“That is certainly one option. A difficult one. You would have to develop relations with the more suggestible members of the castle staff. Such things take time—even the most vigilant cannot be wary over weeks and months, after all. Time lowers people’s guard.”
“That still sounds near impossible,” Vir replied. “Even if I fake being Sawai, they’ll find out immediately once they check their records. I’d have to gain a legitimate reason to enter the castle, and I doubt I’d have much of a chance after, even if I could somehow get in.”
“As I said, it would be a difficult option. Lucky for you, Princess Mina is an odd girl, known to sneak out of the castle to wander about the city. Often alone. I suggest tailing her on these outings. If you can locate her, you could lay a trap. But I will not lie to you. No simple solution exists. If it did, I would have ended her long ago. She keeps tabs of every person of strength in Daha. She’ll need to be hit from a blind spot. By someone she’d never expect to be dangerous.”
“Like a prana scorned newcomer like me,” Vir said, comprehending.
Riyan nodded slowly. “I will give you one word of warning, however. Choose the path that involves the least amount of combat. You are strong, yes, but against the Hiranyan Royal Guard, you will be mincemeat before you even notice them. Do not engage in a confrontation with the castle guards. Do you understand?”
Vir nodded.
“The princess has a personal bodyguard. Watch out for her. She used to be a soldier under my command; I can attest to her skills. Her Balar Rank should be around one hundred.”
Every detail Riyan revealed made this task harder and harder. It was a suicide mission, and Riyan must have known that. Worse, Vir was beginning to wonder just what he’d be able to give Mina if she wasn’t as bad as Riyan made her out to be. With the resources at her disposal, what could he—a would-be assassin sent by her enemy—offer that would get her to trust and value him?
“And you said my Balar Rank would be around forty?” Vir asked. Riyan had to have known this. It severely limited Vir’s options.
“Closer to thirty, I think. I would put your friend at around forty. Her magic is already potent, and she will only grow stronger.”
Of course, Riyan didn’t know about Prana Vision or Dance of the Shadow Demon. Vir suspected his rank was a fair bit higher than 30.
“Understood,” Vir said. “I suppose I’ll go pack my things.”
He stole one last glance at the picture frame on Riyan’s bedside before leaving the man alone in his bedroom.
Riyan waited for Vir to shut the door behind him before retrieving an oversized orb from under his robe. To say it was his most precious possession would be an understatement. This single orb could easily buy him a dozen homes.
“I take it there were no issues on your end?” he said, speaking to the orb.
Tanya’s voice came back a moment later. “None, General. Maiya did not resist. Luring her with the promise of power was a stroke of genius, sir.”
“And yet, you have not done as I asked,” Riyan said with a heavy voice.
“What does it matter? Maiya will bring you great benefits, even from Sonam. At least here, she’ll be safe.”
“If she passes her exam. You have taken a gamble on my part, Tanya. I only hope it pays off.”
“It will, General. I swear it.”
“Good. See that her infiltration goes smoothly. She will be a valuable asset for us in the future.”
“Of course, sir. It will be done. Did all go well on your end?”
“As well as it could have. The boy is hesitant, though this is understandable.”
“Will he betray us?”
“He won’t,” Riyan said. “Right now, he questions the veracity of my claims. But once he finds out the truth about that woman, he’ll have no choice. Revenge will drive him, even if his debt to me does not.”
62EKAVIR GOES TO DAHA
The night passed without Vir having gained much sleep. He lay awake, wondering about his task and agonizing over Riyan’s words. The man had literally saved his life. Trained him and housed him, and for that, Vir was beyond thankful. But sending him on a mission that would very well impact the rest of his life?
Vir’s morals warred with his self-preservation instincts. His angst warred with his gratitude. And Riyan’s words changed that calculus entirely—if Mina really was the one who put Head Priest Harak in power—the man who ordered the killing of three of the most precious people in Vir’s life—then how could Vir ever join up with her?
Isn’t it worth the risk to kill her? Isn’t that worth dying for?
A small voice whispered in the back of his head. A dangerous voice. Because what if Riyan was in the wrong? The man had never shared the secrets of his past, after all. Who was good in this picture? Who was evil? Desperate men did desperate things. Even if Riyan wasn’t outright lying, was he twisting the truth for his benefit? These questions ate at Vir’s mind.
They were all questions without answers. After hours of turmoil, he realized the only way he’d find peace was by making that decision for himself, and that meant he had to learn more. About Riyan. About Mina, and their history together.
A part of him believed Riyan had little reason to deceive him. But another part desperately wanted to deny that fact. Because if Riyan was wrong and the princess was right… it’d make Vir’s dilemma so much simpler. It was stupid to feel that way, but he just couldn’t shake it off.
Either way, when that time came, it would be his decision. Not because he was ordered or blackmailed to do it. After all, he was the one who’d live with the consequences, not his instructor. Riyan’s task wasn’t the only reason he couldn’t sleep. He spent the hours worrying about Maiya. Where was she? Was she as safe as the man said?
He clutched her beaded bracelet. It was simple, yet beautiful. Typical Maiya. To think she’d put all this effort into crafting this just for him—it was special in a way that only Maiya could be.
Which was why he couldn’t fathom why she hadn’t at least left a note behind. If she’d said where she was going, he could have followed. But now…
Now he had no choice but to journey to Daha. He would travel east, to the Saran-Daha highway, then south to the capital.
Even on Ash’va, the journey would take a day and a half of hard riding.
Vir gazed at his empty rucksack, then relented and finally hauled himself out of bed. The thing wasn’t going to pack itself.
The room was still dark—dawn just a few minutes away. It would be best to leave early. There was nothing left for him here anymore.
Neel snored peacefully on Maiya’s bed. The bandy had likely appropriated it the moment he saw her leave.
Packing his rucksack was not as simple of an affair as it seemed. The bag had limited capacity, and while Bumpy had panniers, he’d already filled most of those with water and his thick, heavy blanket. Besides, it was best to keep the essentials on him, lest he get separated from the beast.
He’d already prepared everything beforehand. All that was left was to pack them.
Vir began by stuffing his three sets of disguise clothing into the bottom of the pack, followed by his mask—a recent addition to his suite of disguises—a tinder bundle, some flint, and steel. All things he wouldn’t need immediately. He worked his way up, packing small jars of cloves and neem leaves to use as antiseptics, as well as a needle and thread, packing it all in with socks and other squishables.
Nuts, dried berries, fresh fruit, and a couple of sandwiches came next, along with Neel’s food. Finally, his makeup kit—easily accessible in case he needed to hastily reapply it. That was especially important, as he’d applied makeup to his hands and forearms as well to give them a more normal pigmentation.