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 that’s my real name,” Vir whispered. He’d never meant the words to leave his mouth.
“The name bestowed upon you by the Raja—King Maion and his queen, Shari Garga.”
King? Queen? His parents. His real parents! For the longest time, Vir wondered where he’d come from. Who he truly was. He’d given up on those answers until he reached the Demon Realm. And now, just like that, he had them.
Wonder what they’re like.
After losing Rudvik, he never thought he’d 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 I’m 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.”
Vir’s heart threatened to seize.
No. No! Why?
The flame of hope in his chest extinguished just as soon as it’d 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 didn’t 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. I’m okay.
He wasn’t, not truly. Maiya’s intervention helped, but it’d be a while before he came to terms with this revelation. Still, the last 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. “I’m afraid I’m the only one who survived.”
“I see.”
So people died for me. All to bring me here.
Vir wasn’t quite sure how to process that second bombshell, so he changed the topic.
“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 couldn’t 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 place 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. We’d 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 can’t, lass, 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 haven’t. As young Ekavir here said, I haven’t even scratched you. That’ll have to suffice. For now.”
“It’s okay, Maiya. I’m pretty sure he’s 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, that’s enough for me,” Maiya replied, throwing him a concerned look.
She’s 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.
“Let’s head back for now,” Vir said, preparing to pick Maiya up. “I don’t want Badal and the others to chase after us. I’ve made them worry enough.” Before he could hoist Maiya, he found himself being lifted by one of the giant’s 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, placing them on his shoulders.
“We’re 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!” Cirayus laughed. “Relax a little, and you might, too, lass!”
Maiya recalled how high Cirayus had jumped and blanched. “Can you, erm, start slow?”
“For a friend who risked her life for young Sarvaak? I’m happy to oblige.”
“Flattery won’t 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 what High Jump could do. From there, his steps only grew longer and higher.
This is incredible! Vir thought, glancing at his friend on the giant’s other shoulder. Her knuckles were white, but he’d 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 Cirayus landed lightly atop a branch, rather than allowing himself to fall to the forest floor.
“Hard to orient yourself on the floor,” he said. “From here, you can see exactly where you need to go.”
“I don’t 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 don’t feel light? I feel the same as normal.”
“Aye, you would. I’ve made your entire body lighter, including your clothes and armor. You’d certainly feel that if I hadn’t. But go to pick up an object when you’re this light, and you’ll see what I mean. Would be near impossible.”
Vir couldn’t 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, didn’t you?”
“Observant. Good. Aye, I did. Balancer of Scales consumes both Life and Earth Affinity prana. Doesn’t 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 he’d met knew more about prana than Vir did. Perhaps now that would change.
What breakthroughs would he have under Cirayus’ tutelage?
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 true—if he was a prince—then he absolutely had to visit the Demon Realm.
Not visit… return. Home. But then, why did Cirayus brave the Ash to bring me here?