Soot would have stained fingers and clothing, clogging the lungs of children and the elderly.
No matter what Cirayus and the others said about the Chitrans’ underhanded ways, they were a hardy people. People who dearly valued their clan and their home, and fought dearly to defend it against an unstoppable enemy.
What other explanation would they have had for refusing to flee as refugees into Garga and the other clans?
With Prana Current having recovered enough—Vir wanted a healthy reserve for any enemies he encountered—he stepped out of the abandoned seven-story house, back onto the bridge, and scanned the city.
Even now, he saw nothing. No sign of Ash Beasts, nor any of the weapons and armor he sought. Not for the first time, he bemoaned his lack of Chakra mastery. The Life Chakra would have been especially useful here, allowing him to sense the general direction of the Ash Beasts. Despite many hours training in his mindscape with Ekanai, his efforts had proven fruitless.
As with the Foundation Chakra, there was something Vir was missing. Some crucial element that would allow him to progress.
If he couldn’t rely on Chakra, he’d have to leverage his oldest ability instead.
Vir took a moment to adjust the flow to Prana Vision. The Ashen Realm had forced him to recalibrate its sensitivity to avoid overloading his senses, which he’d had to do again upon entering the Demon Realm, albeit for the opposite reason.
Now, he tuned it to something in between.
Despite his extensive tinkering, Vir had never gotten Prana Vision to show the subtle differences in a particular affinity’s density. He’d sorely missed that capability in the Ash, where all prana was black to his eyes. In the other realms, prana shone in different colors, allowing him to easily identify their presence.
At least the ground is still brown with Earth prana here, Vir thought. This wasn’t quite the expanse of overwhelming darkness he was used to in the Ash, though it wasn’t much better, either.
Which was why it took him a dozen attempts before he thought he saw something. An area of the city with Ash prana that appeared slightly darker—slightly denser—than the rest. Vir Leaped in that direction, kicking up puffs of soot with each rooftop landing, lingering just long enough to jump again.
With each moment that passed, his sense of unease grew, as did his confidence that he was on the right track.
Ash Beasts craved prana. This was as true within the Ashen Realm as it was outside.
The cloud grew more distinct as Vir approached, darkening and thickening.
The terrible screech resounded once more, prompting Vir to grip his talwar a little tighter. Prana Current surged at its maximum, and Prana Armor was as dense as the ambient prana conditions would allow.
Vir was prepared. He held every advantage. And yet, he couldn’t understand what caused his stomach to churn and his palms to sweat.
It was only when he Leaped across the last building that he understood why. It was only when he fell into the yawning crater that gouged into the earth like a cosmic wound that realization dawned and his unease morphed into full-blown horror.
No. That’s… That’s impossible!
50THE SERPENT’S PLOY
Insufferable. Arrogant. Conceited.
The words repeated in Ajune’s head like a mantra as he walked the camp. He wasn’t like the others. He’d done nothing wrong. He didn’t deserve to be here.
Neel. The word echoed like a curse through his head, vibrating through his skull.
He’d ruined everything. He’d doomed them all. The Chits may have been harsh rulers, but they’d at least promised salvation! Put in the time, keep their heads low, and they’d be granted freedom. As if Neel wasn’t disgusting enough on his own, the prisoners had bowed their heads and followed him like the blind sheep they were.
Ajune was no sheep. He likened himself more to a wolf. Ajune knew he didn’t belong here. Fate had conspired against him. Fate… and Neel.
Now, there was no hope. No chance at all of a happy outcome. Not after Neel went and murdered the Overseer in cold blood.
Yes, he might survive, but what of the rest of them? As if proving his point, the chal had left so suddenly, taking the Ash’va with him. To find weapons and armor?
Only a fool would believe such things.
Ajune wanted to yell in rage. So stupid. So naïve. The others… they believed him! They actually believed him!
He’d left with their most valuable assets. And they’d let him!
No, they would never see that demon again. The others would soon understand. They’d realize they’ve been abandoned. They’d come to terms with the hopelessness of their situation.
And what then?
Then it would be too late. It was already too late… That was, of course, for everyone else.
Just because Ajune had been forced onto this sinking ship didn’t mean he deserved to go down with it.
No, he was smarter than that. He always had been, hadn’t he?
Ajune didn’t sneak—that was what amateurs did. He simply strode to the place where the Chitran guards were being held, pretending like he hadn’t a care in the world.
The foul Naga Balagra had forced the Kothis to drink some concoction that put them under—a decision that puzzled Ajune to no end.
For whatever reason, Neel had been unwilling to end their lives. What reason such a cold-blooded murderer could possibly have for sparing them was lost on him. Perhaps the demon intended to use them as bargaining chips against the Chitran?
It wouldn’t work. Not after he’d slain the Overseer in plain view of everyone. The Chitrans’ response would be so fierce, so unbridled in its wrath, that an offering of guards would be like dousing a raging fire with a single bucket of water.
Which was precisely why Ajune needed to take action. On his own.
They’d all been prisoners. All slaves—carted in cages like livestock. What gave Neel and Balagra the right to determine their fate? Merely because they were strong?
Granted, it was the demon way, but Ajune refused to accept that. That was little better than the law of the jungle. He was cultured, dammit. He didn’t belong here.
The demons assigned to guard the Chitran were, rather predictably, enjoying a game with the cards they’d stolen off their charges’ bodies. That was Neel and Balagra’s first mistake. They’d thought of these demons as an army. They weren’t. They were little better than a mob cowed into obedience through fear.
Ajune had considered riling them up to sow chaos, but their glorious leaders had actually left someone halfway competent in charge. The camp remained orderly, and was growing more so by the hour. An impressive feat… For a layman.
After some contemplation, Ajune opted for a simpler approach.
“You two. Malik wanted to speak with you. He sent me to take your place.”
A professional soldier would’ve regarded such a request with suspicion. ‘He only sent one to replace us?’ they’d have asked. They might even have interrogated him about his capabilities.
The ‘guards,’ of course, did no such thing. Rather, they appeared more irked that their card game had been interrupted than anything else. With the lethargic motions of someone doing something they absolutely detested, they slowly rose and marched off to the other end of the camp, where the so-called ‘leaders’ had erected their command tent.
Ajune watched them go, then produced several vials from his pocket. He’d been part of the group who’d searched the Chitrans’ bodies. Rather, he’d ensured he’d been part of that group.