Panic tinged Cirayus’ voice. He knew as well as Vir—there was no fleeing this foe. Death approached, and unless Saunak defended them, they would meet their doom.
Saunak remained unconcerned.
“We don’t have time for this,” Vir said. “It’s almost here!”
“Look at what I receive for my troubles,” Saunak said, putting a palm to his forehead. “All I wanted was for some good company. Do you know how lonely it can be here in the Ash? With only my Automatons to keep me company?”
“Cirayus!” Vir shouted, preparing to Leap away.
He stopped.
Automatons… Not Automaton? Had the thaumaturge misspoken? Or…
The sphere-base Automaton approached to within ten paces… And stopped.
Vir groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Saunak, who had just sat up, fell over, cackling.
“Don’t tell him anything,” Cirayus said, for the fifth time. “Don’t let him goad you into admitting anything.” He paused. “In fact, it would be better if you just didn’t speak in front of him. Or anywhere near him.”
Vir rolled his eyes. “Cirayus, he has two Automatons. He could have killed us both if he wanted to. Heck, he didn’t even need to come here if that’s what he wanted.”
“Hasn’t killed us yet. Lad, if that madman learns who—what—you truly are… We are taking a dangerous risk in following him.”
“A necessary risk,” Vir replied. “He says he has a way to reset the Artifact to point us home.”
“You can’t trust a word out of that maniac’s mouth,” Cirayus spat, knowing well that they had little recourse.
While they might escape Saunak, their Artifact would simply lead the demon to them. And if they threw it away, they were doomed to walk the Ash until a fortuitous Gate popped up. There was a reason why Amarat might have been the only demon in the whole Human Realm who’d survived with such a method.
Saunak commandeered both of his Automata, while Vir, Shan, and Cirayus followed, bounding a few dozen paces behind. They’d cleared the forest, and the Automata were setting a frantic pace toward their destination—Saunak’s home.
The question of whether Saunak had taken control of the Automata after he arrived still lingered within Vir’s mind. If so, Vir was willing to throw the demon a bone. He was eccentric, yes, but perhaps not completely antagonistic. If, however, he’d been in control all along, and used it to corral them… Vir would never be able to trust him.
It also irked him that Saunak kept throwing glances back at them. Or more specifically, at Shan. The thaumaturge clearly had an interest in the Ashfire Wolf, and Vir didn’t like it.
Unfortunately, the demon had insisted he could only assert his control near another Automaton, and the only way Vir knew to verify his words was by the threads of Ash prana that connected the white tablet to both Automata. He hadn’t seen those during their earlier fight with the sphere-base Automaton… Then again, he hadn’t looked too closely, either. They might simply have been too faint to have noticed.
The terrain slowly changed to rolling ash-covered hills, and then to cracked, barren plains, before Saunak took a turn, heading for a nearby mountain range. The same range as the one the three had sought refuge in, but separated by over a hundred miles.
“So,” Vir said after a long period of silence. “You’re a father, huh?”
“Aye,” Cirayus said after a moment. “That I am.”
“I… see,” Vir said awkwardly. It was something most people would have mentioned loudly and often, and yet he never had. Which meant the giant had a reason for wanting to keep it a secret.
They fell silent once again, but Vir found himself unable to shelve the topic. What was Cirayus’ family like? How many children did he have?
“I… I apologize if I’m overstepping my bounds, and feel free to tell me if I am, but I feel like it must be nice, having so many of your own kin.”
Cirayus let out a breath. “Aye, lad. It certainly can be. And no, you overstep no bounds. It’s just… Anyone my age has seen their fair share of life. Lives lived, lives fulfilled… and, inevitably, lives cut short.”
Oh no… Vir thought. Of course! Not all demons lived as long as Cirayus. In fact, from what Vir had seen, Cirayus was longer lived than most. He’d likely outlived his children…
“I didn’t mean to have you recall painful memories,” Vir said quietly.
“That’s the thing, lad. I’ve seen plenty of my own sons, daughters, and grandchildren perish. I grieve for them, yes, but you don’t live this long without learning how to bear the weight of their passing. Humans may rarely outlive their children, but with demonic lifespans, such things are common. I have my ways of dealing with it.”
“So, er… Why have you never mentioned it?”
“Because it is one thing to shoulder the loss of a single child. It is quite another to bear the loss of a dozen of my progeny, all at once.”
“A dozen of…” Vir blanched. “You don’t mean…”
Cirayus winced, looking away. “Aye. Much of my family fought for your father, despite my best efforts to convince them otherwise.”
And most of them died…
“Know this, lad. Individual power makes you strong. But what of those you care for? Would you lock them away to protect them? Or do you respect their wishes and let them run free, knowing you’ll never be able to save them all should harm befall them? I… fear I’ve not accepted their loss quite yet.”
Perhaps… Vir thought. He couldn’t imagine what Cirayus must’ve been going through, and he didn’t doubt his words. Still, Vir doubted that was all.
“You didn’t want to make my burden any heavier,” Vir said. “Your progeny might have fought by my father, but ultimately, they fought for the Garga. For my clan.” For me.
Cirayus remained silent.
The lightning grew fiercer, reaching the valleys between the peaks, and strange green tones augmented the black clouds. Rather than helping, they only made the environment feel even more bizarre.
“We’re almost there!” Saunak shouted, interrupting their conversation.
Vir was the first to notice the bright green ring that seemed to pull all the nearby lightning to it. Nearly as bright as the sun and standing high in the sky, he wondered at its purpose.
“What happened between you and Saunak?” Vir asked. “Why do you hate him so much?”
“Lad,” Cirayus said, grateful for a change of topic, “we banished that demon from our realm a century ago. Most presumed him dead and were happier for it. It isn’t only me who has issues with him. Anyone who knew him does.”
“What did he do?”
“His crimes are many, but they all stem from the same source. To Saunak, his research is king, and no oath will change that. To him, when it comes to thaumaturgy, the ends justify the means. He will happily torture and maim—both beasts and demons—if it means furthering his research,” Cirayus spat. “He’ll sell his research even to the worst criminals if he believes it’ll help him gather data. There are no limits to his zeal.”
“I… see,” Vir replied, eyeing the demon’s Automatons. If Saunak really was some crazy madman, Vir wouldn’t have any trouble accepting Cirayus’ words. And yet, he’d survived in the Ash, alone. He’d lived here for a hundred years. And he’d managed to defeat Imperium Automatons. Not just defeat—control! Saunak was clearly a genius. What made him this way? What drove him to such lengths? What more was there to this ancient demon?