Hardly a surprise at this point, Vir thought. Fate had robbed him of so much already, what was a clan’s demise added on top of all that? While Vir breathed easier that he hadn’t been the cause of the war as he’d 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.”
“You’re Gargan?” Vir asked. “I thought you said you’re Bairan?”
“I am. I’m only half giant.”
“Half giant?” Maiya said. “You’re saying real giants are even bigger than you?”
Cirayus chucked. “I’m 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 I’d lose to any of them in combat, of course. Size isn’t everything.”
Vir tried to laugh at his joke but couldn’t 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 are—were—strong. In the old tongue, Garga means bull. They more than lived up to the name. They were among the fiercest, most honorable warriors I’ve had the honor of knowing.”
Were? “You make it sound like…”
“Whatever became of the Garga, I cannot say. I wasn’t there to see it. But I’ve lived through my fair share of wars. I’m sorry, Vir. I fear most would have lost their lives like your father. Those who survived would’ve 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, I’m the prince of a clan that was sacked sixteen years ago? My mother’s dead. My father’s dead. And my people are extinct?”
Vir wondered whether he’d 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 won’t lie, the Garga took a heavy blow on that day, yes. The worst in the clan’s history. But they are survivors. You are a survivor. So long as you live, there is hope.”
A lamp lit in Vir’s head. Ever since Cirayus revealed himself, he’d wondered what the demon expected of him. Why he’d gone to such lengths to keep Vir alive.
“You want me to return to the demon lands… To restore the Garga. That’s why you brought me here. That’s why you hid me. Isn’t it?”
“Had I not been spotted by humans entering the realm, I would have raised you myself. Alas, 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 wasn’t kidding. That is a lot to take in. How are you holding up, my liege?”
“Not now, Maiya,” Vir snapped back, though he couldn’t prevent his lips from curling up.
“Sorry. Sorry! Bad timing.”
“I… I dunno? It’s hard to believe. The prophecy, the Chitrans, the Garga… war. My mother. It all happened so long ago, and yet, I can’t shake this feeling. Like I’m the one at fault here. Like this is all my responsibility.”
Maiya crouched in front of Vir and held his hands in hers. “It’s not. Not like you wanted to be born with that tattoo, right? You said it yourself. It’s caused nothing but trouble for you.”
Vir’s 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, that’s not fair.”
“I know,” Vir said with a sigh. “I know it’s not my fault. But still…”
“What will you do?” Maiya said after they’d been silent awhile. “Are you… gonna go?”
Though she did her best to hide it, Vir could feel her anxiety.
Vir leaned forward and embraced her tightly.
“Perhaps eventually,” he said softly. “But there’s no rush now. 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 don’t want to leave you, Maiya. You know I don’t. Just… if there’s anyone left, I feel like… I gotta meet them. I have to see how things are.”
“That destiny, or whatever. That’s Cirayus’ wish. Not yours. Don’t let him bully you into doing what he wants,” Maiya said, searching Vir’s eyes. “You can say no.”
“I know. I don’t think he’d be too happy about it, but if I felt that way, believe me, I would. I’m 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. That’s all I’m 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 Maiya’s lips curled up.
“Exactly. Whatever I decide, I’m gonna need strength. And what better place to gain it than the Ash?”
The land 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? Was there another reason? Maybe I’ll be able to visit the place of my birth…
“Well, I’m still not happy you’re leaving, but I gotta say, I feel a lot better about all this with Cirayus at your side. He’s strong. And I don’t think we’ve even seen his full might.”
“Maybe if I get strong enough, he’ll 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.
“I’m 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 shouldn’t 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, lass. 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 collar, 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 collar injects something into the person it’s on. They usually come 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,” Cirayus completed, 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.”