51: The Aftermath (Patreon)

Vir opened his eyes to soaring trees and a lush meadow bisected by a babbling brook. The sounds of trickling 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… But then, he also found it hard to believe that she’d healed him in the first place. The woman would be ecstatic if he’d perished, so she must have been operating under Riyan’s orders.

Which only made everything more confusing. How did she know where to find him? Her words made it sound more like she was surprised that he was alive… not the reaction he’d expect from someone out to save him.

So that meant she was 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, he recalled how skilled those soldiers had been, corralling him perfectly.

No, he thought. That wasn’t the real problem. The real issue was how his katar had been completely ineffective against their armor. Riyan never wore armor, and he hadn’t ever trained Vir to fight against armored opponents yet. It was a glaring deficiency in his offensive capabilities.

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 that glowed with prana. 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 that he was prana-scorned and that the orb would be useless to him.

No, the mejai had left it here just to spite him. For the sole purpose of reminding him how crippled he was.

Joke’s on her. He smirked, pocketing 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.

Feeling better already, Vir limped his way to the nearby brook and 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 he’d just gained, 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.

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.

The hike gave him ample time to reflect on the series of bizarre events that had befallen him. Putting aside the matter of his assailants’ identity, what truly puzzled him was the memory-vision he’d had just before the wind blade hit him.

Shardul The Vicious. That was the part he couldn’t wrap his head around. This was the third time he’d experienced something like this—first in the Godshollow, then again when he’d fought the wolf on top of Riyan’s home. But on both prior occasions, it’d been Reaper Ekanai who’d possessed him. The demon he’d come to hate.

Now there was another. And this demon said similar things. Fulfill your destiny. Travel to the Ashen Realm.

Sheer grakking idiocy. Vir had progressed far over the four months he’d spent at Riyan’s place, but he was no fool. Even if Shardul promised great power in return, to step foot into the Ashen Realm was to commit suicide. Everyone knew that. And yet Shardul wanted him to do this? Did he have some way of keeping Vir safe?

Too much lay unknown. Nothing Shardul had said gave Vir any evidence that he’d be spared from death in that place.

And yet, he knew well the repercussions of ignoring their advice.

Each time, they’d taken over in life or death situations. When faced with certain death, they took over his body and guided him to victory. At least, that was how it was until now.

Shardul outright threatened to abandon Vir in the future. It might’ve been a bluff, but it wasn’t one Vir could risk. If he was wrong… he’d die.

Another thing bothered him. There was a possibility Ekanai might take over his body in his sleep. A scene formed in his mind. A morning where he woke to see Maiya dead, a red slit running across her throat.

Vir purged the image. He needed to come up with a plan. Some way to thread the needle. Something that would keep the voices in his head satisfied while also keeping him and Maiya alive.

Keep… Maiya alive? That’s…

There was a solution. A simple one.

All I have to do is leave her. If we go our separate ways…

But could he do that? After he’d sworn to stay by her side? After he’d grown up with her?

It irked him that Riyan’s favor would have exactly this situation unfold. The man divulged nothing about their tasks, but he had told them they’d be going their separate ways to accomplish it.

Vir was dead set on disobeying Riyan if he asked an unreasonable favor out of them. Now? Now, he wasn’t so sure…

There was something else that puzzled him about Shardul’s memory. On all occasions, the name ‘Garga’ came up. Ekanai hated them. Shardul belonged to them—a nation? Who were they? And when and where did these memory fragments occur? The land in all three of his memories was a place of red skies and even redder soil. A land where Ash prana occupied both the air and the ground. Vir hadn’t even heard of such a place in the Known World.

The only thing that was familiar about all of this was the tattoo on his chest. Both Ekanai and Shardul possessed it. Did that mean there were others out there with the same tattoo? The ‘Symbol of the Akh Nara’ as Shardul had called it.

Or am I seeing memories of my past incarnations?

Either way, he had to admit that without Ekanai, without Shardul, he would’ve perished long ago. Could he really afford not to capitalize on these visions? The powers he gained allowed him to leap forward in his combat power.

Granted, he had to train nonstop to regain the heights he’d achieved in the visions, so it wasn’t like they came for free—he’d earned them through sweat and hard work, practicing the motions repeatedly. But even if they yielded him great power, the only way he could justify getting them was if he could guarantee Maiya’s safety. Which, of course, led him back to separating from her.

Vir continued walking, his mind lost in his thoughts. When the sky grew brighter an hour later, he knew he was close. You couldn’t really tell that you were at the edge of a forest until you were nearly there, but the overall light level gave a big hint.

Sure enough, he broke through the forest edge minutes later. The forest’s boundary was stark, with the ancient Godhollows abruptly giving way to vast plains under a sunny blue sky. As though he’d stepped into another world.

Gazing up, he could hardly believe it still wasn’t even noon yet. The day had already felt thrice as long as a normal one, considering everything that he’d been through.

Another half hour’s walk along the forest’s edge put him back at his entry point, with Bumpy loitering right where he’d left the beast.

“Were you good, Bumpy?” he said, patting the animal’s hide, “Nobody troubled you?” Vir had never been so happy to see an Ash’va before.

Bumpy snorted in response, nuzzling him. He’d developed a kind of bond with the beast over time, as had Maiya. Though it irked him that Bumpy played favorites with her. The consolation prize was that Bumpy’s little brother Grumpy seemed to hate him slightly less than it did Maiya. Not enough to let Vir ride him, though.

Vir hopped on and rode north—to home. His destination wasn’t Riyan’s abode. Instead, he rode for the cave network just south of Riyan’s place.

The sun was still high in the sky, so even with the six-hour ride back, he’d make it with time to spare. If Tanya wondered why he’d taken so long, he could just tell her he’d been out cold for most of the day. Maybe that would make her sweat a little for leaving him out there alone.

Throughout the bumpy ride, Vir kept a sharp eye for any pursuers. If his enemy planned to press their assault, now would be the best time when he was alone and out in the open.

Each minute passed at a snail’s pace, with Vir continuously scanning the horizon for enemies. Though he arrived at the caves unmolested, his nerves were frayed.

He guided Bumpy into the mouth of a cave and dismounted, leaving the beast behind and proceeding the rest of the way on foot.

Riyan had been right to warn them about these caves, deep and labyrinthine as they were. Without carefully mapping out the place, it would be incredibly easy to get lost. Luckily, cartography had become something of a pastime for both Vir and Maiya, and they had charted a majority of the network already.

It was easier for Vir, too, since Prana Vision let him navigate in pitch blackness, so long as there was some amount of prana around. And the cave network was filled with Earth and Shadow affinity prana.

Vir forged ahead into the network, negotiating several turns before arriving at his destination.

Deep within the cave’s recesses, hidden in a hollow behind a rock, lay a cache of provisions. Though modest, they had slowly grown it over time, swiping things from Riyan whenever it was safe. Sacks of nuts and dried fruit, a pair of clothes, a blanket, Rudvik’s coppers… and now, a C grade Life affinity orb.

All to prepare for their escape from Riyan, if it ever came to that.

Prana Vision couldn’t tell him which particular Life spell this orb contained, only that its prana signature matched that of a C grade, and that it was still charged. The prana inside it would soon dissipate, but even uncharged, he figured it would easily fetch a dozen silvers, making it the single most valuable addition to their stash by a huge amount.

Once he’d tucked it all safely away, he retraced his steps to where he’d left Bumpy… only he didn’t quite exit the caves. Not yet.

The cave had a relative abundance of Shadow prana, and it just so happened that Dance of the Shadow Demon had a lot to do with shadows.

Shardul had said he could not unlock its secrets. That he’d have to travel to the Ashe Realm to do so. But the Ashen Realm was far away, even if he decided to go there eventually. He needed power now, and he was grakking sure he’d do everything in his power to try.

It was time to unwrap the secrets of this mysterious ability.