“I’m sorry,” Vir replied. “All I know is that he has an Artifact that allows him to heal, and that he had them ever since we met in the Ashen Realm.”
As much as Vir loathed lying to the person who’d saved Shan’s life, this was as much as he could divulge. While not the whole truth, none of what he’d said was a lie. To say any more would invite too many questions, and Vir couldn’t risk Tara guessing the truth of his identity. No matter the debt.
“Wow,” Tara muttered. “If Shan had been in good shape during our fight… I was a fool to think that my Corruption Field would’ve done anything against him. It’s like he’s got a Panav art built right into his body.”
“You’re positive your art couldn’t have done this to him?” Vir asked.
“Absolutely. And yet, it is true that my art likely exacerbated its effect,” Tara said, looking up at Vir. “Vaak… I’m sorry. I wish I’d taken your concerns more seriously. As a Panav—as a healer—you have my sincerest apology.”
“That’s…” Vir shook his head. “That’s alright. You saved him. I even took him to a Panav healer after our duel. They said he was fine. I feel like you might be one of the few people in this city who could’ve saved him. So, thank you.”
“After what I did… If Shan truly had passed, I don’t know if I could live with myself. I take this kind of thing pretty seriously, you know? It’s pretty much baked into my clan’s culture. This was… shameful.”
Vir wasn’t interested in playing the blame game. His mind had already moved onto the core problem—a far more terrifying one. And not one that ought to be discussed in front of a tavern. While no one had poked their head out just yet, he could see people staring through the window. The last thing he needed was the city gossiping about him any more than they already were.
“What do you say we relocate?” Vir asked. “Is Shan healthy enough to be transported?”
Tara nodded. “Just about done here. He’s resting now, and should wake in a few hours.”
Vir knelt and petted his friend softly, muttering an apology, before gently scooping him up and hoisting him onto his shoulder.
“Follow me,” he said, Micro Leaping away.
He stopped on a flat third-floor rooftop some distance away, placing Shan down on the cool stone. It was empty, affording sweeping vistas of the red-hued city.
It didn’t take long for Tara to catch up. Her half-Naga form allowed her ample speed and dexterity, and soon, she was standing on the rooftop next to Vir.
“That healing magic Shan possesses,” Vir said, after she’d shifted back to her human form. “It can mend wounds, and it keeps him from ever falling sick. He’s practically immune to all ailments. What could have done this?”
Tara frowned. “That’s no mystery. It’s Shadebloom extract. Yuma’s Embrace gives me a wealth of information about my patient’s body, including what toxins are affecting it. There’s no question. This is Shadebloom.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with Shadebloom.”
“One of the rarest and deadliest poisons in existence. Made from the extract of a plant that grows only in the deepest Iksana cave-tunnels, it takes a century to mature. I hear it costs a veritable fortune on the black market. Not at all easy to come by. The worst part is you don’t even need to ingest it. Just touching it will kill you within an hour. The only magic in the entire realm that can counter it is Yuma’s Embrace.”
“One hour,” Vir muttered. “Shan’s been this way for the better part of a day. Possibly even longer—I felt like something was off about him even before our match.”
“More than half a day,” Tara breathed as she took in Shan’s sleeping form. “Artifact indeed. What a magnificent creation of the gods…”
Vir bit his lip. Had this been three years ago, he’d have been just as awed as Tara. Had this been before he’d witnessed the incomprehensible heights the Prime Imperium obtained, he might have been impressed.
Now, all he felt was disappointment. The gods did not fall ill. It didn’t matter how poisonous a plant was—the very idea of them dying to natural causes seemed absurd. Yes, Siya had an affliction that stymied them, but her case was as unlikely as being hit by a passing meteor.
For whatever reason, there were diseases Ashani’s pranites would not heal. And while it was true that Shan had comparatively fewer pranites in his body than Vir—he’d received several injections, after all—and though Shan lacked the awareness to ration and preserve his pranites, the fact remained. It could have been Vir who’d been infected by Shadebloom. If he were ever infected, he’d have half a day to seek the Panav’s Yuma’s Embrace.
If no Panav with that Ultimate Bloodline Art happened to be nearby? He’d die. Despite his Imperium-altered body and his pranites and blood prana arts.
It was a sobering thought. Until now, Vir assumed he didn’t have to worry about such things. That Shadebloom was so rare was only of minor consolation. Vir doubted his enemies would spare any expense against the Akh Nara.
All the more reason to get my hands on Yuma’s Embrace as quickly as possible, he thought, eyeing Tara. What an incredible power.
For now, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Such as the identity of the perpetrator.
“Someone wanted Shan to die,” Vir stated.
“Actually…” Tara trailed off. She looked worried and indecisive—unusual for her.
“What is it?”
“It’s possible someone might have been trying to frame me.”
“What do you—oh,” Vir said, understanding her meaning. “If Shan’s magic hadn’t protected him, he’d have died around the same time as our duel.”
“And since everyone knows I use a poisonous cloud…”
Vir went pale. “It’d have been the perfect frame.”
“Especially since all traces of Shadebloom disappear once the victim has perished. It’s a favorite assassination tool among some of the shadier types. Those who can afford it, anyway.”
“So, someone rich was either trying to set you up, or kill Shan. Maybe both. Any thoughts on why someone might be after you?”
Tara looked away. “A couple. None that I’m at liberty to share, I’m afraid.”
Vir waved away her concern. “That’s alright. It’s quite obvious why someone would want him dead.”
“Because until now, your fights have relied on Shan…” Tara replied, catching on.
“Or at least, I’ve made it seem that way, yes,” Vir said. “Which means it’s another tournament combatant.”
“Needless to say, this is highly illegal. Whoever is at fault would not only be disqualified, they’d be banned forever and thrown in jail.”
“If they’re caught,” Vir said, feeling a sour taste at the back of his throat. First the assassination attempt in the qualifier round, and now this. Two attempts, and both times, whoever it was had hidden their tracks well.
“It’s gotta be an Iksana,” Tara said. “An Iksana that knows of you, spites you, and has the means to kill you. That narrows the pool.”
“But not enough,” Vir replied, pacing around the rooftop. “Besides, just because it grows in Iksana territory doesn’t mean only the Iksana can use it, right? They could easily have sold it to someone else.”
“True. It’d be the word of a newcomer against the reigning champion,” Tara said, running her fingers through her hair. “Argh, I hate this. I’d rather just kill them and be done with it.”
Vir ignored Tara’s rather concerning violent tendencies to focus on the problem.
“I think it’s Annas,” Vir said, raising a suspicion he’d had from the very beginning.
“The Chitran fighter? Why? What’s your issue with him?”
“Nothing. But he’s my next opponent. And if I beat him, it’s Cirayus.”