Where the Rani Queendom ensured their security by supporting large parts of other countries’ economies, the Pagan Order was more like a porcupine—more hassle than it was worth to kill.
Vir stared up at the whirring contraption that blazed brightly. He still couldn’t believe something like this actually existed, or that it continued to function many millennia after the fall of the ones who built it.
“So the prana in the Undercity. Is it because the machine’s effects don’t reach that far down?”
Zora nodded. “One could call it a weakness, but it is one we’ve exploited. The machine converts prana in the air to prana in the ground.”
“You wouldn’t happen to have a portable version of this, would you?” he joked. With one of these, he figured crossing the Ashen Realm wouldn’t be nearly as dangerous. Without their precious prana, Ash Beasts would prove far less of a threat. He’d beaten several of the weakened monsters on his own, after all.
Zora’s expression sagged. “All attempts to study it have ended in failure. Whatever means the gods used to build this device, it is beyond us.”
Figures.
Acting on a whim, Vir relaxed his control over his body’s prana, allowing some to leak out.
If it can convert affinities… can it convert Ash Prana too?
If so, it’d open doors for him in the future.
He watched as the tiny motes of prana drifted through the air. But after a moment, it became clear they weren’t being sucked to the top like the other affinities. The device had no sway over them.
Vir shook his head and sighed. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy.
“You’ve taken a great risk showing me this,” he said. “Why?”
“Consider it a show of good faith,” Zora replied. “The Pagan Order’s reputation is not a good one. While it is a deception—a carefully crafted facade—no doubt you’d have reservations about us.”
“But you’ve given me a home. You’ve shown me this secret. You must want something in return. Nobody does any of this out of the goodness of their own heart.”
Badal squeezed Vir’s shoulder. “There are no strings attached, friend. Truly.”
“However,” Zora began.
Here it comes, Vir thought.
“We would be overjoyed if you aided us.”
“Aid, how?” Vir wasn’t averse to helping the Order out, so long as it was for a noble cause. He disagreed with their callous disregard for the value of human life, though he could understand where they were coming from. Humans universally hated demons. There was bound to be some resentment.
Even so, they had confided in him. And… they were the only bastion of demonkind in the human realm. That was worth celebrating. It was worth protecting. And yet, something continued to bother him.
When Tia had first shared her hatred of demons with him, he hadn’t known what to make of it. Were demons evil? Or was there more going on?
There was definitely more. While the Pagan Order’s disturbing talk of purging humans was a good reason for her hatred, that was a secret, and they’d done nothing of the sort yet. Rather, demons were intelligent and behaved much the same as humans did.
It was more likely to be an empty threat to force their enemies to reconsider messing with them. Vir had doubts whether they would truly go through with it. At least, he hoped.
“Some members of my party believe demons are… feral. That they go around slaughtering humans. Even razing villages. They say demons can’t be reasoned with. Why? What’s giving them that impression?”
“Humans are quick to hate,” Badal began, but Zora interrupted him.
“No. They are right to think as much. Long ago, when the Pagan Order first started raiding other countries to bring slaves home, we had something of a civil war. One faction wished to lay low until we amassed enough power to force the humans to respect our sovereign right as a nation of demons. The other… held more extreme beliefs.
“The moderates won. The other side fled, forming a splinter faction in Matali. They prefer shock and fear to cow their opponents. While these tactics have their uses, they must be used carefully, at the right time and place. Our Matali brethren believe otherwise, I’m afraid. They feel they must return the wrongs they’ve experienced a hundredfold, and that no amount of savagery is enough.”
“Are they really extreme enough to be labeled as feral?”
That was the part that confused Vir the most. Tia seemed to think some demons were akin to Ash Beasts.
Badal exchanged a strained look with Zora.
“Some of them grew weary of living in human lands. Some sought the Demon Realm.”
“They brave the Ash?”
“Indeed. Most perish. Some might even have made it, though we wouldn’t know. The ones who return are… addled. Not quite right in the head. Unfortunately, that only makes them even more aligned with the Matali demons’ ethos. They become their champions, more often than not. Suicidal maniacs who behave more like animals than intelligent creatures.”
“When these demons come into contact with humans,” Zora said, “the result is often disastrous. We do what we can when we find them, but…”
“There aren’t many, but there are enough to be a problem,” Badal said. “We think Kin’jal helps them out in secret, to destabilize Matali. Allows them to cow the country into submission and hasten their downfall. Won’t be surprised if Matali ends up part of the Kin’jal Empire someday soon.”
The demon situation was turning out to be far more complex than Vir initially thought.
“Demons are stronger than humans, on average,” Badal continued. “Though there are more of them than there are of us. Every brother and sister rescued bolsters our cause. Especially those slated for death row.”
They’ll be executed? Vir’s stomach sank, while his resolve hardened. “When? Where?”
“Kin’jal, and tomorrow, in the dead of night. Fifty of our captive brothers and sisters will lose their lives. The males and children will be executed. The females will suffer worse than that unless we act. Our raiding party could use an experienced warrior. Especially one so experienced in stealth and subterfuge like yourself.”
Vir clenched his fists. The thought of those like himself being subjected to such cruel fates made his blood boil.
“I—”
“There’s no obligation, friend,” Badal said, squeezing Vir’s shoulder. “We’d love to have you, but you’ve only just arrived. Even otherwise, we’d never demand that anyone join us. It’s risky, and there’s a good chance some of us won’t make it back. Think it over.”
Vir nodded. “Thanks. I’ll do that.”
Truthfully, he was about to agree. But mulling it over wasn’t a bad idea, either.
“As Badal says, we are always short of help, and we would reward you greatly for any aid you could give us. But there is no obligation. We invite you here with open arms. Simply as you are.”
“T-thanks,” Vir said. If he was honest, it felt good. A warm, comfortable feeling ballooned within his chest, and for the first time in his entire life, he felt like he belonged. Like he’d finally come home after an arduous journey.
Tears began to stream down his face before he realized it.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I… Do you mind if I head to the surface? I have a lot to think about.”
“Of course,” Zora replied. “Badal will show you the way.”
The Undercity, while a safe haven—perhaps the only demon haven in the Known World—was still a strange environment. One Vir might grow used to, but for now, he longed for the crashing of the shores and the sight of stars overhead.
“The plan is to fly in with a fleet of Acira,” Badal said as they ascended back to the surface. There were several exits, and not all led through the Undercity proper. “They’re being held in a fort in the southwestern countryside, just east of the Endless Plains. We sneak in, break them out, and leave. No bloodshed. Hopefully.”