131: The Undercity (Patreon)

When the lift finally stopped against the rocky earth of the great cavern, it wasn’t the four armed demons bustling around that caught Vir’s eye first. Nor was it their looks of happiness and joviality.

“These lamps… they’re not magical, are they?”

“That’s the first thing you notice?” his Ashborn friend said. “Name’s Badal, by the way. Thanks for not killing me back there.”

“I, er…” Vir scratched his head and looked away, causing Badal to burst out laughing.

“Correct,” Zora said flatly. “These use an alternate source of energy. Something most of the Known World has no concept of.”

Vir crossed a cobblestone thoroughfare to stare up at the light on the lamp. It was true, Prana Vision, which he’d come to rely on to divulge secrets of the world, was dim to his eyes. Dim, but not nonexistent.

How is that possible? Vir looked around and noticed that the prana in his companions’ body was already growing stronger compared to when they’d been at the surface.

“I thought the Voidlands were devoid of prana?” Vir asked. “I feel stronger here. Like I do when there’s prana.”

While not entirely true—Vir always contained the prana inside his body, something Zora might very well have noticed with her Ghael sight—he wasn’t ready to divulge Prana Vision just yet. Not until he knew beyond a shred of a doubt that the Order could be trusted.

“Correct. But not correct. We have many secrets here. Secrets you will soon learn. Come this way,” she said, leading him down the main street of the underground city.

What’s going on? Vir thought. There was prana down here. Were the Voidlands only at the surface? But that made little sense to Vir. Air was air. And the air down here did have more prana, though it was still less than Brij’s prana levels.

Vir walked up to another streetlamp and stared into the light. Though he had to put his eye right up to the light source, nearly blinding him, he saw tiny motes of Lightning affinity prana.

Except they weren’t static. The motes of prana moved in a loop at speeds Vir could scarcely believe. But what made Vir’s heart nearly stop… was that unlike all prana he had ever seen, this prana wasn’t bound to its carrier material. It moved freely across the element of the light, and through the rope-like material that connected to it on both sides.

It was the same as with magic. Lightning prana transferred from the air into an orb and was then fired out as a spell. Vir didn’t know why he never realized this before.

Prana isn’t bound to its carrier!

Except for one case—his blood. No matter what he’d done until now, his Ash prana refused to separate from his blood. He hadn’t particularly cared until now; other than Parai’s channeling technique, there hadn’t seemed like much of a use for it.

But when he saw that Lightning prana cycle through the light, powering it… he wondered what would happen if he replicated that technique in his body. If he could cycle prana independently of his blood, and do it faster than ever? What would happen?

Well, it’s not like I’ve ever managed that before, though. I wouldn’t even know where to start.

“We call it electricity. A most recent invention, and one of our own,” Badal said, looking proud, as if he were the one to invent it.

“How… how does it work?” Vir asked.

Badal shrugged. “Ask our Thaumaturges. It all feels like magic to me, but you know, it’s not. Even if there wasn’t a shred of prana down here, the Thaumaturges say it’ll work just fine.”

Vir glanced at the Ghael.

“I’m afraid I do not comprehend the details,” Zora replied. “Suffice it to say that much steam is required. Luckily, this area is rife with geothermal activity. Our Thaumaturges harness this energy, and route the power a great distance to power the city. With those,” she said, pointing to black ropes that connected all the lights together.

Hope I get to talk to one of those Thaumaturges some day. The light was more magical to Vir than magical light, and it piqued his curiosity. Moreover, it might very well lead to a breakthrough with his own understanding of prana.

Tearing his eyes off the lights, he forced himself to consider the city itself.

Demons roamed everywhere—individuals, couples, and even families. Most were red skinned, though Vir did spot one or two gray demons like himself.

“Something the matter?” Badal asked.

“No, it’s just… I’ve never seen demons walking around like this, without disguise. It feels strange to me.”

Badal laughed loudly, earning him stares from passersby. “Strange only because of humanity’s hatred for our kind. Fear not, it’ll grow familiar. And then, when you walk on the surface, you’ll loathe covering yourself.”

Vir said nothing. It was true; demons ought to be able to walk freely without disguises. He doubted such a day would ever come. But even if that wasn’t possible, this city was…

“It’s a marvel,” Vir said. The buildings weren’t all that fancy, with most being square, two or three-story affairs constructed of stone excavated from the cavern itself. But the fact that there wasn’t a single human in this entire city shocked him. It truly was a city of demons, where all were welcomed.

They soon arrived at a great plaza, with a circular fountain dominating the center of the space, around which  demon children ran, playing a game of tag as their parents chatted nearby, keeping an eye on them. Couples shopped for food manned by four armed demons. Another red demon with enormous horns that protruded straight up joked with a gray demon.

Vir did his best not to gawk. Though he knew there had to be other four armed demons, he couldn’t help but wonder if one of them was the one Rudvik had told him about. The one who’d brought him to Brij.

But that one was a giant, and at least thus far, Vir spied no giants.

“That it is, friend,” Badal said, clapping his shoulder. “That it is.”

“I, uh… gimme a sec?” Vir asked, stepping over to the fountain. In it, he saw his reflection—a pale skinned, average looking human.

And suddenly, he hated that visage. Hated what it represented. There was no need for that here. Suddenly, he felt as though he was suffocating. Drowning.

Scooping up the fresh, clean water, he splashed it against his face paint, rubbing vigorously to remove it as fast as he could. Finally, he removed his eye color lenses and placed them back into their carrying case.

For the first time in a very long time, Vir stared at his own reflection. His true face.

Vir took a deep breath and returned to his companions. Even now, it felt wrong. He felt like he was exposing himself. That someone would see him and cry, Ashborn fiend!

But when he returned to his companions, they greeted him with smiles. One after another, they nodded to him. Out of respect. And pride. Demon pride.

“A gray demon, eh? Wasn’t expecting that!” Badal said. “You’re like me!”

Vir stared at the man. With red eyes, black hair, and gray skin, they truly were similar. “Does the term Ashborn mean anything to you?”

Badal snorted. “Yeah, sure. Means absolutely nothing. It’s what the humans call gray demons like us. We’re rare, even among demons, sure. But ultimately no different.”

Vir took a moment to process that revelation. For nearly sixteen years, he’d thought he was human, just… different. To think this whole Ashborn business was a sham, born from a misunderstanding…

Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, Vir thought, staring at the Ash prana within him. Humans are wrong about a lot of things.

“Do, uh… do you have a tattoo on your chest?”

“Hmm? Nah. Never been much into body art, myself.”

“I see.”

So that’s unique to me, at least. The Symbol of the Akh Nara.

Vir had wondered if there were others like him. Others with past reincarnations. Perhaps, if the Pagan Order proved worthy of his trust, he might ask some of those questions. If he was lucky, maybe they’d even have some answers.

He did his best not to get excited, but had limited success.

“Come. We are nearly there,” Zora said, leading them. Though her gait must have felt normal to her, it looked to Vir like she was skulking, trying to avoid detection.

From gray demons to four armed demons to Ghaels, Vir would have some getting used to.

“So, what about the Upper City, then?” Vir asked. “Won’t the humans there panic if they learn what’s down here?”

“We’re very careful with who we allow down here, and who we allow to know about the existence of the Undercity,” Badal said.

“Many humans live in the upper city, yes,” Zora replied. “Along with demons in disguise. But we select everyone who lives there.”

“Human immigration to Balindam is extremely strict,” Badal added. “We choose them based on their personality and their perspective on demons. Demon haters are strictly prohibited, and the spies? Well…” Badal gestured his thumb across his neck.

“But why take the risk? Why not make Balindam exclusively a demon city?”

“We shall. One day. When we are ready,” Zora replied. “The humans in the Upper City can be easily killed if need be. Just a few more years. Perhaps a decade. Then we’ll be ready. For the Purge. Then the Pagan Order will truly become a sanctuary for demons. A place where we can roam under the sun without fear of persecution.”

A country for demons sounded nice at all, but Vir blanched at their methods. “Purge? Is there such a need for brutality? Why not just ask them to leave?”

“We shall. Those that refuse will die. It’s more than they would do for us, yes?”

“That’s…”

“Our goal is not merely a sanctuary for demons, but a Demon Empire, right here in human lands,” Badal said quietly. “Some sacrifices must be made.”

They weren’t wrong. Even so, the thought of murdering innocents whose only crime was refusing to abandon their homes? That didn’t sit right with Vir.

There has to be a better way…

They soon passed through a market, almost a duplicate of the market above ground. It was eerie, in a way. Vir was being given a tour just like he had upon arriving at Balindam. And he wasn’t very far from the market where the lady had sold him medicinal herbs. Even the building arrangements were similar.

And yet, the difference was as stark as night and day. In one market, no demons dared tread. Or if they did, they hid it. But here, no humans roamed. One was brightly lit by the sun. The other was plunged in darkness, lit by the strange non-magical lights the Order had cooked up.

Soon, the bustling city buildings fell away, and the group walked through a series of tunnels that cut through the cavern walls. These, too, were lit by the same strange lamps Vir had seen earlier. A kind of thin rope connected them all, but Vir couldn’t fathom its purpose.

“The nexus we were just in contains the merchants, eateries… all the public stuff. The residences are all in here,” Badal said, gesturing to the myriad of closed wooden doors they passed.

“You live here, too?” Vir asked.

“Sure do,” the gray demon replied. “In fact… we’re gonna be neighbors!”

“Uh, come again?”

Zora stopped in front of a door and inserted a key. “Your home,” she said, gesturing him to enter.

Inside, Vir found a cozy hollow carved out of the rock and brightly illuminated by the same non-magical light that powered the city. Not too small, but not large either; its domed ceiling made it feel larger than it was. In a corner was a clean, comfortable-looking bed, with a wooden side table next to it, along with a switch to turn off the lighting when desired.

Such luxury, Vir thought. To have light without magic had never been this easy for him.

A work desk and a chair occupied another corner, while a basic round table sat in the center, with seating for four.

“I already have accommodations topside, though?” Vir said, hesitantly touring the room. “I appreciate the offer, but is this necessary?”

“Not accommodation. This is your home. From now on.”

“I’m not sure I understand you. You’re saying this is a permanent residence? You’re just giving it to me?”

Zora extended her gangly limb to Vir. “You are one of us now, brother. You are family. You will always have a home here.”

“That’s… I don’t know what to say. Thank you,” Vir said, barely getting the words out. Emotions flooded him, and it took everything he had to keep them in check.

They’re practically strangers. And yet…

But that wasn’t exactly true. There was a bond they shared. The bond of the oppressed.

“There isn’t a demon in Balindam who doesn’t know how bad life can be outside. Every brother and sister we bring here, we offer a home. It’s your choice to stay or to leave. But so long as you’re here. You will have a place to call your own,” Badal said, staring Vir in the eyes.

“Now come,” Zora said. “There is one last place I wish to show you.”

“Part of the welcome tour?” Vir asked, wondering what else there was to see.

“Not exactly,” Badal said.

“What I am about to show you must be kept to yourself at all cost,” Zora croaked, giving Vir a fierce stare. “Our very survival depends on it. I show this to you as a sign of good faith.”

Vir nodded. “I understand. What is it?”

“It is the reason prana does not exist in the Voidlands. It is the Pagan Order’s greatest weapon. Follow me.”