Vir stared up at the magnificent tree that soared above him. He’d finally made it to a Godhollow. And yet, he simply could not muster the energy to climb it.
He attempted to activate Dance of the Shadow Demon, but failed. Without Shardul’s will to guide him, he couldn’t recall the exact process. It was like he’d watched someone assemble a puzzle, but now that he had to put it together himself, he found himself unable to.
Enemy footsteps grew closer, their voices louder. It would only be a matter of time before they found him.
Vir fought through the haze that threatened to send his mind into unconsciousness. He stumbled to his feet, only to fall shortly after.
So instead, he crawled on all fours. Anything to move away from there.
Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision as he blindly veered left and right, hoping against all hope he was moving away from the soldiers and not toward them.
Fate was never so kind.
“Ah, there you are, boy. Gave us quite the shock with your disappearing act! Shadow Blend’s a rare Talent. Very rare. I can see why she wants you dead.”
“She?” Vir said, searching the forest for the source of their voices. His tunnel vision made it incredibly difficult to see much of anything, and it took him several seconds to spot them.
They both stood just ten paces away.
“That’s for us to know, and for you to never find out,” the poleax wielder said, walking forward with his executioner’s blade.
Vir struggled to gain ground but couldn’t. He stumbled and fell.
“Any last words?” The weapon’s spear tip hovered in front of Vir’s throat. A simple thrust would end his life.
“Ash damn you,” Vir said.
“Haha, truly admirable words—Who goes there!” the man shouted, spinning around.
Something incredibly bright flashed in Vir’s Prana Vision, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them again, both men had… frozen.
Vir stared at their encased forms for several seconds. “Ice… Prison?”
The block of ice in front of him cracked, then shattered into a hundred pieces.
And behind it stood a woman clad in black leather, twirling a spear.
Tanya furrowed her brows at Vir. “Nice fight.”
“T-thanks…” he replied. Right before he blacked out.
51THE AFTERMATH
Vir opened his eyes to soaring trees and a lush meadow bisected by a babbling brook. The trickling of water and the chirping of birds painted an idyllic picture, but the deception didn’t fool him. The Godshollow was dangerous for all humans at all hours.
He gingerly sat up to find his arms and legs covered in well-dressed bandages. His wounds were mostly gone, alleviating his most pressing concern, and he found no trace of his benefactor. It was just him and the eerie voices of the forest.
It looked as though Tanya had rescued him, patched him up, then bailed well before he’d woken. He couldn’t believe she’d leave him here alone and unconscious like that…
No… No that sounds exactly like something she’d do. He could easily picture her growing bored of waiting around for him.
But then, he also couldn’t believe she’d healed him in the first place. The woman would’ve been ecstatic if he’d perished.
Which likely meant she was operating under Riyan’s orders. And that meant…
Vir looked around. Was she simply observing him from the woods? A quick scan with Prana Vision found her soon enough, hiding behind some bushes nearby.
Ah, yup. Strong Ice Affinity mejai. That’s her signature alright. But why’s she… Oh.
In case more pursuers showed up, she’d have the element of surprise.
She clearly didn’t want to be found, so Vir let her be. He doubted she’d reply if he called out to her, anyway.
More importantly, how did she know where to find him? Her words made it sound more like she expected him here. If so, why’d she wait right until I was about to die to interfere? Was she testing me?
She had to have been after the people hunting him. But how’d she know of them? And who were they in the first place? They’d admitted to not being knights—did that mean they weren’t related to Knight Captain Vastav? One soldier said that ‘she’ had sent them. But who?
Gulping, Vir recalled how skilled those soldiers had been, corralling him perfectly.
No, he thought. That wasn’t the source of the problem. The real issue was how his katar had been completely ineffective against their armor. Riyan never wore armor, and he hadn’t yet trained Vir to fight against armored opponents. It was a glaring deficiency in his offensive capabilities, one he hoped to resolve soon. Maybe there was a Talent that could help with that.
And then Tanya had come and killed them both with a single spell…
It seemed like every time he saw magic in use, it grew more impressive in his mind. Every time he gained some strength, he was shown just how small of a fish he was, swimming in a very, very large ocean.
Vir shook his head free of the confused jumble of thoughts. He had no way of obtaining answers right now, and moping around wasn’t going to get him anywhere.
His eyes found an orb nearby. A white Life Affinity orb. Next to it was an arrow etched into the dirt, pointing parallel to the stream nearby.
At least she left directions, Vir thought with a sigh. But does she have to needle me like that?
Tanya knew full well he was prana scorned and that the orb would be useless to him. The mejai left it there just to spite him. For the sole purpose of reminding him how crippled he was.
Joke’s on her. He smirked, approaching the orb. She’d messed up. Even C Grade orbs like this one fetched a pretty penny. Maybe it was nothing to a rich mejai like her, but to Vir? The little ball of magic represented a small fortune. Not a single Brijer had one, and here she’d just casually left it behind out of petty spite.
It was cracked.
Badrakkit! Of course she wouldn’t have left a working orb behind…
Vir kicked the piece of scrap away. It was worse to have hope crushed rather than to have no hope at all, and Tanya knew that.
Limping to the nearby brook, Vir swore she’d get what was coming to her.
He plunged his head right into the stream, gulping up mouthfuls of the refreshing liquid and washing away the grime that caked his face.
His stomach grumbled as the cool liquid trickled down his throat. Vir could scarcely recall the last time he’d had anything to eat or drink. Unfortunately, his rucksack full of food was nowhere to be seen.
At least I won’t die of thirst…
Fully energized, he set out in the arrow’s direction. As much as he wanted to plop down right there and practice the new ability Shardul had shown him, the Godshollow was not a suitable location. And without his heavy blanket, spending another night in the forest was out of the question. He had to leave, and soon.
None of the surroundings felt familiar to him, which meant Tanya must have carried him here. He only hoped she’d put him at the edge of the forest. It’d be too cruel to have taken him deeper in, even for her. Maybe. Possibly.
Only then did he remember her words. Nice fight, she’d said. It was the first time she’d ever acknowledged him, let alone paid him a compliment. Vir shook it off. He’d go crazy trying to understand that woman’s thoughts.
He struck a slow, steady pace across the forest, following the brook and always seeking firm footing to avoid aggravating his injuries. His limp worked itself out once he’d limbered up, allowing him to keep a decent pace. Tanya had no issues tailing him, and Vir was surprised at how quietly she moved. Without Prana Vision, he wouldn’t have noticed her at all.