I’m going to need several more if I want to figure this out.
“Ashani, please!” Vir said. “I’m begging you. Just tell me where they are.”
The goddess hesitated. “Only if you swear to me you will not seek them.”
“It’s that dangerous?”
“Vir, there is a reason I reside here, in the outermost reaches of Mahādi.”
“The prana density, right?” Vir asked.
“Yes, but also because the beasts closer to the core are far, far more dangerous. Even for me. And…”
The implication was obvious. Vir hadn’t seen the full extent of Ashani’s powers, but there was little doubt she was stronger than him. She could heal mortal wounds, she moved instantly and could summon lightning on par with A Grade magic from her rod.
He couldn’t compare.
“I understand,” he said. “I swear it.”
Ashani pointed to the central spire, and for a moment, Vir dreaded she was about to tell him they were there. Covered in a Prana Swarm that reached to the sky, Vir didn’t dare tread anywhere near that beast.
As if confirming his fear, the Swarm casually extended a tendril to a passing Wyrm. There were no sounds that Vir could hear from this far away, but when the Swarm pulled away from the Wyrm moments later, there was nothing left. It was the least dramatic destruction of a city-ending beast Vir had ever seen. Which only made it even more terrifying.
“Halfway between here and the core of the city lies a vault. One of many, but it is the only one that would have spare prana cores.”
Vir breathed a mental sigh of relief.
“You stay away because of the beasts?” he asked.
“Yes, the vault is protected by an Imperium working. A Yaksha Guardian Automaton.”
“Like you?”
“Actually, unlike myself,” Ashani said. “They are highly advanced machines, rather than a living entity like me. The Yaksha can freely shift their shape and freely alter their size. They are built exclusively for defense and combat. They are both ruthless and exceedingly dangerous. You will surely die if you venture near their domain.”
“Domain? It guards the vault?” Vir said, thinking that these Yaksha sounded downright terrifying.
Ashani nodded. “I tried fighting them, once. I lost half my body.”
Vir winced.
“Even if I’d defeated it, the vault’s doors remain firmly shut. So, you see? ’Tis a pointless endeavor.”
Ashani paused, looking off into the distance. When she spoke again, her voice was calmer, mirroring the melancholy of the scenery.
“Do not grieve for me, Vir. Rather than risking everything to prolong my life, will you not make our final hours together special? Will you not give me a memory that I may fondly cherish for the rest of my days? Please, tell me everything about the outside world. Tell me of the world that has come to exist after the fall of my people. What all has occurred over all of those long, long years? Who walks upon the earth now?”
A tear fell down Vir’s face. “It’s ironic, isn’t it?” he said, hastily wiping it away. “How I feel now? It must be how you felt with Siya. Her condition…”
“All we can do is strive to live our lives without regrets,” Ashani said, smiling gently. “Yet despite our best efforts, we err. The regrets accumulate as the years pass. I can only ask that you try to move on. Remember the good. Forget the bad, for there is already enough strife in our lives. As a being of flesh and blood, you have that luxury.”
“I will never forget you,” Vir rasped. “I’ll spread your name, far and wide. The world will know.”
“That would make me happier than you could know,” the goddess said.
“Come back with me, Ashani. Don’t spend your last days here alone. Maybe you won’t live as long, but you’ll be awake! You’ll see more of the world than you ever have.”
“Perhaps. I may consider it. But that all depends.”
“On?” Vir asked.
“On…” Ashani hesitated. “Why, on the quality of your narration, of course! Have you forgotten? You owe me tales!”
“I have tales, though I make no promises they’ll be interesting,” Vir said with a chuckle. “I’m no good at telling stories. Truthfully, I wish I knew more. I wish I’d seen more. But I’ll tell you everything I know.”
“Good! Now, what are these humans you mentioned?”
“Well, they live in the Human Realm. They—”
“How many realms exist? What are they called?”
“Well, there’s the Human Realm, the Ashen Realm, and the Demon Realm. There are some others, like the—”
“Demon Realm? What are demons?”
Vir did his best not to roll his eyes.
This is going to be a long day.
Ashani ended up forcing words out of Vir for the better part of a day, leaving his voice ragged and his mind spent. It turned out that even with Vir’s limited knowledge, one day wasn’t nearly sufficient to tell her everything she wanted to know.
Using the building’s elevator—a lift, but one that ran the length of the preposterously tall building—they returned to Janak’s home. Vir couldn’t believe such a contraption could exist, and riding it had been the thrill of a lifetime.
“Ashani?” Vir asked once they were back inside. “I’d like to analyze your core.”
Convincing Ashani to shut down and give him her only core would be an uphill battle, he knew. Why should she trust him? She barely knew him, and he’d broken her spare core. It was folly to ask, and yet, he had to do something.
“I…” Ashani hesitated.
“I swear I won’t attempt to charge it. I just want to analyze it. I won’t do anything to jeopardize your life.”
Ashani bit her lip. “Vir, you must understand the danger this poses to me.”
“I absolutely do. I realize what I’m asking is reckless. It’s imprudent, and you have no good reason to agree. Also… I want to spend the next several weeks acclimating to the Ash. This is an unprecedented opportunity for me. One I can’t afford to waste.”
“I… see. Staying active for a whole month would significantly shorten my lifespan.”
“I know,” Vir said. “You’d be hibernating anyway, right?”
Ashani firmed her expression. “Very well, then. I shall trust you, Vir. ’Tis Fated, after all.”
“What does that mean?” Vir asked with a frown.
Ashani shook her head, smiling sadly. She then turned and entered her bedroom, where she sat on the edge of an ancient bed.
“Please wake me when you wish to depart. Or if ever danger arises.”
“I will,” Vir said, looking her in the eyes.
The goddess shut her eyes, becoming still. With a hiss, the skin on her back dissolved, revealing the orb nestled within a glowing compartment.
Vir carefully removed it. The lights in the compartment winked out.
Ashani’s life was quite literally now in his hands.
Did she agree because she felt she no longer had anything to live for? Or does she really trust me that much? If so, why?
Vir hadn’t lied—he was planning to expand his prana capacity—as well as some other things.
Rudvik. Apramor. Aliscia. He’d been powerless to prevent their deaths.
Not this time. He’d grown. He was stronger now. But what good was strength if he couldn’t protect those he cared about?
Never again. I’m not going to lose you, Ashani. I’m done losing people I care about.
37POWER TRAINING
Days bled together as Vir meditated, working tirelessly to expand his prana capacity. Through careful study and experimentation, he’d learned that by injecting blood into Parai’s Barrier pattern and forcing it to deviate slightly, the barrier effect weakened enough to allow prana to enter his body.