Riyan approached Vir and handed him a small pouch. “Coin that was on your father’s body. It isn’t much, but by right, it is yours.”
Vir held the twenty coppers in both hands like it was seric and nodded slowly.
Riyan ushered them to a sofa in the living room. The powerfully built man took a seat on the couch opposite them, occupying nearly half of it by himself.
Neel jumped up beside Vir and made himself comfortable on the soft leather. Magic Lamps illuminated the domed room with warmth that made Vir long for home.
“I’ve already confirmed that the knights have moved away,” Riyan said, crossing his legs and stretching his arms across the sofa’s backrest. “You are safe here, for now. I am sure you have many questions. Ask.”
Maiya went first. “How’d you know where to find us in the Godshollow?”
That had bothered Vir as well. Riyan’s timing was a bit too perfect to chalk up to mere coincidence.
“I have monitored these knights ever since they left Daha. I witnessed that fight of yours, if you could call it that,” he said, staring at Vir. “Terrible form. Stupid decisions. But… You move well, and you show some promise with thrown weapons. With magic, you could become a formidable force one day.”
Vir felt like the man had stabbed him in the gut by mentioning magic.
“I am quite skilled at remaining undetected,” Riyan continued. “This should be of great value to you.”
“Why, though?” Maiya asked. “Why would someone of your wealth be hiding all the way out here?”
Riyan’s death stare would’ve silenced even a Child of Ash. Maiya looked like a mouse who’d just caught an eagle’s attention. The wrong kind of attention.
“Maiya!” Vir hissed. “I’m sorry, sir, she didn’t mean that. Just that we’ve been through a lot lately. I hope you can understand our caution.”
“I’ve nothing to hide,” the man spat, “and that is all I will say about this matter. Suffice it to say, I am proficient in staying hidden when I want to. The world is a large place. You will need this skill if you are to survive.”
Vir couldn’t deny that. “Why did you save us? Actually, how’d you even find us?”
Riyan regarded them for a long moment. “You are right to suspect my motivations. I have been tracking the knights’ movements for my own reasons. Make no mistake, I did not come to your rescue out of some sense of misplaced charity. I will house you, feed you, and keep you hidden. I will teach you how to fight and how to survive. The girl, if she has talent, will learn as well. If not, then she will assist you. But know that my time is more valuable than you can imagine. I require something of equal value from you in return.”
“What could we possibly offer that you don’t already have?” Vir said, looking around the opulent room.
Riyan leaned forward. “Guidance for a favor. You must each do one task that I ask of you in the future. Do this, and I will consider your debts fulfilled.”
“Can you tell us what you want of us?” Maiya asked.
“Not until the time is right. All I can say is that your tasks will likely separate you for their duration. You should prepare yourselves for this.”
Vir didn’t like the sound of that at all.
“May we refuse?” she asked, throwing Vir a concerned glance.
Riyan bellowed a deep laugh that rang through the halls of his home. “You owe me a great debt, child. Even if that were not the case, how long do you think you can remain undetected out there?” He gestured with his chin. “How long do you think you can survive in a world that wants to hunt you down?”
“I-I think we could survive,” Maiya replied.
“If you truly believe that, then you are more naïve than you look. If you run, I will simply ‘leak’ information on your whereabouts to the kingdom. You will be captured in no time at all. Gods help your poor souls when that happens. Death would be a kindness.”
Vir interjected before Maiya started shouting at Riyan. “May we discuss this in private?”
Riyan gestured to the kitchen. “Go right ahead. But do not make the mistake of believing that you have a choice in this matter. Either survive with me or die miserably on the sands.”
Maiya touched the Magic Lock on the kitchen’s door once they’d entered, locking them inside.
Vir heaved a great sigh. “This is all too much for one day,” he said, suddenly realizing his throat was horribly parched. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d taken a drink.
“You got that right,” Maiya said. “What a load of ash! Y’know, when we left the village, I never thought we’d end up in the middle of a desert. This isn’t even a city, for chal’s sake!”
Vir cracked a smile as he walked to the sink. His poor friend. All she’d ever wanted was to end up in a big city, yet she wound up somewhere even more remote than the village they’d grown up in. With a cranky old man, no less.
To his chagrin, the tap required magic to operate. He never understood why taps needed to be magical. They were so simple!
His thoughtful friend noticed his plight and had already retrieved a glass for him. She touched the orb and filled the glass, handing it to Vir.
“Thanks,” he said, relishing the feeling of cool water down his throat. Amazing how such a small thing could make him feel alive again.
“Sorry that you have to do these things for me.”
“Not your fault. We’ll get Riyan to install non-magical utilities if we end up staying here.”
Riyan didn’t strike him as the most patient person, so he sat down at the small dining table and got to the heart of the matter.
“About that. You think he’ll keep up his end of the bargain when he learns I’m prana scorned? I feel like he’d be happy to toss me to the wolves when he realizes what I am.”
“He won’t!” Maiya said. “You’re more acrobatic than anyone I’ve ever known! And you’re clever. Even without magic, I’m sure we can convince him we’ll be useful.”
Vir wondered whether Riyan would be that considerate. That said, they really didn’t have any options. As much as it infuriated him, Riyan was right. They’d die without him.
“So, are we staying?” Maiya asked. “I’ll be honest. I don’t like him. We can’t trust him. He’s clearly a criminal of some sort, and I don’t like the idea of us getting separated. Doesn’t sit right.”
“I agree,” Vir said. “But I actually think we can trust him to an extent. He wants something from us. As long as we give him that, he’ll provide us with the things we need to survive. It doesn’t sound like a terrible deal. Assuming I can live up to his expectations, of course.”
It’d be a gamble to see if he could convince Riyan that he was worth keeping around despite being prana scorned. The man would not be happy to learn Vir couldn’t use even the most basic utility magic, or that he could only run thirty paces before keeling over.
“I have a bad feeling about those favors. I don’t think it’s going to be anything good. What if he asks us to do something… something bad?”
“I know. Here’s what I’m thinking. If he’s reasonable about it, we can uphold our end of the bargain. But if he’s not… then we’ll resist. If we’re strong enough to help him out on whatever he needs, we’ll be more than strong enough to challenge him. Maybe we can change his mind about what favors he wants us to do.”
Maiya thought it over. “Fine. But if we can’t manage that… we’ll leave. Alright?”
Vir nodded.
They returned to the living room and took their original seats.
“We’ll stay,” Vir said. “But if we’re mistreated in any way, the deal’s off.”