Vir picked up on what Disanna was implying.
“If I do make it there, I’ll see what I can do. If there’s a way of communicating between the two realms, I’ll 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. “I’ll be leaving with my mejai friend. We’ll be faster on a single Acira.”
“Then go, with our blessings and prayers.”
Vir stood silent for a moment.
“Is something the matter?” Reth asked.
“You’re… letting me go?” Vir asked skeptically. “I thought you’d 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. “We’d have to be backwater chals to restrain you against your will. Even if we could—which I doubt we can, what with your shadow abilities—we’d 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 you’re headed, you might be pleased to know that your promotion to Brotherhood Shadow has been processed. Consider it a parting gift for the aid you’ve rendered.”
“I—thank you,” Vir said. When did they submit that request? While they were right—Brotherhood ranks meant little in the Ash—the gesture still touched him.
“How did you make that happen? I didn’t even complete 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. They’ve 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 relationship ever since.”
Vir thought he understood. The Brotherhood hated being beholden to anyone. They wouldn’t have accepted aid with strings attached.
“Of course, the Brotherhood does not compromise their morals, even for us,” Disanna said. “But they do hold us in high esteem. That comes with certain… privileges.”
Vir chuckled.
“Is something the matter?” Disanna asked.
“No, it’s 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 it’s 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 clans brave the Ashen Realm? They must know how dangerous the Ash is. To deliver a child here… Can anyone remember the last time such a thing happened?”
“Never,” Lord Reth replied. “Not once in recorded history.”
“It seems events have unfolded within the clans that are beyond our knowledge,” Zora rasped.
“I’m afraid they’ll remain that way unless Vir returns with news,” Disanna replied. “None of our agents have ever successfully entered the Demon Realm.”
“Or if they have, they’ve never returned,” Reth said. “I can’t 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. Though, I wonder if it was 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.”
“We’ve 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, while they might’ve had a falling out,” Reth said, “I sense Vir harbors some lingering attachment to Princess Tiyana. He might fashion himself an assassin, but there is a pure-heartedness to him that’s 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,” Reth commented.
“But the dangers of the Ash…” Zora said.
“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.”
54UPGRADES
Two red demons faced off in a ring, though one was considerably larger 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. The larger demon made the opening move, but the smaller one easily avoided it, ducking low for a counterattack.
“See? Isn’t this a spectacle?” Badal said, munching on some fried flour snacks while Vir sat next to him, concerned.
“Look, even your bandy’s enjoying this!” Badal said.
It was true. Neel gazed at the combatants with rapt attention, his tail swinging energetically. Which was especially incredible, considering Badal’s bag of sweet treats right nearby.
“Even now, my pursuers near Balindam,” Vir replied. “I don’t have time for this!” Every moment wasted made him increasingly anxious.
“Exactly why you should make some. You’ll be off to the Ashen Realm soon. The Ashen Realm, of all places! Trust me, you can use every bit of normalcy you can find before venturing into that place, because I assure you, you will miss this life.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Vir said softly. He’d been in the middle of packing his things when Badal barged in and demanded they go watch the fights.
A popular sport here amongst demons in the Undercity, fights were common, as was betting. More than that, it was the feeling of safety Vir would miss. Nowhere was safe in the Ash. How long would it be before he could let his guard down like this again?