Ashborn 310: To Atnu (Patreon)

Vir made poor time to Garrison Atnu—he’d used his powers extensively at Samar Patag, so instead of recovering prana, he actually left the city with less than he previously had.

That state of affairs lasted all the way up until Vir encountered his first Ash Beast. Using the last fumes of his prana, he Leaped at the Shredder, placing his palm on the beast’s back before it could react. Feeling the prana flood back into his body, Vir sucked his foe dry, letting it drop dead on the ground.

From there, he repeated the task a dozen times, using as little prana as possible while draining his enemies. As he ended a Phantomblade, couldn’t help but reflect on how unfair this ability was. For most, Ash Beasts were terrors to be avoided at all costs.

For him, they were akin to a tasty snack. 

With his reserves partially replenished, Vir bounded the rest of the way to Garrison Atnu, and while he’d been worried about Shan’s own reserves, the Ash Wolf was surprisingly adept at conserving his prana. Shan rarely had occasion to use his movement arts, and lacked prana-intensive powers like Blade Launch and Haste.

Vir was glad, though he felt that ought to change soon. Between his duties marshaling the army and his Life Chakra practice within the mindscape, Vir had precious little time to study Saunak’s cryptic tome. He desperately wished to find a Thaumaturge to teach him the art of Inscription. Perhaps not for his own body, but for Shan. If Vir could equip the wolf with bloodline arts, and if Shan could master them… He’d be a force to be reckoned with.

As for himself, Vir hadn’t yet decided if he’d pursue the Ultimate tattoos. Doing so came at the cost of the regular Bloodline Arts, and after seeing them in action, Vir had to admit they offered significant benefits.

Coming up on Atnu, Vir slowed.

“Stay here,” he ordered Shan. “The last thing we need is a panic.”

Shan grunted and sauntered off while Vir sank into the shadows. Bounding from shadow to shadow, he rapidly approached the camp, and unless someone happened to notice the brief instant where his body transitioned from one shadow to another—like a salmon jumping upriver—he was completely invisible.

Given that there were only Gargan slaves outside the Garrison walls, and that none of them were particularly interested in keeping watch, Vir’s arrival went unnoticed.

Once within the walls, Vir’s true task began.

Finding one kothi among a Garrison of nearly a thousand might’ve stymied the ordinary demon, but thanks to Prana Vision, Vir could search for Gunin’s prana signature. And since Dance of the Shadow Demon allowed him to conduct this search from a position of absolute invisibility and invulnerability, it wasn’t long before he located the small-framed failure of a Warrior.

Vir bided his time, observing the kothi from a nearby shed with Prana Vision, and waited until he was alone. Then he popped up next to Gunin, placing a hand around his mouth.

Sure enough, the monkey flailed his limbs and tried desperately to scream—to no avail.

“Relax!” Vir hissed. “It’s me.”

Gunin’s resistance faded, and Vir slowly removed his hand from the demon’s mouth.

“Neel?” Gunin whispered, turning around. “W-what are you doing here? You went into the Ash! How!?”

“Much has happened, friend,” Vir said. “And we have much to discuss. Do you know of a safe place where we can talk?”

Vir searched the demon for any signs of fear or anxiety, but found none.

Can I trust him? The thought lingered at the back of Vir’s mind. In truth, he didn’t know.

“Yes. Yes, of course. I have news for you as well. Wait for me in the warehouse by the outer wall. I shall head there as soon as my shift is over.”

Sensing a pair of prana signatures approaching the door, Vir wrapped up their conversation. “Don’t make me wait too long,” Vir said, walking behind Gunin and sinking into the floor. 

Gunin’s eyes shot wide at Vir’s disappearing act, but composed himself just in time to greet the Chitrans who’d just arrived.

Without knowing more about Gunin’s actions and whether he remained loyal to the cause, Vir couldn’t risk revealing his true identity.

Which was why he continued monitoring the demon from the shadows, instead of heading to their appointed location straightaway.

— — 

When Gunin finally arrived at the storehouse, Vir was waiting. The warehouse was packed from floor to ceiling with wooden crates, with narrow aisles allowing passage between the rows.

Vir had already confirmed there was no one else here.

“Sorry for the delay,” Gunin said. “They have us working to the bone.”

“Us, huh?” Vir asked.

“I mean—you know what I… I see,” Gunin said.

“You’ll forgive me if I’m a little cautious,” Vir replied.

“Of course, of course,” Gunin said, massaging his forehead. “I’ve plied myself day in and day out for your cause, but of course, you have no reason to believe me. Well, how about I tell you all that I’ve learned. Perhaps then, you can be the judge of whether or not I’ve betrayed you.”

Vir nodded, gesturing for the kothi to proceed.

“First, the situation at these camps is far more tenuous than they’d have us believe. The recent monster outbreak has stretched their forces thing, and every Garrison is operating at limited capacity. Weapons are damaged or destroyed, and are not replaced and repaired quickly enough. Casualties have spiked, placing Panav healers in desperate demand. There are simply not enough of them, and there are too many needing healing. We’ve resorted to non-magical healing arts and those with Aspects with healing properties, but they are even more rare than the Panav.”

It struck Vir just how much leverage the Panav had over the other races. Ignoring the Baira, whose Bloodline Arts made them resistant to harm, every other tribe relied exclusively upon their clan for healing. It was no wonder the Panav hadn’t ever bothered with training their Warriors to the extent of the other clans—they simply had no need to. 

The other clans would be more than happy to man their portion of the Ash Boundary in return for priority healing. Of all the clans, Vir believed the Panav to be the most cunning.

“What of the prisoners?” Vir asked.

“That situation is a bit less optimistic, I’m afraid,” Gunin replied. “They rule with an iron fist here. Especially after their debacle subjugating you and your forces. The Garrison commander was executed, and they’re now thrice as hard on the prisoners as before. I’m afraid whatever hope  they once had is now long gone.”

“There must be some out there who show promise, though?” Vir asked.

Gunin sighed. “A few, though nobody in their right mind would rise up now. Even convincing them to escape will be an undertaking.”

“I see.” Vir found it difficult to keep the disappointment out of his voice. “It seems our path will be longer than I’d initially hoped.”

“Yes, well,” Gunin said. “If you can solve the morale issue, I do think we have a fair chance of toppling the Garrison. And from what I hear, the situation is similar at the others as well.”

“I see. This is good information,” Vir said. “Continue your observations.”

Gunin was silent for a moment. “And yet, you feel I am not worthy of your trust.”

“I don’t mean to—” Vir began.

“I understand,” Gunin replied. “You need something more. Further proof. I don’t blame you.’

Vir’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying you have such proof?”

“I do. Ajune.”

“The one who sabotaged our camp while I was out at Praya Parul?” Vir asked. In fact, Ajune was the other piece of business Vir needed to take care of.

“The same.”

“He needs to die,” Vir said simply. “He had the chance to walk away. Instead, he sabotaged us, causing the deaths of many.”

“My thoughts exactly. I thought you’d want him dead. There is no need.”

“Gunin, I’m sorry. I can’t let him live. You know this. There is only one end for traitors.”

There was no room for negotiation in Vir’s mind. Certain actions simply could not be forgiven. Vir recalled the demon who’d succumbed to that Warrior Chakra attack, and the dozen others who’d died. All because of the actions of this one Ajune.

“Oh, you misunderstand,” Gunin said. “There is no need to kill him… Because I have already seen to his death.”

— — 

Gunin’s pre-emptive action went a long way to prove his fealty to Vir. Not only had the kothi seen to Ajune’s death, he’d done so in a way that raised no suspicion—coercing various Garrison Warriors that the traitor couldn’t be trusted.

He was right, of course. A turncoat could rarely ever be trusted by either side.

Vir was impressed, and was even more so when Gunin had given him information of Cirayus’ whereabouts. He’d left the Garrison not long ago, and should be on his way to the next.

After thanking Gunin, Vir slipped out of the garrison, reunited with Shan, and was currently bounding north, toward the border with Panav.

Preparing himself to intercept Cirayus at the next Garrison, Vir stocked up on prana by killing off the many Ash Beasts he found on his way. Gunin hadn’t been joking—the number of beasts was downright startling, and there were far too few demons to defend the whole boundary. 

It worried him to imagine these creatures attacking unsuspecting villages. What terror brewed within the Ash to cause such a thing?

Amidst these thoughts, Vir came across a red figure seated near the boundary. The demon seemed to be in the midst of animated conversation, despite being alone for miles. 

If the four arms and large stature weren’t a giveaway, the enormous sword strapped across the demon’s back certainly was. 

“Cirayus,” Vir said, landing lightly next to the demon.

“Wait! Just wait!” Cirayus said. “He’s right here!”

Vir frowned. “What’s going on?”

“Lad, where have you been!? I was worried sick. It’s Maiya, lad! She needs our help.”

“Here?” Vir asked, looking around. 

“Not quite,” Cirayus replied. “You nearly missed the Tournament. Even if we hurry, I fear we may not arrive in time.”

“The Tournament…” Vir’s eyes bulged. The Bairan Tournament. It was supposed to have been months away! “The time shift…”

Those months had been burned away during his time in the Ash.

“But I can’t go now,” Vir said. “My demons need me. They need you! I was hoping you could help them. We need to train. We need to expand our forces.”

“Lad, there is no time. You must make a choice. Either participate in the Bairan Tournament to compete for Balancer of Scales… Or return to your army.”

Vir hesitated. Worries about his demons filled his mind. They weren’t ready. They needed him to build a network of Ash Gates. And what if the Gate he’d gone through collapsed? They’d be stranded in the Ash without him.

“Fine,” Vir said at last. “But we need to make a detour first.”

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