The process took hours, and only then, it was thanks to Vir and Cirayus’ mobility arts that he managed to find one so quickly. The two would leap hundreds of paces into the sky, searching different areas for prospective Tears, which they would then methodically scout. Considering the time penalty Vir paid this close to the Boundary, even those few hours hurt quite a bit.
Finally, they located one just outside the bounds of the forest that housed the demons’ Garrison. While larger than most Tears Vir had seen, it was still smaller than he would have liked. Even so, his army would have to deal with it until Vir could find a better one. It would at least suffice for ferrying supplies back and forth in the interim.
Vir also hoped that, leading deeper into the Ash as it did, it would hold more of a prana charge, requiring servicing less often.
“Well, lad? Any better luck with this one?” Cirayus asked, appreciating Vir’s handiwork.
“Seems like it,” Vir replied. “I can only see the barest hints of prana leakage from the Gate. It does seem like the ambient prana density affects how quickly Gates degrade.”
“That is wonderful news. I wonder if there is a point at which the Gate leaks no prana at all—sustaining itself indefinitely.”
Vir immediately thought of Mahādi. Such a Gate would be invaluable, allowing for permanent routes through the Ash. The realm that had once taken him two years to traverse could conceivably be crossed in just minutes.
“That would be something, wouldn’t it?” Vir said, imagining the possibilities. “For now, this will suffice.”
After reporting his success to Balagra, Vir set out with Cirayus and Shan to locate a Tear that led to Baira.
This process was even more time-consuming and arduous than the other. While there were plenty of Tears that led into the Ash, ones that led into the Demon Realm were comparatively fewer, and Cirayus had to scout out the land on the other side to determine where exactly the Gate was, while Vir and Shan guarded the Gate.
To their benefit, proximity to the camp was not a criteria for this Gate, greatly increasing the pool of candidates.
As this often involved locating nearby settlements and asking questions, the process took more than a day. The only saving grace was that the hours spent on the other side of the Gate didn’t count against their time penalty. Otherwise, Vir would’ve missed the start of the tournament by now. After each failure, Vir and Cirayus were forced to return to the Ash, collapsing the Gate behind them before seeking another.
Their hard work paid off, however, and after a full day of relentless, high-speed searching, Cirayus returned with a broad smile.
“Think we’ve found our winner, lad,” he said, striding up to the awaiting Vir. “There’s a village an hour’s bound from here. They say Camar Gadin is a half day from there, which puts our Gate even closer. I believe we can bound there in less than an hour.”
“That’s… good,” Vir said. The words were forced, even to his ears.
“What’s the matter, lad? This Gate meets all of our criteria, does it not? ’Tis close to the Bairan capital. What else could you want?”
Cirayus was right. They’d found what they were looking for—a Gate near the Ash Boundary where the prana was denser, and only about a half day’s walk from Camar Gadin.
“It’s not the Gate,” Vir replied. “Just… It feels wrong to be leaving my troops like this. We haven’t even begun amassing an army. There’s so much work to do to rally the prisoners at the Chitran Garrisons. So much groundwork to lay…”
“And all of it will happen. In due time. Now tell me, would you rather your rebellion occur a few months sooner, led by an Akh Nara bearing not even a single Ultimate Bloodline Tattoo? Or would you rather go into battle armed with Balancer of Scales and the full support of Clan Baira?”
Vir rolled his eyes. “You make it sound so easy. Did you forget I have to win that tournament first? That means fighting you. Doesn’t it?”
Cirayus beamed. “Well, of course, lad. Did you think I’d miss out on the Tournament of a lifetime?”
“No. I suppose you wouldn’t,” Vir said resignedly. “Let’s go fight some demons.”
74TOURNAMENT TEAM
Cirayus bounded across the Bairan countryside with Vir perched on his shoulder, while Shan traveled beside them, happy to stretch his legs. Cirayus had returned Vir’s Artifact Chakram and seric katar that he now wore. For the first time in a very long time, Vir felt complete again.
“What can you tell me about the tournament?” Vir asked. “How many people are we talking about?”
“The Bairan Competition is an old tradition,” Cirayus began. “Some say as old as the clan itself. It has seen many changes across the millennia, but it has always been a trial of combat. Thousands generally show up for the qualifiers, coveting one of the sixteen starting positions. In its current form, the tournament is single elimination, and is held in the Rav—er, the Colosseum at the center of Camar Gadin.”
“A Colosseum, huh? Sounds interesting.”
“Aye, it is a sight to behold, lad. While thousands apply to fight, many times more come to spectate. With the seats filled, the din of cheers when you step out onto the ring is unlike anything you’ll ever experience.”
Vir doubted he’d receive the same level of applause as Cirayus did—he doubted anyone would—but he refrained from mentioning it.
“So. What it’s called?” Vir asked, half guessing the answer. “The Colosseum, I mean. I assume it has a name?”
“Oh, er…” Cirayus scratched his head, looking as if he were fighting some internal war in his head. Finally, his shoulders sagged, and he sighed. “It’s… the Ravager’s Den.”
“The Ravager. Cirayus…” Vir said flatly. “They named the place after you, didn’t they?”
The giant laughed awkwardly.
“W-well. Let me tell you about the history of our great city,” Cirayus said, awkwardly trying to change the topic. “Did you know that Camar Gadin has never been taken by another clan? Not even during the Aindri conquest of the realm.”
Vir smiled wryly, but played along. As fun as it was to tease the ancient giant, he was genuinely interested in the current topic.
“The Aindri attacked Baira?” Vir asked. “Isn’t their territory farthest to the north?”
“Indeed—and that ought to tell you just how fearsome their conquest was. While the borders of all countries were recently redrawn, they were the northernmost clan even before. Riding their beasts, they raided clan after clan, though their expansion came to a halt at the unbreakable walls of Camar Gadin.”
“I never knew the Aindri were so combative.”
“They’ve changed a bit in recent days. They expanded too far too fast, and their might crumbled soon after. There was significant backlash from the Warrior families, who slaughtered the Rulers responsible. Mind you, this is a tale of a millennium ago. Ancient history for some. Since then, they’ve become mild-mannered. Some would even say cowardly.”
Vir chuckled. For someone as long-lived as Cirayus, that was barely two generations.
“Then again, the Aindri are hardly the only clan to have invaded Baira,” Cirayus continued. “Ours is a long and bloody history, and the Chitran, and even the Garga once attacked us.”
“The Garga? I thought our clans had been allies since the beginning.”
“Not quite the beginning, lad. Demon history runs long. Longer than most can comprehend. Can you believe there was even a time when the Iksana didn’t exist? Ghaels simply lived among the other clans. They were eventually ostracized for their… unique mannerisms. Ghaels tend not to behave like most other demons. After being forced out, they formed the Iksana and retreated underground.”
Vir thought back to his deception at Samar Patag. He truly hoped word wouldn’t find its way back to the Iksana, though he admitted the possibility of that was exceedingly low. It was an issue he’d have to deal with eventually.