, both from the Sisters of Gray wishing to discuss other ns, and from cultists wishing for her to participate inmencement blood rituals.
Apparently, it was customary for the Blessed Chosen to visit every major sanctum around the Known World upon their coronation.
Maiya had other ns. She¡¯d denied them all, epting only the food and water. It¡¯d be some time before her muscles recovered, but she was already feeling much better.
Moreover, the weight of the souls that had nearly crippled her had nearly disappeared. For the first time in months, she was herself again.
And I have Vir to thank for that¡ again.
At every step, Vir had been the one to enable her progress. Though, from what he¡¯d said, her pace was unheard of. Maiya didn¡¯t know what to make of that, but she was almost positive it had to do with her soul connection.
The existence known as the Blessed Chosen¡ªand indeed, the Children of Ash as well¡ªcontinued to worry her.
When she was ready, she¡¯d visit that mysterious room with the tree again. To see if she could unravel more of the secrets surrounding this shadowy organization. If the prior Blessed Chosen was right, there was so much more than she¡¯d ever guessed.
For now, there was only one task that took precedence over her Chakra training. She was so close. Yet as much as she wished to meditate for another week without leaving her room, she owed those two far too much to ignore them any longer.
Rising to her feet, Maiya pushed open her heavy wooden door¡ªonly to find a half-dozen guards dutifully standing vigil. She knew they¡¯d be there, of course. She¡¯d felt their presences for months.
They parted like water as she exited. No words were exchanged. They fell in line behind her, following wherever she wished.
There truly was a difference between the Blessed Prophet and Blessed Chosen. Thetter had all the freedom in the world.
For the first time since she¡¯d set foot within the Sanctum, Maiya no longer felt repressed. She could leave whenever she liked.
Maiya walked with authority down halls she¡¯d rarely frequented. Without ever needing to ask for their positions, Maiya walked into therge mess hall.
The room was filled with dozens of cultists who sat at the long benches. Some eating in silence, while others conversed with their friends in hushed voices.
That all stopped the moment Maiya entered.
Without pause, Maiya walked up to two, who were seated alone at the end of a bench. One was hunched over, attempting to shorten hisrge frame. The other was busy devouring his food.
The two tracked her all the way up to the room, flinching visibly as she arrived.
Maiya looked each over in detail, causing their faces to tighten.
Then she broke out in a big smile and pped them both on the shoulders.
¡°I¡¯ve kept you both worried. I¡¯m sorry. Thanks for sticking around. That¡ means a lot to me.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the least we could do,¡± Yamal said abashedly. ¡°We tried to enter your room, but your guards prevented us. We didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Maiya replied. ¡°That¡¯s all behind me. Now, we have so much to chat about. Like, your promotions. And then we¡¯ll talk about overthrowing the rulers of two countries.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 313: The Beating Drums of Destiny
Chapter Ashborn 313: The Beating Drums of Destiny
Upon arriving at the Ash Gate, Vir found only a single, small tent. While he hadn¡¯t expected permanent structures given the duration of his absence and the time shift of the Ashen Realm, he¡¯d still expected to find the Gate more fortified.
Jumping off Cirayus¡¯ shoulder, Vir approached the camp and soon learned why.
From thirty paces away, it was clear just how destabilized the Gate had be. So much so that it¡¯d regressed into an Ash Tear. One that was impossible to travel through.
Hearing Vir¡¯s approach, a pair of red demons emerged from the tent.
¡°What a relief!¡± one of them said,ing running up to Vir and kneeling¡ªa gesture that earned a raised brow from Cirayus. ¡°Akh Nara, sir, we thought all hope was lost! And Lord Ravager, it is an honor to meet you, sir!¡±
Cirayus nodded at the demon before giving Vir an appraising nce. ¡°Lad, do I have some questions for you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll fill you inter,¡± Vir said, turning to the demons. ¡°Rise. You don¡¯t need to kneel in front of me. I take it you were stranded on this side when the Gate copsed?¡±
It was the demon¡¯s partner who answered. ¡°Actually, sir, Commander Bgra stationed us here knowing the Gate was due to copse. He wanted someone to update you on what happened. Though it looks like there¡¯s no need for that now.¡±
Vir walked up to the Ash Tear and funneled his prana into it. The faded, broken image on the other side stabilized immediately¡ªrestored to its former glory.¡°Looks like these don¡¯tst long without me feeding them prana,¡± Vir muttered. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s theck of prana in the Demon Realm that¡¯s causing it to fail.
Though a muchrger amount of prana flowed into the Demon Realm via the Gate, tiny wisps dissipated from the edge of the ovaloid portal, being absorbed into the surroundings.
¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Cirayus said in a hushed voice. ¡°You really did it. You turned an Ash Tear into a Gate! If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I might not have believed it,d. This¡ Do you understand what this means?¡±
¡°The ability to use the Ashen Realm as a training and staging ground?¡± Vir asked with a knowing smile. ¡°The ability to ferry troops around the Demon Realm without the enemy being the wiser?¡±
¡°Aye, that,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°But think of the nonmilitary applications! If you happen to find an Ash Tear that links two cities together¡¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That would remove the long journey across the realm. I hadn¡¯t thought of that. Though, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re likely to stumble upon a Tear like that¡¡±
Cirayus shrugged. ¡°Not immediately, perhaps. Wait a few decades, and you¡¯d be surprised.¡±
Ah, right. Demonic timelines are so much longer¡ Vir was still getting used to the idea that he¡¯d live for several centuries.
¡°Let¡¯s all return to the base,¡± Vir said, deferring that philosophical thought for another time.
¡°Lad, we¡¯ve lost precious timeing here,¡± Cirayus said, cing a hand upon Vir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we do not have time to waste within the Ash.¡±
¡°And I thought you wanted to see me create more Ash Gates,¡± Vir quipped.
¡°I do, but I needn¡¯t remind you of the importance of getting to Baira posthaste. We¡¯ve journeyed in the wrong direction to get here as it is. Even if I travel at max speed, I am unsure if¡¡±
Cirayus trailed off as Vir¡¯s grin grew brighter.
¡°Cirayus, don¡¯t you understand? I can stabilize Ash Tears. We just need to find one that leads to Baira.¡±
Cirayus¡¯ mouth slowly closed. He chuckled. ¡°Look at you,d. Redefiningmon sense. I admit, there is no better ce than the Ash to find Tears.¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Besides, I have a few demons I¡¯d like you to meet.¡±
Cirayus let down the two demons he¡¯d carried on the way back, some hundred paces outside the garrison.
¡°Er, sir?¡± one of them asked. ¡°We don¡¯t mean to overstep, but why did you drop us off here?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t ask me, ask thed.¡±
¡°Sorry, you two, but do you mind walking the rest of the way?¡± Vir asked. ¡°We¡¯re in a bit of a rush.¡±
¡°Oh, I, er¡ of course, lord Akh Nara.¡±
Vir nodded, pacing ahead of the two demons with Cirayus.
¡°Lord Akh Nara, eh?¡± Cirayus said.
¡°Please. Don¡¯t even begin.¡±
Cirayus chuckled. ¡°So you told them.¡±
¡°Only seemed right, after all I forced them through. This is the core of my army. These troops will be the most seasoned veterans. Those who train all the others. I felt you should meet them.¡±
¡°Aye. But why did you leave those demons back there?¡± he asked, thumbing to the demons tailing behind.
¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see. Shan? Cirayus? Follow my lead.¡±
Vir bounded forth, before Leaping high into the air.
He was soon joined by Cirayus, though Shan, who was incapable of bounding so high and so far, followed on the ground.
¡°Ah! You hope to make a show of it!¡± Cirayusughed as they sailed through the air.
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¡°I don¡¯t have to hope, Cirayus,¡± Vir replied, an equally big grin stered on his face.
He was the Akh Nara, after all. Who¡¯d me him for acting like one from time to time?
Red giant and gray demon soared high into the air, reached the apex of their bound, and came falling furiously to the ground.
To the exact center of the Garrison.
¡°Now, listen here, you sorry louts!¡± Bgra said, slithering amongst his troops. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better, yes. But don¡¯t think for an instant you¡¯re ready to face what¡¯s out there.¡±
Life had been harder without the Akh Nara¡¯s protection, but Bgra ultimately deemed that a good thing. It was difficult to thrive under a mother¡¯s overprotective watch, after all.
And the Akh Nara was overprotective to a fault. The young demon was so unlike anything Bgra had ever expected, he quite frankly didn¡¯t know how to deal with him.
Which was perfect, since the Akh Nara was gone, leaving him free to train and test his troops as he saw fit. If it urred to him he was fighting someone else¡¯s battle¡ªthat this liberation was truly none of his business¡ªBgra didn¡¯t notice. He was enjoying his job far too much.
Bgra pointed to the walls. ¡°Outside, there¡¯s a whole world of hurt. You¡¯ve survived because you¡¯ve gotten lucky, and because the Akh Nara cleared out the actual threats. You¡¯re lucky he isn¡¯t here, though. What do you think he¡¯d say if he saw you as you are? Green. Undisciplined. Fearful.¡±
¡°Uh, s-sir?¡± one demon asked, hesitantly raising a hand.
¡°What is it, Warrior? You¡¯d interrupt your ownmander? I better hope you have a good reason.¡±
The demon didn¡¯t reply. He simply looked up at the sky.
Bgra followed his gaze and found two figures, growing rapidlyrger.
Bgra¡¯s mouth dropped. ¡°Attack! We¡¯re being attacked! Seek shelter¡ª!?¡±
Bgra had no more time to warn the others. Bringing his spear up, he barely blocked a blow so heavy, he felt his bones creak in protest.
¡°Y-you!¡±
¡°Yes, me,¡± the Akh Nara replied, back-flipping in the air beforending gracefully on his feet. The giant behind him¡ less so.
The force of his tremendous impact quaked the earth, sending shockwaves through the entire Garrison.
The four-armed giant slowly stood to his full height and dusted off his arms.
Shan bounded over the wall andzily walked up to Vir, who scratched his neck.
¡°Lad? Your entrance was good. I¡¯m afraid mine was better.¡±
Vir kept a neutral face as he swept his gaze across the awe-struck troops. Most had already taken a knee. Some actually prostrated, and the few who were standing had been too dumbstruck to move.
¡°Looks like you have the camp in good order,¡± Vir said, thoroughly relishing the rare opportunity to see Bgra caught on the wrong foot. Or, tail¡ Nagas didn¡¯t have feet¡ªnot in their serpent forms. Vir still struggled toprehend how someone could shift their body at will like that.
Bgra mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, ''Ravager'' and ''Why am I not surprised?'' but quickly cleared his throat when he realized Vir could hear him.
¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, sir,¡± Bgra said, recovering swiftly and bowing his head in deference to Cirayus. ¡°You must be surprised at seeing a Nagamanding the Akh Nara¡¯s troops.¡±
¡°Hmm? Oh, no. Live long as I do and you see all sorts of things. It¡¯s be lessmon these days, but I¡¯ve fought against several capable Naga Warriors in my time. No, I was just thinking that you must have a grizzled history. You strike me as the type of demon who¡¯s been tempered by the forge of the Ash.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ correct, sir,¡± Bgra said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you knew.¡±
Cirayus simply chuckled.
¡°Looks like the troops areing along nicely,¡± Vir said. Already, there was a marked difference in their stance, in the way they gripped their weapons, and how they scanned their surroundings.
Bgra grunted. ¡°Long way to go, still. Are you back for long? The troops would be delighted to train under the Ravager.¡±
They walked away from the training troops into the nearbymand tent, where they huddled around arge wooden table.
¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Vir said. ¡°Only long enough to establish a new Gate to Baira.¡±
¡°While you¡¯re out there, would you mind making one deeper into the Ash? Not anything too deep. Just a bit more than what we have here.¡±
¡°That wouldn¡¯t be difficult¡ªmost Tears lead there, after all. In fact, I¡¯d nned to as soon as you¡¯re ready.¡±
¡°I think we¡¯re ready,¡± the Naga said. ¡°I¡¯d like to get us deeper as soon as we can to take advantage of the time shift. Or at least, to have it stop working against us.¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°That was exactly what I was thinking. If we can establish new bases deeper and deeper, we can move new troops as they be able.¡±
¡°A solid n,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°And an excellent way to exploit thed¡¯s ability to create Ash Gates. I can¡¯t tell you how many demons would sacrifice their child for such an opportunity. Let alone the ns. Train up a few thousand soldiers in the deeper parts of the Ash, and you¡¯ll have an army the likes of which the Demon Realm has never seen.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the n,¡± Vir said. ¡°But we¡¯ll need Thaumaturges and Chakra mastery if we want to fight on an even field.¡±
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°The first one I can handle. I¡¯ve a few Thaumaturge friends in Camar Gadin. If you can establish a Gate there, I believe they could be persuaded to join your cause here.¡±
¡°That would be immensely helpful,¡± Vir admitted. If there was one thing hecked, it was awork of useful contacts. Luckily, Cirayus had that in spades.
¡°As for the Chakras, I¡¯m afraid that can onlye with time. With luck, we¡¯ll bring more and more Warrior Callings to our cause. They¡¯ll already have unlocked their Chakras.¡±
¡°Figures,¡± Vir said. ¡°Well then, it sounds like I have my work cut out for me.¡±
Vir stepped out of the tent and began his search.
It wasn¡¯t long before Vir located a suitable Tear leading deeper into the Ash. Ity just outside the bounds of the forest that housed the demons¡¯ garrison and wasrger than most Tears Vir had seen. That would be useful for ferrying supplies and troops inrge numbers back and forth.
Vir also hoped it would hold more of a prana charge, requiring servicing less often.
¡°Well,d? Any better luck with this one?¡± Cirayus asked, appreciating Vir¡¯s handiwork.
¡°Seems like it,¡± Vir replied. ¡°I can only see the barest hints of prana leakage from the Gate. It does seem like the ambient prana density affects how quickly Gates degrade.¡±
¡°That is wonderful news. I wonder if there is a point at which the Gate leaks no prana at all¡ªsustaining itself indefinitely.¡±
Vir immediately thought of Mah¨¡di. Such a Gate would be invaluable. It¡¯d allow for permanent routes through the Ash. The realm that had once taken him two years to traverse could conceivably be crossed in just minutes.
¡°That would be something, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Vir said, imagining the possibilities. ¡°For now, this will suffice.¡±
After reporting his sess to Bgra, Vir set out with Cirayus and Shan to locate a Tear that led to Baira.
This process was far more time-consuming and arduous. While there were plenty of Tears that led into the Demon Realm, Cirayus had to scout out thend on the other side to determine where exactly the Gate was, while Vir and Shan guarded the Gate.
As this often involved locating nearby settlements and asking questions, the process took hours. After each failure, Vir returned to the Ash and copsed the Gate behind him, seeking another.
Their hard work paid off, however, and after a half day of searching, Cirayus returned with a broad smile on his face.
¡°Think we¡¯ve found our winner,d,¡± he said, striding up to Vir. ¡°There¡¯s a vige just a half-hour bound from here. They say Camar Gadin is a half day from there, which puts our Gate even closer. I believe we can bound there in less than an hour.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ good,¡± Vir said. The words were forced, even to his ears.
¡°What¡¯s the matter,d? This gate meets all of our criteria, does it not? ¡®Tis near the Ash Boundary, so it ought tost longer, and it¡¯s close to the Bairan capital. What else could you want?¡±
Cirayus was right. They''d found what they were looking for¡ªa Gate near the Ash Boundary where the prana was denser, and only about a half-day¡¯s walk from Camar Gadin.
¡°It¡¯s not the Gate,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Just¡ It feels wrong to be leaving my troops like this. We haven¡¯t even begun amassing an army. There¡¯s so much work to do to rally the prisoners at the Chitran Garrisons. So much groundwork toy¡¡±
¡°And all of it will happen. In due time. Now tell me, would you rather your rebellion ur a few months earlier¡ªled by an Akh Nara bearing not even a single Ultimate Bloodline Tattoo? Or would you rather go into battle armed with Bncer of Scales and the full support of n Baira?¡±
Vir rolled his eyes. ¡°You make it sound so easy, Cirayus. I have to win that tournament first. And that means fighting you. Doesn¡¯t it?¡±
Cirayus beamed. ¡°Why, of course,d. Did you think I¡¯d miss out on the Tournament of a lifetime?¡±
Vir pursed his lips. ¡°No. I suppose you wouldn¡¯t. Let¡¯s go fight some demons.¡±
End of Arc 7
Chapter (Arc 8) Ashborn 314: Tournament Team
Chapter (Arc 8) Ashborn 314: Tournament Team
Cirayus bounded across the Bairan countryside with Vir perched on his shoulder, while Shan traveled beside them, happy to stretch his legs. Cirayus had returned Vir¡¯s Artifact chakram and seric katar that he now wore. For the first time in a very long time, Vir feltplete again.
¡°What can you tell me about the tournament?¡± Vir asked. ¡°How many people are we talking about?¡±
¡°The Bairan Competition is an old tradition. Some say as old as the n itself. It had seen many changes across the millennia, but it has always been a trial ofbat. Thousands generally show up for the qualifiers, coveting one of the sixteen starting positions. In its current form, the tournament is single elimination, and is held in the Rav¡ªer, the Colosseum at the center of Camar Gadin.¡±
¡°A Colosseum, huh? Sounds interesting.¡±
¡°Aye, it is a sight to behold,d. Thousands may apply to fight, but many times moree to spectate. With the seats filled, the din of cheers when you step out onto the ring is unlike anything you¡¯ll ever experience.¡±
Vir doubted he¡¯d receive the same level of apuse as Cirayus did¡ªhe doubted anyone would¡ªbut he refrained from mentioning it.
¡°So. What it¡¯s called?¡± Vir asked, half-guessing the answer. ¡°The Colosseum, I mean. I assume it has a name?¡±
¡°Oh, er¡¡± Cirayus scratched his head, looking as if he were fighting some internal war in his head. Finally, his shoulders sagged, and he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s¡ the Ravager¡¯s Den.¡±¡°The Ravager. Cirayus¡¡± Vir said tly. ¡°They named the ce after you, didn¡¯t they?¡±
The giantughed awkwardly.
¡°W-well. Let me tell you about the history of our great city,¡± Cirayus said, awkwardly trying to change the topic. ¡°Did you know that Camar Gadin has never been taken by another n? Not even during the Aindri conquest of the realm.¡±
Vir smiled wryly, but yed along. As fun as it was to tease the ancient giant, he was genuinely interested in the current topic.
¡°The Aindri attacked Baira?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t their territory farthest to the north?¡±
¡°Indeed¡ªand that ought to tell you just how fearsome their conquest was. While the borders of all countries were recently redrawn, they were the northernmost n even before. Riding their beasts, they raided n after n, though their expansion came to a halt at the unbreakable walls of Camar Gadin.¡±
¡°I never knew the Aindri were sobative.¡±
¡°They¡¯ve changed a bit in recent days. They expanded too far too fast, and their might crumbled soon after. There was significant bacsh from the Warrior families, who ughtered the Rulers responsible. Since then, they¡¯ve been far more mild-mannered. Mind you, this is a tale of a millennium ago. Ancient history for some.¡±
Vir chuckled. For someone as long-lived as Cirayus, that was barely two generations.
¡°Then again, the Aindri are hardly the only n to have invaded Baira,¡± Cirayus continued. ¡°Ours is a long and bloody history, and the Chitran, and even the Garga once attacked us.¡±
¡°The Garga? I thought the ns had been allies since the beginning.¡±
¡°Not quite the beginning,d. Demon history runs long. Can you believe there was even a time when the Iksana didn¡¯t exist? Ghaels simply lived among the other ns. They were eventually ostracized for their¡ unique mannerisms. Ghaels tend not to behave like most other demons. After being forced out, they formed the Iksana and retreated underground.¡±
Vir thought back to his deception at Samar Patag. He truly hoped word wouldn¡¯t find its way back to the Iksana, though he admitted the possibility of that was exceedingly low. It was an issue he¡¯d have to deal with eventually.
A sudden thought urred to him.
¡°Will the Iksana be participating in the tournament?¡± he asked, panic swelling within him.
¡°Aye, there¡¯s usually a handful of Iksana fighters. They don¡¯t usually win, but I admit, some are decent,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Expect to see plenty of them in the audience as well. The Tournament¡¯s one of the few ces you¡¯ll see them above-ground. Each n has their own allotted section in the stadium, and every n always attends. We may even see the Iksana Raja there if we¡¯re lucky.¡±
¡°Lucky?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a big problem? They¡¯ll see who I am!¡±
¡°It certainly would be¡ If I hadn¡¯t already devised a solution. I¡¯ve been working with a Thaumaturge I trust in Camar Gadin. She¡¯s managed toe up with a temporary tattoo that ought to mask your prana signature.¡±
¡°Like mejai armor?¡± Vir asked, thinking back to how mejai armor interfered with Prana Vision. If he was correct, it was nearly identical to how Iksana¡¯s Sight functioned. The only difference being Sight leveraged a tattoo and used a different affinity.
¡°Aye, that¡¯s actually where I had the idea,¡± Cirayus replied, taking another great, bounding leap. The Gargan countryside closely resembled the rest of the demon realm, though the temperature had dropped noticeablypared to the temperate Garga and Panav.
¡°This won¡¯t give you any armor, though, and we still don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work with Ash prana. That¡¯s the big unknown. Worked on both myself and the Thaumaturge, though! We¡¯ll just have to get there and see.¡±
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If it worked, it¡¯d be a windfall for Vir. He could traverse the realm without fear of discovery. And if he could meet with sympathetic Rajas at the tournament¡
This could offer an unprecedented opportunity. There was Bncer of Scales, yes, but even if Vir failed to obtain that, the connections he could forge and the inroads he would make might be worth even more.
¡°So this is what you were doing when you left me at Samar Patag.¡±
¡°This, as well as other things. Meeting old friends, getting they of thend and the n politics. As well as informing those I trust the most of your return. Sowing the seeds, so to speak. Seeds, however, take time to grow, and require watering. I¡ didn¡¯t wish to get your hopes up until I was sure they¡¯d bear fruit. I hope that time is near.¡±
¡°You and me, both,¡± Vir said, thinking of his budding army. Most of all, he needed more troops. More Ash Gates, and more recruitment efforts. Two hundred was no army. At best, it was a couple ofpanies of troops. When the rebellion began, Vir hoped to have at least ten thousand.
¡°I guess I already know a thing or two about the Iksana from Ekanai, but what else can you tell me?¡± Vir asked. ¡°The more I know, the better equipped I¡¯ll be to fight them.¡±
Cirayus thought for a moment. ¡°As you know, the Iksana live underground, in vast tunnelworks that are a sight to see. Though, few outside their n ever get to. And Jak Kallol. Now that is a true jewel.¡±
¡°Their capital stronghold?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Is that underground as well?¡±
¡°Aye, though most demons think the tiny sliver of the city that sits on the surface is the extent of it. They could not be more wrong. The surface city is but a facade¡ªa means to trade with the few merchants who make the long and arduous journey to its gates. The actual city lies beneath. In a great cavern of iprehensible size. Lit by naturally luminescent crystals and moss. It is perhaps the most impressive city these eyes have ever beheld.¡±
¡°What is the Iksana Raja like?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be receptive to our cause?¡±
¡°Sagun''Ra. An old fossil of a demon. Hard to say with that one. Always has been. He¡¯s one of the few demons who openly resists me at every turn.¡±
¡°Wait. He¡¯s older than you?¡±
¡°Hmm? Oh, no. We are simrly aged.¡±
Vir didn¡¯t say anything for a moment, hoping Cirayus would realize that he¡¯d just called himself an old fossil.
Cirayus carried on, entirely oblivious. ¡°I Sagun Ra may have tussles with me, but I feel he may be receptive to the Akh Nara¡¯s return. Could go either way with that one. The Iksana are an unpredictable bunch to begin with, and Ra is no exception. He¡¯s as likely to kneel before you as he is to stick a dagger in your back.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be careful, then,¡± Vir said. ¡°What of Baira and Panav? I¡¯m guessing we can at least count on Baira?¡±
¡°Aye, Thaman is an old friend. Trained thatd up myself, a couple of centuries ago. Good ruler. Good head on his shoulders.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Vir said. ¡°I was beginning to think we had no allies at all.¡±
¡°Well, we don¡¯t. Thaman sympathizes with our cause, but you¡¯d do well to expect no aid from him. Not until we¡¯ve proven ourselves to demon kind. As much as I hate to admit, any n found openly throwing their support behind the Akh Nara bes a target. I fully expect the Chitran to mobilize the other ns against you,d. Withoutying the proper groundwork, we risk fighting not just the kothis, but the full might of the entire realm.¡±
¡°And that would be suicide,¡± Vir said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me. We¡¯ll act only once we¡¯re ready. Brick by brick.¡±
¡°Stone after stone,¡± Cirayus confirmed with a nod.
¡°Besides, I need to win this tournament before anything can begin,¡± Vir said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about my powers and what I can use. I want to use my Artifact Chakram. I¡¯m sick of fighting without my best weapons. Is that allowed?¡±
¡°Aye, no issues with Artifacts. Besides, they¡¯re not quite the Beast mincers they are in the Ash. You¡¯ll have no issues with them.¡±
¡°Good. I¡¯m going to use my katar, too. I know they¡¯re notmon, but I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s going to suspect me of being the Akh Nara, either.¡±
¡°Agreed. There¡¯ll be no issues with either of those weapons. Rather, it¡¯s your abilities we ought to talk about.¡±
¡°I¡¯m guessing Dance of the Shadow Demon is out,¡± Vir said. ¡°Especially with Iksana in attendance.¡±
¡°Aye. Even with the tattoo hiding your prana, there¡¯ll be no concealing that ability. Tis an Iksana Bloodline Art, after all.¡±
¡°Speaking of, what about Ultimates? Will you be using Bncer of Scales? And do I need to worry about others doing the same?¡±
¡°Nay. Ultimates are strictly forbidden. Instant disqualification for anyone who does. Neither are the Rajas allowed to participate. That¡¯d be too unfair to the rest of them, so you won¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±
¡°Alright, that¡¯s good to know. My other movement arts should be fine¡ªI¡¯ve been using them until now without issue. What about Prana Darts, Prana de and de Launch? Will the tattoo hide those as well?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t. Once your prana leaves your body, the attack will be seen for what it is.¡±
¡°That¡ makes things really difficult, Cirayus,¡± Vir said. ¡°Without those, my offensive power is severely limited.¡±
¡°I know,d. I am aware. I also know that you¡¯re one of the most ingenious demons I¡¯ve ever met. If there is a way. I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯ll find it.¡±
¡°Well, thanks¡¡± Vir was at a loss for how to reply. For Cirayus to pay him such apliment was truly humbling. Yet, it was a fact that thispetition would be far more difficult, with most of his abilities sealed. Even if he emerged victorious, he¡¯d have to face down Cirayus in the finals. Could he beat his godfather without relying on every tool at his disposal?
Could he defeat Cirayus even at his full potential?
Vir couldn¡¯t honestly say.
At least I should be able to use Prana Current. That¡¯s something.
The Artifact Chakram would help immensely as well. Even if it couldn¡¯t resharpen itself and fly around on its own like it did in the Ash. It was less lethal, too. Which, in this case, was perhaps a good thing.
He didn¡¯t want to decapitate his opponents, after all. Still, it¡¯d have been nice if he could control their lethality. It would be useful to give his foes a glimpse of the Chakram¡¯s true power, before dialing it down. It¡¯d force his enemies to be on their guard, limiting their options.
Of course, there¡¯s Shan as well¡
Vir looked at his Ash Wolf friend.
¡°Say, Cirayus? Do the Aindri fight with their beasts in this tournament?¡±
¡°Aye. Of course.¡±
¡°Is that a special provision for their n? Or can anyone do that?¡±
¡°Nothing like that. Those who wish to fight alongside a beast may do so. Just that outside the Aindri and their bloodline arts, nobody does. Nobody¡¯s managed to make beasts useful enough to fight against demons. Also, the rule about no killing doesn¡¯t apply to any animalpanions.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± Vir said. That was a little concerning, though if he was honest, Vir doubted there were many capable of killing an Ash Wolf. And Shan was no ordinary Ash Wolf. He wasn¡¯t even an ordinary Ashfire Wolf. He was an Ashfire wolf with Imperium pranites flowing through his body. A wolf who¡¯d retained his sanity, and who¡¯d learned to control his prana.
¡°Alrightd, I think this is where we make camp,¡± Cirayus said, putting Vir down.
¡°Here? There¡¯s nothing here,¡± Vir replied.
¡°That¡¯s the point. Too risky to have you enter Camar Gadin without your tattoo. Wait here while I go fetch the thaumaturge.¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long,¡± he teased.
¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it,¡± Cirayus replied with a wink, before bounding high into the air.
Vir turned his attention to Shan, who locked eyes with him.
¡°Well, Shan? Would you like to fight together?¡±
The Ashfire Wolf¡¯s howl was all the response he needed.
Chapter Ashborn 315: The Thaumaturge
Chapter Ashborn 315: The Thaumaturge
¡°Shan. Keep watch. Push me if you see anything. Or anyone,¡± Vir said, sitting cross-legged on the cracked y soil of the Bairan countryside.
If there was one thing Vir loathed, it was wasting time. Rather than sit and wait for Cirayus, he had a better idea.
Closing his eyes, Vir entered his mindscape and summoned Shardul.
¡°So, you have returned,¡± Shardul said. ¡°Are you ready to meditate again on the concept of the Life Chakra?¡±
¡°I think¡ there¡¯s no need. I think I¡¯ll be able to open it. I¡¯m almost there,¡± Vir replied.
¡°Oh? What have you learned?¡±
¡°I¡ recently lost someone I cared about. A child, of Samar Patag.¡±
¡°I see. And you me yourself for this child¡¯s death, do you?¡±
¡°I do,¡± Vir said. ¡°At least, I did. Though he was given explicit instruction to remain in a position of safety, he ventured out during an Ash Beast horde. He died protecting another.¡±¡°The folly of youth,¡± Shardul said, shaking his head.
¡°Bolin¡¯s death was a tragedy,¡± Vir said. ¡°He was not the only one who died that day. And ever since then, I¡¯d shouldered that weight. I¡¯d convinced myself that I could have saved their lives had I been stronger or faster. I realize now that this was nothing but arrogance. No matter how strong I am, I am but one lone demon. If I am to lead this rebellion, I have to ept that there will be death.¡±
¡°It is a fundamental truth that all eventually learn,¡± Shardul agreed. ¡°There is no effort without error. No risk without cost.¡±
¡°I understand that now,¡± Vir said. ¡°But with that understanding came another. Death¡ is tragic, yes. But souls exist. Chakras prove that, after all. Death is tragic, but maybe it¡¯s not the end. The cycle continues. It merely transitions from one state to another.¡±
It was a simple conclusion to make¡ªhardly anything profound. And yet, speaking the worlds unlocked a gate within Vir. The stress of the pressure¡ªthe burden of responsibility he carried¡ªeased ever so slightly, and Vir let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding.
Vir fully opened his Life Chakra, and awareness flooded into him. The forest around him because vibrant¡ªnew sights and sounds assaulted his senses from all directions, and suddenly, the forest felt more alive.
Birds chirped and squirrels and other rodents ran around. The meadow felt as though it stretched on forever, and the sound of the river through it tickled Vir¡¯s ears.
Wait. River!?
His eyes shot open. He hadn¡¯t imagined it. Where before, he¡¯d sat in the middle of a small meadow, now, a small river¡ªmore of a babbling brook¡ªflowed near him. Flowers grew along its green soil, with butterflies flitting among them.
¡°My mindscape¡ expanded?¡±
¡°A natural evolution,¡± Shardul said, admiring the scenery. ¡°Quite peaceful. I must say, I approve. Mine was far less appealing.¡±
Vir was about to ask what this meant¡ªwhat opening other Chakras would do¡ªbut a strange sensation made him pause. A pressure on him. On his back.
His eyes widened. ¡°Shan!¡±
With a thought, the mindscape faded, and Vir opened his eyes to the Demon Realm¡ and to Shan, who stood in front of him.
¡°Thanks, Shan. I take it we havepany?¡± Vir asked, rising to his feet.
Twenty paces away, two figures approached. A giant. And an even bigger giant, holding arge case of some sort.
¡°Cirayus?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Is this¡¡±
¡°Aye,d,¡± Cirayus said with pride. ¡°Vir, meet my granddaughter, Aida! She''s one of the best...¡± Cirayus trailed off.
¡°Is that... Is that...¡±
The enormous woman who towered over Cirayus stared open-mouthed, pointing. Not at Vir, but at Shan.
¡°Quite perceptive of you to notice,¡± Vir said. ¡°Most who seem him assume he''s a prana wolf.¡±
¡°I couldn''t be sure, but... There''s something different about him. Something regal. Dangerous.¡±
¡°Aida, it''s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Vir said, bowing his head. ¡°This is my good friend, Shan.¡±
Shan puffed out his chest and howled with pride, which caused Aida to take a step back.
Cirayus coughed lightly. ¡°As I was saying, Aida''s one of the finest Thaumaturges in Camar Gadin. Aida, meet Vir.¡±
The giantess took a deep breath, then punched Cirayus. Hard. ¡°Ajja, you know that¡¯s not true. I¡¯m middling at best. Got no chance in the Ash ofpeting with ancient relics like you.¡±
Like her grandfather, Aida was a four-armed red demon, though her height made Cirayus look like a child. Her arms boasted a number of azure Bairan tattoos, which were on disy thanks to the loose-fitting ck tank top she wore. Her arms and hands were stained ck with soot, as if she''d been plucked from her ce of work. Which, now that Vir thought about it, was likely exactly what happened.
Cirayus grunted in pain, even as he bellowed a heartyugh.
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Some family¡ Vir thought.
¡°This the kid, huh?¡± Aida said, finally wrenching her eyes off of Shan and onto Vir. ¡°By Adinat, he¡¯s young.¡±
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°He¡¯s the one.¡±
¡°The Akh Nara, huh? In the flesh,¡± Aida said, walking up to Vir. She was like one and a half Cirayuses¡ªeasily over twice as tall as Vir, and he had to crane his neck to look up at the muscr red demon.
¡°Doesn¡¯t look like much,¡± Aida grunted, making Vir frown.
¡°Do you judge everyone based on their looks? Or is that honor reserved just for me?¡±
Aida said nothing for a long moment, and Vir wondered if he needed to start cycling prana.
Then the giant¡¯s expression cracked and she doubled overughing.
¡°Ajja! You never said he was this fun!¡±
Cirayus grinned. ¡°Told you you¡¯d like him!¡±
¡°Is he taken?¡± she asked, standing straight up.
¡°Aye, I¡¯m afraid he is, but there¡¯s always room for a second wife.¡±
¡°Second wife of the Akh Nara, huh?¡± Aida said. ¡°I could live with that.¡±
¡°Er, you two do realize I¡¯m standing right here, yes?¡± Vir said. He didn¡¯t know if he ought to be angry or exasperated at their exchange. Probably both.
¡°Aye, and what of it? Maiya can be your first, but you can have a dozen wives, if you want. Plenty of finesses who¡¯d like to be with the Akh Nara.¡±
¡°Uh, thanks, but no thanks,¡± Vir said evenly, backing away slowly. ¡°Maiya¡¯s the only one I¡¯m interested in.¡±
¡°He¡¯s certainly an odd one,¡± Aida said, looking him up and down.
Cirayus shrugged. ¡°Cut him some ck. He grew up in the wrong realm, after all.¡±
¡°Because of your failure,¡± Aida said, narrowing her eyes at her grandfather. Vir couldn¡¯t get over how she had to look down at Cirayus, almost as if he were a child. That the demon was almost certainly centuries older nearly broke something within Vir¡¯s head.
¡°A failure for which I take full responsibility,¡± Cirayus said.
¡°Er, not to interrupt, but are we going to inscribe that tattoo?¡± Vir asked. Truthfully, he¡¯d been looking forward to this for a long while. He¡¯d never once seen a Thaumaturge etch a tattoo, and while his might only be temporary, Vir hoped to learn from the process.
¡°An eager one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Aida said. ¡°Y¡¯know, this won¡¯t give you any power at all.¡±
¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± Vir said, meeting the giantess¡¯ gaze. ¡°It¡¯ll let me go wherever I wish without fear of detection. That¡¯s worth more to me than most tattoos.¡±
Aida shrugged, dropping her bag. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±
The process was about as painful as Vir had imagined it to be. To allow Aida to etch the tattoo, Vir had to disable Prana Armor and evacuate the prana from his skin to make it pliable. Something he hadn¡¯t done in a long time. Not only did it make his chest feel weak, it made him feel naked.
An issuepounded by the fact that he was naked from the waist up.
¡°Stop squirming! Don¡¯t be such a child! It¡¯d only a little pain,¡± Aida said, her head just inches away from Vir¡¯s chest.
It wasn¡¯t the pain that made Vir squirm. It was the intense awkwardness of having a giant female press her body against his. Professional or not, this felt all sorts of wrong to Vir.
It was in times like these that Vir thanked the gods for the existence of Chakra. The Foundation Chakra calmed his minds¡ªtrees did not grow flustered, after all.
Vir stopped squirming and instead observed the giantess work her needle.
¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. Normally, I¡¯d inject prana into the tattoo. But that would hardly be useful, given your unique affinity,¡± Aida said as she worked. ¡°Actually, that works in our favor. Doing it this way makes the tattoo much weaker, and prone to unraveling. Normally undesirable, but in your case, it¡¯s precisely what we want.¡±
¡°So I just need to inject prana into the tattoo, then?¡± Vir asked.
¡°You¡¯ll have to follow the tattoo, of course. But yes, when I finish, you¡¯ll need to channel prana through it.¡±
¡°Is it just the pattern you¡¯re tracing?¡± Vir asked.
Aida shook her head. ¡°The pattern must be etched at exactly the right depth at the right size and position¡ªall three factors must be exacting and perfect. It¡¯s why crafting new tattoos is near-impossible. The consequences of failure are often disastrous. Not to mention, we¡¯re working with Ash prana here, so that¡¯s an unknown factor.¡±
Vir fell silent, despite his heart raging in his chest. Long ago, he¡¯d wondered if Parai¡¯s cycling technique had something to do with Chakras. Now, he wondered if tattoos operated on the same principle. There were the seven main chakras, but there were over a hundred minor chakras all throughout the body. Did tattoo inscription require connecting the right ones together? Was that why the size, position, and depth mattered?
Of course, no one knew. Not even the Thaumaturges. It was just like in the human realm¡ªpeople blindly copied the same tattoos that had been passed down since the Age of Gods.
Well, maybe not everyone. Ashani might know. And Vir would bet Saunak knew more than any other Thaumaturge in the demon realm.
It made him appreciate how demonic understanding of magic was more advanced than humanity¡¯s. Vir also wondered how much of it was built upon the back of Saunak¡¯s work.
Too bad both he and Ashani were both realms apart.
Far, though not unreachable. Not anymore. Saunak¡¯sir could be reached via awork of Ash Gates¡ªassuming Vir managed to locate it.
The Mah¨¡di Realm could be found again.
The thought made Vir giddy with excitement. When the tournament was over, he¡¯d return to the Ash. To fulfill the oath he¡¯d made all those years ago.
Aida soon finished the tattoo, which resembled an eight-pronged star and sat just below his chest tattoo, on his stomach.
¡°That ought to do it,¡± Aida said, standing up and wiping sweat from her brow. ¡°Don¡¯t have much practice with this one. Let alone doing it this way. Cycle your prana through it and let me know if it works.¡±
¡°Er, okay?¡± Vir replied hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a tattoo before. Mind giving me the basics?¡±
¡°Some tattoos, like the Ultimate Arts, are difficult to learn how to activate,¡± Cirayus exined. He was seated cross-legged nearby and had been meditating while Aida worked. ¡°Luckily, this one¡¯s a bit simpler. Start by inserting prana at the topmost point, then trace the tattoo clockwise. With your prana control, I doubt you¡¯ll have any issues. Just a trickle, mind you. It doesn¡¯t need much.¡±
¡°Er, actually, it does,¡± Aida said. ¡°This tattoo is very inefficient, I¡¯m afraid. You¡¯d best give it your all.¡±
¡°Do not give it your all,d,¡± Cirayus rebuked. ¡°Trust me, Aida. Thed¡¯s prana defiesmon sense. He has many times more than even I do.¡±
Vir wished he could¡¯ve captured Aida¡¯s expression at that moment. With bulged eyes and a gaping mouth, she looked hysterical, and only Vir¡¯s decency kept him from bursting outughing. Though, he suspected the giantess wouldn¡¯t have done the same were she in his shoes.
¡°A trickle, then,¡± Vir said, closing his eyes and feeling the fresh burn of the tattoo. Vir wasn¡¯t worried about the mark. He was confident it¡¯d disappear if he surged prana around the area for long enough. That would also destroy the tattoo, however, so he instead purged the prana from that area, and instead guided a small sliver of his body¡¯s prana along its lines.
Slowly at first, then faster. It was no different from tracing through Parai¡¯s technique, and now that he could decouple prana from blood, the task was trivial.
¡°Well? Is it working?¡± Aida asked.
Cirayus shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. Thed¡¯s the one with Iksana Sight.¡±
Vir opened his eyes and turned Prana Vision inward. The ck abyss of prana he¡¯d grown used to seeing was nowhere to be found. Instead, he saw a hazy mix of all the various affinities, and far less of it than there ought to have been.
Nothing had changed within his body, however. Vir felt his vast reserves of Ash prana, and could still move it around as expected. Just that, when the star tattoo was powered, he could no longer see it.
And neither could any Iksana Ghaels.
¡°It works,¡± Vir said, beaming. ¡°Thank you, Aida.¡±
The giantess waved him off with her two left hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I owe ajja here more than I could ever repay. This doesn¡¯t even begin to scratch the surface. Besides¡¡± Aida scratched the bridge of her nose. ¡°He¡¯s family. And, I guess by extension, so are you?¡±
Vir smiled and nodded. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Now, while I have you here, could I ask you for another favor?¡±
Aida perked up her brow and smirked. ¡°Hey now. My charity only goes so far.¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing big,¡± Vir replied, a devilish grin spreading on his face.
He pointed to Shan. ¡°I was just wondering if you could inscribe a couple of Aspect tattoos on my good buddy over there.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 316: Shan Empowered
Chapter Ashborn 316: Shan Empowered
Aida looked at Cirayus, who nodded. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,ss, but this wolf¡¯s a bit special.¡±
¡°I can see that his mind hasn¡¯t been tainted by the Ash,¡± Aida said, inspecting the wolf, who bristled, baring his fangs at her.
Shan shuddered, and ck prana began to burn off his hide, forcing Aida back.
¡°What in the realms¡¡±
¡°Think you ticked him off,ss,¡± Cirayus said, chuckling.
¡°H-how much prana does this beast have!?¡±
¡°About as much as the density of prana in Mah¨¡di,¡± Vir said coolly.
The giantess froze. Her head slowly turned toward Vir. ¡°M-Mah¨¡di!? The fabled city of the Gods!?¡±
¡°He¡¯s been there,¡± Cirayus confirmed. ¡°Spent months in there. Training. Growing stronger. Even met an Imperium Goddess. In the flesh!¡±¡°Ajja, now is not the time for such absurd jokes,¡± Aida said. Her shock vanished, and she slumped over a bit. ¡°You almost gave me a shock.¡±
¡°Oh, that was no joke,ss,¡± Cirayus said with a wicked grin. ¡°Look.¡±
Aida turned, and now Vir¡¯s body was zing with Ash Prana as well.
¡°It¡¯s why I told him not to use all his prana, before,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°It woulda dissolved your tattoo!¡±
Vir frowned, canceling his fire prana show. It was shy, yes, but it also wasted a lot of prana for no good reason. Such tactics were best used sparingly, anyway. Too much and it¡¯d lose its effect. Sometimes, though, it was just the best way to prove his strength.
¡°Well?¡± Aida said, having finally regained her breath. ¡°What tattoo would you like? He uses Ash prana just like you, so I suppose we could inscribe anything. Even Bloodline arts.¡±
Vir had, of course, daydreamed about this moment for a long while. He¡¯d weighed the pros and cons of the various bloodline arts against the Aspect tattoos.
In the end, however, he deferred to those who were far more qualified to decide.
¡°What would you choose?¡± he asked both Aida and Cirayus. With his centuries of experience, Cirayus knewbat better than most demons alive. And Aida, as a Thaumaturge, would have her own perspective.
Cirayus stroked his beard, sinking into thought. Aida put her hands on her hips and stared at Shan pensively.
Neither responded for a moment as they gave the decision the full weight of their attention.
¡°Bloodline tattoos are tempting,¡± Cirayus said slowly. ¡°There¡¯s a good reason they¡¯re so selectively passed down. Sure, the Aspects be more versatile, but the Bloodline Arts are undeniably stronger.¡±
¡°And more difficult to master,¡± Aida chimed in.
¡°Aye, some can be,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°Though, not all. You¡¯re a Journeyman Thaumaturge now, eh Aida? You¡¯ve mastered Standard Bairan Bloodline Art Inscription?¡±
The giantess nodded. ¡°Freshly promoted a decade ago.¡±
Vir¡¯s brow raised. A decade ago is ¡®fresh¡¯ for her?
¡°I know what you¡¯re about to ask, whelp,¡± Aida said with a small, terrifying smile. ¡°And if you do, I¡¯ll break every bone in your body. Akh Nara or not.¡±
¡°I¡ wasn¡¯t going to ask anything,¡± Vir said innocently.
¡°Mhmm. Anyway, I can put Giant Hide, Giant Grace, and Spirit of the Geezer¡ªahem, I mean Ravager¡ªon him. Only one, though. Lots of space on a giant¡¯s body. Your friend may berge for a wolf, but tattoos can¡¯t just be ced anywhere.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Vir said, forcing himself to maintain a straight face. ¡°Shan¡¯s already plenty fast, so I don¡¯t think Grace would help much. On the same lines, his prana makes him pretty durable as it is. Of those three, Spirit of the Geezer would be the most useful. But it doesn¡¯t sound all that powerful, does it?¡±
¡°Nay,¡± Aida said. ¡°Who¡¯d want to channel a geezer¡¯s energy, anyway?¡±
¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Cirayus said,ying down Bncer of Scales at full power. Vir¡¯s legs buckled before he realized what was happening and countered the force, regaining his posture. Aida was forced to her knees.
¡°Was that¡ Was that the sound of bones creaking?¡± Cirayus said, dramatically holding a hand up to his ear. ¡°Surely not from you youngsters!?¡±
¡°Ash Damned geezer,¡± Aida said, grimacing. ¡°Just keel over and die already.¡±
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Cirayus undid Bncer and walked over, putting a hand upon Aida¡¯s shoulder. She stiffened noticeably.
¡°Now now, Aida. Do I need to talk to your mother about your manners?¡±
¡°I, um. I must¡¯ve been confused,¡± Aida said meekly, her face turning pale. ¡°Did I say Geezer? Slip of the tongue. I meant Ravagar. The Mighty Ravager. Of course.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Cirayus replied. Then he burst outughing. As did Vir and Aida.
Cirayus was the only actual family Vir had. Which was fine. His godfather alone was worth as much as a whole familybined, and Vir was beyond grateful to have him.
¡°All joking aside, I think you ought to consider some other options,d,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Spirit of the Ravager boosts a giant¡¯s strength for a brief while. Doubtless, it¡¯ll benefit your friend there. Though, I have to wonder if it¡¯d function better than an Aspect tattoo. The Bairan Bloodline Arts all work in tandem with our size and physique, amplifying our strengths. Taken together, they make a fiercebination.¡±
¡°But it may not be the best bet for a light and agile wolf,¡± Virpleted.
¡°So, an Aspect, then. I¡¯d rmend sticking with the fundamental ones. Aspect of the Broken Realm and Aspect of the Stolen Stars might be powerful in theory, but I haven¡¯t seen a single demon who hasn¡¯t struggled with learning them. Maybe if you had a century or two¡ But I get the impression you want your wolf to be useful now.¡±
¡°I need him for the Tournament,¡± Vir replied.
Aida crossed both pairs of arms and nodded. ¡°Then I suggest you go with Midwinter¡¯s Embrace, Inferno, or Eternal Storm. Stone Sentinel¡¯s also viable, but it sounds like you¡¯re wanting some offensive potential in your friend.¡±
¡°Right. Preferably something that¡¯s easy to learn and can upy my foes,¡± Vir said, thinking back to Saunak¡¯s experiments. The demon hadmitted unspeakable horrors to Shan¡¯s crazed brethren, finding that only a tiny portion of beasts could use Aspect tattoos effectively. Instead, he rmended a host of other, specific magics that reminded Vir of human orbs. Enhanced visions, enhanced w sharpness.
Those would indeed boost Shan¡¯s capabilities, but they all felt so ordinary. Inscribing those prevented the addition of any further tattoos in the future.
And while Vir did need Shan for this tournament, he wasn¡¯t about to cripple the beast¡¯s potential for an immediate gain. Shan meant too much to Vir to even think of doing such a thing. Besides, Shan was far more intelligent than other Ash Wolves. If there was one among them who could learn to wield Aspect tattoos, it was his friend.
¡°Any of the three Aspects will do that, if you ask me,¡± Aida said with a shrug. ¡°Freeze ¡®em, burn ¡®em, or strike ¡®em down with lightning. All get the job done in different ways.¡±
¡°Aye, true. There are other factors, however. Much of a demon¡¯s ability to learn an artes from theirpatibility, I¡¯ve found,¡± Cirayus said.
¡°Pranapatibility?¡± Vir asked.
¡°That too, butpatibility on a spiritual¡ªeven philosophical¡ªlevel can be just as important. A gentle soul who seeks to master the art of frying one¡¯s enemies into a crisp will meet with resistance, more often than not.¡±
¡°Makes sense, I suppose,¡± Vir admitted.
¡°So then, let me ask you this,d. When you look at your Ash Wolf over there, what element do you feel suits him best?¡±
¡°Fire,¡± Vir said without a moment¡¯s hesitation. What else could there be? The ck prana that escaped Shan¡¯s hide looked almost identical to burning mes, after all.
¡°Then that is what I rmend,¡± Cirayus said.
Vir walked up to Shan, who¡¯d beenzing on his belly, clearly uninterested in the conversation.
¡°Well, friend? Would you like fire magic?¡± Vir asked, staring the wolf in the eyes.
The beast sat up, and Vir could¡¯ve sworn he saw mes dancing in the beast¡¯s pupils.
Shan regarded him in silence for a moment, then reared his head back and howled into the sky.
¡°Aspect of the Inferno it is.¡±
Vir watched intently as Aida worked. The sheer amount of precision to her movements was something that left Vir in awe. The more he observed, the more details he noticed. Flicks of her wrists, the incredible attention to the depth and cement of the inscription.
Shan¡¯s tattoo sat on his belly, and Aida had sheared off his fur before getting started. The wolf hadn¡¯t made a single sound in protest through the entire ordeal, despite the pain.
Perhaps Shan knew that this was for his own betterment. Perhaps he understood he¡¯d obtain power¡ªVir never was sure how much the incredibly intelligent animal caught on.
Regardless, Vir was thankful for Shan¡¯spliance. He couldn¡¯t very well force this upon his friend, after all.
The more Vir watched, the more he realized that his ambition of learning Thaumaturgy with only a bit of effort was nothing but a fool¡¯s hope. The consequences of erring were severe, and the level of perfection demanded from the art was nothing that could be gained easily.
It was no wonder so few demons took up the profession.
In due time, he¡¯d master the art. It¡¯d just be a matter of years instead of months.
But that was alright. The more Vir experienced, the more he realized he didn¡¯t have to do everything himself. Even Warriors seldom fought alone. For a leader to do so was unthinkable. He had to delegate to those he trusted most.
¡°It is done,¡± Aida said atst, rising from the wolf, who¡¯d fallen asleep some time ago.
¡°And I¡¯ve just about reached my limit.¡± the giantess pointed her etching needle to Cirayus in annoyance. ¡°You never said anything about doing two tattoos.¡±
¡°Hm, actually, I was about to ask you for far more.¡±
¡°What!¡± Aida snapped. ¡°After all I¡¯ve done, you want even more? I¡¯m sorry, ajja, I¡¯ve got a life, too. I have to head back¡ª¡±
¡°What the Chitran did to us¡¡± Cirayus spoke softly, but the weight behind his words stopped Aida in her tracks. ¡°To our family. You¡¯ve never forgotten.¡±
Aida frowned. ¡°Of course not.¡±
Cirayus pointed to Vir. ¡°This one is building an army in secret. In the Ash.¡±
¡°Are you insane?¡± Aida said, shifting her gaze between Vir and Cirayus. ¡°You led an army of demons into the Ash? You¡¯ve doomed them all!¡±
¡°Think, Aida,¡± Cirayus admonished. ¡°If that were true, how are we here?¡±
¡°I¡ I dunno! You got lucky! Found an Ash Gate! It happens!¡±
¡°Aye, it happens. And never with any reliability,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°What if I told you this madd can stabilize Ash Tears? That any Tear he finds can be a fully functioning Ash Gate? What if I told you he¡¯s building awork of Gates to move between realms?¡±
¡°You¡¯re¡ you¡¯re bluffing,¡± Aida said, her voiceced with doubt.
¡°Would I bluff about something like this?¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Think of it. This is our chance! The Akh Nara has returned. He¡¯s building an army. An army that will be forged and tempered by the Ash. That can strike anywhere, at any time. Now, imagine it. The Garga, restored. Our family avenged.¡±
¡°Killing the Chits won¡¯t bring them back,¡± Aida said. ¡°Your words. Not mine.¡±
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°But it will prevent more deaths from urring in the future. And I believe those were your words. Not mine.¡±
Aida stared at Vir, falling silent.
¡°It¡¯s true, Aida,¡± Vir said. ¡°My forces in the Ash could really use a Thaumaturge. We have a couple of garrisons, and they¡¯re getting stronger by the day, but without tattoos, they¡¯ll never ess their full potential. We could use you.¡±
¡°Besides, I know you¡¯ve always wanted an excuse to work in the Ash,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Here¡¯s your chance.¡±
Aida looked up at the deep red sky for a long moment, then groaned.
¡°Oh, fine.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 317: To Baira
Chapter Ashborn 317: To Baira
Shan awoke soon after, looking no worse for the wear. He loped around, the same as ever, and were it not for the shaved fur, Vir wouldn¡¯t even have known the wolf bore a tattoo.
¡°I imagine that¡¯ll grow back rather quickly, thanks to all that prana he stores within him,¡± Cirayusmented as they headed back to Samar Patag.
Since Aidacked the movement arts the rest of them possessed, she sat on top of her grandfather¡¯s shoulders, one leg straddled on either side of his head like a child.
Except, while most children were a fraction of their parents¡¯ size, Aida was quite a bit bigger, making the whole scene incrediblyical and somewhat surreal. The sight was made even more ridiculous by Cirayus¡¯ effortless bounding leaps, as if Aida weighed all of nothing. Which, thanks to Bncer of Scales, she didn¡¯t.
If Vir wasn¡¯t mistaken, the giantess was at least four times his own weight¡ªthough he dared not utter that in her presence. There was something utterly terrifying about her when she became angry.
Vir had to wonder if it ran in the family, and whether Cirayus ever became that way. The warrior was terrifying inbat as it was. Vir wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to imagine what an angry Cirayus looked like. That, and Sikandar, were likely the reasons behind his ¡®Ravager¡¯ moniker.
They made good time, and despite Vir keeping a close watch on Shan¡¯s prana, he found nothing amiss.
It wasn¡¯t the ck gates of Camar Gadin that stopped the group, but rather a group of Ash Beasts. And they were diving straight for a convoy off in the distance.
¡°Shrikes!¡± Aida called out in panic. ¡°Take cover!¡±More Ash Beasts, and they¡¯re delving deeper into the realm now, Vir thought as he High Jumped without hesitation. Taking cover was just about thest thought on his mind. Shrikes were exceedingly dangerous opponents, even outside the Ashen Realm. Most demons didn¡¯t stand a chance against them.
Vir intercepted the leader of the flight of six midair, slicing off its neck. Grabbing onto the falling corpse, Vir swung legs over, and kicked off, bounding for the next dive-bombing beast.
He was joined by Cirayus, who cleaved a Shrike in two with a single strike of Sikandar.
Vir cut through the second Shrike without pausing, pitting his upward momentum against the downward momentum of the diving birds to reave through two more before he finally lost his speed.
As he fell back to the ground, Vir watched Cirayus clean up the remaining Shrike. Body parts crashed into the ground like rain, forcing Aida to dodge using Giant Grace. Those she couldn¡¯t, she bashed away, leveraging Giant Hide.
The force of those impacts would have given Vir a tough time without his prana strengthening him. That Aida shrugged them off spoke volumes about the strength of Bairan bloodline tattoos.
Wouldn¡¯t mind having more than a few demons in my army¡ Vir thought. Though, unless he convinced Baira to openly support his rebellion, the chances of that seemed quite slim.
¡°Aida,ss!¡± Cirayus thundered. ¡°Since when have you looked upon my impressive feats with such awe?¡±
¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be shocked,¡± Aida grumbled, ignoring her grandfather. ¡°He¡¯s the Akh Nara, after all. Just¡¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t expect him to match me. Did you?¡±
¡°Hard to imagine anyone managing that feat. Will you really be alright in this tournament?¡±
Cirayus cracked a broad grin. ¡°Well now, we¡¯ll just have to see about that. Won¡¯t we?¡±
He turned to Vir as he said those words, and Vir met his gaze. Yes, he might be barred from using his most powerful abilities, but Vir had every intention of winning, regardless. He needed that tattoo.
¡°Well, well. And I was wondering who stole our kills. If it isn¡¯t the Ravager himself!¡± a raspy voice called out.
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The convoy of demons and their wagons from earlier had closed the distance, and a gangly ghael ambled up to Cirayus.
The Iksana sported a long, diagonal scar on his face that ran across his left eye, across his nose, and to the side of his lip. The demon wore only the barest of clothing, exposing his scrawny body.
A body that was absolutely covered in purple Iksana tattoos.
Vir instinctively felt for Aida¡¯s new tattoo. He¡¯d kept it cycling the entire time, but it hadn¡¯t yet be a subconscious habit.
Topping up the prana, Vir hoped the tattoo would do its job.
He thought of backing away¡ªPrana Vision fared poorly at range, after all¡ªbut decided against it. If the tattoo failed here, he¡¯d have no chance during the tournament. He simply had to trust in Aida¡¯s work.
The ghael cast a cursory nce at Aida and Vir, but returned his gaze to Cirayus.
¡°Granddaughter? And your pack boy? What? Finally tire of hauling everything?¡± the ghael said, mistaking Vir for nothing more than a steward.
Shan had disappeared, as he tended to around others. Vir was thankful for the Ash Beast¡¯s tact. His presence would only have attracted unnecessary attention from the Iksana.
¡°Nor,¡± Cirayus said with a slight nod. ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised to see you here. Enjoy winning in my absence? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to take second this time. Perhaps even third.¡±
¡°Ha!¡± The ghael¡ªNor¡ªbarked, hacking up a ball of spit.
¡°Thought you were dead, Ravager. You disappear in the war. Gone for nigh under two decades. And here ya are. Good as ever. Where were you?¡±
¡°Where else? In the Ash, of course,¡± Cirayus said, waving his two right hands dismissively. ¡°Training. You¡¯ve a difficult time ahead if you think I¡¯m the same as I was back then.¡±
Nor snorted. ¡°Suppose we¡¯ll see. You¡¯re fighting the champion now. Take care, Cirayus.¡±
¡°And you,¡± Cirayus replied, watching the ghael skulk off. He waved to his caravan, and they trundled away.
¡°Zarak¡¯Nor,¡± Cirayus said once their guest had left. ¡°Insufferable, as most Iksana are. Decent enough warrior, though.¡±
¡°That¡¯s pretty high praise for you to acknowledge someone.¡±
¡°Almost losing will do that,¡± Aida said. ¡°Though only because he¡¯s such a coward.¡±
¡°Aye, the Iksana do not fight like most warriors. Something thed is most familiar with, I think.¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°They use the shadows, attacking from where they can¡¯t be hit. With Dance of the Shadow Demon, it makes little sense to fight any other way.¡±
It was truly a nasty way to fight. So long as there were strong shadows¡ªand Vir suspected the tattoo helped immensely, even when there weren¡¯t¡ªIksana warriors had an immense advantage. The ability to freeze time and strike from anywhere with both prana and chakra made for an absolutely devastatingbination.
¡°They oughta stick to their caves, if you ask me,¡± Aida said. ¡°Never participate in trade or anything else, but you find them here, at thepetition. Every single time.¡±
¡°Well, what¡¯s a tournament without a bit of a challenge, eh?¡± Cirayus said jovially. ¡°Now,e. Let me show you my glorious city.¡±
The first thing Vir noticed about Camar Gadin wasn¡¯t the city itself, but rather its location. Yes, they¡¯d traveled away from the Ash Boundary, but not by nearly as much as Vir would have expected. In fact, it was likely only a few tens of miles from where the Chitran Garrisons sat.
Just enough to escape the Ashen rain, and for the ever-setting sun to assert itself. Even so, there was a fog about the city, owing to its proximity to the Boundary.
¡°Do you get many Ash Beasts here?¡± Vir asked, wondering about the safety of the walls.
¡°Well, of course,¡± Cirayus replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Why else would my n have founded their capital stronghold so close to the Ash?¡±
¡°Er¡ I mean no disrespect,¡± Vir said. ¡°But are your people not right in the head, by any chance?¡±
Cirayus bellowed inughter, prompting Aida, who rode on his shoulders, to smack him in annoyance.
¡°Building the city this close to the Ash serves three purposes,¡± he said, not even stammering when Aida¡¯s blow connected. ¡°Firstly, it makes it easy to patrol the Ash if the bulk of our poption resides this close.¡±
¡°I suppose that makes some kind of sense,¡± Vir said. ¡°Though not without cost.¡±
¡°That cost is the second reason. It reminds us of what¡¯s out there. Of the true threat.¡±
¡°The threat of Ash Beasts?¡±
¡°Nay. Comcency. Extended periods of peace make people soft. While Bairans never wish to attack their fellow demons, testing our mettle against Ash Beasts keeps our bodies healthy and our minds tempered.¡±
It was a brutal, militaristic way of life, but it was also the demon way. Vir had heard from Cirayus that far more demons were capable fighterspared to humans. It was cultures like this that fostered it. The Panav were the exception to the rule¡ªmany demons fought, or at least knew how to fight. This was especially true of the n of giants.
¡°And the third reason?¡± Vir asked.
¡°To allow us to appreciate what we have in life,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°There is no greater way to inject perspective into one¡¯s life than an ever-present danger. It is for this reason that Bairan society has less crime, less poverty, less malcontent than most any other n, excepting perhaps only the Panav.¡±
Vir supposed there was some truth to that. There was no rallying force quite as effective as a powerful enemy. Even in the Human Realm, enemies had banded together to deal with a greater threat. In their case, it was usually the Kin¡¯jal Empire, seeking to expand.
Vir couldn¡¯t fathom the mindset of a people who¡¯d willingly risk their lives for that goal, however. The Bairans were a hardy people. He braced himself for difficult fights, should he ever be paired with one. Their bloodline arts may not be asplex or as fancy as the other ns¡¯, but their tough bodies, enhancing arts, coupled with their irond minds¡ Those made for a terrifyingbination.
It was simr to fighting Ash Beasts. Except Ash Beasts that had intelligent minds and could use tactics and wield weapons.
Their group came to a stop before the ck wooden gates, which stood easily thirty paces tall, nked by walls just as high.
¡°Wee to Camar Gadin,¡± Cirayus said, flourishing his arms. ¡°Wee to my home.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 318: Camar Gadin
Chapter Ashborn 318: Camar Gadin
The city was oversized.
That shouldn¡¯t have surprised Vir¡ªhe¡¯d imagined it would be. It was, after all, built for giants. Yet there was a difference between knowing something and seeing it in person.
Vir had imagined the walls would be taller, the gates wider and sturdier.
Only, he hadn¡¯t imagined well enough. It wasn¡¯t just the major structures. Everything, from mugs to chairs to tables¡ªeverything was built for giant hands and giant physique. Even the carvings on the ornate temples wererge.
It made Vir feel out of ce in a way he never thought imaginable. It worked its way into his skin, yielding a sense of wrongness that had him instinctively tugging on his Foundation Chakra.
¡°Didn¡¯t that trouble you, growing up here?¡± Vir asked as the Cirayus, Aida and Vir walked through Camar Gadin¡¯s wide streets.
¡°Aye, more than you¡¯d know. Wasn¡¯t so bad when I was little¡ªeverything¡¯s big for a child, after all¡ªbut even to this day, giant-sized is a bit toorge for me.
¡°And regr demon-sized is too small,¡± Aida chimed in.¡°Leaving me in an awkward position, where nothing¡¯s quite right,¡± Cirayuspleted. ¡°It¡¯s fine, though. Now, I just have everything custom-made.¡±
It was an interesting problem that Vir would never have to deal with in his life, yet one that foiled Cirayus at every turn. Even so, he could rte.
¡°Reminds me of being prana scorned in the Human Realm,¡± Vir said. ¡°Even basic utilities were a chore for me.¡±
¡°Indeed, I imagine they were,¡± Cirayus replied.
White canvas tents of all sizes had been pitched throughout the city, utilizing every avable nook and cranny.
¡°Not nearly enough space in lodgings to house the spectators,d,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Even with families weing guests into their homes. Every tournament, the city transforms. They¡¯ve done it hundreds of times, and yet, it¡¯s always an undertaking.¡±
¡°You sound like you¡¯ve had some firsthand experience,¡± Vir said.
¡°We have,¡± Aida replied. ¡°He always helps with the preparations. Always drags me into it, too. Even though I never participate.¡±
¡°Aye, and that¡¯ll change one day,¡± Cirayus said confidently. ¡°Mark my words.¡±
The giantess rolled her eyes.
¡°I have to say, though,¡± Vir said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯d help.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not something a Warrior often does, I¡¯ll admit,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°And that is why I do it. Lets you learn. See things from the eyes of others. Did you know just how much of an effort feeding forty thousand people can be? Sewage, water procurement, medical aid, traffic¡ The list of considerations goes on.¡±
¡°You sound like Malik,¡± Vir replied wryly.
¡°Your logistical expert? Aye¡ªkeep him happy,d. Keep him safe. There are few people more instrumental to the sess of an army¡ªor a city¡ªthan those who manage the mundane.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll¡ keep that in mind,¡± Vir replied.
¡°Housing isn¡¯t the only concern, either,¡± Aida said, nodding her chin to an Iksana and a Bairan who stood in the middle of a street, facing each other down.
Vir didn¡¯t need to hear what they were saying to know a fight was imminent. Their bodynguage said it all.
¡°Alright, alright, break it up,¡± Cirayus said, marching directly between them.
Both red at him with anger and annoyance. Both did double takes, and when they recognized who he was, the fight in their eyes extinguished without a trace. It was reced by fear and stammering, as both tried to save face and disengage.
Cirayus watched them huff off in opposite directions, then returned to Vir and Aida.
¡°Happens every year,¡± Cirayus said, shaking his head.
Not that any further proof was required, but Vir was once again reminded of just how famous Cirayus was. He was perhaps just as much of a sensation as the Rajas themselves.
¡°See the different colored tents?¡± Cirayus asked as they walked on. The white tents had changed to a sea of purple. ¡°Each corresponds to a different n. Most ns are quite picky about their bunkmates. So much so that I¡¯d like to just shove them into one tent and force them all to get along.¡±
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Aida snorted. ¡°That¡¯d be a sight. I¡¯d bet five gold we win, though.¡±
¡°It¡¯d certainly be interesting, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Cirayus said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯d do it just to see the Chits squirm.¡±
The open hostility in Cirayus¡¯ voice surprised Vir could only hope the rest of the Bairans held as much animosity for the Chits as Cirayus and Aida.
¡°And that¡¯s another reason this dance is so hard,¡± Aida said, hefting her Thaumaturge bag. ¡°Even if we did have the space, we can never fully utilize it with all the inter-n politics and bickering. ¡°
¡°Now,e. Let me show you to my ce.¡± With a spring in his step, Cirayus let Vir through the city¡¯s many roads and walkways. Aside from the size, Vir couldn¡¯t help but notice its general state of cleanliness and upkeep¡ªiparable to Samar Patag.
Not only were the tall walls in immacte condition, despite being so close to the Ash, several guards patrolled its ramparts, with an equal number keeping watch on the city inside.
Despite the hustle and bustle of so many ns, the streets were clean, and there was a liveliness to the people that was entirely absent in Samar Patag.
I want my city to be like this one day¡ Vir thought. Vibrant and full of hope. With people who moved with a purpose.
Cirayus was right. Society thrived when given a sense of purpose. For the Bairans, it was the ever-present threat of the Ash. What would it be for the Gargans, once Vir had restored his n?
Vir mulled over these thoughts as he followed behind Cirayus, eventually arriving at a stone structure a bit smaller than the rest. Smaller, but still massive for normal demons, it stood on its own with what looked to be the remnants of a small garden.
¡°The nts always suffer when I¡¯m gone, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Cirayus said, ushering them in. ¡°Wee to my humble abode¡¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know you enjoyed gardening,¡± Virmented, barely suppressing a grin. He just couldn¡¯t picture The Ravager with a trowel and an apron, kneeling on the soil and tending to nts.
¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Aida asked, stooping through the door that was too small for her. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. He won¡¯t shut up about it in front of us. It¡¯s his favorite thing aside from fighting.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you forget cooking, Aida,¡± Cirayus said, already donning an apron.
The abode was, as Cirayus said, humble. Just a single room that¡¯d be small for someone of Cirayus¡¯ stature, with a fabric couch, a table, a few chairs, and a bed in the corner. All a bit too big for Vir, though there were two regr-sized chairs at the table.
Its wooden floors looked old, and creaked when walked upon, and though its vaulted ceiling gave the impression of space, it was a far cry from the mansion Vir had imagined.
¡°It¡¯s¡ nice?¡± Vir said, taking a seat in one of the dining chairs.
Aida chortled as she fell into the oversized one opposite him. ¡°Yeah, pretty much what they all say.¡±
¡°I had arge estate, once,¡± Cirayus said, lighting a fire in his stove as he prepared to rustle up a meal. ¡°Centuries ago. Live long enough,d, and you¡¯ll learn that material possessions serve only to shackle you. Yes, luxury isfortable, but the maintenance headache, the constant worry at the back of your mind when you¡¯re away¡ The fewer anchors you have, the more free you are.¡±
¡°The more free you are to spend decades in the Ash, sure,¡± Aida muttered.
¡°Lass¡ Don¡¯t be this way. You know well why I do what I do.¡±
¡°For the safety of the Realm. To hone your skills so you¡¯ll be strong enough for when the timees,¡± Aida said. ¡°But when is that time, Cirayus? Is it worth preparing for, even as centuries pass and your loved ones age and die?¡±
Cirayus said nothing, starting at the boiling water in his pot. Vir sensed it was not the first time they¡¯d had such a conversation.
To pursue ultimate power was indeed a lonely road, full of sacrifice. What other sacrifices had his godfather made? All for this moment. To support Vir as he restored the Garga and reunited the ns.
A lucky distraction broke the heavy mood. Vir sensed Shan¡¯s prana signature before he saw the beast nudge open the door and lope inside.
¡°Well, look who showed up!¡± Aida said, rising to her feet. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±
Shan barked at her, before walking past her legs and sitting in front of Cirayus.
¡°Count on a wolf¡¯s nose to lead it to food, eh?¡± Cirayus said, throwing the wolf a treat.
¡°He looks fine to my eyes,¡± Vir said. ¡°Now, I suppose I just need to teach him to use his tattoo before the Tournament.¡±
¡°Best of luck with that,¡± Aida said. ¡°I don¡¯t care how intelligent your mutt is. I¡¯d bet my firstborn he doesn¡¯t learn it for years. If ever.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t make that bet if I were you,¡± Vir said with a grin. ¡°This one will surprise you.¡±
¡°I s¡¯ppose we¡¯ll see, then.¡±
Cirayus¡¯ meal ended up being an enormous bowl of hot, hearty stew with bread. Simple, yet well-spiced and oh-so delicious. It was the sort of food Vir had always pined for growing up, yet only asionally had.
Comfort food that reminded him of home. He found his thoughts wandering back to Brij. To the meals he shared with Rudvik by the fire that kept them warm. Of the tales his father would tell him, of heroes and monsters and demons and champions.
The grief of Rudvik¡¯s loss had been faded, tempered by time. Though the pain would always linger, Vir could look upon those joyous, simple days with warmth and affection.
He wasn¡¯t sure why a simple stew conjured up such images, but Vir was happy for it.
¡°If you could cook this well, why¡¯d you always feed me raw fruit and vegetables in the Ash?¡± Vir asked. The cooking was genuinely good, with subtle, refined vor, and where all the ingredients were in bnce with one another.
¡°It¡¯s the Ash,d. Where are you going to get spices? And without spices, why even bother cooking? Might as well eat them raw.¡±
¡°That¡¯s ajja for you,¡± Aida said. ¡°All or nothing.¡±
¡°I wholeheartedly agree,¡± Vir said, grinning as he downed another spoonful and tore into his bread.
Time went by in a sh, with the three exchanging idle banter, and soon, the meal was polished off without a drop wasted. Even Shan devoured had his stew.
¡°Thank you,¡± Vir said softly.
¡°Cooking you a meal is the least I could do,d,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°After all we¡¯ve been through, you would thank me for this?¡±
¡°Not just that,¡± Vir said, heart pounding. It was just one simple word, and yet, he struggled. ¡°For¡ For treating me as you do. For treating me like¡ Like family, I guess.¡±
Vir blushed the moment he said those words, and he looked away.
Cirayus looked at Aida, then at Vir. ¡°Not like family,d. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re as flesh and blood as my hot-headed granddaughter here.¡±
Vir had expected Aida to bonk Cirayus, rebuking him for his words. Instead, she stared into Vir¡¯s eyes and nodded.
¡°Family.¡±
Vir¡¯s chest suddenly grew hot, and his moistened. He broke Aida¡¯s gaze and looked away.
¡°That¡¯s, er¡ Thank you. Truly.¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Aida. Before you go and make thed lose his dignity in front of us all.¡±
Both grandfather and granddaughterughed, and this time, Virughed with them.
¡°So¡ What now?¡± Vir asked once theughter died down.
¡°Now? We get you registered.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 319: Tournament Registration
Chapter Ashborn 319: Tournament Registration
There were so many giants walking around that Vir was fearful he¡¯d be trampled upon. He felt like a child in a city built for adults, which was likely how most children felt growing up in any city, and he suspected parents must have had a simr issue with young children¡ªmaybe they wouldn¡¯t be outright stepped on, but it was very easy to miss them.
This worry wasn¡¯t without merit. Several incidents he witnessed on the way to the registrar¡¯s office gave him ample reason for rm.
Bairans bumped into Iksana, Chitran, and regr demons that Vir supposed were either Ex-Gargan or Aindri. Only Panav nagas in their half-serpentine forms seemed safe. Owing to their snakelike lower bodies, they could vary their height at will, and most stood a pace or two taller than the rest, likely to prevent this exact issue.
It wasn¡¯t all bad, though. The food, and quite frankly everything else, was simrly oversized. On their way to the Colosseum, Vir and Cirayus stopped by one of the many street-side merchants hawking a variety of tasty-looking dishes. Grilled skewers and food tes were all double the portion, and while more expensive, Vir did notice that they weren¡¯t quite double the normal price.
¡°Maybe bigger isn¡¯t always worse,¡± Vir muttered as he took a bite into a chunk of deliciously fried fermented soybean cake. His only regret was that with the portions sorge, he couldn¡¯t sample nearly as much as his heart desired. That was alright, though. If he didn¡¯t fail out of the tournament, he¡¯d be spending the following weeks here, at the very least.
They made way for a Narapazu¡ªthe same beast Vir had fought in the Rani Queendom¡ªwhose stomping tremors made Vir wonder if an earthquake had urred nearby. The great beast was surrounded by a procession of a dozen Bairans, who held reins that reached up to its cor.
This one, however, wasn¡¯t deranged. It was clearly domesticated, and walked with heavy steps.
Even among giants, the Narapazu reigned supreme. Standing nearly thirty paces in height, the horned, elephant-headed, Ashva-hooved beast lumbered along, causing minor tremors with each step.
Vir had scarcely ever seen any beast asrge, even in the Ashen Realm, and he had to wonder how such a bizarre amalgamation of various beasts could ever have been nature. Was it? Or were they a product of Imperium experimentation? Vir doubted he¡¯d ever know.Everyone gave the creature a wide berth¡ªeven full-sized Bairans. In their case, the Narapazu may very well stomp on someone without noticing. They truly were thatrge.
It carried a boulder the size of a building above its head, though for what purpose, Vir couldn¡¯t say.
¡°First time seeing one?¡± Cirayus asked.
¡°In this realm.¡±
Cirayus cocked a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever encountering one in the Ash.¡±
¡°Not the Ash. The Human Realm. Trapped in an ancient Imperiumplex under Rani.¡±
¡°Incredible,¡± Cirayus muttered, taking arge spoonful of spicy curry. ¡°I¡¯d never have guessed one of their kind could have ended up there. Exceedingly long-lived, those beasts. Not too intelligent, though I¡¯d be scared shitless if they were. They¡¯d make unparalleled warriors.¡±
Vir shuddered at the thought. Their size alone made them deadly. With equallyrge weapons and the knowhow to use them, they would be absolutely terrifying.
There had been several factors influencing Vir¡¯s fight back in the Human Realm. The rtiveck of prana, the tight confines, and the Narapazu¡¯s limited intelligence had all contributed. Without those impediments, Vir had no doubt he¡¯d have perished.
The Narapazu¡¯s procession soon passed, leaving an empty street in its wake. From Narapazu to nagas to giants, Vir couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the Demon Realm¡¯s uniqueness and diversity as Vir and Cirayus traveled to their destination¡ªthe Colosseum¡¯s registrar¡¯s office.
The Human Realm, for all its bountiful prana and prosperity, now felt a bit stale to Vir, who¡¯d now experienced thisnd of perpetual sunset. despite the poverty, despite the short stick demons had received, Vir felt more at home here than he ever did in the Human Realm.
He felt proud. Of his people¡ªof what they¡¯d aplished despite all that was stacked against them. He only wished their petty inter-n politics hadn¡¯t resulted in a Realm-wide war, with his own n at the center.
Since it was just the two of them¡ªAida had opted to runst-minute chores in preparation for her departure to the Ash¡ªVir and Cirayus made good time to the Colosseum.
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Despite refraining from using movement arts within the city, but their rtively smaller frames allowed them to slip through crowds, using their extensive experience inbat to weave through crowded streets with ease.
The Aindri, especially, had a hard time of it. Some had bandies as their animalpanions, while others rode Ash¡¯va, and even other animals Vir had only seen in the wild. Vir had to thank the n, though. Without them setting a precedent, he¡¯d have had a difficult time convincing the Tournament staff to allow him to fight with Shan.
The stoic Ash Wolf had roamed off on his own, as usual. His smaller size did him wonders here, allowing him to pass off as a Prana Wolf to all who saw. Taming an Ash Wolf was considered impossible by all but Saunak, and so nobody even batted an eye.
While Vir needed him to appear for registration, the beast somehow always knew when to show up. After agonizing endlessly over his safety, Vir had finally learned not to worry about his four-legged friend. Shan was not Neel¡ªa fact Vir now epted.
The Colosseum was a sight that took Vir¡¯s breath away. That was saying something, given all that he¡¯d seen in the Ash.
It wasn¡¯t only the sheer size. The gorgeous carvings, iys, and colorful banners that draped its circr stone walls allbined to form a magnificent building that inspired awe.
Vir hadn¡¯t been able to imagine a building that could house forty thousand demons. Now, he wondered if that number might not even fill it.
The structure stood over fifty paces tall, and many hundreds in width. Even from afar, its size broke Vir¡¯s sense of scale.
Standing next to it¡ Well, he truly felt like an ant.
¡°Over here,d,¡± Cirayus said, thumbing to an entrance nearby.
On cue, Shan hopped down from a nearby rooftop and ambled up to Vir, matching his pace.
Vir followed the giant through arge corridor along with Shan, sneaking glimpses at the arena thaty inside. It was difficult to see, and soon they arrived at arge wooden door in the hall with a sign that said ¡®Combatant Registrar.¡¯
Cirayus entered and Vir followed, finding a spacious square room with a double-height ceiling inside. There were no windows, instead being lit by the amber light of magic tablet sconces on the walls.
The room was bare, except for arge table at the end, manned by a Bairan who was currently poring over an enormous tome.
Cirayus strolled up to the table and cleared his throat, prompting the demon to nce up, then back down, before jerking his head up again with his eyes wide open.
¡°Ravager!? Thought you were dead... Should¡¯ve known better that an immortal like you could ever die, I guess,¡± said the Bairan registrar at the Ravager¡¯s Den, a grin forming on his face. As with the rest of Camar Gadin, the registrar¡¯s office was simrlyrge, making Vir feel small and insecure. He¡¯d begun to think the Bairans built their structures intentionallyrge to achieve exactly this effect when other ns visited.
Regarding the name of the ce, Vir had to have Cirayus swear upon his family that it wasn¡¯t a joke. That it was indeed named in his honor, for holding the record of most wins. It wasn¡¯t even close¡ªVir suspected he¡¯d hold that title for millennia, long after he was gone.
Vir hadughed most of the way to the Colosseum after that, putting Cirayus in a sour mood.
¡°Not dead. Not immortal, either. Merely training,¡± Cirayus replied, using the excuse he¡¯d had Raja Thaman spread. Apparently, the Bairan n lord was a disciple of Cirayus¡¯ from long ago.
Vir¡¯s godfather¡¯s longevity, fame, and influence never ceased to amaze him.
¡°Training. You?¡± The registrar snorted. ¡°Adinat help us if you¡¯re still training. Poor fighters don¡¯t have a chance.¡±
¡°Well, you never know,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°Maybe this time will be different.¡±
The registrar just stared at Cirayus.
¡°What?¡± Cirayus said. ¡°You never truly know¡¡±
The Bairan shook his head. ¡°Ravager, I¡¯d bet my firstborn that you¡¯ll win.¡±
Cirayus scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Well, er, that¡¯s ttering, but I¡¯d honestly rather you didn¡¯t. Too much pressure, y¡¯know?¡±
Sighing, the registrar finally opened therge leather-bound tome that sat on his desk. ¡°Registering, then? You¡¯re a bitte, but well, it¡¯s you. Exceptions can be made, considering it¡¯s you.¡±
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be registering. And I¡¯m registering this whelp as well.¡±
The Bairan¡ªwhose body was not onlyrger than Cirayus¡¯, but whose arms, chest, and legs all ripped with muscles, was not impressed.
¡°What, this whelp? Don¡¯t even see any tattoos on him. You sure you want to apply, kid?¡± The registrar swept his gaze across Shan, lingering only briefly before returning to Vir.
¡°I do,¡± Vir said, matching the demon¡¯s gaze. Size wasn¡¯t everything. Tattoos were, and so he¡¯d had Aida inscribe some fake movement art tattoos on his arms and legs. More of a semi-permanent paint than a real tattoo, they¡¯d at least fool anyone who got a glimpse of his limbs.
While Vir intended to hide as much of himself as possible during the matches,bat could very well result in torn clothes. He wasn¡¯t about to take any chances.
¡°Well, I suppose we can add you as ast-minute entrant, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t waive the exam. Not for him.¡±
¡°Oh, I won¡¯t be fighting alone,¡± Vir said, cing a hand on Shan¡¯s back. ¡°This wolf will be as well.¡±
¡°He¡¯s Aindri?¡± the registrar asked Cirayus.
¡°He can speak for himself,¡± Vir said. ¡°And no, I am not. I didn¡¯t realize being of n Aindri was a requirement for fighting in the tournament.¡±
¡°I meant no offense,¡± the Bairan said tiredly. ¡°Just¡ If you¡¯re not Aindri, I think it¡¯d be best if you fought alone. Tournament¡¯s no ce for an animal. Not even prana wolves. Trust me, leave your friend behind if you do not wish to see him injured. Even the Aindri lose their pets here.¡±
Vir stifled a sigh. This wasn¡¯t a situation that could be resolved by shows of force or bursts of Ash prana.
¡°What will it take to convince you?¡± he asked.
¡°Oh, no convincing needed. Just making sure you know what you¡¯re getting into.¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°I do. Now, about this exam. I assume it¡¯sbat-rted?¡±
¡°It is,¡± the Bairan replied. ¡°Can¡¯t just let anyone into the Tournament, after all. Even with the preliminaries, we get far too many applicants. Now, Cirayus has vouched for you, so you get to skip the formalities and the panel review. But you¡¯ll have to participate in a duel. And we¡¯ll need both of you to fight, to gauge your abilities. If your wolf can¡¯t pull its weight¡¡±
¡°No need to worry,¡± Vir said, scratching Shan¡¯s neck. He only barely kept the grin off his face. ¡°I think we¡¯ll do just fine.¡±
¡°d to hear it. Now, let¡¯s have a name, n, and Guardian Rank.¡±
¡°No official rank. And the name is Vaak. Of the Ash.¡±
The registrar¡¯s pen froze, and this time, Vir did smile.
Chapter Ashborn 320: Qualification Duel (One)
Chapter Ashborn 320: Qualification Duel (One)
Vir followed the Bairan registrar down the halls of the Colosseum, along with Cirayus and Shan.
¡°Do you have any idea how hard it is finding a proctor right now? Everyone¡¯s up to their ears in preparation.¡±
¡°Looks like everything ising along,¡± Cirayusmented as a group of Bairans jogged by, carrying boxes and furled gs.
¡°Yes, well. Turnout is especially high this year, now that word¡¯s gotten out that you¡¯re back.¡±
Cirayus chuckled. ¡°I imagined that would be the case.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Vir asked. ¡°I¡¯d have thought warriors would drop out when they heard you¡¯d be returning. I imagine their chances of winning are far lower now.¡±
Vir didn¡¯t say ¡®nonexistent¡¯, though he was certainly thinking it.
¡°You¡¯ve a long way to go if you still think that way,d,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°They¡¯re joining precisely for the chance to fight me.¡±¡°But the chances of that¡¡±
¡°Aye. Unless they end up in my bracket, they won¡¯t have a chance at all. And yet, the thirst to test one¡¯s mettle against someone like me¡ Well, it runs strong in the blood of every demon, I¡¯d imagine.¡±
Not every demon, Vir thought, picturing Malik and Gunin. Those two were more than content to remain on the back lines. And yet, even they burned with ambition. Just of a different sort. Vir wondered if demons were simply more ambitious than humans on average. Or whether their difficult circumstances forced such an attitude upon them.
Their group finally entered the Colosseum proper, and once again, Vir¡¯s breath was taken away.
Wooden grandstand benches rose off into the sky on all sides, surrounding the enormous arena. All around, workers milled, preparing the space for the tournament, and in the arena, a few fights were taking ce.
Vir had imagined the central fighting pit to be onerge space. Instead, however, a dozen elevated circr stages had been erected. They stood a pace or two off the sandy dirt floor and were clearly where the fights were to take ce.
Most of the stages were of moderate size, though the one at the center was easily three times the diameter of those that ringed it.
¡°Do multiple battles ur at the same time?¡± Vir asked, puzzled at this arrangement. Only sixteenbatants made it to the first round, and the fighting was supposed tost days. There simply weren¡¯t enough fights to require so many stages.
¡°Only one ranked tournament fight urs at once,d,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°The others are for practice spars amongst those who failed to make the cut, challenges, and show battles between those who¡¯ve lost. Demons from all over the realme here, hoping to fight.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ Wow.¡± Vir pictured the chaos of a dozen fights happening at the same time. ¡°That must be quite the spectacle.¡±
¡°That it is,d,¡± Cirayus said with a chuckle. ¡°Excellent betting, too.¡±
Vir shook his head. ¡°I should¡¯ve figured there¡¯d be coin involved.¡±
¡°Well, of course! So many opportunities to win!¡±
¡°And lose,¡± the registrar said pointedly. ¡°I swear, the amount of money we bring in from betting fees each tournament¡ I¡¯m notining, mind you.¡±
¡°These bets are officially sanctioned?¡± Vir asked, surprised such betting was not only tolerated, but encouraged.
¡°Oh, most definitely. Fuels the economy, pays for the city¡¯s upkeep, and so much more. I have never understood how so many demons have so much coin to lose.¡±
Cirayus grunted. ¡°They don¡¯t. Most of those sods are pissin¡¯ away their savings. But, well. If not here, they¡¯ll find a way of spending them somewhere.¡±
Vir was thankful for Rudvik¡¯s upbringing. Even if they¡¯d had money to burn, his father would never have allowed it. Vir couldn¡¯t imagine taking the coppers Rudvik had so painstakingly saved, only to turn around and burn it on some stupid bet.
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¡°Alright, you¡¯ll be on stage six,¡± the registrar said after they¡¯d approached the arena floor. ¡°Wait there until I can find someone to proctor this duel.¡±
Vir had brought his Artifact Chakram and his katar, along with his armor, which Cirayus had gotten mended while Vir was away pretending to be a prisoner. Other than the cosmetic scratches, the ck segmented armor, which had been ravaged from his time in the Ash, looked nearly as good as new. And exotic.
Exotic was fine¡ªVir was fashioning himself a Warrior of the Ash, after all. It helped sell his Artifact Chakram, though he didn¡¯t n to use it here. There were far too many eyes in the stands, and when bets were involved, spies would be as well. Vir didn¡¯t doubt there were warriors who¡¯d pay good money to get every morsel of information on theirpetition.
Vir might¡¯ve done the same, had he the money and connections. He didn¡¯t need those sorts of connections, however. Not when he had Cirayus. The giant knew all thebatants worth knowing. The ones he didn¡¯t know were neers, and likely no threat.
At least, not for Cirayus. Vir wasn¡¯t quite as confident about his own prospects.
¡°What kind of test do you think it¡¯ll be?¡± Vir asked.
Cirayus shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s no standard for this sort of thing. They mainly want to check whether you¡¯ll bepetitive. As he said, there¡¯s normally a much more involved screening process, given the number of applicants. But my rmendation gets you past all that. You¡¯ll do fine.¡±
¡°Right.¡±
The minutes dragged on, so Vir sat cross-legged next to the stage and took the time to meditate. Entering his mindscape, he explored his newly expanded forest. There was far more life now, and the brook that ran through the middle of the meadow added another element of peace and tranquility to the space.
Under Shardul¡¯s tutge, he¡¯d already started working on the Shield Chakra, which he fully expected to struggle with. Unfortunately, there seemed little chance of opening it in time for the tournament.
Rather, it¡¯d be better to spend his time training Shan, in hopes of getting the beast to learn his tattoo. In fact, that was his very next task after the registration exam.
A half hourter, the registrar returned alongside a young ck-haired woman who frowned and tapped her arm, looking somewhat irritable.
¡°I told you, I really don¡¯t have the time to¡ª¡± The woman froze in her tracks the moment she spotted Cirayus.
¡°Ravager!?¡± She whirled to the registrar. ¡°This is who you were talking about?¡±
She was a red demon who wore tight-fitting leather pants and a half top, revealing her tattoo¡¯d arms. The gleaming silver tattoos marked her as Panav, which Vir found interesting. Was she a naga?
The demon wore bangs that covered her forehead, and her long hair was loose. Her attire and mannerisms told Vir that she was not someone to be trifled with¡ªregardless of her n.
¡°It¡¯s¡ It¡¯s an honor, sir,¡± the woman said, bowing her head to Cirayus. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so many stories¡¡±
¡°Well met. And you are?¡± Cirayus asked.
¡°Sorry! Tara. Tara of the Panav. I believe you¡¯re acquainted with my grandmother, Kira?¡±
¡°Oho?¡± Cirayus stroked his beard and regarded the young woman inquisitively. ¡°So you¡¯re her granddaughter, are you?¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Cirayus, did you¡ª¡±
¡°She¡¯s a good friend,d. A very dear friend,¡± Cirayus said, cutting him off. Cir suspected just what ¡®good friend¡¯ really meant, but he didn¡¯t press the issue. Vir wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know.
¡°I¡¯d heard you¡¯d bepeting, but I didn¡¯t expect to run into you like this,¡± Tara said. ¡°Ajji talks about you all the time. So? Who¡¯s the whelp you want me to proctor?¡±
Vir took ¡®ajji¡¯ to be her grandmother, the same way Aida called Cirayus ¡®ajja¡¯.
¡°Only bad things, I¡¯m sure,¡± Cirayus said with a wryugh. ¡°This one right here,ss.¡±
Tara moved her red eyes to Vir, who felt like he was being stared at by an Ash Beast¡ªsuch was the ferocity in those eyes.
She looked him up and down. ¡°Hmm? This one? Alright, I suppose. Up onto the tform. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±
¡°Er, what are the rules?¡± Vir asked.
¡°No weapons. No chakra. Hand-to-handbat only. I¡¯m taking part in the Tournament too. I¡¯d rather not give a potential opponent any more information about my abilities than I have to, and I¡¯m sure the same goes for you.¡±
¡°I understand,¡± Vir said. ¡°I intend to fight with my wolf friend, here. Will he be tested as well?¡±
Tara shrugged. ¡°Depends on how you do. This is more of a formality, anyway. The Ravager¡¯s never once rmended anyone who didn¡¯t make the cut. You must be some hot stuff,¡± she said, licking her lips.
Whether it was Vir¡¯s imagination, or a naga habit, Vir found the gesture incredibly intimidating.
¡°I see¡¡± Vir replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take my armor off, then.¡±
¡°Good call,¡± Tara replied, jumping up onto the stage with ease.
Vir took a minute to remove his brigandine cuirass and left his chakram and katar in Cirayus¡¯ care before hopping onto the stage himself.
He took a moment to appraise his opponent. Tara was extremely toned and well-muscled, though they were the subtle muscles honed throughbat, rather than anything for show.
Not to mention her tattoos. She wouldn¡¯t be using them in this bout, but Vir took notice, in case he faced her in the actual Tournament. While Vir had familiarized himself with the Unaffiliated Tattoos, he still hadn¡¯t memorized the bloodline ones. There were so many, after all.
That said, based on the number of silver tattoos alone, Vir concluded Tara possessed all three Panav Regr Bloodline Arts ¡ª Yuma¡¯s Touch, which slowly healed wounds, Purge, which removed toxins from the body, and Corruption. The same ability Bgra possessed.
That wasn¡¯t all, however. Snaking from her neck to each arm, and Vir suspected¡ªeach leg as well¡ªwas another silver tattoo.
Vir had never seen it before, but its size alone told him all he needed to know.
¡°You have Yuma¡¯s Embrace?¡± he asked, caught off-guard.
It was one of the two Panav Ultimate Bloodline Arts¡ªanalogous to Bncer of Scales.
Tara grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be relying on my arts for this fight.¡±
It was a good thing, too. Yuma¡¯s Embrace was like Yuma¡¯s Touch, just far stronger. It automatically healed any and all physical wounds¡ªand once the wielder had mastered the art, the healing was rapid. Sometimes near-instantaneous.
Its only weakness, like all the other Ultimate Arts, was its prana consumption.
¡°Good to know,¡± Vir replied. Whoever Tara was, she was clearly an important figure in Panav society for her to have been given such a tattoo.
¡°Well?¡± she asked. ¡°You ready to fight? Or would you like to dawdle some more?¡±
Vir grinned despite himself. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 321: Qualification Duel (Two)
Chapter Ashborn 321: Qualification Duel (Two)
Vir faced off against Tara at a distance of ten paces. They were both unarmed and unarmored.
¡°Alright, so the rules are pretty simple,¡± Tara said, cracking her neck. ¡°First to yield, be pushed out of the ring or knocked out, loses. No Chakras. No tattoos allowed. This is pure, basic, physicalbat. Anything goes, so long as it¡¯s not lethal. Any questions?¡±
Vir shook his head. ¡°None.¡±
There was just one tattoo he needed to keep active, whether Tara minded or not. His concealment art had to be active at all times, given the number of Iksana in the area.
Luckily, Taracked Sight, which meant she wouldn¡¯t notice the tattoo. Which meant she wouldn¡¯t notice even if he activated Prana Current and used his movement arts, but Vir immediately dismissed that idea.
Not only was it cheating, but it ultimately failed to benefit him. If he couldn¡¯t defeat Tara without the use of his pranic abilities, Vir doubted he had much hope of defeating the others in the tournament. Let alone Cirayus.
If his skills and his prana-saturated body didn¡¯t give him enough of an advantage, he¡¯d be better off leaving and returning for the next tournament.¡°Begin!¡± the Bairan registrar shouted from the sidelines.
Tara crouched and exploded towards Vir, running as fast as she could. With her speed, there was little she could do other than barrel right into him.
Despite this knowledge, and despite prana arts being barred, he refused to underestimate his opponent.
Vir jumped well out of the way of the charging demon.
A good thing, too. Tara pivoted and spun into the air, sending a flying, spinning kick that came so close to Vir¡¯s face that the wind ruffled his hair.
Fast and agile, Vir noted, stepping in.
Large, shy attacks such as these could be devastating, but left thebatant exposed and vulnerable if they missed.
Vir struck the moment Tara¡¯s feet touched the stage¡ Only to have his punch connect with nothing but air.
Instead of stopping her momentum, Tara had allowed herself to fall, seamlessly transitioning into a roll that took her safely out of Vir¡¯s reach.
She popped up and started bouncing on the balls of her feet. A toothy grin was stered on her face.
¡°Not bad,¡± she said. ¡°This might actually make for a good practice bout.¡±
¡°Right back at you,¡± Vir replied. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve fought anyone as agile as you.¡±
¡°Surprised you¡¯ve fought anyone as fast as me. That¡¯s kind of my thing, you know? Who is this person? I want to fight them.¡±
Vir grinned, thinking of Tia. ¡°Believe me, you¡¯re realms apart from¡ª!?¡±
Tara bolted from her position while Vir had been mid-sentence.
Smart.
She¡¯d kept him talking, all to stage her next move, interrupting him mid-speech to throw him off. This naga was crafty.
Against a lesser opponent, it might actually have worked. Against someone like Vir, though, it did her little good.
This time, she dove into a roll before lunging upwards at Vir, hoping to smash his chin.
It was Tara¡¯s turn to hit air.
Expecting such a tactic, Vir had dropped low, driving a punch into her abdomen as she fired her uppercut¡ªwhich missed.
While Vir¡¯s full power was restricted without Prana Current and Empower, his physical muscles had been toned and built throughbat in the Ash. They were also gorged with prana.
Vir did not strike lightly.
It was a testament that Tara didn¡¯t double over coughing. Instead, Vir¡¯s fist felt like it had connected with steel. Seeing the iing attack, Tara wrenched her body, dissipating some of the energy as she fell into a somersault that took her a safe distance away.
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Vir¡¯s attack hadn¡¯t all been for naught, though. The naga clutched her sides when she stood back up.
¡°Nice punch,¡± she said, though her face betrayed none of the pain she must¡¯ve felt. ¡°Now, how about we get this on for real?¡±
Vir lunged mid-sentence. If Tara could use that tactic, so could he. Rather than charging into her with speed, Vir let loose a low kick.
Tara moved back to avoid it, but it was only a distraction. Vir mmed her with a series of punches. He rained jabs, hooks, and uppercuts upon her, forcing her to guard with her arms.
Her guard protected her upper body, but it also left her blind to his next moves. Vir mmed a brutal kick into her stomach.
This time, Tara did double over. Instead of allowing her to recover, Vir circled around to her back, wrapped his arm around her neck and fell onto his back, bringing her down with him.
His legs curled around her waist, and he hung from her like a monkey.
It was a powerful grappling move, and gave him a position from which he could attack, but couldn¡¯t be attacked by her.
It¡¯d been awhile since Vir had to exercise his Kri arts, but the months of training in Riyan¡¯s dome with Maiya came back to him in an instant, and he tightened his grip, locking Tara into ce. She struggled helplessly, arms iling, trying to grab onto Vir, who straddled her from behind.
She failed. While ground fighting had many limitations¡ªbeing useless in anything other than a one-on-one duel was one¡ªfew knew how to grapple effectively.
Vir tightened the pressure around Tara¡¯s neck, choking her. A few more seconds, and she¡¯d either be forced to yield, or she¡¯d fall unconscious.
Either way, it was Vir¡¯s win.
Or so he thought.
Tara¡¯s body writhed under Vir¡¯s grip, and he felt his grip cken. Not through any fault of his own, but because Tara¡¯s body was changing.
Shifting.
¡°Grak it!¡± Vir cursed as the naga¡¯s body grew and grew, shifting to her serpentine form. Tara¡¯s face disappeared, turning reptilian. She swung her serpentine head around and grinned, flicking out her forked snake tongue.
¡°How is that allowed?¡± Vir cried, hurriedly distancing himself from the ever-growing snake.
He wasn¡¯t fast enough.
Tara¡¯s tail snapped up, circling around Vir¡¯s legs, causing him to trip.
Unable to roll to dissipate the impact, Vir hit the ground hard. Had his body not been strengthened by prana, he¡¯d most certainly have broken some bones. Even without broken bones, though, it still hurt.
Vir attempted to wriggle free, but it was useless. Tara¡¯s serpentine torso wrapped around Vir¡¯s body, tightening. Constricting. With awesome force, it crushed¡
But if Tara was hoping to force Vir¡¯s body to break quickly, she was sorely mistaken. Calmly, Vir gripped the serpent¡¯s neck and started applying pressure of his own.
Tara began to suffocate, while Vir¡¯s body was being subject to more and more force by the moment.
This was now a battle of attrition. Vir had no way out. Not without suffocating Tara. Tara wasn¡¯t about to let go of her stranglehold until Vir was knocked out.
Both had wild, vicious smiles stered on their faces as they fought.
The seconds ticked by. Vir felt his body reach its limit. He might¡¯ve been strong, but a snake¡¯s constricting force was simply too great to bear.
His leg snapped. Pain ripped through his body. But Vir didn¡¯t relent.
Tara¡¯s motions grew increasingly desperate as the air was blocked from her lungs. Her tail began to writhe desperately, and her neck convulsed.
Another bone broke in Vir¡¯s body. This time a rib. Then another. And another.
Yet this level of pain was nothing to Vir. He¡¯d endured far, far worse.
¡°How?¡± Tara hissed. ¡°How are you sssoo ssssstrong?¡±
¡°The Ash will do that to you,¡± Vir grunted. ¡°Makes you strong. You should try it sometime.¡±
His opponent, unable to endure any longer, finally relented.
¡°I¡ yield,¡± Tara hissed.
Vir instantly let go of her neck, and the constriction force that had pinned him in ce came undone as they both flopped to the ground.
Virnded on his broken ribs, and the pain nearly blinded him. It had been so long since he¡¯d sustained such injuries. He almost missed it. Almost.
¡°Well fought!¡± the registrar said, pping with both pairs of arms. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Cirayus was hooting from the side, and even Shan was howling.
Vir wasn¡¯t surprised in the least to see Tara back up on her feet. He hadn¡¯t really injured her, and Yuma¡¯s Embrace would negate any injury she¡¯d taken nearly instantly.
It was, in all honestly, an utterly unfair power. If Ultimates hadn¡¯t been banned in this tournament, Vir would give her excellent odds of winning. Iksana¡¯s rity might allow them to see into the immediate future, but that did little good without a means to take Tara down instantly.
And with that ability, Vir doubted she could even fall unconscious.
¡°Wow,¡± Tara said, walking up to the prone Vir. ¡°Now that was a fight! I don¡¯t even feel like I wasted my afternoon anymore!¡±
¡°Gee, thanks,¡± Vir said, gingerly sitting up.
Before he could react, Tara pped her hands on Vir¡¯s ribs and leg and activated Yuma¡¯s Touch. Vir felt the healing prana enter his body, mending his bones.
¡°You should be in top form by tomorrow, when the tournament begins,¡± Tara assured him. ¡°I admit I got a little excited there. Went a bit overboard.¡±
¡°As you always do,¡± an elderly woman¡¯s voice called out from the distance. ¡°I swear, when will you ever learn?¡±
Tara¡ªthe ferocious warrior woman who¡¯d fought on par with Vir¡ªcringed upon hearing that voice.
Who is that woman? Vir thought, turning to its owner. If she could cow Tara¡
She was an ordinary red demon wearing an unadorned gray robe, and she was apanied by a great monster of a giant that made her look like a child. Even among Bairans, this red demon¡¯s physique seemedrge to Vir.
He was unarmed, and his upper body was bare, revealing the deep blue tattoos that covered his arms, chest, and back.
This was one tattoo Vir was quite familiar with.
Bncer of Scales.
¡°Hello, ajji. Guess you saw that?¡± Tara asked sheepishly.
Ajji?
¡°That I did, young woman.¡± The gray-eyed red demon turned her gaze to Vir, and for a moment, he felt Greesha¡¯s hawk-like eyes upon him.
Except multiplied tenfold. The sheer pressure from this woman¡¯s presence was unlike anything the old seer had ever mustered.
¡°Well fought, Vaak,¡± the woman said. ¡°I look forward to your performance in the Tournament.¡±
¡°Oh, you won¡¯t want to take your eyes off him,¡± Cirayus said, hopping up onto the stage with the grace of a cat. ¡°That, I assure you. Lad, allow me to introduce you to some old acquaintances of mine. Thaman and Kira. They¡¯re both young upstarts, but these days, they call themselves the Raja of Baira and the Rajni of Panav.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 322: The Fighter’s Banquet (One)
Chapter Ashborn 322: The Fighter¡¯s Banquet (One)
Vir¡¯s meeting with the nlords hadn¡¯tsted long. After congratting him and exchanging pleasantries, the two departed, citing that they were eager to converse more at the functionter that day.
Cirayus had told him on the way back home that they wanted to be the first to see him. It seemed both the Panav and Bairan chiefs knew of Vir¡¯s true identity¡ªbeing allies of sorts to Cirayus.
Even so, they had refused to simply hand over their Ultimate Bloodline Tattoos to Vir. Doing so would be seen as a deration of allegiance to the Akh Nara, and would thus be seen as enemies to the Chitran when Vir eventually announced his existence to the world.
It was bing clear to Vir that nobody especially liked the Chits¡ªparticrly after how they had treated the Gargans. What was initially a war to redraw fairer borders became a regime of total subjugation, as the Chitrans took out centuries of pent-up bitterness against the imprisoned Gargans.
Even so, not one nation dared upset the status quo. Nobody wanted another realm-wide war. Not so soon after thest one.
To gain their approval and aid, Vir would have to prove that the Akh Nara was someone they can trust. Someone who would usher in a new, more prosperous and fairer era for demonkind.
Given the long and colorful history of Vir¡¯s predecessors, he couldn¡¯t me them. In the past, Akh Nara had brought destruction as often as they had helped.
Vir spent the next hours back at Cirayus¡¯ home, resting. While it was true that neither needed as much sleep as most, the constant travel of the past few days had left them exhausted.And Vir didn¡¯t want to be exhausted for the function the nlords had mentioned.
The Fighters¡¯ banquet. It was an opportunity for Baira to celebrate the tournamentbatants and for the fighters to meet each other and show their camaraderie.
That was the official exnation, at least. Vir suspected the real reason had more to do with allowing thebatants to size each other up. Maybe even hurl some taunts and throw down challenges. This was a spectacle, after all. There was even money involved, so it'' made for good drama.
¡°Do we really have to go?¡± Vir groaned, lying atop Cirayus¡¯ bed.
¡°You really should,d,¡± the giant replied from the nearby kitchen. He was cooking up another meal, and the rich, savory smells permeating the room made Vir¡¯s mouth water.
¡°Best to see who you¡¯ll be up against. And with your Prana Vision, you have more of an advantage than most. Even hidden, you¡¯ll be able to see their tattoos and learn of their affinities. You stand to learn far more from them than they can learn from you. Besides, who knows? You might even have a little fun!¡±
¡°Fat chance of that.¡± Vir recalled thest time he¡¯d attended such a banquet. While the experience itself had been nice¡ªthe dazzling array of delicious food stood out¡ªthe memory was tainted by the series of events that unfolded after, leading to his fallout with Spear¡¯s Edge.
It was a silly superstition, but Vir hoped this time wouldn¡¯t lead to a simr oue. He couldn¡¯t afford it to.
Hourster, Vir was dressed and ready. His hair had been styled and gelled, and his clothes were different from any he¡¯d worn in the past. He wore ck silk pants matched to a simrly colored buttoned silk jacket with intricate gold embroidery that ran all throughout the chest and sleeves.
He¡¯d ditched his boots for fancy ck silk slippers that curled up at the toes.
¡°This feels ridiculous,¡± Vir said, inspecting himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you had to rush and get me clothes. They¡¯re all Warriors. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if most show up in their armor.¡±
¡°They will most certainly not be wearing their armor,¡± Cirayus chided. As much as Vir had changed, he didn¡¯t hold a candle to the Ravager.
Vir had grown so ustomed to seeing Cirayus shirtless that the sight of him in clothes instilled a deep wrongness within him. As if the world were ending, or some great cataclysm was about to befall them.
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Cirayus wore an outfit simr to Vir¡¯s own, though his was off-white, and had far more gold on it. It was cut and tailored for his four arms, and fit him perfectly.
His beard had beenbed and slicked, and Vir had to admit, the giant cut quite the impressive figure. Refined, elegant, and majestic.
The giant grinned back at him. ¡°A little bit of effort over a long time pays handsomely,d. You¡¯ll get here in a century or two. Mark my words.¡±
Vir smiled at that. Until a few years ago, a half-century seemed like a lengthy lifespan. A century was a distant dream.
To think he would now live for several hundred years¡ Vir could hardly even fathom what that would be like. Where would he be? What would he do in all that time?
¡°Don¡¯t you ever get bored?¡± he asked. ¡°Living so long, I mean.¡±
Cirayus paused his cooking to look at Vir. ¡°Aye, there are some who be tired with life. Jaded and depressed.¡±
¡°What do they do?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Some find new purpose. Look hard enough, and you¡¯ll find purpose lurking behind every corner,d. Under every stone. There¡¯s far too much in this world to experience, even with a thousand years of time. Just that most of us are too blind to notice it.¡±
¡°And the others?¡±
The demon sighed. ¡°Some can¡¯t handle it. Weak of mind and spirit as they are, they see only two choices. Persist in a world that, to them, never changes, and where nothing is new. They live on as empty husks, lifeless and without purpose.¡±
Vir thought immediately of Bgra, and how aimless he¡¯d seemed when they had first met. No longer, however. The naga seemed to have rekindled that purpose.
¡°The others end it, seeking to return to the great cycle. Usually by walking off into the Ash, never to be seen again.¡±
¡°I¡ see,¡± Vir said. It was alien to him. He couldn¡¯t even fathom bing such a person.
¡°I see it in your eyes,d. And you are correct. You aren¡¯t just any demon. You are the Akh Nara. A realm-hopping Akh Nara, no less. Between the three realms and your duties to the Garga and demonkind, I scarcely think you¡¯ll have any opportunity to feel such boredom.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Though it would be nice to rx a bit for once. Maybe when the Garga have been restored. Maybe with Maiya¡¡±
Cirayus beamed. ¡°Nice thing about being long-lived. You can easily take a year or two to yourself if need be. Even a decade.¡±
¡°That¡ would be nice,¡± Vir said.
¡°Now,e. Let us depart. We have a banquet to attend to, after all.¡±
¡°What about your cooking?¡± Vir asked, somewhat let down.
¡°This? This is for Aida and her journey. But, well. I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt if I gave you a bowl.¡±
Vir licked his lips. Despite the delicious food awaiting them at the banquet, Vir would choose Cirayus¡¯ cooking any day. Especially when the political games required of him would inevitably rob him of his appetite.
Besides, the food was just one part of it. How many times would he get to share a meal with Cirayus like this in the future? After the Tournament, win or lose, it was back to the Ash with him. Back to being a rebel.
With his future so uncertain, Vir resolved to cherish every moment he had.
Rising from the bed, he took his ce at the table and awaited his meal.
When it came to Bairan architecture, one could reliably count on them overbuilding everything. The ballroom was no exception. Not only was the stone structure far taller and wider than the alreadyrge ballroom Vir had visited in Avi, it was also far more ornate.
Though not through gaudy gold and flowery architecture, but due to the thousands upon thousands of carving built into the structure. Each portrayed some scene from Baira¡¯s long and storied history, and there they went on forever, ringing the building.
Vir could spend a decade studying them all and still not finish.
¡°Well,d,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to apany you, it¡¯d be best if we were not seen together more than we have to be. I shall go in first. You follow after some minutes. That way, all the eyes will be on me.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Given the giant¡¯s legendary reputation, Vir didn¡¯t think for an instant that he was exaggerating. Cirayus was just stating facts. He would be the center of attraction there.
Vir waited as Cirayus distanced himself, smoothed out his attire, and strode up to the ballroom. He was joined by a female Bairanrger than him, whom Vir didn¡¯t recognize.
Count on Cirayus to have friends waiting on him wherever he goes.
Vir suspected he might end up in a simr situation soon enough once his identity was revealed to the world. Fame had its downsides, though it certainly had its fair share of perks, too. At least there was something to look forward to.
To be safe, Vir stood outside for several minutes on the steps of the ballroom, watching as other parties in Ash¡¯va drawn carriages alighted and entered Cirayus had been correct. Not one arrived in armor.
Vir noticed something else, too.
Not one arrived alone.
Everybatant had brought a second¡ªgenerally of the opposite sex. Their partner for the evening.
And I¡¯m going to be the only one attending alone¡ Vir thought, gnashing his teeth. Would it have killed Cirayus to set him up with someone?
Arriving alone would appear incredibly inconspicuous. It went against his desire to remain mostly unnoticed.
Vir relented and started plodding up the stone steps when a voice called out to him from behind.
¡°Wow, rude.¡±
Vir turned to find a beautiful ck-haired demoness alighting from her Ash¡¯va-drawn carriage with the help of her driver. She wore in an equally beautiful ck and purple backless gown that contrasted well with her red skin.
¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Vir asked as Tara walked delicately up to him. Her mannerisms were entirely unlike the vicious warrior he¡¯d faced just hours prior.
¡°Attending the ball without your partner. I expected better of you,¡± she said yfully.
Vir raised a brow. ¡°My partner? I wasn¡¯t aware I¡¯d have one tonight.¡±
Tara¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The Ravager never told you?¡±
¡°Told me what?¡±
¡°He asked me to be your second tonight.¡± Tara extended her white gloved hand. ¡°So do be a gentleman and escort me?¡±
Vir let out a breath. ¡°That old fossil,¡± he muttered.
¡°Excuse me?¡±
Vir gave her his most winning smile and offered his arm. ¡°I said it¡¯d be my pleasure.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 323: The Fighters Banquet (Two)
Chapter Ashborn 323: The Fighters Banquet (Two)
As Vir stepped into the ballroom, he thanked the gods for his prior experience escorting Tia in Avi. It hadn¡¯t been much, but it was enough to make himself not look like a total fool.
Even, slow strides, to allow Tara¡ªwearing high heels¡ªto maintain her rhythm in those precarious shoes.
The situation was worsened, because unlike himself, Tara looked absolutely at home in this setting. He could scarcely believe it, considering she¡¯d been crushing his bones earlier in the day. Right now, she looked like an ordinary, delicate girl¡ªthough one who still exuded an aura of confidence.
¡°Announcing the arrival of Vaak¡ªof the Ash, and Tara, of Panav,¡± the greeter called out.
A few heads turned at Tara¡¯s mention, but their entrance mostly went ignored. Vir guided Tara into therge hall, his eyes taking in the spectacle.
In the center was arge open space where a few couples were dancing, but the night was still early, and it was mostly empty. Instead, most of the demons gathered around tall tables, mingling andughing.
Unsurprisingly, arge group had formed around Cirayus, and unlike nearly all the other guests, Cirayus paid such things as decorum no mind. Vir could hear the giant¡¯s roars ofughter even from here. He decided to steer well clear of that throng.
All along the left wall was a vast assortment of dishes, and many were helping themselves to appetizers.¡°What do you say we circle?¡± Tara suggested. ¡°You¡¯re new, so I¡¯ll point out everyone you should know.¡±
¡°I¡¯d¡ appreciate that,¡± Vir said, surprised at her graciousness.
¡°What? I¡¯m not going to strangle you, you know?¡± Tara said with a snicker. ¡°I may be a badass warrior, but I¡¯m also a girl. I know how to act the part.¡±
Vir wondered why Tara would have to ¡®act¡¯ if she genuinely was as effeminate as she imed, but wisely chose to keep that thought to himself. She certainly looked the part.
Her backless dress showed off her intricate silver Panav tattoos for all the world to see¡ªamon theme among the other demons. While the males wore clothing simr to Vir¡¯s, the women did all they could to show off their skin, and thus their power.
Vir felt that was a bit foolish. Announcing their abilities like that only benefited their opponents. Then again, most of thebatants had fought before, and all of their abilities would already be known. Vir also supposed this was an opportunity for them to forge connections and show their status. Tattoos here were a bit like clothing and jewelry in the Human Realm. Those existed here as well, of course, though they took second ce to the disy of physical power.
Tara applied some pressure to Vir¡¯s arm, guiding him to a group of chatting Bairans. ¡°You¡¯ve already met Thaman, the Raja of Baira,¡± Tara said, gesturing with her chin to the giant who stood a full head and a half higher than his peers.
¡°But the one next to him¡ªthe clean-shaven red four?¡±
Red four? Though he hadn¡¯t heard that shorthand before, it was clear she was talking about the four-armed red demon beside Thaman. It was a nice naming system, though one Vir hadn¡¯t heard in Chitrannds. Was it a Panav thing? Or Bairan?
¡°That¡¯s Roshan,¡± Tara continued. ¡°His son. He¡¯s never won thepetition, but he was hoping to prove his mettle this year. That was, until the Ravager showed up. He doesn¡¯t have a chance against Cirayus, but he¡¯s one to look out for. He has surprisingly good mastery of the Bairan regr bloodline tattoos, despite his young age, and his gigantic poleaxe makes it hard to attack him. Don¡¯t underestimate him.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Vir said. ¡°That¡¯s genuinely useful. You say he¡¯s young. Younger than you?¡± Vir ventured.
His question had been driven both out of curiosity and a desire to gain a leg up on the battlefield. Older demons had morebat experience, better Bloodline Art mastery, and had opened more Chakras. It was thatst one that bothered him the most.
While Vir thought his question had been subtle, Tara¡¯s tight smile said otherwise. When she drove her heel onto his foot, he knew for certain.
Point taken, Vir thought. The stiletto heel would¡¯ve sent most humans doubling over with pain, but with his prana-engorged body, Vir scarcely noticed it.
¡°What are you even made of?¡± Tara muttered, making Vir grin.
¡°I suppose you¡¯ll have to wait and see, won¡¯t you?¡±
Tara rolled her eyes and gestured to a group of Chitran kothis who were talking amongst themselves, making no motion to speak with outsiders.
¡°That¡¯s Annas and his cadre,¡± Tara said. ¡°Annas is a veteran of the Tournament. Beenpeting for almost a century now. He¡¯s not especially talented, but you don¡¯t need much talent when you have that much time to practice. If there¡¯s one thing about him, it¡¯s that he¡¯s dedicated.¡±
¡°What¡¯s his fighting style like?¡± Vir asked, half guessing the answer.
¡°Fast and agile. He fights with dual katars¡ªsomething you don¡¯t usually see. Effective, though. It works well with his physique. Not only is he fast, he also packs quite a punch. And of course, he¡¯s got all the regr Chitran Bloodline Arts.¡±
Which meant he had Warlord¡¯s Domain and Battlecry, and Coercion.
Both of the Warlord abilities could be nasty¡ªstriking fear into Vir and slowing him down¡ªbut as Vir had witnessed, Chitran abilities shone only on the battlefield. In a one-on-one duel, Vir had some faith he could counter the demon. Especially with Prana Armor protecting him.
Vir continued to circle around the area with Tara when some strangers approached them. It was an Iksana couple, and Vir instinctively focused on his new tattoo. It had been running continuously while he¡¯d been in Camar Gadin, but he double-checked to make sure.
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¡°Well, well,¡± the ghael said. ¡°You again? Do you never learn?¡±
Tara narrowed her eyes. ¡°Nor. A pleasure as always.¡±
Nor? Zarak¡¯Nor? It was the same Iksana he¡¯d run into with Cirayus on the way into Samar Patag. The one who¡¯d been angry about Cirayus stealing his kill when the Shrikes attacked.
¡°Do yourself a favor. Don¡¯t waste a slot. Those are precious. Give it to someone who stands a chance of winning.¡±
¡°Funny,¡± Tara said icily. ¡°I don¡¯t recall you ever winning before the Ravager left. Tough talk from this year¡¯s loser.¡±
Nor growled. ¡°Watch yourself, Tara. And pray that we do not fight.¡±
Tara rolled her eyes as Nor¡¯s gaze slid over to Vir.
¡°Hmm. Have I seen you before?¡±
¡°He¡¯s my partner,¡± Tara said.
¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± Vir said, bowing his head slightly.
Nor, apparently finding Vir uninteresting, grunted.
¡°I¡¯ll see you on the stage, Tara,¡± Nor said, guiding his partner away. ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t lose before we fight.¡±
Tara stared daggers into the Iksana¡¯s back as she watched him walk off.
¡°He¡¯s the worst,¡± she hissed. ¡°He¡¯s decent inbat, but he¡¯s mastered Dance of the Shadow Demon beyond any Iksana I¡¯ve ever seen. He¡¯s sly, vicious, and deadly.¡±
Vir knew firsthand just how lethal Dance of the Shadow Demon could be. Especially in this realm where strong shadows abounded.
Maybe I can learn something by watching him, Vir thought, resolving himself to not miss Nor¡¯s matches.
Tara turned to Vir and looked him in the eyes. ¡°If you fight him before I do, make sure you beat him into a pulp.¡±
¡°Back at you. But¡ What gives you so much confidence that I¡¯ll win?¡± Vir asked, guiding Tara over to the array of appetizers that had beenid out. Even if he might not enjoy the food as much in this formal environment, that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t at least going to try some.
¡°You mean other than having the Ravager¡¯s glowing endorsement?¡± Tara asked, giving Vir a pointed look. ¡°It¡¯s the way you fight. Your confidence. Your moves. It¡¯s almost like they¡¯re made for monsters. I¡¯ve fought others who fight that way.¡±
¡°That right?¡± Vir asked, doing his best to maintain a detached expression as he eyed the food.
¡°It is. And you know what all those Warriors had inmon?¡±
¡°I bet you¡¯re about to tell me,¡± Vir quipped. He really didn¡¯t want Tara poking into his identity, but the demon didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d let him change the topic easily.
¡°They had all spent decades of their lives in the Ash. You also im that title. Yet you¡¯re far too young to have amassed enough experience to fight that way.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯ve always been a fast learner,¡± Vir said, feeling very done with this topic.
¡°Nuh, uh. I¡¯m not buying it,¡± Tara said.
They had just arrived at the array of food, and Vir was reaching out to grab one when he felt a strong tug on his arm.
Were his body not attuned to prana, he might¡¯ve lost his bnce. Instead, he deftly moved after Tara, following her lead.
¡°Unbelievable. The first thing you do is get food?¡±
¡°Er, is that considered impolite?¡±
¡°At least grant me a dance, first!¡±
Vir decided discretion was the best course of action here, even as his precious food became more and more distant.
Tara reminded him of Tia in more than a few ways. A bit of brutish, but also refined and elegant. Tara¡¯s bloodlust was on another level to Tia¡¯s, however, and where Tia was reckless and immature, Tara seemed to have an awareness about her that only years of experience could bring.
Vir truly wondered at her age. It was almost impossible to tell with demons. She could¡¯ve been eighteen or fifty.
More dancers had fleshed out the floor now, allowing Vir to feel less self-conscious about the act.
Dusting the cobwebs off a skill he hadn¡¯t used in years, Vir fell into the moderately paced dance, allowing Tara to lead. She seemed more thanfortable in that role, which suited Vir just fine. Thest thing he wanted was to put his ineptitude on full disy.
¡°So,¡± Tara said with a devilish look in her eyes. ¡°Back to you. You¡¯re young. I can tell. And yet, you fight like veterans with decades in the Ash. Plus, you¡¯ve got the Ravager¡¯s backing. Your instincts are razor-sharp, and you don¡¯t waste any motions. No ego to your style. Just ruthless and brutally efficient. How?¡±
Vir sighed. ¡°Yes, I admit I¡¯ve trained extensively in the Ash. I¡¯ve been deep inside it. Surely, you know what that means?¡±
Tara¡¯s eyebrow raised slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve been deep enough that the time flow aids you. To where the Ash Beasts are strong. I see. So that¡¯s where you picked up your wolf friend.¡±
Vir had to use every acting skill he had to hide the surprise from his face. ¡°What makes you think he¡¯s an Ash Wolf?¡± Vir asked.
Tara grinned. ¡°Sure, I imagine most would mistake him for an especiallyrge Prana Wolf, but again. It¡¯s the way he moves. Like nothing is a threat, and like he owns the ce. He¡¯sfortable being solitary, while most wolves are pack animals. It¡¯s the details.¡±
¡°And what about yourself?¡± Vir asked, attempting to divert the scrutiny back to Tara. ¡°I assume not ever Panav is blessed with Yuma¡¯s Embrace. Who are you, really?¡±
Tara gave Vir a sly grin, but before he had a chance to press her, Raja Thaman appeared on the balcony that overlooked the ballroom, ending the dance and hushing the crowd.
Vir was d of it. Both because it allowed him to get away from Tara¡¯s prying, and because any longer, and he¡¯d have stepped on her toes, ruining their dance.
The Bairan Raja cleared his throat, which sounded through the whole hall. No doubt due to a voice amplification tablet of some sort.
¡°Warriors! Well met,¡± he said, opening his arms and nodding in approval at the gathered crowd.
His greeting was returned by hoots and battlecries as the audience forgot their refined demeanor for a moment.
¡°This year¡¯s bout promises to be one of the best yet, pitting a fresh batch of promising hopefuls against some of the toughest Warriors of the Realm. And even the return of some living legends!¡±
Thaman gestured to Cirayus, who stood at the center of a crowdposed mostly ofdies, Vir noticed.
The crowd went wild, and Cirayus waved to acknowledge everyone.
¡°Yet just because the Ravager has returned,¡± Thaman shouted over the cheers, ¡°does not mean the crown has been taken! He has been gone. Perhaps the old man is rusty, eh?¡±
That prompted a round ofughs, and even Thaman chuckled.
¡°Now, as for the rules, we have decided to change it up this year. Single elimination to surrender, incapacitation, or eviction from the ring. Chakras are allowed, but use them at your own peril. As always, killing an opponent results in disqualification, lifetime ban from the Tournament, and the possibility of criminal charges.¡±
¡°Do people die often in these?¡± Vir asked Tara.
Tara shrugged. ¡°Sometimes we¡¯ll go several tournaments without a single death. Sometimes we get two in one. You never know. Depends on who¡¯speting.¡±
It sounded far more brutal than anything Vir would have expected, but this again was a reflection of Demonic culture. When it came to battle, they never held back.
¡°This year, we will host a group trial to whittle down the potentials to the final sixteen. Fear not¡ªthose of you who don¡¯t make the cut may still participate in the side duels. We have plenty of stages for everyone.¡±
This time, the apuse was more muted. Vir could practically feel thebatants'' determination.
Forget Cirayus, making it to the finals would not be easy. Not with a group this motivated, capable, and experienced.
¡°Well, as you all know, I have never been one for long speeches,¡± Thaman continued. ¡°Fight well. Fight with honor. And may the best demon win.¡±
Thaman pumped a fist into the air, and was echoed by the crowd, who shouted hoots and battlecries.
¡°This is going to be amazing,¡± Tara said, her eyes full of expectation. ¡°I gotta admit, I¡¯m looking forward to all the fights. So you better not lose before we duel, yeah?¡±
¡°And the same to you,¡± Vir replied, though he didn¡¯t mean it. He realized then that he actually didn¡¯t want to fight her, if possible. Tara might¡¯ve been a battle junkie, but she seemed nice. He didn¡¯t want any bitter feelings between them. Perhaps it was callous of him, but he hoped she¡¯d lose to someone else.
Tara separated from Vir after Thaman¡¯s speech, mentioning she had a few acquaintances she wished to speak to.
This left Vir free to make his way to the food, but before he made it even halfway, he ran into Raja Thaman,ing down from the balcony.
¡°Ah, a new face!¡± Thaman said, pretending not to know who he was.
¡°Raja Thaman,¡± Vir replied, bowing his head respectfully. ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡±
¡°Is it, now?¡± Thaman said softly with a small grin. ¡°I expect great things from you, young Vaak. I shall watch your performance intently.¡±
¡°Then I hope you watch carefully,¡± Vir said, locking eyes with Thaman. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to win.¡±
Thaman¡¯s smile grew. ¡°Good. Now, will you humor me a moment? I have something I wish to discuss. In private.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 324: A Meeting of Lords
Chapter Ashborn 324: A Meeting of Lords
When Thaman, Raja of n Baira, wished to speak in private, Vir hadn¡¯t expected the demon to ask him to meet at a location in another district in one hour. And he certainly hadn¡¯t expected to meet the demon alone. Thaman had emphasized that not even Cirayus ought to attend.
After seeing Tara off to her carriage and returning home, Vir consulted Cirayus, who said that he should absolutely meet with the Bairan Raja.
¡°If that brat¡¯s wanting to see you, it can only be a good thing. Surprising, though. He mentioned nothing like this to me,¡± Cirayus said, stroking his beard.
¡°You¡¯re not worried he explicitly didn¡¯t want you there?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Not one bit. Knowing him, he has something nned. Something I¡¯m quite certain I¡¯ll like.¡±
While Vir may not have known Thaman, but if Cirayus vouched for him, that was good enough for Vir. He stripped out of his fancy silk clothes and donned his battle armor, covering it with a hooded ck cloak.
The cloak also hid his seric katar and Artifact chakram under its fabric.
¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back, but in case I don¡¯t return¡¡±Cirayus snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If Thaman¡¯s gone for more than a few hours, the entire city will be out looking for him.¡±
Vir supposed that was a fair point. It was unusual for heads of state to go anywhere on their own. Which only made Vir wonder what the Bairan Raja had nned. If he wanted to speak to Vir, why not organize a private meeting with Cirayus?
What could he want from Vir that couldn¡¯t be said in front of Thaman¡¯s mentor?
Dawdling would get him nowhere, so Vir set out, leaving Shan behind with Cirayus.
As Vir bounded across the city, he couldn¡¯t help but admire it. Camar Gadin was like Samar Patag in its architectural cues, but that was where the simrities ended.
The city was not only oversized; it was far more populous. This, despite Bairan longevity and low fertility rates.
It just showed how decrepit the Chitran¡¯s rule had been. Only those who absolutely couldn¡¯t leave stayed, while people flocked to Camar Gadin from all over the realm.
Its streets were cleaner and its people more energetic, even at thiste hour.
Vir arrived at the spot, helped along by directions Cirayus had provided him earlier. It was on the outskirts of the city, and instead of the Bairan giant, Vir found nothing but an empty street.
An empty street with an oddly strong prana signature emanating from a bench on the sidewalk. Nothing else came nearly as close. Intrigued, and growing bored with waiting, Vir walked over and reached under the bench, finding a metal cylinder beneath it.
Opening the cap, Vir found an orb that looked awfully familiar.
It was the same type of orb that Cirayus had used to navigate them safely through the Ash.
Vir peered through the small hole on its surface and found an arrow, pointing a certain way.
¡°A lot of song and dance just to meet,¡± Vir mumbled, following the orb¡¯s guidance. He didn¡¯t Leap, but he moved faster than a normal sprint. With so many Warriors here for the Tournament, nobody would pay such a figure any mind, so he felt safe in doing so.
As Cirayus had said, Thaman had little time, and Vir didn¡¯t want to keep the giant waiting.
Vir arrived at the city wall and realized his destination was outside somewhere.
A Prana Vision scan showed no one around, and neither did his Life Chakra detect any presences nearby.
Satisfied, Vir vaulted the tall, sturdy wall, soaring just above its wide rampart andnding gently on the other side.
Once out of the city, Vir didn¡¯t hesitate to Leap to his destination.
He arrived ten minutester at a location far closer to the Ash Boundary. Though not quite visible, Vir could feel the prana density. He was close.
And waiting for him was none other than the enormous giant.
Virnded in front of Thaman and dusted off his clothing.
¡°Is all of this precaution necessary?¡±
¡°It is the bare minimum, I¡¯m afraid. A Raja does not easily disappear, even when preparations have beenid well in advance.¡±
¡°So, you were nning this?¡± Vir asked. ¡°What did you need to tell me that required Cirayus to be absent?¡±
¡°Tell you? I didn¡¯t ask you here to tell you anything, boy. I need a favor.¡±
¡°A favor?¡± Vir repeated, genuinely surprised. ¡°What can I do for someone of your stature?¡±
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Thaman chuckled. ¡°Humble, eh? Not a trait I¡¯d have expected. But, well, allow me to show you. Follow me.¡±
Thaman bounded off, leaving Vir to follow. As he did, Vir analyzed Thaman¡¯s movement art.
It was, without a doubt, Bncer of Scales. And yet, Thaman¡¯s movements were more¡ mechanical. Jerkier than anything Vir had seen from Cirayus.
He hasn¡¯t mastered the ability¡ Vir realized after a while. The revtion darkened Vir¡¯s mood somewhat.
Thaman was centuries old. Perhaps not as many centuries as Cirayus, but if even this Bairan Raja hadn¡¯t yet mastered the ability to the same extent as Cirayus, what hope did Vir have?
His rumination was cut short when Thaman arrived at an Ash Tear.
Vir¡¯s interest was immediately piqued, for this was no ordinary Tear. It was among thergest Vir had ever seen.
¡°Been a thorn in our side ever since it opened,¡± Thaman said, looking through the flickering portal. ¡°It¡¯s big enough to letrger Ash Beasts through, and stable enough that too many who try seed.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Vir said. ¡°Cirayus told you, did he?¡±
¡°That he did,¡± came Thaman¡¯s muted response.
What was the Bairan Raja thinking? Was heing up with ways to get Vir to use his Gate powers for Baira? Or was he simply jealous?
¡°You want me to copse this Tear?¡± Vir asked, inspecting the gaping portal. It was easily twenty paces across, and ten high. ¡°I admit, I¡¯ve never attempted that on a Tear thisrge, though it shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. Destruction is far easier than stabilization, after all.¡±
¡°You misunderstand me, boy,¡± Thaman said, a grin creeping up on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to destroy it. I want you to stabilize it!¡±
Vir gave the giant a hard stare.
¡°And why in all the realms would you want to do such a thing? If I do this, even more Ash Beasts will pour through. You just said how much of an issue they¡¯ve been.¡±
¡°True, true. But it¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡± Thaman¡¯s grin had grown until it spread across his whole face. ¡°Especially when we have hundreds of Tournament hopefuls surging through.¡±
Why would Tournament fighters¡
Vir¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The prelims. You want the Culling to take ce in the Ash!¡±
¡°You can sense the prana on the other side, can¡¯t you?¡± Thaman continued. ¡°Tell me, how dangerous is it?¡±
Vir stared at the portal, looking beyond.
¡°Not especially,¡± Vir said with a shrug. ¡°But only for someone like me. For an average demon¡¡±
Thamanughed. ¡°Good thing there are no average demons participating, eh? I think this will. Yes, I think this will do nicely.¡±
Vir was beginning to wonder if this giant had a stable head on his shoulders. When he thought of Cirayus and his teachings¡ Vir came to the inevitable conclusion that Thaman was perhaps not the most sane individual around.
He was a battle junkie, just like Cirayus and Vir¡¯s own father, Maion Garga. That Baira had thrived under Thaman for over a century felt like nothing short of a miracle to him.
¡°So?¡± Thaman asked. ¡°Can you stabilize it?¡±
Vir took in the great Tear once again. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never tried it with something thisrge. The prana required would be immense.¡±
¡°Will you try?¡±
Vir turned and stared up at the giant. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Why do I want you to? Or why should you?¡±
¡°Cirayus has spoken well of you,¡± Vir replied, avoiding the giant¡¯s rifying question for the moment.
¡°Unusual of him,¡± Thaman said. ¡°That old fossil only ever dishes outpliments behind people''s backs.¡±
¡°He also said you wouldn¡¯t help me. Not until I¡¯ve proven myself,¡± Vir continued. This was his golden opportunity to forge a bond with Thaman. To have the Raja owe him a favor. He couldn¡¯t afford to let it slip by.
¡°I¡¯m not giving you Bncer of Scales, boy,¡± Thaman said. ¡°Not unless I wanted a death wish.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Vir said with a frown. ¡°You¡¯re the Raja. You decide who gets the tattoo, right?¡±
¡°Indeed. Because my people trust me. If I gave it to you, of all people, well, I¡¯d have a rebellion on my hands. My n wouldn¡¯t ept it. The realm wouldn¡¯t ept it.¡±
¡°So I have to earn it,¡± Vir stated. ¡°In full view of all.¡±
¡°Do that, and you¡¯ll have your tattoo.¡± Thaman sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t aid you. Not now. But remember this¡ªI am one who honors my debts. Cirayus will attest to that. And besides, this ought to benefit you as well, yes? You are strong in the Ash. Stronger than the others. It ought to give you an advantage.¡±
Vir chuckled. Thaman was right, but he¡¯d misunderstood. If Vir needed an advantage to pass the qualifiers, he stood little chance of defeating the stronger opponents without such aid. To say nothing of Cirayus.
¡°What is it?¡± Thaman asked.
¡°When I asked you why, that wasn¡¯t what I meant.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I wanted to know why you¡¯re changing the Tournament. Nobody is expecting this. What good will it bring? And what harm?¡±
Thaman folded his arms and regarded Vir in silence for a long moment.
¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°The Ravager spoke the truth, then. You¡¯d think that after two centuries of knowing the demon, I¡¯d know better than to question his judgement on matters like this. You¡¯ve a good head on your shoulders, boy.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Vir said. ¡°And?¡±
Thaman sighed. ¡°We have far too many contestants this time around. When the realm heard the Ravager was back¡ Well, to say it piqued our best Warriors interest would be an understatement.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Vir said, ncing at the Ash Tear. ¡°So you need an especially brutal preliminary. Something to cull more than usual. But that¡¯s not it, is it?¡±
¡°Oho?¡± Thaman said. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I mean¡ªwhat are the chances an Ash Gate suddenly appears near Camar Gadin? And just in time for the Tournament at that?¡±
¡°Coincidental, I admit, though such things have urred in the past.¡±
¡°Uh, huh,¡± Vir said, unconvinced. ¡°The realm may see it that way. They may have their suspicions, but I doubt they¡¯d think anything of it. What of the Rajas, though?¡±
Thaman¡¯s smile crept back on his face, but this was a different smile. He was amused.
¡°Go on,¡± he said.
¡°They¡¯ll wonder. What if it wasn¡¯t a coincidence? I mean, they have to. It¡¯s what any good ruler would do, I imagine¡ªthey¡¯ll look at the worst case scenario.¡±
¡°And? What then?¡± Thaman¡¯s tone was almost yful. He was enjoying this dialogue.
¡°Then, they may fantasize. They may believe Raja Thaman has gained a new superweapon¡ªthe ability to create Ash Gates.¡±
¡°What an interesting presumption,¡± Thaman said, showing a toothy grin.
Vir felt a grin creep up on his own face. ¡°Earlier, I wondered how your n has thrived under you. I¡¯d written you off as a battle junkie. I apologize¡ªI have to take that back. You¡¯re wily, Raja Thaman.¡±
¡°And you are far too wise for your years, Akh Nara,¡± Thaman replied. ¡°Well, you¡¯re mostly right. I also wanted to see the look of surprise on that old fossil¡¯s face for once. Figured it¡¯d be a nice homing present, don¡¯t you think?¡±
Vir chuckled. ¡°I suppose he¡¯d like that. Anything to challenge him, however slight.¡±
¡°So?¡± Thaman asked. ¡°What will you do, now that you¡¯ve uncovered my scheme? Will you ask me for Bncer of Scales once again? Will you refuse outright?¡±
Vir shook his head. ¡°Nothing of the sort. I¡¯m happy to stabilize the Tear.¡±
¡°Oho? And may I ask why?¡±
Vir looked the Raja directly in the eyes. ¡°Because I do not believe this realm can be saved if we look out only for our own interests. If I did, I would be no better than the Chitran who ughtered my n. What I seek is not a transactional rtionship between us, Raja Thaman. I wish for something stronger. Something akin to what my father had with you.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡± Thaman said, barely suppressing his glee.
¡°It is,¡± Vir said. ¡°I seek friendship. And what are friends for, if not to help each other in their time of need?¡±
Vir turned toward the Ash Tear. Prana Current cycled, and a vortex of prana surged. Vir closed his eyes and poured every morsel of concentration into the daunting task at hand.
It was why he never saw the look of pride¡ªof mncholy¡ªon Raja Thaman¡¯s face.
Chapter Ashborn 325: Trial by Ash
Chapter Ashborn 325: Trial by Ash
Vir stood in front of the enormous Ash Gate, pretending to be as shocked as everyone else. Murmurs could be heard throughout the crowd of nearly four hundred, and it didn¡¯t end there. Grandstands had been erected nearby, forming a ring around the Gate, and thousands of spectators watched, cheering, and hooting for their favoritepetitors.
It was, in every way, a spectacle.
Even the unflinching Cirayus was staring wide-eyed at it, albeit for very different reasons than the crowd.
¡°So that¡¯s what that brat asked you to do,¡± Cirayus muttered, stroking his beard. ¡°A Qualification in the Ash! How brazen. How¡ exciting.¡±
Vir shook his head. ¡°He said you¡¯d react that way.¡±
By now, news had spread that Cirayus the Ravager was sponsoring some neer. Vir had worried that some may put two and two together, but since nobody knew of Vir¡¯s fate after the fall of Samar Patag, no one knew Cirayus had stolen into the Ash with him.
As far as the Demon Realm was concerned, Vir had perished in the many battles that left only scorched earth and unidentifiable corpses behind, and Cirayus, having grown jaded at his loss, had left for the Ash to train.
Thus, it hardly mattered that Vir spoke with Cirayus regrly. In fact, it¡¯d be more suspicious if he avoided the demon.
¡°Has this ever happened before?¡± Vir asked.¡°Never in my time. I¡¯ve only heard of such a thing happening once,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°A stable Ash Gaterge enough to admit so many, and close enough to Camar Gadin? It¡¯s very unlikely,d. That boy¡¯s a smart one.¡±
By now, Vir had gotten used to Cirayus calling centuries-old demons ¡®boys¡¯, ¡®girls¡¯, and ¡®brats. From his perspective, everyone must have looked like a child.
I wonder if that¡¯s how all old people think¡ Vir mused, but his thoughts were interrupted by a frowning Tara, who paced toward them.
Vir braced himself for whatever the fiery naga might say.
¡°You! Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, pointing at the massive Gate.
¡°Uh, isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Vir said. ¡°Our qualification is probably going to happen in the Ash.¡±
¡°Impossible. Ravager, this is impossible, right?¡±
¡°Afraid not,ss. As I was telling young Vaak here, this seems like exactly the sort of thing Thaman would do.¡±
For the first time since Vir had ever seen her, Tara nched.
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Vir said. ¡°You¡¯re a capable fighter. And your Panav arts can heal you. What are you afraid of?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve¡ No. Nevermind,¡± she said. ¡°I just¡ª¡±
¡°Wee!¡± Thaman boomed. A projected image of him soared into the sky, and his voice was magnified to match his great appearance.
What art or tablet was capable of such a feat, Vir didn¡¯t know. But it sure was impressive.
¡°There¡¯s been a small change of ns,¡± the enormous Thaman thundered. ¡°For millennia, it has been n Baira¡¯s honor to host the Tournament of Champions. And each Tournament, we have ensured that the Tournament has been both fair and executed with dignity. As such, to prevent scheming or cheating, the Qualification challenge is altered every time. This time, I am pleased to announce that a very special Challenge awaits. Indeed, you may never again experience such a challenge for the rest of your lives!¡±
The confused murmurs grew louder as more and more demons caught on to the nature of the trial.
¡°Indeed. This cycle, the strongest demons from the realm have traveled far. As such, we have prepared a challenge worthy of your great feats! Behold! The Ash Gate before you!¡±
Every set of eyes turned to the Gate, peering through it.
Even those whocked an ability to sense prana could guess at the abundance of the life-giving energy on the other side.
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The only ones who weren¡¯t staring at it were Bairans carrying stacks of small tablets, which they were in the process of handing out.
Wonder what those are about¡
When Vir stabilized the Gate, he¡¯d ventured through with Thaman, finding jagged peaks and a forest on the other side. It looked like anywhere in the Ash, but its prana density told him it was somewhere in the middle. Not too deep, yet not on the periphery, either.
For Vir, it was a bitckluster. For the others¡
The murmurs ceased as a multitude of expressions regarded the Ashen Realm. Some appeared confident¡ªlikely Warriors who¡¯d spent a little in the Ash.
Others were terrified. Those, Vir concluded, hadn¡¯t ever entered. They¡¯d be culled quickly.
Thest group, Vir was the most worried about. They were confident, yet not overly so. They were afraid, but not terrified.
These were the veterans. Warriors who¡¯d spent considerable time in the Ash.
For anyone who did knew of its terrors. They knew that death was but a moment away at all times. Yet, they¡¯d braved that destend and survived. And from this came experience and confidence.
There were a surprising number in thisst group, leading Vir to believe that despite his advantages in the Ash, this challenge would not be easy. He might¡¯ve had an advantage, but it wasn¡¯t as though he knew what Thaman was nning. He was in the dark as much as everyone else.
¡°The Challenge is simple,¡± Thaman continued. ¡°Tournament officials are making their way through your ranks, handing out tablets. Notice how the tablets contain an arrow.¡±
Vir received his own tablet, as did Cirayus. They were identical in every way, and sure enough, in the center was a dim blue arrow that pointed into the Ash Gate.
It was apass¡ªone simr to the Artifact Vir used to cross the Ash. He recalled Saunak saying something about inventing a gadget that operated simrly.
If Vir wasn¡¯t mistaken, the Master Thaumaturge hadbeled these inventions as failures. Vir supposed a genius¡¯ failures were treasures in their own right.
¡°You must carry these tablets to each checkpoint that has been ced within the Ash. Reach a checkpoint, and the tablet will point the way to the next. The first sixteenbatants to return through this Ash Gate with all checkpointspleted gain entry into the tournament. See? I told you it was simple.¡±
The murmurs started up again, but Thaman cut them off before they could grow.
¡°Oh, I forgot one thing. Tournament rules apply. No killing, no permanent maiming, no Ultimate Bloodline Arts. Anything else goes.¡±
¡°A race?¡± Cirayus said, looking distinctly unimpressed. ¡°What a waste!¡±
The chatter instantly picked up as questions were hurled at the giant.
¡°I know what you all want to ask. And the answer is yes. If you manage to take or destroy a tablet from another demon who haspleted all checkpoints, you may bring it back to im victory. In this case, they will lose, unless they take it back or find another.¡°
Cirayus bellowed a greatugh before Vir could spin through the nuances of this challenge.
¡°Oh, Thaman,¡± Cirayus said betweenughs. ¡°You do me proud,d.¡±
¡°Mind if I ask why, exactly?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Because,d! This is a fine challenge. Even I ought to enjoy it, and let me tell you¡ªthat is no small challenge.¡±
Vir¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy you feel that way.¡±
His own state of mind was simr to Tara¡¯s.
This was a race, as Cirayus had said. Except, the bit that made Cirayus happy was the part Vir was worried about.
It was a free-for-all battlefield as well.
It was here that Vir might¡¯ve held a slight advantage. One that instantly disappeared when he saw several pairs of judging eyesnd on him. More urately, theynded on Cirayus¡ªin fear. And then to him.
In jealousy. In contempt.
Grakking Ash, Vir thought, barely suppressing a groan.
He¡¯d erred. Showing his familiarity with Cirayus may have been good for avoiding suspicion, but now, it drew other demons¡¯ ire.
Ire that conspired to gang up on him and stop him.
And while the strongest among them wouldn¡¯t bother with such petty tactics¡ªprioritizing the race over the fight¡ªthere must have been many present who understood they wouldn¡¯t win.
Even if Vir was confident against fighting all these opponents together¡ªwhich he wasn¡¯t¡ªit didn¡¯t matter. They didn¡¯t need to win. They only needed to slow him down.
Vir turned to the giant beside him.
¡°Cirayus? I propose we work together.¡±
The demon raised his brows, hesitating. Then frowned and shook his head.
¡°As much as I¡¯d love to aid you here,d, I simply can¡¯t. Rmending you is one thing. Actively helping? I¡¯ve done nothing of the sort before. It¡¯d attract too much attention.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not asking for anything much,¡± Vir said. ¡°Just¡ If you happen to find groups of demons¡ªdemons of unsavory disposition¡ªmaybe just take them out. If it doesn¡¯t slow you down.¡±
If his enemies were going to y dirty, Vir would use every resource he had at his disposal.
Cirayus swept his gaze across the eyes staring at us and cracked his knuckles.
¡°Aye. That, I can most certainly do.¡±
Thaman extended his hands and spoke again.
¡°Warrior! Demons! I invite you to the Ash to prove your mettle. Show us your skills! Your courage! Your determination! And let the best of you win. The Challenge starts in five minutes!¡±
Thaman¡¯s image cut out, leaving the contestants in silence.
¡°Um¡¡± A voice said from nearby. It was so timid andcking in confidence that Vir initially mistook its owner.
¡°Tara?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Is there something you need?¡±
The naga quietly scratching the back of her neck.
¡°What you said? about teaming up? Er, I¡¯m game if you are.¡±
Vir stared at her for a moment, sizing her up. The naga had always struck him as a lone wolf¡ªnot really the type to work together with others. This request couldn¡¯t havee easily for her.
One look at their crowd answered his question.
¡°I take it you¡¯re not very popr¡¡±
Taraughed nervously. ¡°More like I¡¯ve made some enemies over the years. I think we have a better chance if we cooperate.¡±
Vir thought back to his duel against her. She was both strong and nimble. But did she have what it took in the area that mattered most?
¡°How fast are you in your serpent form?¡± Vir asked. ¡°And, what¡¯s your Guardian Rank?¡± he added.
¡°Silver,¡± Tara grinned, already shifting to her half-naga form. ¡°And fast enough.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 326: May The Fastest Demon Win
Chapter Ashborn 326: May The Fastest Demon Win
¡°Begin!¡± Thaman¡¯s voice thundered, and the race was on.
Having had ample time to prepare, the vast majority of the contestants scrambled madly through the Gate, trampling over one another and hurling prana attacks at each other to be the first to get through.
Vir, Shan, Cirayus, and Tara watched the spectacle with a mixture of shock and pity.
Already, Vir spied broken tablets and knocked out demons¡ªwho were then trampled underfoot by the passing horde. A group of nagas were standing by in a medical tent nearby, and the moment the horde had passed, Bairan medics ran to the unconscious demons, put them on stretchers, and hustled them to the nagas for treatment.
Several others had hung back as well¡ªanyone with half a brain could have predicted that stampede, and who¡¯d want to get caught up in that?
Plenty, apparently. Vir counted over twenty demons who were either unconscious or lying groaning in pain.
¡°Well, that¡¯s two dozen fewer demons we need to deal with,¡± Vir said as the trio walked through the Ash Gate. ¡°Actually, maybe double that number.¡±The demons on the other side weren¡¯t unconscious, though they would soon be, if they weren¡¯t brought out soon.
Most either sat or were on their knees, hugging their bodies and groaning in pain.
¡°Demons who¡¯ve never stepped foot into the Ash don¡¯t deserve a spot on the roster,¡± Cirayus said, shaking his head as they passed the others.
Vir had to agree. If they couldn¡¯t stomach this level of prana, they likely weren¡¯t all that powerful. He then forced himself to remember how even the strongest humans struggled to survive in the Ash, and realized his standards had grown considerably. Even an average demon would be a force to be reckoned with in the Human Realm.
Not finding his naga friend beside him, Vir looked back to find Tara flexing her muscles.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Y¡¯know? I thought it¡¯d be worse,¡± she replied. ¡°I feel the pressure, don¡¯t get me wrong. But it¡¯s a mild pressure. Like a bandy¡¯s sitting on my chest or something.¡±
Vir smirked. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Tara¡¯s innate prana density was offsetting the ambient density to a degree. That was good. If she¡¯d copsed here, he¡¯d have been forced to leave her behind. He¡¯d also have been sorely disappointed, given her skills and confidence.
¡°Well,d, may Adinat be with you,¡± Cirayus said heavily.
¡°And you as well,¡± Vir replied, just as Cirayus jumped away, sprinting at top speed. He might not have been able to use Bncer of Scales, but with his stature, physique, and immense prana reserves, the giant could run.
¡°We¡¯d best make a move ourselves,¡± Vir said, eyeing the rapidly disappearing mob of demons. The open in allowed for easy travel, though a thick forest in the distance could undoubtedlyplicate matters.
Vir was fine being just behind them to start¡ªhe just didn¡¯t want to lose sight of them entirely. ¡°I¡¯m going to be moving quick. If you can¡¯t keep up, do let me know.¡±
Tara had already transformed into her serpent form, and her leather clothes were nowhere to be seen. How nagas always managed to restore their clothes when they returned to their human form, Vir did not know.
Regardless, he pushed prana into his legs and Leaped, though he kept his bounds short. There wasn¡¯t a single demon who possessed movement arts as strong as Vir¡¯s, and within the Ash, he could maintain his giant bounding leaps indefinitely.
He¡¯d no doubt pass with ease. He¡¯d also earn the attention of the entire Tournament, and with n Rajas in attendance and only a single tattoo preventing his identity from being leaked, Vir wasn¡¯t about to dare.
Even so, he made good progress catching up with the mob. Shan kept pace without issue, as usual. In fact, he ranged ahead, searching for prey.
A bright light shone into the sky in the distance, marking the first checkpoint. Vir couldn¡¯t see the others, so they must¡¯ve been far.
Checking behind him, expected to see Tara well behind. Instead, he saw her slithering her way through the ash with surprising speed. Certainly faster than any normal snake he¡¯d seen.
Her pace was only slightly slower than his own. If he hadn¡¯t known she was a friend, he would¡¯ve been terrified. With her speed, though, he wouldn¡¯t need to carry her, as he¡¯d been dreading.
Not the act itself, but convincing the headstrong naga that his strategy was in their best interest. Luckily, that was no longer a problem.
Vir caught up with the stragglers of the group and was about to bypass them when ance of ice came hurtling his way.
Vir pushed prana into his feet, Micro Leaping away, but he didn¡¯t run. Instead, he abruptly changed directions and angled at the caster¡ªan Iksana ghael.
Fighting would be pointless, and though the ghael had hidden his tablet, Prana Vision told Vir exactly where.
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Empowering his arm, Vir elerated his strike, piercing the tablet on the ghael¡¯s back, before twisting and jumping away before the Iksana could harm him.
The ghael slowly stopped running, falling to his knees. He¡¯d failed, and apparently didn¡¯t feel he had the skills to wrest a tablet from anyone else.
That suited Vir just fine. Linking back up with Tara, who¡¯d continued on, they plunged into the forest together.
Though Vir had no trouble spotting her signature via Prana Vision, Taracked the same ability.
That was alright, because she navigated the forest with far greater wase than Vir could dream of. He had to shorten his bounds to where they became Micro Leaps, constantly navigating around flora.
They encountered their first enemy just momentster¡ªan Ash Wolf that Vir didn¡¯t even get the chance to dispatch. Shan swept in, tackling the beast and biting into its neck.
The battle ended before it had even begun, and by the time Tara noticed, Shan had rejoined Vir¡¯s side.
A Shredder popped out momentster, and this time, Vir delivered the lethal strike. If it was Ash Beasts, he didn¡¯t need Prana de or de Launch. He¡¯d killed so many that he could likely end them without any prana empowerment whatsoever.
¡°You¡¯re pretty good at thisss,¡± Taramented. Though he couldn¡¯t be sure, Vir thought he saw a sheen of sweat on her reptilian face.
¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of practice,¡± Vir said, moving through the forest. ¡°We both have.¡±
They made good time through the forest with their tablets guiding the way, though not quite as good as the demons who opted to travel along the treetops¡ªjumping from boughs to branches.
Vir thought decided against doing the same. Partly because Tara would have difficulties up there, but mostly because there were dangers in the Ash. Aerial threats that could swoop in at a moment¡¯s notice and pluck unsuspecting demons high into the air.
Only fools and the inexperienced would forego the natural protection the forest floor brought.
A few more minutes of travel made it apparent that the first checkpoint was within the forest itself. Yet before they entered the clearing where the checkpoint sat, a barrage of projectiles blurred from nearby.
Vir twisted his body, wrenching himself out of the way just in time.
Tara wasn¡¯t so lucky.
¡°Oww!¡± she hissed as several icicles buried themselves in her hide.
¡°Are you hurt?¡± Vir called out as he searched the foliage for enemies. The abundance of life in the forest thwarted Prana Vision, so Vir opened his Life Chakra.
It, too, ran into the same issue, though its feedback was more nuanced than that of Prana Vision. Vir felt the will of the one in the bushes, and though he didn¡¯t know exactly where, he knew enough to sic Shan upon them.
¡°Shan, left.¡±
The wolf bounded away, following hismand, as Vir approached from the right. Whoever they were, they concealed themselves well. Even with regr affinity prana standing in stark contrast to Ash prana, Vir couldn¡¯t see them.
Which meant they¡¯d hidden themselves in a bush or some other foliage. As for any that could be in range¡
Vir met Shan¡¯s gaze, then gestured with his head.
The Ashfire wolf¡¯s reaction was instant. He pounced upon the bush, and only a split-second before he collided with it did the demon hiding inside show his presence.
Though not in the way Vir had expected.
Cursing, Vir whirled as a dagger de came surging out of his own shadow.
So that¡¯s how it feels, Vir thought as he narrowly avoided a lethal strike.
He wasn¡¯t fast enough. The dagger nicked his forearm, drawing blood. Worse, Vir immediately sensed it was poisonous.
Halting the blood flow to that part of his arm, Vir stopped the venom from spreading. He¡¯d have to rely on his pranites to eventually cure the wound.
Unfortunately, stopping the blood flow also robbed him of dexterity in that arm, though that was hardly his biggest concern.
The arm holding the dagger retracted and attacked again.
There was no running from one¡¯s shadow, after all.
So Vir didn¡¯t even try. He crouched and surged into the air. For while there may have been no running from a shadow, Vir was acutely aware of Dance of the Shadow Demon¡¯s weakness.
If the exit shadow disappeared, so too did the limb that was using it.
Unfortunately, by the time Virnded, he saw no trace of a severed limb. The enemy was Iksana. Of course they¡¯d be aware of that weakness.
Scanning the area, Vir found no sign of the attacker. This was the true danger of the ability. One could never know if their attacker had moved on or was simply biding their time. The best way to deal with it was to get out of range as soon as possible, forcing the wielder to move.
Easier said than done when their tattoo was boosted by the ambient prana density.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Vir said with some urgency.
¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice. Who was that?¡±
¡°Iksana,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Dance of the Shadow Demon.¡±
¡°Then we really ought to move. Forests like these are one of the worst ces to deal with that ability.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Vir said, wondering who it was. Were they part of the group that had seen Vir with Cirayus? Or was he dealing with some other entity here?
As if the Ash wasn¡¯t enough, they now had to deal with opportunists and haters.
¡°Show me your arm,¡± Tara said. ¡°I¡¯ll treat your injury as we go.¡±
Vir raised a brow. ¡°You saw that?¡±
Tara grinned as they took off. ¡°Panav.¡±
Vir snorted, allowing her to touch his arm. They moved through the forest as quickly as they could manage while she administered aid.
It didn¡¯t take long.
¡°Done,¡± Tara announced, just a few secondster.
¡°That fast, huh?¡± Vir asked, taking his arm back.
¡°Panav,¡± Tara said, shifting to her half-human half-naga form to grin at him.
Vir stepped into the clearing with Tara and predictably found mayhem.
Spells fired off in each direction as each party vied to get to the pir in time.
¡°Getting caught in that is a surefire way to lose,¡± Tara said, biting her serpent lip¡ªan oddly humanoid gesture for a snake.
¡°Give me your tablet,¡± Vir said, extending a hand. ¡°I¡¯ll dart in ande back out.¡±
Tara hesitated, looking Vir in the eyes.
¡°You can trust¡ª¡±
¡°Take it,¡± Tara said, shifting back into her half-demon half-naga form and handing him the tablet.
¡°Right,¡± Vir replied. ¡°You trust me?¡±
¡°Would I be with you if I didn¡¯t?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vir repeated. ¡°Silly question. I¡¯ll be right back. Shan? With me.¡±
Vir crouched low and Blinked.
The chaos of the nearby battles served as the perfect camouge as Vir moved near-instantaneously with short, zigzagging steps. This movement art was one several demons had, and so Vir used it generously.
Demons who saw him were either rammed by Shan¡¯s snout, or punched, tripped, and kicked by Vir.
He never slowed, dodging, ducking, and weaving through thebatants even as spells flew his way. Some aimed, others incidental.
Those he couldn¡¯t avoid, he tanked with Prana Armor, though he had to remain careful about replenishing his prana from the atmosphere, lest an Iksana Ghael see it.
Luckily, Vir had plenty, and Blink consumed little.
He broke through the innermost ring of demons and reached the central pir of light, expecting to see some pedestal or gadget. There was none, so Vir simply sailed through the pir, finding that both tablets had updated and pointed to the next checkpoint.
Losing no time, Vir Blinked back to Tara, pummeling a demon who happened to be in the way.
¡°Not as bad as I thought,¡± he said, handing Tara¡¯s tablet back to her. ¡°Now, what do you say we get a jump on these morons duking it out?¡±
Tara grinned. ¡°Sounds like a fine n to me.¡±
The trio took off, leaving the fighting demons in the dust.
They were off to a good start, but was it good enough? Vir couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they hadn¡¯t seen thest of that Iksana who¡¯d stalked them.
Chapter Ashborn 327: Flight of the Shrikes
Chapter Ashborn 327: Flight of the Shrikes
The way out of the forest was both far faster and less fraught with peril. The first checkpoint had upied or incapacitated a great number of demons, and Vir suspected that between those and the ones who fell at the Gate, less than half the initial four hundred remained.
That was still a lot of demons, but they were now far more spread out. The chances of them running into anyone ought to be far lower.
Vir encountered an Ash Biter and couple more Shredders on the way out, which he and Shan dispatched with ease, leaving Tara no time to get in on the action.
¡°This is honestly unfair,¡± Tara said. She was now in her half-human, half-naga form. For reasons unknown to Vir, she couldn¡¯t move quite as quickly in this form, but she was still faster than Vir while within the forest. She also gained bettermand over her speech, and the use of two limbs.
¡°The next kill is mine.¡±
¡°Need I remind you we¡¯re not here to kill, or even to fight?¡± Vir said as they jumped through the forest. ¡°Every encounter slows us down, reducing our chances of victory.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Tara said. ¡°Still, feels like I¡¯m not pulling my weight. I hate that. Next one wee across is mine.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Vir said, though he felt that her ability to cure wounds made her invaluable, regardless of herbat contributions. Vir would¡¯ve been hampered without the full use of his arm if she hadn¡¯t cured his poison earlier.
Their next encounter urred soon enough, and Tara slithered ahead. Vir thought she¡¯d sh or strike the Ash Wolf, but her tail whipped out as the beast lunged, catching it midair.It wrapped around the wolf¡ and crushed it to death.
Vir had to look away as its bones broke under her almighty pressure. The same pressure that had snapped his own bones just a day ago.
¡°Brutal,¡± Vir muttered.
Tara turned back and grinned viciously. ¡°Efficient.¡±
Sounds from behind caused all three to look. They hadpany, and not the sort that could easily be dealt with.
A dozen demons had broken off from the fight at the checkpoint and were following.
¡°Opportunists,¡± Tara spat. ¡°They¡¯re following in our wake, letting us fight off the Ash Beasts so they don¡¯t have to.¡±
Vir smirked as they started running again. ¡°So you¡¯re saying they¡¯re doing exactly what we did to them earlier?¡±
¡°Fair point,¡± Tara replied. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it. I say we take them all out. Better now thanter. They¡¯ll keep hampering us, which means we¡¯ll have to watch our behinds the whole way.¡±
¡°While I agree they need to be dealt with, stopping to attack them¡ well, it¡¯s not very efficient, is it?¡±
Tara¡¯s expression went ice cold. ¡°Oh? Then what would you suggest, master tactician?¡±
Vir agreed they had to be dealt with, but attacking them directly wasn¡¯t efficient
The trio broke through the forest, encountering another vast field of Ash. Their current direction took them directly to a towering mountain range, whose peaks were ravaged by lightning.
Vir thought it over for a moment, then reached for his back.
He grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s see how they deal with this¡¡±
Vir activated his Artifact Chakra, which hummed with deadly power. He threw it, and the des deployed, cycling rapidly.
Were those to touch hispetitors, they¡¯d be dead in moments¡ªat least, if they didn¡¯t have some form of prana defense to block it.
Which would, of course, disqualify Vir andnd him in deep trouble. He had no desire to kill anyone, regardless.
The Artifact sailed for the nearest tree, bisecting its trunk as if it weren¡¯t even there.
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The tree hung for a moment, then crashed heavily behind them.
It was followed by another, and another.
In Vir¡¯s wake was a tsunami of falling trunks and wreckage.
Hazards their pursuers had to dodge, lest they be crushed underneath.
¡°Brutal,¡± Tara said, giving Vir a look of deep respect. ¡°I love it. And you held out on me. Never said you had an Artifact of the gods. You have to show me when we¡¯re back.¡±
Vir was getting used to the idea that all demon warriors were battle junkies. Somehow, it bothered him less with each passing day.
A screech sounded from overhead, and through the forest canopy, Vir saw a half-dozen ck blurs.
¡°What was that!?¡± Tara shouted.
Vir had seen and fought enough of those creatures to know exactly what they were.
¡°Shrikes! Take cover!¡±
Vir threw himself to the ground, and Tara ttened her serpentine body, lowering her torso. Shan was already on the ground, his instincts warning him well before Vir did.
It was perhaps an unnecessary precaution, but Vir had seen those beasts dive-bomb creatures in even the thickest jungle.
In the distance, Vir heard their pursuers catching up. His mind lingered on the threat of the Iksana who¡¯d attacked them earlier, making his decision easy.
Something had to be done about those beasts, and he had to be the one to do it.
¡°Continue to the forest entrance. Shan will apany you,¡± Vir said, looking up at the canopy.
¡°What are you going to do?¡±
¡°Deal with them,¡± Vir replied, before crouching and High Jumping up to the forest canopy.
He left a gaping Tara in his wake.
¡°Damn. He¡¯s good.¡±
Vir jabbed his katar into a trunk before jumping again, clearing the canopy.
He checked¡ªneither his Life Chakra nor Prana Vision sensed anyone around. And then he Leaped.
This was not a limited, shortened Leap, but his full power ability. It sent him soaring high into the sky.
It was not a maneuver that would have seeded had he not had hundreds¡ªeven thousands¡ªof practice attempts.
As it was, he had. And so, hended perfectly on the trailing Shrike¡¯s back, plunging his katar into its neck as he threw his Artifact Chakram at another Shrike.
The decision to use the chakram had been a calcted one. Up here, in the open, eyes would be tracking him. They¡¯d witness its true power, unlike in the forest.
Normally, Vir would¡¯ve wanted to hide such an ability, but if he yed his cards right, it might prove an immense advantage. While its power waned substantially outside the Ash¡ hispetitors wouldn¡¯t know that.
Vir kicked off the Shrike before the now-dead creature fell out of the sky, grabbing his Chakram as it returned, having cleanly severed the neck of another Shrike.
It was when hended on the next bird that Vir realized something was wrong. Or more urately, different.
The Shrike would ordinarily kick up a ruckus when one of their own was killed, but they¡¯d stay in formation.
They always stayed in formation.
Before Vir could throw his Chakram again, the Shrike Vir was on separated from the rest and dove, nearly sending Vir flying off. It was only by simultaneously sucking every drop of its prana and Blinking off that Vir managed to grab the tail of the next bird. The same thing happened here, where instead of thrashing, the bird split off.
Vir didn¡¯t bother killing it. He Leaped¡ all the way to the leading Shrike.
It was then that he saw the red demon riding atop it.
His hands gripped the creature¡¯s neck, but he didn¡¯t appear to be attacking. His stance was almost¡ peaceful.
Vir immediately understood.
This demon was Aindri, and he was using his bloodline arts to influence these Ash Beasts.
Vir¡¯s estimation of that n shot up in an instant. If they could control this level of Ash Beast, they were a threat to be reckoned with. Especially here, in this realm.
Vir didn¡¯t bother attacking any other Shrikes. He threw his Chakram straight at the lead Shrike, even as his current one veered away.
That was alright. As far as he could tell, his Chakrams had no limits on their range, so long as they had prana to fuel them. And here, there was no shortage of that.
The Aindri¡¯s Shrike weaved and dodged, but it was no match for the relentless Chakram.
After the Chakram¡¯s first sessful strike, the Aindri had thrown the beast into a dive.
Vir jumped off his current Shrike, killing it in the process, and let himself free fall.
It was a good move on the Aindri¡¯s part. Getting lower reduced damage from a crash, and it also helped him avoid the Chakram.
For all of about two seconds.
The Artifact of the gods shed, ripped, and tore through the beast, making pass after pass, circling it like an angry ho.
By the time the Aindri jumped off, the Shrike was nothing more than a bleeding carcass that mmed into the ash, kicking up an enormous plume of soot.
The Chakram returned to Vir¡¯s hand. Not only had it ended the Shrike, it¡¯d also destroyed the Aindri¡¯s tablet, as Vir had intended. Here in the Ash, the weapon understood Vir¡¯s intent, so long as it was simple.
Kill the beast. Destroy the tablet. Leave the demon alive.
Vir only wished it retained the same level of intelligence outside the Ash, but he took what he got.
Virnded just outside the forest, using both the softness of the ash and Light Step to absorb his fall.
When he dusted off and looked around, he found two-dozen sets of eyes, all trained on him. They were arranged in a semi-circr formation, as if they were waiting.
An ambush. For any who exited the forest.
Like Vir. Like Tara, who¡¯d just burst through with Shan.
And like the dozen-off demons who¡¯d followed them.
With enemies behind, and enemies in front, Vir was surrounded.
¡°What do we do?¡± Tara said, wide-eyed, scanning their enemies like a feral cat.
Vir did the same, twirling his Artifact menacingly around his finger as he scanned the crowd. He regarded them not with fear or panic, but with supreme, overwhelming confidence.
It was the confidence of one who knew he had an unassable trump card. A weapon that instilled absolute terror in the minds of his enemies.
For each and every demon assembled had witnessed the aerial battle. They¡¯d seen the true might of his Artifact Chakrams.
And so they knew to be afraid.
¡°Tell me,¡± Vir said, grinning viciously. ¡°Which one of you chals wants to be the first to die?¡±
Chapter Ashborn 328: Monsters of the Ash
Chapter Ashborn 328: Monsters of the Ash
The sneers and jeers all vanished when everyone spotted Vir¡¯s Chakram.
¡°Who¡¯d you steal from to get your hands on that?¡± one of them said.
¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Tara cut in. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you sorry sods rather try to win this thing than gang up on us?¡±
¡°Couldn¡¯t care less about you, girl,¡± a muscr red demon said, pointing to Vir. ¡°It¡¯s him we¡¯re after.¡±
¡°Why me?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Because you saw me with Cirayus? Is that truly enough of a reason to throw away your spot?¡±
The same red demon grunted. ¡°Most of us don¡¯t stand a chance. Barely even managed to get here. Coin, though? Now that¡¯s a hard thing to say no to.¡±
Vir frowned. ¡°You¡¯re being paid to do this? By whom?¡±
¡°Someone who likes you very much. As a corpse.¡±
Vir rolled his eyes. It seemed bullies were the same, regardless of realm or race. At least they had a half-way decent reason. Someone was paying them, but who? Who had such a grudge for Vir that he¡¯d hireckeys to eliminate him? Vir hadn¡¯t recalled making any such enemies, at least.Keeping his eyes trained on Vir, the demon called out to his posse. ¡°It¡¯s just one Artifact. Sure, it¡¯s deadly, but it can only be in one ce at one time. Besides, you saw it miss those Acira, didn¡¯t you? Just be careful and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°So?¡± Tara asked. ¡°What do we do? Every moment wasted here is precious.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Vir said. ¡°I¡¯ll take them on. I¡¯ll be quick about it. When enough of them have¡¡±
Vir trailed off.
¡°Yes?¡± Tara asked, before following Vir¡¯s gaze into the distance. Her expression changed from one of confusion to skepticism to shock, before finallynding on horror.
¡°Run!¡± Tara shrieked. Ordinarily, their opponents wouldn¡¯t have fallen for such an obvious deception, but the abject terror in her voice forced a few of them to look.
They yelled in panic, and soon, everyone saw what Vir had spotted.
An Automaton Guardian. Hurtling straight for them.
Vir scanned its shoulders, hoping against hope¡ But no. There was no mad Thaumaturge riding atop the Guardian.
For the briefest of instants, Vir thought about attacking the Automaton. At Saunak¡¯s tower, he¡¯d learned of a way of interfering with its movements. He quickly banished that though, however. Even under ideal conditions, Vir had done little more than to make the Automaton twitch. Attempting the same tactic against a mobile enemy who could shoot lethal beams out of its eyes seemed foolhardy at best.
¡°It must¡¯ve heard the Shrikes,¡± Vir muttered.
¡°Who cares!?¡± Tara said. Let¡¯s go!
Their enemies had already turned tail and fled¡ªall thoughts of heckling Vir purged by their sense of self-preservation.
¡°Yes, let¡¯s,¡± Vir said. ¡°But I¡¯d like to move faster than our previous pace. As such, would you mind if I carried you?¡±
Tara blinked in confusion. The Automaton was only a few hundred paces away, now, and closing fast.
¡°Sorry. Time¡¯s up. I apologize in advance.¡±
Vir scooped Tara up and energized his legs. Given that everyone around was currently running for dear life, he felt he could stretch Leap¡¯s range a bit without anyone getting too suspicious. Not quite to his maximum, but more than enough to outpace the creation of the gods.
Virunched into the air, eliciting a surprised shriek from Tara. Like Maiya, she squirmed initially, before her eyes bulged upon seeing that they were fifty paces above the ground. Then her grip tightened, and her mouth snapped shut.
From the indignant re she gave him, Vir knew he¡¯d have an earful before long.
That was alright. With this, they¡¯d bounded over their would-be opponents, which meant the Automaton would run into them first.
Vir sincerely hoped that none of them died, but this was the Ashen Realm. Even with a curated event such as this, the dangers were very real. Each and everybatant understood the risks the moment they stepped foot through that Gate.
Besides, as Vir looked back, he noticed most of them outpaced the Automaton. Those who couldn¡¯t split off, angling away. The giant construct paid them no mind.
Why was it here? Vir wondered. He only hoped the machination wasn¡¯t after him.
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The next checkpoint came and went with little fanfare¡ªthere were no crowds fighting it, and with it being in the middle of an open ash field at the foothills of a nearby mountain range, Vir and Tara took only moments to have their tablets updated. The added pressure of an Automaton in hot pursuit helped motivate them.
¡°Any idea how many of these there are?¡± Vir asked as he took to the air with Tara once again. Their next checkpoint seemed to be atop the peaks of these mountains, and Vir stopped at their base to reposition Tara to his back.
She happily obliged, hanging off him like a backpack.
¡°I have to say, while I can climb, you¡¯re doing me a great service by letting me piggyback like this,¡± Tara said.
¡°And you were a great help healing my wounds, so let¡¯s call it equal.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m d we each have something to offer, at least,¡± Tara replied, tightening her grip.
As Vir Leaped his way up the sheer mountainous walls, he saw at least a dozen other demons climbing their own way up.
Some bounded like he did, while others climbed the old way. Among them was a four-armed red demon that felt familiar.
¡°Is that¡¡±
¡°The Ravager,¡± Vir confirmed. ¡°Looks like the old man has to climb the old-fashioned way.¡±
¡°I¡¯m amazed we even saw him,¡± Tara said. ¡°I thought for sure he¡¯d be one of the first to return.¡±
¡°With Bncer of Scales? He¡¯d be the clear winner. I¡¯ve never seen another demon bound as far as he can with that ability. Without it, though, he doesn¡¯t actually have any movement arts that let him cover ground quickly. Not like he¡¯d need one, with that ability.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Tara said. ¡°The Ravager is an exception among exceptions, though.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Vir asked, bounding up the face. Coating his katar with Prana de, he drove it easily into the rock. The prana did the cutting, protecting the edge¡ªotherwise, even his seric katar would¡¯ve been rendered useless from the abuse.
¡°I mean Ultimate Bloodline Arts consume a dizzying amount of prana,¡± Tara said. ¡°Here in the Ash, it¡¯s no issue at all, but in the Demon Realm¡ Suffice it to say there are those with the same tattoo who can¡¯t match even basic movement art tattoos.¡±
¡°Right. Cirayus has had centuries to perfect and hone his technique,¡± Vir said, feeling a knot of worry develop in his stomach. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d had this thought¡ªif it took Cirayus so long, and if Vir struggled so much with his Chakra, then how long would it take him to master his bloodline arts?
The Automaton finally arrived at the base of the summit, but like the one Vir had encountered during his earlier trip through the Ash, this one remained there, not even attempting to climb.
¡°That¡¯s¡ surprising,¡± Tara said, looking down.
¡°I think they can climb, but something tells them not to. I don¡¯t know if it just consumes too much of their prana, or if it¡¯s some self-preservation instinct.¡±
¡°You act like you¡¯ve encountered one before,¡± Taramented from behind Vir¡¯s back.
¡°Well, maybe,¡± Vir said. ¡°Or maybe Cirayus just likes to talk a lot.¡±
Tara snorted. ¡°That he does. Though that only makes me wonder how someone as young as yourself is so close to someone like him.¡±
Vir chose not to reply, instead flinging himself into the air once again. This Leap took him over the summit ridge, and the moment he did, a wall of wind sted him. The force was so much that he was blown away.
Luckily, theynded right at the edge of the summit¡ªon a precipice that overlooked a thousand-foot drop.
The strong winds thankfully prevented the ash from building up, so Vir let Tara down and together, they trudged to the checkpoint.
It was when they were just ten paces away that Vir saw the Shadow Prana signature. He shoved Tara away just in time to avoid a spear that surged out from her shadow.
He¡¯s trying to kill her? Vir thought in panic. He¡¯d assumed the Iksana was after Vir, not Tara. But perhaps, knowing she was a naga, had the Iksana decided to take her out to avoid a repeat of earlier?
Vir cursed under his breath.
Tara had her talwar at the ready, and had turned, so her shadow was minimized. Even so, it¡¯d do her little good.
The Iksana wielder was fast, and Tara would have almost no time to dodge.
What should I do? Vir thought. For a moment, he considered sinking into his own shadow to take the fight to the enemy. If he was alone, he would¡¯ve done just that. With Tara here, it was just too risky.
There was, yet again, only one option that would work.
Vir once again scooped Tara into his arms, nearly eliminating her shadow. He Leaped to the checkpoint, bounding through the air to minimize his time on the ground.
This had two advantages. It not only gave him immunity to Dance of the Shadow Demon, but it also allowed Vir to anticipate the timing of the Iksana¡¯s next strike.
Vir¡¯s de was already in motion the moment hended. The spearunched out of his shadow... And was bisected by Vir¡¯s Empowered swing.
Losing no speed, Vir kicked off and Leaped again, finally bringing him to the checkpoint. The Iksana had either given up, or couldn¡¯t keep up, and though Vir looked back as he jumped off the mountain peak, he caught no glimpse of their attacker.
Whoever they were, they were good. And patient.
The worst type of enemy.
Tara did her best not to scream on the way down, but as they picked up more and more speed, plummeting the thousand feet to the bottom of the mountain, Tara¡¯s terror took over.
She thrashed, and her limbs iled, bashing Vir¡¯s head, though she only managed to hurt her own hands in the process.
Activating Light Step just before he hit the ground, Vir brought them to a soft, cushioned stop, and let Tara down smoothly.
The naga fell to her knees before shifting into her half-serpent form. Her tail shook, and Vir suddenly felt like he was in grave danger.
¡°That was awesome!¡± Tara eximed. ¡°You never said you had movement arts that slow your fall! We have to jump off more mountains together.¡±
Vir had miscalcted her emotions. Somehow, her reaction spooked him far, far more than if she¡¯d just been angry. Vir took an involuntary step back as Tara regarded him with hungry eyes.
If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, he caught her licking her lips. Maybe that was just a naga thing, but it unnerved him nheless.
¡°Er, right,¡± Vir said sheepishly. ¡°How about we focus on the challenge for now? We shouldn¡¯t get distracted until we¡¯re through.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Tara said, shifting into her fully serpentine form. ¡°I¡¯ll run the rest of the way. Go on ahead if you feel like you need to.¡±
Vir might ordinarily have done just that, but the Iksana gave him pause.
¡°Let¡¯s go together. Pretty sure we¡¯re ahead of thepetition, anyway,¡± Vir replied.
The rest of the journey went without a hitch¡ Until they found themselves at the Ash Gate.
A battle raged, though it wasn¡¯t by Tournament fighters in the Ash.
No, dozens of beasts swarmed, attempting to cross the Gate into the Demon Realm on the other side. Vir spotted Chakra and magic fly through the gate, destroying the creatures, but there were so many that some were bound to get through.
Moreover, theypletely blocked the Gate. To get past, they would have to kill the horde.
There was just one problem.
¡°I recognize those beasts,¡± Vir muttered.
¡°You¡¯ve fought these before?¡± Tara asked.
¡°Yes. Those are Hunter-Gatherers. And that,¡± he said, pointing to a muchrger Hunter in the thick of the fight, ¡°is a Brood Matron.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 329: The Final Moments
Chapter Ashborn 329: The Final Moments
Vir sent his Chakram flying, and it began to reave through the Hunter-Gatherers with brutal efficiency. Limbs went flying as the beasts were bisected one after another. Four, eight¡ªa dozen.
¡°That¡ is one unbelievable weapon you¡¯ve found,¡± Tara said in awe. Awe, and a hint of jealousy. ¡°Where did you say you found that again?¡±
¡°Deep within the Ash,¡± Vir said. ¡°But it may not be as impressive as you may believe. Look.¡±
The Brood Matron caught on and shrieked, ordering her Hunters to pull back. Workers took their ce, upying the Chakram as they were sacrificed like fodder.
Unfortunately, the Chakram¡¯s intelligence wasn¡¯t sufficient to identify between high-priority and low-priority foes. It uselessly ughtered Workers and Scouts, allowing the Hunters to resume their assault on the Gate.
¡°They adapted so quickly,¡± Tara said, frowning.
¡°She¡¯s smart,¡± Vir said, letting Tara down. ¡°Exceedingly smart. We need to take down the Matron. Without her, the horde can''t function.¡±
¡°You said you¡¯ve fought them before,¡± Tara said, unsheathing her talwar. ¡°How do you suggest we approach this?¡±Vir thought for a moment, weighing Tara¡¯s abilities. She was strong, yes, and had the benefit of being able to recover from any injury in a near-instant.
¡°Can you use Yuma¡¯s Embrace for this?¡± Vir asked.
¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± came Tara¡¯s immediate reply. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t part of the challenge, but it¡¯s the Ash, after all. I wouldn¡¯t put it past Thaman to consider this an exception. If I¡¯m caught using my Ultimate¡¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vir said. ¡°Alright. Work on the Hunter-Gatherers. Their attention is focused on the demons beyond the Gate, so striking from behind should prove effective.¡±
Vir paused. He¡¯d only fought those beasts in the Human Realm, where they were prana starved. The prana here seemed to not only strengthen them¡ªit made them smarter, too.
¡°Don¡¯t allow yourself to get surrounded. If you do, shout for my help. I¡¯ll be right over.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Tara said with a grin, swinging her sword menacingly. ¡°You¡¯ll be right over, huh? And I¡¯m some damsel in distress in need of rescue, is it?¡±
¡°Wait, no. That¡¯s not what I¡ª¡±
Vir never had a chance to finish. His instincts red at him to run away. To be anywhere other than here. And his instincts had yet to let him down.
He didn¡¯t Leap away. He Blinked, and he activated Haste for good measure.
For the very air that surrounded Tara warped and darkened, turning a deep, toxic purple.
As expanding cloud blotted the naga from sight, Vir understood what he was witnessing.
This was Corruption¡ªone of the bloodline abilities of n Panav¡ªexcept it was on a level iparable to what Bgra wielded. Tara¡¯s power felt like a cloud of death, ending the life of all that it touched.
The Hunters seemed to have noticed because they gave the field a wide berth, not even daring to venture close.
¡°Show off!¡± Vir yelled, even as a grin crept across his face. Tara would undoubtedly make a terrifying opponent when he fought her in the tournament, but now? Now, she was the most reliable ally he could''ve hoped for.
Vir Leaped, leaving Tara and her toxic cloud behind.
Even so, Vir couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down. Especially when an Iksana Ghael had it out for them. He only hoped the Iksana didn¡¯t use this opportunity to attack either of them¡ªpoisonous clouds meant little to those who wielded the power of the shadow. There would be little Vir could do to help Tara if the demon struck.
Which meant taking down the Matron as fast as possible.
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Vir sted through the horde of Warriors that surrounded the arachnid matron without hesitation, besetting them like some crazed Ash Beast. True, she might be smarter, and she might be stronger, but so was he.
No longer the prana scorned weakling, Vir pulverized her guards, before jumping onto her back, smashing an Empowered de into the Matron¡¯s tough chitin. At the veryst moment¡ªfor the briefest instant¡ªVir fired Prana de, allowing the weapon to sink into the Matron¡¯s hide.
Simultaneously, he opened his Life Chakra and focused his intent on attacking the Matron.
While Vir couldn¡¯t know what Chakras this beast had opened, Ash Beasts opened their chakras in random order, which gave him a chance.
The Matron chittered, making a screeching sound entirely unlike an arachnid. She was angry, that much was clear.
Vir didn¡¯t care. Just like the previous time he¡¯d fought this beast, he rode its back, using his katar to anchor him to it as it bucked and writhed under him. Why change tactics, after all? It¡¯d worked before.
Except unlikest time, he didn¡¯t need to slowly gouge open its chitin.
If his Artifact Chakram couldn¡¯t be relied upon to seek targets, he needed only give it one.
The weapon red to life, and Vir mmed it into the Matron¡¯s carapace. Its des ripped through the armor, slowly sinking deeper into its body.
The Matron¡¯s screeches intensified, and every Warrior in the area stopped what they were doing and started hurling acidic venom into the air.
Vir had almost forgotten about those. Even with Prana Armor to protect him, he didn¡¯t risk a hit. With the slightest movements of his body, he dodged the iing acid. Haste, of course,made the ordeal far simpler. Dodging was easy when the world progressed at a third of its normal pace.
It wasn¡¯t long before the Matron¡¯s motions seized. It froze for a long moment, before flopping onto its belly and breathing itsst.
All at once, the Hunters ceased their attacks. Echoing their matron, they froze in ce¡ªand not just the workers. The Scouts and the Workers did too, offering no resistance as the demons from across the Gatey into them.
Then, whatever influence they¡¯d been under dispelled, and they routed, running off in various directions. Some even ran to the Gate, but those were promptly eliminated by the demons on the other side.
Vir didn¡¯t hesitate. Their fight had allowed a dozen others to catch up. It was now a race¡ªpure and simple. The fastest demon would win.
He locked eyes with Tara and nodded. This was where their partnership ended. It¡¯d be cheating for Vir to carry her over the finish line, nor would he. As a Warrior, Tara would never have epted it, either.
From here, it was everyone for themselves. Whatever trials and tribtions they¡¯d faced previously didn¡¯t matter.
Vir crouched low and activated Leap, sending as much prana into his legs as he could. Between raising suspicions and losing this preliminary, there was no contest.
Leap surged Vir past the other contestants, and he quickly closed in on the leader, intending on smashing into his back to prevent him from entering the Gate. Vir considered breaking the demon¡¯s tablet, but rejected it. He didn¡¯t need to cripple this person¡¯s chances.
Vir needn¡¯t have worried. Shan bounded in, pinning the red demon to the ground, before jumping off his back to rejoin Vir as they bounded through.
He forced himself to a halt and took a frantic look around. Three, five¡ eight. The more demons he counted, the more the knot in Vir¡¯s stomach tightened. There were a lot. Too many.
But then came a booming voice. One that Vir recognized instantly.
¡°Congrattions,d!¡± Cirayus thundered, cing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You passed. I take it we have you to thank for killing off that Brood Matron?¡±
¡°Cirayus?¡± Vir blurted. ¡°How did you get ahead of us? I could¡¯ve sworn we passed you.¡±
¡°Well, now,¡± the giant said with a wink. ¡°This old man¡¯s got his ways.¡±
¡°What number was I?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Fourteen,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°Two spots left.¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes snapped back to the Ash Gate.
Tara was in her serpent form, slithering to the entrance, neck-and-neck with a gray demon who wielded movement arts, and a Bairan, who capitalized on his long gait to keep pace. Her cloud of death surrounded her, but at the speed she traveled, it failed to form a cloud¡ªinstead trailing behind her like a purple wake.
Unfortunately, it did her little good against her current opponents. Each moved in their own, unique way, and each was evenly matched.
Vir started forth unconsciously, but Cirayus ced a heavy hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
¡°You didn¡¯t help her before. You won¡¯t help her now,¡± he said simply.
It was true. Vir had no intention of getting Tara to fail. Yet still¡ He wished there was something he could do.
Something¡ Vir¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°The Chakram¡¡± he muttered. It was still buried inside the Brood Matron. And it was still in the Ashen Realm, which meant it had plenty of prana reserves.
¡°Lad?¡± Cirayus asked with suspicion.
Vir simply reached a hand out and summoned back the weapon. He¡¯d never known how exactly it worked, but the Artifact always detected his intent.
A momentter, the deadly disc blurred through the air.
He couldn¡¯t control its path once it had left his hand, so Vir could only pray it did what he asked of it.
The disc neared the three contestants¡ and zed right in the middle, just a few paces above Tara¡¯s head.
All three were trained Warriors. As such, all three had good instincts. And Tara¡¯s were downright feral.
Vir banked on that.
The humming of the disc¡¯s deadly spinning des prompted both the Bairan and the gray demon to jump aside instinctively.
Tara, however, was a serpent. She kept plowing on, simply lowering her head to the ground. That was her instinct in action¡ªdistinct from the others.
The chakram sailed through the Gate and into Vir¡¯s outstretched arm¡ªdeactivating.
Just as Tara slithered through the Ash Gate.
Cirayus locked eyes with Vir, his gaze stern.
Had he broken the rules? But how would they prove it? Vir had only recovered his weapon. Everything else was outside his control. Surely, they wouldn¡¯t fault him for that. Right?
Cirayus remained that way for a long moment, and Vir braced himself for the lecture that was toe.
Then Cirayus, Ravager and demigod legend of demonkind¡ªburst outughing.
Chapter Ashborn 330: Upgrades
Chapter Ashborn 330: Upgrades
Vir swept his gaze across the fifteen others who¡¯d seeded.
¡°Guess Roshan made it, huh?¡± Vir muttered, eyeing the son of Raja Thaman.
¡°Well, of course he did,d,¡± Cirayus said from beside Vir. ¡°I didn¡¯t train that whelp for nothing.¡±
¡°You trained him? I thought you hadn¡¯t taken on a disciple in a long while?¡±
Cirayus shrugged. ¡°Nothing as formal as that. The kid has potential. All I did was nudge him along.¡±
Vir suspected Cirayus¡¯ ¡®nudges¡¯ more closely resembled hellish and deadly training than he¡¯d ever let on, which prompted Vir to move Roshan up several slots in his mental leaderboard of potential threats. No demon who¡¯d trained under Cirayus would be a pushover.
Unsurprisingly, Zarak¡¯Nor¡ªthe Iksana they¡¯d encountered on the way to Camar Gadin¡ªwas one. Vir spotted Roshan, Raja Thaman¡¯s son, and a smattering of Aindri, Iksana, Bairans, and Chitran as well. And among them was likely Vir¡¯s would-be assassin.
If they were there, though, they made no sign of showing it. Aside from a few appraising nces from the rest, Vir had received no attention at all. In fact, more people seemed to look at Tara until she shifted back to her humanoid form.¡°Cirayus, we need to talk,¡± Vir muttered. ¡°We ran into some trouble back there.¡±
Vir filled Cirayus in on the Iksana assassin and the group that had been hired to take him out.
The giant listened in silence, stroking his beard. ¡°Not unheard of, though concerning nheless. You were right to act as you did. I will let Thaman know, and I¡¯ll put out some feelers of my own. Whoever they are, I doubt you¡¯ve seen thest of them.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Vir said. He was about to say more when Tara came walking up to them, wearing an easy smile.
¡°You certainly seem popr,¡± Virmented.
¡°Not me, specifically,¡± Tara replied. ¡°Just that Panav fighters are exceedingly rare in these Tournaments. We only have one bloodline art that¡¯s offensive, and even that isn¡¯t really designed for one-on-one duels. Panav fighters usually lose pretty miserably early on, unless they¡¯ve mastered an Aspect.¡±
¡°Even then,¡± Cirayusmented,ing up to them. ¡°There¡¯s a reason Bloodline Arts are carefully passed down¡ªeven the regr ones. They tend to manifest powerful effects far more often than the Aspects. Not to mention, a Panav with all of their Bloodline Arts won¡¯t have space for an Aspect, anyway.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Vir replied, appraising Tara. ¡°Which means you have some other advantage if you hope to win.¡±
The naga snorted. ¡°Sorry, win? I think we all know who¡¯s winning this one,¡± she replied, ncing at Cirayus. ¡°No, I have no delusions about winning. I¡¯ll just be happy if I make it to the semifinals.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vir said with a wry smile.
¡°What about yourself? What¡¯s your goal?¡± she asked.
Virughed sheepishly. ¡°Oh, y¡¯know¡ As far as I get, I suppose.¡±
¡°Makes sense. As neers, we¡¯ll have a hard time. Fighting in the Tournament¡¯s not like most fights. The rules make it tougher, and the ones who do the best know thepetition like the back of their hand. Anyway, I gotta run. Looks like Thaman¡¯s about to clear us out soon, anyway.¡± Tara nodded at the Bairan Raja, who was currently addressing a growing number of Bairans.
Judging from their sigils, Vir guessed they were Baira¡¯s army¡ªor at least, the closest thing they had to one. Every Bairan wore their own style of armor and wielded their personal weapons. There was no uniformity to it at all, unlike the armies of the Human Realm, or even those of the Chitran.
¡°I suppose they¡¯re preparing to rescue any demons stuck in the Ash,¡± Tara muttered. ¡°Well, I¡¯d better be off. Thanks a million for the help. See you in the Tournament. No hard feelings if we fight, yeah? I know I¡¯ll be watching your fights closely.¡±
¡°As will I,¡± Vir replied, waving at the naga as she walked away.
¡°Well,d?¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Do you agree with her assessment?¡±
¡°About the troops? Sure, that¡¯s definitely part of why they¡¯re here.¡±
¡°And the other reason?¡± Cirayus said with a knowing smile.
¡°Come on, Cirayus. It¡¯s not hard to guess. Thaman now has unfettered ess to a stable Ash Gate. One big enough to move entire columns of troops through. If I were him, I¡¯d have my troops train nonstop on the other side. Right up until the moment the Gate destabilizes. I mean, it¡¯s what I did with my troops. They¡¯re there even now, growing stronger.¡±
And I¡¯m not there with them, Vir didn¡¯t add. While his time here was necessary, it was time away from the war effort. All the more reason to ensure he won. Failure not only meant missing out on Bncer of Scales, it¡¯d mean he had burned weeks of precious time as well.
¡°Indeed, he does,d,¡± Cirayus responded, eyeing the Gate. ¡°Thaman¡¯s a crafty leader. No doubt he intended for the Tournament Warriors to clear out Ash Beasts on the other side before his own troops moved in to set up camp. Freebor, so to speak. Do you understand what this means?¡±
Vir frowned. ¡°It means Thaman has a leg up on the other n thanks to the Gate¡ Which is good, since they¡¯re one of the most likely to rally to our cause. Once I prove my worth, as you said.¡±
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition.
¡°All true, but not the point. Don¡¯t you see how this new ability of yours has you soaring in the eyes of anyone who knows? This boon you provide¡ It has a very useful quality in that it requires you to constantly replenish the prana within your Gates.¡±
¡°More of a hassle, than anything,¡± Vir began, but cut himself off. ¡°You¡¯re saying that my continued involvement means I hold power over whoever I grant ess to these Gates.¡±
¡°Exactly,d! Think about it. You need do nothing to allow them to expire. Perhaps that may not be all that catastrophic now, but imagine. Imagine a Demon Realm interconnected by your Gates. A realm that relies on supplies traveling through them from one end to the other. The prosperity it will bring is simply immeasurable. And¡¡±
¡°And the devastation it would cause if it ceases to be would also be immeasurable,¡± Virpleted, heart pounding as the ramifications began to dawn upon him.
¡°Aye,d. Once ns depend on you, you be vital. Forget old feuds¡ªthey¡¯ll be falling over themselves to keep you happy. And safe. Your livelihood and cooperation will be the pir that supports demonkind. Not militarily, but economically. In every age, those who destroy are hated. Those who excel at creation, however, are protected like a national treasure.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ I admit, I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead,¡± Vir said. Once entrenched, and if demonkind truly prospered the way Cirayus said they would, he¡¯d be able to demand nearly anything from the Rajas. Riches, Ultimate Bloodline Tattoos¡ They would dance in the palm of his hand.
¡°I would never do that to those I call friends,¡± Vir said immediately.
¡°No. But in politics, insurance never hurts. Besides, while you may not threaten your friends, I have a feeling you¡¯ll have far fewerpunctions about doing so to those you once called enemies,¡± Cirayus said with a knowing look.
Vir¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Perhaps.¡± He knew right then and there that he absolutely would use such tactics against the Chitran to keep them in line. Though where that line between friend and foe was drawn, he wasn¡¯t exactly sure.
¡°Tournament begins tomorrow,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°What are your ns? Will you finally take a moment to rx?¡±
Vir shook his head,ing out of his thoughts. ¡°No time, I¡¯m afraid. There¡¯s something else I need to do before my first fight.¡±
His gaze settled on the Ash Wolf beside him. ¡°I need to teach Shan how to use his tattoo.¡±
The task was easier said than done. For this, Vir, Cirayus, and Shan headed outside the city to a remote location near the Ash Boundary almost an hour away. The chances of being seen in the empty fields here were low, and the prana density would allow Shan the greatest chance of mastering his power.
Unfortunately, the Ash Gate they¡¯d used for the qualifiers was now under heavy Bairan guard, and while Cirayus might¡¯ve been able to convince Thaman to grant Vir an exception, it¡¯d have attracted too much attention. Vir already had too many eyes on him¡ªthe Iksana assassin was more than enough proof of that. The prana near the Boundary would have to suffice.
Vir knelt before the Ash Wolf. ¡°Shan¡ I never know how much you understand of what I say, but you¡¯re smart. I know you are. That tattoo we put on you,¡± he said, pushing down his armor to reveal his own mark, ¡°I want you to push your prana into it. Like, this.¡±
Canceling the flow of prana into the tattoo that his affinity, Vir then started it up again, moving it ording to the pattern of the tattoo.
Shan watched intently as Vir did this several times.
¡°Now, you try.¡±
The wolf tilted its head in confusion, and so Vir repeated the action before pointing at Shan.
This time, the wolf seemed to understand. Vir grew excited as he watched prana flow through the tattoo. ¡°That¡¯s it! Just like that!¡±
It soon became apparent that the Ashfire Wolf required no encouragement. Shan traced it effortlessly, despite having done nothing like this before. His instinct and natural aptitude were simply unparalleled.
Vir backed away a few paces, allowing Shan the space he¡¯d need if an ability manifested. The prana cycled¡ and cycled¡ and kept cycling.
¡°What¡¯s the matter,d?¡± Cirayus asked, seeing Vir¡¯s puzzled expression.
¡°Well, Shan¡¯s moving prana through the tattoo¡ªnearly perfectly, from what I can tell. Just that nothing¡¯s happening.¡±
Cirayus¡¯ eyes widened. Then heughed. ¡°Figure an Ash wolf masters the hard part immediately. Except, I suppose the intent might be the tough part for him.¡±
¡°Intent¡ As in visualizing the attack?¡± Vir asked.
Cirayus nodded. ¡°For most demons, it is trivial to envision a fireball hurtling toward one¡¯s foes. For Shan, there, I doubt such visualizationes easily despite his intelligence.¡±
It was true¡ªShan hadn¡¯t been exposed to such magic with any regrity. Even if he had, could Shan envision such an abstract ideal in his head?
¡°Shan? Think of a fireball. Big fire. Whoosh,¡± Vir said, making a blowing gesture with his hands. ¡°And then, boom.¡± Vir mimed an explosion and looked at Shan expectantly.
The wolf simply stared back, his face impassive and expressionless.
¡°Now, I¡¯m no expert,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s impressed.¡±
Vir threw the giant a re. ¡°What else am I supposed to do?¡±
¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,d. Trouble is, you don¡¯t have a tattoo suited for demonstrating what you mean, and Bncer of Scales is far too abstract for the poor wolf to have a chance of understanding.¡±
Vir thought of Aida, but she only had Giant¡¯s Hide and Giant¡¯s Grace. She wasn¡¯t abatant¡ªthose would do them little good.
¡°I suppose we¡¯ll just have to keep practicing, then. Won¡¯t we, Shan?¡± Vir said, turning back to the beast.
The hours passed, and Vir tried everything he could think of. Even Cirayus began pitching suggestions upon seeing the difficulty Vir was having.
Yet try as they might, they were entirely unsessful in getting the beast to manifest even the barest glimmer of magic.
¡°Is it bad that I wish Saunak were here?¡± Vir asked, at his wits end. ¡°A part of me wonders if I ought to have allowed him to experiment on Shan.¡±
¡°I hear you,d. Just know that Saunak is as likely to kill your poor friend as he is to strengthen him,¡± Cirayus said, cing a reassuring hand on Vir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯lle in time. Expecting results on the first day was unreasonable. Even for Shan.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Vir sighed. ¡°Just that it¡¯d have reallye in handy, y¡¯know?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll get by without it,¡± Cirayus said consolingly. ¡°If you ask me, what¡¯ll help you more than a new tattoo is food in your belly, and a solid night¡¯s rest. What do you say we head home and I rustle something up for the three of us?¡±
Vir smiled. I¡¯d like that. I¡¯d like that very much.
Shan separated from the group on the way back, as he often did. This time, it was the call of a lone Ash Biter that¡¯d strayed too far from the Boundary. While his master might have killed such prey out of a desire to protect others, for Shan, this meal was every bit as tasty as the one he¡¯d have in the giant¡¯s hometer on.
The wolf licked his lips and pounced, moving so fast he blurred.
The Ash Biter stood no chance¡ªShan had ended thousands of its ilk, after all. His attack was the embodiment of perfection.
Except, on this day, perfection just grew a little deadlier.
For instead of merely sinking his fangs into the Biter¡¯s neck, his mouth bristled, growing hot.
Hotter and hotter, until his fangs glowed red with heat.
They passed effortlessly through the Biter¡¯s neck, searing and cauterizing the wound even as they entered.
The wound was so clean, so fast, that the Biter died before even knowing what hit it.
Shan unclenched his jaw, and from the wound, steam arose. Shan licked his lips. He would enjoy this snack very, very much.
Were anyone around, they¡¯d have seen not just an Ash Wolf, but an Ash Wolf with a mouth that was so hot, it glowed red. Were anyone around, they¡¯d have thought such a Wolf was a demon from the worst nes of the Ash. A creature so foul, it would spell the end of the Demon Realm.
For, in that moment, Shan cut such a frightful figure that he might very well have spawned such tall tales. Tales that might¡¯ve been passed down and told millenniater to naughty children as they sleep.
Luckily, there was no one to witness it. No one, that was, except a handful of Bairan Warriors who stood shaking in their boots long after the wolf had gone.
Chapter Ashborn 331: Realms Apart (Maiya)
Chapter Ashborn 331: Realms Apart (Maiya)
Maiya sat with her legs crossed in a lotus position, as Cirayus had rmended. Centering herself, she focused on the concept of stability.
With each passing day, the feeling came both quicker and more easily, and Maiya was sure she was on the verge of a breakthrough. On the verge of ¡®opening¡¯ her Foundation Chakra.
The voices that had nearly killed her were now a distant whisper, and if she was right, would recede entirely when she mastered her Foundation Chakra.
It was all so wondrous¡ªto think an entirely new form of power had existed all along, hidden to the realm. It brought about a myriad of questions in Maiya¡¯s mind. Why had no human in recorded history ever opened a Chakra? Why was there no documentation of this? Was it a physiological problem? If so, why was Maiya able to unlock it?
Her intuition told her it might¡¯ve had something to do with her time in that Illusion realm with Vir, but if so, that only brought up more questions than it answered. It was all enough to make Maiya¡¯s head spin, but now that she¡¯d had some time to digest it all, she¡¯d concluded that this mystery was not one she could allow to go unsolved.
She also had a sneaking feeling that the answer would be bigger than anyone had thought¡ And that made her both excited and more than a little nervous. What would she find? What effect would it have upon the world? Would it be a great boon? Or would she only find horrors best left uncovered?
Neel¡¯s arrival forced Maiya out of her meditation¡ªthough since she¡¯d let her mind wander, it¡¯d ceased to be meditation some time ago. The crisp Sonam winter air tickled her nose, and a brisk chill swept past her as the bandy pushed open the closed door and bounded into the room, circling Maiya several times, tail wagging.
¡°Well, somebody¡¯s in a good mood,¡± Maiyaughed, hugging her old friend. ¡°And I wonder why!¡±
The sight of the old bandy never failed to lift her spirits, no matter how low they may just have been.Neel barked in reply, eyeing the orb that sat in front of Maiya. He looked at Maiya and barked again, tongue lolling.
¡°Yes yes. It¡¯s almost time,¡± Maiya said, easing herself out of the lotus position for a morefortable cross-legged one. Cirayus said it¡¯d get easier over time, and it did, but Maiya doubted it¡¯d ever be what she could call .
The image of Vir¡¯s serious face brought a smile to Maiya¡¯s face, as it always did.
¡°Hey, you,¡± she said warmly.
¡°Hey, Mai,¡± Vir murmured, looking embarrassed to call her by that name despite all the time they¡¯d spent together. It was more than a little endearing, so Maiya had never called him out on it. She didn¡¯t want him to stop.
¡°Aroo arooo!!!¡±
Neel jumped in front of the orb, trying to lick Vir¡¯s face.
¡°Hey Neel! No! Sit! Down!¡± Virmanded, even as an enormous grin crept across his face. ¡°What are you even doing, you big dummy? You can¡¯t lick me! I¡¯m not even in the same realm!¡±
¡°Aroo?¡± Neel said, tilting his head in confusion, even as he obeyed Vir¡¯smand, plopping his butt down on the carpeted surface of Maiya¡¯s meditation chambers.
¡°You¡¯re at home, I take it?¡± Vir asked. ¡°That was a pleasant surprise. Wasn¡¯t expecting to see two familiar faces today.¡±
¡°I am,¡± Maiya said, cradling the orb and bringing it closer to her face, lest Neel identally step on it. ¡°Just got here, in fact. I gotta say, it is good to be back.¡±
¡°About time you got to enjoy that ce. If I had a mansion as big as that, I¡¯d never leave!¡±
¡°Hah! Say that after you see all the doting attendants. I swear, I¡¯m never truly alone here.¡±
¡°Mdy, did you need something?¡± A muffled female voice called from just outside her room, as if on cue.
¡°Nothing at all, Hema,¡± Maiya called back. ¡°And please see to it I¡¯m not disturbed for the next while, if you will?¡±
¡°At once, mdy,¡± came the reply, followed by the shuffling of feet.
¡°See what I mean?¡± Maiya said. ¡°They¡¯re not even ordinary handmaids, either. This is Ira we¡¯re talking about¡ She assigned me her elite handmaidens. As bodyguards! I have bodyguards now! Both Kin¡¯jal and Children. It¡¯s like I¡¯m some celebrity!¡±
¡°Uhm, I hate to break it to you Mai, but you kinda are. Blessed Prophet? Blessed Chosen? The right hand of Princess Ira Kin¡¯jal? If you¡¯re not a celebrity, I don¡¯t rightly know what is.¡±
Maiya stuck her tongue out. ¡°I swear, even Bumpy¡¯s living like a king.¡±
¡°Now that¡¯s a name I¡¯ve not heard in a while. I assume he¡¯s happy?¡±
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¡°Couldn¡¯t be happier. I don¡¯t ride him these days, but he gets doted on by the staff. He eats the most expensive feed and gets more groomings than he has any right to. They even ride him around to keep him well-exercised. He has so much energy now that his leg¡¯s been mended.¡±
¡°I¡¯m happy you did that,¡± Vir said softly. ¡°He deserves everything he has.¡±
Maiya smiled. ¡°He truly does.¡±
They could easily go on like this for hours, chatting about nothing important. They usually did. Just that today, there were more important things to discuss with their limited time.
¡°So,¡± Maiya said after afortable silence had passed. ¡°How goes the tournament? Last we spoke, you¡¯d been about to take the qualifiers.¡±
¡°How¡¯d you think I did?¡± Vir asked with a nk expression.
Maiya¡¯s extensive training allowed her to keep her voice hidden, and she prayed that Vir couldn¡¯t see her prana through the orb, or he¡¯d see her heart beating madly. During the entire conversation, she¡¯d tried to gauge his expression and his tone for any sign of happiness or anguish.
Unfortunately, he had most of the training she did, and any tells would be intentional.
¡°You sound¡ rxed. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be this rxed if you lost.¡±
Vir held his nk expression for a moment. Then another. It was then that Maiya knew something had gone horribly wrong.
¡°I passed!¡± Vir said, finally beaming.
Maiya¡¯s eyes flew wide, before her expression warped into a frown.
¡°Vir? Thank Vera we¡¯re two realms apart, because if we weren¡¯t I would absolutely strangle you right now.¡±
Vir sniggered. ¡°I have no doubt you would. Who knew you¡¯d be so violent when we first got together. I must say, this is quite the surprise!¡±
Maiya raised a brow. ¡°You did. Ever since we were kids. So I¡¯m afraid the me rests entirely on you. I must ask that you take full responsibility for your actions.¡±
Vir let out an exaggerated sigh, cing the back of his palm to his forehead. ¡°If I must¡¡±
He held the pose for a moment longer, but broke downughing, as did Maiya.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually did that,¡± Maiya said in between fits ofughter.
¡°The things we do for the ones we love,¡± Vir said, leaving Maiya at a loss for words. Vir was typically more formal over their calls. She hadn¡¯t been expecting such words from his mouth.
It was nice, though, and once again, they settled into afortable silence, content to look at each other through the marvel that was the Communications orb.
Maiya slowly reached out and touched the orb, as if holding his cheeks¡ªwhich had grown a bit chubbier and more manlypared to the child she¡¯d once known.
¡°I miss you,¡± she said atst.
¡°I know,¡± he replied softly. ¡°I do too.¡±
¡°I just wish there was a way we could meet. Even briefly. Maybe with your ability to create Ash Gates¡¡±
The revtion that her lover had somehow mastered this ability had upended Maiya¡¯s world at the time. Despite the demons she was dealing with, it¡¯d made her excited in a way nothing had for months while she was ill. It had given her that most dangerous of things, which could both uplift and destroy. It¡¯d given her hope.
Vir gave her a pained expression, and Maiya regretted her words immediately. She¡¯d never say something so foolish¡ªwhy had she let those words slip? Even if it was what she wanted, it was an entire realm for him to cross. He couldn¡¯t so easily¡ª
¡°Can you wait, Mai? Just a bit?¡±
Maiya blinked. ¡°Come again?¡± This was not the response she¡¯d been expecting. She¡¯d expected outright refusal. She¡¯d expected him to balk at the very suggestion. Instead¡
¡°I can¡¯t immediately. Not with this tournament. And I¡¯ll need to tend to the troops immediately after, whichever way it goes. But as you said, I can stabilize Gates now. Crossing the Ash no longer poses the same difficulty as before. I''d nned to establish awork of Gates in the Ash, anyway. Making one to the Human Realm isn¡¯t any more difficult than stabilizing yet another Gate¡¡±
Maiya¡¯s heart was beating so fast, she felt it might leap out of her throat at any moment. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±
The words came out as a whisper, for her voice seemed to have failed her at that moment.
¡°I am,¡± Vir said confidently, looking her in the eyes. ¡°I miss you so much, Mai. I want to see you again. And now, I finally have a way.¡±
¡°I just¡ I don¡¯t know what to say, Vir! You better not be messing with me.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ wonderful! Oh, gods! I have to prepare! I have to buy new dresses! And we¡¯ll have to pick a ce to meet! How long will you be able to stay? I¡¯ll take care of everything, I promise¡ª¡±
Vir barked a heartyugh. ¡°Mai! Maiya! That¡¯s a bit premature, don¡¯t you think? I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to make the journey. It could be months!¡±
¡°Months, Vir!¡± Maiya cried. ¡°Not years! Can you imagine what this means for me?¡±
¡°Sorry, I¡ Yeah. I know. It¡¯s a big deal. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be able to stay, even if we do meet. But let¡¯s not make any ns for now? Just in case¡¡±
Maiya nodded vigorously, grinning. ¡°Y¡¯know? It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re not here. If you were, I¡¯d be smothering you with kisses right now.¡±
¡°O-oh. That¡¯s, er¡ Haha,¡± Vir said, scratching his nose awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯d be nice,¡± he then muttered, but too softly for Maiya to hear.
Maiya took a deep breath and massaged her temples. ¡°I needed this. I truly did.¡±
Vir¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Your coup. It¡¯s happening soon, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Hopefully. It¡¯ll all depend on Riyan. And as we both know, one does not simply summon Riyan Savar for a conversation. We¡¯ll have to infiltrate his base of operations and hope he doesn¡¯t try to kill us. All just to pitch our n. From there¡ Well, it¡¯s a mountain¡¯s worth of nning. It¡¯ll be awhile yet.¡±
¡°So, what are you worried about?¡±
¡°Oh, just a talk I need to have with a couple of peopleter today. Possibly the most important talk I¡¯ll have in this whole war effort.¡±
¡°Then may Yuma be with the both of us,¡± Vir said. ¡°My first match is tomorrow as well.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll win,¡± Maiya replied immediately.
¡°Wish I had your confidence,¡± Vir said, looking away. ¡°These demons are strong, and I¡¯m fighting blindfolded with one hand behind my back.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll still win,¡± came Maiya¡¯s firm reply.
¡°Mind sharing where you¡¯re getting this confidence from? I¡¯d like some of that myself.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll win because I know you, Vir. When you¡¯ve reached your limit, you push past. You¡¯re relentless. You¡¯re talented. And you have a reason you can¡¯t lose. So I know. You¡¯ll win.¡±
Vir stared back in stunned silence for a long moment, before uttering a ¡°Thanks¡ That¡ really helped, Mai.¡±
Maiya replied with a warm smile that came from the heart. ¡°You too. Talk after your fight?¡±
¡°You bet,¡± Vir said, then nodded and ended the call. They used to exchange goodbyes when they first started chatting over the orb, but those exchanges went on forever, as neither wanted to hang up. In the end, they decided foregoing the goodbyes altogether worked best. It made their parting feel less final, even if only a bit.
Maiya stared at the orb long after it had gone dark. The conversation had brought far more than the familiar face she¡¯d so longed to see. It¡¯d brought with it hope. Real hope, this time. Not the delusional fantasies she¡¯d had earlier. It gave her something to look forward to. And it emboldened her for the distasteful conversation she was about to have.
¡°Mdy?¡± came Hema¡¯s voice through the walls. ¡°Your guests. You asked to be informed when they arrived? They are awaiting you in the garden.¡±
Maiya rose to her feet, set her face, and opened the door.
Chapter Ashborn 332: Reforging Bonds (Maiya)
Chapter Ashborn 332: Reforging Bonds (Maiya)
Maiya leaned down and ruffled Neel¡¯s neck, which the bandy thoroughly enjoyed. It was an unconscious habit. She truly was dreading this conversation, but she¡¯d put it off for far too long already. To move forward, today had to happen.
Maiya walked down the third-story hall of her manor, greeting the various staff as she went. In what felt like no time at all, she¡¯d grown ustomed to the treatment. Compared to the adtion and reverence the cultists piled upon her, a few butlers and handmaids were like a breath of fresh air.
After handing Neel off to an attendant, Maiya made her way down the stairs alone, to the room in which her two friends awaited.
Both rose from their seats to greet her.
¡°Yamal,¡± Maiya said with a warm smile and a nod. ¡°Bheem,¡± she added, her smile turning tight. ¡°Care to follow me? Refreshments have been prepared in the garden. We have¡ much to discuss.¡±
The two followed without a word, no doubt thinking the same. While they¡¯d held a handful of meetings over the past weeks, they had all been strictly business, and with the two running around Kin¡¯jal making preparations, there had been little time for more¡ personal chats.
At least, that was what Maiya told herself. She hadn¡¯t strictly needed to send them¡ªothers could have been trusted with the task¡ªbut perhaps it was Maiya¡¯s subconscious at work. If they were away, she needn¡¯t deal with the strained feelings and the maelstrom of pent-up emotions they were all dealing with.
The manor¡¯s grounds, while notrge, were a grand affair. Immactely maintained, with trimmed hedges with beautiful shrubs, roses, and other floral arrangements forming intricate patterns.And, like the rest of Kin¡¯jali garden art, it gave off a simr impression to the royal castle grounds. Put-on for the sake of airs. Had she had the time, Maiya would have changed them, adding sculptures that had meaning, personalizing it to her taste.
s, it was what it was. Beautiful and sterile, and yet still the best ce to have this conversation.
White trellises led to an open veranda in the center of the garden, where a round table and three chairs had been arranged. Two handmaidens awaited with a cart full of tea, biscuits, and sweets, which they served the moment the trio had taken their seats.
They departed the moment their jobs were done, taking polite bows before wheeling the cart away.
Maiya eyed her two friends, taking a sip of her tea. Though she knew the tea must have been steeped to perfection, she barely tasted it. Her mind was on the words she¡¯d say, on how the conversation would flow.
She¡¯d rehearsed this endlessly, but now that she was here, she understood that a pre-prepared speech would get her nowhere. This had toe from the heart. No sugar coating. No lies. Just the honest truth.
¡°Let me cut to the heart of the matter,¡± Maiya said, meeting both Yamal and Bheem¡¯s gazes. ¡°By now, you both know that I am someone who has gained Princess Ira¡¯s favor. All of this,¡± she swept her hand across the garden, ¡°proves it. Yet until now, I have kept the details of my identity from you. My motivation, my goals, my past. Princess Ira has given me permission to bring you two into the fold. Truly andpletely. For with what we are about to undertake, nothing short of theplete truth will suffice. Yet before that, there is something I must say. Something I should have done long ago.¡±
Maiya had their full attention, and while Yamal sipped his tea, Bheem stared into Maiya¡¯s eyes, as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered. Did he want to kill her? Of course he did¡ªthat was a stupid question. He must resent her for causing the death of his dear brother. Even bringing him here without guard could have been considered reckless on her part.
Still, Maiya believed. That the bond they shared could be restored. That things could go back to normal. But it had to start with her.
Maiya rose from her chair, walked to Bheem¡ and knelt.
¡°Bheem,¡± she said, gazing into his eyes. ¡°I have wronged you. I have wronged you in the most unforgivable way. I robbed you of your brother, and for that, I regret everything. I regret it ended that way, even if it was necessary.¡±
She searched Bheem¡¯s face for any reaction, but there was none. He regarded her with an expression ofplete impassivity, as if his face had been etched from stone. Was she getting through to him? Was he cursing her in his head right now?
It didn¡¯t matter. Maiya would say her peace.
¡°I can tell you, here and now, that he did what he did¡ Because he loved you. He knew that without a named sessor, once he died¡ªand make no mistake, the madness would have killed him shortly after¡ªthe mantle of the Blessed Chosen would have transferred to you. His next of kin. Chosen by¡ By those who im to control Fate. The deities the Children of Ash worship. The delirium that broke him would have gued you. It would have crippled you, and then, just like your brother, you would have died.¡±
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Bheem¡¯s face was no longer an expressionless mask. His eyes had widened, and his lips were slightly parted.
¡°You didn¡¯t know,¡± Maiya muttered. ¡°I suppose you couldn¡¯t have known. Bheem, your brother sacrificed himself to protect you. Rather than see his beloved brother die, he wished to bear the burden alone. When he realized this was impossible, when he saw that I was to seed him, he ensured it was me who received the mantle. Not you.¡±
¡°I do not understand,¡± Yamal said. ¡°If these deities are indeed real, how did they pick you? And why?¡±
Maiya shook her head. ¡°I only wish I knew. All I know about them is what I learned from Bheem¡¯s brother in his final moments. But it seemed they favored me. Had I not existed, the Blessed Chosen was convinced the mantle would pass to you, Bheem.¡±
Bheem sniffled, his face contorted in pain.
¡°I will be honest, Bheem. I admire your brother. I respect him for the sacrifice he made. I pity him for his insanity, and I recognize he was not of sound mind. Yet, I would have done everything in my power to kill him, regardless. He¡ tried to have me assassinated. Several times, in fact,¡± Maiya muttered.
¡°What?¡± Yamal cried. ¡°When? How did we not know of this?¡±
Maiya gave him a pained smile. ¡°Towards the end. In secret, of course. That isn¡¯t all. He murdered a handmaiden girl in cold-blood. She couldn¡¯t have been over seventeen. I¡ Cannot forgive him for that, regardless of his state of mind.¡±
Bheem¡¯s look of pain had turned into anguish by now. With closed eyes, he silently wept.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bheem. But I felt you needed to know. I felt you deserved to know. That is the truth behind your brother¡¯s actions. The whole truth.¡±
The three sat that way in silence for a long while, with Bheem weeping, and Maiya bearing witness to it on her knees while Yamal rubbed the giant man¡¯s back.
Finally, Bheem regained himself. He stood and grasped Maiya¡¯s arms.
He pulled her up. Every instinct Maiya had screamed at her to defend herself. To move away from this giant who could crush her.
She resisted. She fought down her instinct and instead looked up at the man as she drew close.
She forced herself not to move, even as the man reached out with his great arms to grab her.
¡°Bheem! Stop!¡± Yamal cried, shooting up from his chair. ¡°What are you¡ª¡±
And then Bheem¡¯s arms wrapped around Maiya¡ And embraced her. In a hug.
For a long while, Maiya didn¡¯t know what to do. The motion was so sudden¡ªso unexpected¡ªfor the first time in a very long time, she was at a loss for what to do.
As it turned out, it hardly mattered. In the embrace of the great bear of a man, there was little she could¡¯ve done, short of activating her magic.
And so she allowed the giant to hold her, even as he wept.
When they finally broke away, she found her own eyes had turned moist, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
¡°Thank you,¡± she breathed. ¡°I¡ I guess this means we¡¯re friends?¡±
Bheem nodded firmly.
Maiya sat back in her chair, feeling nearly as relieved as she did on that day when the voices attacking her head faded. Suddenly, divulging secrets about matters that would shape the very future of the realm feltparatively trivial.
Maiya took a long breath, and got started.
¡ª ¡ª
¡°I was born in Hiranya at the vige of Brij,¡± she began. ¡°The daughter of a priest in a backwater that most Hiranyans couldn¡¯t name. Imperial knights raided our vige, searching for an Ashborn. My dear friend. Long story short, we fled and were rescued by a man by the name of Riyan Savar.¡±
¡°Savar¡¡± Yamal muttered. ¡°Why does that name sound familiar?¡±
¡°Because he used to be a Hiranyan General,¡± Maiya said. ¡°He had another name¡ªThe Butcher. Keep him in mind, as he¡¯ll be importantter. Anyway, he trained me in the ways of magic and sent me to infiltrate Kin¡¯jal as a handmaiden.¡±
¡°The Butcher¡¯s famous for his hatred of Kin¡¯jal,¡± Yamal said, sipping his tea. ¡°Hardly surprising he¡¯d resort to such measures.¡±
¡°He wanted a spy in Kin¡¯jal,¡± Maiya continued. ¡°I took the exam, passed, and rose within the ranks of the Handmaidens.¡±
¡°How does a Hiranyan spy end up in Princess Ira¡¯s confidence?¡± Yamal asked, scrutinizing Maiya¡¯s face. ¡°How are you even alive?¡±
Maiya smiled wryly. ¡°Turned out Princess Ira knew all along. She gave me an offer. Serve her¡ªhonestly andpletely¡ªand she¡¯d spare my life.¡±
¡°Not an offer you could very well refuse,¡± Yamal quipped.
¡°Nor one I wanted to. For the first time in my life, I had everything I could ever want. So I cast off my shackles and joined up with Ira. I fought at the Boundary. I learned more skills, and before I knew it, I was leading squads of elite Brian Warriors.¡±
Maiya gazed off into the distance as she narrated her tale. So little had happened for so much of her life. To think all of this had transpired in just a single year¡ Even now, she could hardly believe it.
¡°I earned Ira¡¯s trust, and she made me her right hand. Her most trusted confidante. The scalpel to cut through all that blocked her goal.¡±
¡°Her goal¡ Which is?¡±
Maiya scanned their surroundings. This was the real reason she¡¯d wanted to have this discussion out in the middle of a garden¡ªit made spying exceedingly difficult. Not that there would be any. Every one of her handmaids was hand picked by Ira. And as Maiya knew firsthand, Ira was an excellent judge of character.
¡°Because Princess Ira wishes to depose Imperator Andros Kin¡¯jal and take the throne for herself. Not for glory, but to reshape the very face of Kin¡¯jal. To quench their insatiable thirst for conquest. Once, and for all.¡±
There was a long silence, and it was Bheem who responded first. He scribbled something down on his pad and slid it over to Maiya, who read it aloud for Yamal¡¯s sake.
¡°¡®This involves the Butcher. Doesn¡¯t it?¡¯¡±
Maiya couldn¡¯t help but smile at how astute the giant was. ¡°Exactly. For you see, Riyan Savar leads a band of rebels against Sai as we speak.¡±
¡°The current Saian King is an ally to Andros. By deposing that regime, he robs Andros of an ally. You intend to destabilize Andros¡¯ power-base?¡±
A savage smile crept onto Maiya¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, no. Nothing so simple. The Princess intends tounch coups in both Sai and Hiranya.¡±
¡°In both¡ I do not understand. What could she gain from this madness?¡±
¡°Because there is no one alive as hungry for conquest as Imperator Andros. He¡¯ll see an opportunity. He¡¯ll send Kin¡¯jal¡¯s might to conquer those countries.¡±
Both Yamal¡¯s and Bheem¡¯s eyes widened inprehension. Comprehension and shock.
¡°Leaving Sonam exposed.¡±
¡°Exposed and vulnerable,¡± Maiya said. ¡°Sonam will never fall to an invading force. It is a fortress within a fortress. But a coup from within? That¡¯s another matter entirely. And as the first step of this n, we need to link up with Savar. We need to convince him to join us. There¡¯s just one problem. He¡¯s rejected any and all invitations to meet.¡±
Yamal and Bheem looked at each other, eyes widening.
¡°Which means we need a n to infiltrate his rebel base in Sai. And we have precious little time to do it.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 333: The Procession of Champions
Chapter Ashborn 333: The Procession of Champions
Trumpets red. Banners billowed in the breeze, and the cheers¡ The cheers were deafening.
The Ravager¡¯s Den was barely recognizable in its current form¡ªso drastic was its transformation. Where before, empty bleachers and work crews milled around the silent space, it now thrummed with an unstoppable energy Vir had never known. Indeed, had never thought possible.
For so many demons to congregate in one ce¡ªall for them. For the sixteenbatants who currently waited in the fighter¡¯s corral, awaiting their turn to be introduced to the world.
The waiting area was arge, two-story space with vaulted ceilings and pirs that supported them. Windows looked out onto the arena, but were small enough that those in the grandstands couldn¡¯t see anyone inside.
A four-armed Bairan worked at a grindstone, performingst-minute sharpening for thebatants¡ªa free service offered to all the fighters, as well asplimentary armor checkup and tuning. It was one Vir was only too happy to take advantage of as he waited.
Shan sat quietly in a corner, not drawing attention to himself. For that, Vir was d. Thanks to his prana density, his shaved fur had already grown back, hiding his tattoo, but Vir didn¡¯t want to arouse any more suspicion than an Ash Wolf already did.
Through the waiting room walls, Vir could hear the muffled sounds of thementators shouting to be heard above the frenzy, despite his amplified voice. Their energy was infectious¡ªas real as prana or Chakra itself¡ªand for the first time, Vir found himself feeling something other than anxiety about the uing matches.
Maybe, just maybe, this might actually be fun.¡°There you go,¡± the armorer said, handing Vir back his sword and armor. ¡°Polished and ready to go. I gotta say, never seen this design before. Especially your armor. Beautiful craftsmanship. And these segmented tes¡ You don¡¯t think the master who built this woulde after me, do you?¡±
Vir chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s quite unlikely.¡±
¡°Good, good. Let me help you put that on,¡± he said, assisting Vir as he donned his cuirass. Both the armor and weapon Princess Tiyana Matali bought him had served him well through the Ash, ruing many dents and scratches. The dents had been pounded out, and the paint reapplied, but there was no hiding its battle-worn appearance.
Which was good. It was proof of his toils and tribtions in the Ash. The years of struggle he¡¯d endured to get to this point. Vir would¡¯ve been saddened if the armor looked the same as it did when he¡¯d first worn it in the Human Realm.
¡°Alright everyone,¡± a Bairan announced, gathering everyone¡¯s attention. He was dressed in a formal blue Bairan silk vest and pants, and appeared to be their host. ¡°In just a few moments, your names will be called in order of the roster posted on the wall.¡± He gestured to arge scroll that some attendants were in the process of unfurling on a pir nearby. It listed all sixteen of their names.
¡°When called, we ask that you walk out to the central stage and wait there until the procession is over. Oh, and please do wave at the audience. They love it.¡±
He stared directly at Zarak¡¯Nor when he said that, but the Ghael¡¯s expression remained nk, as if he hadn¡¯t heard.
Vir scanned the list with excitement and trepidation. Predictably, Cirayus¡¯ name was at the bottom, though he was listed only as ¡®The Ravager¡¯. Vir breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his name listed towards the bottom of the list. At least he wouldn¡¯t have to wait out in the open for too long.
Tara was closer to the top of the list, and he threw her a look full of pity.
Apparently, the naga had something to say, because she power walked over to him. She looked him in the eyes for a long moment, then pped his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Quit pouting.¡±
Before Vir could reply, she walked off, striking up a conversation with another demon. Vir was left shaking his head wryly.
¡°Saras of the Aindri!¡± the host called. ¡°You¡¯re up!¡±
A burly red demon made his way to the hall that led out to the arena, a boar-like animal apanying him. It paused at the entrance, looking back at the room, before snorting and farting.
Vir couldn¡¯t know if that was on purpose, but a round of chuckles rippled through the room, lifting the heavy aura that had settled there. Heavy not because they were nervous, but because of the death res several Warriors had been throwing at each other the whole time.
There was very obviously a tangled web of history and resentment here, and Vir didn¡¯t want to get embroiled in any of it.
¡°Ladies! Gentlemen! Nagas, Ghaels, and Giants alike! Boy, do we have a special event for you this year. Isn¡¯t that right, Nakin?¡±
¡°Indeed, that is true, Samik. With the Ravager¡¯s return¡¡±
Vir tuned out the overenthusiasticmentators. Their voices made them sound fake, and Vir didn¡¯t know why they spoke that way. Did people find it interesting?
The cheers that erupted soon after answered him.
¡°And now, we have the pleasure of weing our firstbatant. This veteran fighter from the north is back, and he¡¯s been training! Having sequestered himself at the Boundary for years, he¡¯s gained a full Guardian Rank. Can the Silver-ranked Saras finally break the quarterfinals this year? Weee¡¯ll seeeee! Everyone, wee the one, the only, Saras of the Aindriiii!¡±
Saras jumped on hispanion boar and rode out to uproarious apuse¡ªpumping his spear high into the sky with each cheer.
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After an introduction like that, Vir was hardly surprised. Still, there was something off about the cheers, and it wasn¡¯t until the thirdbatant had left that Vir understood what.
Each time, the apuse came from a distinct section of the arena. And generally, only that section. The area where the Warrior¡¯s nsmen sat and stood.
As Cirayus had mentioned, each n had their own section, and though there was nothing preventing the ns fromingling, nearly everyone sat with their kin.
It said something that the cheers were so isted to the ns. From what Vir saw, nearly nobody outside of the n cheered.
That was until Roshan¡ªThaman¡¯s son¡ªwalked out.
¡°One who needs no introduction¡ªif you don¡¯t know who he is, you don¡¯t deserve to be here!¡±
¡°True. Take a good look, everyone. You may very well be looking at one of our finalists. Are we headed for a master versus disciple duel for the finals?¡±
¡°That sure would be something, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
Thementators went on as Roshan loped out, casually waving at the crowd like he was taking a stroll. He hefted his enormous war hammer over his shoulder, and made no move to show off or brandish it. It was clear from his demeanor that he was used to such attention.
As the Raja¡¯s son, Vir understood why that would be, yet he still struggled to fathom how anyone could truly growfortable with so many eyes upon them.
The apuse came not just from Baira, but Panav, and to a lesser extent, from Aindri as well.
The names continued to be called until Zarak¡¯Nor was up. Vir honestly wasn¡¯t sure how the Iksana Ghael would be received.
As it turned out, he was another fan favorite, despite skulking out without bothering to wave. Unlike the others, his dagger was sheathed, and he looked almost¡ Bored. Vir suspected the host¡¯s words were actually directed solely at Nor, rather than at any of the neers.
¡°Everybody. I could make a long and storied introduction, but does anything need to be said apart from two words? Reigning. Champion. That¡¯s right. The Iksana Ghael you all know and love! Let¡¯s hear it for the Gold Rank, Zarak¡¯Noooooor!¡±
The cheers were on another level from before. The Iksana camp absolutely exploded, but Bairans, Panav, and even a few Aindri joined in.
To Vir¡¯s surprise, though, there were also a fair share of boo¡¯s, and those came from all over. Vir wondered what that was all about. They were swiftly drowned out by the cheers, though, so he wasn¡¯t quite sure what that was about.
Vir was noticing that the Panavs were cheering on several warriors. Perhaps it was because they were used to not having apetitor in the top sixteen. Or maybe it was because they were just friendlier than the others.
Vir resolved to speak with the Panav Rajni before the tournament was over. He felt like of all the ns, Panav and Baira were the most likely to side with him.
Still, Gold Rank, huh? Vir thought. He wouldn¡¯t be an easy opponent to defeat. Not by a long-shot.
Then came Tara¡¯s turn. Vir gave her a reassuring nod, which she returned with an amused smirk. Like Roshan, she too exhibited no hint of anxiousness as she sauntered out of the room, one hand on her talwar.
¡°And now, a debut fighter from a n that honestly needs more representation in this tournament. Are we looking at a Champion in the making? Will this Steel Ranked Panav aplish what only a handful from her n ever have? She¡¯ll be one to keep follow, folks. Wee Tara of the Panav!¡±
None of the other ns apuded. It hardly mattered, because the absolutely deafening energy from Tara¡¯s n more than made up for it.
¡°We-he-ll!¡± Thementator Samik said, clearly taken aback by the response. ¡°Have you ever seen the Panav cheer this hard for anyone?¡±
¡°Can¡¯t say I have, Nakin. This is just unprecedented. What a great wee for a neer!¡±
Tara beamed, hefting her spear over one shoulder while waving at her n with the other, even going so far as to blow them kisses. That, of course, sent them into a fervor of hoots and cheers, and there were as many eyes on the Panav n as there were on Tara.
Vir almost felt bad for the demon who came after¡ªa Bairan named Tarab¡ªwho received only a middling reception.
A Chitran kothi was announced, who received middling apuse, along with a handful of boo¡¯s, and then the dreaded moment finally arrived.
¡°Vaak? You¡¯re up,¡± the host announced. Vir braced himself, tapping his Foundation Chakra to calm his nerves. His palms had grown sweaty, and it took all he had to force himself to walk normally.
He cast a brief nce at Cirayus, but the demon was animatedly chatting up another. Vir was sure his godfather would¡¯ve wanted nothing more than toe over and p his shoulders as Tara had, but that was why he¡¯d sent Tara in the first ce.
Cirayus didn¡¯t want to attract any more ire toward Vir than he already had.
¡°Getting to the end here, Samik. Our next contestant is a debut warrior! In fact, I¡¯d wager he¡¯s the one we know the least about!¡±
¡°He¡¯s also a bit of an oddball, Nakin. He¡¯s the only unranked participant here. He fights alongside a prana wolf, but he ims no association to the Aindri. Just who is this neer?¡±
¡°I agree, Samik. We have ourselves a mystery Warrior that nobody has ever heard of. From where does he hail? How strong is he? We don¡¯t know! We do know, however, that he has the favor of the Ravager himself. Tell me, who¡¯d bet against someone iming that?¡±
The answer, apparently, was a lot.
Vir walked boldly out into the arena, but it was not to deafening cheers, nor even to booing. The arena had fallen deathly silent, and only the Panav gave him some halfhearted ps.
Through sheer force of will and Chakra, Vir stopped himself from flushing from embarrassment. Instead, he waved as if the entire arena had lit up for him.
That, it seems, earned him some booing.
Oh well¡ he thought. I tried.
Just when he was about to lower his arm, Shan cocked his head to the sky and howled a howl so loud and long that even Vir startled in shock.
It hadn¡¯t just been his imagination, either. The arena had heard. Or at least, enough of them had that they started pping¡ªin earnest this time.
¡°Well, would you look at that!¡± one of thementators said. ¡°That has to be a first!¡±
The pping picked up, until Vir feltfortable waving to them again. He even smiled, despite his heart threatening to leap out of his chest.
Vir took up his spot and nodded at Tara, who nodded back with a genuine smile.
Was she worried for me? Vir wondered. He still didn¡¯t know what to make of that girl. He felt like she was as mysterious as he must¡¯ve appeared to her.
With so many others already lined up, Vir managed to calm himself as the rest of the names were announced. Now that he was out of the limelight, being able to see the entire stadium was actually quite a sensation. Every time the crowd roared, he felt ripples down his back.
The roars weren¡¯t for him, but he couldn¡¯t help fantasizing¡ªwhat if, one day, they were? If, one day, he earned the arena¡¯s respect enough for them to greet him with thunderous apuse?
Would they react that way if he defeated Cirayus? Or would he be booed instead?
Vir was shocked out of his daydreams when Samik called thest name.
¡°Last, but certainly not least, we bring you the only Seric Ranked Warrior in thispetition. Behold, everyone! The myth. The legend. The Rav¡ª¡±
Thementator didn¡¯t have time to finish. Cirayus bounded out of the waiting area, jumping a hundred paces into the sky as he brandished Sikandar high overhead.
The arena fell into a hushed silence.
He made for an awesome sight, with the enormous de reflecting the sunset¡¯s red glow as he fell, faster and faster.
He hit the ground with tremendous force, sending shockwaves through the arena.
The demon whirled and pointed Sikandar to the sky, then bellowed a war cry that made Vir shudder.
The arena, all at once, exploded.
So deafening were the cheers that Vir had to plug his ears. That, however, didn¡¯t stop the drumbeat of fifty thousand demons as they stood in ovation to Cirayus¡¯ arrival, stomping in unison. Every n. Every single demon.
A chant rang out. It took Vir several repetitions to understand the words, but when he did, another set of shivers rippled down his spine.
¡°Ci¡ªRay¡ªUs!¡±
¡°Ci¡ªRay¡ªUs!¡±
¡°Ci¡ªRay¡ªUs!¡±
Vir realized in that moment that no mere champion won such fervent adoration. No, one had to be a living legend for this. One had to win every tournament they ever fought, dozens upon dozens of times.
One had to be Cirayus the Ravager.
Chapter Ashborn 334: The Ravager’s Fight
Chapter Ashborn 334: The Ravager¡¯s Fight
The cheering seemed to go on forever, and Vir wondered if it¡¯d ever end when Thaman finally raised his arms and motioned for quiet.
It took a while, but the crowd finally acquiesced. Even long after silence had befallen the Ravager¡¯s Den, Vir felt his ears ringing with the echoes of that din. The sound may have dissipated, but the energy behind it didn¡¯t leave Vir¡¯s mind so easily. There was power there. Power¡ And respect.
Vir looked at his godfather with renewed appreciation. This was the demon who¡¯d worn an apron and cooked up a delicious meal only hours earlier, like any average demon.
If anything, that only made Cirayus even more impressive in Vir¡¯s mind. He wasn¡¯t just a Warrior. He was a general. He was a philosopher, wise in the ways of the world. He was a politician. And above all, he was family. He was also someone Vir¡ªVaak¡ªhad to defeat.
Vir doubted the demon was seriouslycking in any department. Truly a master of all trades¡ though he supposed that was the inevitable oue of centuries of relentless self-improvement. Someone who transcended mortal bounds. Who became more than the sum of his parts.
¡°My brothers. My sisters. Everyone! I thank you foring. This tournament is steeped deep in the history of our people. Let this be one for the ages. Both marking the return of our most beloved living legend¡¡± Thaman was interrupted by another round of hoots and cheers and stomping. ¡°Yes! But also, let us watch as all these Warriors test their mettle. Let us put aside our n and support them on merit only. May the best Warrior win!¡±
Predictably, the arena burst out into cheers after this, and this time, Thaman allowed it to run its course.¡°Now, as you are all aware, this year features sixteenbatants fighting in single-elimination bouts. Sixteen fighters. Four rounds. Yes, this is somewhat fewer than the past several tournaments, but I assure you, after that gauntlet in the Ashen Realm, only the very best remain. So you better not miss a moment of any fight, lest your grandchildren tease you about it for centuries toe.¡±
A round ofughter echoed through the stands, and once again, Thaman allowed it to run its course. His timing was masterful¡ªcontinuing at the exact moment when the sounds started to die off.
¡°Now, as has always been tradition, our first round brackets will be determined by random chance.¡±
He gestured to an oversized table with a giant ss sphere sitting on top.
¡°Nothing new here, though for the sake of the young ones and those joining us for the first time, I shall summarize. Inside this container are sixteen names, which I shall now draw. The first name pairs with the second. The third with the fourth. And so on, so forth. Now, I shall begin.¡±
Vir prayed to all the gods that he wouldn¡¯t be matched against Cirayus in the first round. Though, upon reflection, it hardly mattered, didn¡¯t it? Cirayus would dominate every fight, of that he had little doubt. Which meant their bout was inevitable, should both keep winning.
What difference did it make if it was round one or four?
¡°Our firstbatant is¡¡±
Thaman drew the folded piece of paper, unfurled it¡ and sighed so loudly, it was audible to the entire stadium thanks to the amplification.
¡°I swear¡ Badrak must be ying games with me. Yes. Our firstbatant is none other than Cirayus the Ravager!¡±
Vir braced himself for the deafening apuse this time. It didn¡¯t help. He was forced to plug his ears, though thankfully the shouts and whoops died off faster than when Cirayus had first made his entrance. Even afterward, though, the sound of stomping feet filled the arena, forcing Thaman to speak louder.
¡°And his foe will be¡¡±
Vir looked up and down the line. All fifteen awaited with bated breath. Even Zarak¡¯Nor looked pale, and that was saying something, considering he was a Ghael. They all looked like they were one step away from the grave.
¡°Aalok¡¯Yar!¡±
Vir¡ªand everyone other than the poor Iksana¡ªsighed in relief. Aalok merely gritted his teeth and nodded toward Cirayus, who nodded back.
¡°And next, we have¡ Vaak¡ªof Ash!¡±
Vir gaped. This couldn¡¯t have been random. How could Cirayus have shown up first, with Vir second? It was too imusible.
There was a very unenthusiastic round of pping this time, but Vir was too distracted to pay it any mind.
The old man had to have set this up. He must¡¯ve¡ª
¡°And he will fight¡ Oh. Oh dear.¡±
Thaman paused, looking at the name. Vir knew beyond a shred of a doubt he was doing it strictly for dramatic effect.
As obvious as it was, it worked. The whole stadium seemed to lean forward, waiting on Thaman¡¯s next work.
This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Our reigning champion¡ªZarak¡¯Nor!¡±
This time, it was Vir¡¯s turn to grit his teeth. Sure, it wasn¡¯t Cirayus, but Nor was nearly as bad. There were no advantages to fighting Nor at this early stage, Vir knew. If he lost¡ Well, Vir would look pathetic.
If he won, however, he¡¯d instantly shoot onto everyone¡¯s mind¡ªthe crowd, and fellowbatants alike. Surprise was his biggest advantage.
To retain that, Vir would have to win, but he¡¯d have to win in a way that made it look like a fluke.
How in the realm am I going to pull this off?
¡°Well? cing any bets?¡± Tara asked from beside Vir. They¡¯d relocated to the grandstands¡ªthe fighters all had positions of honor at the very bottom of the stands next to the stages. While Cirayus¡¯ match was due to start in a few moments, a dozen challenge duels taking ce on the smaller rings had provided entertainment for the past hour. Demons shouted out bets left and right, resulting in a constant thrum of activity.
Vir snorted. ¡°Look at the odds. I¡¯ll make nothing by betting on Cirayus.¡±
Tara sighed. ¡°True. The hype for Ravager fights is real, but I doubt much money will flow for his fights. Maybe except for the finals, depending on who he fights. A Nor versus Ravager fight would be something¡¡±
¡°You think Zarak¡¯Nor would win?¡± Vir asked, raising a brow.
¡°Gods, no!¡± Taraughed. ¡°But some chals undoubtedly would. That¡¯s all you need to even the odds a bit. Easy money betting on the Ravager should that matchup happen.¡±
Vir supposed she had a point. There were likely even a few desperate demons betting on Cirayus¡¯ first round opponent. The odds were astronomical¡ªbut so too were Aalok¡¯Yar¡¯s chances of winning.
Which was why the bets had shifted from ¡®Who will win?¡¯ to ¡®Guess how quickly the Ravager defeats his opponent¡¯, along with a dozen others, including bets involving guessing which strategy Cirayus would employ and what move he¡¯d use tond the final blow.
It was so chaotic, with the Bookmakers shouting out bets in rapid fire, and gamblers raising coins into the air and yelling back. Vir couldn¡¯t fathom how the system possibly worked without everyone¡¯s bets getting mixed up. And yet, it did, with a boggling amount of coin exchanged on a regr basis.
If Thaman is taking even a tiny cut of these¡ Vir shuddered to think of n Baira¡¯s coffers. The image of opening a door, only to be drowned in the deluge of coins that poured out, came to mind.
A sneaky pincer from an Aindripetitor and his tamed boar brought Vir¡¯s attention back to the stages. The fights themselves varied from captivating to head shaking as opponents of all calibers faced off against one another. Vir felt several would have easily made the cut into the top sixteen, though since the qualifying challenge was a race, slower demons were at a disadvantage.
The duels wound down in anticipation of the main event. The referee walked out on to the stage, and in his amplified voice, announced thebatants.
¡°And now, I bring you the up-anding Iksana. The young. The hopeful! Aaaalok¡¯Yaaaar!¡±
The Iksana camp lit up with cheers and stamping, but Aalok had almost no support from the other ns¡¯ seats.
As for Cirayus¡ Vir and Tara both plugged their ears well before the ref had finished announcing him.
When the arena finally returned to tolerable levels of noise, Tara turned and grinned. ¡°Okay, no bets. But how do you think the Ravager will fight? You know him much better than I do.¡±
Vir had to think on that for a moment. ¡°Well, ordinarily, I¡¯d say he¡¯d look to end the fight as quickly as possible. Cirayus doesn¡¯t do ir. He doesn¡¯t show off. His fighting style is efficient, relentless, and brutal¡ But that¡¯s against Ash Beasts. I¡¯ve never seen him fight another demon before.¡±
¡°From the way he entered, I¡¯d say he loves being the center of attention,¡± Tara said. ¡°I think he¡¯ll draw this out. Give people a show.¡±
¡°I suppose we¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±
¡°Combatants¡ Fight!¡±
The spear-wielding Iksana made the first move, sinking into his shadow.
Tara rolled her eyes. ¡°So predictable. This is why nobody likes watching Iksana fight. They¡¯re all so formic.¡±
Vir had to admit, he¡¯d guessed Aalok would reach for Dance of the Shadow Demon¡ªit just made so much sense. The ability was almost unfairly powerful for being a regr Iksana Bloodline Art, and with Aalok¡¯s spear, he wasn¡¯t as horribly outmatched in range as most.
Cirayus¡ Didn¡¯t do much of anything. Sikandar was still slung across his back, and he merely stood there with two arms crossed. The other two waved to the crowd, and Vir thought he even saw the demon blow kisses.
¡°Looks like you were right on the money¡¡± Vir muttered, feeling almost embarrassed for the demon.
¡°He¡¯s not the most beloved champ for nothing. Efficient fighting sometimes makes for a good show, but not usually.¡±
To most people, Cirayus looked as though he hadn¡¯t a care in the world. He was full of openings, and it seemed like he wasn¡¯t even paying attention to the fight.
Vir knew that simply wasn¡¯t true. No matter how much his godfather showboated, he always took fights seriously.
Which was why it came as no surprise to Vir when Cirayus calmly reached behind his back and leisurely grabbed hold of the Ghael¡¯s spear.
Aalok desperately tried to wrench his weapon back, but to no avail.
¡°That¡ looked incredibly easy,¡± Tara said. ¡°Wonder why more people don¡¯t do that.¡±
Vir shook his head. ¡°Cirayus made it look easy. Even without Bncer of Scales, he has monstrous power, and knows exactly how to use it. It¡¯s not so easy to catch a spear mid-strike. As I¡¯m sure you know.¡±
¡°That I do¡¡± Tara admitted, eyes glued on the battle, the same as Vir.
He genuinely didn¡¯t know what Cirayus nned to do. While he had a significant advantage while holding his enemy¡¯s weapon captive, that wasn¡¯t enough to win.
It happened faster than anyone could see. Aalok surged out of the shadow, going from pulling his spear one moment to driving it forth with the full weight of his body.
Against most demons, that would¡¯ve resulted in the spear prated straight through Cirayus¡¯ body¡ªespecially with the movement art Aalok used.
Against Cirayus and his Giant¡¯s Hide, however, it simply nced off. It hadn¡¯t helped that Cirayus moved the barest amount, redirecting the de as it struck him.
In the next instant, he¡¯d grabbed hold of Aalok¡¯s arm.
The Iksana¡¯s legs were still in the shadow, and he seemed unwilling to give it up. So instead, Cirayus simply lowered himself to the ground. Slowly.
His shadow constricted, bing smaller and smaller around Aalok¡¯Yar¡¯s exposed torso.
¡°You sure you want to y this game?¡± Cirayus asked gently, his voice amplified so it could be heard by the audience. ¡°I know what happens if you lose a limb in that Shadow Realm of yours. There¡¯s no getting it back.¡±
Cirayus was almost on his knees now. His shadow continued to tighten.
Vir could see the conflict in the Iksana¡¯s eyes. He was caught in an impossible situation. Remain in the shadow and lose a limb? Or exit and risk losing the duel?
With the shadow now dangerously close to shearing his torso, the Iksana finally made his decision.
He leapt out of his shadow¡ Only for Cirayus to grab him with all four hands. Lifting him high into the sky, Cirayusunched the demon.
Aalok sailed through the air helplessly¡ andnded on his bum.
Outside the ring.
¡°W-Winnnerrrrr!!!!¡± The referee shouted.
Cirayus raised all of his arms to the crowd, and the arena that had fallen utterly silent broke out in uproarious adtion.
¡°Well,¡± Vir muttered, knowing Tara couldn¡¯t hear him over the din. ¡°Looks like we were both wrong. He was not only efficient, he also gave everyone a show.¡±
And soon, it would be Vir¡¯s turn. Could he match his godfather¡¯s performance? Or would he be taking a loss in the very first round?
Vir steeled his face and rose. He had to seed. He had to.
Chapter Ashborn 335: Vaak vs Nor
Chapter Ashborn 335: Vaak vs Nor
Vir paced around the waiting area, feeling like an eternity had passed. He wore his newly polished armor, and his katar and Chakram both glistened in his hands, ready for the fight.
If only he felt ready. Left alone along with Shan in arge room at the edge of the arena and a single Bairan guard, dark thoughts filled his mind. Until now, he¡¯d been fixated on Cirayus, thinking him the only real threat. But the results of the qualification challenge had humbled him. He¡¯d barely eked by, and though it wasn¡¯t an outright test ofbat, to havee inst¡
Zarak¡¯Nor would not be an easy opponent. With all of his handicaps, Vir would have to bring his very best. Even then, Vir had a bad feeling. Never had the stakes been higher. If he lost here¡ªif he failed to obtain Bncer of Scales¡
Vir took several deep breaths to center himself, resisting the urge to tap into the Foundation Chakra as he¡¯d be using it extensively in the uing fight.
He nced out the window. The Tournament was scheduled such that the main fights were hours apart¡ªboth to increase the feeling of suspense, and to get people to stay through the challenge fights that went on continuously. If the main duels finished early, most spectators would leave. And that meant less money flowing into Thaman¡¯s coffers.
When thementator finally announced Vir¡¯s name, he was both horrified that the moment had finally arrived, and relieved that the endless wait was over.
¡°And now, my dear demons and demonesses, the moment you¡¯ve all been waiting for! The second and final bout of the day! Our firstpetitor is a young demon, iming affiliation to no n.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, Samik,¡± the othermentator replied. ¡°He bears no official Guardian Rank. Yet he ims to be of the Ash, and from what we saw in the qualifiers, I have to say, he certainly lives up to the title!¡±
¡°Indeed. Vaak didn¡¯t break a sweat in there. To say nothing of that Artifact Chakram he wields.¡±¡°That is one nasty weapon, I must admit, and let¡¯s not forget hispanion, the prana wolf! Even our reigning champion will have to y it safe with this one.¡±
Thementator¡¯s words were followed by a round of booing.
¡°Well, now,¡± Samikughed. ¡°This will no doubt be quite an opening battle, folks! Without further ado, let¡¯s bring out our Vaaaak¡ªOf Ash!¡±
Vir made sure he waved enthusiastically to the crowd, ignoring the extremelyckluster response¡ªmost of which came from Baira and Panav. He was at least d that there was no booing. If he won this bout in the manner he intended, he suspected there would be far more of that next time.
Doing his best to ignore the enormous floating projections that were currently showing Vir, he shifted his gaze to the very tops of the grandstands. To the small rooms that ringed the arena¡ªone per n section. The seats of highest honor, reserved for the Rajas and their retinue. Except for the Aindri, every Raja in the realm was in attendance.
Which meant Chitran Raja Matiman was gazing down at him even now¡ Vir wondered how the Raja would react if he had even an inkling of who he was looking down at. Vir wondered how any of the Rajas would react.
Only Thaman and Kira knew of his identity and existence. The others were still in the dark. To them, the Akh Nara was dead.
It would be pandemonium, Vir concluded. It might even be the spark that triggered the next inter-n war.
And all that protected him¡ªprotected the realm¡ªfrom that fate was the tattoo Cirayus¡¯ granddaughter had inscribed upon his chest. A tattoo that required a constant flow of prana, and that¡ªagainst an Iksana bearing Sight like Zarak¡¯Nor¡ªwould be instantly discovered if Vir let up for even the briefest of moments.
More than losing, it was this possibility that scared Vir more.
¡°And now, introducing one who needs no introduction. Our Reigning Champion. The Gold-Ranked. The One. The Onlyyyy. Zarak¡¯Noooooooooor!¡±
Vir was surprised to learn Nor was only ranked at Silver, though he supposed his scale was broken with Cirayus as his point ofparison. The Ravager was one of the few Seric-Rank demons in the entire realm, after all. And while Vir had been ssified as Steel by the Overseer, he had to wonder where he¡¯d rank unfettered, with full ess to his abilities. Given the beasts he¡¯d in in the Ash, he doubted very much he¡¯d rank anything other than Seric.
While that was a minor constion, it wasn¡¯t one that would be immediately helpful in this match.
The Iksana appeared from the opposite side of the arena, taking his time as he stomped to the stage, utterly ignoring the crowd that exploded in cheers, hoots, and stomps for him. Not just the Iksana, either. Every section of the stadium lit up with roars. Still, despite the energy, Vir couldn¡¯t help but feel a little smug that Nor¡¯s reception wasn¡¯t even in the same realm as Cirayus¡¯.
Vir sized up his opponent the moment he stepped out from his waiting room. Like most Iksana, Nor wore only light armor, with a half-helm that protected his head, a small chestte, and small metal guards on his forearms and shins. Vir noted the demon was barefoot.
Unlike Aalok¡¯Yar, who wielded a spear, Nor wielded a straight longsword that bore none of the distinct curve of a talwar, as well as two daggers that were sheathed on his hip. In his offhand was a small round dhol shield, simr to those Vir had seen warriors wield in both the Human and Demon realms.
By his equipment alone, Nor was a demon who prioritized arts and mobility. This was corroborated by Vir¡¯s understanding of Nor¡¯s past fights¡ªnarrated to him by Cirayus. The giant had told him a great deal about this particr opponent, in fact. Everything from his style to his habits to his favorite opening moves.
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Vir took a deep breath, centered himself, and prepared to open his Chakras on a moment¡¯s notice.
¡°Go all out,¡± Vir muttered to Shan, who stood beside him, teeth bared at Nor. ¡°And be quick. Never linger in one ce.¡±
Shan nced up at Vir and barked. Vir returned a tight smile.
It wasn¡¯t the Ashfire Wolf Vir was worried about.
¡°Combatants¡ FIGHT!¡±
Shan exploded forth, closing the gap in an instant, and was shing and biting at Nor long before Vir caught up, Micro Leaping his way to the demon.
The Ash Beast had acted so fast that even Nor seemed to have been caught off guard.
¡°Well, would you look at that, folks!? That Prana Beast can move!¡±
Vir thought he heard Nor mutter something under his breath, eyes widening in surprise¡ªand if Vir wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªfear. ¡°Not a prana beast¡¡±
Then Vir was upon him, pummeling the Ghael with strike after strike. Unfortunately, while Prana Armor coated his body and was covered by Aida¡¯s concealing tattoo, the same didn¡¯t apply to his weapons. Thus, his strikescked prana augmentation, though Vir did Empower his arms, striking Nor¡¯s shield with relentless fury.
Even so, against two opponents, the demon was forced onto the defensive, blocking, dodging, and parrying in equal amounts.
Vir attacked with both his katar and chakram, keeping it in his hand for now. Disying its capabilities in the Ashen Realm had proven useful¡ªmany eyes had seen its destructive potential, and word had gotten around.
Zarak¡¯Nor¡¯s sometimes dodged his katar strikes, but he made it a point to always dodge the Chakram. Vir didn¡¯t know how long it¡¯d be until his opponents learned of its limitations outside the Ash, but Vir intended to press that advantage as far as he could.
Slowly, Nor was driven back. Back¡ªto the outer edge of the ring. Step by step, he was forced to give ground, unable to sink into the shadows. Doing so would prevent him from moving, putting him at a significant disadvantage for the short duration it took to enter the Shadow Realm.
Vir was intimately aware of that weakness, and so he kept up his assault, cycling Prana Current and empowering each and every movement with as much prana as he could muster.
Despite this, the Iksana fought methodically, betraying no hint of panic. And despite Vir¡¯s onught, not one of his or Shan¡¯s strikesnded. Not one found flesh, despite Nor¡¯s rtiveck of armor.
It makes no sense, Vir thought, feeling his frustration mount. It¡¯s as if he has a sixth sense. Like a¡
Comprehension smashed into Vir. He did have a sixth sense. He had the Third Eye Chakra, which imparted supernatural awareness. Only a few demons had mastered this ability. His opponent, it seemed, was one.
Vir¡¯s attack finally ended when the Iksana fired off two Warrior Chakra attacks. One aimed at Vir, the other at Shan. Not bound to Nor¡¯s weapon, they came without warning.
It was all Vir could do to abort his strike and wrench away at thest moment. Lacking any defense against such an attack, it was his only choice.
Leveraging his feral instincts, Shan avoided the attack a bit more dexterously, jumping back out of harm¡¯s way.
By the time Vir regained his bearings, Nor was long gone¡ªsunk into his shadow.
Time stopped while inside the Shadow Realm. Vir had leveraged that opportunity on multiple asions, and now, for the first time, he understood what it felt like to be on the receiving end.
There was no gap between Nor¡¯s disappearance and his sudden reappearance within Vir¡¯s shadow. And unlike Aalok, Nor¡¯s de was too small to catch. Even if he could, Vir didn¡¯t know if Prana Armor would hold. If it didn¡¯t, and with the prana coating Nor¡¯s own de, Vir would lose his fingers, or even a hand.
So instead of attacking, Vir hurled himself into the air, hoping to exploit one of the few weaknesses of Dance of the Shadow Demon.
His shadow disappeared, but instead of Nor¡¯s severed limb, or even the de of his sword, Vir found nothing. The Iksana was far too experienced to allow himself to be caught in such a way.
Vir found Nor standing on the other edge of the arena¡ªthe Colosseum¡¯s many shadows providing ample entry points and exits.
¡°Shan. The shadows,¡± Vir said, pointing at the ground. Then he pointed at his eyes. ¡°Find the shadow.¡±
This time, Nor didn¡¯t bother attacking conventionally. It wasn¡¯t his style of fighting. Like any wielder of Dance of the Shadow Demon, he fought with guile and deception.
Vir knew this. He just hadn¡¯t known enough.
Nor popped out of Vir¡¯s shadow, and once again, Vir jumped¡ Only to find Zarak¡¯Nor, mid-flight.
Trust, Vir thought in horror. It was the name of n Iksana¡¯s other Bloodline Art. The ability to form limited illusions. Vir hadn¡¯t anticipated just how real they¡¯d look. It had fooled his eyes. It had fooled Prana Vision, and now, Vir would pay the price.
Lacking any way to dodge while in midair, Vir blocked as the Iksana smashed into him, shing with both his sword and the Life Chakra.
In the instant before Vir opened his Foundation Chakra, Vir was inundated with visions. Horrific scenes of death and torment. Iksana dying¡ªbeing burned alive.
The visions cleared, but it was toote; the damage had been done.
Viry on the ground, bleeding. Nor¡¯s prana-tipped talwar pierced through a gap in his armor, and while Prana Armor had blocked most of the impact, Vir¡¯s moment of distraction had weakened it, and Nor¡¯s weapon now gouged into his chest.
Even worse, his Chakram and katary paces away, having been lost when he hit the stage.
Though it hadn¡¯t prated his heart, and though Vir¡¯s enhanced body prevented it from prating too deep, excruciating pain still bloomed in Vir¡¯s head, threatening to take him over.
Simultaneously, Life Chakra attacks assaulted his mental defenses, forcing him to keep his Foundation Chakra open.
Immediately, Vir worked his blood, moving it away from the wound, ignoring the pain.
The only issue was that Nor¡¯s weapon was still in Vir¡¯s chest. It was an issue¡ But also an advantage.
¡°Shan! Now!¡± Vir shouted, grabbing Nor¡¯s sword hand with both hands, mping it in an iron grip.
The Ash Beast mmed into Nor¡¯s back, and clung there, biting viciously into the demon¡¯s exposed neck and activating his Aspect tattoo.
Nor, unable to move, took the attack and roared in pain as Shan''s fangs seared into his flesh.
Empowering his legs, Vir swept the Iksana¡¯s feet out from under him, and with one hand on Nor¡¯s arm and the other on his shoulder, managed to roll so that he was on top of the demon.
Shan let go, but re-engaged, biting Nor¡¯s leg and holding him there.
But Vir hadn¡¯t just flipped Nor. He¡¯d flipped him in a very particr direction. A direction that took him right to his Artifact Chakram.
Straddling Nor, Vir picked up the weapon and brought it to Nor¡¯s neck.
The demon went very still, staring at the weapon in terror. Words might¡¯ve been unnecessary, but Vir wanted to take no chances.
¡°You¡¯ve seen what this can do,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯ll tell you right now, I haven¡¯t opened the Shield Chakra. If you hit me with a Warrior Chakra attack, I¡¯ll be forced to take it in full. And I know you know what that means.¡±
For one, it¡¯d mean Vir would be crippled for life, but it also meant Nor would be disqualified from the Tournament, and would likely face criminal charges. It was, perhaps, an unorthodox way of fighting¡ªadmitting to a weakness.
Vir didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d use every means at his disposal to win. Especially when it meant depriving his enemy of an ability that would have killed him in any setting outside a sanctioned, nonlethal tournament.
Nor looked at Vir with a nk expression for a long moment, and then, without emotion, he spoke.
¡°I yield.¡±
There was silence for a moment. Then two.
Then thementator finally spoke.
¡°V-Victoooor, Vaak!¡±
There was another moment of silence, and then the arena erupted. Not with cheers, but boos.
¡°It was the wolf!¡± They said.
¡°Wolf¡¯s victory!¡±
¡°No, it was the Artifact! That¡¯s cheating, using a weapon of the gods!¡±
¡°Freeloader!¡±
¡°Hack!¡±
To Vir, the denouncement came as a mark of sess. He¡¯d done it. He¡¯d not only defeated Nor, he¡¯d won in a way that would cause his next opponents to underestimate him, paying more attention to Shan instead.
It was, in fact, the best possible oue. For there was a saying to warriors who ventured into the Ash.
The Shrike hides its talons.
The first round was over. Only three more to go.
Vir stepped off the stage and smiled.
Chapter Ashborn 336: To Make Waves
Chapter Ashborn 336: To Make Waves
¡°Did you see the look on his face?¡± Cirayus roared. ¡°Devastated! Utterly devastated, I tell you!¡±
Aida, Vir, and Cirayus were currently back at home, having fought past the crowds and the cheers¡ªthough in reality, mostly booing¡ªto make it back safely. Cirayus and Shan¡¯s presences had almost been necessary to ward off would-be lynchers.
After ying his guard role, Shan had disappeared as he tended to, leaving Vir and Cirayus alone until Aida had arrived.
The amount of hatred and disbelief that hade Vir¡¯s way was a sight to behold. Individually, he could¡¯ve taken any of them. But against a crowd of tens of thousands? Vir was beyond d for Cirayus¡¯forting presence.
Unfortunately, his godfather wouldn¡¯t always be around to protect him. The next time he ventured out there, he¡¯d have to deal with this problem himself.
¡°Serves that upstart right. Never once did he beat me. What an embarrassment, eh?¡±
Vir smiled, but it was an empty smile.
¡°What¡¯s got you worried,d? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re put out by not being able to join the others?¡±The tournament fighters all tended to congregate at a particr tavern near the center of Camar Gadin after the day¡¯s fights. It¡¯d been a tradition for centuries. Tara was likely there right now, drinking it up.
¡°Not in the slightest. I¡¯ve drawn too much attention as it is. And if I¡¯m not mistaken, Tara¡¯s probably the only one there who doesn¡¯t hate my guts right now.¡±
¡°Well, that may be an exaggeration, but¡¡± Even Cirayus must have concluded that this was indeed the case because he quickly switched tacks. ¡°The booing? Don¡¯t worry about it. The mood of a crowd can be swayed in the course of a single fight. Keep winning and you¡¯ll be a fan favorite.¡±
Cirayus was once again working the kitchen whipping up a feast, each of his four hands handling a different dish on the stove. This was to be a celebratory meal,memorating Vir¡¯s first win, and Vir couldn¡¯t wait to taste it.
¡°That¡¯s actually what I¡¯m afraid of,¡± he replied. ¡°I can¡¯t help but think this matchup was rigged. Either by Thaman or some other party. It¡¯d have been so much easier for my enemies to underestimate me, like Zarak¡¯Nor did. Sure, they¡¯d have caught on by the third fight, but then I¡¯d only have two left, and one would be against you.¡±
¡°Now, don¡¯t be so sure of that,d,¡± Cirayus said, prompting Vir to roll his eyes.
¡°Now, my next opponent will be on their guard against me. It¡¯s going to make this a lot harder.¡±
Aida shrugged. ¡°Cirayus tells me you¡¯re trying to make a name for yourself. Wouldn¡¯t you rather fight at the top of your game and put on a show? What use is it to take the low road?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ fair,¡± Vir admitted. The more of a spectacle he put on now, the more his name would be remembered when he eventually revealed himself. ¡°Just wish I had the confidence to win. That was not an easy fight.¡±
¡°Lad, you just bested thest tournament¡¯spetition,¡± Cirayus said with a chuckle. ¡°Of course, it wasn¡¯t an easy fight.¡±
¡°You¡¯re saying my fights should be easier from here?¡± Vir asked, suspicious.
¡°Not saying that at all,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°Roshan would¡¯ve mopped the floor with Nor, as could several otherspeting this time. Nor won not because he was strong, but because hispetition wascking.¡±
Great, Vir thought. There was no way it would have been that easy. Besides, he had the uneasy feeling he¡¯d be fighting Tara. She didn¡¯t seem like the type to lose in the first round. Not one bit.
Oddly, fighting her left a sour taste in his mouth than even the prospect of fighting Cirayus. At least between them, there¡¯d be no hard feelings, no matter who won. With Tara? He was less certain. The demoness had a fiercebative streak, and if Vir did defeat her, he worried their rtionship may suffer.
Tara was quickly bing a friend and ally, and the thought of jeopardizing that saddened him.
¡°I swear,¡± Aida said, rising from her position across the room anding to stand before Vir. ¡°You look like you just lost your match, not won it! This isn¡¯t how a victor should be. Nowe on. Cheer up, and let¡¯s enjoy this meal. It might just be thest one I get before I head out.¡±
Vir¡¯s brows raised. ¡°You¡¯re ready to leave for the Ash?¡± he asked, feeling his pulse quicken.
The giantess grinned knowingly. ¡°Perhaps. Perhaps not. You have another thinging if you think you can get rid of me that easily.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Vir asked, genuinely confused.
¡°I mean thepetition, of course! I¡¯m not going anywhere until I see the finals.¡±
Vir blinked, unsure how to take that.
¡°She¡¯s not joking,d,¡± Cirayus said, waving hisdle. ¡°You¡¯d best resign yourself to the fact that your troops won¡¯t be getting a thaumaturge until after the tournament¡¯s finished.¡±
Vir deted, slumping back in his chair. ¡°Bgra will kill me if he hears of this.¡±
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Still, the tournament wouldst less than two weeks. Soon, he¡¯d return to the Ash. He¡¯d get to reunite with Malik and Bgra and check in on the troops.
Vir grinned. Regardless of how the tournament went, that made him happy.
Dinner went about as expected, which was to say¡ªblissfully. Not only was Cirayus¡¯ medley of curries, rice dishes, and cooked tbread delicious, the desserts he¡¯d made were otherworldly. It seemed the giant had started cooking the night before in preparation of Vir¡¯s victory.
Once again, Vir appreciated just how blessed he was to have someone like Cirayus in his life.
¡°You know,¡± he said when they¡¯d finished stuffing themselves. ¡°If you¡¯d told me you had a soft, caring side back when we¡¯d first fought? I¡¯d never have believed it. I¡¯m guessing most of the Demon Realm doesn¡¯t have a clue either.¡±
¡°Aye,d. And they never will. Reputations are quite the preciousmodity, after all.¡±
Aida snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to see him as anything other than a warm, cuddly bear. If you ask me, the whole Ravager thing is a facade.¡±
¡°Now, Aida,¡± Cirayus began, but his granddaughter cut him off.
¡°A carefully crafted facade, yes, but a facade nheless. You¡¯ll never convince me otherwise, ajja,¡± she said, sticking a tongue out, before turning to address Vir.
¡°My grandfather used to shower me with gifts whenever we first met. He¡¯d put me on his shoulders and run around our house. For the longest time, I actually thought the ¡®Ravager¡¯ everyone talks about was a different demon entirely.¡±
¡°Refused to believe it, too, when I told her,¡± Cirayus said with a warm, nostalgic smile.
¡°I know exactly how she felt, Cirayus. I can rte.¡±
¡°See? See!¡± Aida said, pointing at Vir. ¡°It¡¯s not just me!¡±
They traded banter like this for another hour before Aida hugged her much smaller grandfather and bid him a tear-filled farewell, and with Cirayus muttering ¡®now, now¡¯ while tenderly patting her back. In that moment, she truly did resemble a granddaughter being doted on by her family.
¡°Well,d? Excited for Tara¡¯s match tomorrow?¡± Cirayus asked. ¡°I admit I¡¯m curious to see a Panav fight.¡±
¡°So am I,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°Wonder if she¡¯s anything like Bgra. I have a feeling those two would get along.¡±
¡°Would certainly make for an interesting fight,¡± Cirayus admitted.
¡°Sure would, though with Yuma¡¯s Embrace, there¡¯s no way Tara could lose. She¡¯d be quite an unstoppable force on an actual battlefield.¡±
¡°Aye, that she would. The Panav specialize in healing, and most of those who master Yuma¡¯s Embrace have little desire to jump to the front lines of a battlefield. The few that do, however¡ ¡®Tis one thing to fight knowing you are mortal,d. Your tactics and strategies all revolve around keeping you safe. But if you can heal your wounds in an instant? ¡®Tis another matter entirely.¡±
¡°I can see that,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°Though they still feel pain, don¡¯t they?¡±
Cirayus grinned wryly. ¡°Pain can be trained, as you know well. Pain can be ovee. I knew of only one Panav Warrior who¡¯d managed the feat. Long, long ago.¡±
¡°He was strong, I take it?¡±
¡°They called him a Samsara. An immortal being. He was terrifying,d. You could stab him and skewer him and burn him, and he¡¯dugh it all off ande at you. There are few things more terrifying than fighting someone who feels no pain. At least with most, you know they¡¯ll die before they can do very much. Not so with a Panav who¡¯s mastered their bloodline ability.¡±
Vir could picture it. A being whose mere presence caused his enemies to flee in terror. He wondered if he¡¯d ever be like that, one day.
He also wondered if Tara and Bgra would ever meet, though as long as Bgra remained in his service, Vir doubted they¡¯d have a chance.
Which meant he¡¯d have to watch her fight closely tomorrow, so he could tell his naga friend all about it.
Vir couldn¡¯t wait.
In an empty hall of the Ravager¡¯s Den, sometime well after the city of Camar Gadin had gone to sleep, two figures met. One, a kothi, and the other, ghael.
They were neither cloaked nor hidden, for it wasn¡¯t at all unusual for two fighters in the tournament to meet. Some may have questioned thete hour, though precisely because of the hour, there was no one to overhear them.
¡°Well? What¡¯s all this about? Why have you asked me here, and at this hour, no less?¡± Annas, the kothi, asked.
Zarak¡¯Nor, who had just appeared out of the ground, said nothing for a long moment.
¡°Take precautions against Vaak,¡± the ghael said atst, in a voice even scratchier than most of his kind.
Annas snorted. ¡°Just because you lost to an absolute nobody doesn¡¯t mean I will. I watched your battle. A pathetic showing.¡±
Annas waited for Nor to reply, but the ghael simply stared at Annas, his face a nk mask.
¡°Do you know what everyone is saying?¡± Annas asked, bristling.
¡°Yes. They say my prior victory was a fluke. You forget our talent at scouting and espionage.¡±
¡°A lot of good that did you, Nor. You were blindsided in round one. If I were you, I¡¯d be embarrassed even to show my face in public.¡±
¡°I called you here to give you a warning, Annas,¡± Nor said, his tone betraying no hint of anger. ¡°To warn you about Vaak.¡±
The ghael moved in an instant. By the time Annas registered Nor had disappeared, the Iksana¡¯s katar was at the kothi¡¯s throat.
¡°You can¡¯t hurt me here,¡± Annas said, maintaining a calm, even tone despite the unexpected attack. ¡°You pull anything and you¡¯ll be answering to Sagun¡¯Ra himself. Is that what you want, Nor? To be a criminal as well as a failure?¡±
¡°Rx,¡± Nor muttered, stepping away. ¡°I didn¡¯te here to fight. Only to make you listen. And to tell you something you will find interesting.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Annas said, smirking at Nor as he massaged his throat. ¡°And what might that be?¡±
¡°Oh, just that the Iksana have reason to believe that this Vaak character is the very same masked Gargan ¡®hero¡¯ who has been causing trouble for your n at Samar Patagtely. Surely, you¡¯ve heard of him?¡±
Annas¡¯ smirk evaporated. ¡°It¡¯s amon name. Are you sure?¡±
Nor replied with a raised brow.
¡°I suppose I should know better than to doubt Iksana intelligence,¡± Annas said. ¡°I apologize for my earlier words. This is¡ indeed useful information. A Gargan, huh?¡±
The kothi nearly spit the word out.
¡°I suppose it makes sense. Though, if true, this makes him a formidable opponent. I¡¯ve not been back to the city myself, but as much as I loathe to say it, I have heard hisbat prowess is¡ substantial.¡±
Nor barked augh. ¡°He drove back an entire Ash Beast horde. By himself! Substantial indeed. Though, I suppose that¡¯s not quite right, is it? He did it with the help of his Ash Wolf.¡±
¡°Ash¡ Wolf?¡±
Annas nched. ¡°Nor. You can¡¯t mean¡ You¡¯re saying it¡¯s an Ash Wolf?¡±
¡°Saw its Ash prana myself when we fought. I doubt they were trying to hide that fact.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ impossible. Not even the Aindri can tame Ash Wolves¡ Favored by the Ravager. The hero of the Garga. What is this nonsense?¡±
¡°I do not know, Annas. Raja Sagun¡¯Ra has been tight-lipped about the whole affair. There are details about this Vaak to which even I am not privy. Luckily, it will not be an issue.¡±
Nor grabbed Annas¡¯ palm and shoved a small, purple vial into his palm.
The kothi stared at the vial for a long moment.
¡°Poison? Against Vaak?¡± he said, aghast. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±
Nor shook his head. ¡°Not against Vaak. Too dangerous. His wolf. Nobody will care if the wolf dies. And then you¡¯ll have one less opponent.¡±
Annas yed with the vial, eyeing it contemtively. ¡°It is still too risky. This could be traced back to me, and any foul y¡ªeven against his animal¡ªwould result in my disqualification.¡±
Nor cracked a grin, and Annas realized he¡¯d been yed.
¡°It won¡¯t,¡± came the Iksana¡¯s confident reply. ¡°You do realize who he will fight next, yes? Assuming tomorrow¡¯s matches resolve as expected?¡±
Annas frowned in confusion. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s matches¡ Ah.¡± Understanding dawned upon the kothi, and his eyes widened.
His grip firmed around the vial in his hands, and he slipped it into a pocket. ¡°It was good meeting you today, Nor. Too bad about your loss. Allow me to avenge your honor.¡±
Zarak¡¯Nor grunted. ¡°I look forward to the results.¡±
And then he disappeared into a shadow, leaving Annas alone. Alone, and grinning.
Chapter Ashborn 337: The Spectator’s Experience
Chapter Ashborn 337: The Spectator¡¯s Experience
For Vir, the second day of the tournament promised quite the spectacle. Yesterday, he was a fighter, but today, he enjoyed the spectacle like any other fan. Cheering his favorite fighters and munching on delicious sugary pastries and savory snacks from his seat beside Cirayus and Aida.
Shan, unfortunately, had bailed on them the moment they headed for the Stadium, so it was just Vir and the two giants. Sandwiched in between them, he felt like a child between overbearing parents.
Or perhaps more like siblings¡ªCirayus and Aida¡¯s raucous cheers and boos meant they made for excellentpany.
As usual, the day started with an announcement from Thaman, followed by challenge matches for a few hours. Cirayus asked if Vir was interested, but he declined, so both the Ravager and Aida entered. Despite fighting with three hands behind his back and not using any magic, the results of Cirayus¡¯ matches didn¡¯t need to be mentioned; these were second and third tier fighters, after all.
Aida¡¯s matches were more interesting. Vir had wondered where her weapons were as she walked up to the stage, but it turned out she was a pugilist, and fought with her hands and feet. Her style was exceedingly effective, too¡ªnot that Vir expected anything less. She was the Ravager¡¯s granddaughter, after all.
Vir even ced a few small bets,ing away with a broad smile and heavier pockets when Aida quite literally punched her opponent out of the ring.
¡°I have to admit,¡± Vir said when they¡¯d both returned to the stands. ¡°This is a pretty good way to make money.¡±
Aida¡¯s eyes flew open. ¡°You bet on me?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± Vir replied. ¡°You fight well, Aida.¡±¡°Oh. T-thanks,¡± she said, looking away in embarrassment.
¡°Ah, she¡¯s but a whelp,¡± Cirayus said, pping his granddaughter¡¯s back. ¡°But she¡¯s more than enough to deal with the rabble that challenged her. Well fought,ss.¡±
¡°Thanks, ajja!¡± Aida said with a beaming smile, and for a moment, Vir had to wonder how old she really was.
¡°Now, that reminds me,¡± Cirayus said, rummaging around his pockets. ¡°Where did I put it? Ah, yes.¡±
Cirayus tossed a small pouch into Vir¡¯s hands.
¡°This is?¡±
¡°Your earnings from yesterday. Made a few bets on you,d, and you didn¡¯t disappoint. The odds were like nothing you¡¯d ever believe.¡±
Vir blinked, not fullyprehending. ¡°I can bet on myself?¡±
¡°Of course not!¡± Cirayus said with a sly grin. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing stopping you from giving some money to friends to bet on your behalf, is there?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ interesting.¡± Vir would have to give serious thought to betting on his own future fights. After all, he was already betting on himself¡ªwhy not back that conviction with his coin?
¡°This is your money, though, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked, hesitant to ept the coin.
¡°Oh, believe me, I made plenty on my own. This is the least I could do,¡± the Ravager said with a wink.
¡°I, um¡¡± Aida said, scratching her chin. ¡°I may have bet on you as well.¡±
¡°O-oh¡¡±
It was Vir¡¯s turn to look away.
¡°S-so anyway, about the battle today¡¡± he said, looking to Cirayus for help. Unfortunately, his godfather merely smirked, perfectly content to watch Vir suffer. ¡°It¡¯s Roshan, right? Raja Thaman¡¯s son? And he¡¯s fighting an Aindri?¡±
The Ravager finally took pity, ending Vir¡¯s misery. ¡°Aye,d. We call him Rosh. The Aindri he¡¯s up against is Mk. A veteran of the Tournament and one I¡¯ve fought several times.¡±
¡°Who do you think will win?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Tough to say. Rosh has many advantages, butcks Mk¡¯s experience. And experience is a weapon without substitute.¡±
Vir had to admit that while it was Tara¡¯s fightter he looked forward to the most, this one also intrigued him. Mainly because he¡¯d get to see an Aindri fight¡ªof all the ns, theirs was the least familiar to him. It was to be expected, given they were the northernmost of all the ns, seldom venturing this far south.
As if on cue, thementators announced the two warriors, calling them up to the stage.
This time, bothbatants received thunderous apuse, with Rosh¡¯sing primarily from the Baira cap, and Mk¡¯sing from several.
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¡°Seems like the crowd really likes their veteran fighters,¡± Virmented.
¡°Aye. You develop a following, of sorts, the more times you enter. Quite possible to win the favor of other ns.¡±
¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware,¡± Vir replied, giving Cirayus a pointed look.
Cirayus coughed. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯d pay close attention to this bout,d. The Aindri fight unlike most warriors. You may even pick up a thing or two that might benefit you in this tournament.¡±
¡°I was nning to,¡± Vir replied, leaning forward in his seat.
Mk was especially interesting because hispanion was prana wolf. Two of them, in fact.
They stood on either side of Mk, facing off against the Bairan giant, though despite their extreme focus on their opponent, they made no motion of acting out on their own.
¡°Combatants, fight!¡±
¡°Aaand here we goooo!¡± Thementators shouted.
¡°Now, I wonder who¡¯ll make the first move, Samik. For now, they seem to be sizing each other up.¡±
¡°Y¡¯know?¡± Vir said. ¡°I thought those guys were annoying during my match, so I ignored them. I had no idea they were this annoying, though.¡±
Cirayusughed. ¡°It¡¯s always the same. They convinced me to go on there a few times, but I learned to decline that position early on. No matter how good you are, it is never enough.¡±
Vir didn¡¯t envy them, having to find something or the other to continuously talk about.
Focusing on the fight, Vir saw that neither party had attacked yet. Mk¡¯s two wolves paced beside him, and asionally, one would snap at Rosh, prompting him to angle his body slightly in case it attacked, but other than this, nothing happened.
And yet, no boos sounded from the crowd. On the contrary, rallying cries of encouragement sounded off from the Bairan and Aindri camps.
¡°They¡¯re a veteran crowd,¡± Cirayusmented. ¡°They know what¡¯sing.¡±
Vir heightened his awareness, and even activated Haste so that he wouldn¡¯t miss what was toe.
It was a good thing too, because even with the world at half speed, Vir barely caught it.
Seemingly without prompting, the two wolves bounded to either side of Rosh, while Mk lunged directly at the giant.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Rosh was being attacked on three sides, and he had only the barest moment to choose who to defend against.
The giant ignored the beasts, though Vir wondered if that was the right decision.
Mk bellowed something, and Vir saw prana surge into the two wolves from the surrounding air.
Rosh twisted his body, avoiding the bite of one of the wolves, while his de met Mk¡¯s. The third wolf, he kicked, timing the moves perfectly.
If the wolves were injured, though, they certainly didn¡¯t show it, relentlessly attacking the giant over and over.
¡°Courage,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°An Aindri Bloodline Art that riles up his beasts. Under courage, he could order them to jump off a cliff, and they¡¯dply with all haste. Nasty art, I must say.¡±
Rosh was pushed back to the edge of the ring under the triple onught. Or at least, that¡¯s what it looked like.
¡°He¡¯s fighting well,¡± Cirayusmented, though whichbatant he was referring to, Vir could only guess.
¡°As it stands, I¡¯d say Rosh is losing. He¡¯s given up ground, and his back is to the wall. He shouldn¡¯t have let himself get pushed so much.¡±
¡°Perhaps. Perhaps not. Watch.¡±
The wolves continued to harass the giant while Mk took pot shots. Regardless of Roshan¡¯s giant defenses, several attacks drew blood, causing small wounds all over the giant¡¯s body.
¡°And there it is,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Mk¡¯s signature move. Given a choice, he¡¯ll always push a battle longer. The longer it goes, the more superficial wounds he can inflict.¡±
The wolves lunged just as they had countless times, but this time, Roshan struck back, kicking off one of the wolves and sacrificing his forearm to the other. Its fangs sunk into his skin, and Vir winced. That had to have been painful, as thementators happily announced.
Except, instead of wrenching the beast off, he spun, taking the wolf with him.
Mk desperatelymanded his wolf, but it was toote. Rosh spun faster and faster until the wolf could hold on no longer.
Unfortunately, by the time it let go, its momentum had built to such a level that it flew high into the air¡ Andnded on its paws well outside the stage, immediately disqualifying it.
Mk gave it an order to stand down, which it obeyed, and now it was two on one.
Except Roshan had already made his next move. While Mk wasmanding his outed wolf to stay quiet, the giant rapidly closed the distance, and for the first time in the fight, put his opponent on the defensive.
The smaller demon fought well, but with only one wolf to aid him, he was quickly pushed back, until it was now he who stood at the edge of the stage.
Then, when Mk and his wolf mounted a synchronized attack, the giant dropped his katar, grabbed the wolf with both hands, spun, and hurled Mk¡¯s own beast back to him.
They collided in a heap, and before Mk could recover, Roshan¡¯s de was at his neck.
¡°Winner!! Roshaaan of Bairaaaa!¡±
¡°What a fight, Nakin. The way Rosh guided the fight¡¡±
¡°That was amazing!¡± Aida cut in, and Vir could almost see the stars in her eyes. She¡¯d been on the edge of her seat the whole time.
¡°Well?¡± Cirayus asked. ¡°What did you think?¡±
¡°I think Rosh is much more dangerous than you give him credit for,¡± Vir said. ¡°He had that fight in his hand the whole time.¡±
The demon was not only strong; he remainedposed while under pressure. Which made him far more formidable in Vir¡¯s mind. There was little doubt he¡¯d continue to win his matches in simr fashion.
¡°Aye, thed¡¯s grown some, I must admit. He fought well. But dropping his weapon to showboat like that¡ªcan¡¯t say I approve.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Vir gave Cirayus the most incredulous look he could muster, but to his dismay, his godfather didn¡¯t take the bait.
They watched more fights over the next couple of hours, and Vir couldn¡¯t help but notice that Aida paid special attention anytime a Bairan was up. It was more than just the thrill of a nsman¡¯s fight, though. She was watching to learn. Trying to absorb whatever technique she could by watching those with simr physique fight.
Aida might not have been a formidable warrior now, but Vir knew that if she persisted on the same track, she absolutely would be someday.
¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Vir said, rising from his seat. ¡°I have a friend to wish well.¡±
¡°Tell her to kick ass!¡± Cirayus shouted after him, and Vir waved in reply.
Vir found the naga as she headed down the hall to the waiting area.
¡°Looks like I caught you. Good!¡±
¡°Vaak? What are you doing here?¡± Tara was d in her full ck metal armor that covered her chest, upper arms, thighs and head¡ªfunctional yet elegant. It was armor that spoke to a fast, agile style ofbat.
¡°What else? Wishing you good luck,¡± Vir said.
¡°That¡¯s, erm¡ Very kind of you,¡± she replied awkwardly. ¡°But unnecessary. I¡¯ll wipe the floor with this Bairan. So sit back and watch. It¡¯ll be quite the show.¡±
Vir chuckled. ¡°I suppose I should¡¯ve known better than to assume you¡¯d need any encouragement.¡±
Tara¡¯s eyes softened, and she smiled softly. ¡°Not at all. It means a lot, actually.¡±
Vir grinned. ¡°d to hear it. I admit I have some mixed feelings about the oue of this battle, but regardless¡ Kick some ass.¡±
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± the naga replied with a vicious¡ªand somewhat feral¡ªgrin. ¡°It¡¯ll be over before you get back to your seat.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 338: Clandestine Gatherings (One) (Maiya)
Chapter Ashborn 338: ndestine Gatherings (One) (Maiya)
As Maiya had told Yamal and Bheem, organizing a meeting with Riyan Savar wasn¡¯t as simple as sending a runner and arranging a meeting point. She supposed they ought to have been thankful that Savar didn¡¯t send their runner¡¯s head on a tter, but the note he¡¯d brought back was quite clear¡ªanymore and heads would start to fly.
Plus, this was Riyan. Maiya knew how his mind worked. To him, Kin¡¯jal was the enemy. It didn¡¯t matter who ran it. Or at least, that was his current, overly limited mindset.
It was Maiya¡¯s goal to¡ broaden his mind. Via any means necessary. Not that she¡¯d resort tobat. Even if she could beat him¡ªwhich, while she¡¯d certainly be more evenly matched than she was before¡ªit¡¯d aplish nothing.
They needed Riyan on their side. Totally andpletely.
The logic of the matter was sound¡ªthat part wouldn¡¯t be hard. But would she get past his bullheadedness and convince him that this was in Hiranya and Kin¡¯jal¡¯s best interests?
That was another matter entirely.
Which was why the three of them had spent a great deal of time and effort nning this raid.
Maiya piloted Frumpy with Yamal and another handmaiden behind her, and she was joined by two other Acira. In all, they had nine fighters, excluding Yamal, who wouldn¡¯t take part in the attack.Which, Maiya reflected, was exactly what it would be.
Riyan¡¯s security was simply too tight. There was no chance of Maiya infiltrating into hispound undetected. As much as she¡¯d have loved to avoid involving anyone else, this was a necessary evil.
The handmaidens on this raid had been hand-picked by Ira herself. They were the best of the best, and Maiya knew they wouldn¡¯t let her down. Rather, it was her own role she was more worried about.
The operation had begun at dusk, flying from Jatan Forest rather than Sonam¡ªto avoid suspicion. Ira¡¯s movements had grown boldertely, and she was having to take more and more precautions to avoid the notice of her siblings and of course, Andros himself. No matter how dangerous the missions became, Maiya had to remind herself that the princess shouldered the greatest danger of them all.
Now, night had fallen, bringing with it increasingly severe chills as they made their way north. As usual for such an operation, several transfer points had been set up, with Acira flown and fully rested. Every few hours, they would switch to the fresh beasts, speeding up their journey immeasurably.
And unlike on herst trip, Maiya had no pressing need to be back at the Childrens¡¯ Sanctum. With her control over the organization fully solidified, she was free to do as she pleased¡ªnobody dared to stop her, and thanks to the previous Blessed Chosen, such behavior wasn¡¯t without precedent, either. The madness that drove him drove every Chosen before him, and some were better at dealing with it than others.
None as well as Maiya, though. The Foundation Chakra had changed her life, and she was eager to progress to the others. Not so much for thebat application, as Vir seemed to be interested in, but because of the enlightenment it was supposed to bring. That made Maiya giddy.
They made their final stop where they picked up a wide array of supplies, including food, tents, bedding, and specialized gear that would allow them to deal with the Saian winter.
It was almost dawn when they set down at the small forest that bordered Kaiya¡ªthe port-side town Bheem and his brother had grown up in¡ªto the northwest of the city.
Riyan¡¯s fight had not gone well. Though he aided the rebel faction in Sai, he was just one man, and the attack they¡¯dunched against the capital of Kartara had ultimately been driven back. Kin¡¯jal intelligence reports indicated that he¡¯d suffered heavy losses, and had retreated underground to lick his wounds.
They only had a vague idea of his location, so it¡¯d be up to her crew to sniff him out before infiltrating his base of operations. As such, she couldn¡¯t know if they¡¯d stay a few days or a few weeks.
Not a simple mission by any stretch, but then again, Maiya wasn¡¯t trained for simple. The challenge called out to her, and for the first time in a very long time, she looked forward to getting on the ground and into some real action.
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¡°We¡¯ll base out of here,¡± Maiya said, stepping down into the beautiful, driven snow. The fluffy stuff came up almost to her knees, which she immediately noted would make travel challenging. Good thing they¡¯de prepared.
Her crew were already donning their snowshoes¡ªwoven wooden tforms that strapped to their boots, letting them cross the snow without sinking.
¡°I want half of you to clear the snow down to the dirt,¡± Maiya ordered. ¡°The other half, work on setting up a perimeter. When that¡¯s done, get the tents up and establish guard rotations. I want scouts out at all times. If anyone¡¯s in the area, we need to know.¡±
It was highly doubtful there would be given the frigid weather. Maiya and her people might¡¯ve been immune to it thanks to their heater orbs, but most people didn¡¯t have that luxury. Venturing out into the deep snow like this was a good way to die. Even so, she refused to bex in her precautions.
¡°What should we do?¡± Yamal asked,ing up to Maiya. He was dressed in thick furs¡ªthe very best Kin¡¯jal could provide, and cradled a heater orb in his hands. Even so, he shivered.
¡°You¡¯re really not a cold weather person, are you?¡± Maiya asked with a smirk.
¡°No! I hate the cold. So let¡¯s get out of here and into a nice, warm tavern.¡±
Bheem ced aforting hand on the smaller man¡¯s shoulder. Unlike Yamal, he at least seemed to have no trouble at all.
¡°Well, you¡¯ll get your wish. Today, we¡¯re scouting. We¡¯re to meet with a Kin¡¯jal intelligence agent in the city, and I¡¯d rather not bete.¡±
The smile that lit up Yamal¡¯s face could have warmed the entire city.
The group trudged through the snow until they reached one of the roads that led into the city. It, too, was covered in snow, but tracks cut by wagon and Ash¡¯va allowed them to find it without too much trouble.
There was little Maiya could do about their tracks that led to the forest, but she hoped the wind and the lightly falling snow would hide it before too long.
¡°I can¡¯t even see the city,¡± Yamal muttered, his teeth chattering. ¡°Hope it¡¯s not a long walk.¡±
Maiya rolled her eyes. ¡°With as well-clothed as we are, we could walk for hours without feeling the chill. You do realize those clothes cost more than anything you¡¯ve likely ever worn?¡±
Yamal nodded. ¡°By about thirty gold, yes. I was a merchant, remember?¡±
¡°Oh, I remember. I¡¯ll be relying on those skills once we get to town. You¡¯re going to help me find Riyan.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do anything you wish, so long as I have a nice, warm room.¡±
Despite his hissy fits, it wasn¡¯t Yamal Maiya worried about. She snuck an anxious nce at her big friend, but Bheem¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She¡¯d brought him along precisely because of his knowledge of the city. Though it¡¯d been some years since he lived here, he¡¯d be well suited to guiding them to good hiding spots. There weren¡¯t that many locations that could safely hide a force of any meaningful size, after all.
The town appeared shortly thereafter. The gates were open, so the trio strode in. All the major streets had been paved, and smoke rose from nearly every chimney, evidencing the warm fires within.
Life continued despite the cold, and there was traffic on nearly every road.
Maiya found the tavern she was looking for¡ªone of therger ones with the symbol of an Acira clutching mugs of mead, and entered, finding a table in a corner. While Bheem¡¯s stature earned him a few looks, their presence went mostly ignored.
They all ordered hot ciders to warm up, and Maiya needed only a single nce at Yamal to know just how satisfied he was.
¡°Humans weren¡¯t meant to live in the cold,¡± he said, smiling as the mug warmed his fingers.
Bheem simply shrugged. To him, this was normal weather.
They chatted awhile as Maiya waited, and ended up ordering some fried potato fritters and other Saian street food snacks that Bheem rmended.
While delicious, Maiya never ceased scanning the tavern, making careful note of any notable figures. She might as well not have bothered¡ªwhen the Kin¡¯jal spy arrived, it was without warning.
A stranger¡ªa woman in thick furs¡ªwalked up to Maiya¡¯s table and took a seat, jovially waving, as if they were good friends.
As Maiya hade to expect from Ira¡¯s handmaidens, this one cut right to the heart of the matter, failing to exchange pleasantries, or even to introduce herself.
¡°He¡¯s hidden himself well,¡± she said. ¡°I believe he may be hiding in one of four locations around the city. All are criminal dens, so exercise caution.¡±
She unfolded a cloth map that had several spots marked in red. ¡°Here, here, here, and here. An old factoryplex, an abandoned residence in the slums, an abandoned shop, and a cluster of storehouses¡ªalso in the slums.¡±
¡°Which do you feel are the most likely candidates?¡± Maiya asked.
¡°The storehouses,¡± the girl replied without hesitation. ¡°Followed by the factoryplex. The others don¡¯t feelrge enough to me. Unless they¡¯re using the sewers. Which they very well could be. I don¡¯t dare navigate those depths. It¡¯s abyrinth down there.¡±
Maiya exchanged nces with Bheem, who nodded. This was the other reason she¡¯d brought him. The sewer system sounded like the perfect spot for Riyan to hide his forces. If he managed to deal with the sanitation issues that constantly gued such ces.
Bheem and his brother certainly had, and Maiya doubted anyone knew those depths better than her friend.
¡°Very well,¡± Maiya said. ¡°Any estimates on the size of his force?¡±
¡°Unclear,¡± the handmaiden replied. ¡°As few as fifteen. As many as a hundred. They take great care not to send the same people above ground, so it is difficult to know for certain.¡±
¡°I see. Thank you. This is good work. Is there anything else you had for us?¡±
The girl shook her head. ¡°I shall take my leave.¡±
As if some other personality had taken over, a bright smile blossomed on her serious face, and she reached out and grabbed a fritter.
¡°Mm! Delicious,¡± she said, standing. ¡°It was great seeing you after so long! Do take care!¡±
And then she was gone, disappearing into the crowd of the tavern.
Yamal shook his head in exasperation. ¡°You handmaidens are terrifying, you know that?¡±
Maiya gave him a coy smile. ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it. Now c¡¯mon. We¡¯ve some warehouses to scout.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 339: Clandestine Gatherings (Two) (Maiya)
Chapter Ashborn 339: ndestine Gatherings (Two) (Maiya)
Three days. After three full days of scouting, Maiya had nothing. She had to hand it to Riyan. He was good. Quite good, in fact, though that was hardly a surprise.
The man had avoided Mina Hiranya¡¯s assassination attempts for years, and before that, his many enemies across many battlefields.
Having apetent ally was one of the greatest boons she could¡¯ve asked for. Yet right now, as of this moment, Maiya felt only frustration.
¡°This is impossible,¡± Yamal said. ¡°You do understand this, yes?¡±
Maiya ground her teeth. ¡°There has to be a way,¡± she said. ¡°We can¡¯t just give up.¡±
They were currently perched on a nearby rooftop, watching one of the many entrances to Riyan¡¯s warehouses. A light dusting of snow fell upon the city of Kaiya, nketing it with silence and cold.
¡°Bheem. Any chance you could get us in through the sewers?¡±
The big man pursed his lips and scribbled his reply down on a notebook.¡°Possible, but risky. One thing to explore its depths. Another entirely to locate a specific point.¡±
¡°So it remains our backup n,¡± Maiya replied, having concluded as much already. ¡°If we can¡¯t find a better solution in the next day or two, we¡¯ll give it a go.¡±
It was times like these that Maiya wished for Vir¡¯s Prana Vision. How simple would this be if she could see prana through walls?
s, she couldn¡¯t, and so a different tactic was required.
¡°What about you, Yamal? Any luck getting leads from the local populus?¡±
The ex-merchant had acted alone for most of the duration of their stay, which suited the man just fine. He¡¯d spent his days chatting away in cozy warm cabins while Maiya remained out in the snow, scouting and observing. ¡°It¡¯s not that they¡¯re tight-lipped,¡± he said. ¡°Between the coin you gave me and the liquor I bought them, their wordse easily.¡±
¡°But?¡± Maiya asked.
¡°They speak much, but say little. Only a small handful are even aware of your friend¡¯s presence, and those who are only have vague suspicions of those who might belong to his band of rebels. Nothing nearly substantial enough to act on, I¡¯m afraid. If we corner them and are wrong¡¡±
¡°We¡¯ll have the Saian authorities breathing down our back,¡± Maiya said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t intend to make a move on anyone unless I¡¯m sure. Besides, it¡¯d be useless. Riyan wouldn¡¯t send anyone out on their own unless he knew they¡¯d die for him. I doubt we¡¯d get anything out of anyone we capture, even if we torture them. Which I¡¯m not willing to do,¡± Maiya added before Yamal could react.
¡°Right,¡± he said. ¡°Of course not.¡±
Maiya rolled her eyes. ¡°I might be the Blessed Chosen and an agent of Kin¡¯jal, but I¡¯m not a monster. I just wish there was an easier way,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°I wish we could just barge up to his front door and demand to be let in.¡±
¡°Er, why can¡¯t we?¡± Yamal said.
¡°What?¡± Maiya replied, staring at him like he¡¯d grown an extra eye.
¡°Why not march up to his door and demand to be let in? He¡¯s hiding. He can¡¯t very well ignore us if we kick up a stir, can he?¡±
¡°No, he can¡¯t ignore us,¡± Maiya replied. ¡°Which is why he¡¯ll bring out his men and attack us. Which gets us nowhere.¡±
¡°But you just said he doesn¡¯t want to be found,¡± Yamal said. He was being oddly insistent about this, so Maiya decided to hear him out. It wasn¡¯t often he put his foot down, after all. She was actually impressed he was showing some backbone for once. The least she could do was honor that.
¡°Go on,¡± she said.
¡°Well, it seems to me that a fight in the streets would attract quite some attention.¡±
Maiya shrugged. ¡°He has no other choice. Knowing him, he¡¯ll go send someone to fetch the authorities and im we¡¯re being a nuisance. For all they know, we¡¯re the aggressors here.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Yamal said with a frown. ¡°I admit that could be an issue.¡±
He fell silent, backing down, but Maiya kept stewing over what he said.
¡°I think I see where you¡¯re going with this, though,¡± she said. ¡°If¡ªhypothetically¡ªthe guards weren¡¯t an issue, what would happen?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯d think a crowd would form. It¡¯d be quite the spectacle.¡±
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¡°Precisely what Riyan doesn¡¯t want,¡± Maiya said. ¡°And if we make it known that we only want to chat with Riyan¡ If I state who I am¡¡±
¡°You will tell him you¡¯re with Kin¡¯jal?¡± Yamal asked in surprise. ¡°That seems ill-advised.¡±
¡°No. But I¡¯ll tell him Maiya¡¯s back and wants to talk. As I mentioned, we have a history together. There¡¯s a chance he¡¯ll be willing to meet. Not much of one chance, but at least a chance, nheless.¡±
¡°And the Saian guards?¡±
Maiya gave him a sly smirk. ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s the easy part. We do have a squad of elite Kin¡¯jal operatives, campedfortably `outside the city, after all. I say it¡¯s about time we put them to good use.
Apany of Kin¡¯jal battle maidens showing up in the middle of Sai would have been a political disaster¡ªand not the sort Maiya wanted. At Sonam, Ira was known for arming her personal attendants, and even if the local Saians didn¡¯t know, knowledge would get back to Andros¡ªlikely through Kin¡¯jal informants loyal to the Imperator.
That was alright. Each and every handmaiden in Maiya¡¯s team were experts at makeup. She needed only dress them in Saianmoner garb and have them work their magic. They¡¯d be indistinguishable from the local poption.
Or, as Maiya intended, indistinguishable from a Saian rebel.
The problemy in procuring the required clothing. Packing for an extended stay in the frigid north had precluded bringing many personal effects. Even the handmaidens¡¯ makeup kits had to be curtailed to reduce their overall weight. Acira tired easily, and extra weight meant extra Acira at every transfer stop.
For normal militaries, this would pose a real logistical hassle, but here again, Ira¡¯s handmaidens were anything but normal. Trained in espionage and subterfuge as they were, Maiya simply had them dress in their most basic garb and sent them off to different tailors in search of clothing, staggering them over several days. Wearing makeup as they were, nobody recognized them, and the handmaidens had leaped at a chance to take action. Just a few dayster, all were clothed in winter Saian wear, their faces subtly painted to look more rugged than they were.
It hadn¡¯t taken much. None of them had bathed in days, and setting up camp was sweaty work. The disguise was only half-deception, as the best disguises tended to be.
On the fourth day after their arrival, they were finally in position. Her handmaidens had split into a half-dozen squads and were sprinkled all around the neighborhood. Maiya¡¯s own squad was thergest, with four handmaidens.
Being nobatants, Bheem and Yamal monitored the situation from afar. While Bheem had his physical strength, neither were trained warriors¡ªlet alone trained to the rigor of Ira¡¯s elite agents. They¡¯d only get in the way.
From her rooftop, Maiya gazed down at the street. Snow fell lightly, even as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. It was cold, but not frigid, and the ground was covered in slush.
Men sat with their backs to the wall, hands extended, begging for coin. Others were curled up in a fetal position, sleeping, others still ambled idly around, acting as though the world had abandoned them.
There was just one tiny detail that caused a grin to creep onto Maiya¡¯s face.
For every single person in that alley, from the beggars to those walking by throwing sneers at them, was a Kin¡¯jal handmaiden.
The ruse was so perfect that even Maiya would have passed them by, had she not known who they were.
After monitoring the situation for a while longer, Maiya set out.
The most conspicuous thing she could do would be to pretend as though she were some secret agent. Only amateurs behaved that way, and Maiya would not damage the borate y her actors had so painstakingly put on.
Her gait was casual but deliberate, and she walked up to the door and knocked.
As she did, Maiya¡¯s handmaidens had casually maneuvered into position, with severaling together to engage in discussions with each other. A handful of tussles broke out, starting with shouts and loud voices.
All to hide Maiya¡¯s physical presence and mask the sound of her knocking. If any regr slum dwellers were present, it¡¯d have been impossible to spot Maiya among the ruckus ying out.
Though she kept her expressionless mask, Maiya wanted nothing more than to smile with pride. There was no feeling in the world as satisfying as being inmand of such an elite group. Though they were second to none inbat, Ira¡¯s handmaidens were not merely fighters. They were veteran spies and master actors. They were experts at improvisation, and they were elite engineers. They were whatever they needed to be for the situation at hand, and they excelled at everything they did.
Which was why Maiya knew that should this situation turn violent, the handmaidens would have her back.
She kept knocking. And kept on knocking, even as minutes passed.
They couldn¡¯t ignore her forever, and with such a ruckus brewing outside, someone was bound to know.
More likely, Riyan had scouts who¡¯d been reporting back. He¡¯d known from the very beginning.
But if he was hoping they¡¯d give up and go away, they were horribly wrong.
The sounds had drawn spectators, and it wasn¡¯t long after that a crowd formed.
And then, in the distance, Maiya heard what she¡¯d been waiting for.
The city guard had arrived.
Calls of ¡®Break it up!¡¯ and ¡®What¡¯s going on here¡¯ grew steadily louder, and in just moments, the guard would be upon Riyan¡¯s building. And that was something Riyan very much did not want.
Sure enough, with less than a minute remaining, the door opened. Betraying Maiya¡¯s expectations, it wasn¡¯t an attendant or a low-level grunt that greeted her.
It was Riyan Savar himself, and he was scowling.
¡°If you value your life, leave.¡±
Maiya¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The authority behind his words hadn¡¯t lessened a drop, despite the half-mask he wore that hid part of his face.
Then again, Maiya wasn¡¯t the same vige girl she¡¯d once been. Rather than quiver in fear, it was another sensation entirely that coursed through her veins.
Giddiness.
He hadn¡¯t recognized her! The man who had taught her the art of makeup had himself failed to see through her disguise.
¡°Wow, Riyan,¡± she replied, her voice full of sarcasm. ¡°Is that what you say to your long-lost disciple?¡±
To his credit, Riyan maintained an expressionless mask, betraying no hint of the surprise Maiya knew he felt.
¡°You¡¡± he breathed.
Maiya smudged off her makeup. ¡°In the flesh. And do you have any idea how hard it was to get a hold of you?¡±
Riyan frowned. ¡°I do not understand. Why are you here? Who are these people?¡±
Maiya beamed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let mee inside, and we can chat.¡± She thumbed over to the guards who pierced their way through the crowd. ¡°Because I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯d very much like to have a talk once they find out about your little operation.¡±
Again, if he was surprised, Riyan didn¡¯t show it, though his frown deepened, and this time, it bore the creases of suspicion. ¡°What do you want?¡±
¡°Nothing much. Just wanted to talk about how we¡¯re going to overthrow not just Sai¡¯s government, but King Rayid Hiranya as well. In favor of a far better ruler. One you already approve of.¡±
Riyan¡¯s eyes widened, and this time, not even his own prodigious acting skills could stop him from expressing his surprise. Surprise¡ and Interest.
In her head, Maiya raised a fist in victory.
Got him.
Chapter Ashborn 340: Clandestine Gatherings (Three) (Maiya)
Chapter Ashborn 340: ndestine Gatherings (Three) (Maiya)
Maiya made to enter, but Riyan stopped her.
¡°What will you do about this?¡± he asked, gesturing his chin to the ruckus.
¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that,¡± Maiya replied with a coy smirk. ¡°Just watch.¡±
At that moment, a ¡®ruffian¡¯ caught sight of the guards, and panicked, pushing the crowd in an attempt to get away.
That, of course, prompted the guards to peel off and follow.
This, in turn, caused a dam to break, and all the ¡®thugs¡¯ who¡¯d been ¡®fighting¡¯ broke off and split in every direction. The guards gave chase, but were hampered by the crowd.
Not one paid any mind to the door Maiya was standing in front of.
¡°See?¡± Maiya said with a grin.¡°You¡¯ve some exining to do, girl,¡± Riyan said, beckoning for her to enter.
She did so, but when her squad of four motioned to do the same, Riyan raised a hand.
¡°No. Not them. Only you.¡±
Their motions were nearly nonexistent, but Maiya caught the subtle repositioning of their arms and the bending of their knees as they braced forbat.
¡°I think you could spare me a few girls¡¡± Maiya bluffed.
¡°Hardly a few girls,¡± Riyan said, calling her bluff. ¡°They are trained. Exceedingly well, from the way they move. They could wreak havoc in here if they so chose.¡±
Maiya raised an amused brow. ¡°And I can¡¯t?¡±
Riyan didn¡¯t answer, confirming her thoughts. He still didn¡¯t know that she was the one he fought in Kartara. As far as Riyan was concerned, Maiya had suddenly shown up after years away.
Good. That¡¯ll make this easier, Maiya thought.
But she wasn¡¯t ready to concede just yet. ¡°I could have my people raise more of a ruckus...¡±
Riyan shook his head. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. They have dissipated and will be fleeing the authorities for some time. Now, you are alone. Alone, and powerless.¡±
Maiya found herself grinding her teeth despite everything. She¡¯d forgotten how good the man was at getting on her nerves.
¡°Fine,¡± she said, dismissing her handmaidens. They hesitated, but she looked them in the eye and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯ll signal if I need help.¡±
Riyan raised a brow at that, no doubt wondering exactly how she¡¯d manage such a feat, but he didn¡¯t need to know that Maiya was carrying amunications orb on her. An orb that ryed every word that would be exchanged between her and Riyan to handmaidens stationed at their camp outside the city.
Those words would then be transcribed. For posterity, of course. Definitely not for ckmail. Maiya preferred to call it insurance.
Maiya followed Riyan through a dark, empty hallway, then around a corner, which led to¡ªof all things¡ªa dead-end room with a basic bed, couch, and a few chairs.
¡°Where have you been all this time?¡± Maiya asked, figuring she¡¯d make full use of her time with the man. Who knew how much of it she¡¯d have?
¡°Not here,¡± was Riyan¡¯s curt response, though whether he¡¯d intended it as an answer to her question, or whether he was telling her that chatting here wasn¡¯t a good idea, she didn¡¯t know.
One of Riyan¡¯s rebels knelt and pulled off the rug that covered the floor, revealing a wooden trapdoor embedded into the floor. The man bypassed the Magic Lock and opened the door.
¡°Down,¡± Riyan said.
Maiya peered into the dark hole and shrugged, lowering herself down. She carried with her a dozen orbs of C and B grade, all of which were precharged. If Riyan tried to pull anything, she¡¯d ensure there was nothing left of his little base.
Still, she hoped it wouldn¡¯te to that. Even if she took Riyan out, against such numbers, there were no guarantees. Not to mention doing so would make the mission end in failure¡ªlet alone the tragic loss of life it¡¯d bring.
Maiya could only pray that Riyan didn¡¯t force her hand.
He won¡¯t, she assured herself. Not when the carrot is this juicy.
The longdder led down two floors, and at the bottom, Maiya found a bustling hive of activity.
They were unquestionably within the sewers, and yet there was none of the stink that gued such ces.
As Riyan led her down repurposed sewer ways, she found people, bunks, desks, and all the outerments of daily life. Large rooms that once held sluice gates had been cleaned and converted into mess halls, and sewage holding rooms were now pristine barracks.
¡°We did a little remodeling,¡± Riyan said, noticing Maiya eyeing their surroundings. ¡°The sewers were the only ce I could realistically fit so many without attracting attention.¡±
¡°It couldn¡¯t have been easy,¡± Maiya said. She didn¡¯t even want to guess how much work it would¡¯ve taken to clean and sanitize such a ce, let alone bring in enough Magic Lap orbs to light the ce.
¡°It certainly wasn¡¯t,¡± Riyan chuckled. ¡°And the cleanup was the easier part. Diverting the sewer flow in a way that didn¡¯t impact the city was an engineering feat and a half.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll say¡¡±
Maiya might¡¯ve been talking half out of a duty to break the ice, but she wasn¡¯t sure there was much to be broken. She couldn¡¯t believe how easily they were able to converse. As if it¡¯d only been yesterday that they¡¯d seen each other, when in reality, it had been well over a year.
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The powerfully built man led her through another hall, and into a chamber that was markedly different from the rest.
Thevish rugs that covered the floor, the opulent sofas, mahogany dining table, and dressers, all spoke to a level of refinement that Maiya expected out of Riyan.
Just that it was all horribly out of ce in a room that used to be part of the sewer system. If Maiya wasn¡¯t mistaken, there was even a slight fragrance that filled the air. It was quite pleasant on the nose.
¡°Please, sit,¡± Riyan said, far more politely than Maiya had expected. Was this a trap? Or was he genuinely happy?
An attendant pulled her chair from the dining table, and Maiya obliged, sitting with every ounce of the etiquette that the Head Handmaiden had drilled into her.
Riyan took a seat opposite her and sped his hands. ¡°I admit, I did not think I would see you again,¡± he said at length.
Maiya shrugged. ¡°Fate ys some interesting tricks sometimes.¡±
¡°That it does,¡± Riyan said with a nod.
The conversation faltered, and Maiya¡¯s eyes wandered to the mask that ran down the left side of Riyan¡¯s face.
¡°Riyan¡ What happened on that night?¡±
Though it was partially hidden by his mask, she could tell he¡¯d raised a brow. ¡°I am surprised you know.¡±
¡°Really?¡± she asked. ¡°You were the one who sent me to spy on the Kin¡¯jal, after all.¡±
Riyan snorted. ¡°I never expected you to join them.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Maiya said reflexively. So Tanya had informed him. But if so, why would he admit her here? Riyan hated Kin¡¯jal.
A chill crept up her spine.
¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Riyan asked, mockingly.
¡°Well, I did, but I oppose Andros.¡±
That got Riyan¡¯s attention. He appraised her in silence for a long moment.
¡°Coteral from my fight with the monster that calls herself Mina Hiranya,¡± Riyan said, slowly removing his mask.
Maiya had to fight every instinct she had not to gasp.
The left side of Riyan¡¯s face was just¡ gone. Not merely deformed. Missing entirely. Like something had cut it away. Or eaten it.
¡°What¡¡± Maiya didn¡¯t have the heart to continue.
¡°A pet Prana Swarm the princess sought to keep hidden from her father. And everyone else. When I sent Vir, I had ounted for the Artifact that granted her invulnerability. I admit, I had not ounted for this weapon.¡±
The implications of this shocked Maiya¡¯s entire world.
¡°You sent Vir to fight her¡ knowing she had an Artifact from the Age of Gods!?¡± Maiya couldn¡¯t help it. She felt her blood getting hotter and hotter by the moment. ¡°A suicide mission. You meant for Vir to die fighting her, knowing he had no chance of winning.¡±
¡°Wrong,¡± Riyan said, crossing his arms. ¡°I sent him to fight her, knowing he had no chance of winning.¡±
¡°Little difference, don¡¯t you think? Especially with a Prana Swarm at hermand, of all things.¡±
¡°I never intended to have him fight alone, Maiya,¡± Riyan said, leaning forward. ¡°The boy was to be bait¡ªsomeone to keep the Princess and her bodyguard distracted while I came in for the kill. I had a way to defeat her Artifact.¡±
Maiya ground her teeth. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s how you crippled her.¡±
The big man leaned back in his chair. ¡°Indeed.¡±
¡°Will you continue to pursue her?¡±
¡°No,¡± Riyan said with a shake of his head. ¡°Her fate is worse than death. Stripped of all power, her mind has broken. She will live out the rest of her days a husk of the monster she once was.¡±
He spoke his words with something Maiya hadn¡¯t expected, but probably should have. Pride.
Maiya had always known of Riyan¡¯s brutality, but seeing the way he talked¡ He truly was the most dangerous type of person to make enemies of. He was the type that would stew for years¡ªeven decades¡ªplotting and nning.
¡°Why are you here, Maiya?¡± Riyan asked, finallying to the point. ¡°And what reason do I have for not sending your head back to Sonam in a box?¡±
Maiya squelched the horror that was about to rear itself and leveled her gaze at Riyan.
¡°Because that would only make the man you hate happy.¡±
¡°Exin.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not working with Andros, Riyan. I¡¯m working with Princess Ira.¡±
¡°The very princess you were intended to spy on.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Maiya said, not backing down an inch. ¡°Because what she wants and what you want are the same, and if you got over your immense ego and saw things clearly, you¡¯d understand that as well.¡±
¡°Kin¡¯jals are all the same!¡± Riyan roared. ¡°Battle hungry, backstabbing warmongers. It is in their blood.¡±
¡°If you knew a thing about Ira, you¡¯d know how horribly wrong you are. For example, can you tell me what Ira ns to do, should she ascend to the throne?¡±
¡°She intends tounch a coup against her father?¡± Riyan asked, taken aback.
¡°Your intelligence fails you, Riyan,¡± Maiya said, acting as if such a thing ought to be well known. It wasn¡¯t, of course, but it allowed Maiya an opportunity to gain the initiative in the conversation.
¡°What of it? She¡¯ll simply take up her father¡¯s mantle and invade Hiranya. Better the evil we know.¡±
¡°Wholistic cultural reform,¡± Maiya said.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°She hates what the country has be. The reputation it¡¯s gained. She wants to turn Kin¡¯jal away from expansionism, starting at the very foundation. Instead of extollingbat, she¡¯ll have schoolteachers prioritize the arts, engineering, and trade. Instead ofbat tournaments, she¡¯ll host merchant fairs instead.¡±
Riyan snorted. ¡°The princess is more delusional than I thought. This will never happen.¡±
¡°It¡¯ll never happen if no one tries,¡± Maiya said. ¡°And her sess hardly matters to you, doesn¡¯t it? To get the Brian Guard away from Sonam, she intends to precipitate two uprisings. One in Sai, which, thanks to you, is already well on its way. And another in Hiranya.¡±
¡°You mean to have Andros invade Hiranya?¡± Riyan replied, instantly catching onto the n. ¡°And you thought for an instant I would go along with this?¡±
¡°No, Riyan,¡± Maiya said with a sigh. ¡°Nobody wants the loss of life that would cause, I assure you. By drawing out Kin¡¯jal¡¯s army to two fronts, Andros leaves Sonam exposed.¡±
¡°And that is when your princess will strike.¡±
¡°Yes. So you tell me. What will happen when she does?¡±
¡°Andros would recall his army,¡± Riyan said, stroking his beard. ¡°I see. And while they retreat, Hiranya can go on the offense, culling their numbers.¡±
¡°Or, you know? Solidify its brand-new king¡¯s rule?¡±
¡°You speak of Sanobar, I assume?¡± Riyan said, looking off into the distance.
¡°The one and only. He has Ira¡¯s support. He has your approval. He¡¯s capable, and he should be on the throne. We both know he¡¯ll lead Hiranya much better than his father ever could.¡±
¡°That, I do not dispute,¡± Riyan said. ¡°But to oust Rayid for no fault of his own¡¡±
¡°Really?¡± Maiya asked, raising her brows. ¡°Really? That man created Mina. Whether through negligence or outright ipetence, she would never have existed without him. A spineless, mediocre ruler can does more damage than a tyrant, you know?¡±
Riyan fell silent for a long while, eyeing Maiya. ¡°You truly have grown. If only you''d put that mind to Hiranya, instead.¡±
¡°I am, Riyan,¡± Maiya said, returning his state. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t need to believe in Princess Ira. You need only believe that she wants Andros gone, and that she¡¯llunch a coup of her own. As for what happens after¡ªwell, nothing good for Kin¡¯jal. Either Andros is killed and Ira takes the reign, or a civil war erupts. Either way, the country will no longer be a threat to Hiranya. Or anyone else, for that matter.¡±
¡°Princess Ira Kin¡¯jal,¡± Riyan said, as if testing the taste of the words in his mouth. ¡°I wish to speak with her. In person. I must measure her mettle for myself.¡±
¡°You¡¯re serious¡¡±
¡°I am.¡±
¡°Riyan¡ the whole realm knows just how much you hate Kin¡¯jal. Do you think anyone in their right mind would let you meet with one of their princesses?¡±
¡°That is¡ I see,¡± Riyan replied, stroking his chin. As far as Maiya could tell, the man was being genuine. But one could never know with this man.
¡°Very well. I shall prove my allegiance through action. Then, if the princess finds it amenable, we shall meet. Know that I will never help a Kin¡¯jal unless I have assured myself of their character. Tell your princess that I am willing to give her this one chance. Should she deny it, then you had better pray we never meet. For her sake.¡±
Maiya nearly rolled her eyes at Riyan¡¯s threat. Always with the posturing and the threats. He never changed.
It didn¡¯t matter. All that did was that she¡¯d achieved what she¡¯d set out to aplish. The first block of foundation had beenid. Now, they had to build the fortress that would sit on top.
¡°Your offer is eptable,¡± Maiya said, fighting to keep the smile off her face. ¡°I¡¯ll let Ira know right away. As for this action you spoke of¡¡±
¡°Fear not,¡± Riyan said, his lips curling into a vicious grin. ¡°You will know. When the timees.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 341: Tara Fights
Chapter Ashborn 341: Tara Fights
Vir returned to his seat, intent on proving the naga wrong. While he, of course, wanted to witness Tara¡¯s fight, that was secondary to his other, far more serious reason¡ªproving her wrong.
As it turned out, he needn¡¯t have worried. Whether it was her bravado speaking, or simply that her opponent was more canny than she¡¯d anticipated, there was no danger of the fight concluding anytime soon, and Vir felt his worry transform into smug superiority. He¡¯d have to rub this in her face when she was done.
Assuming she won, of course. He¡¯d never rub salt in a wound.
In fact, they seemed to be at something of a stalemate by the time Vir arrived, Tara having activated her poison field, and her Bairan opponent warily keeping his distance.
¡°What did I miss?¡± he asked Cirayus, sitting down beside his godfather and Aida.
¡°Well, Svar over there went in with his greatsword, only to meet Tara¡¯s Corruption field. I suspect he feared this exact scenario and went in for a quick.¡±
Aida snorted. ¡°Didn¡¯t work. That girl danced around him until her field grew thick enough. And now¡¡±
¡°¡®Tis a poor matchup, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Cirayus said. ¡°All Panav fights are difficult, but to pit her against a Bairan in the first round¡ Fate was not kind to young Tara.¡±Vir frowned. ¡°Because of Giant Hide?¡±
¡°Aye, a bit. That art strengthens our skin into armor, though for some, it makes us more resilient. Just that Bairans are naturally resistant to things like poison.¡±
¡°That is an awful lot of advantages your race bears, don¡¯t you think?¡± Virmented.
Cirayus bellowed augh. ¡°What can I say,d? The gods sought fit to make us big and strong.¡±
Aida promptly punched her grandfather in the ribs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vir. He might be four centuries old, but he has the maturity of a forty-year-old.¡±
¡°Uh, huh¡¡± Vir didn¡¯t rightly know how to respond to that, considering he was just about half that. He opted to keep his silence.
¡°Make no mistake. This is a battle of attrition on Tara¡¯s side, and Svar knows it.¡±
¡°Then why doesn¡¯t he attack before the poison gets to him?¡± Vir asked.
¡°I expect he¡¯s probing Tara to see if she has any other abilities up her sleeve. She¡¯s a neer¡ªher powers aren¡¯t as well understood as some of the others, and even for veterans, you never know what new technique they¡¯ve invented since thest tournament.¡±
¡°Makes sense,¡± Vir replied. He truly didn¡¯t know how Tara would get out of this. It seemed rather hopeless for her.
A part of him was relieved at that thought. Whoever won this bout would be his opponent in the second round. Tara was nice. He didn¡¯t want to fight her if possible. Regardless of who won, there would be bitter feelings between them. Losing before she made it to the second round would be the ideal scenario.
And yet, a part of him desperately wanted to pit himself against her. He couldn¡¯t help getting excited at the idea of an all-out brawl with the naga.
Had he introspected even a little, Vir might¡¯ve realized that the demonic fighting spirit he¡¯dmented on only recently had begun to infect him as well.
As it was, his eyes were glued to the match.
Tara moved steadily closer to Svar, but never drew in close enough to allow the giant, with his greater reach, to attack.
It was a calcted move¡ªthe closer her enemy was, the denser her Corruption field became.
A cheer erupted from the Panav section, and when he looked up, Vir found an ocean of heart-shaped banners and balloons being waved around.
¡°She sure is well-loved,¡± he muttered. ¡°I feel like she¡¯s getting more support from her n than even Zarak¡¯Nor did from the Iksana.¡±
¡°Aye, she¡¯s a popr whelp, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Cirayus said, keeping his eyes glued on the battle.
Aida, however, was sneering at the stands. ¡°I don¡¯t see the appeal, if you ask me. She¡¯s just another naga. Take up a spear and the n loves you. Wish it were that easy for us.¡±
¡°Now, now, Aida. Jealousy is an ugly thing.¡±
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Aida, once again, jabbed her grandfather in the ribs, though she might as well have been a fly. Cirayus didn¡¯t even notice.
¡°What do you know of this Svar?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Never heard of him. So many new faces since I was herest.¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t either,¡± Aida added. ¡°Definitely a neer.¡±
¡°Still, he has all the standard Bairan bloodline tattoos. Without some serious offense, I¡¯m afraid Tara will be hamstrung.¡±
Tara dodged a swipe of the giant¡¯s talwar with preternatural grace. She flitted around the stage, as if executing steps in a well-choreographed dance. There was a grace to her movements that Vir hadn¡¯t seen during their time in the Ash.
¡°Why is she in her human form, though?¡± he asked. ¡°She can move much faster in her naga form.¡±
¡°I expect she¡¯s keeping that as a trump card,d,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°Naga can shift forms with superhuman speed. Some say it happens instantly, while others say it takes a split-second that¡¯s simply faster than we can see. Countless Thaumaturges have studied the process for millennia, but no one¡¯s ever been able to crack the secret. Not even Saunak.¡±
Vir raised a brow. If not even Saunak had solved it, the mystery must run deep.
¡°All this to say, it¡¯s one of the naga¡¯s best advantages in a fight. Get close to the opponent in your human form, then boom!¡± Cirayus snapped four fingers. ¡°They¡¯re suddenly a snake, and their tail¡¯s all wrapped around you.¡± He made a corkscrew motion with his two left hands.
¡°That¡¯s¡ pretty insidious,¡± Vir admitted.
¡°Aye. If only their kind felt like fighting more. They¡¯d be quite a force. s, most of their kind are content to heal, not kill.¡±
Vir wanted to say, ¡®And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡¯ But movement from the stage forced his attention back to the fight. Svar had finally made his move.
The giant leaped forth, swiping with his oversized straight-ded sword. Tara dodged, but was forced to move away. The only issue was¡
¡°She¡¯s too slow.¡±
The issue wasn¡¯t Tara¡¯s speed, per se, but rather the distance she had to retreat to avoid Svar¡¯s blows.
¡°Not just that,¡± Cirayusmented. ¡°Every time she flees, her Corruption field loses its potency. That ability is best when deployed over a static area. I can¡¯t tell you how effective it is in the defense of a castle under attack.¡±
Vir had seen that firsthand when fleeing the Chitran army near Praya Parul. And there, his troops had been on the move, albeit slowly. Even there, the art of a single demon had held off an entire battalion of enemy troops¡ªat least for a while.
Tara¡¯s motions grew increasingly frantic, until she was forced to switch to her half-naga form just to be able to flee the giant.
Still, not all was well for Svar, either. His skin had begun to sizzle.
¡°Everyone, take notice!¡± One of thementators¡ªSamik¡ªboomed. ¡°Can you tell? The prana in the air has been all but sucked dry by this naga¡¯s art! They must now channel the prana within the ground if they wish to use their arts.¡±
Vir frowned. It couldn¡¯t be. Could it?
¡°Was this her strategy all along?¡± he asked, looking to his godfather.
But Cirayus hadn¡¯t heard. He leaned forward, wearing an excited grin.
I¡¯ll take that as a yes.
¡°This girl,¡± he said. ¡°Better watch out,d. She¡¯s a force to be reckoned with.¡±
¡°You speak as though she¡¯s already won. How do you¡ª¡±
Cirayus pointed with his two left index fingers.
The contestants were on the move. Svar ran, and so did Tara, but this time, she wasn¡¯t trying to flee.
No, she ran directly at the giant.
¡°Is she insane?¡± Vir breathed, transfixed by what was surely the climax of this very interesting fight.
Ten paces. Five.
Svar swung. Tara dodged. And then the unthinkable happened.
Tara jumped onto the demon¡¯s arm, then again, hurtling towards his face.
The giant brought a hand up, but not quick enough. Not nearly.
Tara gripped his face¡ And then the giant screamed. It was a scream of the purest, most abject agony. And it was amplified across the entire stadium.
The fight ended only secondster, in total, utter silence. For a long while, not a soul cheered, and not even thementators. It was as if the stadium were paralyzed by the shock of Tara¡¯s brutal move.
And then¡ the spell was broken, and the stadium erupted.
¡°Winnnnnnerrrrrr! Tarrraaaaaa of the Panaaaaaav!¡±
The Panav stands went absolutely hysterical, with the entire n giving Tara a standing ovation of ps, shouts, hoots, and enthralled screams.
The rest of the stadium was more subdued, but Vir heard apuse from nearly every camp in various degrees¡ªchief among them being n Baira.
¡°And what¡¯s this?¡± Samik said. ¡°It looks like Tara herself is administering healing to her opponent!¡±
¡°What an incredible disy of good sportsmanship,¡± his counterpart, Nakin, said. ¡°I can¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯ve seen the victor express such care for the loser. If this isn¡¯t a sign of inter-n cooperation, I don¡¯t know what is.¡±
¡°You are absolutely correct, Nakin. This is an era of cooperation and harmony¡¡±
Vir ignored the rest. ¡°What utter drivel,¡± he muttered.
¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on them,d,¡± Cirayus said with a shrug. ¡°¡®Tis their job, after all.¡±
While true, Vir felt nothing but disgust at their performance. An era of cooperation and harmony? How could they spew such lies when his entire n had been subjugated and driven to the brink of extinction? Vir felt the hatred building within him¡ and took a deep breath. These feelings would not free his people. They would not make him a good ruler. If anything, with the power he¡¯d eventuallymand, they¡¯d only cause ruin. Best to nip them in the bud.
Cirayus, perhaps noticing Vir¡¯s plight, rested arge,forting hand upon his shoulder.
Vir was about to shrug off his hand before Aida noticed when thementators spoke again.
¡°What¡¯s this? Well, well, folks. It looks like Tara¡¯s not done yet! What is this naga up to now?¡±
¡°It looks like she¡¯s scanning the crowd, Nakin,¡± Samik said. ¡°But for whom?¡±
Vir¡¯s stomach sank. It couldn¡¯t be. Could it?
Tara put a hand above her eyes to shield her eyes from the sun. She slowly turned, taking in each n of the enormous stadium, and making a show of it. Shy, Tara was not.
And then she stopped.
¡°Well, folks. She seems to have found who she¡¯s looking for. Who could it be? A lover, perhaps?¡±
¡°She is quite the bold one, Samik. I wouldn¡¯t put it past someone like¡ªWell, I¡¯ll be! Ladies and gentlemen, she¡¯s pointing! She¡¯s pointing to someone very particr! But who could it be?¡±
Vir locked eyes with the naga and clenched his jaw.
She was pointing at him.
¡°How bold! How delightfully brash! Everybody!¡± thementator red. ¡°I do believe that Tara of Panav has just issued a challenge to her next opponent! The victor of the first round, who, against all odds, defeated the reigning champion. Yes, that¡¯s right, everybody. Tara has just proimed her victory over Vaak of the Ash!¡±
Vir returned Tara¡¯s gaze. And then, together, they both smiled. Though neither knew it, at that very moment, the same thought ran through both of their heads.
Smile while you can. Because you sure won¡¯t be smiling after tomorrow.
Chapter Ashborn 342: Vir vs Tara
Chapter Ashborn 342: Vir vs Tara
¡°And now,dies and gentlemen, the moment you¡¯ve all been waiting for! The first official duel of the dayyyy!¡± Samik shouted, which in turn prompted the whole arena to go wild.
As Vir waited alone in the staging area, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. Not that he¡¯d lose, but rather that his deception would be believable enough. It had to be, if he wished to catch his future opponents off-guard.
¡°We¡¯ll have to give it our best today, Shan,¡± Vir said, looking down at his trustypanion. ¡°We¡¯ve got no choice.¡±
The ash wolf barked. Vir wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d imagined it, but Shan¡¯s response felt a bit less enthusiastic than he¡¯d have expected.
Not a good sign if even Shan¡¯s worried¡
¡°Introducing our firstbatant! Vaaaak¡ªof Ash!¡±
¡°That¡¯s our cue,¡± Vir muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±Though Vir had braced himself for the onught of booing, it was still quite the spectacle.
So many people, Vir thought. And they all hate me.
Personally, he didn¡¯t care. The opinions of some no-name strangers were so low on his mind that he¡¯d have forgotten all about it only minutester. What struck him more was how so many could feel so strongly about someone they¡¯d never met. So quick to judge, based on the handful of times they¡¯d seen him.
And Vir was sure many of those booing hadn¡¯t even seen his prior fights. Many had likely heard of it from friends, or were simply booing because everyone else was.
It was a reminder of the insanity of crowds, and how even intelligent individuals became easily cowed sheep when subjected to peer pressure. Vir wondered how much of the ns¡¯ decision to ally with the Chitran had been because of something simr. Only on a realm-wide scale.
Vir waved up at the crowd as if he were being cheered, which of course, only made the voices louder.
¡°He seems utterly unfazed, Samik! Does our champion-destroyer have nerves of steel? Or is it just an act?¡±
¡°Act! Act! Act!¡± came the crowd¡¯s fervent reply.
Vir smirked and shook his head. So stupid¡
¡°If it is, he seems to be an awfully good actor! If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say he¡¯s feeling quite confident about this uing match.¡±
¡°Well, Nakin. I suppose we¡¯ll find out soon enough! Why don¡¯t we bring out our otherpetitor?¡±
¡°Indeed. She¡¯s young. She¡¯s beautiful. She¡¯s a natural-born killer! Introduciiiiing Taraaa of n Panaaaav!¡±
Tara¡¯s reception was deafening, drowning out whoever was still booing for Vir in a matter of seconds.
Tara walked out, hefting her spear over her shoulder while casually waving with the other hand.
¡°And that¡¯s the darling of Panav we¡¯ve all been waiting for!¡± Nakin shouted, trying to make himself heard over the din of hoots and cheers.
Suddenly, the fervor redoubled, and Vir snapped his attention back to Tara.
¡°Is-Oh my! She¡¯s blowing kisses, folks!¡±
¡°And not just at her own n. To the whole stadium! Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t love this girl?¡±
¡°As a matter of fact, it seems our two fighters worked rather closely during the qualifiers.¡±
¡°Closely, you say?¡± Nakin replied. ¡°I wonder what their history is like? Two newpetitors showing up all of a sudden? Would you say they¡¯re friends, Samik? Or perhaps¡ Something more?¡±
Vir groaned.
The apuse, which had only just begun to die down, reached an absolute fric intensity¡ªnearly on par with the reception Cirayus got when he was first introduced.
Vir didn¡¯t even want to think about the fallout from this development. It¡¯d have been bad enough as it was, but now? Thest thing he needed was for an arena full of tens of thousands of demons to think he had something going on with Tara, of all people. And especially not after he defeated her today.
¡°Well, it¡¯s out of our control. No use worrying. Right Shan?¡±
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To his surprise, Vir found the wolf resting on his belly, tongue out, and panting.
¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked, frowning.
Shan stood right up and barked back at him, as if telling him ¡®Nothing. Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡¯
Before he could check on Shan further, Tara arrived at the stage, jumping deftly up onto the tform.
Vir regarded his opponent¡ªdressed in the same leathers she always wore.
¡°No hard feelings, yeah?¡± she said with a tight smile. ¡°However this goes.¡±
¡°Back at you, Tara.¡±
There was no longer any room for doubt. He had to win this. Pure and simple.
¡°Combatants! Fight!¡±
¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen his power and judged his character myself¡ I would be weeping for the realm right now,¡± Thaman said from his ce beside Cirayus on the grandstands.
Cirayus, for his part, wanted nothing more than to bury his face in his palms. ¡°By Badrak, what is he doing?¡±
¡°I think it¡¯s fairly obvious what he¡¯s doing,¡± Thaman replied. ¡°He¡¯s trying not to hurt a girl. Or lover, perhaps?¡±
Cirayus snorted. ¡°Not that. Far as I can tell, thed is bent on staying monogamous.¡±
¡°A pity,¡± Thaman replied, before raising a brow. ¡°So, he has someone, then?¡±
¡°Oh, yes. He does.¡±
¡°I see. I¡¯ll not pry. I suspect, like everything with him, the situation isplicated.¡±
Cirayus barked augh. ¡°More than you can imagine, Thaman. Suffice it to say that when it is eventually revealed, it might throw the entire realm into chaos.¡±
The Bairan Raja gave Cirayus a look of pure horror, but Cirayus didn¡¯t seem to notice. His eyes were glued to the stage, and his fingers brought fried sweets to his mouth like a machine.
Tara had covered her half of the stage with her noxious cloud, and Vir¡ Well, Vir seemed content to stay defensive. For the duration of the match, he hadn¡¯t even attempted to attack the naga.
¡°He could end this with one throw of that Artifact of his,¡± Thamanmented. ¡°Still green, it seems.¡±
Cirayus grunted. ¡°As you said, he doesn¡¯t wish to hurt the girl.¡± He wasn¡¯t about to reveal the secret of the chakram¡¯s limitations to Thaman¡ªnot in such a crowded space with so many ears, and not when it was so vital to hispetition strategy. ¡°Still, he is ying right into her hands. He¡¯s fought more Ash Beasts in two years than most demons in their entire lives, and yet he still behaves this way.¡±
Thaman chuckled. ¡°I recall you saying something simr to me, centuries ago.¡±
Cirayus grunted. ¡°You, at least, had time. He does not.¡±
Thaman fell silent for a moment. ¡°Will your n really work?¡±
Cirayus cringed as Vir dodged again, entering into the thick of Tara¡¯s poison field. He had doubts about how effective her field would be on him, given his prana density and constitution, but it seemed his hopes were unfounded. Vir faltered, and Shan¡¯s movements were sluggish.
¡°It will,¡± Cirayus replied atst. ¡°He will win. For that is the sort of demon he is. Against all odds. Against superior enemies¡ He finds a way.¡± Cirayus thought back to the first battle they¡¯d fought. To how much the boy had grown since then¡ªto the adult he had be.
¡°He always finds a way.¡±
Vir was having a hard time.
Not because Tara¡¯s poison was getting to him¡ªPrana Channeling, whenbined with hispranites¡ªhad no issues keeping the cloud at bay. If he spent days in the densest part of the cloud, then maybe he¡¯d feel something, but as of now? He was in perfect health.
No, the hard part was pretending that the poison was getting to him. And pretending that he had some chivalrous issue attacking Tara.
Vir¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t to win. His goal was to win while making it look like a fluke. Which was where Shan came in. That was the other reason he was concerned. Shan was the lynch pin for his n¡ And yet, something was clearly wrong with the Ash Wolf.
The poison cloud seemed to affect him far more than it did Vir, despite the wolf possessing all the tools needed to counteract the damage. Shan had Ashani¡¯s pranites coursing through his body just the same as Vir.
¡°Shan!¡± Vir called out, urging the wolf to attack. If Shan prated Tara¡¯s cloud and pinned her down, Vir coulde in and look like he stole the wolf¡¯s victory¡ªthe same as he¡¯d done in his first match.
Except every second that passed had the wolf growing more and more sluggish.
¡°Don¡¯t think you can rely on your friend there,¡± Tara said with a smirk.
¡°He better not suffer after this,¡± Vir called back.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll just go to sleep for a while. Have a nice nap!¡±
Tara shouted thatst part to the crowd. It was clear from the moment she walked out onto the stage that she was milking this battle for every bit of publicity she could get. Tara would never say things like that to him in private.
Vir crumpled to a knee, feigning agony.
¡°Why don¡¯t you just give up?¡± Tara asked, positively gloating. ¡°It¡¯s not like I enjoy doing this, you know? Just say the magic words and it¡¯ll all be over.¡±
¡°I¡¡± Vir coughed. ¡°I won¡¯t. Give in.¡±
Tara strutted closer, putting Vir in the densest part of the toxic gas. He fell to all fours, hacking.
¡°How exactly do you intend to beat me? You won¡¯t hurt me? Your wolf is out of the fight. And now, you can¡¯t even stand. Can you?¡±
Vir nced over at Shan, desperately hoping the wolf was faring better now. He wasn¡¯t. The wolf was lying on the stage¡ªeither unconscious or close to it.
Tara arrived at Vir¡¯s position, her spear positioned menacingly at his chin.
Vir struggled to raise his head to look at her.
Tara, meanwhile, waved to the crowd. ¡°Should I hurl him off the stage? Or should I hurt him?¡±
The arena answered with a myriad of responses, which melted together, bing a soup of garbled nonsense.
Tara cupped her ear and made a show of listening.
¡°I see!¡± she said, nodding to herself. ¡°Well, Vaak. It seems they want me to push you off the stage. It¡¯s the least I can do to respect the courtesy you¡¯ve shown me. Don¡¯t worry, though. I¡¯ll administer your first aid myself. You won¡¯t feel a thing.¡±
¡°Courtesy?¡± Vir wheezed. ¡°Is that what you thought?¡±
Tara frowned. ¡°Why, yes. Is that not why you haven¡¯t hurt me?¡±
Then, without warning, Vir moved. Not sluggishly, or weakly, but at his absolute full power. He sprang up, driving into Tara¡¯s torso, and Leaped.
¡°Not quite,¡± he whispered as they sailed through the air. All the way across the stage, and at their current trajectory, over it. ¡°No hard feelings,¡± he whispered into her ear.
Tara heaved, her eyes bulging as the wind was knocked out of her. ¡°N-no!¡± she sputtered, sucking in a hacking breath. ¡°Wait! We¡¯ll both lose! The bounds! We¡¯ll go out of bounds!¡±
¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t afford to lose here.¡±
Vir pushed Tara away from him, then kicked her torso and sent her flying into the distance.
Somersaulting in midair, Vir righted himself as he fell. He watched as Tara collided with the ground and rolled to a stop, where shey unmoving and unconscious. A full dozen paces out of bounds.
As for Vir, he activated Light Step, Leaped off the stage, not bothering to respond to the crowd¡ªwho booed and jeered at him¡ªnor did he pay any attention to thementators, who were talking about Shan¡¯s capabilities.
Did none of them see his friend was hurt?
Vir raced into the waiting area and shouted even before he¡¯de to a stop.
¡°Healers! Now!¡±
It may have been the urgency in his tone, or the sight of the sight of an angry Tournament victor, but the handful of young demon-hands dropped what they were doing and ran to get someone, acknowledging Vir with a crisp ¡®Yes, sir!¡¯ and ¡®We¡¯re on it, sir!¡¯
A demon emerged, whom Vir could only guess was a naga.
¡°Mypanion has been poisoned,¡± he said, trying and failing to keep the panic out of his voice. ¡°Please, heal him!¡±
The Panav knelt, cing a hand upon Shan¡¯s fur, and Vir saw the prana inside him cycle, filling the tattoo of Yuma¡¯s Touch. It wasn¡¯t the same as the Ultimate Bloodline Yuma¡¯s Embrace that Tara possessed, but she was currently incapacitated, and somewhere deep inside the other end of the arena. Finding her quickly would be a challenge.The naga retracted his hand a momentter. ¡°Friend, there is nothing wrong with your beast.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Vir cried in panic. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? He fell ill because of Tara¡¯s poison! He needs¡ª¡±
Vir stopped as Shan twitched. His eyes fluttered open, and stood up.
¡°See?¡± the naga said, rising to his feet. ¡°Right as rain.¡±
Shan started pacing around as if nothing had happened, and Vir gave him a close look with Prana Vision. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and if the Panav trusted with healing contestants assured him nothing was wrong¡
Vir let out a sigh. ¡°Thank you. I may have panicked a bit. You have my apologies.¡±
¡°None needed!¡± the naga said. ¡°If he experiences further symptoms, please do bring him by. Our facilities are avable no matter the hour.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Vir said with a small nod. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±
By the time Vir returned to the grandstands, the next match had already begun. Unlike previous days, the tournament officials decided to switch up the format, putting two official fights back-to-back. The reason for that was Cirayus¡¯ fight at the end of the day. They figured the stadium would be packed to the brim in anticipation of that fight¡ªand it was¡ªso they would host three fights today, instead of two.
Another tactic to milk as much money from the bets as possible¡ªmore people meant more gambling, which ultimately meant more coin flowing into Raja Thaman¡¯s coffers.
As Vir neared his seat, he noticed Aida had been reced by someone of greater stature, sticking out from the crowd of Bairans who surrounded them. Vir could take a guess as to their identity. There weren¡¯t many Bairans thatrge, after all.
¡°Well fought,d!¡± Cirayus roared the moment Vir was up. ¡°That was something else. Had me fooled!¡±
¡°And I as well,¡± the Bairan nlord said.
¡°Raja Thaman,¡± Vir said, bowing his head in deference. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected you here.¡±
¡°Just came over to reminisce with my old mentor, is all. Though, I¡¯d best be going.¡±
¡°Now?¡± Cirayus cried. ¡°In the middle of a match? That¡¯s the craziest thing I¡¯ve heard all day. Sit, Thaman. And let us ce bets on who will fight Vir.¡±
Thaman, who had been half out of his seat, hesitated, and sat back down. ¡°Very well. Just this one match, then.¡±
Vir took a spot next to Cirayus, on the other side. Shan curled up at his feet, and he eyed the wolf warily.
¡°Your wolf,¡± Thaman said. ¡°I trust he is well? You left the stage in quite a hurry.¡±
¡°I¡ Yes,¡± Vir replied. ¡°I may have overreacted. Tara¡¯s field seemed only to have put him to sleep, as she imed.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Thaman said. ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to fear from that girl. She¡¯d never harm your friend.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vir said, thinking back to all he knew of her. She¡¯d never once disyed that kind of hostility, or shown herself as someone who¡¯d resort to such underhanded means.
It was nothing but paranoia, and so Vir squashed it and focused on the match.
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This fight was of interest to Vir, not only because the victor would determine his next opponent, but also because of the contestants.
Saras, the Aindri with the boar, fought with Annas¡ªa Chitran kothi.
Vir didn¡¯t know who he wanted to root for. The Aindri? Or the Chitran¡ªso that he¡¯d have the pleasure of driving the monkey into the ground himself.
Finding himself getting worked up, Vir allowed the anger to pass. He had to remind himself that Annas himself had done Vir no wrong. The one he bore ill-will toward was sitting somewhere up there, high up in the Chitran section. The demon responsible for the downfall of the Garga.
Annas, however, might not even have been present during the invasion.
Vir shook his head, clearing the errant thoughts. The match moved quickly, and he¡¯d miss learning his opponent¡¯s ways if he allowed himself these sorts of distractions. Channeling the Foundation Chakra, he once again focused on the match.
To Vir¡¯s surprise, Annas wielded a talwar and a round dhol shield, which was quite different from the equipment he¡¯d carried at the introductory procession.
¡°He likes to switch between gear to keep his opponents on edge,¡± Cirayus rified. ¡°I''d say he fights better with his katars, but he¡¯s not bad with the sword and shield, either.¡±
Saras, meanwhile, rode atop his armored boar, hefting a spear. The boar was, of course, no mere boar. Vir hadn¡¯t thought the beasts could grow to such size¡ªit must have been raised in close proximity to the Ash, for the animal was nearly as big as an Ash¡¯va.
It was, however, far stronger and more agile than the lumbering beasts of burden could ever dream to be.
Saras circled the arena atop his mount, charging at Annas on a collision, only to break off at thest moment and dart away while thrusting his spear at Annas¡¯ exposed side.
To his credit, the Chitran expertly defended against these attacks. Instead of panicking in the face of such an enormous beast, he stood his ground, moving only the slightest amount at thest possible moment to avoid the iing attack. One mistake, and he¡¯d be trampled.
Vir wasn¡¯t sure what abilities the Chitran possessed, but kothis weren¡¯t known for invincible bodies, unlike the Bairans.
Thus far, Annas had remained on the defensive, making no move to attack.
¡°Awfully cautious, this one,¡± Thamanmented.
¡°He¡¯s probing his enemy,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°A double-edged sword, that.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Every charge gives Annas more information about his opponent¡¯s strengths and weaknesses,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°How fast is his beast? How quickly can he veer away? What is his range, and how does he like to attack?¡±
¡°And he gives awayparatively little,¡± Vir said.
¡°Indeed. All Saras learns is that his opponent can avoid his strikes with little effort. The Aindri knows nothing about Annas¡¯ attacks or abilities.¡±
¡°So, the double-edged nature¡¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s rather obvious, isn¡¯t it? Every attack Annas takes puts him in danger. One slip-up. One misstep. One hidden art from his opponent, and instead of barely dodging, he could find himself gored, or hurled out of the arena.¡±
¡°Which means he¡¯s sure of himself.¡±
¡°Aye,d. That is he is.¡±
¡°Gold fighting a silver,¡± Thaman remarked. ¡°And a newly ranked Silver at that. Little wonder. Annas is a veteran.¡±
¡°Well, so is Saras, but the experience gap is simply too great.¡±
By the way they were talking, it seemed to Vir that both Cirayus and Thaman had written this match off as Annas¡¯ victory.
Though, as Vir knew well, anything could happen in the heat of battle. Even the most battle-hardened veteran could be taken down by a lucky strike.
Annas seemed to have had enough because upon Saras¡¯ next strike, he struck back. Not with his talwar, but his dhol shield. He struck the boar just as it passed.
The action earned apuse and gasps from the audience, but it didn¡¯t strike Vir as anything terribly interesting. The boar hadn¡¯t even seemed to notice the strike, let alone take damage from it.
Saras came around again, and again, Annas bashed the boar. This time, however, Saras¡¯ spear connected. Driven by the full force of his momentum, it slipped a gap in Annas¡¯ shoulder te, drawing blood.
¡°And we have first blood, everyone!¡± Samik roared. ¡°By Saras, no less!¡±
¡°I have to say, Samik, this Aindri is moving better than ever before. He¡¯s almost a different demon fromst time!¡±
The routine continued, with Saras charging, only for Annas to shield bash.
And yet, something had changed. Perhaps because Vir also fought with a beast, he noticed it almost immediately.
¡°Saras¡¯ boar is getting sluggish,¡± he said.
¡°Not quite,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°Not sluggish. Fearful.¡±
¡°Though the shield may not stop its charge, I don¡¯t doubt getting hit is an ufortable experience for the creature,¡± Thamanmented. ¡°Even the most well-trained animal can¡¯t ignore such an attack.¡±
¡°And the reason he used his shield,¡± Vir said, catching on, ¡®is because his talwar wouldn¡¯t prate the boar¡¯s armor.
The boar was covered nearly head-to-toe in steel te. Finding a gap would be difficult when the beast was charging, and attacking the te would do no good. Rather, Annas relied on the blunt force of his shield to do damage¡ªif not physical, then psychological.
¡°That is really smart,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d have thought of that.¡±
¡°You would have if you¡¯ve fought as many demons as Annas,d,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°That demon¡¯s got a century fighting our kind under his belt. Your experience is primarily against Ash Beasts.¡±
It was true, but it was demons Vir would be fighting in this tournament.
And then fortune turned.
Saras, who had been about to charge again, bellowed a roar. To most, it may have looked benign, but to Prana Vision, it was anything but. Vir saw the telltale st of Earth prana emanate from the demon.
The animal¡¯s transformation was a sight to behold.
Vir had expected the beast to be rejuvenated, or perhaps elerate or grow more aggressive.
It did all of this, only to a degree Vir couldn¡¯t have guessed.
¡°Did it just¡ Blink?¡± Vir asked, mouth agape.
The beast had blurred from sight, and it was as if its prior fear were nothing but a distant memory. Annas was knocked off his feet, but before he couldnd, the beast gored him again. And again.
And every time, Annas was driven closer and closer to the edge of the stage. The kothi was tossed like a child¡¯s ything, and without serious prana reinforcement, there was no way Annas would emerge unscathed.
¡°He¡¯s¡ going to lose?¡± Vir breathed in disbelief. It seemed impossible. Annas had handily dominated the fight the entire time, and now¡
Vir shuddered. Would he be able to counter such explosive movement arts? He couldn¡¯t know until they faced off.
And then Warlord¡¯s Domain activated, and the battle ended faster than Vir could¡¯ve ever guessed.
The rampaging beast slowed just a bit¡ªjust before it smashed into Annas again. That instant¡ªthat split-second was enough. The Chitran grabbed the beast¡¯s head, swung himself around, up, and over, and kicked Saras cleanly off.
The force of the impact was equal to the boar¡¯s speed, and with as close to the edge of the arena as they were, Sarasnded in the dirt several paces outside, rolling and tumbling to a stop, where hey unmoving.
¡°Winnneerrrrrrrr, Annaaaaas!¡±
Vir¡¯s jaw clenched. It seemed the next bout would be Chitran versus Garga. For the sake of his unrepresented people, Vir resolved himself to win.
So focused was his zeal, so single-minded was his determination, that he failed to notice the heavy,bored breaths the wolf by his feet was trying so desperately to conceal.
Chapter Ashborn 344: Twists of Fate
Chapter Ashborn 344: Twists of Fate
Vir sat alone, sipping on some mead at a table along the balcony on the second floor of the Champion¡¯s Roost¡ªthe go-to hangout for the tournament fighters. Cirayus was off somewhere with Raja Thaman, and Shan had disappeared as he always did, leaving Vir in the awkward position of not knowing what to do.
After the day¡¯s matches, he¡¯d wandered aimlessly around town until his feet had brought him here. The establishment, while cozy with its vaulted timber roof and alive with its din of activity, somehow only served to highlight Vir¡¯s loneliness. Sometimes, being alone was better than being alone in a sea of people.
Though luckily, he wasn¡¯t quite alone on this night. Nestled under the table was hismunication orb, and the balcony gave him an unobstructed view of the whole tavern and its patrons.
¡°She¡¯s definitely pissed,¡± Vir muttered. He wouldn¡¯t have dared use it, even concealed as it was, if an Iksana had been present. But his face paint kept strangers from recognizing him, and Iksana and crowds were like oil and water, so there was little danger of anyone seeing through his disguise. If one of their unsociable n did enter, it would cause such a stir it¡¯d be impossible to miss. Vir would have ample time to slip out.
¡°Well, you did beat her. And she sounds reallypetitive,¡± Maiya replied.
¡°What, you mean like you?¡±
¡°Very funny,¡± Maiya said, poking her tongue out. ¡°Give it some time. She¡¯lle around.¡±
¡°If it was a clean match, sure. The way I beat her¡ Well, it must¡¯ve been somewhat embarrassing for her.¡±¡°As in¡¡±
¡°As in ¡®Carry her and dump her outside the arena¡¯ embarrassing.¡±
¡°Oh. Oh,¡± Maiya said, her expression turning from shock to pity. ¡°My condolences, Vir. Don¡¯t die.¡±
¡°Very funny,¡± Vir replied bitterly, taking a sip of his sweet mead, hoping it would offset the sour taste in his mouth. It didn¡¯t.
¡°You honestly ought to be happier. Two matches down. Only two to go!¡±
¡°You forget that one of them is Cirayus. And the other¡¯s a Chitran who¡¯s made it this far. The hardest fights are in front of me and I¡¯m fighting with two hands tied behind my back.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll find a way. You always do,¡± Maiya reassured. ¡°Me, on the other hand¡ Well, this is Riyan we¡¯re talking about.¡±
Vir winced at the name. ¡°How is he these days?¡±
Memories of the man brought forth a medley of various emotions, and Vir wasn¡¯t rightly sure how to feel about the man.
¡°Oh, you know. Leading rebellions. Fighting the good fight for Hiranya. Typical Riyan stuff,¡± Maiya said, then hesitated. ¡°You still hate him, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d go that far¡¡± Vir said. ¡°That was all a long time ago. And I¡¯d be a liar if I said I haven¡¯t relied on the skills he taught us. From Kri to disguises, they¡¯ve saved my life more times than I can count.¡±
¡°Same,¡± Maiya replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever forgive him for ckmailing us and pushing us apart¡ But he did save our lives in the Godshollow. He sheltered us and trained us. Now that I¡¯ve met him again, I can¡¯t help but think what a spoiled little princess I was back then.¡±
Vir snorted. ¡°You work with an actual princess, make dozens of serics a year, and live in a mansion in the royal quarter of thergest city in the Known World. Not to mention the army of bodyguards and staff you have waiting on you. You sure you¡¯re still not a spoiled princess?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Maiya said, unperturbed. ¡°Quite sure. I earned all that. With an ocean of blood, sweat, and tears.¡±
Vir winced, thinking of all Maiya had gone through. Although different in nature, her ordeals had been in no way less than his own.
¡°I know,¡± Vir said. ¡°Sorry. I should¡¯ve¡ª¡±
¡°Pfft!¡± Maiya giggled, and Vir understood his mistake.
¡°You got me, Mai,¡± he said, smiling and shaking his head.
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¡°Come on, Vir. Lighten up. You¡¯re so serious all the time. You¡¯ll get gray hairs before me!¡±
Vir tugged on his ck hair. ¡°You think I¡¯d look good with a gray head? Maybe silver?¡±
¡°No,¡± Maiya replied immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of dying it.¡±
Vir smiled impishly. ¡°Who knows? Maybe I¡¯ll show up in the human realm with stark white hair? Thedies will be all over me.¡±
¡°My poor Vir. You assume there will be anydies at all who¡¯d daree within a hundred miles of you once I¡¯m through with them.¡±
Vir feigned shock. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡¡±
Maiya grinned evilly. ¡°I absolutely would.¡±
Vir chuckled. ¡°Well, consider your mission aplished,¡± he said. ¡°You made meugh.¡±
Maiya¡¯s expression softened. ¡°You¡¯ll do just fine in your next fight. Just give it your all.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I mean, I am worried about the fights, but¡ It¡¯s Shan,¡± he admitted atst. ¡°He was acting weird after thatst fight with Tara. I thought it was her venom, but a Panav healer checked him out. They said nothing was wrong. He seemed to be fine after, but I dunno. Maybe I¡¯m just being paranoid.¡±
¡°He¡¯s a smart wolfie,¡± Maiya said. ¡°He¡¯ll let you know if anything¡¯s wrong.¡±
¡°Yeah, well... He''s also chock-full of pride, and as stubborn as theye.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you take some time to rx while you can?¡± Maiya asked. ¡°Trust me, you really ought to treasure those moments.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Vir said with a sigh. ¡°Especially with everything you have going on, a tournament hardly even seems on the same level.¡±
¡°Oh, you know. Plotting three separate rebellions, working on my Foundation Chakra, leading a band of cultists who hates my partner¡¯s guts¡ All in a day¡¯s work!¡±
¡°When you put it that way¡¡±
Maiyaughed. ¡°Still, it¡¯s so much better than before. I have Yamal and Bheem, and Ira and her handmaidens. And you. It¡¯s incredible how much having a few supporters helps.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t deny that,¡± Vir said. ¡°Without Cirayus, I¡¯d bepletely lost here. Lost and alone. I can only imagine how taxing your experience as the Blessed Prophet must¡¯ve been.¡±
Maiya¡¯s plight had increasingly weighed on Vir¡¯s mind. While he was d she¡¯d found some friends, it was clear she was downying the danger. One misstep in this grand scheme of Ira¡¯s was liable to get them all killed. Or worse. Andros was not kind to traitors.
Vir wanted to be there, by her side. Watching her back.
Soon, he promised himself. Once the tournament was done with¡ªwhatever the result¡ªhe¡¯d return to Maiya. He¡¯d rescue Ashani, and only then would his heart be at ease.
They chatted awhile longer until Maiya said she had to go. Vir cut the call and exited the tavern, sneaking a nce at Tara, who chatted amicably with her naga friends. She caught his eyes as he left, but with his paint on, she failed to recognize him.
She¡¯s never gonna let this go, is she?
Vir walked the streets of Camar Gadin, pondering how to patch over his friendship with Tara. He suspected that, more than losing, it was the disgrace he¡¯d wrought that was where the brunt of her ire came from. Other than apologizing, he didn¡¯t know what he could do about that. Rather, an apology might be taken poorly. As much as it gutted him, it was likely best to let her cool off, and broach the topic at ater time.
If there was one thing Vir hated, it was inaction.
He arrived home to find Cirayus still out. Aida was off somewhere, and Shan was nowhere to be seen.
Despite not needing the sleep, Vir decided to turn in early¡ªif only to kill time. He thought about meditating on the Shield Chakra as he had been over the past days, but couldn¡¯t muster the motivation.
Sleep, however, came in fits and bursts, leaving Vir sweaty and uneasy. It was only when Cirayus stumbled in, drunk, hourster, that he decided enough was enough.
Shan still hadn¡¯t returned, and it was high time Vir looked for him. The wolf was likely fine¡ªgorging on some rodent he¡¯d killed¡ªand that would be that. At least Vir would be able to get some sleep.
¡°Where¡¯re ya goin?¡± Cirayus slurred.
¡°Can¡¯t sleep. I¡¯m going to look for Shan. Be back in a bit.¡±
¡°Suit yerself¡¡± the giant mumbled. ¡°Matches tomorrow. Sight to see. Good luck¡¡±
He stumbled to his bed, where he fell heavily, causing the whole house to shudder.
¡°At least someone¡¯s enjoying themselves,¡± Vir muttered with a wry smile.
Vir closed the door gently and set out.
The knot in the pit of Vir¡¯s stomach, tiny at first, steadily grew. He was careful initially¡ªlimiting his Leaps and speed to levels that wouldn¡¯t draw undue attention. As the minutes turned into hours, his pace hastened, and Vir scoured every inch of the city for any sign of Shan¡¯s prana signature.
It shouldn¡¯t have been hard. The wolf normally zed like a beacon. That Vir hadn¡¯t found him meant he¡¯d either left the city, or¡ Or his prana had diminished to the point where Vir could no longer spot it.
As much as he hated to even consider the second option, Vir knew that Shan wouldn¡¯t leave Camar Gadin on his own. Or, if he did, he¡¯d return promptly. Shan knew Vir was relying on him for these fights¡ªhe¡¯d stayed close ever since the start of the tournament.
So Vir continued his search, hoping to find even the faintest glimmer of Ash Prana.
At his wits end, Vir doubled back, returning to a lower-ss residential neighborhood he¡¯d searched hours earlier. Except, this time, he looked for Shan¡¯s body, not just his prana signature.
The streets of Camar Gadin were wide, which made searching easier. It also meant more ground to search, so Vir bounded faster across the rooftops, activating Haste in short bursts at the top of his jumps to scan as much of the area below before he fell to the ground.
It was when he¡¯d searched half the neighborhood that his eyes caught something. A ck form on the side of one of the roads, It wouldn¡¯t be the first time¡ªbe it a sleeping demon or a bandy or some other animal, there had been more duds than Vir could count. He¡¯d very nearly ignored it.
Nevertheless, he dropped back to the ground and navigated to the spot where he¡¯d spotted the object, and neared.
There was no prana signature at all, and so Vir was about to write it off¡ When he spotted pitch-ck fur that seemed to almost devour the light of the magic tabletnterns that illuminated it.
Vir¡¯s stomach dropped. He Blinked to the fallen beast, heart pounding.
No. No no no no!
¡°Shan!¡± he cried, touching the copsed wolf¡¯s icy fur.
The world spun around Vir.
This can¡¯t be happening. How!?
When Vir shook his friend, there was no response.
The Ash Wolf who had fought at his side, emerging victorious against thousands of Ash Beasts, who had been one of Ashani¡¯s protectors, was now utterly still.
Chapter Ashborn 345: That Which Lurks In The Shadows
Chapter Ashborn 345: That Which Lurks In The Shadows
Making a split-second decision, Vir slung Shan¡¯s body over his shoulder and Leaped away¡ªall pretense of discreteness gone without a trace.
Bounding over streets and homes,Vir Blinked where he could, and within just minutes, arrived back at the tavern, leaving Shan just outside the door.
Smearing off his makeup, Vir rushed in, praying to all the gods that Tara was still there. The tavern was far less busy now, with only a few groups of drunkards lingering around.
He turned to Tara¡¯s table¡ and found her, waving a full mug high into the air, spilling some of the drink on the table. Vir didn¡¯t need to hear her slurred words to understand her current state.
In any other time, he¡¯d have been cautious and courteous, approaching her with every ounce of politeness he could muster.
Now? He Blinked over, grabbed her waist, and foisted her onto his shoulder before she could argue. She hadn¡¯t even noticed, and she was far too inebriated to resist.
Blinking back out, Vir left a stunned group of drunkards behind.
Vir dropped Tara the moment they were outside.¡°Yuma¡¯s Embrace. I need it. Now,¡± Vir said.
Tara¡¯s eyes bulged, then her face turned into a scowl. ¡°You dare! You! I¡¯ve got a lot to say to you, mishter!¡± She lost her bnce, reaching out a hand to brace herself against Vir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thash no way to treat ady. You can¡¯t jes¡ª¡± she huped. ¡°Er, what was I shaying?¡±
¡°Tara!¡± Vir roared, making her shirk back on reflex. Vir pointed to Shan. ¡°He is dying. I need your help! Now! You need to be sober right now!¡±
Vir¡¯s tone seemed to cut through the haze that clouded Tara¡¯s thoughts, and her scowl faded, reced by confusion¡ªand a bit of fear.
¡°W-who are you?¡±
Oh, right. Vir hurriedly smeared away his makeup, turning his face from red to gray.
Tara¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Y-You! Wha-How?¡±
¡°Tara¡¡± Vir stressed.
¡°O-okay. Sheesh.¡±
Vir saw the enormous silver tattoo inscribed upon her back glow with Life prana. This wasn¡¯t Yuma¡¯s Touch. She was using Yuma¡¯s Embrace¡ªthe Panav n¡¯s Ultimate Bloodline Art.
¡°It¡¯s far faster at curing inebriation,¡± Tara said, her words suddenly far clearer and more even in tone. ¡°Oh my god, Shan!¡± Tara said, kneeling beside the wolf. ¡°Tell me everything. What do you know?¡±
She spoke even as her hand pressed against Shan¡¯s ribs, and Yuma¡¯s Embrace activated once again.
¡°Not much,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°He didn¡¯te home, so I went looking for him. I found him like this on the side of an empty street. He looked down since my fight with you today, but I thought he got better, like you said he would. Now¡ I wonder if he was putting on a tough face.¡±
Tara didn¡¯t immediately reply. Her face was twisted in intense concentration.
¡°Is¡ Is he¡¡± The words caught in Vir¡¯s mouth like glue. He couldn¡¯t say it. If Shan was gone¡ Vir wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d do. The wolf that had once been so cold and aloof had quickly grown on him. He¡¯d be a dear friend¡ªa cherishedpanion who¡¯d stayed beside him through the direst times.
How could he ept a world without Shan? To say nothing of his promise to Ashani. Or of Shan¡¯s. The whole reason the wolf had apanied him was out of concern for her. How would Vir ever face her?
And then Tara spoke, and Vir¡¯s world was turned upside down once again.
¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± Tara whispered. ¡°Just barely.¡±
¡°Can you heal him?¡± Vir asked, panicking.
¡°If life flows through a being, there is no disease or wound Yuma¡¯s Embrace cannot heal,¡± Tara said, giving Vir a small smile. ¡°Your friend will live.¡±
Vir stumbled, bracing himself on a nearby stone wall. He took several deep breaths. His heart threatened to leap out of his throat, and he had to fully open the Foundation Chakra just to regain a semnce of control over his mind and body.
He¡¯ll¡ Live!
His legs suddenly felt weak, and he slumped to the ground, back against the wall.
¡°I thought I lost him,¡± Vir said, looking at the unmoving form of Shan. The faintest wisps of prana moved through his body, and his chest began to rise and rhythmically fall.
Tara continued to ply her magic, and sweat beaded on her brow. ¡°This wolf¡ I don¡¯t understand.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°There are thousands of¡ªno, millions¡ªof tiny¡ things moving around within his body. Like living organisms, almost. I keep trying to target them with my magic, but to no effect. I¡¯ve never seen this. Yuma¡¯s Embrace has never once failed like this! Ever!¡±
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¡°Wait,¡± Vir said. ¡°Look closer at those. Are they helping to heal him?¡±
¡°Heal? Why would they¡ª!?¡± Tara¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You¡¯re¡ right. They are mending his body. Differently from how Yuma¡¯s Embrace, but in tandem. It is as though they are working in harmony.¡±
Vir let out a breath. ¡°You can ignore those. They aren¡¯t harmful. In fact, I¡¯d wager those were what kept him alive this long.¡±
¡°You know of this?¡± Tara asked, turning to look at Vir for the first time since she started administering aid.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Vir replied. ¡°All I know is that he has an Artifact that allows him to heal, and that he had them ever since we met in the Ashen Realm.¡±
As much as Vir loathed lying to the person who¡¯d saved Shan¡¯s life, this was as much as he could divulge. While not the whole truth, none of what he¡¯d said was a lie. To say any more would invite too many questions, and Vir couldn¡¯t risk Tara guessing the truth of his identity. No matter the debt.
¡°Wow,¡± Tara muttered. ¡°If Shan had been in good shape during our fight¡ I was a fool to think that my Corruption Field would¡¯ve done anything against him. It¡¯s like he¡¯s got a Panav art built right into his body.¡±
¡°You¡¯re positive your art couldn¡¯t have done this to him?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Absolutely. And yet, it is true that my art likely exacerbated its effect,¡± Tara said, looking up at Vir. ¡°Vaak¡ I¡¯m sorry. I wish I¡¯d taken your concerns more seriously. As a Panav¡ªas a Healer¡ªyou have my sincerest apology.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± Vir shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s alright. You saved him. I even took him to a Panav healer after our duel. They said he was fine. I feel like you might be one of the few people in this city who could¡¯ve saved him. So, thank you.¡±
¡°After what I did¡ If Shan truly had passed, I don¡¯t know if I could live with myself. I take this kind of thing pretty seriously, you know? It¡¯s pretty much baked into my n¡¯s culture. This was¡ shameful.¡±
Vir wasn¡¯t interested in ying the me game. His mind had already moved onto the core problem¡ªa far more terrifying one. And not one that ought to be discussed in front of a tavern. While no one had poked their head out just yet, he could see people staring through the window. Thest thing he needed was the city gossiping about him any more than they already were.
¡°What do you say we relocate?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Is Shan healthy enough to be transported?¡±
Tara nodded. ¡°Just about done here. He¡¯s resting now, and should wake in a few hours.¡±
Vir knelt and petted his friend softly, muttering an apology, before gently scooping him up and hoisting him onto his shoulder.
¡°Follow me,¡± he said, Micro Leaping away.
He stopped on a t third-floor rooftop some distance away, cing Shan down on the cool stone. It was empty, affording sweeping vistas of the red-hued city.
It didn¡¯t take long for Tara to catch up. Her half-naga form allowed her ample speed and dexterity, and soon, she was standing on the rooftop next to Vir.
¡°That healing magic Shan possesses,¡± Vir said, after she¡¯d shifted back to her human form. ¡°It can mend wounds, and it keeps him from never falling sick. He¡¯s practically immune to all ailments. What could have done this?¡±
Tara frowned. ¡°That¡¯s no mystery. It¡¯s Shadebloom extract. Yuma¡¯s Embrace gives me a wealth of information about my patient¡¯s body, including what toxins are affecting it. There¡¯s no question. This is Shadebloom.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not familiar with Shadebloom.¡±
¡°One of the rarest and deadliest poisons in existence. Made from the extract of a nt that grows only in the deepest Iksana cave-tunnels, it takes a century to mature. I hear it costs a veritable fortune on the ck market. Not at all easy toe by. The worst part is you don¡¯t even need to ingest it. Just touching it will kill you within an hour. The only magic in the entire realm that can counter it is Yuma¡¯s Embrace.¡±
¡°One hour,¡± Vir muttered. ¡°Shan¡¯s been this way for the better part of a day. Possibly even longer¡ªI felt like something was off about him even before our match.¡±
¡°More than half a day,¡± Tara breathed as she took in Shan¡¯s sleeping form. ¡°Artifact indeed. What a magnificent creation of the gods¡¡±
Vir bit his lip. Had this been three years ago, he¡¯d have been just as awed as Tara. Had this been before he¡¯d witnessed the iprehensible heights the Prime Imperium had obtained, he might have been impressed.
Now, however, all he felt was disappointment. The gods did not fall ill. It didn¡¯t matter how poisonous a nt was¡ªthe very idea of them dying to natural causes seemed absurd. Yes, Siya had an affliction that stymied them, but her case was as unlikely as being hit by a passing meteor.
For whatever reason, there were diseases Ashani¡¯s pranites would not heal. And while it was true that Shan hadparatively fewer pranites in his body than Vir¡ªhe¡¯d received several injections, after all¡ªand though Shancked the awareness to ration and preserve his pranites, the fact remained. It could have been Vir who¡¯d been infected by Shadebloom. If he were ever infected, he¡¯d have half a day to seek the Panav¡¯s Yuma¡¯s Embrace.
If no Panav with that Ultimate Bloodline Art happened to be nearby? He¡¯d die. Despite his Imperium-altered body and his pranites and blood prana arts.
It was a sobering thought. Until now, Vir had assumed he didn¡¯t have to worry about such things. That Shadebloom was so rare was only of minor constion. Vir doubted his enemies would spare any expense against the Akh Nara.
All the more reason to get my hands on Yuma¡¯s Embrace as quickly as possible, he thought, eyeing Tara. What an incredible power.
For now, however, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Such as the identity of the perpetrator.
¡°Someone wanted Shan to die,¡± Vir stated.
¡°Actually¡¡± Tara trailed off. She looked worried and indecisive¡ªunusual for her.
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s possible someone might have been trying to frame me.¡±
¡°What do you¡ªoh,¡± Vir said, understanding her meaning. ¡°If Shan¡¯s magic hadn¡¯t protected him, he¡¯d have died around the same time as our duel.¡±
¡°And since everyone knows I use a poisonous cloud¡¡±
Vir went pale. ¡°It¡¯d have been the perfect frame.¡±
¡°Especially since all traces of Shadebloom disappear once the victim has perished. It¡¯s a favorite assassination tool among some of the shadier types. Those who can afford it, anyway.¡±
¡°So, someone rich was either trying to set you up, or kill Shan. Or both. Any thoughts on why someone might be after you?¡±
Tara looked away. ¡°A couple. None that I¡¯m at liberty to share, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
Vir waved away her concern. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Because it¡¯s quite obvious why someone would want him dead.¡±
¡°Because until now, your fights have relied on Shan¡¡± Tara replied, catching on.
¡°Or at least, I¡¯ve made it seem that way, yes,¡± Vir said. ¡°Which means it¡¯s another tournamentbatant.¡±
¡°Needless to say, this is highly illegal. Whoever is at fault would not only be disqualified, they¡¯d be banned forever and thrown in jail.¡±
¡°If they¡¯re caught,¡± Vir said, feeling a sour taste at the back of his throat. First the assassination attempt in the qualifier round, and now this. Two attempts, and both times, whoever it was had hidden their tracks well.
¡°It¡¯s gotta be an Iksana,¡± Tara said. ¡°An Iksana that knows of you, spites you, and has the means to kill you. That narrows the pool.¡±
¡°But not enough,¡± Vir replied, pacing around the rooftop. ¡°Besides, just because it grows in Iksana territory doesn¡¯t mean only the Iksana can use it, right? They could easily have sold it to someone else.¡±
¡°True. It¡¯d be the word of a neer against the reigning champion,¡± Tara said, running her fingers through her hair. ¡°Argh, I hate this. I¡¯d rather just kill them and be done with it.¡±
Vir ignored Tara¡¯s rather concerning violent tendencies to focus on the problem.
¡°I think it¡¯s Annas,¡± Vir said, raising a suspicion he¡¯d had from the very beginning.
¡°The Chitran fighter? Why? What¡¯s your issue with him?¡±
¡°Nothing. But he¡¯s my next opponent. And if I beat him, it¡¯s Cirayus.¡±
¡°Oh¡¡± Tara replied. ¡°When you put it like that¡¡±
¡°If Annas¡¯ n had seeded, you¡¯d have received the me, while I¡¯d be forced to fight him without Shan. It¡¯s him. It has to be.¡±
¡°But how do we prove it?¡± Tara asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can. But one thing¡¯s for sure,¡± he said, eyeing the sleeping Ash Wolf. ¡°If Shan is up for it, I think we¡¯re due for more than a little payback.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 346: Unexpected Company
Chapter Ashborn 346: Unexpected Company
Though Vir didn¡¯t require sleep as often as others, it had be customary to adopt the sleep patterns of the locals wherever he¡¯d gone. Tara, however, didn¡¯t enjoy that benefit. As potent as Yuma¡¯s Embrace was, it consumed prana to heal. From the surroundings, if the density was high enough, and from her own body if it wasn¡¯t.
Given the severity of Shan¡¯s mdy, the healing process had taken quite a lot out of her, and despite Vir¡¯s insistence that she return home to get some rest, she¡¯d curled up in a corner of the rooftop. Quite literally¡ªshe¡¯d reverted to her full serpent form. Apparently, it was the mostfortable.
Meanwhile, Vir sat across from Shan, watching over him like a mother Shrike, checking the wolf¡¯s prana every few minutes. It slowly recovered, evidencing life returning to the beast. Still, he was nowhere close to Shan¡¯s full capacity, which would hamper him in their uing fight.
Vir was running low prana as well, after his recent bouts. Despite its proximity to the Ash, Vir¡¯s capacity was sorge that filling his body to its maximum potential was all but impossible, even with Prana Current active all the time.
None of that mattered, though. If Shan woke safely, Vir would breathe easily. He¡¯d manage. What bothered him more was what Annas was nning. And how Vir could get back at the demon without getting himself disqualified. Considering the lengths Annas had gone to, Vir had to wonder if the Chitran had somehow guessed his identity. It felt unlikely, but why else go through so much trouble?
While Vir had taken down Zarak¡¯Nor, the previous reigning champion, he¡¯d done it in a way that made himself look like a fool. His subsequent fights had been simr in that regard. Nobody should be taking him seriously. Then again, if Annas had learned that he was the Akh Nara, Vir doubted he¡¯d have resorted to poison. Easier to simply announce to the world who Vir was and force him to show his tattoo.
The Akh Nara, however, was just one of Vir¡¯s identities. Vaak¡ªthe demon who¡¯d sewn chaos for the Chitran in Samar Patag¡ªwas another. The more Vir thought about it, the more it made sense.
Annas¡¯ poison, theck of a public announcement¡ All of it. And while offing abatant would be grounds for immediate disqualification, the rules were far morex around beasts.Even so, what measures would someone like that resort to during the battle itself, when tensions were high? At the very least, Vir didn¡¯t feelfortable using the tactic he¡¯d used against Nor. Annas might not hit him with a Warrior Chakra attack with the intent to kill, but if an opportunity arose where he could make a lethal wound look like an ident¡
Vir didn¡¯t want to think about it. For the fight tomorrow, he¡¯d have to treat Annas like a real enemy¡ªnot merely a tournament opponent.
The frustrationpounded, made worse by the fact that Vir could do nothing against his foe. Nothing, other than defeat him. Which wasn''t nearly enough. He was about to get up and pace around when the bundle of ck fur before him stirred.
Unsure whether he¡¯d imagined it, Vir waited for another sign.
The wolf let out a breath, then slowly raised his head. He attempted to get to his four paws, but faltered.
¡°Your prana¡¯s very low, Shan. Stay still. You need rest.¡±
The wolf snapped his head at Vir, and he thought he saw rm in those beautiful blue eyes.
¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Shan. Don¡¯t worry. Tara healed you.¡±
Shan looked at the sleeping snake, then back at Vir, gazing at him intently.
¡°You¡¯re not worried about yourself. Then¡ the match? You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I... want you to sit this one out.¡±
That got the wolf riled up. He tried again to stand, and this time, barely managed it. The wolf¡¯s legs shook from under him, but he stared at Vir in defiance. As if to prove that he was fit to fight.
Vir had spent several hours contemting whether he ought to ask Shan to fight today. His match with Annas had the benefit of being the second andst match at the end of the day, but after witnessing Shan¡¯s pitiful state, Vir didn¡¯t dare bring the wolf into the fight.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
¡°Look at you,¡± Vir said, his voice soft and full of sympathy for the noble beast. ¡°You can barely even stand. What good will you be in a fight?¡±
Vir stared at Shan, and Shan stared back. Unrelenting. But this was not a debate Vir could lose.
¡°Look, Shan. Annas is very likely the demon who poisoned you. I understand you want to get back at him, but he is dangerous. He won¡¯t think twice about killing you. I can¡¯t let you fight. Not unless you¡¯re back to your top form.¡±
That seemed to trigger something within the wolf, and yet again, Vir wondered just how much of his words Shan understood.
Shan barked, though it came out more like a strangled wheeze¡ And then bounded off the roof.
The motion, while not fast, was so sudden that Vir reacted a second toote.
Luckily, his abilities more than made up for that error. Haste activated, and he Leaped off the roof as well, fully expecting to find Shan lying on the street, bones broken.
The Ash Wolf, even in his weakened state, was tougher than Vir gave him credit for. He was already on another roof and was about to jump to a third.
Vir caught up in no time, and discovered that each action caused the beast more pain. Yet short of scooping the wolf up and preventing him from walking, Vir could do nothing other than apany his friend. If Shan wanted somewhere to be, then he would go there, no matter what.
Luckily, Vir had Tara. He only hoped she had enough energy by the time she woke to heal Shan again. Something told him the beast would need it.
Shan continued to bound his way across the city, and it was only when the beast tried¡ªand failed¡ªto jump over its tall walls that Vir had an inkling of what the wolf was up to.
Unable to cross on his own, Shan looked up at Vir, and he swore Shan was attempting a cute face. If he was, he certainly seeded.
Rolling his eyes, Vir scooped up the wolf and bounded over the wall.
Afternding on the other side, he opted not to let the wolf down. ¡°I think I know what you have in mind,¡± he said. ¡°If I¡¯m wrong, bark or howl, and I¡¯ll set you down. But I¡¯d rather not see you injure yourself needlessly.¡±
Shan didn¡¯t reply, but he did lick Vir¡¯s cheek, nearly causing him to drop the beast.
¡°That¡¯s¡ the first time you¡¯ve ever done that,¡± Virmented, shocked that the wolf would disy such affection. ¡°Thank you¡¡±
Shan set his head down on his shoulder and purred. Right now, the wolf was behaving more like Neel than Vir ever thought possible. Was it due to his current weak condition? Or had the bond between them strengthened? Vir hoped for thetter, but expected the former. As much as he¡¯d love to coddle Shan, he had to continually remind himself that the beast wasn¡¯t Neel.
He was a predator. An Apex Predator who could end most demons without breaking a sweat. For such a fierce beast to have beenid so low¡
¡°You must hate this,¡± Vir muttered as he bounded toward the Ash Boundary. Toward Thaman¡¯s Gate. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be there soon.¡±
The gate Vir had stabilized for the qualifiers was heavily guarded, of course, but not from the Demon Realm. The Bairan guards¡¯ attention was focused entirely on the Ash, and several scanned for threats that mighte through. Given the size of the Gate, and that an Automaton Guardian had been sighted in the area just days before, their fears weren¡¯t unwarranted.
Luckily for Vir and unfortunately for them, that also meant that they were almost entirely blindsided when Vir, under maximum Haste, Blinked through the Gate and into the Ashen Realm.
Bairans were known for their resiliency and raw strength. Not their speed. Those who noticed would have been far toote to move, let alone intercept Vir.
It was an unnecessary consideration, for not a single one noticed. Or if they did, they didn¡¯t seem to bother pursuing Vir.
Vir didn¡¯t care. What mattered was getting deeper into the Ash. He¡¯d considered using the Ash Gate he¡¯d stabilized for his troops, but that one was far away, and time was of the essence.
Far faster to create his own.
Scanning the surroundings as his Leaps took him hundreds of paces high within the Ash, Vir searched for something suitable. They were everywhere in the Ashen Realm, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to sense the overwhelming amount of prana flowing through.
Vir was about to pick one when Shan suddenly bounded out of his arms,nding softly on the ground, and began barking at a nearby Tear.
ying along, Vir stabilized it, and Shan immediately jumped through.
For an instant, Vir thought the Tear might lead to the Mah¨¡di Realm given its immense prana, but he was let down. Tears to Ashani¡¯s city were rare, and likely only found in specific parts of the Ash. Soon, he¡¯d scour the realm for them. And soon, he¡¯d free her from her prison.
For now, he¡¯d save Shan.
The Ash Wolf bounded around and sniffed the air, as though searching for something.
Vir let him be, soaking in the onught of prana that rushed into his body, filling him to the brim and restoring the prana that had been slowly consumed through the course of the tournament.
The sky was ck here, and lightning ravaged the nearby mountain peaks. This was deep within the Ash¡ªa ce he¡¯d not been in quite some time. A ce that was absolutely lethal to most humans and demons.
Through Prana Vision, Vir saw Shan being revitalized, just the same as him.
¡°What strange creatures we are, eh Shan?¡± Vir muttered. ¡°We thrive in and that kills most others, and we suffocate where they flourish.¡±
The wolf tilted his head before bounding in circles, already showing a marked difference from moments ago.
Only when the prana fully filled the wolf, and he moved with his usual energy, did Vir finally breathe easily.
¡°Well, Ashani,¡± Vir muttered, sitting heavily on the soot-covered ground. ¡°I¡¯m happy to report that your wolf is alive and well.¡±
¡°And Ashani is thrilled to hear it!¡± said a melodious voice from behind him.
Chapter Ashborn 347: Reunion (One)
Chapter Ashborn 347: Reunion (One)
A chill ran down Vir¡¯s spine. One so cold it froze his body in ce.
That voice. Strangely melodic, containing tones no natural being could ever achieve. That slight inflection of her tone.
No. It couldn¡¯t be. He¡¯d imagined it.
Vir finally mustered the will to turn his body. Where just moments ago, it¡¯d bristled with energy, now it felt like stone, and moving it was like wading through a thick, soupy ocean.
When he finally beheld the figure that stood not a dozen paces away, Vir¡¯s mind went nk.
Ashani smiled gently at Vir, as she so often had, all those years ago. She wore her white dress, and wielded her white rod, looking every bit the goddess Vir remembered her to be.
¡°How?¡± Vir breathed, too softly for anyone other than a deity to hear.
¡°¡®Tis not so surprising, is it?¡± Ashani asked with a wry smile. ¡°I believe I used a simr method to find you when we first met?¡±Vir blinked. Only then did he notice the shimmering oval through which Ashani spoke. An Ash Gate¡ªone created by her. Ashani hadn¡¯t escaped Mah¨¡di. She¡¯d simply used her power, the same as always. And yet¡
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Vir said. ¡°How are you awake? How did you know I would be here? The chances of stumbling upon me are¡¡±
¡°Infinitesimal,¡± Ashani chuckled. ¡°Thankfully, Janak¡¯s home has several useful features. One of which being an rm system of sorts. It notifies me when events of interest ur. Be it Ash Beasts who wander too near the home, or if the wolves need attending, or if my only living friend happened to wander by.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Vir said. ¡°Does that mean you were snooping on Cirayus and me after we left you?¡±
Ashani shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, no. I¡¯ve been in hibernation to recover my energy after your daring escape. Even if I weren¡¯t, Janak¡¯s monitoring system can only see so far, and I can only establish gates to locations I¡¯ve previously opened. With you moving through the Ash, I¡¯m afraidmunication would have been impossible.¡±
¡°Which means you¡¯ve opened a Gate to this spot before. And it means I¡¯m close to the Mah¨¡di Realm. Whatever that means.¡±
How spatial proximity worked with a realm that didn¡¯t exist in the same ne as the rest of the world, Vir could scarcely understand.
¡°Indeed,¡± Ashani replied. ¡°Our furry friend must have recognized the area. I sometimes let them out of Mah¨¡di to y. A change of scenery, if you will. Though,¡± she added, ¡°I must admit I did not expect you to happen upon me here.¡±
That exins why Shan became so energetic all of a sudden, Vir thought. It wasn¡¯t just the influx of prana.
Still, it did strike Vir as awfully convenient that he should stumble upon an Ash Tear that happened to lead here. The chances were, to use Ashani¡¯s own word, infinitesimal.
Vir shelved the thought.
¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Vir said, shaking his head. ¡°I was going to scour the realm to find you. To think you found me instead¡¡±
Ashani¡¯s smile grew, and there was something there that Vir couldn¡¯t ce. ¡°Fate works in mysterious ways, after all.¡±
¡°Seems so,¡± Vir said. ¡°I¡¯ming through.¡±
¡°I admit I would love yourpany, though I do not wish to impose. Please do not alter your ns for my sake.¡±
Vir gave her a wry smile. ¡°Seriously, Ashani? I shouldn¡¯t alter my ns for a literal living goddess? The only living being from the Age of Gods? Right. Sorry, Ashani, I have to go walk Shan. Would you mind waiting?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± Ashani said, and Vir couldn¡¯t be sure whether she was being sincere or pulling his leg. The smirk that crept onto her face, however, proved it was thetter.
¡°You¡¯re pretty good for a goddess who¡¯s been cooped up for millennia.¡±
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition.
¡°Why, thank you,¡± Ashani said. She was positively glowing, and why wouldn¡¯t she be? In all those years, Vir was the only one she¡¯d ever conversed with. The only one she¡¯d ever called a friend.
Just wait until I show you what I can do now¡
Shan finally returned, and the moment he spotted Ashani, he Leaped, bounding through the Ash Gate to jump into Ashani¡¯s arms.
She caught him and swung around,ughing merrily as the wolf licked her face again and again.
Vir was both overjoyed at their reunion¡ and a little sad that, despite the recent progress their rtionship had seen, the wolf had never been that affectionate towards him. He¡¯d gotten a single lick. Ashani had a half dozen.
The feeling vanished when he saw how happy the two were together.
Vir took a moment to appreciate the sight, then stepped through the Ash Gate. Into Mah¨¡di, where the lightning storms raged eternally and the dark spires pierced the clouds.
He looked off into the distance, to the core of the city. The ce Janak¡¯s avatar had told him to venture to. When he was ready.
Am I ready, Janak?
Vir touched his cuirass, inside which was the piece of paper on which he¡¯d jotted down the locations of the primordial chambers.
He honestly couldn¡¯t say if he was. He didn¡¯t feel ready. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t need to be. With his ability to stabilize Ash Tears, and Ashani¡¯s ability to create Gates, Mah¨¡di was no longer the unreachable ce it had always been. He coulde and go as he wished.
And he would. He¡¯d take his time and explore every nook and cranny of this vast city. He¡¯d unravel its secrets, and he¡¯d uncover his destiny. But that was forter.
There was something far more important that must be done first.
Catching up with an old and dear friend.
Vir followed Ashani back to Janak¡¯s home, retracing familiar steps, and reacquainting himself with the neighborhood of ck towers he¡¯d lived among during his time here.
¡°Jog your memory?¡± Ashani asked, seeing him gaze at the various buildings.
¡°Very much so,¡± Vir replied. ¡°My time here felt so short, but I actually spent over a month.¡±
¡°While you learned to refill my prana core, yes,¡± Ashani said.
¡°How is your energy?¡± Vir asked, suddenly worrying she might have run low. That she¡¯d sought him out to prevent her body from shutting down.
¡°Fine!¡± she replied. ¡°With my current rate of consumption, I shouldst for another few millennia.¡±
Virughed.
Ashani gave him a quizzical look. ¡°Did I say something amusing?¡±
¡°Oh, no. Just that I was stupid to worry. I¡¯ve¡ I¡¯ve missed you, Ashani,¡± Vir said as a deluge of emotions drowned him.
¡°As have I, Vir. Though I admit, for me, it is as though I saw you only days ago. The amount of time I¡¯ve been active these past years has been quite minimal.¡±
¡°I suppose that¡¯s a good way to prevent loneliness,¡± Vir replied. ¡°I¡¯ve regretted leaving you behind ever since that day, you know? I hated that I was powerless to resist. That it¡¯d be so long before I could return.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not so bad, really. ¡®Tis a quiet life, most times. Punctuated by spots of excitement. I find it quite pleasant, actually.¡±
Vir stopped walking. ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± he said softly.
Ashani halted as well. ¡°No, I suppose I don¡¯t,¡± she admitted. ¡°But we make the best of what we have, don¡¯t we?¡± she said with a small smile. That it contained no hint of sadness or regret only made Vir want to tell her more.
That he had the power to save her. That she coulde back with him.
Except, he couldn¡¯t. Because while Vir had stabilized Ash Tears, he had no idea if his power allowed Ashani to walk through her gates. Vir didn¡¯t understand Imperium long-forgotten magic, which was as ancient as it was advanced.
He didn¡¯t dare nt the idea in her head until he¡¯d confirmed the ability for himself. To get her hopes up, only to betray them¡ He couldn¡¯t do that. Not to a cherished friend.
¡°He must have missed them,¡± Vir said, watching Shan bolt away with his brothers and sisters, who¡¯d swarmed him the moment they¡¯d neared Janak¡¯s home.
¡°He had you,¡± Ashani replied. ¡°And he knew he¡¯d be reunited. If not now, eventually.¡±
¡°He couldn¡¯t have known that when he followed after me,¡± Vir said. ¡°For all he knew, he¡¯d never see you again. If you¡¯d told me this morning that I¡¯d be in Mah¨¡di in the afternoon, I¡¯d have called you a liar.¡± ¡±
¡°And yet, here you are.¡±
¡°Here we are,¡± Vir admitted, still reeling from the sequence of events that had led him here.
¡°Sometimes, all that matters is a person¡¯s character. Good people shift reality. Of that, I am certain,¡± Ashani said. It sounded to Vir as though she was talking about someone specific, but he couldn¡¯t be sure.
¡°I¡¯m afraid little has changed since youst saw the ce,¡± Ashani said, leading him inside.
Vir chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d be more surprised if it had, with you being in hibernation. In fact, isn¡¯t this ce exactly the same as it was millennia ago?¡±
The abode was exactly as Vir remembered it, with a small living space, Ashani¡¯s bedchambers, and stairs that led down to Janak¡¯s basementb. Vir definitely wanted to inspect that more thoroughlyter.
¡°Other than a few small things¡ªamenities for the wolves when we need to shelter in here¡ªyes,¡± Ashani replied.
¡°It¡¯s so strange,¡± Vir said. ¡°It¡¯s like walking back through time to the Age of Gods, while simultaneously jumping forward in advancement.¡±
Once more, Vir was reminded of the unfathomable heights the Prime Imperium had reached, and once more, he wished for the world to regain it, however far off that dream might be.
¡°I imagine it must be quite the novel experience for you. For me, it¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever known. Will¡ Will you be here long?¡± Ashani asked, ncing at him briefly before looking down at the ground.
¡°As long as you¡¯d like, Ashani,¡± Vir replied. ¡°I have to return to the Demon Realm in a few hours, but with how much slower time flows here, I imagine I have a couple of weeks, at the very least.¡±
¡°Excellent news!¡± Ashani said, pping her hands together. ¡°Then let us change locations. We have so much to catch up on. Where have you been? What friends have you made along the way? Tell me everything.¡±
Vir couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°You know? I feel like we¡¯ve had this conversation before. Back when I first arrived.¡±
¡°We did. And what I learned has amazed me ever since.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Vir said with a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you as much as you want to know. Just bring me some warm water, first? Quite a bit of it, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±
He prepared himself for a monologue¡ And braced for a very sore throat.
Chapter Ashborn 348: Reunion (Two)
Chapter Ashborn 348: Reunion (Two)
The sore throat never happened, mainly thanks to the pranites that worked tirelessly to fix Vir¡¯s body¡ªa luxury he¡¯d still not quite grown ustomed to.
Unlike the tall skyscraper where Vir had first told Ashani of the outside world, this time, she¡¯d taken him to another spot¡ªa location on the very outskirts of the city.
The Mah¨¡di Realm¡¯s periphery was¡ bizarre, to say the least. Itsnd extended in all directions, yet where the city itself had buildings, all that remained outside was a wastnd of nothingness, ravaged by lightning and covered in soot. Nothing grew there. It was a perfectly t, infinite expanse devoid of any features.
¡°I once ventured out, soon after the fall, millennia ago,¡± Ashani narrated, gazing wistfully off into the distance. ¡°After three full days of travel, I happened upon another city. I have no words for my excitement at the time¡ªperhaps others were alive. Perhaps some had survived the Fall. Maybe we could rebuild, together¡¡±
¡°I assume it was abandoned?¡±
¡°As abandoned as Mah¨¡di,¡± Ashani said wryly. ¡°The buildings became more and more familiar as I drew closer, and a sense of wrongness assaulted me. It wasn''t another city at all. It was Mah¨¡di. I thought I may have gotten turned around, but no. I approached from the opposite end of the city from which I¡¯d departed. ¡®Tis as if this realm is its own, tiny globe, and I¡¯d traversed it to end back where I¡¯d started.¡±
¡°I think I can rte,¡± Vir said, thinking back to his time in the Ash.
¡°Oh?¡± Ashani asked with a raised brow. ¡°You encountered a simr phenomenon?¡±
¡°Think so, yeah,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Cirayus and I would often wander through the Ash for days, only toe across the samendmarks we¡¯d already passed. It¡¯s why no demon has ever mapped the Ash. It changes, for one, but even if it didn¡¯t, it seems like reality is somehow broken inside, making navigation nearly impossible without an Artifact.¡±Once again, Vir had to wonder how Artifacts designed to cross the Ash came into being. There had been only a single realm before the fall, and after, who had survived to create such things?
Janak, for one, Vir thought darkly. He looked back at the center of the city, where Wyrms circled its many tall spires. I have to learn more about him. About his goals.
It was bing increasingly clear that Janak had some sort of n. What that was eluded Vir, but he was now certain there was some n. And for some nagging reason, Vir had a sneaking feeling something terrible woulde to pass if he failed to uncover it in time.
He shrugged off the feeling. If there was a threat, it could be centuries or millennia away. This was just unsubstantiated fear, and he squashed it in favor of a fear that was far more palpable.
They had been here for hours, with Vir bringing Ashani up to date on his travels. Several times, he¡¯d considered broaching the topic of her Ash Gates, and several times, he¡¯d failed to muster the courage. Either she¡¯d ask a question, or Vir would have some other detail to tell her, which wouldunch them into another long discussion. Somehow, Vir allowed his fear to win every time.
¡°What is it?¡± Ashani asked.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Vir replied, flustered.
¡°You¡¯ve been trying to say something ever since we got here,¡± Ashani said with a knowing smile. ¡°You know you can say anything to me, yes? I shan¡¯t judge.¡±
Vir¡¯s lip curled up at her unusual choice of word. And at her perceptiveness. ¡°I can¡¯t hide anything from you, can I?¡±
Ashani patted her chest proudly. ¡°I am supposed to be a goddess, aren¡¯t I? This feels like the sort of thing a goddess ought to be able to do.¡±
¡°Well, I give you top marks,¡± Vir said with augh.
¡°So?¡± Ashani said, smile fading. ¡°What is it?¡±
Vir thought of giving her some excuse, but he¡¯d had quite enough of skirting around the bush. The time hade to tell her.
¡°It¡¯s regarding something I want to test,¡± Vir said cautiously. ¡°Can you create an Ash Gate for me? It doesn¡¯t matter where it goes. I just want to see it.¡±
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¡°Of all the things¡¡± Ashani trailed off. ¡°Of course, I can. I am curious to see where this goes, but Ashani knows patience.¡±
There it is again, Vir thought wryly. That inflection¡
He didn¡¯t bother correcting her. Both out of a desire not to interrupt her concentration as she cast her spell, and because he honestly didn¡¯t mind it. Quite the opposite, really.
Ashani nted her rod onto the rooftop, and an Ash Gate materialized.
Vir observed the process with his undivided attention. Unlike his own power, there was no creation of an unstable Ash Tear, before subsequent stabilization into a Gate. Ashani simply willed a fully stabilized Gate into existence.
There was one thing that struck him, though. The creation of the Gate involved a massive surge of prana¡ªnot from the surroundings, but from Ashani¡¯s prana core. Sustaining the gate required much less from her, but still drained her.
¡°How have you managed to keep Gates open for so long when it consumes that much prana?¡± Vir asked.
Ashani gave him a small smile. ¡°It is quite tiring, I admit. Thankfully, my core has plenty of reserves.¡±
Vir knew all too well just how much prana Ashani¡¯s power cores could store. It¡¯d taken him weeks of channeling as rapidly as possible to just partially fill them. And that was with channeling the absurd levels of prana only found in this realm. Levels that would have killed him, had it not been for her intervention.
Which served as yet another reminder for why Vir couldn¡¯t fail. Forgetting about her power, or the fact that both realms would prostrate in front of a living being from the Age of Gods¡ Ashani was a friend. A friend who¡¯d saved Vir¡¯s life. A friend who deserved better than this blighted cage of a realm she was trapped within.
Vir frowned in concentration. No matter what, he¡¯d ovee this hurdle. He¡¯d bring her back and show her the world. Maybe it wasn¡¯t quite the world she¡¯d once known, and maybe she¡¯d think it a pale imitation. It didn¡¯t matter. She deserved to see it.
Focusing on the Ash prana fueling the Gate, Vir extended his palm to the portal¡¯s surface.
¡°Be careful!¡± Ashani warned.
¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Vir said. ¡°I want to try something. Can you¡ reduce the amount of prana you feed the Gate?¡±
¡°Of course¡ Though if I do, it will destabilize. It will be unsafe.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Vir said, feeling his pulse quicken. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Great, actually.¡±
¡°Very well,¡± Ashani said uncertainly. ¡°Though, I fail to see where you are going with this.¡±
Vir cracked a small smile. ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯ll all be clear.¡±
If it works, he didn¡¯t add. He refused to give Ashani a false sense of hope until he knew for absolute certain that this gambit would seed.
The Gate destabilized the moment Ashani pulled back her prana. Too much.
Before Vir could react, it winked out of existence.
Ashani blinked at Vir, no doubt expecting something of him.
With slumped shoulders, he turned and faced the goddess. ¡°Would you mind doing that again? Just, maybe don¡¯t reduce your prana output as much this time.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Ashani replied, frowning slightly. ¡°My apologies.¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m the one who ought to apologize. I should¡¯ve rified.¡±
¡°Not at all, it is I who was at fault¡ª¡± Ashani began, before Vir put up a hand, cutting her off.
¡°We¡¯ll be here all day if we let this continue.¡±
¡°Yes, I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Ashani said with a chuckle. ¡°Very well. I shall reform the Gate. Ensure you¡¯re ready this time?¡±
She said it teasingly, but Vir activated Haste, just in case.
This time, Ashani reduced her output only slightly, and with the slowed time, Vir had plenty of opportunity to inject his own prana.
The Gate re-stabilized. An expected result, considering their prana was of the same affinity. As far as he knew, they were the only sapient beings in any realm to possess Ash affinity. That was the easy part. The difficulty had yet toe.
¡°Okay,¡± Vir said. ¡°I think I have a handle on it. Keep decreasing your prana output, but do it slowly.¡±
¡°I¡ Understood,¡± Ashani said, her voice breaking slightly. Though naive in some areas, she was an incredibly intelligent being. The finest creation of the ones mortals called gods. Vir knew she understood where he was going with this.
Ashani backed off her prana flow, and as she did, Vir ramped up his own, until the Gate was entirely stabilized by him.
By him¡ and by the ambient prana.
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ashani breathed, carefully approaching the barrier. She reached a hand out tentatively. As if the Gate would swallow her whole.
When it didn¡¯t, and her hand passed through without issue, she turned to regard Vir. Tears streaked down her cheeks.
¡°How?¡±
Vir took a moment to re-center himself. Dizziness assaulted him. It wasn¡¯t from prana starvation or other any ailment. It was the sudden and instant lifting of the burden of responsibility that had weighed upon him ever since he¡¯d left Ashani behind in this godsforsaken realm.
¡°It¡¯s the prana,¡± he said, after a few deep breaths. ¡°The ambient prana sustains the Gate. I don¡¯t know why I can harness it and you can¡¯t, but when I create Gates, they sustain themselves¡ Unless the ambient density is too low. Then, they slowly decay, but even that takes weeks, usually.¡±
¡°Do you know what this means?¡± Ashani said, walking hesitantly up to him. Her tears continued to flow unabated down her cheeks. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done?¡±
Vir cracked a smile. ¡°It means you¡¯re no longer trapped, Ashani.
¡°Years ago, I asked you to join me. I said I¡¯d show you the world outside. I can finally hold true to that promise.¡± Vir extended his hand. ¡°Come with me. Come to the Demon Realm. I¡¯ll show you what this world has be. It may not impress you. But I assure you it¡¯s so much better than here. At least¡ At least you won¡¯t be alone.¡±
Ashani stared at Vir¡¯s hand, her face screwed up in anguish. ¡°I¡¡±
Dread filled Vir¡¯s veins. She¡¯d refuse. He knew it. For what reason, he couldn¡¯t fathom, but she was about to¡ª
¡°I ept!¡±
Vir froze.
The smile that adorned the goddess¡¯s face at that moment outshone even the sun itself. It was perhaps the most beautiful sight Vir had ever seen. It was so pure¡ So innocent.
For the rest of his days, Vir would never forget that smile. For it was a smile that melted ice itself.
Chapter Book Two of Ashborn Primordial Is Now On Kindle and Paperback!
Chapter Book Two of Ashborn Primordial Is Now On Kindle and Paperback!
Behold! Book Three, which covers the contents of Arc 5: Through the Ash, is now avable on amazon, with an incredible cover by the talented Luciano Fleitas! Ebook and paperback for now, with audio to followter this fall once Heath Miller wraps it up.As always, please consider supporting me by grabbing a copy, but even if you can''t, if you have Kindle Unlimited, downloading the book is free and counts as a purchase. Positive ratings and reviews help a ton, esp early on, so if you''ve left a review for Ashborn in the past, please consider copying it over! As many of you know, writing is my sole source of ie, so it quite literally puts food on my table :-D
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Land of Terror. Land of Death.
The Ashen Realm.
A ce so dangerous, most consider it suicide to step foot there. It is the den of city-devouring monsters and prana so thick most sumb to the toxic air alone. Once inside, there is no escape.
And Ekavir, seeking ultimate power, has just entered it.
Hoping to venture to the Demon Realm on the other side, Vir must first brave the vast and dangerousndscape not even his predecessors survived. Even with the most capable guide in all the realms, the journey will test his mettle and force him to push past his limits. Every. Single. Day.Death is the most likely oue. Should he seed, however, he will emerge as one of the most powerful beings the realms have ever seen¡ And he might just uncover long-hidden secrets along the way. Secrets that could forever alter the future of humans and demonkind alike.
Chapter Ashborn 349: Paradigm Shift
Chapter Ashborn 349: Paradigm Shift
¡°I¡ I must make preparations!¡± Ashani blurted out uncharacteristically, momentarily breaking the serene goddess persona she seemed to always exude.
¡°Preparations¡¡± Vir said, staring nkly.
¡°Y-Yes! This is all so sudden¡¡± Ashani cried, stepping back from the Gate. He¡¯d never seen the goddess so flustered before.
¡°What preparations could you possibly have? Do you have any possessions you¡¯d like to bring along?¡±
¡°Well, not especially,¡± Ashani said. ¡°I have no need for sustenance like organics.¡±
¡°Changes of clothes, then?¡± Vir asked, scratching his head, trying to figure out what she was talking about.
¡°I form my clothes through my prana, so¡ no.¡±
Vir waited.
¡°Well¡ There¡¯s¡ There¡¯s the wolves, for one!¡± Ashani said, looking both relieved and smug that she¡¯d found an actual reason.¡°What¡¯s there to discuss?¡± Vir asked. ¡°We¡¯re taking them with us, aren¡¯t we?¡±
¡°We¡ Can?¡± Ashani replied, caught entirely off guard. ¡°I assumed¡¡±
¡°We can,¡± Vir said with a warm smile. ¡°And we will. Besides, do you really think Shan would leave his family behind? Again? Would you?¡±
¡°A valid point. Then, well¡ I suppose I must prepare myself mentally, then.¡±
The corners of Vir¡¯s lips crept upward. ¡°You do know that if webine our powers, we can return as we please, right? This isn¡¯t a one-way trip. I¡¯m hoping we cane here regrly from now on. I might even bring some demons over if they can handle it.¡±
That was very doubtful¡ªit was only thanks to pranites that Vir had survived, and he was more naturally attuned to this realm than most¡ªbut at least the option was there. Even if his troops couldn¡¯t enter, Vir definitely wanted them training and meditating near an Ash Gate that led to Mah¨¡di¡¯s suburbs. That in itself would cause their prana capacity to soar.
¡°Of course. I knew that. It¡¯s just¡ so sudden,¡± Ashani said, her shoulders sagging. ¡°You should understand that, only minutes ago, I thought I would spend the rest of my days in this horrid ce. Now¡¡±
¡°I understandpletely,¡± Virughed, feeling a cathartic joy ovee him. ¡°This is quite the change. Two whole realms to explore. Two new worlds you¡¯ve never seen. Take all the time you need. Actually, there¡¯s a matter I need to attend to while I¡¯m here, so that¡¯s perfect.¡±
¡°Oh? I was under the impression you had a tournament to return to? An important one, yes?¡±
¡°I do¡¡± Vir said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Which is why I need to resolve this quickly. The time difference will help, but I don¡¯t want to risk missing my next match. It¡¯s imperative I return in time.¡±
¡°Then this must be quite the task for you to risk so much. Is there any way I might help? I fear I owe you a debt I cannot possibly repay.¡±
Vir shook his head. ¡°There is no debt, Ashani. If you hadn¡¯t saved my life when I first came here, I¡¯d be dead.¡±
¡°If I hadn¡¯t spied on you, you would never have been at risk of death.¡±
Vir rolled his eyes. ¡°Really? Are we going to argue this?¡± He held up a finger. ¡°Firstly, the pranites you gave me have helped me immeasurably outside of this realm. Second,¡± he lifted another finger, ¡°the prana density gains my body has undergone have given me such an immeasurable advantage over every other living being, I don¡¯t even know how to quantify it. I am one of the only beings who has so much prana in their body that I can freely use it to wield magic. And then there¡¯s Shan, who has been of immense help. Need I go on?¡±
¡°N-no,¡± Ashani said, looking a little embarrassed. ¡°Even so¡¡±
¡°Ashani, believe me. Whether you like it or not, your mere presence will be an immense boon for me. You¡¯ll be worshiped as a goddess. Anyone near you will benefit.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ I¡¯m unsure I want that,¡± Ashani said. ¡°I am no goddess. You¡¯ve managed to treat me as an equal, have you not?¡±
¡°I assure you, I¡¯m an exception. They consider me a deity as well. Just that I¡¯ve kept that identity under wraps. And besides, I had a tough time when we first met, if you remember.¡±
¡°I do,¡± Ashani replied. ¡°¡®Twas quite amusing, though it would be quite inconvenient if everyone I met had the same reaction.¡±
¡°For humans and demons alike, you are a living, breathing goddess,¡± Vir said. ¡°Nobody will care if you say you¡¯re an Automaton created by the Prime Imperium¡ªin their eyes, you¡¯re a being from the Age of Gods. That¡¯s all that matters to them.¡±
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¡°I see,¡± Ashani said softly. ¡°What a conundrum.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t lie to you,¡± Vir said. ¡°Having youe out and announce yourself to the world would help me greatly. It¡¯d add legitimacy to my im to the throne in a way that very little else can. Just¡ I know for certain that is not the sort of life you¡¯d want to lead.¡±
¡°Indeed. I shall have to think carefully about this. Thank you, for informing me. You did not have to.¡±
Vir shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s what friends do.¡±
¡°I believe aiding one another in their time of need is also ¡®what friends do¡¯, yes? There must be some way I can help with this task of yours, yes?¡±
¡°Actually,¡± Vir said, thinking it over. ¡°I think there is. We should talk. I discovered something I need to share with you.¡±
Vir told Ashani all about Janak¡¯s chambers while they returned to theb. About the one he¡¯d found in the Demon Realm, and the map he¡¯d hastily transcribed while he¡¯d been in that bizarre fugue state. He told her of the vision he¡¯d witnessed of Janak after the fall, looking haggard and weary.
¡°I never knew,¡± Ashani whispered, halting at the front door of the abode. ¡°To think Janak survived¡ Or could it have been his replica?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Either way, it strikes me as odd how he never contacted you. Which either means he had some good reason for staying away, or¡¡±
¡°Or he was unable to,¡± Ashanipleted. ¡°We must find these chambers. If Janak or his replica thought them significant, they could hide the secret to the end of days, and why the Imperium fell.¡±
And they could also hide the secrets surrounding the purpose of my existence, Vir thought darkly. It was merely a hunch, but the more Vir contemted it, the likelier it seemed. When he first encountered Janak in Vka Amara, Janak knew exactly who¡ªwhat¡ªhe was. Janak knew. And maybe these recordings would tell him.
¡°In the vision I had, Janak created a map out of thin air, above the worktable in hisb. It showed the locations of all the tablets. At least, I think that was what they showed. It seemed as though he erased it when he fled, but is there any way to ess it again?¡±
Ashani nodded. ¡°We can most certainly try,¡± she said. ¡°Now that I know what to look for, I should know soon.¡±
They entered the home and proceeded down to Janak¡¯sb, which was as white and pristine, and filled with as many unknowable contraptions as thest time Vir had seen it.
Ashani touched the square table at the center of the room and frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve searched through our records.¡±
Vir¡¯s brows shot up. ¡°All of them?¡± Ashani couldn¡¯t have touched the table for longer than a second.
¡°Yes. There are precious few that are not my own, I¡¯m afraid. All the data before the fall has been wiped.¡±
¡°Probably by Janak,¡± Vir said, biting his lip. That was a downer, but if nothing else, it at least proved the vision he saw was grounded in reality, and not some delusion.
¡°Nothing, then?¡± he asked.
¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±
Vir¡¯s shoulders slouched, but when Ashani brought up a map¡ªidentical to the one he¡¯d seen in Janak¡¯s vision¡ªall negative emotions were immediately forgotten.
¡°This is what I saw! In the vision! It¡¯s the same map. Or, simr,¡± Vir said, frowning. It only showed Mah¨¡di, for one. ¡°The location of the chamber is missing.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Ashani said, scrutinizing the map. ¡°You said you had transcribed the locations, yes? May I see it?¡±
Vir hurriedly produced the folded-up map from a pocket and unfurled it. ¡°You can ignore all of these other ones. As far as I could tell, only one lies within Mah¨¡di.¡±
¡°The one at the center, yes?¡± Ashani asked, pointing to the location Vir had marked.
¡°Right. I tried to jot down as manyndmarks as I could¡¡± He looked away. Now that he was actually showing the scribbled mess to someone else, it looked little better than the drawings of a child.
¡°I¡ was not entirely in control of my body at the time,¡± Vir said with a cough. ¡°It was the best I could, given the circumstances.¡±
Ashani gave him a wry smile. ¡°But of course.¡±
She stared at the sheet for a moment, and then, without warning, a blue pir of light appeared on top of the map.
¡°As best I can tell, it ought to be in this area,¡± she said.
¡°It¡¯s deep,¡± Virmented grimly. ¡°Quite deep.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Ashani replied. ¡°¡®Tis deeper than I¡¯ve ever delved. I¡¯m afraid such prana density poses a real danger to my circuitry.¡±
¡°Sorry? Your what?¡± Vir asked.
¡°My body,¡± Ashani said with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m not designed to withstand such environments.¡±
¡°Neither am I,¡± Vir muttered. He could be sure just how much denser the prana there was, but it grew dramatically the closer one ventured to the core spire of the city. Ordinarily, the prospect of expanding his body¡¯s capacity to cope with that density would make Vir giddy¡ªif he had the time. He couldn¡¯t afford to spend weeks meditating to grow that.
¡°I¡¯ll have to minimize my exposure, then,¡± Vir said. ¡°Go in fast and quick. And pray that I find it.¡±
Ashani frowned. ¡°I dislike this. What if you run into danger?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be safe,¡± Vir said, giving the goddess a reassuring smile, understanding the meaning behind her words. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you here alone, Ashani. Not again. I promise.¡±
With a nod, Ashani moved her hands through the air, manipting the map to focus on the area in question. It rotated slowly, giving them a birds-eye view of the location.
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Vir said, gesturing to the map. ¡°This looks like a spire?¡±
¡°So it seems,¡± Ashani replied. The inside of the spire popted, showing floor upon floor of empty rooms. ¡°As far as I am aware, there is nothing of the sort of door, or wall that you mention here. Nor do I see how Janak could have altered the structure to insert his own room. Not after the fall. He would¡¯vecked the means to bypass the preservation inscriptions, or his work would have been undone.¡±
Vir walked around the table, arms folded in thought. ¡°It could just be that I jotted it down wrong. Can you try searching a wider area for possible matches?¡±
¡°Of course, though this area of the city is dense with spires and buildings. I fear Janak would have been unable to construct anything of the sort you mention¡ Unless. Could it be that the wall you touched was not created by Janak, but rather repurposed?¡±
Vir stopped walking. ¡°I honestly hadn¡¯t considered that,¡± he admitted. ¡°Though if true, who would have built them? And how would the Imperium not have known about it?¡±
¡°A fair point. Nothing of that sort could exist within the city. But perhaps¡ What about under it?¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes widened as Ashani moved the map, focusing on the area directly below the spire. A maze of halls and tunnels crisscrossed within the ground under the city, and it just so happened that one tunnel intersected exactly where the blue light shone.
¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Vir said. ¡°Unlikely, but possible.¡±
¡°Will you go?¡±
Vir stared at the map for a long moment, but the answer was clear. He¡¯d spent far too long in the dark. He needed answers.
¡°Yes. Yes, I think I must.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 350: Janak’s Tablet
Chapter Ashborn 350: Janak¡¯s Tablet
The wolves¡¯ timing was as impable as ever. Just as Vir was about to leave Ashani¡¯s home, the entire pack¡ªled by none other than Shan¡ªarrived, and by now, Vir knew the wolf enough to know that it was judging him.
¡°Oh, please. I wasn¡¯t going to abandon you,¡± Vir said. ¡°Just that you won¡¯t be able to follow me this deep. It¡¯s for your own safety.¡±
Shan replied by sitting on his haunches and howling up at the sky, which in turn caused the half-dozen wolves behind him to howl as well. Soon, the whole area was drowned in wolf howls.
¡°It seems they disagree with your decision,¡± Ashani said, smiling softly. ¡°He¡¯s be quite independent in the time he¡¯s been gone. Your doing?¡±
¡°Shan¡¯s always only ever done what he wanted.¡±
¡°A master must always be firm, but loving,¡± Ashani said.
Vir scoffed. ¡°Master? Pretty soon, he¡¯s going to give me orders. Fine,¡± he said, addressing the wolves. ¡°If that¡¯s what you lot want, you cane as far as is safe. Not one step further, you hear?¡±
Shan barked, and the matter was settled.Together, they set out, bounding across the terrain at speeds most living beings couldn¡¯t hope to match.
They sailed over entire hordes of Ash Beasts and pummeled right into others, barely slowing. Here, in this realm, Vir needn¡¯t ration his prana. In fact, he had to burn through prana if he wished to avoid oversaturating his blood.
They were increasingly surrounded by taller and taller spires, and soon the prana levels became so great the even Vir started to struggle. The others only fared worse. Shan seemed to be alright, but while the wolves put up a brave front, it was clear they were hurting.
As for Ashani, she disyed no outward signs of pain, though Vir could see the prana entering her incrediblyplicated body, interfering with whatever arcane mechanisms allowed her to function.
¡°This is as far as you all go,¡± Vir said,ing to rest on a half-destroyed road. ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to set watch here and wait for me, but you¡¯ll go no further.¡±
Shan was about to bark in disagreement when Ashani raised her voice. ¡°I agree. To venture any deeper would be detrimental for all of us.¡±
She looked at Shan when she spoke, causing the wolf to hesitate. He looked from Vir to Ashani, and then back at his pack, and with a grumble, lowered his head and skulked away.
At least they listen to her¡ Vir thought.
¡°If I¡¯m not back in an hour, head home. I¡¯ll return when I¡¯m able.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll wait as long as it takes,¡± Ashani replied. ¡°Godspeed.¡±
Vir chuckled. ¡°A goddess wishes me Godspeed, eh? I feel so much better already.¡±
¡°If you¡¯d rather I curse you¡¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Anything but that! I¡¯ll take your blessing, o mighty Goddess.¡±
Ashani put her hands on her hips. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± she said smugly. Her expression softened, and when she spoke, her words were quieter, all humor gone. ¡°Do be careful?¡±
Vir let his own smile slip. ¡°I will. I promise.¡±
¡ª ¡ª
Vir¡¯s progress into the city slowed substantially just a few blocks in, as the prana density continued to mount. The rate at which it grew was utterly startling¡ªhe was still miles from the central spire.
If the prana was this dense here, what was it like at the core? He could scarcely even imagine. Would even years of meditation allow his body to adapt to such awesome levels of energy?
Luckily, Vir¡¯s destination wasn¡¯t at the core, but just another half-mile in. Yet as his leaps and bounds slowed to a fast jog, and then to a plodding walk, he wondered if even that modest goal was beyond him right now.
Even so, he forged ahead, evacuating his body of prana via arts however he could. Haste burned at its full capacity, and heunched off Chakram Launches and Katar Launches whenever he could.
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The Shadow Realm offered a respite from the onught of prana, allowing him to pierce further and faster than he otherwise could. Ordinarily, Dance of the Shadow Demon couldn¡¯tpare to his usual bounding pace, but now it was iparably quicker.
There was a price, however, to that strategy. Every time Vir reappeared, the prana felt like it had multiplied, even though he knew it couldn¡¯t have been all that much more.
The issue was that the prana was so dense now that if he failed to bleed off the excess via his techniques, his blood would rupture. Even a fraction of a second of inattention could spell death, gruesome and violent. And here, there would be no one to save him. The ones who might¡¯ve couldn¡¯t survive in such a toxic climate.
He was close now. So close. Just a few hundred yards and he¡¯d reach the tunnel entrance Ashani had identified. From there, it was only a hundred yards further to the chamber¡ªor at least, where they thought Janak¡¯s chamber ought to be.
Which was why an Ash Beast picked that exact moment to pop out from a nearby road. Ashani had steered them around encounters thus far, but now that he was alone, Vir¡¯s ability to sense Ash Beasts in this ocean of prana had be severelypromised. Preupied with discharging as much prana from his body as he was, he didn¡¯t notice the beast until it was toote.
The creature was, ironically, a Garga. The raging bull-like Ash Beast his n was named after. They were simple creatures that, when angered, became truly nightmarish monsters.
Unfortunately, Vir had caught the beast as much by surprise as it had him. It jolted back in panic. Panic turned to confusion as it regarded Vir, and finally settled on rage.
The beast roared, bowed its head, and pawed the ground.
Unfortunately for it, Vir had never once stopped moving. By the time it was ready to charge, he was long gone¡ªsailing into the air.
His Artifact Chakram ripped into the creature¡¯s nk, while Chakram Barrage rained out, dealing blow after blow of prana into it.
Unfortunately, its hide was just as strengthened by the ambient prana as Vir¡¯s attacks. While they cut into its hide, the damage was superficial, only angering the beast further.
Vir cursed, Blinking away just moments before the Garga charged and gored him.
Barrage was the most devastating attack in Vir¡¯s arsenal. Few Ash Beasts could survive that onught, especially when augmented by the damage his Artifact Chakram wrought.
Yet even his prized Chakram, operating at full strength, failed to prate the Garga¡¯s hide.
I suppose we inherit that trait, Vir thought. We are certainly hard to kill.
The Garga charged again, and even through Haste, the beast was terrifyingly fast.
There was only one move Vir had that might take down this opponent, but to use it here was ill-advised. If it seeded, it would leave him grievously injured.
And yet, if he did nothing, he¡¯d suffer worse. The choice was obvious.
The Garga closed the distance in an instant¡ and Vir allowed it.
At thest moment, just as he was about to be gored, he grabbed the beast¡¯s horn, leveraging its speed to jump onto its back.
Then he ced his palm on its fur and sucked.
Agony ripped through Vir as prana surged into him, overloading his body. His palm exploded into a bloody mess, but he gritted through the pain. This was the only way. In his other hand, he fired off as many attacks as possible.
It wasn¡¯t that draining the Garga had over-saturated his entire body¡ªhe dissipated prana quickly enough to just barely keep that tragic eventuality from urring.
The localized prana in his hand, however? That was another story. Prana Current surged in reverse of its normal pattern, bringing most of the supersaturated prana to Vir¡¯s hands and legs for expulsion. Most, however, was not all, and even that small amount nearly made him pass out in agony.
Just a little longer¡
Prana flowed out of the Garga at an rming rate, and the beast, suddenly weak, faltered. It looked around in confusion, as if having just awoken. That confusion soon morphed into full-blown panic, and Vir was suddenly riding a bucking bull. A bull that could Blink and that had the strength of a hundred demons.
Through sheer force of will, Vir held on. And, just before he lost control, he remembered the other weapon he possessed that could defeat this foe.
The Life Chakra opened, and Vir directed his focus to the beast. Yet instead of confusing thoughts, he projected an aura of peace and tranquility. The rampaging Garga faltered and stilled. And then, unable to counter a Chakra against which it had no defense, the Garga crumpled and fell unconscious.
Vir didn¡¯t know whether it was mercy or a camaraderie with his n¡¯s namesake animal thatpelled him to leave it alive, but Vir saw no need to kill it.
He pressed on, ignoring the pain in his palm, and entered the tunnel.
It was as if he¡¯d entered a different world. Gone were the raging lightning and deafening thunder. Gone were the ash and soot that coated the realm.
For a moment, Vir thought he was back under the sewers of Daha. The path before him bore such a resemnce to the road to Vka Amara that it was nearly indistinguishable.
Vir supposed that made sense, given they were constructed by the same people.
What he did not expect, however, was the reduction of ambient prana.
Though still far more potent than the levels around Ashani¡¯s ce, the levels here were at least manageable, so long as Vir actively burned prana.
Blue-white pranamps lit as he delved deeper into the tunnel, and before long, the ordered architecture gave way to more and more primitive construction, before yielding to bare cavern.
This must have been in-progress when the Imperium fell¡
Vir pressed deeper, wondering what must have gone through the minds of those who built these tunnels, millennia ago. What dreams did they have? What sorts of things had they cared about?
The world would never know. Time and death had buried those stories.
Vir didn¡¯t know what it was about the tunnels that made him so sentimental, but it was with these mncholic thoughts that he finally arrived at his destination.
He almost missed it, and anyone who wasn¡¯t explicitly looking for it would have passed it on by.
In the wall, at about knee height, a small hole had been dug. One just barely big enough for a person to pass through.
With a few swipes of Prana de, Vir erged the hole and crawled through.
It led to a small, pitch-ck cavern devoid of any furnishings.
All except for one. To Prana Vision, Janak¡¯s tablet burned brightly.
Vir reached out and pressed his palm against the mark on the wall.
Chapter Ashborn 351: Destroyer of Worlds
Chapter Ashborn 351: Destroyer of Worlds
Vir braced himself for the out-of-body experience that was toe. This time, he was expecting it. This time, it wouldn¡¯t be nearly as bad.
Nothing happened. Or rather, his consciousness was not whisked away to some distant ce, nor did he lose control of his body. Rather, his surroundings warped from that of pitch-ck stone tunnel to a brightly litboratory.
And in the middle, pulling on his ragged white hair, was none other than Janak. Not the impressive avatar Vir had once encountered, but the withered shell of a man he¡¯d seen in the first vision.
Janak after the fall.
Theb he paced around was not the one that Ashani called home. Vir couldn¡¯t know where it was located, but it, too, was filled with machinery of all sorts. Along with far more sinister objects. Limbs, internal organs, and entrails of all manner floated suspended in clear ss jars that cluttered the surfaces of several tables.
Vir approached the balding man¡ªthough that wasn¡¯t quite the right word. His hair was uneven and splotchy. Fuller in some spots and entirely missing in others. He seemed to be muttering something to himself.
¡°Janak?¡± Vir asked, hesitantly approaching the man.
The instant he did, however, the whole space¡ shifted momentarily. For an instant, theb and everything in it, including Janak, was gone. But then it returned.Vir moved again, and once again, the space seemed to destabilize. Whatever this memory was, it had clearly not stood up to the rigors of time. Vir only hoped itsted long enough to show whatever memory was buried within it.
Janak walked to a corner of the room, and Vir gingerly followed, causing more destabilizations along the way.
Janak finally stopped in front of a familiar-looking symbol etched on a b of stone¡ªthe one Vir had just touched.
Attached to it were all manner of metal cables and contraptions Vir couldn¡¯t even begin to guess the purpose of.
Janak ced a small metal sphere on a table in front of the b and connected a handful of metal cables to it. After fussing over it for several minutes, Janak stood back, apparently satisfied.
It wasn¡¯t until the deity began talking that Vir understood what this was.
He was, quite literally, watching the formation of the memory that was inscribed into the b.
¡°Janak again,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s been three years, and I fear I am no closer to a solution. I¡¯ve tried everything I can think of. Committed acts myte colleagues would abhor. Crimes, really. They¡¯d have stripped me of my status and had me exiled. Or worse¡¡± Janak trailed off, looking into the distance. ¡°I suppose speaking of crimes is a bit rich at this point. I very much doubt anything I do here can trump the destruction of all civilized life on the¡¡±
Janak coughed several times, and if Vir didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d say the man was sick. But that was impossible. Citizens of the Prime Imperium couldn¡¯t get sick.
¡°s,¡± he said, wheezing. ¡°I fear I have little time. The prana is¡ corruptive. It breaks equipment. Undoes preservation inscriptions. It even alters the gic sequencing of bodies at a rate I¡¯d not thought possible. The mutations have given rise to an rming number of dangerous beasts. Giant abominations of creatures in the world before.¡±
Janak shook his head. ¡°I digress. Bad habit I¡¯ve picked uptely. It bes difficult to concentrate. I fear my mind will fail before my body does¡ It is only a matter of time now. The onemodity I do not have. How will I right the wrongs I have wrought? How will I restore this world I have so irrevocably broken? And if I fail¡ Who will carry the torch in my stead?¡±
A shiver ran down Vir¡¯s spine. What was Janak saying? Did that mean¡
¡°I will restore the world,¡± Janak said with more conviction than before. ¡°Even if it is thest thing I must do. Even if I must cheat death itself. Even if I must sell my soul to Ravana himself. At this point, I doubt history will remember me as anything other than a viin. As the one responsible for the genocide of his people. No, perhaps that¡¯s not quite right. Perhaps history will not remember me at all. After all, who is even left to remember?¡±
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Janak somberly reached out and touched the metal sphere. The instant he did, the world went pitch-ck, and it took Vir several moments to realize he¡¯d been returned to the tunnel.
The tablet in front of him split down the middle, cracking into two pieces that fell off the wall and crashed into the ground, crumbling to dust.
Vir took a step back, his mind spinning from the revtions. He refused to believe it. He couldn¡¯t.
Janak caused the destruction of his people¡
The thought was so ridiculous that Vir didn¡¯t dare voice it. How could that be? There must have been something else. Right? Janak wouldn¡¯t¡
Vir¡¯s breaths grew frantic,ing quickly and short.
Stumbling, Vir turned and fled that dark ce as fast as he possibly could.
Vir was silent the whole way back, and thankfully, Ashani had the awareness to notice Vir¡¯s turmoil, and the tact not to ask about it. At least, not right away.
It was only once they were nestled safely back within Ashani¡¯s home, and only after Ashani set out a te of fabricated fruits and nuts for Vir, that she took a seat opposite him in the living room and spoke.
¡°I have often wished for a sympathetic ear to hear my woes,¡± Ashani began. ¡°I cannot promise I¡¯ll be of assistance, but sometimes, a friend is all we need in our times of duress.¡±
Vir smiled. That was Ashani¡ªever polite, always sensitive. ¡°Thanks, Ashani, but you needn¡¯t be so reserved. I was going to tell you. Just¡ It may be difficult for you to hear.¡±
Vir wanted nothing more than to rush back and tell Ashani. Just that halfway through the tunnel, he¡¯d realized the implications of that. For Vir, Janak was a long-dead god. For Ashani¡ Well, he was like family.
How would she react if she knew he was the one who had caused everything she¡¯d ever cared about to disappear? How would she react if she knew Janak was the one who killed Siya?
And yet, the truth was to do Ashani a disservice. This secret was not one that could¡ªor should¡ªbe kept.
She deserved to know.
And so, for most of the trip back, Vir had agonized over how to break the horrible news to the goddess. He¡¯d prepared a line that he felt put it in the most gentle terms.
Yet, when the time came to open his mouth, he found the words that came out were nothing like his carefully rehearsed speech.
¡°I saw a vision. Back there. A vision of Janak. After the fall. His memory.¡±
Ashani went still. Her eyes bore into Vir¡¯s. ¡°Go on,¡± she said, clutching the edge of the table.
¡°And¡ There¡¯s no easy way to say this, Ashani, so I¡¯ll just get it out. The explosion that killed off your people and split the realms¡ May have been Janak¡¯s doing. I think Janak may have been the one to cause the fall of your people.¡±
Ashani blinked, and for the longest moment, Vir didn¡¯t know what was going through her head.
Then, of all things, she
¡°You¡ find this funny?¡± Vir asked, thoroughly confused.
¡°No, not funny. My apologies,¡± Ashani said. ¡°Just that you are wrong.¡±
¡°I¡¯m¡ sorry?¡± Vir said. ¡°I saw Janak¡¯s memory. It was a¡ diary, of sorts. He confessed to this, Ashani. He confessed to being the cause.¡±
¡°Vir, Janak would have given his life to save his daughter. Tell me, how would the destruction of our people possibly align with that goal?¡±
Vir shook his head. ¡°It¡ didn¡¯t seem intentional. In the memory, Janak had driven himself half to death to find a way of ¡®undoing the wrongs he¡¯s wrought¡¯. I don¡¯t know what that was supposed to mean, but he didn¡¯t look well, Ashani. His hair had gone white, and he looked like half-dead.¡±
Ashani¡¯s smile slowly ebbed. She sat back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling.
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± she trailed off. She needn¡¯t have said any more. Vir knew exactly what she was thinking.
¡°In his endeavor to find a cure for Siya, he might have caused the destruction of the Prime Imperium.,¡± Vir said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I hope it¡¯s not true. I hope he¡¯s mistaken. But I felt you ought to know.¡±
For the first time since he¡¯d known Ashani, her gaze contained no yful smile or motherly warmth. Instead, she regarded him with the same sort of eyes Janak had.
Hollow. Empty. Dead.
Ashani pushed back her chair and walked away without uttering a word, but halfway to the door, she stopped.
¡°There must be more,¡± she muttered, just barely loud enough for Vir to hear.
¡°It might have been an ident,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t alter the results.¡±
Ashani shook her head, returning to the table where Vir sat. ¡°No. You might have seen Janak through memories, but I knew him. I knew of his brilliance. There was no mind in the Imperium sharper than his. No soul more brilliant. He would not make a mistake like this.¡±
¡°He seemed to think he did,¡± Vir said.
¡°He would,¡± Ashani fired back. ¡°Don¡¯t let his bravado fool you. Underneath the posturing and supreme confidence was a man who second-guessed his every decision. Who fretted sleeplessly over his daughter, and who worked himself to the bone. I would not be surprised if Janak felt he had erred somehow.¡±
¡°Yet you disagree,¡± Vir said.
¡°Janak did not make stupid mistakes,¡± Ashani said firmly. ¡°There is something more to this. I am sure of it.¡±
Vir rose from his seat and squeezed Ashani¡¯s hand. ¡°Then let us find it together. Janak left several more of these tablets, sprinkled throughout the realms. If there is more to this story, as you say, I need to find it.¡±
Ashani nodded, and her smile returned, though it was clearly forced. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let us depart at once.¡±
Forced or not, Vir returned her smile. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±
He had arrived in Mah¨¡di alone, fearing the health of his wolf.
He would leave with the goddess he¡¯d left behind.
Let¡¯s see what the Demon Realm thinks of this¡
Demons weren¡¯t ready for the return of a living goddess. No realm was, and if he was honest, Vir wasn¡¯t sure if he was ready, either.
None of that mattered. Because Ashani wasn¡¯t just divinepany. She was a close friend. And there was a whole world out there he couldn¡¯t wait to show her.
Chapter Ashborn 352: Return To the Land of Demons
Chapter Ashborn 352: Return To the Land of Demons
¡°Do you see those mountains?¡± Ashani cried from beside Vir. ¡°How high their peaks soar! And those beasts! What are those called? Look, Vir! Curious. What they¡ªoh! They seem to be mating! Let us take a look.¡±
Vir rolled his eyes. Ashani had beenmenting nonstop since they left Mah¨¡di. While he¡¯d initially wondered whether she could keep up with his full power Leaps, he needn¡¯t have worried. While he¡¯d never had a chance to test the limit of her speed in Mah¨¡di¡ªthe city¡¯s buildings prevented rapid travel¡ªAshani proved more than capable of matching, and even outstripping, his pace.
Moreover, with the obscene amount of prana filling her core, she could maintain that pace for years. Even Vir needed sleep at some point, to say nothing of replenishing his prana from the surroundings.
¡°Just for a moment, but we really ought to get back. The time flow here isn¡¯t nearly as pronounced in Mah¨¡di, and my tournament ising up.¡±
¡°I promise I¡¯ll only be a minute. These are new beasts, Vir! They don¡¯t exist in Mah¨¡di. It must be done. For science.¡±
Vir raised a brow. ¡°Science?¡±
¡°It¡¯s¡ Hmm. I think you have something simr? Thaumaturgy, I believe?¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Ashani bounded away at a pace that honestly frightened Vir. Never in a million years would he want to fight any demon who could move half as fast as her, even given her rtiveck of offensive armament.While Vir might never hope to match the goddess¡¯ speed, he took sce in the fact that Ashani was, in fact, a cutting-edge creation of a race that may as well have been gods, even ignoring superstition. He also took sce in the fact that he was the only living being in the world capable of refilling her cores.
Unfortunately, Ashani¡¯s enthusiasm terrified the mating beasts, who took off the moment the goddess arrived.
She returned with a pout.
¡°Maybe be a little more stealthy next time?¡± Vir said with a wry smile. For all her immense intellect and vast capability, when it came to experiencing new things, she possessed the spirit of a child.
¡°I miscalcted. I shall remember that.¡±
Ashani¡¯s ooh¡¯s and aah¡¯s grew less and less frequent as they neared Thaman¡¯s Ash Gate, and her wide eyes became narrower and narrower.
Is she already bored with the Ash? Vir wondered. If so, he worried the Demon Realm wouldn¡¯t hold her interest for long at all. Compared to the Imperium, what was even the great colosseum of the Bairans?
Vir nced at the goddess, who frowned with concern. She wasn¡¯t the only one with concerns, though Vir¡¯s were of a different sort.
¡°Say, Ashani,¡± he began. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to say this, but¡ You don¡¯t really look like anyone in the realm we¡¯re about to enter. Your tinum hair, for sure. And your blue eyes. And fair skin. Your¡ incredibly perfect features might be an issue as well.¡±
The more Vir thought about it, the more hopeless the situation became. To return quickly to Camar Gadin, Vir would have to use Thaman¡¯srge Gate. A Gate which, due to its importance to n Baira¡¯s national security, had guards posted round the clock. There would be no hiding Ashani from them.
Had this been the Human Realm, Vir might at least have passed her off as a shockingly gorgeous woman, but in the Demon Realm? Her appearance alone might cause people to prostrate before her, which was something Vir got the distinct impression she wished to avoid.
¡°Hmm? The Demon Realm?¡± Ashani said. ¡°Ah, yes. You had once mentioned it was popted with beings who resembled yourself.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, exactly. I¡¯m somewhat of a rare type, being a gray-skinned demon. The mostmon ones have red skin. Red eyes, and ck hair, like me, but there are giants, monkey people, and ghaels, too. They look like¡ª!?¡±
Vir¡¯s body jolted, and thanks to years of training, he Blinked back before his mind had formed a coherent thought.
¡°A-Ashani!?¡± he squeaked, half out of embarrassment for having reacted as he did, and half at the goddess¡¯ transformation.
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Ashani had a red-skinned hand over her mouth, and was quietly giggling at Vir¡¯s antics.
¡°Is it really so shocking?¡± she asked.
¡°Um, yes. Very,¡± Vir replied, walking back to her side. He circled around her, inspecting her from every angle. ¡°It¡¯s not just your hands and face, is it? You¡¯ve changed your whole body¡¯s skin color.¡±
¡°But of course! It wouldn¡¯t be much of a disguise, otherwise, would it?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vir said, chuckling wryly.
Sorry Riyan, but a goddess just casually imed all of your vast skills in subterfuge amounted to ¡®not much¡¯.
Her skin, from head to toe, had turned demonic red. Her eyes were red, and her previously white hair was now jet-ck. She¡¯d even altered her one-piece dress to be ck armor, and instead of slippers, she wore metal boots. In her hands was a helmet, which she donned.
She looked every bit like a demonic warrior woman. The only thing that hadn¡¯t changed was her white lightning rod, but Vir doubted anyone would question that too much, what with the variety of exotic weapons that were somon among demons.
¡°I¡¯m speechless, honestly,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°Do you know how many times I would¡¯ve killed to have a disguise like this? To do in a moment what takes me hours¡ And for the result to be so iparably better¡ This is cheating.¡±
¡°Why, thank you,¡± Ashani replied with a courtesy, which she somehow pulled off, even in heavy te armor.
Vir rolled his eyes. ¡°Just¡ Is there anything you can do about your face?¡±
Her eyes widened, then narrowed. ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m not pretty? Because in my society, that is quite a rude thing to say to a woman, you know?¡±
¡°No, actually,¡± Vir said, scratching his nose and averting his eyes. ¡°The problem is you¡¯re too pretty. Drop-dead gorgeous, actually. You¡¯ll have no end of suitors. Is there any way to make yourself, um¡ less attractive?¡±
Ashani gave Vir a deadpan look, her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± was her perfectly even-toned reply.
¡°Right, then,¡± Vir said, quickly realizing this was one matter he¡¯d be better off not pursuing. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Vir wondered when he¡¯d be so scared of that voice. It was a recent thing. After he¡¯d grown intimate with Maiya.
He shuddered. Angry Maiya was a terrifying thing.
It wasn¡¯t until they actually arrived at the enormous Gate that Vir understood how wrong he was about Ashani¡¯s reticence.
Ashani wasn¡¯t bored. She was anxious. Here was a being who could put down most living beings on her own. Who possessed the knowledge of long-dead gods. And who fretted over taking a single step across a stable Ash Gate.
¡°The Ashen Realm is one thing,¡± she muttered, barely more than a whisper. ¡°For millennia, I have spied upon it. Itsnds, while I had never set foot in it until today, were at least somewhat known to me. This¡¡± She gazed deeply into the portal, regarding the deeply crimsonnd on the other side as if it were poison. ¡°This is neither the world I once knew, nor the one I havee to know. It is new.¡±
Vir stepped across the barrier and, with aforting smile, extended his hand back to Ashani. ¡°I¡¯ll be here every step of the way. This, I promise you. I am not abandoning you ever again.¡±
As if in support, Shan circled Ashani, then jumped through the Gate and looked back. He was soon joined by his pack of wolf friends, who spread out on the other side, as if establishing a perimeter.
Once satisfied, they howled back at Ashani, telling her all was safe.
¡°I know,¡± she whispered, slowly extending her hand. ¡°I know this. It just feels a little unreal, if you know what I mean.¡±
Vir smiled warmly. ¡°As unreal as stumbling into a City made by gods? As unreal as,¡± he lowered his voice, ¡°as meeting a living, breathing goddess?¡±
¡°Well, I don¡¯t really breathe.¡±
Vir rolled his eyes, hand still extended. ¡°Come along, Ashani. I have so much to show you.¡±
Ashani took a deep breath, then sped Vir¡¯s hand and stepped through.
For the first time in her life of four thousand years, a being from the Age of Gods had stepped foot in the world that came after.
They are definitely not ready for her, Vir thought, groaning inwardly.
He¡¯d thought her incredible disguise would be sufficient. Sure, returning from the Ash with a woman in tow would cause some rumors, but there were already so many around him. What was one more?
He¡¯d just never expected the first Bairan toy eyes on her to propose to her¡
¡°n Baira, nay¡ªmy progeny¡ªwill benefit immensely when their mother is such an esteemed Warrior. Please, fair maiden, take my hand in marriage!¡±
The Bairan¡ªwho ought to have been guarding the Ash Gate, not making proposals¡ªwas on one knee, and Vir felt the man would have prostrated if Ashani asked him to.
As it was, the goddess stood stock still, though whether she was surprised at his proposal or his size, Vir couldn¡¯t be sure.
¡°Ah,e on,¡± another Bairan guard said, smashing his oversized poleax into the ground. ¡°At least be honest. Warrior, yes, but have you sorryds everid eyes on such a beauty?¡±
This one appeared to be the leader, and thankfully, he stopped short of making a proposal, though the same couldn¡¯t be said for another two or three guards who joined the first.
Vir met Ashani¡¯s eyes with an ¡®I told you so¡¯ look. She nced away, blushing.
¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± Vir said. ¡°Lady Ashani isn¡¯t epting suitors at the moment, so if you¡¯ll let us be, we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±
The kneeling demon threw Vir a look of pure wrath, and Vir knew what woulde next. He¡¯d see Vir as a threat and might even challenge him to a duel.
¡°How dare you¡ª¡±
¡°Sorry, but I have no time for this.¡± Vir scooped Ashani up in his arms, flowing prana through his body when he remembered just how heavy the Automaton was, and Blinked away.
¡°Won¡¯t that cause problems for you?¡± Ashani asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
¡°Let them talk,¡± Vir replied. ¡°I have more important things to do right now than to appease random demons who propose to strangers on first sight.¡±
¡°Oho? Such as?¡±
Vir grinned. ¡°Such as beating the pulp out of a monkey.¡±
When he¡¯d entered the Ash, Vir had fretted over his uing match. Now? Now, he tired of hiding his potential in the hopes of making his opponents lower their guard.
Good thing he no longer had to. Should he defeat Annas, his next opponent was Cirayus.
It was time to let loose. It was time to utterly destroy this kothi.
How could he put forth anything less in front of a goddess?
Chapter Ashborn 353: Retribution
Chapter Ashborn 353: Retribution
When Vir stepped onto the stage, it was not with the crippling fear over Shan¡¯s health he¡¯d felt prior to his trip into the Ash. Nor did he feel hot anger towards Annas for hurting his cherished friend¡ªanger that had nearly blinded him before. To be sure, those feelings were still present, though now, they burned steadily, like a bed of coals at the back of his mind.
Mostly, what Vir felt as he faced off against Shan¡¯s would-be assassin was determination, and the understanding that the opponent before him was but a stepping stone along the path to victory.
¡°Not often that two katar wielders face off against one another,¡± Annas said, raising his dual katars. ¡°I¡¯d like to say this will be a good fight, but against one so green, I have to wonder¡¡±
His eyes traveled from Vir¡¯s head to his boots before shaking his head in disappointment.
Vir ignored the Chitran.
Ashani¡¯s return had instilled fresh perspective into his mind¡ªwhere he had once fretted over the results of this duel, it was clear now that this was just one of the many trials thaty before him. Nor was it the hardest. The realization might¡¯ve disheartened others, but to Vir, it brought a sense of calmness.
Even with two hands tied behind his back, Vir knew he had what it took to win.
¡°Cocky, aren¡¯t we?¡± the kothi snarled from across the stage. ¡°Smug looks like that are reserved for the victor, and I¡¯m sorry to say I¡¯m the only one who¡¯ll be winning today.¡±
¡°Is that right?¡± Vir replied in an even tone. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±Annas looked at Shan, who stumbled and flopped onto his belly.
¡°Ignoring the sheer difference in skill between us? Your friend over there doesn¡¯t look well. Cruel of you to make him fight in such a pitiable state. Have you had him checked out?¡±
Vir gave Annas a puzzled look. ¡°The Panav healers insist there¡¯s nothing wrong. He¡¯s just a bit sleepy. He¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Annas¡¯ lips crept upward. ¡°Is that right? I apologize. I must have been mistaken. For a moment, I feared he¡¯d been poisoned by that Panav girl.¡±
Thementators continued to rile up the crowd, but both Vir and Annas ignored their banter.
¡°I appreciate the concern,¡± Vir replied, bowing his head lightly. ¡°But Tara would never taint her honor with such cowardly tactics.¡±
Annas pursed his lips. ¡°What do Ash Beasts care for honor? Wouldn¡¯t you say such things are as hindrance?¡±
Vir looked up at the thousands of demons who cheered and booed in equal amounts. He found Cirayus sitting next to Thaman in the Bairan section. And he found a certain hooded ck-haired, red-eyed goddess, seated among them. His goddess of victory. His friend.
Vir met his opponent¡¯s¡ªhis enemy¡¯s¡ªstare and smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t say I would.¡±
If Annas had a reply, Vir didn¡¯t hear it. Thementators called for the start of the match, and Vir blurred out of sight as both Haste and Blink activated.
Shan followed suit, and before Annas could react, he had not one, but two opponents bearing down on him, including an opponent he thought was out of the fight for good.
Vir had contemted holding Shan in reserve, but decided it was too risky.
Unlike before, Vir no longer had to hide his strength. He no longer had to win by the skin of his teeth, and so, he¡¯d chosen to utterly destroy Annas.
Shan sank his fangs into Annas¡¯ left bicep, drawing blood. Unlike the Baira, kothis had no body strengthening magic beyond what their ape-like bodies granted them. While stronger than a normal demon, Annas was no match for an Ashfire wolf at full power.
ck prana surged out of the Shan as he chomped down.
Annas roared in pain and shock, though to his credit, maintained his stance well enough to defend against Vir¡¯s katar with one of his own.
Yet, while his actions might have kept him in the fight, that didn¡¯t mean Annas emerged unscathed. With Shan hanging off of his left side, he couldn¡¯t avoid Vir¡¯s blow entirely.
A twist of his torso sent the blow grazing his rib cage, breaking several as it passed.
Annas grunted in pain and moved to reposition, but Vir didn¡¯t let him.
Landing on one foot, Vir sent a surge of prana into his ankle. If his prana control had been only slightly off, he¡¯d have broken his foot.
As it was, the surgical application of prana canceled his momentum andunched him sideways¡ªback at Annas¡ªwho clearly wasn¡¯t expecting the blow.
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Worse, the kothi had been busy trying to pry Shan off his arm.
Sensing Vir¡¯s attack, Shan let go at the perfect moment to throw off Annas¡¯ bnce.
Vir¡¯s katar, augmented by Empower, Haste, and the full might of Prana Current, drove ruthlessly into the kothi¡¯s gut.
There was just one thing that saved him.
Warlord¡¯s Domain rippled out from the kothi¡¯s body. At such close range, Prana Armor took the full brunt of the spell, leaving it severely depleted.
Had that been all, Vir¡¯s attack wouldn¡¯t even have slowed.
Annas, however, had not made it to the semifinals through luck and sabotage alone. At that exact moment, the kothi activated another Bloodline Art, and this time, Vir was powerless to avoid or block the Warlord¡¯s Battlecry that rang out.
The art blew a hole in Prana Armor, and while the prana in the surrounding areas of the shield rushed in to close the gap, it was toote; Vir was hit with the full impact of the mental ability.
Expecting this, he had already opened the Foundation Chakra. While it did little against the prana-based Warlord¡¯s Battlecry, it did thwart the Life Chakra attack the kothi had intermixed with the bloodline art.
He¡¯s good, Vir thought as he felt his body weaken and falter under the spell.
Unlike Life Chakra attacks, which targeted the conscious part of the mind, Chitran mental bloodline arts seemed to attack the flesh that supported it.
As such, the body¡¯s response to it was physiological in nature¡ªimpossible to counteract if not defended by something like Prana Armor.
Vir felt his attack¡¯s power fade and his body go rigid, as if he¡¯d been paralyzed with fear.
Indeed, had he been less experienced inbat, the loss of control might have sent him panicking, but he recognized the attack for what it was. It would pass in just a moment.
Unfortunately, a moment was all Annas needed to regain his bnce and attack.
Vir saw the kothi¡¯s strike in slow motion through Haste. Yet seeing an attack and being able to react to it were entirely different things. Vir saw Shan, rushing to intercept. He wouldn¡¯t make it.
Calmly, Vir ran through his options. Blocking Annas¡¯ strike would be foolhardy. Even with armor and a prana-strengthened body, Vir saw the coating of Earth prana on the kothi¡¯s de, fueled by an Aspect tattoo.
He couldn¡¯t risk taking the strike, but he couldn¡¯t block it either¡ªhis body was out of position to mount an effective defense.
As for dodging¡ The simple answer was, of course, Dance of the Shadow Demon, but to use it now, in the full view of the stadium¡
It would mean kissing his chances of winning the Tournament goodbye.
Vir couldn¡¯t risk that. Not yet.
As the tip of Annas¡¯ de approached, so did an idea.
Having fought with katars through the Ash, Vir was intimately familiar with the weapon¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. The foremost of which was range.
To attack, a katar wielder had to draw close to his foe. In return for that close proximity, one was rewarded with an attack that could drive more piercing force than nearly any other weapon.
But this attack will make him vulnerable. It¡¯ll put him close.
Vir didn¡¯t hurl himself to the side, or move to block.
Instead, he fell.
His legs gave out, and his body copsed to the ground¡ And out of the way of the iing weapon.
Vir saw Annas¡¯ expression of determination morph into confusion in slow motion, and as Vir rolled onto his back and kicked his legs up, he couldn¡¯t help but smirk.
Got him.
Vir¡¯s legs shot directly up into the kothi¡¯s broken rib cage. The momentum from Annas¡¯ strike forced him forward, and Vir¡¯s prana-empowered kick shot the monkey-man off his legs and sent him sprawling through the air.
Fluidly turning his kick into a reverse somersault, Vir got to his feet and Blinked at Annas, but he was too slow.
Shan had beaten him to the punch.
The wolf rammed the falling demon¡ªagain in the chest¡ªsending him bouncing back towards Vir like a y ball.
Shan opened his mouth, and Vir''s heart nearly skipped a beat. For deep within his maw, Vir spotted the crimson-yellow of prana-fire.
Aspect of the Inferno!?
The prana built rapidly before surging out... Only to hiss and pop, dying into a few wisps of smoke that.
So close.
Vir nodded to Shan. Good effort.
Shan looked away, as if embarrassed.
The wolf was almost there. He''d no doubt Shan would master the ability soon. And then the already-terrifying wolf would be an absolute monster.
Vir couldn''t wait for the day. He turned his eyes to his fallen foe.
It would be so easy to kill him now, Vir thought. A single strike of his katar would sever the kothi¡¯s spine, ending his life instantly.
It would also get Vir disqualified, and attempted murder or not, Vir would not take the life of this Chitran.
At least, not today.
Vir made a fist with his left hand, and Empowering it with as much prana as he could, he Blinked again, closing the distance and punching the kothi¡¯s back.
Vir could swear he heard a crack as his fist crumpled the te metal armor that protected his opponent¡¯s back.
Annas was thrown forward yet again, slumping to his knees.
The katars fell from his hands, and his face hit the stage.
The arena was silent.
Vir approached the demon slowly, refusing to let his guard down. Against a foe who used poison, no amount of caution was enough.
cing a foot on Annas¡¯ back, Vir brought his katar to his neck.
There was no admission of loss. No pained whimpers of defeat.
Annas had fallen unconscious.
Thementator was the first to break the silence.
¡°Winnnnerrrrrrr! Vaaaaak of the Aaaash!¡±
The arena erupted in noise, and for the first time in his fights, the apuse drowned out the booing, but Vir didn¡¯t yet address them.
Instead, he kneeled next to Annas¡¯ ear.
¡°What¡¯s this!? Is Vaak paying respects to his opponent! What a stunning disy of sportsmanship! Truly a gracious winner, Nakin.¡±
¡°Absolutely, Samik. It¡¯s rare to see anything like this in the tournament. Let alone from a neer.¡±
Vir¡¯s lips drew taut. It was a good thing no one would hear his next words, because he was about to let them down.
¡°The next time we meet,¡± Vir whispered, ¡°it will be on a battlefield where no poison or trickery can save you. So pray that we do not soon meet again. For when we do, I swear to Adinat himself, I will end you.¡±
Vir didn¡¯t know if the Chitran heard him, and he didn¡¯t rightly care. He stepped off his vanquished foe and raised his katar to the crowd.
¡°The victor greets the crowwd!¡± Amentator said. ¡°And what¡¯s this? The Ravager is rising from his seat! Does the legendary champion recognize this young upstart?¡±
¡°Well, Samik, we know these two have quite a close rtionship. Nobody knows for sure what that is, but I¡¯d bet good coin that the Ravager has groomed Vaak personally.¡±
The cheering redoubled, but Vir didn¡¯t care about that. His eyes found a certain four-armed giant, who stared back with his undivided attention, zing with the full might of his Crown Chakra aura. For the first time, Cirayus regarded Vir not as a doting godfather, or as a mentor, but as the Ravager. As an opponent.
The greatest challenge of Vir¡¯s life was about to begin. The fight that would alter the future of the demon realm was upon him.
Vir smiled up at the Ravager. The Ravager smiled back, as they shared the same thought.
This is going to be fun.
Chapter Ashborn 354: Bringing Home a Goddess
Chapter Ashborn 354: Bringing Home a Goddess
¡°Knocked out!¡± Cirayus roared for what had to be the tenth time. ¡°Ah, to see the look on his face when he wakes up. Can you imagine?¡±
¡°I can! I really really can!¡± Aida replied, slurring her words.
Cirayus was, of course, drunk, and he wasn¡¯t the only one. Aida had had her fair share as well. The level of alcohol required to get a giantess and a heavyweight like Cirayus drunk was something else. Vir wondered just how they made enough ale and mead to service the whole tournament. The operation must¡¯ve been staggering in scale.
¡°What¡¯re you smirkin¡¯ about, eh?¡± Cirayus said, pping Vir on the back.
¡°Oh, nothing,¡± Vir replied with a small smile. Just a little surprise. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough.¡±
Cirayus replied with an ¡°Eh?¡± but didn¡¯t ask further. He¡¯d likely forgotten all about that conversation by the time the two giants stumbled into Cirayus¡¯ home.
Both froze. The house was not empty.
A gorgeous ck-haired, red-skinned demon woman stood at the other end, idly stroking the fur of a half-dozen wolves, whoyzily around her. A couple jumped to their paws when Cirayus arrived, but rxed upon seeing Vir.
Cirayus was the first to recover. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure? For such a peerless beauty to grace my abode, I must have done something right on this day?¡± He said, without the faintest trace of his prior stupor.Vir rolled his eyes while Ashaniughed softly into the back of her hand. How the giant managed that, Vir would never know.
¡°Did you not see the wolves?¡± Vir asked. ¡°You know? The Ash Wolves, all bigger than Shan?¡±
¡°Why, yes,¡± Cirayus said, scratching his nose. ¡°I take it these are your friends, mdy? Quite interestingpany you keep.¡±
¡°One could say that,¡± Ashani replied in her melodic voice, which seemed to captivate both Cirayus and Aida.
¡°Well, as much as I appreciate the finepany,¡± Cirayus said, ¡°I must admit you have me at a loss. May I inquire what you are doing in my home? I have a feeling someone as strong as yourself isn¡¯t just here to chat.¡±
There was an edge to his voice that conveyed his meaning perfectly¡ªexin yourself. It seemed not even Ashani¡¯s beauty and copious alcohol could subvert Cirayus¡¯ centuries-honed battle instincts.
¡°Rx, Cirayus,¡± Vir said, stepping forward. ¡°She¡¯s a friend. I brought her here.¡±
Cirayus¡¯s eyes widened. His posture ckened and he let out a breath. ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say so! Any friend of thed¡¯s is a friend of mine. Come,d, Introduce yourdyfriend to me. Do I need to inform Maiya you have a second mistress?¡±
¡°How rude!¡± Aida admonished, promptly kicking her grandfather in the shin.
¡°Ow!¡± Cirayus yelped, exaggeratedly hopping around, cradling his leg. ¡°What was that for?¡±
¡°I would never do that to Maiya, Cirayus,¡± Vir said, meeting the giant¡¯s gaze. ¡°And you might juste to regret those words in a few seconds.¡±
¡°Oho? Why¡¯s that?¡±
Instead of answering, Vir turned to Ashani and gave her an awkward smile. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±
¡°Oh, ¡®tis no problem at all!¡± Ashani replied with an amused expression. ¡°I see you enjoy quite the warm rtionship with your vaunted godfather.¡±
¡°I suppose you could say that,¡± Vir admitted, scratching his neck. ¡°Would, uh¡ Would you mind changing back? I think that would probably be the best way to show them.¡±
¡°Change back? Show?¡± Cirayus asked.
Ashani nodded, and her red skin turned pale white all over her body. Her eyes reverted to their brilliant blue. The ck armor melted away, reforming the white one piece dress she always wore. Completing the transformation, her hair shifted from ck to tinum blonde, bordering on white, and her whole body seemed to glow.
Both Cirayus and Aida¡¯s mouths hung open.
¡°Lad?¡± Cirayus asked, his voice trembling.
¡°Cirayus? Aida? Meet my dear friend, Ashani. Ashani, Cirayus, my godfather, and his granddaughter Aida.¡±
¡°A pleasure,¡± Ashani said, bowing her head towards them.
¡°L-likewise,¡± Aida replied, flustered.
¡°Um, Cirayus?¡± Vir asked after the giant failed to respond.
¡°Lad? This wouldn¡¯t happen to be the same Ashani you met in the Ash, would it?¡±
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¡°It would, actually,¡± Vir said, feeling his lips creep up.
¡°The one who sucked you through that Ash Gate?¡±
¡°Yep.¡±
¡°The person you said was a Goddess from the Age of Realms?¡±
¡°The very same.¡±
More than Cirayus¡¯ expression, it was Aida¡¯s that amused Vir the most. With every exchange, her eyes widened further, until her face was etched in aical expression of shock and horror.
Cirayus immediately dropped to his knees and prostrated.
¡°Aida! Quick! You are in the presence of a deity!¡±
Aida seemed to finally get the message, and followed her grandfather in prostration.
¡°We have disrespected you, O Great Goddess! Please, forgive us!¡±
¡°No, please!¡± Ashani replied, running up to them. ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯m no goddess! Please don¡¯t treat me like this.¡±
Cirayus slowly raised his head. ¡°Truly?¡± he asked.
¡°Yes!¡±
¡°Then, if I may ask, what are you?¡±
Ashani perked up, relieved to clear the misunderstanding. ¡°I am an Automaton created by the Prime Imperium. Specifically, by Janak, to befriend his daughter Siya in herst days.¡±
¡°Janak¡ You were created by Lord Janak,¡± Cirayus repeated, his voice trembling. ¡°To befriend the Goddess Siya. The Goddess of myth and legend.¡±
¡°Oh, she was just a girl. Not a goddess. And Janak was no lord. Merely a researcher¡¡±
Ashani trailed off as Cirayus and Aida redoubled their prostration, driving their heads against the ground.
Ashani looked to Vir pleadingly, but received only a shrug in return.
¡°I don¡¯t want to say ¡®I told you¡¯, but¡ I told you.¡±
¡°I never expected it to be this bad,¡± she said, biting her lip as Cirayus and Aida prostrated in front of her. ¡°Please, rise, both of you.¡±
¡°Is that your wish, O Great Goddess?¡±
¡°Yes! Yes, it is,¡± Ashani said. ¡°I insist. No prostration. No bowing. And please just call me Ashani!¡±
¡°As you wish, Goddess Ashani,¡± Cirayus said, rising along with Aida, though neither of them made eye contact with her.
¡°Is this how the rest of the world will react?¡± Ashani asked.
¡°I¡¯d say Cirayus¡¯ reaction was rather subdued. Don¡¯t be surprised if you have cults and religions forming around you¡¡±
Ashani buried her face in her hands. ¡°This is¡ Not what I wanted.¡±
Vir¡¯s smile faded. Cirayus and Aida were desperately ncing at him for answers, clearly at a loss for how to behave.
¡°Ashani? Would you mind giving us a few minutes to chat? I¡¯m afraid this will take a bit of exining.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Ashani replied, walking over to the other side of the great room. ¡°Please, take all the time you like.¡± She began studiously analyzing Cirayus¡¯ kitchen and bar equipment, as though it were the most interesting things in the world. Were it anyone else, Vir would say without a doubt it was an act. With Ashani¡ She might very well be as interested in the kitchen as she seemed to be.
¡°It really is what she wants, you two,¡± Vir said in a hushed voice. ¡°Please, I know it¡¯s hard, but just treat her like a good friend? She¡¯d like that very much.¡±
¡°How, living goddess! From the Age of Gods! Do you have any idea what this means for the world?¡±
¡°Aye, that I do,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°But the question remains. How?¡±
Vir let out a long breath and narrated the events that led to him entering the Ash with Shan. Even now, he couldn¡¯t quite believe what had happened.
¡°¡®Tis as though Fate itself led you to her door,¡± Cirayus muttered after hearing the exnation, which perfectly echoed Vir¡¯s own thoughts.
¡°Well, that, Shan¡¯s instincts, and Ashani¡¯s rm that informed her visitors were near a Gate she¡¯d previously established.¡±
¡°Do you understand what this means,d? With a goddess at your back¡¡±
Vir pursed his lips. ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°But I also know that¡¯s not what Ashani wants. She¡¯s been trapped in that realm for millennia, Cirayus. She wants to explore the world. Thest thing she wants is to be a goddess revered and worshipped by everyone. You saw how she reacted!¡±
¡°Aye,d, I understand, and your desire to uphold her wishes is honorable. Tell me, is it more honorable than freeing our people and uniting the realm? If she blesses you in public, the other Rajas will have no choice but to ept you as the new sovereign of the realm.¡±
¡°Come on, Cirayus, that¡¯s not fair,¡± Vir replied with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m not going to force her to take that role. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus said with a sigh. ¡°And you are right not to. To befriend a goddess is no small thing. She will remain when we are all long gone. Besides, there are other issues with relying on her.¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°Nobody would respect me. My rule would be propped up by Ashani, and the moment my enemies see an opportunity, they¡¯ll strike at me. It¡¯s not like Ashani¡¯s all-powerful. She¡¯s got some amazing magic, but I¡¯d say the strongest demons could best her inbat. Truthfully, she was never even a goddess. That¡¯s just something humans and demons made up.¡±
¡°Aye, that might all be true, but tell me this,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°How many beings do you know who can live for millennia? How many beings are made of metal, as you im she is? And how many beings can create Ash Gates at will?¡±
Vir smirked. ¡°I can.¡±
¡°Thereby proving my point. For are you not also a living god?¡±
¡°Never feels that way,¡± Vir muttered. ¡°But I see your point. Ashani is certainly different enough that people would worship her, regardless of herbat power.¡±
¡°Aye.¡±
¡°Now, that¡¯s a little rude, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ashani called from the other end of therge room. She had adle in her hand, which she¡¯d apparently been inspecting. ¡°I admit I may not have been built to fight, but I think I¡¯ve done well holding my own against the beasts of Mah¨¡di.¡±
It was slight, but Vir could swear she¡¯d puffed out her cheeks a bit.
Cirayus¡¯ eyes went wide while Virughed. ¡°Sorry. Forgot about your super hearing.¡±
¡°You are forgiven,¡± Ashani said theatrically, which sent both Cirayus and Aida prostrating again. Ashani immediately realized her mistake, and once again ran toward the two, desperately trying to get them to stop. It was more than a little funny from Vir¡¯s perspective.
Some timeter, when Cirayus and Aida had finally risen, Ashani turned and addressed Vir.
¡°I thank you. For considering my wishes. It¡ means a great deal to me.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Vir said. ¡°I consider you a friend, Ashani. It¡¯s what anyone would do.¡±
¡°As do I,¡± she replied. ¡°Which is why I feel I must rify. While I do not wish to be an object of worship¡ªI am not a deity, regardless of what your people might believe¡ªI do wish to aid you in your plight to the best of my personal ability.¡±
¡°Thank you, Ashani,¡± Vir said. ¡°That really means a lot.¡±
¡°¡®Means a lot¡¯, he says,¡± Aida muttered. ¡°Goddess calls him a friend. Says she¡¯ll help him¡ I feel like I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s real anymore.¡±
Ashani let out a melodicugh. ¡°Quite a family you have here,¡± she said. ¡°I do believe we¡¯ll all get along just fine.¡±
¡°So. What now?¡± Cirayus asked.
¡°Now, we fight, Cirayus,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Now, I defeat you in the final round. Now, I show the world that I am worthy of Bncer of Scales.¡±
¡°And then?¡±
¡°Then, we all return to the Ash, where we¡¯ll train up our troops. Push them deeper into the Ash. Maybe even to Mah¨¡di.¡±
¡°Aye. And when they emerge, they will be the finest fighting force this realm has ever seen. I can feel it in these old bones.¡± Cirayus nced at Ashani. ¡°It won¡¯t be long now. The rebellion. Not at this rate.¡±
¡°No,¡± Vir concurred. ¡°Not long at all.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 355: The Fight of a Lifetime (One)
Chapter Ashborn 355: The Fight of a Lifetime (One)
It was with an odd sense of calmness that Vir stepped into the waiting area for the finalists¡¯ tournament, and he couldn¡¯t quite exin why.
The deafening crowd¡ªlouder by far than it had ever been for any previous duel¡ªought to have shaken him. The nerves of fighting one of the strongest beings in the realm¡ªa fighter so famous, the arena was named after him¡ªought to have spooked Vir and left him shivering in his boots.
It didn¡¯t.
The oue of this duel might very well alter the future of the entire realm. Millennia from now, historians may look back andbel this fight as the pivotal moment in demonic history. If Vir failed to gain Bncer of Scales, the consequences would be immense. Both for the rebellion, and for Vir¡¯s perception as one worthy of restoring the Garga.
And yet, despite all of that, he was fighting Cirayus. His godfather, whom he¡¯d fought countless times in the past. Fought¡ And lost against. Over and over again.
There was a certain understanding one gained from such loss. A certain intimacy with one¡¯s opponent. Vir likely knew Cirayus¡¯ strengths and weaknesses better than any being alive.
Because of that, and because he knew the giant would not be fighting with his lethal Chakras, Vir knew there was nothing to fear.
Fear stemmed from the unknown. Fear was born from hopelessness, and while Vir was also fighting with a handicap, he had an ace up his sleeve. An attack he reserved only for true foes, and one Cirayus that would never seeing. It was his trump card¡ªhisst resort.
With it, victory was, if not assured, at least probable. All that remained was to see if he could defeat the giant without it. And that would be fun.Thementator called Vir¡¯s name, and he stepped out onto the stage.
The stands were absolutely jam-packed. Even knowing where to find Ashani and Tara, Vir gave up. There was no picking out individuals in this throng of so many thousands.
It was as if the stadium itself hade alive, like some magnificent beast into whose maw he marched. Like a sacrificial offering. Except instead of meat and flesh, this particr animal consumed drama and close fights.
Well, they¡¯ll certainly be getting that.
This would be the crowning bout of Vir¡¯s lifetime, of that there was no doubt.
Shan seemed unenthused by the crowd, sittingzily on his haunches the moment they walked onto the stage.
His actions earned him somementary, which threw the crowd into an even greater fervor.
And Cirayus hasn¡¯t even made his debut, Vir thought. He genuinely wondered if he¡¯d have to fight wearing earplugs if the spectators didn¡¯t calm down.
¡°Demons and demonesses, nagas, kothis, and giants. I tell you, we are watching history in the making today. After eighteen long years, our resident legend has returned,¡± Samik, thementator, said, letting out a sigh of awe at the end. Vir couldn¡¯t tell if he meant it, or if it was simply put on for the show.
¡°And what an absence it¡¯s been, Samik,¡± Nakin said. ¡°Eighteen long years in the Ash. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a demon alive who feels Cirayus can grow any stronger than he already is, and yet, I have a feeling we¡¯re about to see just that.¡±
Thementators went on and on about the fight, speaking at length about Cirayus¡¯ storied history. Of his impable win record, and of the sight they would see today. Vir wondered if they did this at every tournament Cirayus fought in, and surmised they probably did. The tales of Cirayus¡¯ exploits were far too polished not to have been rehearsed. At this point, it was probably closer to a ceremony than mere custom. They even sprinkled a few words of encouragement for Vir, whom they expected to lose as a matter of course.
Though Vir ensured he waved to the crowd and smiled, the only parts he bothered paying attention to were those that mentioned his father¡ªone of the few fighters in the realm who could give Cirayus any real challenge. But thementators only mentioned him in passing before hurrying along. As though the very mention of his father¡¯s name was taboo.
Not after today, father, Vir swore. I¡¯ll win, and I¡¯ll ensure your name is spoken with the reverence it deserves, the same as Rudvik.
Vir doubted there were many alive who could boast about having two fathers, both of which were heroes, as legendary as any in the Demon Realm.
After a wait that felt like an eternity, and that was in fact far longer than those of his previous bouts, Cirayus¡¯ name was called.
Vir had his ears plugged well in advance, and even then, the sheer force of the cries and cheers vibrated his chest. The energy was¡ awesome, and Vir idly wondered if Ashani had ever witnessed anything like it before the fall. Somehow, Vir doubted it. He could picture her gawking at the spectacle from her vantage high in the stands.
My goddess of victory¡
Vir shook off the errant thought. She was most definitely not that. She had never been that. No, if Vir won today, it would be of his own means. By his own sweat, blood, and tears. He had to, for his victory to have meaning.
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The red giant emerged, hefting the enormous Sikandar. It was as if Vir were looking at a different person entirely. Holding his four-handed sword to the side, Cirayus plodded slowly to the stage, eyes locked on Vir. Gone were the waves and the exaggerated jumps for dramatic effect. In fact, Cirayus seemed not to have noticed the crowd at all.
Vir¡¯s eyes locked onto his foe, and he knew then that he was no longer looking at his godfather. He regarded the Ravager in full war attire. Though his arms were bare, his chest was adorned in a gorgeous golden and ck te, and on his thighs, he wore segmented seric greaves. His head was helmeted, though it was only a half helm, and he wore great metal boots that shook the earth with every step. It was not the doing of Bncer of Scales.
Though the crowd¡¯s fervor had reached unprecedented levels, the din seemed to mute as Vir¡¯s opponent approached the stage, finally climbing up the steps anding to a halt on the other end.
Armored and heavily armed. Different equipment from normal.
Vir had never fought an armored Cirayus. Giant¡¯s Hide gave the Bairan juggernaut more armor than he ever needed. For Cirayus to don armor now¡
Despite the pressure, despite the gravitas, Vir cracked a smile. He¡¯s really going all out.
¡°Well,d, I¡¯m d to see your fight hasn¡¯t fled,¡± Cirayus said, and Vir only heard him above the cacophony by reading his lips.
Vir¡¯s grin widened. ¡°I could say the same for you, old man. Don¡¯t break your back, alright?¡±
Cirayus roared withughter, leveling Sikandar at Vir. ¡°Challenge epted.¡±
Thementator drew out the drama for as long as possible, but Vir hardly cared. The only words he heard were, ¡®Combatants! May the match begin!¡¯
Virunched toward the center of the stage, hoping to gain the initiative. To his immense surprise, Cirayus did the same. While the giant sometimes opened aggressively, it was rare¡ªhe preferred to allow Vir to make the first move.
Because he was going easy on me, Vir thought in irritation. Prana surged into his legs the moment his foot touched the stage, canceling his momentum and reversing it.
The stage wasrge, as stages went, but at demonic speeds, and against Sikandar, it felt far too small. As it was, the giant¡¯s gargantuan de barely missed Vir¡¯s chest.
¡°Good reflexes,¡± Cirayus said, beaming. ¡°But reflex alone will not allow you to best me.¡±
Vir was moving before he¡¯d finished speaking. If his godfather was going to spout pointless drivel, Vir would make certain he exploited it.
Besides, the demon wasn¡¯t fighting just him.
Shan bounded all around the giant, taking swipes with his ws, and biting into the giant¡¯s armor when possible.
Cirayus initially ignored the gnat¡ Until he realized the gnat was far more deadly than he¡¯d thought.
Even with his augmented strength, Shan¡¯s ws and bite did nothing against the armored Bairan. Giant¡¯s Hide alone would have stopped the wolf from dealing much damage.
Shan, however, boasted not only physical strength, but Ash Prana, and unlike Vir, he was under nopunction to hide it.
With Prana Fang and Prana w, Shan¡¯s attacks were not something the giant could ignore.
That alone ought to have even the match, somehow, it didn¡¯t.
Against an opponent like Cirayus, every attack was a dance with death, and even as he spoke, the giant shed Sikandar, forcing both Vir and Shan to abort their attacks.
Not only wererge weapons excellent at fighting multiple opponents, but Cirayus had mastered every aspect of the enormous weapon.
Vir knew blocking it was a good way to have his weapon destroyed¡ Or be flung off the stage. That was, of course, if Prana Armor even held. Unlike a polearm with a metal tip, Sikandar was lethal at every point along its enormous de.
What a ridiculous weapon. Though Vir had seen it in action countless times, he couldn¡¯t help but appreciate its absurdity. By all rights, it ought to have been a useless, ungainly weapon. Thebination of Cirayus¡¯ strength, experience, and his bloodline arts¡ªboth Bairan and Gargan¡ªeasily rendered it the deadliest weapon on the battlefield. Even without Bncer of Scales.
The only option was to dodge the de, but Cirayus knew that. He¡¯d be ready. The Gargan Lionheart boosted all of Cirayus¡¯ physical capabilities for a time, andCirayus could alter de¡¯s direction almost as well as with Bncer of Scales¡ªsomething Shan was now exceedingly wary of. The wolf no longer attacked aggressively, and was now circling around the giant, observing him carefully for an opportunity.
Up or down?
The natural tendency was to sink beneath the de, but Cirayus would expect that. The riskier move was the jump high, but once in the air, Vir lost all ability to change direction. He¡¯d be easy pickings.
Which was why he did neither. Just as with Sikandar, Vir had seen Cirayus wield the monstrosity of a sword on numerous asions. And all that time, he¡¯d scrutinized Cirayus, analyzing his strengths and weaknesses. And while, when wielded by an expert, it might have nothing so severe as a weakness, it certainly had one trait Vir could exploit.
Vir twisted and jumped¡ but not high. In fact, his jump barely had his feet clearing the de, and in a feat made possible thanks only to Haste, Vir timed his fall tond on the de.
Even with the slowed passage of time and Vir¡¯s not-insignificant dexterity, it took all he had to stay on the de.
Thankfully, Cirayus also had his fair share of difficulties. Sikandar¡¯s tip fell, but Cirayus braced and wrenched the sword up before its tip hit the ground. Leveraging his incredible strength, he then flipped the de and shed the sword high into the sky, but he was toote.
Vir had already Blinked the rest of the distance, plunging his katar at the giant¡¯s throat. Shan, having anticipated the attack, moved in at the same time, swiping at his leg.
The crowd gasped, and through the effects of Haste, Vir¡¯s ears perceived it as a deep roaring thunder. With the world at a crawl, Vir was also able to see Cirayus pivot his body ever so slightly.
There was no avoiding these blows, but with that one small motion, Cirayus had turned a match-ending attack into something superficial.
Even that would be hard won, as Cirayus mmed both Vir and Shan with Life and Crown Chakra aura. As non-lethal Chakras, these were fair game, and having already expected a Life Chakra attack, Vir had already opened his Foundation Chakra.
The Crown Chakra, however, was another story.
Vir had already experienced what it was like when Cirayus opened the highest Chakra, so he thought he knew how to deal with it.
Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. Already preupied with keeping his Foundation Chakra open, both Vir¡¯s and Shan¡¯s minds were infected by the grandeur of the Crown.
The wolf aborted its attack and bounded away, where it whimpered and cowered in fear.
Vir could hardly me him.
The aura projection wasn¡¯t hostile on its own. It did, however, augment the effects of all the other Chakras. To the point where even with his Foundation Chakra wide open, Vir found himself unable to resist the mental attack. The proximity only made it worse¡ªin just a few seconds, he¡¯d lose consciousness.
Plenty of time to throw his deadliest weapon.
Cirayus saw the Artifact Chakram light up and immediately moved away. Even stunted as it was, the disc could slice right through his thick skin, and he knew it.
Both Chakras cut out, and Vir was released from his mental attack.
The three fighters stood exactly where they had when the match began. Both uninjured.
Vir took a long, deep breath as it dawned on him that this fight would not be a short, simple affair.
Judging from the smile that stered Cirayus¡¯ face, Vir knew the Ravager would not want it any other way.
Unfortunately for him, Vir had other ideas. The time for ying nice was over.
Now it was time to win.
Chapter Ashborn 356: The Fight of a Lifetime (Two)
Chapter Ashborn 356: The Fight of a Lifetime (Two)
Vir again Blinked across the stage, and for the first several moves, their bout went much the same as it had before, with Vir attempting to bypass Sikandar¡¯s enormous reach while Cirayus thwarted him.
Cirayus, having led Vir to think he was being pressured, switched from defense to offense so quickly, it left Vir reeling, and he was barely able to get away.
The giant unleashed a vicious barrage of attacks with the enormous sword, forcing Vir to duck, dodge, or otherwise retreat. Deprived of Bncer of Scales, Cirayus was forced to rely on his prodigious strength and skill to be deadly with the weapon.
As time went on, however, Vir began to read the flow of the giant¡¯s attacks. It was nothing so simple as memorizing the timing, for that changed with every strike. With Bncer of Scales, the weight of Cirayus¡¯ weapon changed between attacks, and so too did the timing. Though the giant was unable to use the ability here, those timing shifts were an ingrained part of his training.
It was a testament to Cirayus¡¯ skill that he not only wrangled such a vast array of timings, but did so with rtive ease. Each weight profile required subtly different technique and stances, which he must have mastered over centuries. Stances and techniques he could employ even without the ability.
It wasn¡¯t quite the same as if Cirayus had deployed Bncer of Scales, but the effect was enough to throw off Vir¡¯s pace, leaving his strikes mistimed and awkward, and his defense open and vulnerable.
Even so, Vir was nothing if not a quick learner, to say nothing of Shan. Each time Cirayus varied his technique, Vir and Shan were taken by surprise. The second time they saw it, they expected it, and by the third, they had both learned to adapt.
At longst, Vir found the window of opportunity he¡¯d been looking for.
Each attackmitted Sikandar to the strike. Once swung, the mighty de could not so easily be used to defend. It wasn¡¯t only a matter of switching the sword¡¯s directions¡ªwhich Cirayus had some trouble with without his Ultimate bloodline art to assist¡ªhe¡¯d also have to reposition his body to be able to block as well. That was even harder.Once again, Vir unleashed his Artifact Chakram to roaring apuse and cheers, but Vir saw their excitement for the farce it was. Nobody in the stands rightly thought he¡¯d defeat Cirayus today; they just wanted to see the Ravager in action¡ªto see him flex his might against a worthy foe.
The truth was that, like Shan, the Chakram was not a weapon Cirayus could take lightly. And though fully aware of its limitations outside the Ashen Realm¡ªit was not quite the wheel of sure death it had been¡ªit was more than enough to bite through Giant¡¯s Hide and the Gargan Lionheart and injure him. And while Cirayus had almost never had the asion to use the Gargan Braveheart, the art only stopped one from feeling pain. It did nothing to lessen the damage.
Though Cirayus could easily defend himself, it was one thing to defend one¡¯s body, and another entirely to defend a weapon as well.
Sorry, Cirayus. It¡¯s the only way.
Vir winced as Artifact steel met Seric steel. A horrible, grating sound filled the stadium, but only for an instant.
Few things could survive contact with Imperium technology, and even the legendary Sikandar proved no match. The de was sliced cleanly into two as the chakram tore through the metal and lodged itself into the stage.
The din that had assaulted Vir¡¯s ears the entire fight finally hushed, leaving behind a deathly silence that pressed down with equal and opposite weight.
Cirayus was, predictably, stunned, but Vir wasn¡¯t nearly done. Even halved, Sikandar was longer than most swords¡ªstill very much serviceable. The cutting of the sword, however, was merely a distraction. It was the moment of confusion that followed that Vir had been aiming for. Perhaps the one and only time he could catch his godfather off-guard.
Blink activated, closing the distance in an instant and allowing Vir¡¯s katar to finally reach the demon¡¯s neck.
Shan, no longer hampered by the de¡¯s length, also moved in.
Acting purely on instinct, Cirayus jerked away, this time physically grabbing Vir with his hand, and kicking Shan away.
Unfortunately, that was just about the worst move he could have made. Against his monstrous physical might, augmented by not one, but two bloodline arts, most of his foes would be crushed. Vir, however, not only withstood it, he used the opportunity to unleash his secret weapon.
Prana of the Ash.
The energy surged into Cirayus¡¯ body, and the giant froze, pain and indecision paralyzing him.
Vir had taken a gamble, and it had paid off.
Cirayus clearly hadn¡¯t expected Vir to use an offensive Ash Prana attack. To do so in a stadium filled with Iksana was ill-advised at best.
And yet, Vir had the very same Sight the Ghaels possessed. Albeit less powerful, he knew the Iksana''s range and limitations better than most.
And he knew that it¡¯d be an incredibly lucky Iksana who saw the momentary prana surge.
Cirayus, for his part, was not just Vir¡¯s opponent, but also his ally. Reacting visibly to the extreme pain of having foreign prana forced into his body would have tipped off the stadium that something was wrong.
He could not¡ªwould not¡ªdo that, and so this was a weakness Vir could exploit.
¡°You¡¯re quite something,d,¡± Cirayus boomed. ¡°I¡¯ll give you that. Which is why I must apologize for this.¡±
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Cirayus dropped Sikandar, and grabbed all four of Vir¡¯s limbs with his four hands, pinning him in midair.
Vir¡¯s eyes went wide. He poured more prana into the giant, desperate to get away, but despite the obvious pain, Cirayus¡¯ arms held firm.
More than firm. Applying pressure on Vir¡¯s tendons, Cirayus forced him to drop his katar and chakram, leaving him defenseless.
Then, cocking an arm, he readied for a punch. A punch that Vir knew he would not be able to take.
No!
Through Haste, the punch crept closer, elerating slowly. Vir¡¯s mind raced. What could he do in this situation? What attacks did he have?
He was pinned, and prana was his only attack.
Then, when the fist was less than a pace from his face, Vir¡¯s eyes caught movement, in the form of a ck blur.
ck¡ and Red.
A column of Ashen prana-fire mmed into Cirayus¡¯ face, forcing him to recoil. To his credit, he held onto Vir¡¯s limbs, but another surge of prana from Vir, and a vicious Prana w from Shan forced the giant to let go.
Chest swelling with pride for his four-legged friend, Vir fell to the ground, grabbed his katar and Chakram in one move, and surged up at Cirayus¡
Just in time to see Cirayus¡¯ fist plunge deep into Shan¡¯s belly.
Vir watched in horror as the wolf¡¯s limp form sailed high through the air and crashed outside of the stage.
Shan did not get up.
Cirayus crouched and held the broken Sikandar high in the air. ¡°Behold!¡± he shouted. ¡°A worthy foe!¡±
The crowd, which had gone silent in rapt anticipation, once again burst into cheers and hoots.
Vir barely heard them. He stared at Shan, and despite Prana Vision showing him his friend was alright, he couldn¡¯t ept the facts. In one move, Shan had been knocked out of the fight.
¡°Mypanion for yours,¡± Cirayus said, nodding to Sikandar. ¡°But do not worry. Shan is unharmed. I would never hurt¡ª¡±
Vir flew at Cirayus in the middle of his speech, but to his surprise, Cirayus charged at him as well¡ªfaster than Vir had ever seen before. Despite his armor and size, the giant moved nearly as quickly as Vir with Haste, and for a moment, Vir wondered if the ability had malfunctioned; it was a rare foe who didn¡¯t move in slow motion while the Talent was active.
For the first time in this fight, Cirayus had joined Vir in a different realm where the world seemed frozen in time, and where only they could move.
With Sikandar¡¯s range crippled, Cirayus relied increasingly on his chakras,disying his sublime mastery over the intricate arts with every sh.
Whenever Vir got to within striking range¡ªa feat more readily aplished now versus before¡ªCirayus pummeled him with chakras he could not resist.
It was almost unheard of for anyone in demonic history to wield their chakras with such finesse. Not even Vir¡¯s ancestors had gotten this close, and many even considered the feat an impossibility. But four hundred years of diligent practice proved that even the impossible could not only be made possible, but honed to such a degree that it fully made up for a broken sword.
Fending off even regr Life Chakra attacks took some willpower and concentration, but when augmented by the Crown Chakra, Vir found himself sacrificing his physical defense to focus on blocking the spiritual one.
It was he who took the first cut, swiftly followed by a second, third, fourth, and fifth, and there seemed to be no end in sight.
Forget touching Cirayus¡ªVir was pressured relentlessly, pushed further and further to the edge of the ring, and there was nothing he could do about it. Despite Prana Current, despite Haste burning through his body¡¯s prana reserves at an rming rate, Vir was barely able to stay in the fight.
A singlepse of concentration, a single mistake, and the duel would be over. Vir¡¯s fate, and the fate of the Garga, bordered on a razor¡¯s edge.
Part of him despised Cirayus for fighting this hard. The giant knew what was at stake. Did he truly have to go all-out like this? Would the crowd care if he backed off, even a little? What drove him to act this way?
The answer came instantly, and Vir felt ashamed for harboring those thoughts of ill-will.
Everything Cirayus had ever done had been to help Vir. To push him and help him grow, in the Ash, and here, to force Vir to show the world just how formidable a warrior he truly was. To show the world how deserving he was of the Bairan Ultimate Bloodline Art.
Even this was for Vir¡¯s sake.
And so all Vir could feel was shame. That, despite his godfather giving him such consideration, he could not live up to expectations. That despite pushing past his limits, he could not win.
Vir fought desperately, warding off sh after sh, blow after blow, and Chakra attacks that rained upon him in an unending torrent, making him nauseous, delirious, and nearly crippled. It was only on ount of Prana Current, the Artifact Chakram, and Vir¡¯s relentless determination that kept him in the fight. The art elerated his blood flow, and whenbined with his pranites, proved useful in warding off some of the Chakra-induced hallucinations.
It was, however, not nearly enough.
Haste wavered and began to fail as the prana ran low within Vir¡¯s body, and the infrequent nicks on his skin came faster, the cuts deeper. Blood ran down his arms, legs, and face in streams. One eye was fused shut from an augmented blow.
Despite Haste failing, however, the world seemed to slow for a moment. It was not the result of any ability or Chakra, but rather of Vir¡¯s own mind. The end was near. In the next several seconds, he would either be knocked out of the ring, suffer a fight-ending blow, or he would be knocked unconscious.
Thousands of ideas ran through his head¡ªkicks, strikes, Chakra attacks¡ All futile. All ended in failure. Some might dy that end by a few seconds, but what did it matter?
Vir¡¯s eyes rose to the stands. It was the oue the crowd expected. The defeat they couldn¡¯t wait to see. Losing would make them happy, wouldn¡¯t it?
And then, amid the throng of bodies, Vir¡¯s eyes locked on one.
That ought to have been impossible. With as far away as she was, with so many people, singling out an individual couldn¡¯t have happened without a telescope.
Ashani, however, appeared to Vir as though she were just a dozen paces away. He could make out every detail of her demonic armor. Her long ck hair and her red eyes.
And she was saying something. Vir couldn¡¯t hear the words, but he could read lips.
She was saying¡ ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±
Vir didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Waiting for what?¡± he thought, his mind suddenly hazy, distracted by the impossibility of having a conversation with Ashani in the split-second before his loss to Cirayus. It was as if the world no longer existed¡ªthat only he and Ashani were here.
At the same time, he felt his own body, seemingly moving at its normal pace. It truly made no sense.
¡°You know what you have to do,¡± Ashani mouthed.
What I have to¡ Understanding dawned. But I can¡¯t! That is the one thing I cannot do.
¡°Are you not ready?¡±
I¡¯m not¡ Am I?
He¡¯d yet to obtain even a single Ultimate Bloodline Art. His demons¡ªa paltry two hundred, training within the Ash¡ªcouldn¡¯t possibly hold Samar Patag, even if they did somehow manage to take it.
¡°What of the Ash?¡± Ashani mouthed.
She was right. He didn¡¯t need to storm Samar Patag immediately. The Ash was his. Only he had the keys to that realm. Only he could enter and exit as he pleased. No one else. It didn¡¯t matter if the entire realm banded against him. One year at Mah¨¡di was barely a few weeks outside, and he could strike from wherever he wished.
He had Cirayus, he had Thaman, and now¡ Now he had Ashani.
Wasn¡¯t he ready? If not for outright rebellion, then at the very least, for the next step?
I am.
The answer came so easily. As though he had known it this entire time and was simply stalling. Nestled deep within hisyers of false identity. Afraid to cross that point of no return.
If, however, crossing that line was what it took to shift the fate of this realm, then Vir decided there and then that he would take that step.
Right here. Right now.
Shan was gone. Vir had expended everyst trick he had.
It was time to win this.
Vir saw Sikandar¡¯s broken edge swing for his chest, promising certain defeat. In that instant, he saw the world more clearly than he ever had. He saw what must be done.
Prana Current surged beyond its safe limit, and the temporary tattoo that hid his prana from prying eyes burned away.
Vir, in full view of forty thousand souls, sank into the shadows.
Chapter Ashborn 357: The Fight of a Lifetime (Three)
Chapter Ashborn 357: The Fight of a Lifetime (Three)
¡°Now that¡¯s a move!¡± Samik roared into his mic. ¡°What sort of movement do you think that is, Nakin?¡±
Nakin, simrly on the edge of his seat in thementator¡¯s booth, replied with a quivering voice.
¡°It¡¯s¡ like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen, Samik. It¡ It reminds me of the Iksana¡¯s Dance of the Shadow Demon. Has young Vaak managed to replicate something simr?¡±
¡°If so, it would be the invention of the century. Perhaps even the millennium! What a fight! What a show! And now, Vaak presses the offensive, unleashing a deadly barrage of lows against the Ravager! And the Ravager takes a hit! Is it just me, Samik, or do young Vaak¡¯s strikes seem to pack more of a punch now?¡±
¡°Certainly looks that way, Nakin. For the first time in this fight, the Ravager¡¯s getting pushed back. Oh! Vaak disappeared again.¡±
¡°There he is,unching a devastating surprise blow from the Ravager¡¯s own shadow! I must say, Vaak truly has replicated the traits of the Iksana art with this.¡±
¡°And not just that, Nakin, but look at those strikes! The Ravager¡¯s armor is falling apart. Notice how he''s avoiding the blows now?¡±
¡°Indeed. On the verge of defeat, Vaak has truly pulled off a monumentaleback. The two finalists are now at the center of the stage, with the Ravager being pushed back. OH! What a near miss from Vaak¡¯s chakram!¡± Nakin roared as Cirayus¡¯ upper arm was sliced open.
¡°Cut through like butter! The Ravager won¡¯t be able to rely on his Bairan toughness against an Artifact of the Gods!¡±¡°Quite right. That is one nasty weapon. And Vaak seems well versed in exploiting the disk. He¡¯s got the Ravager on the¡ª¡±
¡°Sorry to cut you off, Nakin, but there seems to be amotion in the Iksana camp.¡±
¡°Indeed, they¡¯re growing restless, Samik. I wonder what¡ªHey! What are you¡ª!? You can¡¯t be in here! This is a private booth!¡±
Thementators cut out, and for a long moment, there was only silence.
The other ns looked around in confusion as the Iksana panicked for seemingly no reason.
Then Samik¡¯s voice filled the stadium once more, and upon hearing his words, the whole stadium was sent into an uproar.
¡°Apologies, everyone, but¡ But we¡¯ve just received new information, courtesy of our Iksana friends. It seems that¡ Well, folks,¡± Samik paused, breathless, and more than a bit confused. ¡°I don¡¯t quite know how to put this. But we¡¯ve been informed by our Iksana friends that Vaak is somehow using Ash Prana¡¡±
While Vir¡¯s eyes were on Cirayus, his ears were tuned to the crowd. The noise, so ringly loud at first, had actually grown once he used Dance of the Shadow Demon. Vir suspected the Iksana were the only n who had stopped cheering, but well, they were a quiet bunch to begin with, and the confusion they must surely have felt was easily overshadowed by the uptick in fervor from everyone else.
It won¡¯tst, Vir knew. His window for victory had just shortened considerably. If he couldn¡¯t nail this bout before the stadium got over its confusion, he was done for.
Vir emerged from Cirayus¡¯ shadow. His Prana ded katar prated the giant¡¯s te metal armor as though it didn¡¯t exist, and sunk deep into the gap between his opponent¡¯s ribs.
In any other situation, the Ravager would have reacted, jumping into the air. Vir had been fully prepared to sink back into the shadows should he do such a thing.
Instead, he simply stood there and took the blow. It was the first proper wound he¡¯d sustained this entire match. Nor was it superficial. Cirayus might not be out of the fight just yet, but he would feel this injury for the rest of the bout. It might very well have been the first time in Vir¡¯s history with the Ravager that he¡¯d truly taken him by surprise.
¡°Lad?¡±
Cirayus strained under the onught of blows that followed, fighting desperately to fend off Vir¡¯s Prana des and des Launches. Now unfettered, Vir¡¯s offensive power had multiplied, and Cirayus had precious few ways of countering them. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done?¡±
¡°Fully,¡± Vir said, and to his surprise, although he probably ought to have expected it, he saw hunger fill Cirayus¡¯ eyes. Hunger and awe.
¡°Well then. I suppose I ought to give the crowd onest show!¡±
Cirayus swung Sikandar¡¯s stump with unbelievable speed, but against the might of Ash prana, all that served was to hasten its destruction.
Vir raised his katar, enveloped it with Prana de, and watched as the once-mighty sword was cut in two again.
Despite the loss, Cirayus¡¯ grin only brightened.
Seeing this, a sudden sense of euphoria flooded Vir, drowning out all other thoughts. Was this how his father, Maion Garga, must have felt when he stood upon this very stage years ago? Was this how he felt when he fought Cirayus¡ªhis best friend?
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Even if for only the briefest of moments, Vir felt a connection to Maion¡ªa sort of bond, however tenuous it may have been. Maion was famous, yes, but in the way celebrities were. As a person, Vir knew far too little about the man, and until now, he¡¯d assumed his father was an incurable battle junkie.
But here, performing on this vast stage in front of a sea of demons, Vir felt he understood what his father enjoyed about all of this.
For he felt the same.
Driving forth, Vir scored another hit, this time against Cirayus¡¯ thigh.
With a grunt of pain, the giant fell to a knee, but he wasn¡¯t done yet.
What was left of Sikandar came flying at Vir, who avoided it by sinking into the shadows once again.
With one leg out ofmission, jumping to dodge was now impossible, allowing Vir to strike to his heart¡¯s content.
Which he did not do.
Were this any other opponent, he¡¯d happily have inflicted wound after wound, grinding them down. But this was Cirayus¡ªhis godfather. His loving family.
And once this bout was done and over, Vir would need all the muscle he could get. Crippling the demon who¡¯d soon safeguard him seemed like a terrible idea.
Even still, surrender was not in Cirayus¡¯ vocabry, and Vir suspected such thoughts were the furthest thing from his mind right now.
No, Vir would have to earn this win the hard way. Luckily, the rules provided another way of achieving that.
Surging out of the shadows, Vir Blinked at Cirayus, continuing to pressure him with attack after attack.
Lacking a weapon to defend himself, Cirayus was forced to use his hands, fists, and Chakras to impede Vir. Despite his abysmal situation, though, the giant grinned with glee.
Vir doubted his godfather had had this much fun in decades. He seemed to be having the time of his life.
Unfortunately for him, the bouts until now had already depleted much of the prana in the air and ground, and just as Vir was running on the fumes of Ash prana within his own body, Cirayus struggled to use his arts as well, and was forced to deploy them tactically to stave off his impending doom.
Bit by bit, Vir pushed the giant toward the other side of the stage, until less than a pace remained.
It was a good thing, too, because after Samik¡¯s announcement, the entire stadium had flown into uproarious chaos. Yells, shouts of panic, and even a few cheers could be heard. Those, however, were in the minority.
As each minute passed, the stadium became increasingly galvanized, and Vir was not na?ve enough to hope that they were on his side.
Cirayus, in one final, desperate move, activated the Gargan Lionheart at full power,bining it with Giant¡¯s Grace to duck under Vir¡¯s next attack and deliver a devastating punch to his abdomen.
It was an all-or-nothing move that risked it all. It nearly worked, too.
Despite having expected something like this, the sheer speed behind Cirayus¡¯ blow made it impossible to avoid, and he moved with a grace that made Vir wonder if all those wounds he¡¯d inflicted had been nothing but an illusion.
Blocking the blow meant risking breaking his bones, especially with Lionheart active. It also risked the possibility of being flung across the stage.
Vir couldn¡¯t afford that. Not now, when his time had all but run out.
And so, he did something that ought to have been impossible.
He gripped Cirayus¡¯ forearm, pivoted, and crouched.
The giant¡¯s momentum carried him forward, and instead of hitting Vir, he was thrown straight over his shoulders.
The demon tumbled over the edge of the stage, and came to rest several paces outside.
Vir raised his katar to the sky and looked up at the stage.
Thementators¡ Well, thementators were far too busy panicking to notice that he¡¯d won. He¡¯d have to gain their attention somehow.
Vir grinned. Luckily, he knew of a quaint party trick that would allow him to do just that.
¡°Calm!¡± Samik said, straining to be heard over the absolute chaos that was now breaking out in the stadium. When everyone understood the ramifications of Vaak¡¯s identity, panic had run rampant. And panic had a way of growing and growing in a mob until all reason was lost.
¡°Everyone, please, do not panic! Please remain in your seats!¡±
Nakin, Samik¡¯s partner, squirmed in his chair, foot bouncing against the ground nervously.
¡°We urge you to remain calm. Raja Thaman himself is here. All the n Rajas are assembled. No harm will befall¡ª¡±
¡°The realm is doomed!¡± Nakin roared into his voice amplifier. ¡°The Akh Nara has returned! Run for your lives¡ª!?¡±
Samik, acting fast, clubbed his comentator over the neck, knocking him unconscious.
¡°Ignore that!¡± Samik shouted into his amplifier after desperately returning to his seat. ¡°There is no reason to panic! I assure you!¡±
Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. The crowd, already panicking and rushing for the exits, now burst like a dam, with demons trampling each other and arts flying through the air.
How many would die in this chaos? How many would be injured?
Samik sat back in his chair, eyes unfocused. No amount of constion or pleading could put that water back now. He¡¯d failed as amentator, and he¡¯d failed his people.
¡°Never in history¡¡± Samik muttered, clutching his hair. This day would go down as an unmitigated disaster. A ck mark upon Bairan history. And his name would forever be remembered as thementator who failed to keep the crowd in check.
¡°Mind if I use that device?¡± someone said from beside him.
¡°This is a private area, but well¡ be my guest.¡± Defeatedly, Samik gestured an arm to the seat beside him, barely even registering the neer. The damage had already been done. It mattered little what anyone said now.
Perhaps it is time I take my leave.
¡°Thanks,¡± the demon said, grabbing the prana amplifier Nakin had used. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡ Testing. Testing.¡±
¡°They can hear you,¡± Samik said, puzzled at the demon¡¯s behavior. Did he not know how to use these devices? While not exactly widespread, they weren¡¯t rare, either. Most demons would havee across them.
Samik rose to leave his seat and gave the neer a look.
A gray demon. Curious¡
He was so small¡ªhe looked like a child standing in front of the seat made for Bairans.
¡°Thanks,¡± the stranger said. ¡°Oh, er. You may wish to stick around. I think the safest ce will be beside me. At least for the time being.¡±
Strange¡ Samik frowned. Where have I seen him before? He looks as though he¡¯s been through a terrible battle. Did he get caught in the mayhem as well?
Had Samik been in a clearer state of mind, he would have recognized the demon before him immediately. As it was, however, it wasn¡¯t until the demon uttered his next words that his blood ran cold.
¡°Greetings, everyone. You know me as Vaak, thepetitor. Allow me to reintroduce myself. My real name¡ Is Sarvaak. Son of Maion and Shari Garga, and rightful heir to the n. Some of you, however, might know me by a different name. Some of you¡ call me the Akh Nara.¡±
ck mes erupted all around the Akh Nara, wreathing him in an armor of fire.
Samik stumbled, falling on his ass. The Akh Nara¡¯s visage was now being projected across the entire stadium. Forty thousand demons stood transfixed at his otherworldly image.
¡°Yes, I am alive. Yes, the Chitran failed to kill me when they murdered my family and destroyed my country. And yes, I have returned to reim what is rightfully mine. Now, let me tell you how you all need to behave so that no one gets hurt. Return to your seats. We have much to discuss.¡±
The crowd that had just moments before been in total panic stilled and hushed.
Samik knew exactly what was going through their minds, for the very same thought consumed his.
Gods have mercy¡ We are doomed.
Chapter Ashborn 358: The Akh Nara’s Return
Chapter Ashborn 358: The Akh Nara¡¯s Return
Vir hadn¡¯t quite known how the crowd would react to his speech. He¡¯d braced himself for all-out pandemonium, with magic being hurled his way from all directions.
As it turned out, everyone did as they were told and sat down. That was, everyone except the Chitran, most of whom steadily moved towards thementator¡¯s booth where he stood, despite the Bairans hard working to stop them.
Other than that, however, the stadium was eerily quiet. Vir suspected it was mostly out of fear, and winning against someone considered an invincible demigod likely reinforced the sentiment, but Vir could work with that. It was, at least, better than demons trampling over one another in frenzied panic.
Vir was under no delusion that this would end peacefully, however. He had a few more words to say, but after that, he would have to flee.
I wonder what will surprise them more? My speech? Or my exit. Vir smirked. Nobody said he couldn''t flee in style, after all.
Together, this day ought to go down in demonic history. As for whether it will be remembered as the beginning of a failed rebellion, or the start of a new era of demonic history, remained to be seen.
The first group of angry-looking Chitran kothis were now only twenty paces away, having broken through the lines of Bairans trying to keep them at bay. The Bairans had a tough job, having to deal with the crowd in a nonlethal manner, and so Vir felt bad for putting them through this ordeal.
Let¡¯s make things a little harder for them, shall we?
¡°Er¡ Samik, right? Would you mind if I borrowed this?¡± Vir asked the strickenmentator.The Bairan stared back for a long moment, before finally realizing he¡¯d been addressed, and nodded vigorously.
¡°Thanks,¡± Vir said with a wry smile. He wasn¡¯t used to being a celebrity, and wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d ever get used to the sensation, but he had to admit. It sure had its moments.
Exiting the booth, Vir Leaped out onto the arena floor, where Cirayus was being treated by a Panav.
Not just any Panav, it turned out.
¡°Tara?¡± Vir asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°Oh! The Akh Nara blesses me with his attention!¡± Tara said, cing a hand on her forehead and stumbling. ¡°Whatever should I do? Do I bow down? Do I strike him dead? How spicy!¡±
¡°How amusing,¡± Vir said, without a trace of a smile. ¡°I take it Cirayus is patched up, then?¡±
¡°Good as new!¡± Tara replied.
While Vir couldn¡¯t quite ce where she stood on the Akh Nara spectrum, she seemed jovial enough for now. It would have to suffice.
Turning back to the crowd, Vir saw the Chitrans who¡¯d nearly reached him at the booth change course and push their way down to the stadium. Considering how high in the stadium the booth was, they had quite the journey ahead of them.
That bought Vir a bit more time.
¡°Lad, you maye to regret this,¡± Cirayus said, walking up to Vir.
¡°I thought this was what you wanted,¡± Vir muttered, slightly irritated to be getting a lecture at this point.
Vir turned to find the giant beaming. ¡°Oh, make no mistake,d. I had hoped. I had dreamed of this oue. A showdown at the finals with everything on the line. A glorious fight against a worthy foe at their full potential!¡±
Vir eyed the crowd. They were expecting him to continue, and he didn¡¯t want to keep them waiting much longer. The main reason he was waiting was to allow Thaman¡¯s forces to rally and organize. The more time he gave them, the more likely they would be to contain any outbreak that might ensue.
¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Vir asked, exasperated that his godfather hadn¡¯t even breathed so much as a hint about his desires.
¡°This decision had toe from you,d. If I nted the seed in your mind, however small, you would have forever questioned if this decision came from you, or if it were due to my meddling. I could not allow that. For better or for worse, nothing will be the same after this.¡±
Vir could see the logic in that. ¡°That¡¯s an awful lot of trust to put in me.¡±
¡°And was it not well-ced? But to think you said all you did! That deration was beyond even my imagination!¡±
¡°Oh, er, that¡¯s¡¡± Vir felt stupid for thinking he was due for a lecture. This was Cirayus, after all. He wanted nothing more than to see the Garga restored. If Vir said they were storming the keep tomorrow, he¡¯d happily oblige.
¡°I couldn¡¯t be more proud of you right now,d. I take it you have a n?¡±
¡°The n¡ Is toe up with a n. Right now.¡±
Cirayus roared withughter and pped Vir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Gah, I have missed this. This rush! This feeling of being alive!¡±
Vir nced at Tara, who looked away. It seemed Cirayus¡¯ antics were just as embarrassing to her as they were for Vir.
At that moment, Thaman, followed by two dozen Bairan soldiers in full armor, burst onto the stage.
¡°We are ready,¡± the Bairan Raja announced the moment hended. ¡°Thank you for waiting. We are now in control of the situation.¡±
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Vir nced at the kothis who had been approaching the stage, and sure enough, their progress had halted, thanks to the swarm of troops they faced. Meanwhile, the rest of the stadium watched on from their seats.
His forces had been doing an excellent job of fending off the kothis and preserving order, but the peace was a fragile thing. A few poorly chosen words, and the chaos would erupt once again.
¡°Before I continue, may I rify a few things?¡± Vir asked.
¡°I assume you mean to ask where Baira stands?¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°Yes, and whether or not I have earned Bncer of Scales with this victory.¡±
Thaman took a long breath before delivering a short sentence. ¡°With you. And yes.¡±
Vir smiled and nodded his thanks.
Clearing his throat, Vir brought the voice amplifier up to his mouth. Before he spoke, however, he searched the crowd and made eye contact with a certain demoness, high in the stands. Finding her, he nodded, and only after she nodded and began to make her way to the stage did he begin.
¡°I understand that many of you have preconceptions about who and what I am. Let me tell you, here and now, that I am not some great evil being,e to destroy this realm. I¡ am an orphan. I was robbed of my parents at birth, and would have died had my godfather, Cirayus, not ferried me into the Ash.¡±
Vir scanned the crowd. Every eye in the stadium was on him. Every ear listening with rapt, undivided attention.
So far, so good, Vir thought.
¡°I was raised the son of a vige lumberjack. Poor, simple, and oblivious to what I really was. An outsider among aliens. Over the years, I fought my way through the Ash to return here, hoping to find a ce I might truly belong. Yet I return to find a realm which has decided to hate me, without ever once thinking to ask themselves whether that hate was warranted. Ask yourself¡ªwhat have I ever done to you? And then ask yourselves, what have you done to me?¡±
The crowd stirred, visibly ufortable at the mention of their actions.
¡°You took my n. You took my family and ughtered innocents, all to kill a baby. And yet, despite the many wrongs you have wrought, I do not stand before you today promising revenge. This is not a deration of war, and I have note back to do harm to you. I understand that sometimes, difficult decisions must be made. That alliances must sometimes be forged, even when we loathe to link our hands with the devil. No, my qualms lie with one n and one n only.¡±
Vir pointed to the kothis who, even now, were moring to make their way to him. It was a wonder that violence hadn¡¯t broken out, but Vir knew it was only a matter of time.
¡°The Chitran precipitated the war, and it is they who ought to be held ountable. My goal is simple. I merely wish to restore my n, which was so brutally and unfairly annihted, and to bring the Chitran to justice for their crimes. Past that, I am counting on all of you to ensure that this realm can exist in peace and harmony.¡±
¡°Lad, if I may?¡± Cirayus asked, extending a hand.
Hesitating only for a moment, Vir handed the voice amplification device over.
Turning to the crowd, Cirayus extended his two upper arms. ¡°Hear me, demons of the Realm! I speak now, not as a Bairan, but as the sworn guardian of Sarvaak, son of Shari and Maion. By my title of Ravager, I swear to you now that I will end anyone who dares do harm to him. If you wish to get to Sarvaak, let it be known that you must go through me, first.¡±
Cirayus beat his chest with such force that the sound was amplified by the device, reverberating through the stadium as a deep boom.
It was a bold move, and Vir was every bit aware of just how terribly this could go. It was also necessary that he knew where the lines stood, and who among the crowd was friend and foe.
Vir watched the assembled demons closely, paying special attention to the Rajas who were now in full view at the bottom of their respective ns¡¯ sections.
Immediately obvious was the Panav¡¯s reaction. They, along with the Bairans, were the only ones to p once Vir had concluded his little speech. Whether that made them allies, Vir couldn¡¯t say, but it was at least a good sign.
The Iksana were, as usual, difficult to read. Of all the ns, they seemed to have no reaction at all, while several of the Aindri had joined their Chitran friends in attempting to muscle their way past the Bairan guards.
So, Chitran and Aindri as enemies. Baira and possibly Panav as allies. And the Iksana neutral¡ For now.
¡°Could¡¯ve been worse,¡± Cirayus grunted, and Vir had to agree. At this juncture, he was surprised anyone other than the Bairans supported his cause. Then again, having a Panav mother undoubtedly aided his plight.
¡°If I can bring the Iksana and Panav to my side¡¡±
¡°Aye, t¡¯would be a good thing indeed. There may yet be hope with the Iksana. If you can think as they do, and speak to them in earnest, perhaps. The Aindri, however, have been cowed by the Chitran. Weak-willed, that lot. Thoroughly domesticated at this point. Winning them over will be a tall order.¡±
¡°Brick by brick. Stone by stone,¡± Vir said, eyeing the crowd that had burst into chatter. ¡°Everything one step at a time. For now, I¡¯ve aplished what I came here to do.¡±
¡°Aye, that you have,d. Now, leave it to Thaman and me to escort you somewhere safe. You¡¯ll no doubt be the talk of thend for some time toe. Not a bad idea to lie low for the time being.¡±
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Vir said, watching Ashani float over the barricade Thaman¡¯s men had set up. ¡°Besides, I have onest trick up my sleeve. One more message to send to the Rajas, so they know what they¡¯re dealing with. ¡°
The Bairan Guards began to panic, but Vir waved them off. ¡°She¡¯s a friend. Allow her to pass.¡±
Unbeknownst to the forty thousand demons, the only living being from the Age of Gods floated onto the stage, alighting gently next to Vir.
Thaman, who¡¯d been speaking with hismander, turned. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve had the pleasure¡¡±
¡°Ashani, and the pleasure is mine,¡± Ashani said, nodding to the Raja, who seemed at a loss for words.
Ashani, for her part, seemed to enjoy the dynamic, and smiled with what Vir was sure she thought was an amiable smile. In reality, it came across as terribly seductive.
¡°I, er¡ So, you are a friend of Sarvaak, then?¡± Thaman said stupidly. Vir decided to save the poor Raja before the situation devolved any further.
¡°Ashani? Would you mind creating a Gate to Cirayus¡¯ home?¡±
¡°But of course,¡± Ashani said, extending a hand.
¡°Gate?¡± Thaman asked, but before he could say more, a shimmering oval portal rippled into existence just paces away, causing the Raja and all the Bairan guards who surrounded the group to jump away in panic.
They weren¡¯t the only ones. The stadium had taken notice, and now, every projection showed the Gate, magnified for the world to see.
Good. Can¡¯t have them missing this, after all, Vir thought.
¡°What in Janak¡¯s name¡¡± Thaman breathed.
Vir couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the irony of the Raja uttering the name of the demon who¡¯d destroyed the world.
Reaching his own hand out, Vir infused his Ash prana.
¡°The Gate¡¯s stable, now, Ashani. Thank you, as always.¡±
¡°My pleasure!¡± Ashani replied, before walking through. ¡°Oh, and again, a pleasure to meet you.¡±
¡°Y-you as well,¡± Thaman replied reflexively.
¡°Raja Thaman,¡± Vir said, bringing the giant¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°I expect arrangements will be made for the bequeathing of Bncer of Scales?¡±
¡°I, er¡ Yes. We will need time. A public ceremony will have to be conducted. But, Vaak, or Sarvaak¡ You are not the only one who can create Ash Gates?¡±
¡°Technically, I can¡¯t. Only she can,¡± Vir said, nodding to Ashani on the other side. ¡°I can only stabilize them. Working together, though, we can open and close Gates at will, across realms. Cirayus?¡±
¡°Right behind you,d,¡± the giant replied.
Vir stepped through before Thaman could ask any more questions, but the Raja gripped Cirayus¡¯ bicep, preventing him from following.
¡°Ravager¡ What is the meaning of this?¡± Thaman asked, his voice tinged with awe.
Cirayus¡¯ grin grew even wider. ¡°It means, old friend, that change is upon us,¡± he said as he stepped through. ¡°And the Akh Nara will usher it.¡±
With eyes locked onto Thaman, Vir copsed the Gate, leaving five Rajas with a mixture of awe, confusion, and most of all¡ Abject terror.
Thaman spoke for the realm when he uttered his next words¡
¡°Don''t you understand? This changes everything.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 359: Summit
Chapter Ashborn 359: Summit
¡°This is a travesty! An outrage!¡± Raja Matiman Chitra roared, throwing his drink on the ground. The ss shattered, staining the priceless silken rug with shards and liquor. ¡°Not only has the Akh Nara returned, but he can create Ash Gates, too? And who was that woman with him? A concubine? Did my eyes deceive me, or can she make Ash Gates as well? Are there not one, but two monsters in our midst? Why did we know nothing of this?¡±
With the exception of the Aindri, all the Rajas of the realm had gathered in Thaman¡¯s grand pce, in a room reserved for the courting of Thaman¡¯s most esteemed guests, though ¡®room¡¯ was perhaps not the right word. While the space had been liberally adorned with gold, silver, and all manner of silk and velvet, its sheer size made it an imposing space for most non-Bairan guests¡ªa shoring that, to Thaman¡¯s chagrin, no amount of money could solve.
Today, however, that strained ambiance served as a perfectplement to the tension that pressed upon all who had gathered. While customary after a tournament for the nlords to congregate with drinks, the nature of today¡¯s assemge more closely resembled an emergency military meeting of the heads of state than any celebration.
¡°I admit, the ability to create Ash Gates out of thin air is new to me,¡± Rajni Kira Panav, currently in her half-naga form, said, throwing a pointed look at Thaman.
¡°Believe me, this is as much of a shock to you as it is for me,¡± Thaman said smoothly. ¡°I had nned to personally escort the Akh Nara with the Ravager¡¯s aid.¡±
Only half of that was a lie, not that Matiman would know.
¡°Escort?¡± Matiman cried. ¡°Do the Baira side with the Akh Nara, then? As that traitorous Ravager has?¡±
¡°You lose yourself to panic, Matiman,¡± Thaman replied, forcing his voice to remain calm and steady, even as he nced at the damage the foreign Raja had just wrought upon his personal pce. ¡°As I have said several times, we are doing nothing of the sort.¡±
¡°What of the Ravager¡¯s deration of war, then?¡±¡°What of it?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be coy with me, Thaman,¡± the kothi said, pointing his finger usingly. ¡°It¡¯s no secret you are working with the Akh Nara behind our backs. You resisted me at every turn during the war, and now, you work to bring down my n!¡±
¡°Please. You tter me if you think I hold an ounce of sway over that old fossil. You know as well as I that the Ravager does as the Ravager pleases. Nobody in this realm, dead or alive, can bend him. This is how it has always been, and it is the reality we face now.¡±
¡°A damned criminal is what he is. He ought to be thrown behind bars.¡±
¡°And what bars are fit to restrain a being such as Cirayus?¡± Thaman asked. ¡°Tell me, Matiman. I would rather love to know.¡±
The Chitran Raja did not reply. He couldn¡¯t, for there were none.
¡°The Ravager is one thing, but the other¡¡± the Chiran Raja spat. ¡°Why have you not slit that abomination¡¯s throat? Why did your forces bar my people from descending to the stage to finish the job?¡±
Thaman raised a brow. ¡°Why did I not allow you to ughter the newly crowned Champion at my sacred Tournament in full view of fifty thousand demons? Come now, Matiman, you do not need me to answer that. It would have been pandemonium, and you know it. The Champion defeated the Ravager in honestbat. He has broken no Bairanws, and as such, shall be protected under them. Especially when it wasrgely thanks to him that order was maintained.¡±
¡°It is he who destabilizes the entire realm!¡± Matiman cried. ¡°Or have you forgotten what he is?¡±
¡°Your squabbles with the Akh Nara are your own,¡± Thaman replied in a soft yet firm voice that radiated every ounce of his significant authority.
Matiman frowned. ¡°You mean to say that once the Akh Nara leaves your country, you will not move to protect him?¡±
Thamanughed. ¡°Does that one look like he is in any need of protection? If you wish tomit violence upon the Akh Nara, you are free to do so. Outside my n. I am simply attempting to keep the order, Matiman. As would you, should your n ever have the honor of hosting such an event.¡±
The two stared at each other for a long moment, and none of the other rajas in the room dared interrupt.
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¡°Tch.¡± Matiman pointed at Thaman. ¡°Watch yourself, Thaman. Do not think you can break this alliance without grave cost to your n. Think over your actions. It is not toote to avert a tragedy.¡±
¡°Ah yes. A tragedy,¡± Thaman replied icily. ¡°Like ughtering an orphan. A tragedy indeed.¡±
¡°Tread carefully, Thaman. You are about to throw our realm into chaos.¡±
¡°That remains to be seen,¡± Thaman said softly.
Uttering a curse, Matiman spun on his heel and stormed out of the lounge, mming the doors behind him.
¡°Well, that could have gone worse,¡± said Kira, exhaling loudly as she stretched her arms. ¡°Could he be any more uncouth?¡±
The tension evaporated the instant Matiman had left the room, leaving Thaman alone with the Panav Rajni and the Iksana Raja.
Thaman rubbed his temples. ¡°Be thankful Girindra is not here, at least,¡± he said, referring to the Aindri Raja.
¡°Yes, indeed. Bad enough having one despot. When those two get together, it is as if they feed off each other''s toxic energy. Building, festering.¡±
¡°The Chitran cause. Justified,¡± Raja Sagun¡¯Ra, who until now, had remained silent, finally spoke from atop his perch on a tall bookshelf, his low, raspy voice carrying across the room. Why he¡¯d chosen such a position, no one in the room could fathom, and everyone knew better than to ask.
Kira pressed her lips together. ¡°Perhaps,¡± she murmured. ¡°But no cause can justify the murder of an entire people.¡±
Sagun¡¯Ra did not respond.
Kira cleared her throat. ¡°About what Matiman said, Thaman. Will you truly do nothing should harm befall the Akh Nara? Will you not rally to his side when he asks aid of you?¡±
¡°Would you?¡± Thaman fired back.
Kira grinned. ¡°I asked first.¡±
Thaman let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°I meant every word,¡± he said, staring not at Kira, but Sagun¡¯Ra. ¡°I¡¯ll not be the first to break this alliance of ours. No matter my personal feelings on the matter.¡±
¡°Not the first, but perhaps the second, is it?¡± Kira said.
¡°Dangerous games you y,¡± Sagun''Ra said. ¡°Greatness or ruin lie in our future. What of Bncer of Scales?¡±
¡°What of it?¡± Thaman said. ¡°It is his by right. To deny him now would be as severe a crime as granting the art to him unearned.¡±
Sagun¡¯Ra was silent for a long moment. ¡°Dangerous games,¡± he repeated. ¡°Savior? Or Destroyer? The Master of Gates.¡±
The Iksana Raja jumped off his bookshelf,nding lightly on the floor. ¡°I shall be the test of him.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash,¡± Thaman warned as the Iksana faded into his own shadow. ¡°Do not make enemies you¡¯lle to regret. Not now, when the bnce of order hangs by a thread.¡±
Sagun¡¯Ra barked out augh. ¡°By a thread!¡± he echoed, just before his face disappeared into his shadow, leaving Thaman and Kira alone in the massive room.
¡°I could live for a thousand years and I will never know the mind of that man,¡± Kira muttered. ¡°I say this as one who has befriended many an Iksana over the years. But Ra? He¡¯s just¡ too different.¡±
¡°I imagine you are not alone in that belief, Kira,¡± Thaman said, finally letting his guard down.
¡°Another drink?¡± Kira asked, bottle in hand. ¡°Thest one left a bitter taste in my mouth, I¡¯m afraid. I suspect I¡¯ll need at least two more to wash it out.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Thaman said, looking out a window into the distance. ¡°We tread on thin ice, Kira. Should this Akh Nara business be allowed to get out of hand¡¡±
¡°Chaos in the streets,¡± the Naginipleted. ¡°No, I suppose this is no time for celebration, is it? Such a shame. Regardless of that one¡¯s actions, this day will be passed down in demonic history for millennia toe. It feels wrong not to remember it.¡±
¡°Remember it, we will,¡± Thaman said. ¡°Just¡ afterward. When their blood has cooled. Besides, I hear you have your own situation to deal with?¡±
Kira sighed again. ¡°News travels swiftly across the realm. I imagine my next weeks will be filled with damage control.¡±
Thaman grunted. ¡°That goes for all of us.¡±
¡°May Badrak be with you, Thaman.¡±
The Bairan Raja nodded. ¡°And Yuma with you, old friend.¡±
Raja Sagun¡¯Ra appeared in an unlit room, as most Iksana-built rooms tended to be. Lights were unnecessary distractions for most Iksana, kept mostly for juveniles and invalids ipatible with Sight.
This room, however, was not unupied.
¡°Your eyes respond,¡± Zarak¡¯Nor said in the traditional greeting, falling to both knees and pressing his palms together.
¡°Your actions. The impact, the fallout. Do you understand?¡± Ra muttered, barely more than a whisper. Nor heard the words, nheless.
Rising slowly to his feet, he hung his head low. ¡°I¡¯ve shamed the n with my loss, Raja, but¡ª¡±
¡°Nor,¡± Sagun¡¯Ra said in a voice that silenced the younger Iksana. ¡°I give you free rein. I let you poison your enemies.¡±
Zarak¡¯Nor froze. ¡°I¡ I did¡ª¡±
¡°Poison. Not any demon. Vaak. Of the Ash! The Akh Nara. Master of Gates. In poisoning him, you have turned him against the Iksana. Understand?¡±
Nor, seemingly realizing that ying dumb would only make his situation worse, grasped the Raja¡¯s forearm. ¡°He-he does not know!¡±
¡°Tara Panav knows.¡±
Nor frowned. ¡°That girl? What of it? I can have her silenced¡ª¡±
¡°She is not to be touched. Nagas see poisons as we see prana. The beast lives. The flower identified. Failed and discovered.¡±
¡°I-I will make this right,¡± Nor said, stammering. ¡°I swear it upon my name. He¡¯s just a boy. Akh Nara or not. We can assassinate him. Now, before he gains power. We can strengthen our ties with the Chitran! It¡¯s what they want.¡±
¡°And the Ravager?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll avoid him. Kill the Akh Nara when he¡¯s away.¡±
¡°He has Baira. Soon, he will have Panav,¡± Sagun¡¯Ra said, pacing around the pitch-ck room.
¡°Do you think he will seed?¡± Nor asked. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll overthrow the Chitran as he ims?¡±
¡°Uncertain,¡± Sagun¡¯Ra replied. ¡°Irrelevant. Only the fool makes an enemy of an ally.¡±
¡°Ally?Him?¡± Zarak¡¯Nor fumed. ¡°You mean to pledge the Iksana to his cause? You mean to betray the alliance? You will doom us all.¡±
Sagun¡¯Ra gave one look. A single look, and Zarak¡¯Nor recoiled in sudden realization of just how precarious his situation truly was.
¡°Perhaps you have doomed us already.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t know that,¡± Nor muttered.
¡°Hear me, Zarak¡¯Nor. Thepetition. Forbidden. Now and forever. The Akh Nara. No hostility. Understand?¡±
The ghael ground his teeth.
¡°Nor?¡±
¡°I hear and obey,¡± Nor said, bowing his head, even as he continued to mash his teeth together, drawing blood.
¡°Nor?¡±
¡°Yes, Raja?¡±
¡°My Sight. You cannot hide. Do not fail me again.¡±
¡°Yes, Raja.¡±
By the time Zarak¡¯Nor had raised his head, the leader of the Iksana was already gone, sinking into the shadows.
Chapter Ashborn 360: The Burden of Fame
Chapter Ashborn 360: The Burden of Fame
¡°They¡¯re still there,¡± Aida seethed. She¡¯d snuck a peek outside, but recoiled from the window just as soon as she¡¯d cracked the curtains open. ¡°It¡¯s been hours and they¡¯re still there! It¡¯s the middle of the sun¡¯s night, for Yuma¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t people have anything better to do?¡±
Vir slowly opened his eyes to Cirayus¡¯ dimly lit room. Several hours had passed since the chaotic events of the tournament, and while Vir had wanted to have Ashani create a Gate to escape the city straightaway, Cirayus had convinced him to linger for awhile longer.
There were simply too many Rajas in town not to maximize this opportunity for the future.
¡°You¡¯re not just a Warrior anymore,d. You¡¯re a ruler. A head of state. They¡¯ll be wanting certain reassurances and I highly advise that you give it to them. Individually.¡±
Cirayus had, of course, been right. As much as Vir loathed currying favor with the various lords, he had little choice in the matter. He wouldn¡¯t ever leave if leaving meant failing to sow seeds that would bear fruit for the rebellion.
As such, he¡¯d sat cross-legged in Cirayus¡¯ abode and entered his mindscape, training with Shardul and Ekanai to unlock the Shield Chakra.
Despite Ekanai¡¯sbat knowledge and Shardul¡¯s more general wisdom, he¡¯d yet to make meaningful progress. Though, after having obtained two, Vir now understood the process.
Chakra required a mental image that represented the core of one¡¯s self, and one¡¯s beliefs. Chakras were not simply a means to power¡ªif anything, that was just a fortunate by-product.
At their core, Chakras had everything to do with understanding the various aspects of one¡¯s self. For the Foundation Chakra, it was to visualize and understand the embodiment of permanence and solidity that resonated most with him¡ªthe literal Foundation upon which all other states of enlightenment were achieved.In his case, it had been the Godshollow, which manifested as his Mindscape.
For the Life Chakra, Vir had to ept that death was simply part of the circle of life¡ And that the deaths caused by his actions, either directly or indirectly, could not be allowed to cripple him.
Like the mighty trees of the Godshollow that had lived through the ages, witnessing birth, death, and untold destruction, Vir would bear the weight of those actions, standing tall despite the mounting weight.
What then was the Shield Chakra to him? Defense, yes. Protection of himself and his loved ones¡ Or so he¡¯d thought. While he felt like he was edging closer to the correct meaning, he¡¯d yet to obtain it.
Unfortunately, time was not on his side. Now that the world knew the Akh Nara had returned, Vir had a sneaking feeling he¡¯d be relying on the Shield Chakra a great deal in the uing days. Opening might very well be a matter of life and death.
Vir nced at Ashani, who was currently pestering Cirayus to show her each of his cooking utensils, and to demonstrate how each worked. Cirayus, for his part, was more than happy to, bending over backward at her every request.
He¡¯d cooked up a half-dozen dishes, which Ashani sampled at a furious pace. Vir wondered how her body even digested the food, given her inner workings. More Imperium magic, he supposed. Could she truly taste the food?
One look at Ashani¡¯s reactions of pleasure upon each bite put that suspicion to rest.
¡°This is amazing, Cirayus! I¡¯d no idea the culinary arts in this realm were so advanced!¡±
¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t know about that,¡± Cirayus said, halfughing as he scratched his neck in embarrassment.
Though a warm scene, the distance between the two was as vast as the chasm that separated the realms. Vir couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long it¡¯d be before his godfather saw Ashani for the person she was¡ªas a soul in desperate need for friendship and belonging. Not a being to be worshiped.
¡°Ah, good, you¡¯ve finished your meditation!¡± Cirayus said, bringing Vir a bowl of delicious lentil soup.
¡°That one is especially good,¡± Ashani said from her seat at the table, in between mouthfuls of the same soup.
¡°Thanks,¡± Vir said, taking the bowl. She was right. It was incredible. Savory, slightly tangy, and incrediblyforting.
¡°Lad, I feel it¡¯s time we talk through our next steps.¡±
Vir nodded. This was a conversation he¡¯d been wanting to have as well. He¡¯d just needed some meditation to clear his mind and organize his thoughts, first.
¡°What are your thoughts?¡± Vir asked. He noticed how Aida leaned in to listen, and Ashani, noticing her, followed suit despite her supernatural hearing.
¡°The way I see it, you can go about this one of two ways,¡± Cirayus said, holding up two fingers with all four arms. ¡°One, liberate and seek forgiveness. Or two, ask for permission from the other ns beforehand.¡±
¡°Forgiveness¡ Permission.¡± Vir spoke the words like curses. ¡°What permission did the Chitrans have to wipe out my n? To murder my parents? Why do I need permission to slice off Matiman¡¯s head and disy it to the world on a pike? Why should that act require even an ounce of forgiveness? The way I see it, all the ns areplicit.¡±
¡°Lad, I understand how you feel, and I agree wholeheartedly. Even so, there are certain rules and customs that must be followed.¡±
¡°I get it, Cirayus,¡± Vir replied, waving away the giant¡¯s concern. ¡°While I¡¯ve never truly yed this game, I at least have some understanding of how these things work. I understand the ns will have to be persuaded to join my cause, and I understand that this will be an uphill battle, filled with blood, sweat, and tears. But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it.¡±
¡°Aye,d. You certainly don¡¯t.¡±
¡°As for what route we choose¡ The answer seems obvious, does it now?¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Cirayus asked with a raised brow.
¡°We aren¡¯t even close to ready to attack Samar Patag. By my reckoning, we still have some time. Quite a bit of it, if we push deeper into the Ash. Do you agree?¡±
¡°Aye, I believe so,¡± Cirayus replied, stroking his beard. ¡°Even without the time benefits the deep Ash bestows upon us, you are nigh untouchable within the Ash. To attack you, the Chits would have to blindly send forces through the Boundary, unable to choose their destination. From there, they would have to scour the realm for you, in hopes that they locate you before some ancient City-Ender beast gets to them first.¡±
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¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be just wonderful?¡± Vir said with a smirk. ¡°If only the Chitran would be so nice as to sacrifice their army for us.¡±
¡°Aye. ¡®Tis out of the question.¡±
¡°Which means we¡¯re safe as long as we stay in the Ash.¡±
¡°Indeed, though Matiman has certain levers he can pull to force you out, should he choose to do so.¡±
Vir frowned. ¡°Like what?¡±
¡°Like torturing and killing Gargans until you face him in battle.¡±
Vir¡¯s blood ran cold. ¡°Do you think he¡¯d do that?¡±
¡°Do you truly think the demon who ughtered your entire n wouldn¡¯t?¡±
¡°Noted,¡± Vir said, setting his soup aside. He¡¯d just lost his appetite.
Pulling on the Foundation Chakra to stabilize his emotions, Vir took a long, slow breath, and pressed on.
¡°The Chitran would never respond to diplomacy, nor do I have any desire to engage with them. The other ns, though¡ I feel I at least ought to try with the Panav, Iksana, and Aindri. If, by the time we¡¯re ready, I¡¯ve failed to sway them to our side, then we strike, and ask for forgiveness, after.¡±
Cirayus nodded. ¡°A sound n. As I said before, with some effort, you ought to be able to sway the Panav. They are a reasonable, level-headed n, and many still harbor ill-will toward the Chitran for what they did to your mother. Now, the Aindri¡ If I am honest, they feel like a lost cause, but if you can get the Panav and Iksana on your side, they might be cowed into switching. In war, they are some of the most ferocious, but when ites to politics? Spineless cowards, the lot of them. Always have been.¡±
¡°Which leaves the Iksana as the lynchpin,¡± Vir said.
¡°Aye. The Iksana¡ I wish I could tell you one way or another. What goes through their heads, no one knows. What I can tell you is that obtaining rity will be a windfall.¡±
¡°Seeing the immediate future would be a powerful addition to my abilities,¡± Vir admitted.
¡°Aye, but as powerful as it is, its reputation is even greater. I¡¯ve seen demons soil their pants and turn tail the moment they learn their foe possesses rity. I¡¯ve seen nations make sweeping decisions based solely on whether the Iksana will intervene with that ability. In the eyes of the other ns, rity will elevate you further than Bncer of Scales or even Yuma¡¯s Embrace.
Vir jumped suddenly to his feet, katar and chakram in hand.
¡°No need to get so excited,d,¡± Cirayus said with a wry smile. ¡°I daresay that¡¯s a ways off.¡±
¡°Actually, I think the opportunity might be closer than you think.¡±
For out of the shadows and cackling madly, a Ghael emerged. Not just Ghael.
Raja Sagun¡¯Ra had arrived.
¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Cirayus demanded, spinning around. ¡°Raja or not, you¡¯ve no right to set foot in my abode without permission.¡±
¡°Fear not, Ravager,¡± Sagun¡¯Ra said. ¡°No harm today. But to him?¡±
Vir frowned. He¡¯d heard stories of the Iksana nlord. That he was especially odd, even for the Iksana.
Both Aida and Ashani had jumped to their feet upon the Raja¡¯s arrival. Aida wouldn¡¯t dare assault a nlord, but Ashani?
Vir caught her gaze and motioned with his eyes to tell her to stand down. This was not a foe they could simply fight, and doing so would have disastrous consequences, even if they happened to win.
¡°What is your business with me? Do you wish to discuss¡ª!?¡±
Without warning, the Iksana Raja moved with reflexes Vir wouldn¡¯t have thought possible.
Having dealt with Ekanai and Nor, Vir had already expected such an oue, and had activated Haste at full power. Prana Current ran wildly on the fumes within Vir¡¯s body, desperately soaking up every morsel of Ash prana from the ground and the air.
Vir saw the Iksana¡¯s katar and dodged, striking with his own. Whether or not this was a deration of war, Vir couldn¡¯t afford to y on the defensive. He knew this Ghael¡¯s power. He saw it, glowing a bright purple on the Raja¡¯s back. Against this foe, he could take no chances.
Ash prana coated Vir¡¯s katar, yet even as he threw the attack, Vir knew something was wrong. Sagun¡¯Ra¡¯s body moved oddly. Not quickly, just¡ his trajectory felt off, somehow.
His feeling was proven correct as his de passed harmlessly by, failing to even nick the Raja¡¯s flowing robe.
Shaking it off, Vir struck again. Sagun¡¯Ra didn¡¯t move especially fast¡ªcertainly nowhere near as quickly as Cirayus had.
And yet, Vir couldn¡¯t touch him.
Every strike that ought to havended missed, or nced harmlessly off the metal armor the Raja wore beneath his robe.
At the same time, Vir found himself taking cut after cut after cut. Despite his armor, Sagun¡¯Ra seemed to aim precisely for the gaps, inflicting strike after strike at the joints.
¡°A little unfair, using rity, don¡¯t you think?¡±
The Iksana¡¯s eyes widened, and heughed. ¡°The path to victory,¡± he said, as if expecting Vir to understand what that meant.
Realizing close quartersbat¡ªan area Vir excelled¡ªwas now too dangerous, Vir backed off and hurled his Chakram, augmenting it with a Katar LaunchBarrage, slinging des of pure Ash prana at the Raja one after another. Yet even these, he nimbly dodged, and all they aplished was to cause an untold amount of destruction to Cirayus¡¯ abode.
Sagun¡¯Ra sunk into the shadows, negating the safety Vir had just gained by pulling away. The Chakram lost its target.
Knowing what wasing, Vir jumped high into the air, but Sagun¡¯Raunched out of his shadow before it could close, wrapping his hand around Vir¡¯s ankle.
Taking full use of the opportunity, Vir surged as much prana as he could into the Iksana¡¯s hand, only to find the Ghael had already let go.
Even so, Ra hadn¡¯t emerged unscathed. The prana surged out of Vir¡¯s leg, turning into prana darts that the Raja couldn¡¯t avoid.
They fell back to the ground, with Ra sinking into his shadow while Vir sunk into his.
The only way to defeat an Iksana, it seemed, was in the Realm of Shadows.
Cirayus¡¯ word of warning echoed in his head. He¡¯d once said that he wouldn¡¯t dare fight an enemy in that realm of shadows and darkness.
And now, Vir knew why.
Like the Yaksha Guardian Vir had fought so long ago, Ra could move freely, even as time stopped on the outside.
Ra pursued Vir from shadow to shadow, yet instead of exiting and fighting in the Demon Realm, they fought within the shadows themselves.
The experience was unlike anything Vir could describe. Neither of them moved. Not in the normal sense. Yet their positions changed. It was simr to dancers before a fire at night. One could not see the progression of their movements¡ªonly glimpses every second or so. Each time, Ra changed positions, and Vir was left guessing what the Iksana¡¯s next attack would be based on the stance of his legs and the positions of his arms.
This was, as Vir quickly learned, absolutely lethal.
Never having fought in this way, Vir was inflicted with slices to his legs and punctures under his armpits and other gaps in his armor. Before long, he was forced to exit.
Despite the entire bout having taken no time at all, and despite having never actually moved his body whilst in the Shadow Realm, Vir crumpled to the ground, panting. His heart beat madly, and he gasped for air.
Sagun¡¯Ra¡¯s katar touched his exposed neck, held by the gangly gray Ghael, who stood above him.
¡°Sagun¡¯Ra!¡± Cirayus bellowed. ¡°Cease this madness! Do you wish for war!?¡±
The Raja, whom Vir was surprised to find was also dripping in sweat, grinned. ¡°Cautious. Is good. But you do not see rity. The Akh Nara. In name only. To the Iksana. Only a demon. Not the savior. Not yet.¡±
The Raja stared into Vir¡¯s eyes, and after several seconds, slowly retracted his katar and sheathed it.
Backpedaling several paces, the Iksana Raja sank into the wall of the abode. He uttered only two short sentences before the shadows consumed him.
¡°Friend and foe. Jk Kallol. The Gates are open.¡±
Slowly regaining his breath, Vir looked at Cirayus, who was already beside him, pressing Maiya¡¯s healing orb against his skin.
The cuts were thankfully shallow, and while it pained him greatly, between Cirayus¡¯ administration and the pranites, they were of no concern.
¡°You fought in the Shadow Realm. Didn¡¯t you?¡± Cirayus muttered.
Vir nodded. ¡°Not doing that again. I suppose this means we¡¯re at war with the Iksana¡¡±
Cirayus frowned. ¡°What gave you that impression?¡±
Vir stared at his godfather, unsure if he was joking. ¡°The surprise attack? How close he came to killing me?¡±
Cirayus snorted. ¡°Lad, if Sagun¡¯Ra wanted you dead, you¡¯d have died only moments into that duel. He didn¡¯t use a single Chakra.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ true,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°Then, why?¡±
¡°My guess? He wanted to test you.¡±
¡°And? Did I pass?¡± Vir asked, already knowing the answer.
¡°I daresay you did!¡± Cirayus said, pping his back, and surprising everyone in the room.
¡°Uh, how?¡± It wasn¡¯t Vir who asked, but Aida. ¡°He said ¡®Friend and Foe¡¯. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±
Cirayus shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t try too hard to make sense of that one¡¯s words. It¡¯ll drive you crazy. Still, Jk Kallol is the name of the Iksana underground capital. No one is allowed there unless invited. As Ra said, the Gates are open. That was an invitation if I ever heard one. One that I suggest you do not ignore.¡±
¡°Huh¡¡± Vir muttered. ¡°Well, maybe we stand a chance of winning them over, after all. Let¡¯s just hope the rest of the meetings are less violent.¡±
With impable timing, the door to Cirayus¡¯ home swung open.
All eyes turned to watch Raja Thaman enter and bolt the door behind him.
¡°Quite the crowd outside. I suggest¡ª¡± Thaman¡¯s eyes took in the upturned table, the destroyed furniture, and the ravaged walls, and he froze mid-stride.
¡°What in the name of all the gods transpired here?¡±
Chapter Ashborn 361: Foundations of Ash
Chapter Ashborn 361: Foundations of Ash
Thaman put a hand to his face and groaned. ¡°I told him not to do anything rash. Praise Janak that you¡¯re as level-headed as you are. What was he thinking?¡±
¡°What was he thinking?¡± Cirayus asked. ¡°Whatever it is that all Iksana think! I¡¯d say this was very usual of him, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±
Letting out a long sigh, Thaman nodded. ¡°Afraid it is. I apologize, Cirayus. I¡¯ll have your home repaired on my coin.¡±
Cirayus barked augh. ¡°Why suffer for the actions of a Ghael? I¡¯ll go swindle some of their n and win it all back ten times over. This should rightlye out of their coffers, not yours.¡±
¡°Even so,¡± Thaman said. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯vee to invite all of you to my pce. I¡¯d anticipated a crowd, but this? Well, would you mind epting my invitation?¡±
Aida looked around. ¡°Compared to living in this mangled hovel? Yes, please!¡±
Cirayus shrugged. ¡°Give me a t piece of rock and I¡¯ll be happy. But if the others wish to go, far be it for me to refuse.¡±
¡°Akh Nara?¡± Thaman asked, meeting Vir¡¯s gaze.
¡°Please. Just call me Vir. Or Vaak. Or, uh¡ Sarvaak,¡± he said, scratching his nose. ¡°The names just keep piling up.¡±¡°And they¡¯ll continue to!¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Might as well add Champion to that list, for starters.¡±
¡°Champion, then,¡± Thaman said with a satisfied nod.
Vir gave Thaman a look that said, ¡®Of all the names, that¡¯s the one you chose?¡¯ But the Raja deftly ignored him, instead ncing curiously at Ashani.
Oh, boy. Here we go again, Vir thought, but before he could introduce the goddess, she spoke up first.
¡°Ashani,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m a good friend of the Champion¡¯s. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±
¡°N-no,¡± Thaman said. ¡°The honor is mine. Though I must ask. Do you have a sister, perhaps? One with ck hair and red eyes? I, er¡ It pains me to admit, but I¡¯ve never seen a demon with skin as fair as yours. Nor eyes the color of the sea, or hair as bright as the sun.¡±
Vir rolled his eyes. If he didn¡¯t know better, the leader of n Baira was hitting on Ashani.
¡°Careful,d,¡± Cirayus said, addressing Thaman. ¡°I¡¯d not speak to her so frivolously, if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±
¡°Oh¡ My apologies,¡± Thaman said, bowing his head to Ashani. ¡°I meant nothing of the sort. Just that in all my years, I¡¯ve notid eyes on a beauty as fair as yours.¡±
¡°Thaman,¡± Cirayus said in a lower voice. ¡°I mean it. Cease this, if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±
Giggling, Ashani waved aside his concern. ¡°Oh, please! I¡¯m not some Ash Beast who¡¯ll chomp his head off! I can assure you I do not bite.¡±
¡°She¡¯s the same person who opened that Ash Gate for me at the stadium,¡± Vir said as he stood up. ¡°Ashani can shift her hair and skin color at will.¡±
Vir had debated about whether to confide in the Bairan Raja, but had ultimately decided to. Thaman already knew of Vir¡¯s ability to stabilize Ash Gates, and was currently the only Raja Vir could count as an ally. For that reason alone, Vir felt he had to tell him. He refused to base this rtionship on a foundation of secrecy and mistrust.
Bracing himself for the Raja¡¯s inevitable reaction, Vir introduced his friend. ¡°Ashani is an automaton built by Lord Janak, and is thest known survivor of the Prime Imperium. The race of people demons like to refer to as gods.¡±
The exnationsted only a few minutes, but the unending barrage of questions that came after took quite a bit longer, and by the time Thaman slumped into one of Cirayus¡¯ remaining oversized chairs, he looked utterly exhausted.
He wasn¡¯t the only one. After the ordeal of the tournament, Sagun¡¯Ra¡¯s surprise attack, and now an hour-long exnation starting all the way back from how he met Ashani, Vir was too.
¡°I havemitted a terrible atrocity,¡± Thaman muttered, nearly echoing Cirayus¡¯ own words when he first found out.
¡°No, you haven¡¯t,¡± Vir said tiredly.
¡°Indeed,¡± Ashani chimed in. ¡°Ashani does not wish to be treated any differently from anyone else.¡±
Yep, she¡¯s loving the attention alright, Vir thought with a smirk. Ashani rarely slipped into her third-person form of dialogue these days. She truly must¡¯ve enjoyed this.
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¡°To be frank, I do not honestly know how to digest this information,¡± Thaman said. ¡°A living, breathing deity from the Age of Gods. Half of me wishes to throw my forehead onto the ground and prostrate before you, Goddess.¡±
¡°And the other half?¡± Ashani asked with a coy smile.
¡°The other half wishes to speak with you for days on end. To learn! What was Janak like? What was it like, living within the Prime Imperium? There is so much we could learn from you.¡±
¡°And I am happy to divulge all that I know,¡± Ashani said. ¡°I simply do not wish to be an idol, worshiped like some fragile thing of ss.¡±
¡°Of course, Goddess Ashani,¡± Thaman said reflexively. ¡°If that is your wish, I shall carry it with me to my grave.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Ashani said. ¡°And it¡¯s just Ashani. I¡¯m afraid I must insist on that.¡±
¡°This will¡ take some getting used to,¡± Thaman admitted ashamedly.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Cirayus said, pping the bigger giant¡¯s back. ¡°Aida and I are in the same rickety boat as you. It¡¯s just thed here who seems to have no problem conversing with her as if she were a mere demon.¡±
They¡¯d go on like this for hours if Vir didn¡¯t put a stop to it, so he looked at Ashani and gave her a nod. ¡°Ashani? You¡¯ve seen Thaman¡¯s Pce, right? Would you be able to create a Gate for us? It¡¯ll be much easier than dealing with the crowd outside.¡±
¡°But of course!¡±
¡°Actually, hold on,¡± Vir said. ¡°Can you create one to Mah¨¡di? Just for a moment?¡±
Ashani raised a brow. ¡°I certainly can, though I may require you to charge my spare core soon. Creating Gates takes quite the roll on my reserves, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
¡°No problem at all, Ashani,¡± Vir said with a warm smile. The others in the room looked as though Vir had just spoken anothernguage, but no one seemed to have the courage to ask about it right then.
Vir didn¡¯t doubt he¡¯d be subjected to a barrage of questions the moment they were alone.
Ashani closed her eyes, extending her palm outward, and a momentter, an unstable Ash Tear popped into existence. It soon stabilized, forming into a perfect ovalrge enough only for Vir.
That was well, because the absolute torrent of visible Ash prana that poured through forced Aida, Thaman, and even Cirayus away.
¡°I¡¯ll just be a moment, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Vir said, before ducking through.
¡°He¡¯s mad,¡± Aida said.
¡°He¡¯s a monster,¡± Thaman said.
¡°Folks, he¡¯s the Akh Nara. This is nothing for him,¡± Cirayus said, beaming with pride.
To the onlookers, Vir seemed to re-emerge the instant he¡¯d entered. When he told them he¡¯d actually spent close to an hour in the realm and had even fought a Phantomde, Thaman and Aida could scarcely believe him, insisting he was pulling their leg.
While he had no good way to prove it, cycling Prana Current at its maximum caused his prana to manifest visibly, which seemed enough to convince them.
Regardless, Vir had Ashani create a new Gate, this time to Thaman¡¯s pce, which she maderge enough for even Thaman to pass through.
¡°Unbelievable,¡± Thaman said, inspecting the freshly formed Gate. ¡°Simply incredible!¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot pass through my own Gates, but Vir was kind enough to solve that issue for me,¡± Ashani said, trying and failing to suppress a smile at thepliment.
Vir approached the Gate and injected prana to stabilize it. Now that his reserves were full, the action took barely any thought at all on his part, and soon, their whole party was at Thaman¡¯s residence with no one being the wiser.
¡°This way, if you please,¡± Thaman said, guiding them into his oversized home, down hallways to a room with a bookshelf that swiveled open to reveal a surprisingly spacious secret passage.
Of course, it¡¯d have to be, Vir mused as they passed through the magic-sconce-lit hall. Thaman himself barely fit, but for Vir and even for Cirayus, the space was cavernous.
This was true of all Bairan architecture. It was far toorge for Vir, which often made him feel unweed.
¡°The applications of such a power,¡± Thaman trailed off as they walked. ¡°Imagine, if you will. Camar Gadin connected to Samar Patag by such a Gate. Journeys of weeks and months would take no more than an instant.¡±
¡°It goes beyond that, Thaman,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Every location in the Demon Realm. essible with just a walk. Vraj Parah. Jak Kallol. Quara Ragul. All the strongholds.¡±
¡°We could build entirely new cities!¡± Thaman said with rising excitement. ¡°Cities we¡¯d never even have dreamt of constructing due to their remote locations! Trade will flourish. Cross-n interaction will blossom!¡±
¡°It¡¯s more than that, Thaman,¡± Vir said. ¡°For the first time in recorded demonic history, demons can now freely travel to and from the Ash. No longer a lethal maze, the Ashen Realm can be fully mapped. And¡ Safe passages to the Human Realm can be easily established.¡±
Thaman, who¡¯d been leading them into his home, froze.
¡°Humans. The infinite distance separating us¡ You¡¯re saying the two realms will meet.¡±
¡°One day. If I choose it,¡± Vir said. ¡°I will be honest. Humanity hates demonkind, and I imagine demonkind would have a simr reaction, were it ever toe into contact with the Human Realm. I intend to journey to the Human Realm soon, but to connect the realms? It would require far more thought. That decision is not mine to make, but the entire realm¡¯s.¡±
The secret passage led them to Thaman¡¯s personal quarters, which could¡¯ve served as a small ballroom in the human realm, such was its size. Aside from the enormous four-coaster bed sat centered along the far wall, the room sported stained ss windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and a wall full of bookshelves equally tall.
Several tables and chairs of all sizes were ced in the corners, and were clearly made to amodate giants, half-giants, and regr demons.
¡°On that, we are agreed,¡± Thaman said, guiding them to one such square table, where they all sat. ¡°Still¡ It would seem that you¡¯vee into a truly staggering level of power.¡±
Vir nodded. There was no point in hiding it. ¡°With this power, I now im the Ashen Realm as my own. I intend to train my troops there, and should you pledge your n to my cause, you are more than wee to partake.¡±
The giant wrung his wrists. ¡°You offer tempting terms, Champion. I have to wonder, though, whether I¡¯d be entering into a bargain with a messiah¡ Or an Asura.¡±
¡°Now that¡¯s a title,¡± Vir said with a smirk before shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯d never pressure you into anything you¡¯d regret. I understand why you can¡¯t publicly support my bid for the Gargan throne right now. I hope that, in time, I¡¯ll sway public sentiment to my side. I hope that in the near future, pledging to support my cause won¡¯t turn you into a pariah.¡±
¡°Bold words,¡± Thaman said. ¡°More fit for a future king, rather than an upstart rebel, I¡¯d venture.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± Vir said with a small smile.
¡°Makes one wonder whether you need the Ultimate Bloodline Arts at all. With the goddess by your side, and your absolute domination of Ash Gates, you could take over the realm with rtive ease, I¡¯d venture.¡±
¡°Conquest isn¡¯t my goal,¡± Vir said, shaking his head. ¡°Unification, however, is. I hope to make the Demon Realm¡ªthe whole realm, not just my n¡ªmore prosperous than it has ever been before. But for that, I¡¯m going to need the tattoos.¡±
Thaman nodded. ¡°Right. About that. We need to have a talk¡¡±
Chapter Ashborn 362: Epilogue: Cogs of Destiny
Chapter Ashborn 362: Epilogue: Cogs of Destiny
¡°The conclusion of the Tournament normally calls for a vast banquet with three days of uninterrupted celebration, along with all manner of dancing, events, culminating in a ceremony in which the reward is bequeathed to the victory,¡± Thaman trailed off, undoubtedly reminiscing fondly on past times.
¡°Sounds like quite the spectacle,¡± Vir said, trying and failing to imagine what tens of thousands of demons all merry-making must have looked like.
¡°Quite so,¡± Thaman said, sneaking a nce at Ashani, who was currently walking around, staring at all the decorations with intense concentration. Vir had caught the Raja shooting several nces her way, as if he couldn¡¯t quite figure out whether to involve her in the conversation or pretend she didn¡¯t exist. He seemed to decide upon thetter course of action for the time being.
Clearing his throat, the Bairan Raja continued. ¡°Given the circumstances, however, I¡¯m afraid we must forego such an event. The public would understand.¡±
¡°Forego the celebrations!?¡± Cirayus thundered, making everyone nearby cringe. ¡°sphemy! It¡¯s unholy!¡±
¡°You don¡¯t seriously propose revelry at a time like this?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Cirayus said with a devilish grin. ¡°I say we defer the celebration. Much better than canceling it, don¡¯t you?¡± Cirayus spat the word as if it were a curse.
¡°Very well,¡± Thaman said with an exasperated smile. ¡°We shall postpone the celebration, if that suits you, Champion.¡±
Vir nodded.¡°That said, I can give you the inscription right here and now. I¡¯ve a handful of Royal Thaumaturges who can carve the tattoo on your skin as soon as today, if you desire¡¡±
While the words sounded sweet, the bitter look on Thaman¡¯s face said otherwise.
¡°There¡¯s more you¡¯re not telling me,¡± Vir said. ¡°Isn¡¯t there?¡±
¡°s, there is. I presume your goal is to collect all the Ultimate Bloodline Arts, yes?¡±
Vir nodded. He¡¯d given a great deal of thought whether to sacrifice the option of obtaining every Ultimate in favor of regr bloodline arts, but he¡¯d held off. The promise of their power was simply too great. Besides, Vir couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it would be a terrible failure to not obtain them all.
¡°Then I¡¯m afraid I must present you with some unfortunate news,¡± Thaman said, looking down at the table.
¡°There isn¡¯t a Thaumaturge in thend who can inscribe all the tattoos,d,¡± Cirayuspleted. He¡¯d crossed all four of his arms and was leaning against a pir nearby.
¡°What do you mean? Thaman just said his Thaumaturges were up to the task.¡±
¡°Of inscribing one, yes,¡± Cirayus continued, turning to allow Vir to see the markings on his back. ¡°See howrge Bncer of Scales is?¡±
The tattoo took up most of his back, and much of his chest as well.
¡°How do you think you¡¯ll fit all seven of the Ultimate Arts, eh? Not to mention the fabled Lost art of the Iksana, assuming you ever unearth that one.¡±
¡°Wait. Lost art?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Why have I not heard of this?¡±
¡°Because it¡¯s a tale so old, it might as well be a myth, that¡¯s why,¡± Thaman said.
All eyes in the room, Ashani¡¯s included, turned on Thaman. Vir never thought he¡¯d see the veteran Raja squirm under anyone¡¯s gaze, but it seemed even he was no match for the eyes of a being from the Age of Gods.
Realizing his difort, Ashani looked away, studiously gazing at a nearby pir. Vir suppressed a grin. She¡¯d noticed Thaman¡¯s reaction and was trying to humor him.
Her n worked, and Thaman regained enough of his wits to continue his story.
¡°A thousand years ago, a great war consumed the realm. One of many during the time. The Iksana became embroiled, joining one side. The wrong side, as it were. Jk Kallol was eventually sacked, and with it went the only inscription of the fabled Art ever to exist. Some purport that the whole war was a front to destroy that very scroll.¡±
Vir couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the irony of their situation. How close it was to his own tale¡
¡°What did the scroll do? Usher in a new era for demonkind?¡± Vir quipped.
Thaman grimaced, while Cirayus barked a harshugh, and even Ashani giggled. Aida said nothing, her expression turning dark.
¡°Nothing quite so grand,¡± Thaman said. ¡°Yet, some might argue, far more terrifying.¡±
¡°The art was called Reality Inversion,¡± Cirayus exined. ¡°ording to legend, it gave the Iksana the ability to create an illusion so potent as to be real. A spell that could rewrite reality itself.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t mean¡¡± Vir''s eyes widened as he thought through what that truly meant.
¡°Indeed. It seems they could undo death, and even cause the living to suddenly die. The art consumed a tremendous amount of prana, and only worked on a localized scale, but even so¡ Terrifying, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±
¡°Horrifying,¡± Vir replied. ¡°To think such an art ever existed.¡±
Thaman shrugged. ¡°It might never have,¡± he said. ¡°Many believe it was all Iksana propaganda. Either that, or a simr ability might really have existed once, but myths and time have warped it far beyond what it was ever capable of. In any case, we will never know.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vir said, thankful he didn¡¯t live in an era where such an ability might¡¯ve existed. Purging the image from his mind, he turned his thoughts back to the topic at hand. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that if I allow your Thaumaturges to inscribe Bncer of Scales, I will be doomed to forego some of the others.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Thaman said. ¡°I know this is not the oue you were hoping for.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t there anyone?¡± Vir said. ¡°You¡¯re telling me there¡¯s nobody in this wide realm who can perform this feat? Distance is not an issue for me. It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re in some remote vige in the farthest reaches of Aindri territory or deep within the Iksana tunnels. I can get to them.¡±
Thaman sighed. ¡°Not in this realm, I¡¯m afraid. The only entity who requires this skill is the Akh Nara, and while there are those who seek to preserve your legacy, thest Akh Nara died over five hundred years ago. Time has not been kind to the keepers of this knowledge.¡±
¡°Keepers of the Akh Nara¡¯s legacy?¡± Vir said, raising a brow as he looked at Cirayus. ¡°This is the first I¡¯ve heard of this.¡±
Thaman looked equally surprised. ¡°You haven¡¯t told him about them?¡±
¡°About who?¡± Vir asked, now frowning. ¡°What¡¯s he talking about, Cirayus?¡±
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition.
Vir¡¯s godfather scratched his nose. ¡°Well, I, er¡ It¡¯s a difficult conversation to have, you know? I wanted to be sure thed was ready. That he¡¯d matured enough.¡±
¡°I daresay that time hase, Cirayus,¡± Thaman said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°¡®Suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Cirayus said with a sigh.
Despite every instinct telling him to jump up and shake the information out of Cirayus, Vir forced himself to wait patiently. Such behavior would be unbing¡ Especially in presentpany.
¡°They call themselves the Garga Lavani,¡± Cirayus began. ¡°Some see them as craven misfits. Others call them a cult. The cult of the Akh Nara.¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How many are there? Are they organized?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the thing,d,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°No one knows. I¡¯ve been putting out feelers, trying to contact them, but they¡¯re like a bonfire. When lit, they ze so brightly, you can¡¯t avoid them even if you tried. But when dormant, you could search the ends of the realm and never find a single one.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been searching as well,¡± Thaman said. ¡°And I¡¯ve met with the same results. Still, I¡¯d say you¡¯re better off without them.¡±
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus agreed. ¡°They¡¯ve been nothing but a nuisance to the Akh Naras of the past. Following him around and worshiping him like a living god.¡±
Vir¡¯s eyes met Ashani¡¯s, and they both grimaced. That was an oue neither wanted, but in Vir¡¯s case, he¡¯d happily take that sacrifice if it meant bolstering his army.
¡°You¡¯re saying they might have someone who can inscribe the tattoos?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Possibly,¡± Thaman replied. ¡°Though I sincerely doubt it.¡±
¡°So, we¡¯re back where we started, then,¡± Vir said, shoulders sagging. He wasn¡¯t quite sure how to take the revtion of the Garga Lavani. Ostensibly, they could be an asset, and at the very worst, a nuisance as Cirayus had said. Vir doubted they¡¯d be an antagonistic force, so if they did still exist, they could present Vir with an opportunity to exploit.
Given that there seemed to be little he could do to contact them, however, Vir had little choice but to give them time to reach out to him.
¡°I can¡¯t just sit around and bank my future on hopes and dreams,¡± Vir said. ¡°If there are none who can inscribe the tattoo, then I¡¯d like to have your¡ª¡±
¡°There is one,¡± Cirayus said in a tone that made it look as though uttering the words caused him bodily injury. ¡°There is but one being in all the realms who can.¡±
¡°Who?¡± Vir asked.
¡°No,¡± Thaman said. ¡°Not him. Better to sell your soul to the Asuras than to engage in a bargain with that demon. Leave that blight to rot in the Ash.¡±
Vir had a suspicion he knew exactly who they were talking about.
¡°It¡¯s Saunak, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Merely uttering his name caused Thaman to recoil in disgust, and Cirayus¡¯ reaction wasn¡¯t much more muted, either.
¡°You know of him?¡± Thaman asked. ¡°How?¡±
¡°We crossed paths in the Ashen Realm.¡±
¡°Bloody nut imprisoned thed and nearly killed his wolf.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Vir began, but swiftly stopped. He still wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about Saunak. The demon was entric, to say the least. All of what Cirayus said was true. And yet, he¡¯d gifted them an Automaton of the gods, as well as a manual on Thaumaturgy.
The manual had beenrgely useless, yet there was no denying that Vir left Saunak¡¯s tower far better off than he¡¯d been upon entering it.
¡°You can¡¯t trust that madman, Cirayus,¡± Thaman was shouting. ¡°Not with the Akh Nara! He¡¯s your godson. What would Maion say?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not arguing, Thaman. Just saying we should consider all the¡ª¡±
¡°No. This is not an option. I refuse to¡ª¡±
¡°Enough,¡± Vir said, silencing the Raja. ¡°My apologies,¡± Vir immediately added, realizing his tone had been more aggressive than he¡¯d intended. ¡°This decision is mine to make, and I assure you, it will not be made in haste. I swear to give this the consideration it is due. For now, though, I believe I will defer inscribing Bncer of Scales. Thaman. May I take a copy of the inscription with me?¡±
Thaman said nothing for a long while, prompting Cirayus to clear his throat. ¡°He¡¯s right, Thaman. The decision is his to make. The art is his, by rights. You cannot take that away from him.¡±
Thaman ran a hand through his hair and heaved a sigh. ¡°Fine. But do note crying to me when that lunatic permanently cripples the savior of our realm.¡±
Vir raised a brow, and he wasn¡¯t the only one. Aida and Cirayus looked just as surprised.
¡°Are those the words of the Bairan Raja?¡± Cirayus asked. ¡°Or the whelp I trained?¡±
Thaman seemed to realize the meaning of his words. ¡°By Yuma, it¡¯s been a long day,¡± he said, sounding utterly exhausted. ¡°I¡¯ve yet to rally the n to the cause, but between us in this room, does it really need to be stated where I personally stand? This realm is broken. The way I see it, young Sarvaak here is our best hope of attaining the heights we¡¯d once achieved. Before all of this n squabbling and petty politics.¡±
¡°Aye, that¡¯s the whelp I raised,¡± Cirayus said, beaming.
¡°Thank you, Thaman,¡± Vir said. ¡°Your support means a great deal to me. And to the people of my n.¡±
¡°Yes, well,¡± Thaman said. ¡°You can use all the friends you can get, Champion. I fear even then, it may not be enough. What will you do now?¡±
¡°Now?¡± Vir said. ¡°Now, I return to the Ash, where my troops await. There, we will train, and there, along with Cirayus, we will forge them into the finest fighting force this realm has ever seen.¡±
¡°Good n,¡± Thaman said. ¡°I would like to have my Warriors train alongside you at all times. We can arrange for supplies, though until I am able to rally Bairan support, I¡¯m afraid anything I do will be limited to my personal means.¡±
¡°Not a problem,¡± Vir said. ¡°And we can keep your troops supplied within the Ash. All I ask is for more Thaumaturges to join us, and for smithing equipment. Give me your best soldiers, and I promise I will return them a hundredfold stronger.¡±
¡°Your offer is tempting. Dangerously so,¡± Thaman said.
¡°No danger here, Thaman,¡± Vir said with a smile. ¡°I hope to forge a bond of mutual benefit. For decades and centuries toe. As you just said¡ªwe need to get past political games and n warfare. This is how it begins.¡±
Thaman grinned. ¡°Brick by brick.¡±
¡°Stone by stone,¡± Virpleted.
The three of them chatted for the next several hours while Aida returned through Ashani¡¯s Gate to fetch her things for the journey ahead. Ashani had never been to Vir¡¯s demon camp, so they would have to take her Gate to the outskirts of the city, before walking to the Gate Vir had established near the Boundary. Once through¡ªassuming they could get Aida to fit¡ªit would be another trip to the camp.
At normal speeds, this would all take days, but Vir and Cirayus reduced that to a mere handful of hours. It was agreed that Aida would ride atop Cirayus¡¯ shoulders, while Ashani would be held by Vir in his arms. She¡¯d vehemently refused the indignity of riding on his shoulders, let alone being carried like a sack of potatoes.
¡°I¡¯d hoped to meet with the Panav Rajni, but I suppose striking up rtions with two Rajas is more than I could¡¯ve hoped for.¡±
¡°Kira had to return to her n on urgent matters, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Thaman said. ¡°She actually wanted to chat with you as well. s, she¡¯s asked me to forward you an invitation to Vraj Parah.¡±
Vir nodded. ¡°Please convey that I would be honored to¡ª¡±
¡°You weren¡¯t about to leave without me, were you?¡± Tara said, bursting through the door, looking like she was about to embark on a voyage of a hundred years. She carried on her back a rucksack easily as tall as her, and at least a half-dozen weapons were strapped to it on all sides. They jingled as she walked, upsetting her bnce and nearly making her tip over.
Vir couldn¡¯t even begin to guess how much it all weighed, and Tara had neither Bncer of Scales nor the innate might of the Bairans to ease her burden.
¡°Tara?¡± Thaman cried. ¡°This is a private meeting! Besides, how did you¡ª?¡±
¡°Ajji sent me,¡± Tara said, as if that answered everything.
To Vir¡¯s surprise, Thaman¡¯s look of surprise melted away into one of understanding.
¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°Cirayus, do you have room for one more?¡±
¡°I can carry a dozen people as far as I¡¯m concerned. It¡¯s up to thess whether she¡¯s okay with that.¡±
¡°I am,¡± Tara replied without hesitation.
¡°Um¡ Do I get a say in this?¡± Vir asked.
Tara grinned and pointed to Thaman. ¡°He¡¯s a Raja.¡± She moved her finger to Cirayus. ¡°And he¡¯s the Ravager.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m the Akh Nara?¡± Vir said, feeling hot in the cheeks for having to say it out loud.
¡°Ahhh, yeah. That¡¯s true. You are, aren¡¯t you? ¡±
¡°Now, look here,¡± Vir began, allowing his irritation to seep into his voice. ¡°You can¡¯t just barge in and¡ª¡±
Before he could finish, and against the expectations of likely everyone in the room, Tara dropped to one knee and bowed her head. Her backpack nged in protest, but she paid it no mind.
¡°I am Tara of the n Panav, and I pledge myself to the Akh Nara¡¯s cause. Allow me to join you in your noble mission. I¡ May not have much to offer, but allow me to help undo the wrongs my people have wrought upon this realm.¡±
¡°N-no, I¡ That¡¯s¡¡± Vir found his mouth opening and closing, but no words came.
Exasperated, Vir looked to Cirayus, who simply shrugged. Thaman¡¯s awkward smile was of no help, either.
¡°Very well, then,¡± Vir said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ll never refuse thepany of anyone as capable as you, Tara. You offer a lot. A whole lot, in fact. And even if you didn¡¯t, I consider you a friend. That ought to be reason alone. I hope you¡¯ve prepared for hardship, though. We have quite an adventure ahead of us.¡±
Tara rose to her feet, grinning. ¡°Bring it.¡±
¡°Then, Ashani? If you will.¡±
Ashani, who had discretely shifted to her demonic appearance the moment Tara entered the room, strode confidently up to Vir.
¡°Oh, yeah. Where¡¯d you dig up that gem?¡± Tara asked, thumbing at Ashani.
Thaman¡¯s eyes flew wide with fear and shock, while Vir and Ashani burst outughing.
¡°Would you believe me if I said Mah¨¡di?¡±
¡°Mah¡ The City of the Gods!? You¡¯re pulling my leg, right?¡±
Tara turned to Thaman. ¡°Right?¡±
The Raja groaned.
Vir followed a giggling Ashani, a confused Aida, and a sympathetic Cirayus through the newly formed Gate.
He turned when he was through, extending a hand to the Nagini.
¡°I told you we had an adventure in front of us. We¡¯re about to make history, and the path will be paved with sweat and tears. Are you sure you¡¯re ready?¡±
Tara grasped Vir¡¯s arm and shot back a toothy grin, though Vir could tell it was just a facade from her shock and surprise.
¡°As I said. Bring it.¡±
END OF ARC EIGHT. END OF BOOK FOUR
Chapter (Arc 9) (Book 5) Ashborn 363: Full Circle (Maiya)
Chapter (Arc 9) (Book 5) Ashborn 363: Full Circle (Maiya)
A line of handmaidens stood before Maiya¡¯s makeshift desk, all waiting their turn. Maiya could barely see them through the towers of papers piled so high that they threatened to copse with a stiff breeze.
Which was why Maiya had ensured that her office had no windows. Made entirely of stone, and constructed with typical Hiranyan low-budget corner-cutting, the space resembled a dungeon more than any ce of work.
Yet this one room had constituted Maiya¡¯s surroundings for the better part of a week now, as preparations for the ndestine meeting of not just two, but three figures of power were made. Four, if she included herself, which Maiya assumed she had to. The Blessed Chosen of the Children of Ash was nothing if not famous. Or more appropriately, infamous.
After months of careful nning, carefullyying the foundations of this meeting, the fated moment was almost upon them. A meeting that could very well alter the face of the realm for centuries¡ªperhaps even millennia¡ªtoe.
And the honor of ensuring it not only urred without detection but was also sessful, rested on none other than Maiya¡¯s slim shoulders.
Shoulders that drooped under the weight of a perpetualck of sleep, far too much tea, and an unending deluge of stress. There was but one reason Maiya had survived until now. One drug she¡¯d relied on so heavily that she couldn¡¯t conceive of life without it.
Tapping on her Foundation Chakra, Maiya¡¯s thoughts stabilized. Her woes and worries abated, and the calmness of the Godshollow flooded her.
It was nothing but a temporary measure. A quick fix to ward off the inevitable buildup of fatigue. Only rest could solve that, and there was simply none to be had for now.
¡°Report,¡± Maiya said, sounding thirty years older than her actual age.¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± a handmaiden replied, stepping crisply up to her desk and curtsying. The girl was dressed in typical Hiranyanmoner clothing¡ªthat was to say, dirty, smelly rags that bore no hint of color. Coloring was a luxury, and in and as diseased by corruption and mismanagement as Hiranya, luxuries were nothing but a dream for most its citizens.
¡°Reporting on the venue preparations. The owners of the establishment began to grow curious as to the nature of our use. They began asking about the number and identities of the attendees.¡±
¡°You dealt with them, yes?¡± Maiya asked.
¡°Of course. They were paid off. It seemed they were looking to pad their coffers.¡±
Maiya hardly needed to hear the first words out of the handmaiden¡¯s mouth to understand how this would y out. Corruption ran through every strata of Hiranyan society, rotting it from within. Everyone was out for themselves, and all problems could be solved with money.
¡°Keep an eye on them, anyway,¡± Maiya said. ¡°See to it they do not meet anyone suspicious or divulge any information. These people are like vultures, happy to y both sides, so long as their coinpurse grows heavier.¡±
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± the handmaiden said, snapping to attention before walking swiftly away. Maiya¡¯s eyes lingered on the girl¡¯s back as she left.
As nerve-wracking as Maiya¡¯s position was, she never forgot what a blessing it was to have such elite troops under hermand. They were intensely loyal, highly capable, and able to quickly assess any situation, no matter howplex. They would execute orders to the T and think independently when the situation called for it. They were, in Maiya¡¯s mind, the finest force in the realm, and without them, her job would have been impossible.
¡°Next,¡± Maiya said, turning her eyes to another. The line, it seemed, had not grown any shorter.
¡°Ma¡¯am, I bring a report of the security preparations. Cooperation with the prince¡¯s soldiers has gone well, though shpoints exist over a handful ofpses in judgment on their part. I have grave concerns over these misses, and respectfully suggest we rece as many of the prince¡¯s men with our own.¡±
Maiya smirked. ¡°And how would the prince feel about that?¡±
¡°He does not need to know,¡± the handmaiden swiftly replied, clearly having anticipated this line of question.
¡°And if he discovers?¡±
¡°He will not.¡±
Maiya sighed. Yet another tough decision that fell upon her to make. Riskpromising the security of the meeting¡ªwith potentially catastrophic consequences for all sides¡ªor risk upsetting the prince when he finds out his men have been incapacitated, imprisoned, and reced by her own. An oue only slightly less catastrophic.
¡°The third option,¡± Maiya said, rubbing her temples. ¡°Pair one of our own with Sanobar¡¯s guards at all hours. They will move and operate as one.¡±
¡°The prince will not be happy about this.¡±
¡°You worry about security. Let me deal with the prince.¡±
¡°Yes¡¯, ma¡¯am!¡± the handmaiden replied, curtsying before walking out as quickly as the agent before her.
¡°Next,¡± Maiya said, feeling herself pulling on the Foundation Chakra yet again. Just like yesterday, and the day before that, this would be another long one.
It was around midnight by the time Maiya finally finished her affairs, burning several candles in the process¡ªa luxury she wouldn¡¯t have dared dream of even as soon as two years ago.
Rising from her chair, Maiya stretched her creaky bones and left her self-imposed dungeon after what seemed like an eternity.
¡°Going out, ma¡¯am?¡± her personal attendant asked. Diya was handpicked from the cream of the crop, and Maiya couldn¡¯t be happier with the results her aide had delivered thus far. From seeing to Maiya¡¯s personal needs such as food and water¡ªand taste testing everything to ensure it was safe¡ªto scribing messages, organizing handmaiden logistics, and everything in between, the girl had been absolutely indispensable, especially with Yamal and Bheem off running Children affairs.
¡°I¡¯ll just be out for¡¡± Maiya trailed off. Where was she going? She¡¯d needed some fresh air, and despite the hour, despite everything she¡¯d been through, sleep was thest thing on her mind. How could she sleep on the eve of such a monumental event?
The tiniest spark of an idea lit within a distant recess of her mind. One that she¡¯d not visited in ages, which had been growing cobwebs all the while.
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The idea grew brighter and brighter, burning away the cobwebs and bing louder in her head.
Nostalgia that beckoned her towards Home. What was left of it, anyway. Was a ce truly home without the people she¡¯d cherished?
It wasn¡¯t. And yet, that ce held so many memories that she couldn¡¯t help but think of it as home, regardless. Not her current one, but one that existed in the past.
But she couldn¡¯t. Could she? Wouldn¡¯t that be gross negligence? Wouldn¡¯t it be dereliction of duty?
Maiya thought it over. All the preparations had been made. Her troops knew what to do, and with her Acira, she could be there and back with plenty of time to spare, should something go wrong. Something always went wrong, so at this point in her career, she knew to n for it. Yet another checkbox in a long line of problems to tick.
¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Diya asked, bringing Maiya back to the present.
¡°I¡¯ll be gone until morning,¡± Maiya said.
¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Diya repeated, this time with the tiniest tinge of concern. For a by-the-books elite like Diya, that might as well have been her way of screaming in terror.
¡°Rx, Diya,¡± Maiya said. ¡°I¡¯ll return well in advance of anything.¡±
¡°Please at least tell me where you will be? In case we need to locate you.¡±
Maiya turned and looked Diya in the eye. ¡°My old vige. Brij.¡±
The night was dark as always, and Maiya¡¯s arrival would have gone unnoticed to the blissfully sleeping vige.
Maiya didn¡¯t quite know what to expect when her Acira set down on the hill overlooking Brij, but the moment her feet touched the dried-out grass, and the smell of manure assaulted her nostrils, one overwhelming sensation dominated the rest.
Longing, and the incurable heartache of nostalgia.
Maiya left Frumpy nearby and meandered to the tree under which she¡¯d sat with Vir on so many chilly nights so long ago.
She reached down and ced a hand on the dirt. It was at this very spot that they¡¯d gazed up at the stars in wondering, snuggling against each other for warmth. It was here that they¡¯d watched countless sunsets, dreading the moment they had to go back home. To the chores and the lessons and all the drudgery of daily life. And it was here that they spotted the Hiranyan knights who¡¯d devastated their families and changed their lives forever.
Maiya took a seat at her usual spot, drawing her knees up to her, and tapping on Magic Heat for warmth.
How Maiya so longed for those innocent, honey-filled days now. The hard day¡¯s work of the farmer in the field looked so delectably sweet to her eyes. To ply one¡¯s self in physicalbor, living simply and honestly.
How wonderful it must be to live such a simple life, where the greatest worry was whether the crops would flourish this season.
How foolish she¡¯d been for wishing for anything else¡ Those were the hopes and dreams of a girl in love with the idea of riches and power without the knowledge of the crushing responsibility and terrible sacrifices that had to be made to maintain it.
And yet, should Maiya ever have the chance to speak to her younger self, what would she say? Would she warn young Maiya away from this dream? Would she tell her that life in the vige was a pale shadow of what could be?
Was her life any better now? Was there truly any difference between the farmer and the lord? All passed into the great cycle in the end, didn¡¯t they?
Maiya got to her feet and descended to the town. The first shades of blue had only just begun to stain the pre-dawn light, and like all viges, Brij was already waking up.
Vigers¡ªmany of whom Maiya recognized¡ªambled about in silence, going about their business. Several looks were thrown her way, as was the case for all strangers, but none recognized her under her hood and her veil.
¡°Damned Children of the Ash,¡± she heard someone mutter under their breath as they passed.
Maiya marveled at the delectable irony, and the corners of her lips crept upwards, despite herself.
If only they knew¡ Oh, if only they knew that the Blessed Chosen walked among them. That the pampered little daughter of their priest had gone on to be of the most reviled organization in thend. That she was now orchestrating a coup that, if sessful, would topple not one, not two, but three countries.
Maiya stopped in the middle of the road, allowing the Ash¡¯va and the vigers to pass her by on all sides. In that moment, Maiya was both present and absent. Both Brijer and stranger, and in that split-second that felt as though it spanned an eternity, she saw the world with more rity than ever before.
Maiya glimpsed the life of a vige girl who had never met Vir. Who¡¯d continue to live in the vige, never leaving. She¡¯d married Camas. Birthing children and growing old, without having experienced the world past the confines of Brij and the forest nearby.
Living in a vige crippled by poverty, and doomed to stay that way for as long as Hiranya wallowed in the shadow of its former glory.
Never growing rich. Never expanding one¡¯s mind. Never progressing in mind or body to anything greater.
Simply¡ Being. Stagnating, and then growing old, withering away only for the next generation to repeat the cycle with even less hope and prospects for the future.
In that moment, Maiya understood. That the life she currently led was superior. That despite the stress, the insecurities, and the danger¡ Or perhaps because of them¡ Her life had meaning.
Because she knew now that it wasn¡¯t about the wealth or the prestige or the ability to boss others around. These were but distractions.
The true reward of power was the ability to influence the world for the better. To allow future generations to grow, live, and thrive. To walk the streets without fear of abuse, and to sleep securely at night knowing that their government upholds thew of justice.
To rest assured that one¡¯s parents won¡¯t be brutally murdered for no reason other than to protect the life of a scared, innocent boy.
Maiya¡¯s cheeks felt suddenly cool, and when she lowered her veil and wiped her hand on her cheek, it came away wet.
¡°Unholy blight,¡± a thin reed of a main muttered after having witnessed the sight, spitting at Maiya¡¯s feet as they passed.
Maiya continued to stand in the middle of the road that grew more and more busy with each passing minute. Watching. Observing.
This one road in this backwater vige spoke for the entire nation. The bodies emaciated from the famine. The children who ran barefoot, and the hollow, hopeless gazes of adults who passed her by.
Maiya did not judge them. How could there be any hope for these people? There was none. Not as long as the despot Rayidnguished on the throne. The world Ira sought to create would be a better one. Brij would be richer. The children would be well-fed, and culture could flourish. Those who wished to move to the city for a better life could do so.
¡°Excuse me, sir?¡± a young boy said. He was the first to address her, despite the dozens who¡¯d passed her by.
Looking down, Maiya found she didn¡¯t recognize the child.
¡°Are you lost? Do you need help?¡±
Half of her wanted to scold the na?ve boy for approaching such a suspicious figure. The other half wanted to praise him for his kindness.
Instead, Maiya nced down the road, which she knew led to her old home. Was it still boarded up? Empty and abandoned? Or had a new priest moved in? Perhaps with his family?
To her surprise, Maiya found herself hoping someone had. She hoped the home was once again filled with the warmth and happiness a family brought. For there was far too little of that in the world.
Smiling, Maiya ruffled the young boy¡¯s hair.
¡°No, I think I just found what I was looking for,¡± she said.
There was no need to walk the streets of this vige. To revisit old ces and reminisce about old times.
This outing had proved fruitful. Not only had it brought peace to her mind in a way the Foundation Chakra never could, it had alsoe with a profound realization.
That the person she was now was not the girl she was before. That her hopes, desires, and worries had changed so greatly from the Maiya of before that the woman who stood here today was no longer beholden to the shackles of her past.
¡°What did you find?¡± the boy asked.
Maiya lowered her veil and crouched to the boy¡¯s level. She uttered just one word.
¡°Myself.¡±
Bringing her thumb and index finger to her mouth, she let out a screeching whistle, which caused the boy to clutch his ears, and everyone nearby to take several steps away.
That proved prudent, for when Frumpy beat her mighty wings andnded in the middle of the road, those who hadn¡¯t dropped onto their bellies, lest they take a wing to the face.
The boy, far too terrified to think of doing the same, stood petrified in ce as Maiya mounted the Acira.
¡°W-who are you?¡± the boy blurted, just as Maiya took to the sky.
Maiya beamed back with a warm, gentle smile. ¡°Just a viger like you.¡±
Frumpy pped his wings, knocking the boy and everyone else over, and then they were gone.
Just as Vir had once left his own legacy upon the vigers of Brij, so too did Maiya.
And while the tale may have started small, as the years passed, it changed with each retelling as most tales do, bing ever grander and more terrifying.
Eventually, the tale of the ¡®Blessed Chosen of the Children of Ash¡¯ would be part of the folklore that formed a standby of the myths of Brij, where the leader of the dread cult himself had visited the vige, promising absolute destruction should they stray from the good path.
Why the Archlord of a sphemous cult would preach such things, or why everyone assumed the mysterious figure was a man, despite the boy¡¯s insistence she was a beautiful crimson-haired woman, no one would ever know.
The vige would nevertheless continue to spread the tale, forever unaware of just how close to the truth they¡¯de.
Chapter Ashborn 364: Fated Gathering (One) (Maiya)
Chapter Ashborn 364: Fated Gathering (One) (Maiya)
The minutes before the meeting were oddly quiet, as Maiya circled the small room.
The venue itself was nothing fancy. No borate ballroom, no banquet prepared¡ªalthough the food that would be served was hand-prepared by Ira¡¯s handmaidens under supervision from both Riyan¡¯s and Prince Sanobar¡¯s agents.
In fact, the room in which four of the most important individuals in the realm would have what might very well be the most historic meeting in recent history was as nd as could be. Just four unremarkable walls nestled in the middle of a dozen other squat structures in the Commons of Daha.
In in sight, yet away from prying eyes, the many entrances to thework allowed Ira¡¯s, Riyan¡¯s, and Sanobar¡¯s forces to enter and exit without arousing suspicion.
Indeed, every building for two blocks surrounding the meeting room had been infiltrated by their respective operatives as far back as several months in advance. The buildings themselves had been bought or rented out by intermediaries, and were thus popted only by the staff of the various dignitaries.
With the number of handmaidens, Sanobar¡¯s personal agents, and Riyan¡¯s rebels that crawled the area, it was perhaps the most secure ce in all of Daha.
Maiya had been invited to bring her own security detail, but she trusted no one more than Ira¡¯s handmaidens. They were, after all, on the same side. Even if Maiya was now the leader of the realm¡¯s most hated cult.
It hadn¡¯t been lost on Maiya that with the power she now wielded, she could break away from Ira entirely¡ªforming her own faction and her own power base. There would be precious little the princess could to do stop Maiya, and in fact, Maiya would hold a great deal of power over Ira should she choose to do so.
There was, for example, nothing stopping her from approaching Imperator Andros and informing him of his daughter¡¯s treason, furnishing him with ample evidence. Not only would Ira¡¯s head be on a pike the next day, Maiya would have built a strong bond with the mightiest empire in the realm, thereby vaulting the Children onto the world stage.Maiya could do these things¡ If she were backstabbing scum. Personal power and greed held no interest for her. Yes, she¡¯d wanted wealth to lead a good life, but that was in the past. Now¡ She just wished to see less suffering in the world. And that meant siding with Ira. To say nothing of their friendship and the mutual trust they ced in one another.
Ira had taken an incredible risk handing Maiya this level of power, and Maiya would not be the one to break it.
Riyan arrived first¡ªa full hour before the meeting was due tomence. Saying nothing, and entering alone, he nodded once from behind his facemask and took his seat at the round table.
Arriving without a retinue shouldn¡¯t have surprised Maiya, but she¡¯d have thought even he would bring some protection for a meeting such as this. While true that his personal strength outmatched most any bodyguard he could employ, it was cheap insurance, and an excellent way to unt one¡¯s authority, to boot.
Then again, Riyan was never the type to rely on others when he didn¡¯t absolutely have to. Not even when it came to the restoration of his disfigured face¡ Maiya couldn¡¯t begin to imagine the turmoil that must have been raging within the man even at this very moment.
In typical Riyan fashion, he proceeded to stare a hole in the far wall for the better part of an hour, barely moving at all in all that time. In fact, he was so still that Maiya wondered if she ought to call out to check on him, but the silence was so oppressive that she simply couldn¡¯t muster the words.
In the end, Princess Ira arrived with a retinue of a half-dozen handmaidens. Maiya had debated greeting her liege herself, but decided it was more important to be present in case the other dignitaries arrived first.
¡°Riyan Savar,¡± Ira said, nodding to the man seated at the table, and making absolutely no indication she¡¯d noticed the mask that covered half of his face.
¡°Treasonous witch,¡± Riyan replied, not bothering to get up, let alone nod.
Maiya was about to admonish him when Ira raised a hand. ¡°It is true,¡± she said, staring therge man in the eyes. ¡°I have no shame in this.¡±
¡°Perhaps you should,¡± Riyan said with a sneer. ¡°Most nations consider it the worst of crimes. Nations not infected by cancerous rot, that is.¡±
¡°Oh, my life would be over should my fathere to learn of my ns to overthrow him,¡± Ira said, elegantly taking a seat across from Riyan. ¡°Actually, I am quite certain he would have me tied to a mast, where I would be subjected to all manner of gruesome torture implements. There would be no rest, for when I passed out, he would bring Life Affinity mejai to heal my body, so that I can be tortured again. And again. And again. My father is quite fond of this part, you see. He will wish to keep it going for as long as possible.¡±
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Shivers crept down Maiya¡¯s spine. This was the side of Ira that terrified her. What kind of person could describe their death in such excruciating detail? And do it while daintily sipping tea?
The kind who can challenge an Imperator, Maiya thought darkly.
¡°There, my screams of agony would be heard for miles and miles through all hours of the day. Then, when my mind finally broke, and healing orbs restored me no longer, he would finally have me decapitated. Would that be the end of my misery? I¡¯m afraid not. No honorable funerals for treasonous princess, I¡¯m afraid. There, my mangled body would remain for months, rotting in in view as crows peck at my remains. When nothing but my skeleton remains would my bones be taken down, mulched into powder, and mixed into Ash¡¯va feed.¡±
Ira set down her teacup, leaned forward, and gave Riyan the most chilling smile Maiya had ever seen. ¡°As a reminder to all those who dare question my dear father¡¯s reign. This is the sort of empire my father has built. The sort of bloodthirsty country so obsessed with war and carnage that they relish in the death and suffering of one of their own. So, you see, Riyan Savar, even nations infected by cancerous rot are perfectly capable ofmitting such atrocities, and Ie here at considerable risk. I am no meek, pampered girl. Just like you, I am staking everything I have on this gamble. Because I believe in a better world and will do whatever it takes to achieve it.¡±
Ira sat back and picked up her mug, continuing to sip as if she¡¯d just been talking about the weather.
For the first time in her life, Maiya got to witness a speechless Riyan. She shivered¡ Not only on ount of the grizzly fate that awaited Ira¡ And if Maiya were to be captured, she doubted her fate would be any less gruesome. No¡ªthat was to be expected. What she did not expect was for Ira toe into this meeting and immediately put Riyan on the back foot.
Maiya knew Riyan well. She knew he considered himself the mostpetent, aplished, and worthy person in the room. In his eyes, Maiya was but a failed student and Ira? The frail daughter of a sworn enemy. A pampered princess, soft and immature. A child.
To Riyan, Ira was many things, but an equal was not one of them.
Not until this moment, anyway. Maiya saw it in his eyes. The way he sat slightly straighter, the subtle shift in his posture. He tried to hide it, of course, but she noticed. Of course she did. Riyan had been the one to teach her, hadn¡¯t he?
And what she saw pointed to one thing.
He fears her¡
That realization¡ªthat Riyan could fear anyone¡ªscared Maiya almost as much. That Ira had been able to do in a few sentences what Maiya had never had a hope of doing her whole life? That both terrified her and filled her with the sort of awe and respect that a man like Riyan never could.
That was power. True power. The power to make even the mightiest foe dance on the tip of your fingers¡ And witnessing it made Maiya giddy. Though she¡¯d progressed by leaps and bounds over the past year, she now realized she¡¯d only just taken the first steps into this world of politics and intrigue. Even if she devoted herself to the craft, would she ever match Ira¡¯s sublime mastery?
A series of courteous knocks broke her out of her thoughts.
¡°Announcing the arrival of the esteemed¡ªer, yes. Yes, of course,¡± the muffled voice said from the other side of the doorway. ¡°Announcing his arrival.¡±
¡°You may enter,¡± Maiya said. As the designated arbiter, it fell upon her to ensure all the customs were followed. Though for a meeting involving Riyan, Maiya felt things like decorum went right out the window.
The door swung open and two ins-clothed guards entered the room, sweeping their eyes over the space before making way for their liege.
A tanned, well-dressed man in his early twenties strode into the room, and while his clothing could have passed him off as any one of the many members of Hiranya¡¯s well-to-do, his gait and the way he held himself immediately gave him away as a person of stature.
It was good I insisted he be shuttled here out of sight, Maiya thought. Prince Sanobar¡¯s guards had insisted on having the prince walk through the streets to the venue, iming it would arouse the least suspicion, but Maiya knew that most royalty was entirely unable to hide their tells. If anyone was watching, they¡¯d have spotted him instantly.
Instead, Maiya had arranged for her handmaidens to have him ride in the back of a wagon before guiding him through back alleys and other buildings her people hadmandeered before finally having him arrive here.
There had been a couple of reports of suspicious individuals tailing the prince as he left the castle. Maiya¡¯s handmaidens had quickly lost these individuals, and in fact, it was they who were now being monitored by her own forces. It would seem that her caution had proven warranted.
Surprising everyone in the room, Riyan rose from his chair, hurried to the prince¡ªshoving the two guards who attempted to stop him out of the way¡ªand embraced the prince in a great hug.
¡°It has been too long, my prince,¡± Riyan said, his voice carrying across the small room.
Prince Sanobar swiftly overcame his shock, embracing Riyan in kind. ¡°It truly has, Riyan. It is good to see you.¡±
Maiya nced at Ira, who returned a small smile. That could have meant any number of things, although Maiya did have to wonder if Ira had nned the order of arrival, somehow. Despite being her right-hand operative, even Maiya wasn¡¯t privy to the princess¡¯ every thought. Surely, Ira would never have uttered her words in thepany of the kind-hearted Hiranyan Prince. She¡¯d only been able to do so because she¡¯d caught Riyan alone.
And then there was Riyan himself. Having lost his initial encounter with Ira, he¡¯d attempted to seize the initiative by showing just how strong of a bond he shared with the Hiranyan prince. As if to say that he¡¯d get along fine, even without Ira¡¯s help.
Each and every action had a hidden meaning, each word spoken a hidden agenda. And Maiya had to not only navigate, but arbitrate this minefield?
As she greeted the dignitaries and called the ndestine meeting to order, Maiya could think of only one thing.
I am so in over my head.
Chapter Ashborn 365: Fated Gathering (Two) (Maiya)
Chapter Ashborn 365: Fated Gathering (Two) (Maiya)
¡°This was a waste of time!¡± Riyan spat, rising to his feet. ¡°I should have known better than to believe this could ever work.¡±
¡°That¡¯s funny,¡± Ira said. ¡°Because it seems to me that you are the only reason this conversation has gotten us nowhere.¡±
Maiya barely suppressed a groan as she rubbed her temples. With a master maniptor on one side and a jaded, lone-wolf ex-general on the other, Maiya had guessed she¡¯d have quite the task of arbitrating this meeting.
She now knew how wrong she¡¯d been. It didn¡¯t matter how masterful her performance was; this was doomed from the start.
And then Prince Sanobar went and added fuel to the bonfire.
¡°Why don¡¯t we all just settle down,¡± he said.
It was like someone had detonated an A Grade orb in the room.
¡°Settle down?¡± Ira asked in an ice-cold tone. ¡°Do I not appear calm to you?¡±
¡°My prince, we need not deal with this Kin¡¯jal vermin. Come, let us hold our own council. I¡¯ve a few ideas on how we can oust your father.¡±¡°Wait.¡± That single word contained every bit of the frustration, exhaustion, anger, and disappointment Maiya felt at that moment, and the dignitaries must have noticed.
Riyan was halfway through convincing Prince Sanobar to leave with him when both stopped and stared. Ira¡¯s eyes turned to Maiya, her expression inquisitive. As if wondering what move Maiya would make now.
¡°It is clear that this conversation is getting us nowhere,¡± Maiya began. ¡°Our priorities and our wants are fundamentally at odds. Riyan wants to capitalize on his momentum and topple Sai as soon as possible, while Princess Ira wishes to shore up her defenses. Prince Sanobar likes the idea of a more prosperous Hiranya, but cannot stomach the blood that must be spilled to unseat his father. Until we resolve the issues underpinning these concerns, arguing will get us nowhere.¡±
¡°What would you suggest?¡± Ira asked, looking genuinely curious.
Maiya took a deep breath and turned to her old mentor. ¡°Riyan,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re worried that waiting will reduce your chances of victory, yes?¡±
¡°We have the momentum now,¡± Riyan stated. ¡°Wars have been won and lost on morale and momentum alone. One does not stop when they have the advantage. They press it, and wrangle everyst drop of its worth. For once lost, it may never be recovered.¡±
¡°See, that¡¯s where I disagree,¡± Maiya said.
¡°You¡ Disagree?¡± Riyan said, clearly caught off-guard. ¡°Girl, you do not understand warfare as I do. You¡¯ve never¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯ve fought plenty, actually,¡± Maiya said. ¡°I¡¯vemanded troops and I¡¯ve fought at the Boundary for months on end. So, yes. I do know a thing or two about war, Riyan. Now, if I recall, you burned a bit of Kartara, yes?¡±
¡°We dealt a severe blow to the Saian regime.¡±
¡°Really? How many forts have you taken? How many garrisons and cities have you conquered?¡±
Riyan, who had been standing until now, sat heavily in his chair. ¡°They wille, in time,¡± he said, more softly. ¡°This is precisely why we must press our advantage. The enemy is pressured. If we stop here, we give them the time to regroup.¡±
¡°See, that¡¯s where I think you¡¯re wrong, Riyan,¡± Maiya said. ¡°For all your experience as a general, for all your genius on the battlefield that earned you the moniker ¡®The Butcher¡¯... You¡¯ve always acted alone.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°She means the smart thing would have been to win the Altani¡¯s favor, of course,¡± Ira said. ¡°With my father recently pressuring Sai to dissolve the trade agreement they have with the Altani, the Altani have just lost a valuable ally. A critical buffer between them and the Kin¡¯jal. I imagine they¡¯re none too happy about this situation. In fact, I¡¯d be surprised if they weren¡¯t making ns of their own.¡±
¡°Do you take me for a fool?¡± Riyan thundered. ¡°Of course, I contacted them. Of course, I proposed an alliance. I was ignored. The Altani, in their arrogance, deemed it unfit to humor me. So be it. Let them revel behind the white walls of Alt Ashani. When I rule Sai and Hiranya is in Sanobar¡¯s hands, it will be they whoe begging.¡±
Maiya sighed, while Ira stared at Riyan, clearly struggling to believe the man would say something of that sort. But she didn¡¯t know Riyan like Maiya did. He was dead serious. As deep as hisbat experience went, Riyan had always been quick tobel everyone an enemy.
¡°He means every word, Ira,¡± Maiya said. ¡°Riyan doesn¡¯t trust them. He thinks himself their better, and he always acts alone.¡±
Maiya ignored the scowl the ex-general sent her way.
¡°Ah,¡± Ira replied. ¡°I see the problem. Riyan Savar, tell me. Did you know that I¡¯ve been chatting with the Altani? Did you also know that they are quite amenable to my idea of overthrowing my father, and were even willing to pledge a not-insignificant amount of troops, gold, and intelligence to my cause?¡±
Riyan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And how much of your soul did you have to sell to broker that agreement?¡±
¡°Nothing. I simply asked.¡±
Riyan¡¯s mouth opened and closed. ¡°You aim to deceive me.¡±
¡°I do not,¡± Ira said firmly. ¡°Would you like to know the difference between us?¡±
¡°I imagine you will tell me, regardless.¡±
¡°Correct,¡± Ira said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s because of trust, Riyan.¡±
Riyan barked a derisiveugh. ¡°The treasonous princess speaks of trust? Tell me, what nation have I betrayed? What army have I ever failed?¡±
¡°Yes, your military record is quite remarkable,¡± Ira said. ¡°No one in the realm questions it. You¡¯ve served your country with honor and distinction¡ And, as you said, you have neverunched a coup. You have never acted on your own, and you¡¯ve not an ounce of experience in the world of politics. That is why the Altani do not trust you. Because they do not believe you can seed, and even if you do, they do not wish to deal with someone as¡ Shall we say, brusque, as yourself.¡±
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Riyan fell silent for a moment, and Maiya knew he was truly internalizing Ira¡¯s words.
¡°You can get the Altani tomit troops to my cause?¡±
Ira smiled. ¡°I believe so. But only if you agree toy low for now. Shore up your supplies. Train your troops. Prepare for the day when you¡¯ll strike.¡±
¡°I require arms and armor.¡±
¡°They will be provided.¡±
¡°Mejai and orbs from the Altani. Equipment from Kin¡¯jal¡ This could work.¡±
¡°Y-yes. It will,¡± Ira said, visible taken aback by Riyan¡¯s abrupt shift.
Though a certain head handmaiden would have disapproved, Maiya¡¯s lips crept upwards ever-so-slightly.
Despite his enormous ego and his jaded outlook forged from a lifetime of tragedy, this was what set Riyan apart. He could set aside that ego, if it meant aplishing arger goal. It just took some doing to pierce that thick skull of his. Working alone, Maiya would undoubtedly have failed, but together with Ira, they made quite the potent force indeed.
¡°Very well,¡± Riyan said, crossing his arms. ¡°I will wait. But what of Hiranya? This n of yours cannot seed without both countries rebelling at the same time, yes?¡±
The grizzled general cast his gaze to the Hiranyan prince, who had kept his silence until now.
Maiya almost felt bad for Sanobar. It was obvious at a nce that he was the honest, straightforward type. He reminded her of Vir in that regard. It was patently obvious to everyone in the room that he detested even being here. That talk of coups and rebellions distressed him greatly.
Hiranya could use a kind-hearted ruler for once, Maiya thought. Between the crippled Mina and her despotic father, there was precious little mercy in the current rulership.
But mercy without the backbone to make the hard decisions was a recipe for a weak, ipetent ruler who would, at best, continue Hiranya¡¯s slow decline, and at worst, allow the nation to copse entirely, killing millions.
The question was, which was he? Sanobar Hiranya¡¯s iron nobility was renowned. But what of his grit? Was he a ruler at heart? Or just a boy? She hoped to find out.
¡°Tell me,¡± Sanobar said. ¡°What good is a brighter future if it is to be built on a mountain of corpses?¡±
¡°What good is a diseased country that allows tens of thousands to starve every year?¡± Ira countered smoothly. ¡°How many years must pass¡ªhow many Hiranyans must die¡ªbefore this calculus makes sense in your head? I would truly like to know.¡±
¡°I understand, Princess Ira,¡± Sanobar said. ¡°I have understood this hypocrisy from the day I was first taken outside our gilded pce walls as a young boy. Our nation is sick. Should nothing be done, more will die. Yet it is also the truth that so many will perish in an uprising. And if it were to fail?¡±
¡°Then you will be put to death,¡± Ira said. ¡°Are you afraid to die?¡±
¡°Please,¡± Sanobar retorted. ¡°How can I hope to rule if I cannot even risk my own life? No, if it is only my own life at risk, then I will dly pay it. But what if your n fails? What if Andros does indeed send his forces to Hiranya? We will be crushed. My people ughtered, my cities razed to the ground. I know your father¡¯s reputation. He will leave no one alive, all to set an example.¡±
Maiya pursed her lips. She¡¯d never met Imperator Andros, but between his reputation and what Ira had said earlier about her punishment¡ Well, Maiya hoped she never did. Many rulers exaggerated their exploits to inte their reputations. Andros, it seemed, had no reason to. His brutality spoke for itself.
¡°True,¡± Ira said. ¡°I¡¯ll not deny that. Our failure risks your national sovereignty. Our sess, however, establishes a new world order. One built on peace and prosperity. Is that not worth fighting for?¡±
Sanobar bit his lip. ¡°You cannot ask me to risk my country¡¯s future on this reckless n. Toppling three countries at once? Not once in history has it been done. Not once in history has anyone even thought of such a thing.¡±
¡°All great things are deemed impossible until they are done,¡± Ira said softly. ¡°Then they bemonce. One need only gaze up at the Vimana that floats above this very city for confirmation of that fact.¡±
The room fell silent. Unlike Riyan¡¯s reservations, this was not an issue that could be won with words alone, as both Maiya and Ira knew. Sanobar¡¯s point was valid. Riyan cared little for the citizens of Sai. Should his n fail, he¡¯d hide, bide his time, and try again. Should Ira fail, she would die, but Kin¡¯jal would remain unchanged. They would hardly notice.
Sanobar, on the other hand, had not only the current popce of his country to worry about, but the fate of all future generations as well. His decision here might well doom his country.
Unless¡
¡°What if it didn¡¯t have to?¡± Maiya found herself saying. Her words came almost as much of a surprise to her as it did to the room.
¡°You have a n?¡± Ira said, her tone half statement, half question.
¡°What if we depose King Rayid¡ Quietly,¡± Maiya said.
¡°And Prince Sanobar takes his ce?¡± Riyan said. ¡°This defeats the purpose of the princess¡¯ coup, does it not? Andros will have no cause to muster his troops if there is a smooth cessation of power.¡±
¡°Riyan is right, Maiya,¡± Ira said. ¡°It is precisely the turmoil Sanobar¡¯s coup would cause that would entice my father.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Maiya said. ¡°I understand that. Which is why the prince wouldn¡¯t take the throne right away. He¡¯d be missing¡¡±
¡°Missing?¡± Sanobar asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Maiya replied, pointing to Riyan. ¡°Because we¡¯ll have Riyan capture you. So when your father does sumb, there will be nobody to take the throne. Not right away, anyway.¡±
Riyan stroked his beard. ¡°Hiranya would devolve into chaos.¡±
¡°I fail to see how this is any better than a coup,¡± Sanobar muttered. ¡°Many will die.¡±
¡°Not necessarily,¡± Princess Ira said. ¡°Not if you prepare your retainers for such an eventuality. Call it princely paranoia after what happened to your sister. Prince Sanobar suddenly fears for his life and that of his family, and worries for the state of the nation. As such, he has flown into a frenzy readying the staff in case something should happen.¡±
¡°I would look a fool¡¡± Sanobar said. ¡°But only until I¡¯m proven right, I suppose.¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Maiya said. ¡°When your father is killed and you¡¯re captured, you¡¯ll suddenly appear wise. You are already well-loved by Hiranya, and this action would only solidify your position. The country will yearn for your return.¡±
¡°Andros will see the vacant throne as a carrot and move in, salivating,¡± Ira mused. ¡°He couldn¡¯t ask for a better target.¡±
¡°And then, at the perfect moment, the Prince returns in force and rallies his troops in a gant show of heroism,¡± Riyanpleted.
¡°By then, my own coup would be in motion,¡± Ira continued. ¡°Andros will be forced to return to Sonam.¡±
¡°We will pull Andros¡¯ strings like puppet masters,¡± Riyanughed. ¡°Glorious.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Ira muttered. ¡°It¡¯s¡ genius, actually. How did youe up with this, Maiya?¡±
Maiya gave a smallugh. ¡°I, er¡ I¡¯d been worried the prince would react this way, so I came up with a countermeasure,¡± she lied. She had, in fact, thought of it on the spot, but there was no need for these rulers-to-be to know that minor fact.
¡°I¡¯m impressed,¡± Ira said. ¡°The only risk I see is if an opportunist sees the vacant throne and decides tounch a coup of their own. Princess Mina, perhaps?¡±
¡°Impossible,¡± Riyan said, with no small amount of glee, pointing to his mask. ¡°I see you staring, Princess. You may have the tact not to ask outright, but it is true. Mina was once a formidable foe. A sick child who gained far too much power. Yet the disfigured face behind this mask pales inparison to what I have done to her. She is no longer a threat.¡±
Ira¡¯s reaction was muted, while Prince Sanobar winced at the mention of Riyan¡¯s face. The rtionship between the two clearly ran deep, something both Ira and Maiya took careful note of.
¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree with Riyan,¡± the Hiranyan prince said. ¡°My sister is¡ Not well. She¡¯s proven unable to endure her crippling and subsequent loss of power. Her mind has broken, and I¡¯m afraid she scarcely even recognizes her own bedchambers these days. She spends her time muttering nonsense and requires assistance feeding and eating. I fear she may not survive much longer.¡±
¡°Good riddance,¡± Maiya muttered, earning her a look of surprise from the prince.
¡°Do you know my sister?¡± he asked.
¡°You could say that. You might not know this, but I was Hiranyan, once.¡± Maiya ignored Riyan¡¯s scoff. ¡°She ordered the murder of my mother and father, and of a dear friend¡¯s only parent. It was because of her we fled to flee. It was because of her we met Riyan, and trained to be killers and spies.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± Sanobar said after a moment had passed, and lowered his head. ¡°On behalf of my sister, I apologize. We failed you. Instead of protecting you, wemitted a terrible tragedy. I have tried, over the years, to guide my sister, but I¡¯m afraid I proved insufficient. She is¡ Was¡ brilliant. Far more than I or my father. If only her mind hadn¡¯t be corrupted¡¡±
¡°Except it did,¡± Maiya said. ¡°And there was nothing you or anyone else could have done, so there¡¯s no sense ming yourself. My feelings toward Mina have been satiated. She got what she deserved. Your father, however, needs to answer for the crimes he has allowed under his rule.¡±
¡°He is not a bad man,¡± Sanobar said. ¡°He¡¯s just¡¡±
¡°Negligent,¡± Ira said. ¡°For a ruler, there is no difference. I agree. King Rayid needs to be removed.¡±
¡°And I will be the one to end him,¡± Maiya said. Her mind was firm. The day she¡¯d learned of her parents¡¯ death was as vivid now as it had been all those years ago. The anguish she¡¯d felt had never left, and the fury had never dimmed. It had simmered at the back of her mind, all this time.
And now, her chance had arrived.
King Rayid Hiranya would die by Maiya¡¯s hand.
Chapter Ashborn 366: Crisis in the Ash (One)
Chapter Ashborn 366: Crisis in the Ash (One)
¡°It¡¯s just¡ gone,¡± Vir muttered, kneeling. Ash fell through the gaps in his fingers. ¡°How?¡±
¡°The Ash covers all,d,¡± Cirayus said, putting his hand on Vir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not surprising any evidence would be long buried by now.¡±
The garrison that Vir had personally helped construct¡ªthe base within the Ash he¡¯d trained his core group of two hundred¡ªwas gone without a trace.
¡°This isn¡¯t the core of the realm, Cirayus,¡± Vir said, standing back up. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine more than a week going by. One week, and they¡¯re all dead? Why didn¡¯t anyone send word?¡±
¡°The Gate you established to Baira is close for us, but far for any normal demon. If they truly were beset upon by a horde or a City Ender, then I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s precious little chance anyone could have gotten out alive in time to send word,d,¡± Cirayus said, cing a hand upon Vir¡¯s shoulder.
¡°The Ashen Realm is a hostile ce,¡± Ashani murmured. ¡°Hostile to all life.¡±
Tara and Aida looked on with simrly grim expressions. Aida had arrived expecting to find a base full of demons requiring tattoos. Instead, they¡¯d found¡ Not even corpses. Just ash.
And Tara? Vir nced at the Naga, who was currently walking around the clearing. What would she think of this failure? Would she rescind her support to his cause?
Vir shook off the thoughts.¡°No,¡± he said, brushing off Cirayus¡¯ hand. ¡°I will not believe that they are dead. There¡¯s still the Gate I built. The one that leads deeper into the Ash. They could have fled there.¡±
¡°Fleeing deeper into the Ash?¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Where the monsters are stronger, and the prana toxic? I think not,d.¡±
Vir ground his teeth. He knew that. It¡¯d be folly to delve deeper into this realm under attack. Yes, his demons would grow stronger, but that was only assuming they could survive the prana density. The beasts chasing them had no such issues.
¡°Tara, Aida¡ I apologize, but I must go through the nearby Gate,¡± Vir said, approaching the two. ¡°The prana there is far denser, and so I understand if you do not wish to join us. You can either wait here, or I will return you both to Baira until I can determine what happened to my forces.¡±
Tara just blinked, while Aida looked confused.
¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Tara said.
¡°I know this is not what you were expecting,¡± Vir replied, looking away. ¡°I fully understand if you wish to return¡ª¡±
¡°We¡¯reing with, obviously,¡± Tara said. ¡°Or at least, I am. I don¡¯t want to speak for Aida.¡±
Tara¡¯s eyes nced at Tara, and for the briefest of instants, flickered toward Ashani before refocusing on Aida.
Vir kept his face neutral. Though they¡¯d only known each other for a few hours, Tara still hadn¡¯t even worked up the courage to look at Ashani. Let alone talk to her. Ashani, for her part, was allowing Tara to work through her issues and approach her when she was ready.
The situation wasn¡¯t much better with Aida, though she at least managed a word or two to the goddess if absolutely needed. The truth was, not even Cirayus knew how to treat Ashani, and Vir suspected that problem would only grow worse the more people he introduced her to. He felt like her only friend right now, the thought that this state of affairs mightst awhile yet saddened him.
Vir shelved aside those emotions for now. The matter of his troops was far more pressing. Ashani¡¯s happiness would have to wait.
¡°I understand you¡¯re eager,¡± Vir said, meeting both Aida and Tara¡¯s gazes. ¡°But you must understand that the prana there is entirely unlike here, or even what you and I dealt with during the qualifiers for the tournament. It may prove toxic to you, at least until you can limatize, and you are our primary healer. If you were to fall unconscious, we¡¯d have to rely on Cirayus¡¯ healing orb, which can¡¯tpare to the Naga arts.¡±
Tara held up her hands. ¡°I understand the risks, Vaak,¡± she said, using his tournament name. Vir had long ago resigned to allow people to call him what they wished. Not even fame and power were enough to change that. ¡°I¡¯ll test the waters¡ªsee how things are. If I can¡¯t stand the prana, I¡¯ll return. But do you honestly think any demon¡¯s going to give up a chance to grow from high prana density?¡±
¡°Fair enough, I suppose,¡± Vir said. ¡°What about you, Aida?¡±
¡°I¡¯lle, too,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of staying by myself on this side, and I sure as heck don¡¯t want to return to the Demon Realm. Not until¡ Not until we know what happened,¡± she said, biting her lip.
¡°Alright,¡± Vir said. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±
For several reasons, Tara hung back with Cirayus as the party jogged through the forest, moving as fast as they dared. Chief among them, however, was to get away from the twin reality-defying presences that were Vaak and Ashani, who¡¯d raced ahead.
Despite Vir¡¯s movement arts, however, the forest prevented rapid travel, unless he relied on Dance of the Shadow Demon. That would prevent him from guiding the others, so they hadpromised and were moving conventionally.
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If jogging through a dense Ashen Realm forest could be called conventional.
¡°How are you faring, Tara?¡± Cirayus asked softly. Too softly for the Akh Nara to hear, she thought, but then again, who knew the extent of that one¡¯s power?
¡°This level of prana doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± Tara said. ¡°It¡¯s what lies through that Gate that does.¡±
¡°Aye, I imagine you may have a tough time of it,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Just remember your healing arts. Keep Yuma¡¯s Embrace active. If there¡¯s a silver lining, you¡¯ll find no shortage of prana to work with.¡±
Tara nodded.
¡°That isn¡¯t what I was asking, though,¡± Cirayus said after a moment had passed, a small grin on his face. ¡°How are you faring?¡±
¡°If I¡¯m entirely honest, I don¡¯t quite know what to make of this situation,¡± Tara admitted, stepping over a gnarled root covered in soot. ¡°Here I am, walking with the Ravager, the Akh Nara, and¡¡± Tara nced at the impossibly beautiful Ashani, once again fighting thepulsion to prostrate. ¡°And her¡ It doesn¡¯t feel real,¡± she concluded.
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus said with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re not alone in that sentiment,ss.¡±
Aida, who¡¯d been jogging alongside Cirayus, edged closer.
¡°On the one hand, I think of the absurdity of this group,¡± Tara said. ¡°How, in all the millennia of demonic history, nothing even close to this collection has formed. And how, with the Akh Nara himself, a literal goddess, and you¡ How can he not oust the Chits? How can he not unite the realm and take it to heights it¡¯s never even dared to dream of?¡±
¡°And on the other?¡± Cirayus asked, brow raised.
¡°He¡¯s one demon. And a goddess. Sure, you¡¯re on their side, and Thaman is too, but Baira, the n, is not. Neither is Panav, even if we¡¯re not openly hostile to his plight. He has no army. He has few friends¡ The odds seem impossible.¡±
¡°Aye,¡± Cirayus said, more somberly this time. ¡°All that you say is true,ss. Nothing is known. Nothing is given. Even with the Akh Nara and a being from the Age of Gods.¡±
¡°I can scarcely believe it,¡± Tara said, shaking her head. ¡°Count on Vaak to disappear for a night ande back from the Ash with a living, breathing goddess in tow.¡±
¡°She doesn¡¯t¡¡± Aida said, sneaking a nce at Ashani in the distance ahead. ¡°Breathe, I mean. She said she¡¯s an automaton. Like the ones you find in the Ash.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry if you¡¯ll forgive me for not believing you,¡± Tara said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an Automaton Guardian, but I¡¯ve heard the stories. Ashani is nothing like them.¡±
¡°Agreed,ss,¡± Cirayus said, ¡°though it does appear to be true that she shares the same basic construction. She is simply far more advanced. Advanced enough to be real. To be alive.¡±
¡°To think the gods could give life to someone like her¡¡± Tara trailed off. Ashani was perfect. Beyond perfect. Not only was she the most gorgeous woman Tara had ever seen, she behaved just as Tara would expect from a goddess. Elegant, pure, all-knowing.
It made her feel just how insignificant she was, next to a being like Ashani. A being of literal myth and legend.
¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Vir called, stepping through his Gate. ¡°I¡¯ve stabilized it again, so there should be no issues.¡±
Even from afar, Tara could feel the all-powerful force radiating from the Gate. Nausea swelled inside her, and she found herself tapping unconsciously into her healing arts. If things were this bad here, how bad were they on the other side?
More shocking¡ªhow did any of the demons Vir had brought here hope to survive in such an environment?
When he¡¯d said his forcesprised only two hundred, Tara despaired. No demon could hope to conquer a city with so few, let alone a whole n¡¯s domain.
Warriors who trained in this much prana, though? Warriors who fought the sort of monsters who thrived in thesends?
Each of them could easily be worth ten, if not a hundred demons.
Tara shuddered. Not only out of excitement, and hope, that Vir¡¯s troops were still alive. But also from anticipation.
How strong would she grow if she endured this?
Tara knew she¡¯d underestimated the Ash the moment she stepped through the Gate into the forest on the other side.
Tara was a warrior. She was no stranger to pain and suffering, and prided herself on her innate resiliency, but this?
This was in another realm entirely. Her knees buckled, it was only the Ravager¡¯s support that kept her from crumpling against the Ash entirely.
Out of habit, Tara reached for Yuma¡¯s Touch, Panav¡¯s regr bloodline healing art, and found it was almost immediately overwhelmed. Cursing herself, she then activated Yuma¡¯s Embrace, Panav¡¯s Ultimate Bloodline art that could bring its wielder back from the very brink of death.
She almost never used it because of its immense prana costs¡ªmost too much for most ces in the Demon Realm. She¡¯d been trained to rely on the much more efficient Yuma¡¯s Touch. Here, though, where the prana was so abundant, it was training she would have to break.
Yuma¡¯s Embrace worked rapidly, mending her body as fast as the surrounding prana destroyed it. It felt like a thousand pinpricks all over her body, never-ending. While the art kept her alive, it was nothing short of torture to endure.
And this isn¡¯t even that much deeper, she thought, grinding her teeth.
¡°Will you be alright,ss?¡± Cirayus asked.
¡°I¡¯ll livvvvve,¡± Tara hissed, suddenly realizing she¡¯d reverted to her full Naga form at some point.
¡°Good,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°I know what you¡¯re going through. I know it cannot be easy. I will, however, have to ask you to tend to my granddaughter.¡±
Tara swiveled her serpentine head to the giant, who was on her knees, hissing in pain. It was a testament to Aida¡¯s toughness that she¡¯d managed even that. Without a healing art, Tara couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what the poor Thaumaturge was going through.
¡°What about you?¡± Tara asked, allowing Cirayus to scoop her up and bring her to Aida¡¯s side.
¡°Sorry,ss,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid the healing orb I obtained in the Human Realm only goes so far.¡±
With as much pain as she¡¯d been in, Tara hadn¡¯t even noticed his departure, nor his Ash Wolf or the Goddess Ashani who left with him. That alone proved just how much pain Tara was in. Even now, with Yuma¡¯s Embrace actively healing the damage, it was a fight to retain her wits.
To think Vir¡¯s demons had no issues entering this space¡ It proved that time spent limatizing in the Ash was iparable to anything demons in the realm managed. No wonder those who imed the Ash as part of their name were so strong. Merely surviving here made one strong, to say nothing of the monsters that sought to kill everyone.
Tara moved to Aida and ced a hand upon the giantess. Ordinarily, it would be unthinkable for a wielder of Yuma¡¯s Embrace to heal two at once. Most times, the prana consumption simply would not allow it, and when it did, the feat required such mastery that only those with centuries of experience could aplish it.
Ever since she was little, however, Tara had been something of a prodigy when it came to the healing arts. It was why she¡¯d been selected for the art. It was why she¡¯d attained her current station in the Panav.
At least with Aida, Tara didn¡¯t feel the pain. That would be Aida¡¯s burden to bear.
Thankfully, the pain steadily abated with every moment that passed, subsiding from outright agony to a muted pain¡ªso long as Yuma¡¯s Embrace was active. Tara didn¡¯t even want to imagine what would happen to her if she were to lose consciousness or be forced to stop cycling the prana.
Death woulde quickly for both of them.
Just as Tara was beginning to think that the worst was over, however, the Ashen Realm proved them terribly, horribly wrong.
An unnatural groan rang through the forest, so loud, it reverberated Tara¡¯s very bones.
All three looked up through the tops of the trees¡ and despaired.
For, standing in the distance was none other than a legend from the Age of Gods. A monster so deadly, they might as well have been a myth.
Standing in the distance were not just one, but two Automaton Guardians.
Chapter Ashborn 367: Crisis in the Ash (Two)
Chapter Ashborn 367: Crisis in the Ash (Two)
¡°We have to run!¡± Tara said, half in panic, half because she knew the fate of those who dared fight one of those.
¡°Afraid that doesn¡¯t seem to be a choice,ss,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Thed would have returned by now if it were. My guess? He¡¯s found his demons.¡±
¡°Then¡¡± Tara bit her lip. ¡°Then we need to help. I doubt there¡¯s much I can do in this state, but you should at least join them.¡±
¡°I will not leave you two here. Those Guardians aren¡¯t the only thing that can kill you. The forests teem with starving beasts, only too happy to pounce on weakened prey.¡±
¡°Still¡ Wait!¡± Tara said, eyes widening. ¡°We¡¯ll go.¡±
¡°We will?¡± Aida squeaked.
¡°If we go to the site of the battle, you can join in, right? We¡¯ll hide somewhere out of the way, so you won¡¯t have to worry about us. But at least you¡¯ll know where we are, in case other monsters do show up.¡±
Cirayus frowned. The n wasn¡¯t great, Tara had to admit. Going closer to the battle would put them in even more danger, and if they didn¡¯t do a good job hiding, then they¡¯d be a burden for Cirayus and the others. The smart thing to do would be to return through the Gate, to the rtive safety of the outskirts of the Ash.
Even so, Tara couldn¡¯t agree to that. How could she just slither away when Vaak was putting his life at risk? What sort of ally would she be if she fled in times of duress?¡°I¡¯m with Tara,¡± Aida said, face set in a mask of determination. ¡°I¡¯m not going to abandon him. I just got here! How can we leave now?¡±
¡°Should¡¯ve known better than to argue with two hardheadedsses like yourselves,¡± Cirayus said with a sigh and a shake of his head. ¡°Besides, you have the right of it. I haven¡¯t fought for centuries for nothing, you know? Even protecting you two, I believe I can help thed. Though, with that goddess beside him, one has to wonder if he needs any help at all.¡±
Tara nced at Aida, and exchanged a grin.
¡°Stay out of sight. Move if the danger nears. And shout if you need any help. And don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡±
¡°We¡¯d never dream of it!¡±
¡°What¡¯s¡ What¡¯s going on?¡± Aida asked, mouth agape.
Tara had no reply. What could she possibly say about the current situation?
She didn¡¯t know what was more astounding. That two Automaton Guardians¡ªvestiges of the gods themselves¡ªwere not only here, but actively fighting¡ Or that Vaak and the Goddess Ashani were actually sessful in holding them off.
The Guardians themselves were every bit as impressive as the legends made them out to be. Standing easily thrice as tall as the tallest trees, they made even a full-sized giant like Aida look like a child. They stood like noble warriors with brilliant white armor. Enormous white capes hung off their backs, and though unarmed, Tara knew they needed nothing as mundane as swords and axes to be lethal.
The race that built them had progressed far past such primitive methods, after all.
¡°This shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± Tara whispered in awe and fear. Gazing not only at the battle that raged in the air, but at the equally impressive one at their feet.
For the Ravager had joined the fray, and though he mostly dealt with the swarm of Ash Beasts that absolutely filled therge clearing in which they fought, his performance was no less impressive. It had to be.
In the middle of that clearing was a camp walled with thick, tall palisades, and inside were Vaak¡¯s forces. What condition they were in, or how many were left, Tara couldn¡¯t say. Just that both the quantity and frequency of prana arts firing from the fort were far less than she¡¯d have expected from a force of two hundred demons.
She herself huddled against the wall of the fort, alongside Aida. She¡¯d figured Cirayus¡¯ task was to protect the base, and so there was no better ce to hide than right up against it.
Though she¡¯d called out to the demons inside, there had been no response, so getting in didn¡¯t seem like an option. Not when she had to continuously touch Aida to keep Yuma¡¯s Embrace active.
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The beasts fled the Automatons like a mad stampede, fleeing in all directions. From Raptors to Zards to Garga to Shredders, along with several Tara couldn¡¯t identify. Somerge, others small. Some that moved with blistering speed, and yet others that were slow and armored.
Each required a different technique to kill, and yet Cirayus and Shan were annihting them with ease.
Cirayus wielded Bncer of Scales with such mastery that it was a shame more demons couldn¡¯t witness it. His application of the art would put most masters to shame, as he not onlyid down a suppressive weight field, but altered the weight of individual limbs of multiple creatures at once, causing them to stumble and fall, only to be trampled and killed by the beasts behind them.
That the Ravager not only did this to several beasts at once, but that each application of his ability caused several more deaths as the stampede grew more and more confused, showed just how monstrously capable he truly was. This wasn¡¯t simply the mastery of technique at the highest level¡ªit was tactical and strategic brilliance that would have impressed even Jalendra the Wise.
Even Shan was unlike anything he¡¯d been during the tournament, moving around so quickly that he appeared like a ck blur of fur and Ash prana fire. Where he appeared, a beast would die, and often, several would fall at once. He dispatched any stragglers that made it through Cirayus¡¯ defense. Despite not a word passing between them, they worked as the most seamless team Tara had ever seen.
¡°It¡¯s¡ a battlefield,¡± Aida whispered. ¡°This is¡ This is a war.¡±
Tara had to agree. Between Cirayus and Shan decimating the seemingly endless horde of Ash Beasts, and Vir and Ashani upying the Guardians themselves, she felt like they were witnessing a great war between the ns.
¡°I think this is normal, around here,¡± Tara said. As hard to believe as it was, chaos reigned in the Ash. Monsters roved by the millions, and most demons were nothing but fodder.
¡°Is it normal for demons to fight evenly against those things?¡± Aida asked, pointing up to the Guardians.
¡°No, Aida,¡± Tara said with a wry smile. ¡°I think that is very much not normal.¡±
Vaak moved with the same mind-bending speed as his wolf, except he seemed to spend as much time in midair as Ashani, who floated high in the sky, pulling herself left and right to avoid the devastating prana beams the Automatons fired from their chest and eyes.
One nearly stationary, one never stopping. Their movement was as different as their attacks, with Ashani unleashing mighty bursts of Lightning that visibly damaged the Automatons, scorching their brilliant white armor and causing them to be motionless for several seconds.
Seconds that Vir capitalized to the fullest bynding on the Automatons¡¯ shoulders and pressing his palm against their skulls.
¡°What is he doing?¡± Aida asked, and at first, Tara didn¡¯t have the slightest clue. As the seconds passed, however, and Vir repeated his attack again and again, she thought she saw something.
¡°Look at the prana beams!¡± Tara cried, pointing with her free hand at the devastation wrought by the beams. The red prana¡ªat least, Tara assumed it was prana¡ªvaporized all that it touched, and she felt it was only by some miracle that the base had been spared thus far.
Deep ck troughs gouged the clearing in all directions, and if thend wasn¡¯t already ck with soot, they would have looked like terrible scars. As it stood, the t area had be a ravaged mess of small hills and valleys. Nearly impassible.
Which, ironically, made it easier for Cirayus and Shan to defend.
Each strike caught several Ash Beasts in its wave of destruction, and left thend there nearly impassible, forcing the beasts to divert.
Cirayus and Shan, working together, capitalized on this, funneling the beasts into choke points where they could kill them off with ease.
¡°What about them?¡± Aida asked. ¡°They¡¯re just as terrible as before!¡±
¡°Yes, but look at their uracy,¡± Tara said, pointing to the nearest marks, only a frozen or so paces away. ¡°That one was already there when we got here. The ones ever since have been getting further and further away.¡±
¡°You think that¡¯s the Akh Nara¡¯s doing?¡± Aida asked.
¡°It must be,¡± Tara said with a rush of hope. ¡°Whatever he¡¯s doing is affecting the Guardian¡¯s ability to urately strike us.¡±
Maybe there was a chance they¡¯d defeat these giants. To think Tara had the opportunity to witness such a historic event! The records would tell of this day for millennia toe.
Just, not in the way she¡¯d expected, as that hope that was ripped cruelly apart a momentter. For the prana beams were hardly the Guardians¡¯ only weapons. With their great mass, they could¡ªand did¡ªdestroy anything they crushed with their enormous metal boots. And their arms, each as wide as a house, moved with such blistering speed that, like Vaak, they blurred. It was too fast for anything that size to move. It was unnatural, and thus terrifying.
That terror manifested when one of those arms finally caught Vaak, swatting him out of the sky like an insect.
It was followed by eye beams from both Automatons immediately after, mming into Vir the moment he crashed into the ground.
Tara¡¯s heart nearly stopped. It all happened so fast¡ One moment, Vaak was gantly fighting off the divine machinations, and the next¡ She couldn¡¯t ept this. It couldn¡¯t be real.
Yet she needed only to look at the mangled, deformedndscape, to know just how destructive those beams truly were.
For not just one, but four to hit Vaak at the same time?
¡°Sarvaaaaak!¡± Cirayus roared in the distance, rushing to the site of Vir¡¯s impact, while Shan continued fighting off the beasts, despite howling in pain.
Tara watched on with abject horror, heart pumping madly in her chest, while Aida sped her hands in prayer as Cirayus disappeared into the crater that had formed from the impact, leaving only Ashani to fight off the two Guardians on her own.
It was only when Cirayus emerged from the crater, bounding back to the fort at top speed with Vir in his hands, that Tara despaired.
What the giant held was not the Akh Nara. It wasn¡¯t the wilybatant she¡¯d fought in the tournament.
It was a charred, ckened corpse with only a single limb still attached.
Chapter Ashborn 368: Reckoning
Chapter Ashborn 368: Reckoning
Well before Cirayus arrived, Tara already knew what she had to do. As the only person present with any meaningful healing capacity, the burden fell upon her shoulders.
And what a burden that was¡
¡°Aida?¡± Tara said, nearly choking on the words she was about to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t heal three at once. Especially not someone perhaps on the brink of death.¡±
For a Panav, withdrawing healing in someone¡¯s time of need, when their life depended on it, was just about the worst possible offense. It went against Tara¡¯s upbringing. It went against everything the Panav held dear.
¡°It¡¯s¡ It¡¯s fine,¡± Aida replied, only just barely holing back her panic. ¡°You can stop healing me. I¡¯ll¡ I¡¯ll live.¡±
¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± a voice said.
The fort¡¯s gates opened, and out came, to Tara¡¯s surprise, another Naga, in his half-serpent form.
¡°Never thought I¡¯d see another Panav here, of all ces. Whoever you are, girl, you¡¯re either courageous, or stupid.¡±
Tara raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡ don¡¯t recognize me?¡±¡°Should I?¡± the demon asked. ¡°Forgive me, but I¡¯ve been a bit estranged from Panav society for some time.¡±
¡°Oh¡¡± was all Tara managed before Cirayus arrived, carrying the crippled Vir in his arms.
¡°Focus on the Akh Nara,¡± the demon said hurriedly. ¡°I will heal you and the Bairan.¡±
Tara worked furiously with Cirayus to strip away the Akh Nara¡¯s armor. Armor that had done him no good against such an overwhelming attack. Worse, it had fused together in several ces, making the task of removing it far harder, requiring Cirayus to cut it open down the chest and pry it open with his four hands.
¡°You bear Yuma¡¯s Embrace?¡± Tara asked, shocked and ted to find someone with the art in this remote ce. With a second Ultimate Art, they might actually stand a chance.
¡°Er, no. Only Yuma¡¯s Touch,¡± the demon said, somewhat taken aback. ¡°I¡¯ve plenty of experience with it, however. It should suffice to keep you two conscious.
Tara¡¯s hopes came crashing down as swiftly as they had formed. She very much doubted Yuma¡¯s Touch would be enough to undo the damage the ambient prana was doing to Aida and herself, but she didn¡¯t argue, despite her reservations. It would be a painful experience, but she ought tost long enough to at least save the Akh Nara.
As for herself¡ She tried not to think about that, distracting herself with the task at hand.
Save the Akh Nara¡ Tara thought, looking at Vaak¡¯s charred body. How?
Yuma¡¯s Embrace could bring a demon back from the brink of death, yes, but not even the Panav knew how to resurrect the dead. Not after they¡¯d lost Ultimate Sacrifice, their second Ultimate Art, so long ago.
Tara began the moment Cirayus had set Vaak upon the ground, as did the Naga. The pain set in immediately. As she¡¯d thought, the Naga proved incapable of fully healing the damage, but she was at least thankful for this. Without it¡ Would she even have stayed conscious enough to administer healing upon the Akh Nara?
Within seconds of starting, however, she understood just how horrific Vaak¡¯s wounds were.
¡°Is he alive?¡± the Ravager asked.
¡°Barely,¡± Tara replied through gritted teeth. These moments were the most critical, and despite Tara¡¯s vast talent, she felt herself falter in the fact of this challenge. ¡°Only the faintest trace of life remains.¡±
¡°Which means you can heal him, yes?¡± Cirayus pressed. ¡°The Panav always boast that Yuma¡¯s Embrace can bring anyone back from the brink of death.¡±
¡°Ordinarily, yes,¡± Tara said, fighting to form coherent words despite the pain and the intense concentration required to keep the healing art going. ¡°In these conditions¡?¡±
Tara genuinely did not know if she had what it took. If she failed here and the Akh Nara died¡ She might just have doomed the realm. She might have altered demonic history. Permanently.
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The thought was so horrifying that she nearly seized up.
A hand rested gently upon her shoulder, and to Tara¡¯s immense surprise, it did not belong to Cirayus, but rather the goddess Ashani.
Tara froze, and very nearly allowed Yuma¡¯s Embrace to fall. When had she arrived?
¡°I believe in you,¡± Ashani said gently. ¡°You will seed.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Tara whispered. What could this goddess she¡¯s barely even met know about her? Was she actually omniscient?
¡°Because I have seen you,¡± Ashani said. ¡°I know you can do this. Vir is not beyond saving. Within his blood runs the same healing pranites present in Shan, his wolf. They will aid the restoration process, so long as you help them along. Watch for them, and do not interfere with their work.¡±
¡°N-Noted¡¡± Tara said, realizing these were the first words she¡¯d said to the living deity.
They were only words. Just words, spoken by a woman she¡¯d never met. Someone with fair, pale skin who swore she was not a god.
Tara might have believed that, on some level. That the Prime Imperium were not actually deities. Yet, it was impossible to reconcile this with the vast heights to which they¡¯d soared. And Ashani was living proof.
To Tara, Ashani was a deity, pure and simple. And, it seemed, quite the benevolent one. If a deity said she could save Vaak¡¯s life, then Tara knew she would.
Purging all thoughts from her mind, she lost herself in the task at hand. First stabilizing his condition, repairing damaged organs and restoring blood flow.
Then, ensuring she didn¡¯t make the mistake of consuming too much of the freely abundant prana, Tara began working on his limbs. While Yuma¡¯s Embrace was perfectly capable of restoring flesh in the blink of an eye when supplied with enough prana, that didn¡¯t mean it would always heal correctly. While Tara had mastered the ability enough to subconsciously heal her own body, administering aid to another was quite another thing entirely, requiring tremendous skill.
Skill she would need to wring everyst drop of, given the extent of his injuries.
Only one of Vaak¡¯s arms remained attached. The other arm, and both legs, were all gone. Burned away in the blink of an eye in temperatures Tara couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine. On one hand, that had proven a blessing, as there was no blood. On the other, it had wrought so much havoc on Vir¡¯s body that undoing the damage was perhaps the greatest challenge Tara had faced her whole life.
The lesser Yuma¡¯s Touch was fundamentally incapable of such a feat. It could only heal, not undo incorrect healing. That was a domain reserved for the Panav¡¯s greatest art, and Tara knew well that, if done improperly, she would cause more harm than good.
As Tara immersed herself in her work, time came to have no meaning. Seconds became minutes, which might have turned into hours or even days. She couldn¡¯t be sure. All that mattered was that Vaak was healed. Not just healed, but restored to his original state.
After the initial moments had passed, Tara grew increasingly confident he would live. As Ashani said, his body was working in concert with her own healing arts. She sensed the millions of tiny organisms traveling through his body, tirelessly working to repair the damage.
Seeing them work so relentlessly was in part what gave Tara the motivation to continue, despite her mounting fatigue. They could only heal, however. They could not regrow a limb.
Yuma¡¯s Embrace was designed to take immense quantities of prana, but there was such a thing as too much. Keeping it active for so long burned the tattoo, and every moment she used it hurt more and more.
Of more concern was how its efficacy decreased the worse the pain became.
Yet, she was nowhere near restoring his limbs. She¡¯d just gotten done with his arm, havingpletely regrown a new limb from scratch, and had only begun working on his legs¡ªboth muchrger than the arm had been.
Yet, on she pressed. Hour after hour. What had be of the Guardian? Where was everyone now? Were they still there, watching over her? Or had they returned to sleep?
Tara was tired. She was in pain, and she was so hungry, she could no longer tell whether the pain was from her hunger or from prana poisoning.
All of that felt like a secondary concern, however. Something distant. Something far.
Tara¡¯s mind slowly became numb, and the line between consciousness and unconscious blurred. Vir¡¯s limbs steadily regrew, however, and atst, the process wasplete.
She scarcely even noticed when it was done¡ªonly when Yuma¡¯s Embrace refused to channel any more prana did she realize the truth.
Tara had brought Vaak back from death. She, alone, had saved the Akh Nara¡¯s life.
And though she could not know it then, Tara had changed the future of not just the Demon Realm, but all the realms. Irrevocably, and forever.
Vir awoke to the pleasant scent of freshly cut timber and distant voices. Something immediately felt off. Like he was a stranger in his own body, wearing a second skin, though he couldn¡¯t ce why.
Tentatively, he moved his arms and wiggled his toes. All seemed normal. Just a bit of soreness¡ªsomething Vir hadn¡¯t experienced in a long while.
¡°You¡¯re up,¡± someone said from nearby. ¡°Good. Not evenst night¡¯s storm could wake you.¡±
A gruff voice. Familiar, though one Vir couldn¡¯t immediately ce. Until he turned on his bed and came face to face with a weathered Naga.
¡°Bgra?¡± Vir asked, confused. ¡°So, we won, then? I¡ Can¡¯t seem to recall what happened.¡±
Bgra shrugged. ¡°Oh, it was nothing too eventful. Just two Automaton Guardians, which were about to annihte us before your timely entrance with the Ravager and a mysterious beautifuldy. Several beautifuldies, in fact. Beautiful and capable.¡±
Vir frowned. ¡°And the Guardians?¡±
¡°They left on their own, though only Adinat knows why. We thought we were doomed.¡±
¡°So my Life Chakra attack worked, then...¡± Vir muttered.
¡°Younded a Chakra attack on them?¡± Bgra asked, incredulous.
Vir nodded. ¡°When my physical attacks did next to nothing, I knew I had to try something different. And I know from experience that Imperium machinations are vulnerable to Chakras. Just, vulnerable doesn''t mean weak. I''d been trying to hit them the whole fight. It was only by concentrating exclusively on the Chakra that I managed to project an illusion that fooled them.¡±
¡°What did you have them see?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± Vir said. ¡°Just an empty field. Even that simple projection took all I had...¡±
¡°I see...¡± the naga said, frowning.
¡°Say, Bgra? Why does my body feel so stiff? Was I injured?¡±
¡°Were you injured?¡± Bgra said, brows raised slightly. ¡°My dear Akh Nara, were it not for the miraculous actions of your friend Tara, you would have died.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 369: Council of the Akh Nara
Chapter Ashborn 369: Council of the Akh Nara
The revtion came not just as a shock, but as a humbling moment to him. That feeling doubled when he learned just how truly close he¡¯d been, losing multiple limbs, being a hair¡¯s breadth away from death. Here he¡¯d been, single-handedly attacking an Automaton of the Gods, thinking he¡¯d prevail simply because he¡¯d grown a bit stronger, and because he had Ashani by his side.
In doing so, he¡¯d not only put his own life in danger, but that of his people, Cirayus, Aida, Tara¡ And Ashani herself.
Images of Ashani, lying broken and maimed, came back to Vir. It was the way he¡¯d first found her, back when she¡¯d brought him to the Mah¨¡di Realm for the first time. And that had been against a Garuda. Not an Imperium Automaton. Hadn¡¯t Ashani herself said that she didn¡¯t dare fight those monstrosities? That she¡¯d nearly died once, trying?
Stupid, Vir admonished himself. Grakking stupid.
¡°Hey,¡± Bgra said, noticing Vir¡¯s scowl. ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking something along the lines of, ¡®How could I have failed?¡¯ and ¡®I couldn¡¯t protect everyone.¡¯¡±
Vir¡¯s thoughts froze. ¡°You¡¯re¡ Absolutely right,¡± he admitted, shoulders drooping. ¡°Did you learn to read minds while I was away? Or is that a anga thing?¡±
Bgra barked augh. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Just that it¡¯s what any Warrior would feel were they in your boots.¡±
¡°Yourself included?¡± Vir asked, raising an eyebrow.
¡°I imagine so,¡± Bgra said with a small sigh. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have, some months ago. Wouldn¡¯t have believed those words would evere out of my mouth, again, truthfully.¡±Vir rested a hand on Bgra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m d to hear it. Now, do I have you to thank for my miraculous recovery as well? Or was it all Tara?¡±
¡°She was the one who handled all the healing,¡± Bgra said, looking away and rubbing his neck. ¡°I just healed her so she could work without interruption.¡±
The corners of Vir¡¯s lips crept upward. It seemed he owed his life to not just one, but two Panavs.
¡°Wow, look at you! Back from the dead,¡± a certain leather-d Naga said the moment Vir had left the medical hut. He¡¯d been assigned a private room in an otherwise open building, furnished with a dozen reed cots lined up side by side. Tara walked slowly around Vir, analyzing him from every angle just as a doctor would their patient. ¡°I genuinely can¡¯t believe you bounced back so quickly. Ashani really wasn¡¯t kidding. Whatever¡¯s in your body can work miracles.¡±
¡°Not the miracle of restoring three limbs,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°I owe you a great debt, Tara.¡±
¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Tara said with a tired smile. ¡°Just do what you¡¯re iming to do, and I¡¯ll have all the payment anyone could ever ask for. But¡ Thanks.¡±
Vir nodded, but then frowned. ¡°Wait. Did you just say Ashani? Since when have you referred to her as anything other than ¡®The Goddess¡¯? Actually, you never even spoke to her.¡±
¡°Yeah, well,¡± Tara said, scratching her head. ¡°Things have changed between us the weekdays you¡¯ve been out. She¡¯s¡ Surprisingly approachable.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I was worried she¡¯d¡ªWait, a week!?¡± Vir cried in panic.
¡°Bgra didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Tara said, cocking her head. ¡°That¡¯s actually an incredibly short time to recover, considering your injuries. Even with Yuma¡¯s Embrace¡¯s healing.¡±
¡°I¡ forgot to ask. I thought I was out for a few hours, maybe a day. What all has happened while I¡¯ve been unconscious? Are we still at the same camp? How fare the troops?¡±
Tara smiled, gesturing to Bgra. ¡°I¡¯ll let him fill you in. But don¡¯t worry. It could be a lot worse¡¡±
Tara¡¯s ominous statement didn¡¯t fill Vir with any sense offort whatsoever, and his fears proved to be true once he¡¯d gotten the debrief from Bgra and Malik.
¡°Thirty dead. Over twenty severely wounded,¡± Vir muttered. He leaned over therge table of themand hut within thepound, arms spread across the wood that was covered with sheets of roughly-cured parchment.
¡°Those twenty all made a full recovery, thanks to Bgra and your friend,¡± Malik said.
¡°Still,¡± Vir replied. ¡°Thirty demons.¡±
¡°The horde came out of nowhere,¡± Bgra said. ¡°Never in my wildest dreams would I have considered fleeing deeper into the Ash, but s, that is what had to be done. Many of those who perished did so not due to Ash Beasts, but to prana poisoning. I¡¯m afraid I am only one healer, and handling that much prana poisoning for so many was beyond my means¡¡±
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¡°You can¡¯t me yourself,¡± Vir said with resignation. ¡°Just as I can¡¯t me myself for not being here when you were attacked,¡± he added, more quietly.
¡°All we can do now is to honor their sacrifice, and to rebuild stronger than ever before.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Bgra said. ¡°And we are. The Ravager toils hard training the troops, taking them out on raids and teaching them of actualbat. His granddaughter the Thaumaturge has already inscribed dozens of tattoos, and works to create more, while Tara and I perform treatment on anyone who returns with injuries. This camp functions as well as one could hope, but there is one thing we cannot create, no matter our skill.¡±
¡°More demons,¡± Vir said grimly. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±
Two hundred¡ªless, now¡ªwas nowhere near enough to take Samar Patag. Perhaps with five thousand elites, they could take and hold the country. It would be difficult, but then, every troop forged in the Ash was easily worth ten who weren¡¯t.
¡°It will be my top priority,¡± Vir assured them, realizing the task of recruitment would likely have him returning to the Demon Realm¡ªsomething he loathed. Not only because he felt he needed to be here, watching over his troops as they grew, but because of the favorable time effect this deep into the Ash. It wasn¡¯t as strong as at the core, let alone at Mah¨¡di, but unlike their previous camp, time flowed slower here than in the Demon Realm, allowing his troops the luxury of time.
For now, he needed to ensure their safety¡ªat least as much as was possible. A year ago, Vir would have attempted to do it all himself. These days, he knew a bit better.
¡°When does Cirayus get back?¡± he asked. ¡°And where is Ashani?¡±
¡°They are both out together, and should be returning shortly,¡± Bgra said. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±
¡°Because we need to hold a general meeting. About our ns. About the future.¡±
¡ª ¡ª
¡°Staffing issues aside, there is a more immediate problem at hand,¡± Vir said, addressing the group who had clustered into the smallmand hut. It consisted of Bgra, Malik, Cirayus, Aida¡ªwho had to sit to even fit¡ªAshani, and Tara.
Vir couldn¡¯t believe how quickly his core group had grown, and with such considerable talent, too. It made him more than a little proud, but all it was for naught if he couldn¡¯t ensure everyone¡¯s safety.
¡°A workshop I can actually fit in?¡± Aida said with a hopeful grin.
¡°Not quite,¡± Vir replied with a small smile. ¡°Though I will ensure we construct one for you. New buildings will be constructed with Bairans in mind.¡±
¡°Music to my ears,¡± Aida quipped.
¡°Our most immediate concern is safety, and the fact that we have no early warning system,¡± Vir said.
¡°A tough problem, especially in and here like the Ash,d,¡± Cirayus said.
¡°For most, yes,¡± Vir replied. ¡°But together with Ashani, we now have the ability to create Ash Gates at will. And due to the ambient prana levels, any Gates created in this area are nearly self-sustaining, requiring only rare infusions of prana to keep stable.¡±
¡°You¡¯re suggesting awork of Gates,¡± Cirayus said, stroking his beard.
¡°I am. I want sentries posted a mile in every direction. We¡¯ll build guard towers with Gates ced within, allowing them to return instantly should they spot anything dangerous. Furthermore, I will build Gates from our base to safe zones at the periphery of the Ash. These will, in turn, have Gates leading to the Demon Realm. All will be manned and guarded at all hours. In this way, should anything like a Guardian attack happen, the army will remain safe. Even when I am gone.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll need toe up with evacuation procedures,¡± Malik said. ¡°Even with our limited numbers, moving that many troops quickly will be a challenge.¡±
¡°Doable, with enough training,¡± Bgra said. ¡°We¡¯ll add this to our drills.¡±
¡°I want you and Malik to work together to hammer out the details. Who should escape first, what signals to use to begin the evacuation¡ Those sorts of things.¡±
¡°Consider it done,¡± Bgra replied.
¡°Meanwhile, while everyone has done a great job building this base in my absence, we need to expand it. And to reinforce the walls.¡±
¡°I can oversee that,¡± Cirayus replied. ¡°Was just thinking the same thing myself, actually.¡±
¡°Great,¡± Vir said. ¡°Lastly, Cirayus, what do you feel about the current level of the troops?¡±
Cirayus thought for a moment. ¡°Among demonic standards, they¡¯re elites already.¡±
¡°Among Ash standards?¡±
The demon shrugged. ¡°Somewhat weak. They fight well, and they are well-trained. They simplyck the strength required to take on Ash Beasts alone.¡±
¡°And this is with them fighting Ash Beasts on a regr basis¡¡± Vir trailed off. ¡°I feel we are swiftly approaching the limits of what this area can give us. As such, I¡¯m thinking of creating a Gate to the outskirts of the Mah¨¡di Realm. Both so that Ashani can travel freely back to her home, and for our troops to train. We have the benefit of the Ash, and there is no better proving ground than Mah¨¡di.¡±
¡°While I agree, we will have to be careful about it¡ªce the Gate somewhere far, and keep it under guard at all times,¡± Cirayus said.
¡°Actually, there¡¯s no need for such precaution,¡± Ashani said. ¡°We can simply ce the exit within Janak¡¯s abode. It is situated quite close to the outskirts of the city, and has remained secure against Ash Beasts for millennia.¡±
¡°Then that is what we will do,¡± Vir said with a smile. ¡°Before long, our troops will be making forays into the heart of Mah¨¡di itself.¡±
While that might have been a stretch, merely having an armyposed of demons who could withstand Mah¨¡di and not die would be a feat in and of itself.
¡°You¡¯d best keep your hopes down,d,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Even you would have died, were it not for the Goddess¡¯ aid, and you have a far easier time with prana poisoning than most demons.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Vir said, ¡°but you¡¯re forgetting we have Panav healers. One of whom bears Yuma¡¯s Embrace. I didn¡¯t have that luxury. If the art can bring me back from near-death, I figure it ought to work even better than Ashani¡¯s pranites. It will be a slow, arduous process, yes. But I believe, with time and effort, we can aplish it.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t deny that Tara has been a godsend,¡± Cirayus said. ¡°Both for you and for the others. She¡¯s the talk of the camp these days.¡±
Tara looked away. ¡°Just doing what I can¡¡±
¡°Like saving my life,¡± Vir quipped. ¡°Nothing major.¡±
¡°If you do this,d,¡± Cirayus continued, ¡°it¡¯ll be one of the most significant feats any demon has ever aplished. Not even your predecessors attempted such madness.¡±
Vir grinned. ¡°None of my predecessors had a being from the Age of Gods on their side. None of them could create Ash Gates.¡±
¡°True,d, true,¡± Cirayus said with augh. ¡°Now, what are your ns, aside from running around creating Gates?¡±
Vir¡¯s smile slipped from his face. ¡°Aside from somehow figuring out how to recruit a whole lot more troops?¡± Given that he didn¡¯t have the slightest idea how to go about that without prematurely triggering a war, he figured he¡¯d work on a more tractable goal.
¡°I need to go meet someone. It is time I returned to Saunak.¡±
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Chapter Ashborn 370: To Seek a Mad Demon
Chapter Ashborn 370: To Seek a Mad Demon
¡°Absolutely not,¡± was Cirayus¡¯ immediate response. ¡°You nearly just died,d. You think I¡¯ll let you go to that madman¡¯s tower? Have you forgotten what he tried to do to youst time?¡±
¡°I remember it well,¡± Vir said calmly.
¡°Well, then you¡¯re out of your mind if you think I¡¯ll let that abomination carve a tattoo into your skin.¡±
The mention of Saunak immediately soured the mood in the room, as Vir had expected it would.
¡°I understand your concerns, Cirayus, and believe me, I share them just as well. Nobody is more shaken than recent events than I am, I assure you. And yet, who was it who suggested Saunak as a Thaumaturge?¡±
¡°That was¡ It¡¯s too soon,¡± Cirayus said, undoubtedly realizing he had no leg upon which to stand.
Vir¡¯s lips curled upward. ¡°Too soon for me to inscribe the tattoo I earned in the Tournament? Too soon for me to grow stronger, so that I might defend myself and my people? Tell me, Cirayus. Be it now, or a decade from now, will Saunak be any different in your eyes? Will the risk be any less?¡±
¡°I s¡¯ppose not,¡± Cirayus said at length. ¡°But if you¡¯re going, I¡¯ming with you.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Vir said. ¡°You and Tara are the two most indispensable people in this camp right now. The troops need you to guide them. To show them what actualbat looks like. No one here has even a fraction of your fighting experience. Or your experience teaching thebat arts.¡±¡°Be that as it may, what use is training the troops if the Akh Nara is dead or worse?¡± Cirayus said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,d. I won¡¯t let you go alone.¡±
¡°Who said anything about going alone?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Tell me, Cirayus¡ Is Saunak a god-fearing demon?¡±
¡°I¡¯d say that he is,¡± Cirayus cautiously replied. ¡°He¡¯s been obsessed with the Imperium for as long as anyone can remember. It¡¯s what drove him to live in an Imperium tower in the first ce. I think he worships them. Perhaps more than anyone alive.¡±
¡°Then there is nothing to fear,¡± Vir said. ¡°Ashani will apany me, as will her pack of wolves. Shan will, of course, also join us. From what you¡¯ve said, I think Saunak will be on his absolute best behavior.¡±
¡°And if he isn¡¯t?¡± Cirayus asked.¡± If he makes another attempt on your life again?¡±
Vir shrugged. ¡°Then I will end him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what weapons he has. I might not have had the strength to ovee them before, but now? Saunak won¡¯t stand a chance. Any objections?¡±
Vir looked at each of his retainers in turn. There were plenty of sour faces¡ªnot a soul in the realm liked Saunak¡ªbut no one said anything further.
¡°Then with that, I call this meeting adjourned.¡±
¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Ashani asked, joining Vir as he left the tent. ¡°This Saunak fellow sounds like quite the character.¡±
¡°Oh, he is,¡± Vir said. ¡°He might also be indispensable to the sess of this rebellion, and past that, to the prosperity of the realm itself. Saunak is a genius. His creations might very well transform demonic culture for the better. Or,¡± he added, ¡°they might ruin it.¡±
Cirayus¡¯ concern came from a good ce, and was even well-founded. Saunak was a potential threat. Just that he was far too important to ignore, and if there was even the slightest chance that Vir could make an ally out of him, he had to at least try.
¡°So?¡± Ashani asked, pping her hands together. ¡°When do we depart?¡±
¡°As soon as we¡¯re able,¡± Vir said. ¡°I just finished making the escape Gates back to the periphery of the Ash, and then to the Demon Realm from there. Malik and Bgra will oversee the construction of fortified outposts there, which will be manned at all time.¡±
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¡°Quite the construction project,¡± Ashani said. ¡°You¡¯re building your own little oasis of civilization here in the Ash.¡±
¡°A small one,¡± Vir said with a frown. ¡°Only wish we had about ten times the amount ofbor to actually help build this stuff. Cirayus¡¯ Bncer of Scales is a huge help for anything requiring haulingrge lumber, but he¡¯s just one demon. At least there¡¯ll be two of us once I get the art inscribed myself.¡±
Assuming I can learn how to use it quickly¡ Vir thought. Though he intended to consult Shardul and Ekanai, he was fully prepared to slog his way through learning the art, as he¡¯d been forced to do for practically everything else.
Before that, he had to actually get to Saunak¡¯s tower, and the journey would not be easy. Even with the assistance of the Artifact that had led Vir and Cirayus to Saunak¡¯sir years ago¡ªwhich Vir now held and nned to use¡ªhe¡¯d still have to scour the Ash the old-fashioned way. Ashani could only create Gates to ces she¡¯d seen or visited in the past, and Vir could only stabilize existing Tears, which meant that Vir would have to stabilize Tears to distant locations, travel through, and check to see if the bauble resonated at all. Upon finding a suitably close location, Vir and Ashani would have to travel on foot.
It was a good reminder that even with his new ability, the Ash was not to be taken lightly. Finding something within it was still a chore. Let alone navigating across the realm.
The difference was that the navigation now only needed to happen once. The moment Vir reached Saunak¡¯s tower, he nned to establish a Gate that led back to his demons¡¯ camp, thus allowing unfettered ess. Indeed, he nned to create a series of Gates along the way. It was only after he¡¯d done the legwork and built up awork that the Ash would finally be navigable.
Pathfinders always had the hardest jobs, and Vir and Ashani were the only ones in all the realms capable of that job.
¡°I¡¯m ready now,¡± Ashani said. ¡°Let me just round up the wolves. They do like to wander.¡±
Vir met Ashani just outside the garrison an hourter. It turned out the fastest way of locating Ashani¡¯s wolves was to enlist Shan, who¡¯d rounded them up in no time. They¡¯d been out hunting Ash Beasts for sport in the nearby forest¡ Which spoke volumes about just how terrifyingly lethal these wolves truly were.
And how effective they were at keeping the camp safe. Bgra would be assigning more demons to the role topensate. It was better this way. More practice for the troops, even if it did put them in danger. There was always danger in realbat, after all. The sooner they grew used to its constant presence, the sooner they¡¯d achieve their full potential.
¡°Alright, then,¡± Vir said. ¡°I¡¯ll stabilize the first Ash Tear I see that¡¯s big enough. We¡¯ll go through, I¡¯ll check the Artifact, and we¡¯ll return and repeat as many times as we need to until the Artifact glows.¡±
¡°Sounds like you don¡¯t need me at all, then,¡± Ashani said, pouting slightly. ¡°I suppose I shall simply twiddle my toes and watch you.¡±
Vir rolled his eyes as he bounded into the sky.
Ashani had no trouble keeping pace, and while the wolves couldn¡¯t bound nearly as high, they followed just as rapidly on the ground¡ªtheir keen senses never once losing them, despite the heavy foliage.
After clearing the forest, Vir set to looking for a suitable tear. The first candidate was quite close, only a few hundred paces from the edge, and from there, Vir spotted several more in the distance. They were everywhere, and tended to be more numerous the deeper into the Ash one went.
For most, that presented a terrible hazard. For Vir, it was an unprecedented opportunity.
Vir stabilized the Gate and peeked through. The sky was far darker there¡ªalmost ck¡ªand the prana density was greater.
¡°His tower is deep inside the realm, but not quite at the core, from what I remember,¡± Vir said. ¡°Simr sky, too.¡± He distinctly recalled the endless lightning storm that ravaged the mountains and the ins that surrounded Saunak¡¯s tower. It was worse there than in most ces, but then again, lightning was an almost ubiquitous feature of the Ash, so it was difficult to tell precisely.
Vir brought the orb up to his eye and peered through.
Nothing.
Unfazed, Vir pocketed it and pulled the prana from the Gate, destabilizing it back into a Tear.
¡°No luck?¡± Ashani asked.
Vir shrugged. ¡°If only it were that easy. Don¡¯t worry, though. I doubt this will take too long.¡± He gestured to the ckened ins. ¡°Not when we have so many Tears to choose from.¡±
As Vir soon discovered, it would, in fact, take quite some time. In fact, an entire day of arduous searching yielded not even a single result. Not the faintest trace of Saunak¡¯s tower, and the two returned to the camp with nothing to show.
Day two went about the same, and by day three, Vir told Ashani to do as she wished at camp until he¡¯d found something. The wolves had grown increasingly restless, and Ashani spent most of the time calming them down. It was better for everyone if they joined him when he was ready.
Searching for exits into the Demon Realm wasparatively far easier. There, any number of Tears would suffice, so long as they wererge enough.
But Vir was looking for a single building in an entire Realm. Even with the aid of the Artifact, which would alert him even miles away, the task was only barely feasible.
He¡¯d begun to wonder whether the device was somehow broken, or if his task was, in fact, impossible, when it finally lit.
It was a faint glow, yet unmistakable, nevertheless.
Vir had hoped for something stronger, but given how much time and effort it had taken to find just this one, he swiftly abandoned that n. They would travel on foot. With their speed, Vir could only hope the journey wouldn¡¯t take very long.
It was time to get Ashani, and the wolves and go meet Saunak. And this time Vir could only hope the mad Thaumaturge didn¡¯t attack him.
Chapter Ashborn 371: An Unexpected Encounter
Chapter Ashborn 371: An Unexpected Encounter
Saunak of Garga was working steadily on his newest contraption, despite all evidence pointing to it being a dead end. Just like the previous dozen iterations of this idea.
The issue was not one of design, but merely prana conductivity. Was there even a demon alive who could channel the prana needed?
An rm red, causing Saunak to startle and knock over several instruments, which went tumbling all over the floor. Even after all these years, he never did get used to the tower¡¯s warning system, and for all his knowledge, he¡¯d never been able to understand how to deactivate or alter it.
The Lightning Field Array did a decent job of keeping the Ash Wolves and the lesser beasts at bay, and the tower was immune to Prana Swarms, but therger, more conventional creatures always posed a threat. The tower had ample defense against even the most terrifying of their ilk, but they all required manual activation. Too risky to allow them to fire automatically. The control systems had simply degraded too far over the millennia to reliably strike those targets.
Thest thing he wanted was a mile-wide crater next to his tower, after all. It¡¯d ruin the scenery.
Cursing and grumbling, Saunak entered the lift, riding it up to the thirtieth floormand center. At least, that was what Saunak called it. He¡¯d determined long ago that this facility had been part of some sort of cosmic weapon¡ªa device capable of rewriting the world¡¯s weather patterns to cause untold amounts of destruction.
That the ancients saw fit to not only think up such a contraption, but actually design and sessfully build it¡ Saunak¡¯s respect for the godlike race had no bounds.
Exiting the lift, Saunak was greeted by an alert that was all too familiar.
¡°Evolved Automaton Warning. Evolved Automaton Warning.¡±While he hadn¡¯t been able to make the warning any less obnoxious, he had been able to configure it to alert him of threats he deemed significant.
¡°Interesting.¡± Automatons did not generally wander too close to the tower. Something in their programming dissuaded them from approaching, and only a handful had ever ventured within a hundred miles of the tower.
Guardian Automata came in a variety of vors, ranging from basic to advanced. Evolved, though? Saunak didn¡¯t know in the slightest what that could mean. Not even the Yaksha Guardians mentioned in the tower¡¯s records bore that title.
¡°How curious¡¡± His interest piqued, Saunak disabled the rm and focused the magnifier to the approaching threat. The contraption was built into the windows that spanned from the floor to the ceiling of this floor, giving him a three-sixty degree vantage of his surroundings. The windows would automatically magnify anything he concentrated on, though they could also single out a particr target and track it.
A boring feature. Saunak much preferred the thrill of discovering for himself.
¡°Not a big one, then,¡± he muttered, not seeing anything immediately pop out. ¡°An Aerial Guardian, perhaps?¡±
Casting his gaze up at the sky provided no results. Aerials were exceedingly rare, and he¡¯d only ever seen them referenced in the records, never in person.
¡°Smaller, then. Show me the source, already!¡± Saunak yapped.
One of the windows immediately shifted, showing several figures approaching from the direction Saunak hade to refer to as north. Two bipedals and a half-dozen Ash Wolves.
¡°How odd¡¡±
The wolves seemed to be domesticated. Docile, even, loping around the bipedals, as if to protect them. ¡°What have you demons been up to, hmm?¡± Saunak mused, wondering if the Aindri had finally mastered the art.
Manipting the controls, he zoomed in on the ck-d figure. A gray demon, on the smaller side.
And then the screen resolves the demon¡¯s face, and Saunak grinned.
¡°Soooo. You have returned, Akh Nara. Good. Good! This changes everything. Yes. Perfect. Perhaps, you¡ Perhaps¡ Yes. Yesssss! I will not let you escape! This time, for sure. You will be mine. You will¡ª!?¡±
Saunak¡¯s words caught in his throat, and he nearly choked on his own words.
For when the image magnified on the entity next to the Akh Nara¡ When it identified her as ¡®Ashani: Apex level threat¡¯¡ Saunak shuddered.
Ashani! Ashani!?
Saunak knew that name. The entity created by Lord Janak himself. Thepanion to Siya, his daughter.
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This was no mere Automata. This was a living being from the Age of Gods.
Saunak fell to his knees¡ And wept.
Vir couldn¡¯t be sure how quickly he moved through the Ash. Certainly far faster than most demons could. Fast enough to cause the wolves to struggle whenever he passed over a forest, so he¡¯d been avoiding them recently.
As Vir bounded, Ashani floated beside him, propelled by some mechanism Vir could spend a hundred years studying without a hope of ever understanding. If she had a top speed, Vir certainly couldn¡¯t match it.
Even with all of that, however, the Artifact orb had barely grown brighter, and it was already the fourth day since they¡¯d entered the portal. Hampering his efforts was the device¡¯sck of directional markings. As such, Vir had had to strike out in a particr direction, traveling for half a day before he could tell whether the orb dimmed or glowed more brightly. They¡¯d lost two days simply trying to find the correct direction. It was a good thing that this particr model ran off Ash prana, or Vir would have been stuck.
As tedious and, at times, dangerous as the search was¡ªVir had to detour around a Prana Swarm, a Wyrm, and two Automaton Guardians thus far¡ªhe did possess a luxury not afforded to any traveler of the Ash.
Ashani could create Ash Gates back to their camp, no matter where they were. As such, instead of resting exposed, deep in the Ashen wilds, Vir sleptfortably in a cot at camp. Doing so not only removed the need for either him or Ashani to be on watch as he slept¡ªBgra and other, stronger troops handled that¡ªhis continued presence also reassured Cirayus and the rest of the camp that nothing untoward had happened.
And, if he did fail to check in, his troops could at least mount search operations from thest Gate he used.
Each new day brought with it a new, stable Gate that the demons in his base could use to venture deeper into the Ash. They led to locations of questionable utility, but Vir figured he could always copse the Gates they never usedter.
For now, he wanted as many new Gates as possible, and since Ashani could ce them anywhere she¡¯d visited, and since her memory was near perfect, Vir had her build the gates in arge circle just outside of the camp. This way, his troops only had one area to guard, and an expansion to the camp to encircle and fortify this Gate ring was already underway.
While he¡¯d debated on the location of this ¡®nexus¡¯, as he called it, Vir decided that the heart of camp was ultimately the safest ce should an Ash Beast find its way through. It would meet with the full might of the entire camp, rather than just a few defenders, and eventually, his troops would build fortifications on the other side of each Gate they ended up keeping.
As such, the week he spent deep within the Ash felt nowhere near as long as it ought to have, and when Vir did finally arrive at Saunak¡¯s tower, it was fresh and well-rested. As he¡¯d need to be, if he wanted to wrangle this Mad Thaumaturge¡¯s help.
The tower was no less impressive than Vir remembered it. A ck spire, standing proud in defiance of andscape that wanted nothing more than to raze it. Though, as Vir stared at the structure, he came to realize something was off.
The ever-present lightning that ravaged the surroundings was entirely absent, and though dark, the sky was calm, with only the delicate rumble of thunder in the distance.
Yet instead of cating Vir, it only made him worry more.
¡°It would seem we are expected,¡± he said darkly. The thought of Saunak taking the upper hand in their encounter before they¡¯d even met left a bitter taste in Vir¡¯s mouth.
¡°Is that so?¡± Ashani asked. ¡°Then I mustmend this Saunak over his master of the observatory¡¯s systems. From what I have seen of your world¡ Such knowledge does not seem normal.¡±
¡°No, Ashani,¡± Virughed. ¡°Not normal at all. So, the tower¡¯s an observatory, then? Saunak has turned the ce into some sort of mad Thaumaturgyb. ¡±
¡°Yes, it was used mostly for observation and monitoring of the weather control system my people operated. We long ago tired of the rain and the snow, and so we created a utopian climate. Sensitive enough to not harm the local ecosystem, but powerful enough to cease unwanted weather over our cities. Itswork spanned the globe, and so stations like these were amon sight. I never thought I would see one again. To think it is still operational¡¡±
Vir had nearly forgotten that the Prime Imperium had attained mastery over even the weather. For a race that continuously made mind-bending feats lookmonce, Vir supposed he shouldn¡¯t have been surprised.
¡°Curious,¡± Ashani suddenly said. ¡°The tower is broadcasting a signal, receivable by all Imperium Automata,¡± Ashani said with a wry smile.
¡°What does it say?¡±
¡°Stay away. Stay away¡¡±
¡°Saunak might have set that. As a defensive measure.¡±
¡°Impressive indeed!¡± Ashani said. Vir could swear he saw a twinkle in her brilliant azure eyes.
¡°Be careful with Saunak,¡± he advised as they approached the tower. It sat on top of a spire that rose from a deep chasm. A sort of ind separating it from the surroundingnd, over which four bridges spanned. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure how he will react to your presence. I assume he will be respectful, though guarded. He will find any way he can to exploit you, so be on your guard. And be ready to defend yourself at the first sign of violence.¡±
Shan bared his teeth and howled. He might not have understood Vir, but he did recall this ce. The ce where he¡¯d been captured.
¡°Don¡¯t attack him unless he attacks first, alright?¡± Vir told Shan in a stern voice. The wolf grumbled, but didn¡¯t bark or howl back.
The other wolves, while they couldn¡¯t understand Vir¡¯s speech, were keenly aware they were about to step in their of an enemy. Vir trusted Shan to keep them in line.
Even before they¡¯d finished crossing the bridge leading to the tower, its enormous metal gate opened, revealing the Automaton Garage, where the enormous guardians sat inactive on either side. The one Vir hadmandeered was off somewhere at the edge of the Ash, and so he¡¯d expected to see one missing, but all the garage bays were full.
Saunak had somehow managed to rece the one he¡¯d lent to Vir. A disturbing thought. Or an incredibly useful ability, should Saunak be convinced to join them.
¡°Where¡¯s my Automaton?¡± came a cranky voice from somewhere deep within. It took Vir a moment to ce him, given Saunak¡¯s small stature in this enormous space.
¡°I don¡¯t recall ever promising to return it,¡± Vir said as Saunak approached. As always, his stark white hair was unkempt, as though he hadn¡¯t washed in ages, and his matching coat was covered in what seemed to be scorch marks.
Saunak did not reply, though he strode with purpose right at them. Vir¡¯s senses immediately went into high alert, and his hand instinctively reached for the katar at his hip.
What Saunak did next, however, was something no one could have predicted.
He walked right up to them¡ And took a knee.
¡°Goddess Automaton of the Imperium. I wee you to my humble abode, and should you wish it, relinquish this tower back to its rightful owner. I hereby pledge my body and soul to your service. Do with me as you see fit.¡±
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Chapter Ashborn 372: Favors for Favors
Chapter Ashborn 372: Favors for Favors
¡°I wish for you to assist Vir to the best of his ability, to take no hostile actions against him, and to listen to his everymand.¡±
¡°Consider it done,¡± Saunak said. ¡°Akh Nara, my services are at your disposal.¡±
Vir opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. He¡¯d braced for a long, drawn out battle of wits and guile. Of word games and politicking, all to sway the wily Saunak to his side.
It couldn¡¯t be this easy. It simply couldn¡¯t. Could it?
¡°What ploy is this, Saunak?¡± Vir asked. ¡°What¡¯s your aim here? You do nothing for free.¡±
¡°What do I want?¡± Saunak said, snapping his head up. ¡°What do I want? I want to spend as much time as I can near a living example of the Age of Gods! That¡¯s what I want. Perhaps the only example! Do you have any idea how special she is?¡±
¡°I¡ do,¡± Vir said, somewhat taken aback at Saunak¡¯s zeal. He¡¯d suspected¡ªhoped¡ªthe mad Thaumaturge would view her in a positive light, but this?
¡°Come in, please!¡± Saunak said, rising to his feet. ¡°My home is your home. Please, see fit to use it as you wish.¡±
Ashani exchanged nces at Vir, who shrugged. ¡°This is¡ Highly odd of him,¡± he said. ¡°Trust nothing he says.¡±¡°Perhaps he is genuine?¡± Ashani asked. ¡°I hear no lies from his lips.¡±
¡°I would like nothing more, believe me. Against him, though? You can never know. Logic crumbles around him. He bows to no one.¡±
Except, perhaps, goddesses from another age, Vir mused, though he refused to feel any hope when it came to Saunak.
Vir had wondered how they¡¯d fit the wolves in the lift, thinking perhaps that they might have to take an endless flight of stairs up the tall tower, but that issue was resolved when Saunak led them to arge freight lift, easilyrge enough to amodate the three of them and their wolf entourage.
Vir had also wondered if Saunak would protest the presence of the wolves in his abode, but there wasn¡¯t a singleint to be had, and soon, Vir and Ashani were being wined and dined in Saunak¡¯svishly opulent observatory room, whichmanded a sweeping view of the surrounding wastes.
Ashani delighted in Saunak¡¯s culinary talent, despite not requiring food at all. Vir ate sparingly, testing for poison. It was only a whileter, when he¡¯d convinced himself that the food was safe, did he partake and allow the wolves their fill.
Through it all, Saunak was a consummate host, refilling their sses and regaling them with tales of his research¡ªall in the very best behavior.
¡°To think I¡¯d never thought of it that way,¡± Saunak said, clutching his hair. ¡°This changes everything! All those experiments need to be re-run!¡±
¡°I am pleased to have been of service,¡± Ashani said. ¡°But my own understanding of my people¡¯s magic is basic, at best.¡±
¡°Madam goddess,¡± Saunak said, using the moniker they¡¯d agreed to after endless back and forth. It was the most the Thaumaturge was willing topromise, initially insisting on ¡®Your Divine Eminence¡¯, and ¡®Hallowed Deity of the Prime Imperium¡¯. ¡°Your knowledge of your arts is absolutely indispensable. You cannot know how much has been lost. How much of your glory has been squandered and forgotten. To call it a tragedy would be a disservice. It is a failing of cataclysmic proportions. With your permission, I would like to learn as much as I can. To regain as much of what was lost as possible.¡±
Truthfully, Vir was happy to hear the Thaumaturge show interest in this topic. There were few demons alive who could understand even a tenth of what Ashani said when she talked about Imperium magic. Vir suspected that among that handful, none were more capable of understanding it than Saunak.
¡°I am more than happy to divulge all that I know,¡± Ashani said with an angelic smile. ¡°Though I¡¯m afraid it muste after we¡¯ve aplished what we journeyed here to do.¡±
Both Ashani and Saunak turned to Vir, who cleared his throat.
¡°I havee into possession of Bncer of Scales,¡± Vir said.
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¡°So?¡± Saunak said tly. ¡°I have every Regr and Ultimate Art in my archive. You could have had them all long ago. If only you¡¯d wished.¡±
¡°And be a Pariah? Most of the realm already hates me,¡± Vir said grimly. He shuddered to wonder of his chances at winning over the ns if he¡¯d stolen their arts without the n¡¯s permission. ¡°Had I not had Cirayus with me, you might have tricked me into that trap. But I am not the gullible boy I once was, Saunak. You would do well to remember it.¡±
¡°So it seems,¡± Saunak said with drooped shoulders. ¡°A pity. So, you have earned Bncer of Scales in the Bairan Tournament, then? Gained the blessing of the n, have you? Well, congrattions.¡±
Saunak¡¯s utterck of emotion made it clear there wasn¡¯t even a morsel of sincerity behind that statement.
¡°I am not seeking your praise, Saunak,¡± Vir replied dryly. ¡°I would, however, like you to inscribe the art.¡±
¡°You. Want Me. To inscribe a tattoo. On your body¡¡±
¡°Yes, I understand thises as a surprise,¡± Vir said, bracing himself for the Thaumaturge¡¯s reply.
He needn¡¯t have, for Saunak didn¡¯t bother with anything as dignified as a verbal response. Instead, he mmed his palms on the table, stood up¡ And startedughing uncontrobly.
¡°Oh, I do apologize,¡± Saunak said afterughing for far too long. Long enough for theughter to turn strange and awkward. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ Fate truly has a sense of irony, does it not?¡±
¡°Will you¡ª¡±
¡°Yes, I will inscribe your tattoo. And any number of others, as I said I would. I see you have attempted an amateurish job on your wolf,¡± Saunak said, kneeling near Shan, who growled back in protest. ¡°I can fix that blunder as well. Honestly! Untrainedymen should never even attempt to inscribe tattoos.¡±
¡°That wasn¡¯t the work of an amateur,¡± Vir bristled as Saunak sat back into his seat and took a bite. ¡°It was performed by Cirayus¡¯ granddaughter, a fully fledged Thaumaturge, and someone well respected in Bairan society.¡±
This time, Saunak spit out his half-chewed food. ¡°Well respected? You must be out of your mind! Look at this! Look at how poorly the inscriptions have been carved! Look at the varying depth, the inconsistency in width! To say nothing of the quality of the prana conductors¡ It¡¯s hideous! It¡¯s pathetic! It¡¯s an outrage, is what it is. Has the Demon Realm truly fallen so low? No wonder your wolf struggles. Has he even managed to get it to work?¡±
¡°Once or twice,¡± Vir admitted.
¡°A miracle, if you ask me,¡± Saunak snorted.
Vir was somewhat taken aback by his observation. It was true that Shan struggled with his abilities. For the wolf, whose aptitude for learning was almost terrifying, to barely make it work for the Bairan Tournament, spoke volumes.
As much as Vir didn¡¯t want to knock Aida¡¯s hard work, he had to admit Saunak had a point.
¡°Yes, I will fix all of your problems. In return, I ask but a trifle.¡±
¡°Let me guess,¡± Vir said, all enthusiasm gone. ¡°You want me to be the subject of one of your little experiments.¡±
Saunak¡¯s expression changed in an instant, from a deferential vassal to a hungry predator, as his eyes shifted to Vir.
¡°Why, yes,¡± he said in a voice that deeply disturbed his victim. ¡°Why, yes, in fact I do.¡±
¡°So, where exactly are we headed?¡± Vir asked as Vir, Ashani, Saunak, and the wolves rode the freight lift up. Up, and even higher up. Higher than Vir had ever been. Lacking any windows, Vir could only guess how high it went.
¡°To the roof,¡± Saunak replied, answering that question. ¡°I require some aid with my newest experiment.¡±
Vir was immediately on alert. ¡°What sort of experiment? If you recall, thest time I was here, you tried to imprison me, and when that didn¡¯t work, you tried to have us killed.¡±
¡°But everything is different now!¡± Saunak said, waving away Vir¡¯s concern. ¡°Now I know better. That was a foolhardy, ill-thought out n. Were I to imprison you, I¡¯d do a much better job.¡±
Forget an apology¡ªthat Saunak¡¯s learning from that debacle had been to improve his crime craft did nothing to ease Vir¡¯s concerns, despite the Thaumaturge¡¯s assurances he would take no action against Vir.
No, Vir had to believe the Thaumaturge was out to get them. Or him, at least. Ashani might well prove to be the cor that kept this crazy demon on his leash. Should he do anything untoward during the inscription process, they¡¯d both agreed that Ashani would fry him. Quite literally.
True to his word, the freight lift stopped at the roof, and the moment they got off, fierce winds assaulted them from every direction, shifting every moment, seemingly at random, and blowing ash around continuously. It was a good representation of the chaos that bled into every corner of this blighted realm.
And though it had been quite some time since natural phenomena could pose any threat to him¡ªeven if he was somehow blown off, Vir couldnd easily with Light Step¡ªits presence, whenbined with the visceral view, made for a truly alien environment.
¡°Incredible, isn¡¯t it?¡± Saunak said. ¡°I sometimese up here to rx.¡±
Vir wasn¡¯t quite sure how twisted one had to be to call the craggy, lightning-scarred peaks on one side, and the endless ash-filled valley beyond rxing. It was the same scenery as most of the rooms in Saunak¡¯s tower boasted, but there was a difference between viewing it through a pane of thick ss, and seeing it with one¡¯s own eyes. Subjected to all the wrathful forces the realm brought to bear. Nestled in the luxury of Saunak¡¯s tower, it was sometimes easy to forget just how broken a ce this was.
By the way Ashani stared at thendscape, transfixed, Vir felt she might feel the same.
Vir¡¯s eyes eventually made their way back to Saunak¡¯s tower. The roof was not some small space, but rather an enormous circr tform, around which sat the Lightning Ring, as Saunak called it. The device that controlled the weather in the area.
As such, the space was easily two hundred paces in diameter. Enough to house several additional structures, including one wide, tall one, which they followed Saunak to.
When they neared, Saunak manipted the tablet strapped to his forearm, causing a door at least fifteen paces in height to slide open. It did so silently, or if there was any sound, it was drowned out by the wind.
It shut behind them the moment they entered, plunging them into darkness¡ Until Saunak flipped a lever on a nearby wall, and the entire space was bathed in artificial light.
¡°My esteemed guests, I humbly wee you,¡± Saunak said, bowing theatrically, ¡°to my airship hangar.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 373: Airship
Chapter Ashborn 373: Airship
¡°Air¡ship?¡± Vir asked, walking around the strange contraption. ¡°This looks like no Skyship I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±
Vir ran his fingers over the small, beautiful machine. Constructed primarily of wood and reinforced in ces with metal tes, it consisted of a framerge enough for two people sitting in a line, tworge arms that extended several paces to either side, and another leading to a horizontal and vertical piece of wood at the rear.
It was also stered with inscriptions that had been carved into the wood. Inscriptions both more numerous andplex than Vir had encountered anywhere else, apart from Ashani¡¯s own core, of course.
¡°That you¡¯ve ever seen?¡± Saunak asked. ¡°You speak as though they¡¯re amon sight.¡±
¡°They are,¡± Vir replied. ¡°In the Human Realm. Perhaps not but definitely present. Humans have several methods of flight. Hot Air Balloons arerge pieces of fabric heated by Fire magic. They¡¯re quite fragile and can¡¯t move quickly in any direction. For that, they have Skyships, which resemble regr sailing vessels, lightened through the use of magic orbs, and propelled by wind magic.¡±
¡°Fascinating!¡± Saunak said. ¡°Truly fascinating! It would seem our realmgs quite a ways behind the humans, then. We¡¯d at least have balloons if your father hadn¡¯t shot my idea down centuries ago.¡±
¡°He denied your request?¡± Vir asked, pausing his admiration of Saunak¡¯s machine to look the demon in the eye.
¡°That he did. Several times, in fact. Said it was ¡®impractical.¡¯ Said he had no need for a ¡®fragile device only useful in an area that will cause it to be destroyed¡¯.¡±
¡°Prana¡ Right,¡± Vir said. Most of the prana-deficient Demon Realm wouldn¡¯t be able to support continuous prana utilization a hot-air balloon would require, let alone the amount a Skyship would require.¡°Still,¡± Saunak mused, scratching his chin. ¡°Skyships, is it? How curious. I take it these arerge vehicles, capable of hauling cargo and ferrying passengers?¡±
¡°They are,¡± Vir said. ¡°Human orbs store charges, releasing them slowly over time as needed. They use several dozen Lighten Load orbs to reduce the weight of the ship, lifting it into the air. Mejai then use Wind magic orbs to propel it forward.¡±
¡°Fast, are they?¡±
¡°Most aren¡¯t especially,¡± Vir admitted. ¡°Though there is one nation that has developed an advanced version, capable of rapid flight. Altani fast attack Skyships are a sight to behold,¡± he said, remembering the one he¡¯d seen swoop down over Daha after he¡¯d unwittingly released the Prana Swarm they kept captive.
¡°How unfortunate for us, then,¡± Saunak said, shaking his head. ¡°Brutes that the ns are, they have long prioritizedbat arts over more useful magic, such as these orbs. Just imagine what we could have built with this magic! Instead, we possess only a scant few inscriptions capable of storing any sort of pranic charge. I¡¯ve had to develop my own, admittedly basic, versions for the airship. Just think, with a few millennia of progress, what we could have achieved! These humans must be quite formidable indeed, to have developed such magic.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think they developed it,¡± Vir said. ¡°They don¡¯t even know how to make new ones. They just copy the ones passed down from the Age of Gods.¡±
¡°Curious¡ How curious¡ I wonder why not one made it to the Demon Realm, then? Even the tower¡¯s records have only mentioned such devices in passing.¡±
It was a good question, and one that Vir had sometimes wondered about. Why were there no Vimana in the Demon Realm? Why had humans been bequeathed orbs, and demons tattoos?
He doubted he would uncover the answer soon.
¡°Oh, if you¡¯re referring to those small orbs with basic inscriptions,¡± Ashani said. ¡°Those were toys.¡±
Both Vir and Saunak froze in their tracks and stared at Ashani, who tilted her head in confusion, but it was Vir who was confused here.
¡°Toys,¡± he said nkly.
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¡°Yes? Given to children. To y with. ¡®Tis why they are weak, lest children hurt themselves.¡±
Hurt themselves?
Vir had witnessed A Grade magic firsthand. Tanya¡¯s spell had frozen an entire oasis pond. The Mejai of Realms could have killed him and Maiya with a single Lightning strike so quickly that they¡¯d have died before they realized what hit them.
And they gave this to their children!?
¡°Ashani¡¡± Vir said, his voice breaking. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that the entire magical basis of the Human Realm¡ Is based upon a toy?¡±
¡°Is that so?¡± Ashani asked, looking somewhat amused. ¡°How fascinating. I should very much like to see these humans.¡±
¡°Oh, you will,¡± Vir said, feeling as though his understanding of the world was falling apart.
¡°What of our inscriptions, Madam Goddess?¡± Saunak asked. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the sorts of arts demons use, yes? How would you say theypare?¡±
¡°Oh, they are certainly moreplex. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know enough about the military applications of our prana toment, though I¡¯d say your demonic arts much more closely resemble those than the baubles we gave to our children.¡±
Silence fell upon the group as Saunak and Vir processed this revtion in their own way.
¡°I should very much like to study one,¡± Saunak said atst.
Ashani looked at Vir, who shook his head. For one, Ashani¡¯s power cores were hundreds of times moreplicated than human orbs, and more importantly, Vir wasn¡¯t about to trust her lifeline to this mad demon, even if she did have spares.
¡°Cirayus has a healing orb. I¡¯ll see if we can arrange for you to study it,¡± Vir said diplomatically, still struggling to get his emotions under control. He wasn¡¯t about to just hand it over, but if Saunak could give something in return¡ That was a different story.
¡°At any rate, this only proves that we as Demons must construct a proper airship,¡± Saunak said.
¡°Why not start with hot air balloons, then?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Maybe if you perfect that first, the realm will be more receptive¡¡±
¡°No,¡± Saunak said harshly. ¡°Your father wasn¡¯t wrong. Scouting is about all they are good for. Too weak forbat, and too slow for travel,¡± Saunak said. ¡°Which leaves showing wealthy tourists pretty sights. Precious few of those in the Demon Realm, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
¡°Wealthy tourists?¡± Ashani asked. ¡°Or pretty sights?¡±
¡°Well, both, Madam Goddess. Ours is not a prosperous realm.¡±
While Vir disagreed with Saunak¡ªthere was plenty of beauty to be found in the realm of permanent sunset¡ªmost of the Demon Realm was sadly bereft of the prana that blessed much of the Human Realm, and either vor of flying machine seemed unfeasible away from the Ash. Near it, the balloons would be in danger of being destroyed. Both by the inclement weather, and by enemies.
¡°This airship¡ I assume it can move quickly?¡± Vir asked.
There was something about the design that gave the illusion of speed, and Vir suddenly understood why. The overall shape¡ªthe design¡ªresembled that of a bird. A somewhat fat, squat bird, admittedly.
¡°Faster than a Shrike,¡± Saunak said proudly.
If true, that was truly impressive. It would rival the Altani¡¯s Skyships¡ªa feat impressive in any realm.
¡°At least, my calctions say it should be¡ Given enough prana, of course,¡± Saunak added awkwardly.
¡°Wait. You don¡¯t know?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Well, of course not! The ash-damned thing requires more prana than I can give. Far more.¡±
¡°That sounds like a problem if you¡¯re trying to make thismercially viable,¡± Virmented. If Saunak, who¡¯d limated to the Ash, couldn¡¯t use it, then who could?
¡°Even so, it is an elegant invention,¡± Ashani said. ¡°Though it does appear somewhat unstable.¡±
¡°Indeed, you are correct, Madam Goddess. However, I believe this iteration is stable enough. You should have seen the previous seven versions. Took me some time before I realized it needed a tail to stabilize the craft.¡±
¡°Let me guess,¡± Vir said, meeting Saunak¡¯s gaze. ¡°This is where Ie in?¡±
¡°Right you are, Akh Nara. You get to be my test pilot.¡±
Vir blinked. ¡°You want me to fly this thing? Saunak, the only time I¡¯ve ever flown anything was an Acira years ago, and I somehow feel like my skills won¡¯t carry over.¡±
¡°Bah, nonsense,¡± Saunak said, dismissing Vir¡¯s concerns. ¡°You¡¯ve got lift, roll, and pitch controls, same as anything else that flies.¡±
¡°Except, in this case, I¡¯ll be the one controlling it. Won¡¯t I? What if I lose control? What if I crash it from a great height?¡±
The Thaumaturge shrugged. ¡°Last I checked, you had no issues bounding several hundred paces in the air. I doubt a crash or two will kill you. Stop being such a boy. I thought you were all grown up now, eh, Akh Nara? Well? Do you want your tattoo or not?¡±
Vir wanted to wring the demon¡¯s neck. He was quite certain Saunak would inscribe the tattoo if he asked Ashani to order him to¡ But, well, Saunak would be performing a delicate task that could very well maim Vir if not done properly. Seeking his cooperation seemed like a good idea.
Besides, this airship intrigued Vir. If Saunak did figure out how to reduce the prana consumption, it would open doors for much of the Demon Realm, where the cost of sustaining an ongoing Gate was too high to be feasible.
As much as Vir wanted to interconnect every remote corner of the Demon Realm with Gates, it would only be practical for locations very near the Ash. Even then, while one Gate might only require maintenance every few weeks, when dozens, or hundreds existed, Vir¡¯s whole life would be spent recharging them.
Not to mention an airship would be exceedingly useful as a personal means of transport for him as well. Especially if it was faster than his bounding Leaps. And especially when Ashani wasn¡¯t with Vir. The goddess couldn¡¯t be beside him at all times, and creating Gates to locations she¡¯d not visited was always a problem. Having a means to rapidly and efficiently traverse ground would address those issues.
Though he suspected he might regret his next words, Vir¡¯s heart simply wouldn¡¯t stay quiet. There was something about Saunak¡¯s invention that tickled his inner child, and he couldn¡¯t say why.
¡°Tell me what I need to know.¡±
Chapter Ashborn 374: Air Trials
Chapter Ashborn 374: Air Trials
¡°Okay, so this one makes it go up, and this other one makes it go down, go forward, and roll the airship over,¡± Vir said, pointing to the three inscriptions carved onto the dashboard of the pilot¡¯s seat. ¡°That one makes it go faster, and this one makes it slow down. This one on the right makes the airship roll to the right, which will somehow allow me to turn¡¡±
¡°And the one on the left does the opposite, yes,¡± Saunak confirmed. ¡°Pitch, thrust, and bank. Simple!¡±
¡°You call this simple?¡± Vir cried. His head swam with theplexity, and considering how not a single one wasbeled, he was almost positive he¡¯d confuse one for the other.
¡°It is simple. You don¡¯t even have yaw control, but seeing how you¡¯re confused already, I am quite certain adding it would be more than your pea-sized brain could handle.¡±
Vir knew better than to argue with the mad genius about his perception of Vir¡¯s intelligence¡ªthat was a battle he suspected no demon had a prayer of ever winning. Besides, he had a point. Mastering these controls while keeping control of the airship would be hard enough on its own, to say nothing of safely it.
¡°And you came up with all of these inscriptions yourself?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Do you see anyone else here who could make them? Er, Goddess excepted, of course.¡±
Ashani shook her head. ¡°I doubt I could fashion anything moreplex than what you have. Magitech was never my strong suit.¡±
¡°And what do those do?¡± Vir asked, pointing to the arms that extended to either side of the contraption.¡°The wings? Same thing they do on Shrikes and birds. They keep you in the air. Simr in principle to those creatures, though not quite the same. With these, you won¡¯t immediately fall out of the sky if you do happen to stop powering the inscriptions. Like, say, if you¡¯re ever attacked and get distracted.¡±
Vir looked to Ashani, who nodded. ¡°Worry not, they are properly airfoiled. It will fly.¡±
Vir didn¡¯t have the faintest idea what an ¡®airfoil¡¯ was, or what made one ¡®proper¡¯, but he trusted the Imperium Automaton implicitly. If Ashani gave the craft her approval, that was enough for Vir. If these wings did what Saunak imed, then it truly was an ingenious creation. Not even the Altani¡¯s Skyships could remain in the air without a bevy of Lighten Load orbs that had to be continuously recharged. To do so naturally was nothing short of a miraculous feat.
¡°Now, listen up, because this is the tricky part,¡± Saunak said. ¡°When I use magic, I have to first channel my prana through my tattoos, and then into the device¡¯s inscriptions. Two stages, with each stage sapping energy. But you¡ You can channel ambient prana directly into the device¡¯s inscriptions, yes?¡±
Vir nodded. Saunak had witnessed him use magic on plenty of asions, so he wasn¡¯t surprised the demon had deduced this much.
¡°Good. That eliminates one step. The other issue, needing copious amounts of prana, shouldn¡¯t prove an issue for you, I think. Well? Go on! Give it a try!¡±
Vir gingerly reached out to touch the controls, as Ashani and Saunak watched on, along with a crowd of expectant wolves, who all sat on their haunches, wagging their tails expectantly.
¡°You¡¯ve tested these inscriptions, right?¡± Vir asked, hesitating.
¡°Well, of course,¡± Saunak replied. ¡°What do you think versions one through seven were for?¡±
¡°And they were sessful?¡± Vir asked, sensing more to this story.
¡°Well, they served their purpose.¡±
Vir gave the demon a hard stare. ¡°What happened to the previous version?¡±
¡°It flew just fine¡ Before I crashed it. Prana issues, as I said.¡±
¡°Right¡¡± Vir replied, feeling much less confident about this gamble. But he did need Bncer of Scales, and he could survive a fall from any height, so maybe the danger was less than he feared.
With much trepidation, Vir allowed a trickle of prana to enter the ¡®Takeoff¡¯ inscription. This one allowed the vehicle to hover in ce, but when nothing happened, Vir looked at Saunak with a questioning expression.
¡°More!¡± Saunak said. ¡°You¡¯ll need more than that!¡±
Vir doubled the prana flow, spinning up Prana Current before doubling it again. Only when he¡¯d increased the flow sixteen-fold did the airship groan, rising slowly out of its cradle.
¡°Incredible!¡± Saunak said, pping happily. ¡°Simply incredible! I¡¯d never gotten that to work before!¡±
Vir wanted to voice aint, but the act of keeping the airship hovering required a great deal of concentration. Too much prana, and the craft rose, nearly touching the ceiling. Too little, and it fell back down to the floor.
Keeping it at a constant height was a delicate bncing act, requiring not just a copious amount of prana, but significant prana control as well.
¡°You definitely need to make this easier,¡± Vir called out once he¡¯d gotten the hang of things.
¡°I will, I will,¡± Saunak said dismissively. ¡°Now, go on! Fly it!¡±
With immense reservations, Vir applied power to the inscription that allowed the airship to move forward. This was tricky, because he had to do so while maintaining the fine-tuned prana output to the inscription that allowed the craft to hover.
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Luckily, Vir had long ago mastered the trick to multitasking precise prana control, back when he¡¯d learned to charge Ashani¡¯s orbs. Those had been painful lessons, and not ones Vir would ever forget.
The craft crept forward, and soon cleared the hangar bay doors, picking up speed.
¡°You¡¯ll need to move fast!¡± Saunak called out. ¡°Move fast, or else¡ª¡±
Vir never heard the rest. A stray downdraft buffeted the airship, throwing off his precise control, and sending the airship falling out of the sky.
He¡¯d luckily just cleared the perimeter of the tower, or the fall would have been a short one. As it was, Vir raced to the ground far below¡ªfaster and faster¡ªout of control.
Realizing what an immense mistake this had been, Vir stopped touching the inscriptions and prepared to jump out. Once clear, he could, at the very least,nd with Light Step tonegate any damage to himself. The airship was sadly another story, but Saunak couldn¡¯tin. Vir had done his part.
¡°I¡¯m never doing this again¡ª!?¡±
Just as Vir braced tounch himself free, something incredible happened.
The airship leveled off¡ and flew.
¡°It¡¯s flying? On its own?¡±
Vir nced at the wings. So this was what Saunak meant. The wings were somehow keeping the airship aloft. It was one thing to hear about it, and another entirely to experience it firsthand.
Easing back into the seat, Vir took a moment to marvel at the phenomenon. He provided no power¡ªnone at all. It was quite literally flying itself.
At least, it was for a brief moment. Then it began rolling to the right.
Vir touched the corresponding inscription and leveled it out without too much trouble. Now that he¡¯d mastered one, the others came swiftly, requiring simr levels of prana and control.
After that, Vir experimented with applying prana to the inscription that allowed the airship to propel itself forward¡ªthrust, as Saunak called it.
To his immense surprise, it took little effort to keep the ne in the air. Its wings did most of the work, and so Vir found the craft quite responsive and, dare he say it, easy to fly, once he¡¯d gotten over his initial fright.
Even so, if Saunak had any hope of making this viable in the Demon Realm, he¡¯d not only need to reduce the prana consumption, but he would have to properly train prospective pilots. Vir didn¡¯t doubt many would perish tragically on their first flight without it.
Vir found that by angling the ne up slightly, and providing forward thrust, he was able to make the ne rise through the air, and soon, he pierced through the dark clouds, breaking into the lighter-gray clouds above. It was a view he¡¯d seen only a handful of times when he¡¯d followed Ashani to the rooftops of the tall spires in Mah¨¡di.
Never did he think he¡¯d soar this high on his own. With the wind rushing by his face, and in a contraption designed and built by Saunak, no less.
The experience was sublime. Surreal¡ and brought with it a thrill that Vir couldn¡¯t get anywhere else. For not only was he flying, he was flying fast.
Throwing the airship into a dive, Vir picked up speed¡ªfaster and faster¡ªuntil he tore through the clouds like an arrow. Not even Shrikes could hope to move this quickly. At that moment, Vir might very well have been the fastest being in all the realms¡ And it was intoxicating.
Virughed with childish glee as he came screaming down, wings pping and vibrating, before throwing the craft into a roll.
But in his excitement, he¡¯d input too much prana, and the craft turned belly¡ªup, nearly making him fall out of his seat. Worse, the airship began careening towards the ground¡ªthe wings that normally kept the contraption afloat were now propelling it downwards.
Panicking, Vir pushed more prana into the roll inscription, righting it just in time to avoid a collision with the ground.
Heart pumping madly, Vir decided it was best to end the test flight. After bringing the ship up to the top of Saunak¡¯s tower and performing a fewzy circles, Vir undertook what would undoubtedly be the toughest challenge of this experiencending.
Only now did Vir realize his mistake¡ªSaunak hadn¡¯t given him any instructions, or even advice, on how exactly tond this insane contraption of his.
Luckily, Vir was far morefortable with the controls now, than he¡¯d been when he first started out. Thanks to the hover feature, Vir figured he could simply slow the craft and bring it to a hover, before inching it into Saunak¡¯s hangar and settling it into its cradle.
Theplication, however, was again the wind. For whatever reason, the wind that fluidly carried the airship turned violent and stormy near his tower, buffeting the craft, and making controlling it a perilous experience.
Vir¡¯s hands flew between the roll, the pitch, thrust, and hover inscriptions, ying over them all in a furious dance to keep the airship stable in the air before understanding that this was an exercise in futility. He was crawling towards the hangar, and at this rate, the wind would undoubtedly force him to crash.
Aborting the attempt, Vir elerated and brought the ship around for another pass. Spending any time at all in that vortex was a death sentence, and so his only option was toe in hot and fast, slowing at the veryst possible minute, once he¡¯d cleared the maelstrom.
A n that posed a very real threat of crashing into the hangar, but Vir supposed it was better than tumbling all the way to the ground below.
Vir took a breath, braced himself, and went for it.
¡°Hmm,¡± Saunak grumbled at Vir¡¯s abortednding attempt. ¡°I¡¯ll have to do something about that¡¡±
That the craft flew and performed as well as it did was far beyond his expectations. He¡¯d fully expected it to break up mid-flight. Not that his test pilot needed to know that tiny detail. He¡¯d survive a fall, anyway. And if he didn¡¯t¡ Well, he wasn¡¯t much of an Akh Nara then, was he?
¡°I do believe this tower may not be the most suitable tform forunching and recovering aircraft,¡± the Madam Goddess said, a frown upon her face.
¡°Indeed. The tower upsets the local weather patterns, even with the Lightning Array disabled,¡± Saunak replied. ¡°Perhaps I ought to build something at ground level. Much more vulnerable to the Ash Beasts there, though.¡±
¡°Perhaps I can take a look at your tower¡¯s systems,¡± Ashani said. ¡°There may be a way to stabilize the local weather pattern for this purpose.¡±
Saunak¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Madam Goddess, that would be a boon which I could never even hope to repay! Let us not waste any time. Let us prepare these changes at once!¡± Saunak said, walking over to the lift, all thoughts of Vir forgotten.
¡°Erm, I believe it would be best if we waited until after Vir was back safe. I doubt I will be able to make those changes immediately, and I feel we should be here in case something happens to my friend.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡± Saunak said, thoroughly confused. Friend? What was she¡ªah! ¡°The airship. Of course. Of course, of course,¡± Saunak said offhandedly. In truth, he couldn¡¯t care less what happened to that model. He¡¯d already drafted a better version in his head. Then again, he supposed it would be good to study the current iteration for stress fractures. Yes, it made sense to recover the craft, after all.
Vir came around for another pass, though this time he showed no signs of slowing.
¡°Is something wrong?¡± Ashani asked.
¡°It shouldn¡¯t be¡¡± Saunak replied. ¡°It was working just fine. Why is heing in so quickly? He¡¯ll destroy the hangar!¡±
That was a much worse prospect. He¡¯d rather Vir crashed somewhere else, where the only loss would be the aircraft, and potentially his own life. No, crashing into his hangar, which contained all sorts of tools and construction apparatus, was far, far, worse.
¡°Stop!¡± Saunak yelled, running toward the iing aircraft. ¡°Stop this at once!¡±
The wolves that sat quietly until now, howled loudly, chasing after him.
¡°What? What do you want? Shoo! Go away!¡±
Saunak, who¡¯d started running to warn away the iing Vir, now ran for dear life.
¡°They are worried for their master¡¯s health,¡± Ashani said, suddenly appearing beside him, floating in midair.
¡°Madam Goddess, what do you¡ª!?¡±
The airship whooshed by, knocking Saunak over with a gust of wind. He tumbled and rolled to a stop.
Just in time to see the airship crash into the hangar.
No. Not crash. Land?
The speeding craft, which had been sure to destroy everything, slowed at thest minute, creeping into the hangar, and settling gently down into its cradle.
¡°Well, then,¡± Ashani said with a sweet smile, setting down just in front of him. ¡°It would seem you get to live another day¡¡±
Saunak heaved out a breath¡ and wept.
Chapter Ashborn 375: Foundations
Chapter Ashborn 375: Foundations
¡°You need to make this easier to fly,¡± Vir said as they stepped out of the lift to Saunak¡¯s study. ¡°Andnd. And pick a better site forunching them while you¡¯re at it. Also, see if you can make it bigger.¡±
¡°Oh, yes. Just do everything in the realm, is it? Yes, Akh Nara. No problem. Would you like it today or tomorrow? And would you like a silk rug to go with it? What color would you like me to paint the craft?¡±
Vir frowned. ¡°Saunak¡ This magic is revolutionary. Not just for personal transport, but for connecting the realm.¡±
¡°Unfortunately, it is not. You saw how much prana is consumed, yes? The Demon Realm doesn¡¯t have a hope of sustaining the amount required for flight.¡±
Vir bit his lip. ¡°If I brought you an orb from the human realm¡ªone of the orbs that can lighten the weight of objects¡ªcould you adapt that magic onto the airship?¡±
Saunak rubbed his chin. ¡°Perhaps. nning on heading to the Human Realm, are we?¡±
¡°I¡¡± Vir hesitated. His heart leaped for a moment, but the fact of the matter was that Vir couldn¡¯t justify a trip to the Human Realm for this. Not when Cirayus had a healing orb he could deliver with such little effort.
¡°There is no need,¡± Ashani said, thereby ending Vir¡¯s dilemma. She walked over to one of the many rolls of paper covering Saunak¡¯s desk. ¡°May I?¡±
Saunak¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers, and he gestured to the table, bowing slightly. ¡°By all means, Madam Goddess. Use as many as you wish!¡±¡°I¡¯ll need only one, thank you,¡± Ashani said, tracing her finger onto the paper. Where she touched, the material burned, leaving behind a ckened trace.
¡°This is the inscription for the Lighten Load orb we gave to our children. My memory banks contain a handful of others, which I can scribe as well, if you wish¡¡±
¡°Please do,¡± Vir and Saunak said at once, before ncing awkwardly at each other.
Saunak coughed softly. ¡°I mean to say that the more I have, the more sess I¡¯ll have in replicating this magic.¡±
Ashani scribed a few more, including Magic Heat, Magic Cold, and a handful of other utility orbs.
¡°Orbs with more powerful environmental effects are moreplex, and I am unfortunately not aware of their inscriptions.¡±
¡°Fine! Fine! This is most excellent. I already see simrities between these and our own demonic inscriptions,¡± Saunak said, fervently pouring over the designs. ¡°Yes, I think I see. This prana storage inscription, however, is somewhat moreplex. I shall have to cross-reference this with my other inscriptions.¡±
¡°I wish you the best of luck,¡± Ashani said. ¡°I am happy to assist as I am able, but again, I¡¯ve only memorized these inscriptions. I don¡¯t know all that much about how they work. Janak would¡¯ve been able to describe every minute detail¡¡±
She trailed off, looking anguished, before Saunak waved his hands frantically.
¡°Please! No! You¡¯ve done me a service I cannot possibly repay already! Please do not feel this way, Madam Goddess.¡±
¡°Ahem,¡± Vir said quietly. ¡°If you truly believe that¡ Then how about inscribing that tattoo now that I¡¯ve upheld my end of the bargain?¡±
¡°Hmm? Oh, yes,¡± Saunak said distractedly. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get it over with, shall we? But these inscriptions¡ Hmm¡¡±
Seemingly having forgotten his own words, the Thaumaturge returned to pouring over the inscriptions.
Vir¡¯s expression darkened, and a knot began to form in his stomach. He didn¡¯t like this. Not one bit.
¡°The straps are for your own safety, I assure you!¡± Saunak said, binding Vir¡¯s arm. He moved onto the other arm before binding Vir¡¯s neck, waist, and legs. ¡°The more you move, the higher the risk of corruption. You wouldn¡¯t want me crippling you for life because you twitched from the pain, now, do you?¡±
¡°The pain?¡± Vir asked, raising an eyebrow. The bindings may as well have been a joke¡ªwith his might and his prana, he could easily cut through them with but a thought. The pain, however, was something he had no remedy for.
¡°Oh, yes. No one told you? This will hurt quite a bit. I mean, I am carving into your skin, and there are no tattoos moreplex than the Ultimate Bloodline Arts. Be sure not to move, yes? The stiller you are, the better the result. I swear, the number of Thaumaturges who don¡¯t know that¡ Telling their patients ¡®nothing can go wrong¡¯ and ¡®it¡¯s perfectly safe!¡¯ Amateurs, the lot of them.¡±
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¡°Right¡¡± Vir said, recalling the temporary tattoos Aida had inscribed. Due to its disposable nature, it¡¯d been merely surface level, so it hadn¡¯t hurt that much.
Vir almost asked the Thaumaturge if he could render him unconscious, but he didn¡¯t dare. Were it Aida, and not Saunak, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated. As it was, however, he figured he ought to keep his wits about him, in case Saunak got any funny ideas.
Even with Ashani watching, even with the wolves present¡ªsomething Saunak protested loudly against, iming they were a hazard¡ªVir couldn¡¯t be sure the demon wouldn¡¯t try something. He seemed to value his research over even his own life, at times. It was just one of the many reasons he¡¯d earned the moniker ¡®Deranged¡¯.
Maybe it¡¯s also why he¡¯s so brilliant, Vir mused as Saunak prepared his tools¡ªscalpels and knives of all sorts. Without a doubt, this would be the most painful experience of Vir¡¯s life. More painful than any beatdown Riyan had given him, or any injury he¡¯d sustained in his thousands of battles thus far. Even his recent near-death experience hadn¡¯t caused him too much pain, on ount of him cking out almost instantly.
And to think he undertook this torture willingly¡
The things we do for power¡
¡°Well? Are you ready?¡± Saunak asked.
¡°Ready as I¡¯ll every¡ªngh!?¡±
Vir never got a chance to finish that statement. The Thaumaturge had already begun.
The experience of having an intricate tattoo slowly and deeply carved into his chest was just about as agonizing as Vir had imagined.
Though no stranger to pain, when the minutes dragged into hours with seemingly no end in sight, tears started to flow uncontrobly down his face. His fists clenched, his teeth gritted, and it was all he could do to remain conscious against the sheer onught of agony.
For Vir, the world outside ceased to be. The Ash, the Demon Realm¡ none of it mattered. There was only endless pain. All-consuming. Burning him alive. Not even Saunak¡¯s hums of pleasure as he worked got through. Vir¡¯s eyes snapped shut, and his ears ceased to hear as he fought this battle against his body.
So consuming was the pain that Vir couldn¡¯t scarcely even feel Ashani¡¯s fingers when she moved closer and held his hand.
Vir focused his thoughts on the result. On the awe-inspiring power he would wield once the ordeal was over. He imagined himself the most powerful demon alive, raising the Gargan g once again at Samar Patag.
He imagined sleeping in the same bed his parents had. Of waking up in the castle, and walking to the royal balcony to take in the glorious sight of a sprawling Samar Patag thriving once more, expanding far past its current borders, all the way to the horizon. He saw airships flying this way and that in a constant, steady stream. He saw the myriad of Gates spread throughout the city.
A Demon Realm thriving. Unified. And at peace.
And then¡ He thought of Maiya. Of his beloved friend, realms apart. Of the warmth he felt when he¡¯did in her arms at Balindam, the day after that fateful raid on Kin¡¯jal¡¯s prison.
He missed her. He missed her so much that it hurt. Getting to chat with her and see her face almost made it worse. It reminded him of just how far she truly was. Of the chasm that existed within them.
For while he might have uncovered the secret to quickly traveling the realms, thework had yet to be built. Besides, what use was there for linking the Demon Realm to the Human Realm right now? What justification could hee up with for visiting Maiya, other than for personal reasons?
As much as he wished to visit Maiya, and as possible as the prospect now was, he simply couldn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t afford to. Not when his demons struggled in the Ash. Not when he had to recruit twenty times the numbers of his current miniscule army.
Not when his people needed to be saved. How could he go gallivanting on his own during such a time?
Vir¡¯s thoughts circled around in his head, repeating and reying, ad nauseam. Anything to take his mind off the agony.
Until, finally, Saunak uttered the words he¡¯d been waiting so long to hear.
¡°It is done.¡±
Vir said nothing. He couldn¡¯t. For he had already fallen unconscious.
When he came to, he found himself lying on the same bed, with Ashani and the wolves beside him. Saunak was missing.
¡°How long was I out?¡± Vir asked, slowly sitting up. He took the shirt Ashani proffered with gratitude, but hesitated to don it.
¡°Only about an hour. The operation took one hour, so it has been two since Saunak began his work.¡±
¡°One hour?¡± Vir asked incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±
Ashani gave him a soft, warm smile. ¡°I imagine it must have felt far longer to you. If only you allowed yourself to be put under¡¡±
Vir let out a sigh. ¡°I want to say I had to be conscious during the operation, but truthfully, the pain was so bad, I doubt there was anything I could have done had Saunak tried something¡¡±
¡°I concur,¡± Ashani replied. ¡°You needlessly put yourself through torture, when you could have rested peacefully instead.¡±
¡°Noted,¡± Vir said, running his finger over the tender flesh.
¡°It is quite the handsome design,¡± Ashani said.
It truly was. While Cirayus¡¯ tattoo was rich, royal blue, Vir¡¯s was pure ck, reflecting his prana, though the raw flesh currently tinted it red. Once healed, it would form quite a beautiful, subtle contrast on his ashen skin. Nothing that would jump out, but inly visible for all who looked closer.
¡°Saunak advises you not to cycle prana through your body, or to power the tattoo, until it has fully healed. Thanks to your pranites, I suspect that will happen on its own in a week¡¯s time.¡±
¡°Or an hour, if Tara works her magic,¡± Vir said.
¡°Indeed. That girl has quite the remarkable ability.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Vir asked. ¡°I¡¯d have thought the Imperium had far more advanced healing magic.¡±
¡°Yes? And?¡± Ashani asked, tilting her head in confusion. ¡°Can I not find something amazing, despite that? One cannot put demonic society and ours on the same scale, Vir. We had millions of years to attain what we had. You¡¯ve had four millennia to pick up the rubble of our fall. To mend those wounds and persist in a broken world. What demons have achieved is nothing short of remarkable.¡±
¡°I suppose I never thought of it that way,¡± Vir said, donning his shirt. ¡°By the way, where is Saunak?¡±
¡°Off in one of hisboratories,¡± Ashani said, gesturing to the door. ¡°He¡¯s be quite obsessed with those inscriptions I scribed.¡±
Vir grinned. ¡°Good. Maybe he¡¯ll make those airships viable, after all,¡± he said, swinging his legs over the operating table and jumping to his feet.
¡°You n to speak to him?¡± Ashani asked.
Vir nodded. ¡°It¡¯s time we told Saunak of our ability to create Gates. It¡¯s time we recruit him to our cause.¡±
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Chapter Ashborn 376: Recruitment Drive
Chapter Ashborn 376: Recruitment Drive
¡°What is all this about, hm?¡± Saunak said. ¡°Why won¡¯t you just tell me?¡±
¡°Please, Saunak,¡± Vir said, nearly forcing the Thaumaturge to sit in his chair. Given Saunak¡¯s obsession with magic, and considering his devotion to Ashani¡ Vir thought it best they prepare the demon for the news they were about to heap onto him.
With much grumbling, Saunak finally sat, and Vir and Ashani took seats opposite him, across his desk that overflowed with papers and schematics. Vir had chosen this location, hoping it would be a familiar environment for Saunak. Some ce he might be more rxed than usual.
¡°Saunak¡¡± Vir said, bracing himself for a fight. ¡°I¡¯d like you to join my cause.¡±
¡°Your¡ cause?¡± Saunak said, looking very confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±
¡°The Garga, Saunak. The Chits conquered our n, remember?¡± Vir said, feeling more than a little exasperated.
¡°Ahh, yes. Something like that did happen, didn¡¯t it? And you intend to retake it, I suppose? Well? Why should I care?¡±
¡°Why should¡¡± Vir cut himself off. Forget spiting the Chits, Saunak had gone and forgotten his own n had been sacked. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about the suffering of your own n?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Even a little?¡±
¡°Akh Nara¡ This was before your time, so I¡¯ll forgive your ignorance. Do not make the mistake of thinking I left voluntarily. I was thrown out. By that very n. Condemned to the Ash as a form of execution. Returning sounds like a good way to get myself killed.¡±¡°I will vouch for you. I¡¯ll ensure your protection,¡± Vir said, fully aware of the difficulty of that feat. It was no exaggeration to say that the entire realm wanted Saunak dead.
¡°Do you truly have that kind of power, Akh Nara?¡± Saunak asked, meeting Vir¡¯s gaze. ¡°Nay, I think not. Besides, what makes you think I want to return?¡±
Vir was about to call out how lonely it must be here, but Saunak clearly didn¡¯t mind that one bit. No, if he wanted to convince the demon, he needed to speak to what Saunak cared about.
¡°Your airship. If you do get it working, what then?¡± Vir asked. ¡°Without others to use your contraptions, without a country to spread them far and wide¡ They¡¯re just hobbies, are they not? Experiments doomed to gather dust and be forgotten.¡±
Saunak said nothing, which Vir took as his cue to continue.
¡°Just imagine. Your inventions, used by thousands¡ªmillions¡ªof demons. Ushering in a new era of prosperity. People would say your name, not out of revulsion, but reverence. Don¡¯t you want that?¡±
Saunak snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve lived with my reputation for centuries, haven¡¯t I? I couldn¡¯t care less about what people say about me.¡±
¡°But you do care about seeing your inventions in use, don¡¯t you? What Thaumaturge wouldn¡¯t?¡±
Saunak didn¡¯t immediately reply, instead staring off into the distance. Just what sort of future was he envisioning at that moment?
¡°Let¡¯s say that naive and idealistic vision of the future does appeal to me for a moment,¡± Saunak said. ¡°How do you n to aplish it, hmm?¡±
This time, it was Vir who shrugged. ¡°That part is easy. Make sufficiently useful creations, and demons won¡¯t care one whit where it came from. Or who made it. By the time they find out, it¡¯ll be toote. They¡¯ll be widespread and in use everywhere. They¡¯ll have no choice but to use your designs.¡±
¡°And then, you reveal it was me,¡± Saunak said, biting on his thumbnail. ¡°Interesting. Could work. It¡¯ll take time, though. Quite a lot of it, in fact.¡±
Vir looked around the room. ¡°Seems to me you¡¯ve got time, Saunak,¡± Vir said, cracking a small smile. ¡°Quite a lot of it, in fact.¡±
¡°Ha! You¡¯re not wrong. And what would you require in return, hmm? I will warn you now. I refuse to be kept on a leash, like some Bandy. And don¡¯t think of an instant I¡¯ll allow you to meddle with my experiments. Laymen like you best stay miles away from anyboratory.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do nothing of the sort. You can even stay here in your tower, where no one will bother you.¡±
¡°Quite the inconvenience, yes?¡± Saunak said. ¡°Undertaking a perilous expedition every time you wish to meet doesn¡¯t sound very practical. No, I fear you will have to set up a Thaumaturgeboratory wherever it is you¡¯re camped. And then, I¡¯d have to deal with your brain-dead demons throwing me dirty looks and plotting to kill me behind my back. Sorry. I don¡¯t think this can work, after all.¡±
¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is you¡¯ll do it if you can stay in this tower?¡± Vir asked innocently.
¡°Hmm? Yes, yes I suppose I will.¡±
Vir¡¯s smile grew until he was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Then there¡¯s no issue. Like I said, You¡¯re more than wee to stay here. For Ashani and me, you¡¯re no more than a step away.¡±
¡°A step away, is it?¡± Saunak asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Exin. And also, I¡¯d like to know how you located my tower. Even with that Artifact, it could not have been a simple affair. The Ash is vast, after all. Vast¡ And broken.¡±
¡°Well, it was simple,¡± Vir said, cing his hands on the table. ¡°You see¡ With Ashani¡¯s help, we can now create Ash Gates.¡±
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If Vir was hoping for a reaction, he was sorely disappointed. Not a ¡®You¡¯re out of your mind!¡¯ or a ¡®That¡¯s impossible!¡¯
Saunak simply stared at Vir, as if looking into his very soul.
¡°Show me,¡± Saunak said.
¡°Er, okay¡ Ashani?¡±
¡°Would you like me to create one here?¡± Ashani asked. ¡°Or somewhere more¡ practical?¡±
¡°Yes, yes. Here is fine. If you please¡ Madam Goddess,¡± Saunak said. Though his voice was neutral, the small cracks in his voice showed the Thaumaturge was fighting to keep it that way. His suspicion warred with his excitement, and all of it was on full disy.
¡°Very well, then. I shall create a Gate back to our base. Will the Nexus do?¡±
¡°That¡¯ll do just fine,¡± Vir said.
Then, just as usual, with nearly no fanfare, the Gate popped into existence. When the oval-shaped portal had stabilized, Vir reached a hand out, feeding his own prana into it, thereby relieving Ashani of her burden.
¡°Walk through it,¡± Saunak said, staring at the Gate with so much concentration, Vir thought he might burst a vein.
Vir obliged, walking through and then back again.
¡°What are the restrictions with respect to Gate cement?¡± Saunak asked.
¡°Anywhere Ashani has been before,¡± Vir said. ¡°Her memory is perfect, and so any location she¡¯s seen, she can create a Gate to.¡±
¡°Only, I cannot travel through my own Gates. Vir, however, has solved that particr issue.¡±
¡°H-How long does it remain stable?¡± Saunak asked hurriedly. His voice was more frantic now. More unhinged.
¡°It depends on the ambient prana,¡± Vir said. ¡°Anywhere deep in the Ash? Almost forever. In the Demon Realm¡ Perhaps a week or two before I have to inject prana of my own to prevent it from devolving into a Tear.¡±
¡°And how many can you maintain at once? Is there a limit?¡±
Vir shrugged. ¡°If there is, I haven¡¯t found it yet.¡±
Saunak backed away unsteadily, hands clutching his stark white hair. His eyes bulged nearly out of their sockets, and his jaw hung agape.
¡°Do you realize what this means?¡± he whispered.
¡°I do,¡± Vir said. ¡°Revolution. Of industry. Of military. Of the entire realm.¡±
Instead of replying, Saunak made a strange wheezing sound. But before Vir could ask the demon if he was alright, the genius, Thaumaturge, master without peer, being who¡¯d lived for centuries¡ crumpled to the ground unconscious.
¡°I admit, I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting that reaction,¡± Ashani said, looking over the demon with a concern.
Vir scratched his nose. ¡°Me neither. Didn¡¯t think anything fazed that guy.¡±
Saunak came to a momentter, sitting up with a jolt. ¡°Wha¡ªWhere am I? Gah, passed out again, didn¡¯t I?¡±
¡°Does¡ That happen often?¡± Vir asked.
¡°Sometimes. Only when I¡¯m absorbed in my¡ªBy Adinat, Ash Gates!?¡±
Saunak sprung to his feet and mmed the table. ¡°Do you have any idea what this means!?¡±
Vir suppressed a sigh. ¡°Yes, Saunak. I do. And yes, you may study them to your heart¡¯s content. Yes, you may use the Gates as you wish. And no, I will not restrict you in any way, so long as you swear your experiments will be ethical.¡±
¡°Done. I¡¯ve already experimented to my hearts desire on demons, anyway,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°Consider me joined at the hip to your cause, or whatever it is you¡¯re fighting for.¡±
Vir rolled his eyes. It was so typical of Saunak¡ He could¡¯ve been fighting for an Ash¡¯va rebellion and Saunak wouldn¡¯t have batted an eye. As much as Vir loathed Saunak¡¯s past, he¡¯d resolved to look past that. That was all in the distant past. Saunak seemed to have changed his ways, and more importantly, Vir needed him. If he had to choose between the sess of his rebellion and not interacting with a known criminal¡ He¡¯d choose sess every time.
Still, while Saunak might have promised not to experiment on demons, animals were another matter. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask you to cease whatever it is you do to those poor animals in those cages.¡± Vir detested the practice ever since he¡¯did eyes on those poor beasts. ¡°Let them back out into the wild, where they belong.¡±
¡°Consider it done,¡± Saunak replied, surprising Vir once again. ¡°I take it you¡¯ll be leaving now, yes? Er¡ Before you do, would you mind reforming that Gate somewhere more¡ practical?¡±
Vir looked at Ashani, and this time, both of them shook their heads in exasperation.
¡°Well then, I s¡¯ppose you¡¯ll be off¡¡± Saunak said.
The three were gathered in a room in Saunak¡¯s basement, having just performed another surgery... Not on Vir, but Shan. Now that Vir had survived the process himself, he felt he could trust Saunak to at least remedy the issues Shan had with his tattoo.
With much grumbling and ridiculing, mostly of Aida''s ipetence, Saunak made a few alterations. The demon was beyond fascinated with Shan, and spent almost as much time on him as he did on Vir''s tattoo. While he couldn''t promise that Shan would leverage the changes, he''d told Vir to document everything about the wolf and to ry everything back to him for further analysis.
Which brought everyone to the current spot. ording to Saunak, and verified by Ashani, the room had the most defense mechanisms in the entire tower. Whatever the Imperium had been doing here, it was something even they felt was dangerous. The square room with white walls, ceiling, and floor, and save for the dozen holes in the wall¡ªwhich Vir knew from experience allowed Saunak¡¯s army of spider minions to emerge¡ªwas devoid of any other features or furnishings.
In other words, it was the perfect ce to house Ashani¡¯s Gate, which sat in the middle of the room. It was an oversized Gate,rge enough to fit the airship, which Vir nned to have his demons help carry back. Even broken down, it was nevertheless a ratherrge contraption.
Despite being no further than another room in his own tower, Saunak had opted to provide a list of instructions for how to re-assemble the thing. Even with that, Vir didn¡¯t doubt he¡¯d end uping back to the tower to consult the demon.
¡°You¡¯re wee to stop by anytime,¡± Vir said. ¡°The nexus where this Gate leads to is in a fortified part of the camp. From there, you can even head to the Demon Realm if you like. You there, and you won¡¯t even have to deal with other demons, aside from my guards. They¡¯ll know to expect you. I can¡¯t promise a warm wee, but they¡¯ll at least tolerate you. Those who don¡¯t will answer to me, personally.¡±
¡°Incredible,¡± Saunak said in awe as he peered through the Gate. ¡°I think I can see one of the Gates leading to the Demon Realm from here. An iprehensibly vast distance¡ now reduced to a dozen steps. Akh Nara¡ When you get a chance, we should discuss the ramifications of thiswork, and how best to deploy it. I¡¯ve a few ideas of my own, but I¡¯ll work on organizing a proposal for your review.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Vir said, somewhat shocked at the demon¡¯s diligence. ¡°But don¡¯t forget about that airship. The Gates are useful only for crossing the Ash, and for locations in the Demon Realm very near the boundary. The rest of the realm needs something else. Something they can use to quickly get to one of the Gates.¡±
¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll work on it. With your Lighten Load inscription, I¡¯m sure I can at least match what the humans have.¡±
Vir nodded, and turned to usher the wolves through the Gate. By all rights, this mission was a sess. At longst, he¡¯d obtained Bncer of Scales, and he¡¯d recruited Saunak to his cause. Whether the Thaumaturge would be the death of him, or the realm¡¯s salvation, remained to be seen. But at least progress was being made.
But as Vir stepped through the Gate, his joy was quickly washed away when he thought of all he had yet to aplish. He still had to learn how to master the Ultimate Art. He had to open his next Chakra, and most importantly, there was still the recruiting problem that loomed like a Wyrm above his head.
A flustered guard rushed up to Vir the moment he was through.
¡°Akh Nara! When we saw the new Gate, we hoped¡¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vir asked. ¡°You look troubled.¡±
¡°Yes! We¡¯ve visitors. At our Gate in the Demon Realm. They¡¯re asking to speak to you, and to you, only.¡±
Vir frowned. He wasn¡¯t expecting anyone.
¡°Did they say who they are?¡±
¡°Yes, er¡ They call themselves the Garga Lavani. And they im to number over a thousand.¡±
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