“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, isn’t it, Shardul, Ekanai? You better help me out in the Ash…
The Tribunal glanced at each other uncomfortably.
“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 won’t be welcomed 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 place your people in harm’s way for the consequences of my actions. The people hunting me have good reasons for doing so.”
“Very well. Since you’ve 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, remember—you 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 Order lands and you’ll be treated as a guest of honor.”
Vir took the medallion with a gracious nod.
“And consider this a congratulatory 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 didn’t have to do any of this.”
“And you didn’t have to save fifteen demons just days after you arrived. We value our citizens. Especially those who’ve contributed to the cause.”
“We’d best get going,” Maiya said gently. “Want to get a full day of flying if we can. The journey’s gonna take two days at a minimum. I’d rather it not stretch to three.”
Vir thought of a fitting farewell, but in the end, only managed a, “Till we meet again.”
“May all the gods be with you,” Reth replied.
It took an activation of Empower to hoist Vir’s rucksack onto Maiya’s royal Kin’jal Acira, though with his recent efficiency gain, he needed far less prana than before. The effect was similar to Haymi’s speed enhancement—from 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 a compass 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. He’d combed through all the tomes in the Order’s library pertaining to the Ashen Realm, and he’d grilled both Maiya and the librarian for information, but none of them knew of any water sources inside the Ash.
There had to be water—even Ash Beasts had to eat and drink—but until he could locate one, he’d be on his own. The large 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, you’d have to find food, water, and shelter to survive.
Parai’s cycling techniques may very well save Vir in there. That, and knowledge. He’d studied all the cataloged beasts mentioned in the Order’s 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. Vir gazed down nostalgically at Balindam, knowing fully well it was the last he’d see of it for a long time.
Wind made conversation tedious, so while Vir would’ve loved to spend what time he had left chatting with Maiya, he focused on copying Parai’s technique to his arms. Benefiting from the experience of having done the tedious—and painful—exercise 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, they weren’t 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 didn’t show it.
By the time the sun’s rays grew long in the sky and they flew over the beautiful waterways of Avi and crossed Daiya Lake, he’d done most of one arm. When they crossed the barren Bulwark Mountains and put down on eastern Ranian lands, he’d 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 he’d stepped foot in one. At Brij, it was a rare week when he wasn’t exploring the Godshollow.
Wonder if there’ll be forests in the Ashen Realm…
“We’ve been flying all day. We’ll want to stay here overnight,” Maiya said. “That’s why I picked this forest. Easy access to firewood, and it keeps us hidden.”
“Good thinking.”
Vir got to work fetching firewood while Maiya cleared the camp. Observing her, Vir couldn’t help but be amazed at how far she’d come from their foray with Rudvik nearly a year ago. Back then, she’d been clueless, and somewhat spoiled, finding camping rough and icky.
Now? She took to it 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.
“That’s some nice gear you’ve got there,” Vir said, eyeing Maiya’s 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, isn’t it?” Maiya said with a nostalgic smile. Her hands were black with dirt, but she didn’t seem to mind one bit.
“You’ve really come a long way,” Vir whispered.
“T-thanks,” Maiya said, blushing.
Vir grew hot, and he was saved only by his face paint. He hadn’t intended for her to hear.
“Kin’jal 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. Wasn’t my first choice, but we weren’t 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 Rani’s temperate climate, it was hardly necessary. 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, comfortable setting.
“This is the last time we’ll get to chat like this, isn’t it?” Maiya whispered into Vir’s ear, leaning against him. There was something different this time. Almost as if she was desperate to be close to him.
“I’m coming back, Maiya.”
“I…” Maiya’s words caught in her throat, and she clutched Vir just a little tighter.
“You think I’m gonna die in there, don’t you?”
Her silence said it all, even without the tears that welled up in her eyes.