Maiya had known the princess wouldn’t have had her return to Sonam without a good reason. Yes, this was supposed to be a respite from the Children, but the princess was a schemer. Whatever this mission was, the details must have been too sensitive to communicate via letter.
“Just a bit longer, Maiya. Then you can be back among us.”
“That’s… honestly nice to hear.” Maiya genuinely longed for the safety and security of Sonam’s walls. She wanted nothing more than to lead a cozy, boring life, where her greatest worries were paperwork and boredom.
And yet, she couldn’t return. Not yet. Not until Ira accomplished her plans. Defeating the Blessed Chosen was but the first step. Ira’s ambition would never relent until she donned the empress’ crown. And that would be a long, bloody road. A road Maiya would have to blaze.
“Don’t you think we should understand the Children?” she asked. “I just have this feeling that without all the information, it’ll be impossible to dethrone the Blessed Chosen.”
“Nonsense. The Blessed Chosen is just one man. One broken man.”
Maiya’s eyes narrowed. “You know something of him?”
“Nothing concrete yet. Nothing I can say without more investigation of my own. Regardless, you will soon be in command of the Children. Soon, they will be an extension of Kin’jal’s military might. Our might.”
Maiya pursed her lips in concern but didn’t pursue. From experience, there was little chance of changing the princess’ mind on the matter.
Seeing Maiya’s distress, Ira sighed. “Look, you can dabble in whatever hobbies you like, so long as it doesn’t distract you or compromise your cover.”
Maiya cocked a brow. “Compromise my cover? Like bringing those two here?”
Ira grinned. “Oh, that. That’s nothing of the sort. You see, that’s insurance!”
Princess Ira nodded at the gawking Yamal.
“Y-y-y-your highness!” Yamal wheezed.
Ira threw him her most innocent smile. “It’s a pleasure… Yamal, yes?”
“Y-yes!” Yamal said, choking his words out. “For the princess to know my name. ’Tis the greatest honor.”
Ira held Yamal’s shaking hands in hers. “Please, the pleasure is all mine. I hate to presume when we’ve only just met, but would you hear this frail princess’ selfish wish?” Ira said with upturned eyes, and Maiya had to resist the temptation to roll hers.
Yamal’s eyes went wide. “Whatever your wish, Princess. Please, tell me!”
“Please, protect her. Both of you. Can I ask that of you?”
“O-o-of course!” Yamal squeaked, resembling a mouse more than a man at that moment.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Ira said. “I truly feel better, knowing she has both of you to count on.”
Maiya didn’t fail to notice how the princess’ gaze lingered on the Silent One, who nodded subtly.
Why would she single out the Silent One? Yamal’s the flaky one here.
Maiya followed the princess out to the front lawn, where she gave Maiya a warm hug, to the bewilderment of Yamal, who peeked out from the manor’s door.
“Do stay safe, yeah?”
Maiya smiled. “I will.”
Princess Ira squeezed Maiya’s hand, then turned and alighted her carriage.
Maiya was alone at last.
She turned back to the house, where her two friends awaited.
Well, not alone… This is going to be such a mess. Curse you, Ira!
22MINDSCAPE AND MATTER
“Who in the Ash are you?” Reaper Ekanai rasped, clenching and unclenching his gangly fists.
As did Vir, who faced off against him, some ten paces away.
A gentle breeze rustled the nearby leaves of Vir’s mindscape. Great Godhollows soared around their clearing, while birds chirped from their canopies. An idyllic setting, but one whose peace was about to be violently broken.
“You don’t remember?” Vir asked. “Or is this a ploy to get me to lower my guard?”
“Remember what? Where am I?”
“You’re… in my mindscape,” Vir replied, taken aback at Ekanai’s words. The demon had been many things, but he’d been no actor. Rather, Ekanai was forthright and earnest in his hatred of Vir and Maiya. He’d assumed the demon would attack him immediately and had braced himself for battle.
“Mindscape?” Ekanai scoffed. “What sorcery is this?”
Vir expected a variety of reactions and had planned for several contingencies, but he’d never guessed the warrior would appear before him dazed and confused.
“You truly don’t know who I am?” Vir asked.
“Are you my enemy?”
“No,” Vir said, feeling, surprisingly, a pang of loss. His experiences with the demon had been far from pleasant, but for better or for worse, they had a history together. For Ekanai to have simply forgotten struck Vir hard. Harder than it ought to have.
Vir thought back to what his predecessors had done for him—what they’d all sacrificed, including Ekanai—when he’d first entered the Mahādi Realm.
So this is the cost. This is why they can never intervene on my behalf again.
His predecessors always maintained some semblance of awareness in his mind. Some part of themselves, however imperfect, had remained conscious. Now that was all gone. The Ekanai before Vir was not the Ekanai Vir interacted with in the past, but another. Likely a version created by Vir’s own imagination, based on Vir’s memories.
Vir watched Ekanai wander around the clearing, his footsteps unsteady.
“Release me!” Ekanai barked.
Vir averted his eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Then you are my captor,” the demon replied, a grin forming on his Ghael face. his faltering footsteps steadied, and he crouched. “Then there is only one thing to be done.”
Vir barely had time to react before the demon was upon him.
Blinking away in the nick of time, Vir avoided the Reaper’s vicious claw-like nails that shot from his hands.
That’s new, Vir thought as he circled behind his opponent.
“I don’t want to fight you,” he said, but his words fell on deaf ears. Lacking any weapons, the Reaper was forced to fight with his bare hands.
Despite this, Ekanai had quite the arsenal at his disposal. Between his claws, tattoos, and Chakras, he was still a formidable threat.
Even nails became lethal weapons when augmented by the Warrior Chakra.
Vir reeled when the world fell away from under him, activating the Foundation Chakra in the nick of time, which brought him back to the present.
When he did, the Reaper was in front of him, plunging his Chakra-laden claws in a vicious downward strike.
He expected me to use my Foundation Chakra to block his attack! Vir realized, narrowly dodging.
Ekanai struck while Vir dodged, and with each encounter, Vir’s fear drifted away. He found himself forgetting the danger, falling into the rhythm of the fight.
Ekanai was nowhere near as powerful as he’d been in the subterranean chamber of illusions. Now, he was more akin to a normal demon.
Vir felt the almighty force of Balancer of Scales, but he’d long since learned to deal with its pressure.
Ekanai stepped back in surprise when Vir shrugged off its effects.
Vir activated Haste at the same moment Ekanai used Clarity.
A stalemate ensued. While the Reaper could see the future, Vir moved fast enough to negate its usefulness.