Vir hopped off and gazed unsteadily up at the barrier, craning his neck until he nearly fell over. It went on… forever, disappearing into storm clouds high above. The sky had darkened, and thunder roared in the distance. As if the Ash refused to be contained within its realm and bled slowly into this one.
That might actually be exactly what’s happening, Vir reflected, thinking of the Ash’s relentless expansion.
There wasn’t anything remotely like it in the Known World. Had it not been so dangerous, Vir might even have called the sight beautiful.
And also broken, a voice whispered within his head. There was a wrongness to the barrier. An unnaturalness that struck out to him, though he couldn’t begin to explain why.
“How long has the barrier been here?” Vir asked as he retrieved his heavy rucksack off Frumpy.
“Since the Age of the Gods, at least,” Maiya said, looking slightly pale. “No one knows for sure. It might even have existed forever.”
Vir wondered what secrets it kept within its domain.
Within Mahādi. He only hoped he’d gain a glimpse into those mysteries.
“Lad, we’d best get a move on. This close to the Boundary, there’s no telling when one of us might be snatched up. Just as the Boundary deposits monsters, it can pull people into it, too.”
Both Vir and Maiya shot him a stern look.
“Hm. There is much I need to tell the lad before we venture in. But, well, I suppose that can wait a few moments,” the giant said, looking at Maiya with sympathy. “You’d best say your farewells now.”
The demon moved a dozen paces away to stare at a bush, as if it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.
“Don’t go?” Maiya blurted, before hastily covering her mouth.
The pain in her eyes nearly made Vir falter.
“No, I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what—!”
He didn’t falter. He instead embraced her in a tight hug before she had a chance to say any more.
“Gods! I’m going to miss you, Vir,” Maiya whispered, tears streaming down her face.
“I know.”
Maiya was sobbing now.
“I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I know.”
“After…” Maiya sniffled. “After we found each other again. Vir—”
Vir broke the hug and grasped her shoulders, looking her in the eyes.
“Don’t say you can’t. You’re strong, Maiya. Look at you, you’re the right-hand of a princess! Just a year ago, you were an ordinary village girl. Nobody gets to where you are without being strong.”
Vir wiped her tears away, only to find that his own face had just as many.
“This is just as hard for me as it is for you, y’know?” he said.
“Isn’t there any way I can come?” she asked. “Take me with you.”
Cirayus grimaced from nearby. “I’m sorry, lass. You’d be walking to your own death,” he said softly, but with a firmness that allowed no rebuke. “You’re far too young to throw your life away so wastefully.”
“But hey, at least I have your orb, right? With Cirayus around, we can talk whenever we like!”
“I truly don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, lad,” Cirayus said, “but I do not believe those orbs will work in the Ash.”
“O-oh,” Vir said, desperately wiping his tears before the demon saw. “But they’ll work in the Demon Realm?”
“I cannot say. I merely overheard the mejai I traveled with saying as much. ’Tis one of the many reasons humans know so little of the Ash. Communication is impossible.”
“But can you power them?” Maiya asked, sadness ebbing from her voice.
“My captors never let me try, but I don’t see why not. I possess Life, Earth, and Fire affinities, after all.”
“Vir, give him the orb!” Maiya said excitedly, wiping away her tears. “The other one’s back at my room in Kin’jal so it won’t work, but we’ll know if he can turn it on, at least.”
Vir was also curious about that. He hadn’t ever seen a demon power an orb. It should have been possible in Balindam’s Undercity, which wasn’t as prana starved as the rest of the Voidlands, but seeing Cirayus use it in person would prove without a doubt that demons could use human magic.
Vir carefully hefted the oversized orb with both hands, which fit neatly into Cirayus’ palm. Vir focused on Prana Vision, carefully observing the demon… but nothing happened.
“Er, this is rather embarrassing,” Cirayus said, scratching his chin. “How does one activate these? I’ve never had the opportunity.”
“Do you… create a suction when powering your tattoos?” Vir asked. “Like, do you ‘suck’ the prana into your tattoo somehow?”
“Suck? Ah, the vacuum effect. Yes, basic prana manipulation technique. By creating a pocket of prana suction directly under the tattoo, we draw in ambient prana, powering the mark. I think of it more as ‘pooling’ the prana, but what you describe is analogous.”
Vir’s excitement grew. So tattoos do work like orbs then!
“In that case, try focusing on—oh. You already got it.”
The giant pulled prana from the air, and a few seconds later, the orb glowed faintly.
“Yes!” Maiya shouted. “Yes! It works!”
“Aye. I suspected they might function similarly to our tattoos, but… hmm. They can store a prana charge, can’t they? How curious.”
That surprised Vir. He’d thought for sure tattoos could be precharged as well.
“Of course,” Maiya answered with excitement. “Mejai practically rely on it. In fact, you don’t even need to be a mejai to use magic if you have a precharged orb. Nearly anyone can activate a combat spell that’s already been charged. Once. After that, you need a mejai to refill it.”
Vir smiled, happy her mood had recovered. So had his. Talking to Maiya gave him something to look forward to. Something precious.
“I see. Demonic tattoos do not work in this manner. They cannot ‘hold a charge,’ as you say.”
Vir wondered what the difference was. Something else to investigate, he thought, smiling at Maiya’s elated expression.
“Looks like we might be able to chat, after all,” Vir said.
“There’s hope, at least,” she said. “I can live with that. Just don’t take too long to get through the Ash, alright? You’ll break my heart.”
“I won’t,” he said gently, hugging her. “I promise.”
Vir clutched her tightly, hoping the weight of his feelings would bleed into her the longer they held each other. Seeing how fiercely she clung back, he knew she felt the same.
“I, erm,” Maiya said eventually, staring at her feet. “I guess… this is it, then? I’ll be honest, Vir. I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“Then don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t say goodbye. This isn’t farewell. I will return. So will you wait for me?”
Maiya looked him in the eyes, allowing their foreheads to touch. “I already said I… Actually, no. I won’t wait, Vir,” she said, pausing just long enough for a look of shock to form on Vir’s face.
“I—uh, t-that’s fair. I don’t—”
“I won’t wait because I’ll grow stronger. So I can be as strong as you when you return. Maybe even surpass you. I’m gonna work my ass off. So that you don’t leave me behind.”
Vir’s mouth hung open for a long moment, then he chuckled. “That’s the spirit. Guess I’ll have to make sure I don’t slack off in there,” he said, thumbing to the Ash Boundary.
“Not like you can. You’ll die if you do.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Vir chuckled.
They fell silent.
“Don’t take unnecessary risks. It’s dangerous enough as it is,” she said.