He stripped and stood under the water spigot which automatically began pouring fresh, hot water on him. It felt almost transformative, as if the shower was not only washing off the grime of several months, but was also purifying him in some way.
He stood there for many minutes, reveling in the fact that Riyan wasn’t present to scold him for indulging in such luxury.
Finally satisfied, he took a moment to look over his body, which was reflected in the floor-to-ceiling mirror that walled the shower.
Gone was the scrawny youth he’d been just over a year ago. Now, sleek muscles bulged from his arms to his legs, and well-defined abs decorated his torso. His body had grown significantly, not just in height, but in breadth as well.
His gains had undone all the damage of his youth, growing up undernourished and prana-deficient, and no trace of the previously scrawny boy remained. He was a good three inches taller now, covered in muscles, and lacking even an ounce of fat.
It was a body that rippled with prana. So much so that it appeared like a black abyss to Prana Vision, and Vir had to exert extra effort to keep it from escaping into the less-dense atmosphere, lest the prana burst into flames that covered him.
A nice trick—but quite inconvenient when he didn’t want to destroy nearby objects from his mere presence alone.
Vir reluctantly shut off the tap and stepped into the air blast as Saunak had instructed. The Imperium contraption comprised an array of tiny holes embedded into a semicircular wall of steel that surrounded him on three sides.
The moment he did, jets of frigid air hit him, ruffling his hair, drying his skin in moments, and making every hair on his body stand on end. It didn’t feel bad, though. After the hot shower, the cold blast soothed him.
I should get Maiya to learn how to do this with her Wind and Ice magic. She’s practically perfect for this kind of thing, Vir idly thought, suddenly missing his dear friend.
Just when he started to feel like the air was getting too much for him, it switched to a warm gust, soothing him like a blanket that had been heated next to a fire.
He departed the bathing facility clean, warm, and tired. With heavy steps, he plodded up the spiral metal staircase to the bed on the second floor and plopped down, staring at the ornamented ceiling, taking a moment to reflect on all that had happened recently.
Fighting against Cirayus beside Maiya. His decision to leave her for the Ash. His time in this blighted realm.
The land that had nearly killed him months ago now felt normal. Familiar. The beasts that terrified him previously haunted him no longer.
No, but I still do…
Vir jolted, scanning the area, but there was no one around. It was only then he realized the voice had come from within his head.
His blood ran cold.
Ekanai? Is that you?
There was no response. Vir waited, tense, for several moments, but when no further voices came, he fell back onto the bed.
What in Yuma’s name was that?
It’d been ages since he’d heard the demon’s voice in his head. Hadn’t Shardul said Ekanai was gone? That they’d sacrificed themselves to save him in Mahādi?
He’s right, though, Vir reflected. He wasn’t overly worried the crazy demon would take over his body—Ekanai hadn’t managed that in a very long time, after all—but it was true. Vir feared Prana Swarms. He feared Wyrms and the other city-ender Ash Beasts. And he feared Ekanai.
Was he stronger than his prior incarnation now? Or would he lose if they fought?
He might never know. While there did seem to be something of Ekanai left, Vir honestly wasn’t sure whether he ought to rejoice or cry.
Who was Ekanai, really? Was he as maniacal as he’d seemed? Or had only the worst of him survived the reincarnation? Had he been a different person in his past life? And what secrets had he discovered about the world?
With a heavy sigh, Vir turned his head to look at the falling Ash outside. He supposed he’d find out… once he obtained the Foundation Chakra.
Most would write this realm off as a wasteland. A place only fools would venture to. Fools like Ekanai, perhaps. And my father… Maion Garga had seen something different. He’d seen the same thing Vir did.
A land full of opportunity. A land lush with prana, and ripe with challenging beasts against which to test one’s mettle.
Despite knowing just how far he had to go to attain the heights Cirayus spoke of, Vir was still proud of all that he’d achieved. He’d gained innumerable abilities. He’d met a living goddess and worked with her to craft his own personal Artifact. And he’d multiplied his body’s prana capacity. Though it still only allowed him one, perhaps two Talents outside the Ashen Realm, he suspected it was far beyond anything anyone had accomplished before. Plus, there was still room to grow. More prana to store inside his body.
Then there was Prana Current. While he’d obtained a powerful ability, he’d only just begun to scratch the surface of its applications. What were its optimal uses? How could he better integrate his Artifact chakram with this new ability? And how should he shift his fighting style, now that he had access to powerful ranged weapons?
These thoughts lingered on Vir’s mind as he drifted asleep, eyes pinned on the horrific—yet majestic—landscape in the distance.
Vir awoke to the soft chiming of a bell. At first, he wondered who might’ve been playing such a melodic tune for him, before realizing it was the doorbell.
“Coming!” he yelled, though he doubted he’d be heard. Imperium metal walls muffled sound perfectly. Along with just about everything else. Nothing got through.
Vir hurried to don his robe before answering the door. He was surprised to find both Cirayus and Saunak waiting.
“Well? It’s been four hours!” Saunak said.
Four hours! Was it really that long? Vir thought, panicking, glancing at Cirayus. But the giant merely crossed his four arms and looked back guiltily.
Granted, he was tired, and the bed had felt like he’d been sleeping on air… Even so, he couldn’t believe so much time had passed. The toll of the recent battles must have truly been creeping up on him. That, and the endless twilight and incessant danger meant that sleep never came peacefully in this realm.
In fact, hadn’t he dreamed of exactly this? Hadn’t he wished for a safe haven within the Ash? Now that he’d finally found it… He found himself reluctant to leave. Not just because of the luxury and the safety.
How much could I learn from Saunak? From his century of research into who knew what?
Vir wouldn’t complain even if they spent a month with the old demon. Though such was a fool’s hope with his four-armed giant guardian around.
“How about a tour?” Saunak asked, grinning like a child about to show his friends his secret hideout.
Which, Vir supposed, was exactly what this tower was.
“Let’s go,” Vir replied, trying to keep the happiness off his face. For Cirayus’ sake, of course.
Vir was about to call out to Shan, but the wolf was fast asleep by the window. Recognizing the toll that the journey had taken on his new friend, Vir let him continue sleeping.
With a spring in his step, Saunak led them back to the central elevator shaft and activated the lift, lowering them.
“We’re not stopping to see your experiments?” Vir asked as the platform sped by a half dozen laboratory levels.
“Bah! I run my more mundane experiments on these floors. I doubt you’d find the physiology of avian Ash Beasts interesting.”
Actually… Vir thought, but was interrupted by Cirayus.
“Damned bloody waste of time, if you ask me,” the four-armed demon grumbled. “Saunak, I’m warning you. Try anything, and your head separates from your neck.”