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 didn’t look like it could destroy an entire village,” Vir commented, standing some distance away.
“Aww, Frumpy’s harmless! She won’t harm a soul. Well, not unless they threaten her. Then she might chomp their head off.”
Vir took a slow step back.
“Just kidding! She’s more likely to fly away than lash out. She’s incredibly well trained.”
“We have them in the Demon Realm as well,” Cirayus said, scratching the black beast’s 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… why’d you have to name it Frumpy, Maiya?”
“Hmm? Well, because she looks kinda derpy, doesn’t 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 he’d have to say in just a few short moments.
This was the last time he’d 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.
“Balancer is good for covering ground, but Acira are better still,” Cirayus said, motioning to the beast. “They fly higher, as well. We’d 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 won’t be in contact with the ground. Shouldn’t you be unable to use Balancer? Actually, how do you even jump so high? I understand you can reduce your weight, but I’ve never heard of a Talent that continues to function even once it’s in the sky.”
Cirayus grinned. “Well observed. Suffice it to say, Balancer of Scales is a bit special. All the Ultimate Bloodline tattoos are.”
Vir expected more of an explanation, but when the giant fell silent, he understood none would be forthcoming.
Does he want me to figure it out on my own? Or is there some other reason he can’t 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 circulated rapidly, flowing in and out of the tattoo.
Wait! Isn’t this like Parai’s Prana Channeling technique?
The giant’s Earth and Life Affinity prana moved in an unbelievably complex pattern through every limb.
“You’re using your own prana to sustain the ability.”
Cirayus looked impressed. “Did one of your past incarnations tell you that, lad?”
Vir shook his head. He’d taken some time to contemplate just how much to trust Cirayus, but as the demon had said himself, if he wanted Vir dead, he could’ve killed him many times already. After everything Vir had heard, there was little doubt the four-armed giant was indeed the same demon who’d brought him over as a baby.
Which meant he’d risked his life. If Vir couldn’t trust people who’d sacrificed everything for his sake, he’d have serious issues. “They don’t help me out nearly as much as I’d like. I have Prana Vision. I can see prana. Your technique looks very similar to Parai’s Prana Channeling.”
Cirayus cocked a brow at his words, regarding Vir appraisingly. “Another Iksana ability. You’ve been blessed, lad. Many demons would kill to have Iksana Sight.”
Vir thought back to the experience that yielded the ability, back in the Godshollow. He’d nearly lost his life, and Ekanai had nearly killed Maiya. The ability certainly hadn’t come 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, it’d hardly suffice on its own. My ability uses both Earth and Life affinities. While Earth may not be available to me in the air, Life certainly is. I combine that with Prana Channeling to sustain the ability.”
Ordinarily, Vir would’ve peppered the giant with more questions, but he just wasn’t in the mood.
I’m really leaving.
In a way, he felt like he was running away. From Hiranya and Princess Mina… from Tia and Spear’s Edge. Even now, complex 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 he’d found people to call his own, he’d left, fleeing Cirayus. That threat was now gone, but after learning of his past, there was no going back. Not when so much of his history lay 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, he’d never feel right. The hole in his chest would return.
She’d been quiet until now, and while Vir had never minded the silence, this was truly one of the last chances he had to converse with her. To hear her voice one final time. When he tried to speak, the words wouldn’t come. It wasn’t just the heavy winds that made talking difficult—he just didn’t know what to say. What was there to say? That he’d miss her? That he felt awful leaving? He’d 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 wasn’t giving Frumpy directions.
Their moment didn’t last 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 he’d ever experienced, exerting a heavy pressure, not unlike Balancer of Scales.
And in the distance, a shimmering blue-silver wall pierced the sky, extending to the heavens.
“We’re already so close?” Vir shouted over the wind.
“It’s not that we’re 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 days later.
“At our current speed, it’s still an hour away!” Maiya called.
The Boundary wasn’t 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.
But the fact remained. For the first time in his life, he’d drawn in ambient, airborne Ash prana.
It was a small thing, and entirely meaningless. It still filled him with joy.
The shimmering barrier grew steadily larger, and pressure increased, growing uncomfortable.
Vir was about to ask Maiya if she was alright when she directed Frumpy to descend, landing a few dozen paces from the Boundary.