144 & 145: The Era of Demons (Patreon)

NOTE: I split this chapter up on RR, so the patreon version technically contains two chapters worth of content.

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“You’ve been through the Ash…” Vir said in disbelief. “And you survived?”

“I nearly did not,” the man said, taking a seat at their table. He leaned back, rested a bony elbow on the table, and narrated his tale, his eyes wandering to a distant memory. “Decades ago, I joined a Kin’jal expeditionary force—disguised as a human—of course. Times were desperate, and the pay was good. I knew the risks. Least, I thought I did. Call it the brashness of youth.”

“What happened?”

“The force of thirty mejai were tasked with mapping the Ashen Realm near the Ash Boundary. For future missions.”

“Wait, I remember reading about this,” Maiya said, prompting the elderly demon to raise a brow. “Only one returned from that expedition alive. That was you?”

“You are privy to some very secret Kin’jal information, girl. Yes, I was likely the one that report spoke of.”

“The report said your group died to prana poisoning, and that you retreated through the Boundary gate.”

The old man chuckled. “Yes, that is what I reported…”

“You mean you lied?” Vir asked.

“I owed the Kin’jals nothing. Less than nothing, in fact. It became quite clear to me soon after entering that they’d knowingly sent us on a suicide mission. We had no Mejai of Realms. No mejai worth anything, in fact. Just Mejai Sorcar. The rest were Balarian warriors, and none very strong. Perhaps they thought to send disposable scouts through, on the off-chance they might strike gold.”

“That’s… exactly what the mission was for,” Maiya said softly, averting her eyes. “It said so in the notes.”

“I see. Then I must thank you for confirming suspicions I’ve held for half my life, girl,” the man said, stroking his long beard, looking wistfully into the distance. “No matter. Most succumbed immediately to prana poisoning. I’ll not subject you to the details. Suffice it to say, it was a miserable way to go. Were I not dealing with the poisoning myself, I might’ve fainted at the gruesome sight.”

“Yet you survived,” Vir stated.

“Hardly. When we think of thick prana, we think of magic. Of vitality and strength. When one visits Kin’jal, one feels empowered, being so close to the Ash. But too much of a good thing is lethal in its own right. The prana in the Ashen Realm isn’t merely thick. It suffocates. The oppressive weight of that magical energy rips your body apart, seeing equilibrium.”

Vir exchanged a knowing glance with Maiya. If the density was far higher there, it made sense Ash prana would try to worm its way into the body of those coming from a less dense region.

“I could not walk, such was the pressure. Relegated to my knees, I crawled as I bled from my very pores. The others might’ve had it easier, perishing relatively quickly. Not I. My agony lasted for hours.”

“Why didn’t you just turn around?” Maiya asked. “I always wondered about that. Enough high ranking mejai make it back that it seems possible. Yet I never find any record of why the others don’t just abort their mission at the first sign of trouble.”

The librarian laughed. “It seems the Kin’jal have scrubbed certain details from their records. I cannot imagine those survivors would all have omitted that detail.”

“What detail?” Vir asked.

“There is no Ash Boundary on the other side,” the demon said, scoffing. “If only there were. Do not make the mistake of assuming the Ash operates under the same rules as the Known World. It does not. There is no night or day there. It is a place of continuous twilight where Ash falls eternally, from gods-know where. And crucially, the Ash Boundary that cuts across our world like a scar is nowhere to be seen.”

“That’s… so there’s no way back?”

“No reliable way, no. You can imagine our panic when we arrived there. As far as I can tell, Ash Gates—or Ash Tears, as the unstable ones are called—open and close at random. Some lead deeper into the Ash while others may spit you into an abyss. A precious few lead back to the human realm. I simply happened upon a gate that led back to safety. It was a one in a million chance.”

“It led back to Kin’jal?” Maiya asked.

“No. To Sai, of all places. Dropped me high in the air, too. I hobbled back to civilization with legs full of broken bones.”

“Ouch,” Maiya hissed, wincing.

“There’s more. The land in the Ash shifted from time to time. I saw only glimpses of it in the distance, but… reality is broken in that realm. It fits well with the broken beasts, prana, and just about everything else there. If one were to chart a course through, I fear it would be rendered useless before long.”

“None of this was mentioned in the record,” Maiya murmured. “This must be a secret of the highest order.”

“I know not why they would hide this information, but this is yet another reason the Ash is so dangerous. On top of the Ash Beasts. I neglected to mention it in the report, but only half of my expedition perished to prana poisoning. The other half died well before then, fighting Ash Beasts. The only reason I slipped by is because the monsters were too busy gorging on Kin’jal flesh to bother with me.”

“I’ve fought Ash Beasts near the Wall myself,” Maiya said. “They were the most terrifying opponents I’ve ever encountered. I can’t imagine how much more fearsome they must be within the Ash.”

Though she’d mentioned it earlier, her exploits still came as a shock to Vir. To think she’d not only fought off Ash beasts, but had fought more than he had… Not that it was a competition, but he felt proud of his kills. Now? He didn’t know how to feel.

Regardless, Vir’s thoughts echoed her own. The Narapazu and the Brood Matron were in a different league than other foes he’d encountered. Even the Phantomblade was a tough foe.

“Ash Beast strength in the Ashen Realm is incomparable. I can assure you, their lofty Balar ranks are well earned. To fight one—even a smaller one—is to risk death for all but the truly strong.”

A knot in Vir’s stomach began to tighten. “So when you said there’s a way through…”

“I meant finding an Ash Gate that leads you to your destination. You are far more likely to die than to survive, but the possibility is there. You might even get lucky and find a gate soon after you enter that blighted place.”

And to think Mahadi—Janak’s home—is deep within there. Vir shivered. This was suicidal. And yet, Janak, Shardul, and Ekanai all believed he would survive there.

“There’s no other way?” Vir asked.

“Not that I know of. You’ll find no one else in the Pagan Order who’s been to the Ash and survived, I’m afraid.”

“Well, it’s not much, but it’s something,” Vir said softly.

The librarian gazed at Vir. “You are still young. You have your whole life to live. Do not throw it away in search of glory.”

Vir didn’t reply, but the man didn’t press him.

“I am here if you need me.”

With those words, he stood and left, leaving Maiya and Vir alone.

Several minutes passed in silence. “What will you do?”

“I have to go.”

“Even though it’s suicide?”

“I… don’t think it will be. Not for me.”

“Because you’re a demon?”

“That’s part of it,” Vir replied. “But there’s more.”

There was only one fact about the Ash that led him to believe them—Ash Prana.

“You know how I use Ash prana, right? It’s why people think I’m prana scorned. Because my affinity’s different from the ones humans know about.”

“Right. I feel like the Altani may know about some of the others, but no one knows of Ash Affinity prana.”

“Not exactly. You know how I can see prana, right? Turns out some of the Order demons have a similar ability.”

”I gotta stop being surprised by all the impossible things the Order can do. That's wild.”

Vir cracked a grin. ”Tell me about it. Anyway, humans usually have an assortment of affinities inside them. The stronger the mejai, the more pure the affinity in their blood and the fewer of those other affinities they possess.”

“So…”

“So every Ash Beast I’ve fought had Ash prana. Only Ash prana. No other affinities.”

The only exception was the Brood Matron, though that was because she consumed animals of the human realm to produce her offspring.

“You’re saying that you have the same affinity as Ash Beasts do. And Ash Beasts are weakened considerably outside the Ash,” Maiya said, her eyes lighting up in comprehension. “Which means you’d also grow a lot stronger in the Ash, too!”

“Right. I mean, I’m pretty sure the Ashen Realm is overflowing with Ash Prana. I dunno if it’s the dominant affinity, but it’s enough to strengthen Ash Beasts. It ought to do the same to me. Hopefully.”

The question was by how much, and whether his strength gains would be enough to deal with the threats there.

“Vir, that’s incredible! Leave it to you to become stronger in the Ash when everyone else is off dying of prana poisoning.”

“That might still happen. I can’t say. But the librarian survived. Demons seem to weather its effects better than humans.”

“Yeah,” Maiya said, her expression turning sour. “I’d die the instant I set foot there.”

Vir wasn’t oblivious to Maiya’s feelings. After being separated for so long, he wanted nothing more than to be together with her again. Yes, he’d found a place with the Pagan Order, but he’d give it all up in an instant to be together with Maiya. Nothing was stopping him from visiting whenever he wanted, after all.

As he stared into Maiya’s beautiful hazel eyes, he imagined that life—living in the castle with Maiya, going on adventures, or even just exploring Sonam and Kin’jal together. Enjoying a night at the pub, or snuggling with each other.

The weight of temptation nearly crushed Vir. But he knew well what would happen. One day, he’d wake up to find Maiya dead beside him, her throat slit by the Reaper. Or worse, his makeup would slip and the Kin’jal would prosecute him for being a demon, and Maiya for being a demon sympathizer.

Vir shut his eyes, purging that future from his thoughts. Until he came to terms with his ancestors, there would be no peace. No happy, idyllic life with Maiya.

“I’ll return. This, I swear to you. I will find a way to silence these voices in my head. This destiny, whatever it is, I’ll finish it. And then I’ll come back.”

Maiya held his gaze, even as her cheeks flushed. “As I said. I’ll be here.”

“You say that, but even I don’t know how long this might take. It could be years, Maiya.”

“This is the part where you say ‘don’t waste your life waiting for me’. You were about to say it, weren’t you?”

“I…”

“You’re too kind, Vir. You… honestly, you oughta be a bit more selfish from time to time. You can tell me to wait, y’know?”

“I…” Guild plugged his words, but he forced through it. “Then wait for me, Maiya. Until the day I return.”

Maiya smiled. And squeezed his hand. “I will. And I have a solution. Maybe. Not like we can be together in the Ash, but maybe we can have the next best thing. When are you leaving?”

“Soon. As soon as possible, I think. I’d rather not endanger the Order any longer than I have to.”

“One day. I just need a day. Can you give me that?”

“Sure? What are you planning?”

Maiya cracked an impish grin. “You’ll see. Whatever you do, do not leave without me, okay? I’ll never forgive you. We’ll use my Acira. Who knows? Maybe the Kin’jal markings will drive away your pursuers.”

“No way. I won’t put your life at risk, Maiya. Stay out of this.”

“Too bad. I’m gonna follow you, one way or another. If it comes to a fight, you could use every bit of mejai support you can get. So? What’ll it be?”

Vir was about to retort, but then remembered Haymi’s Enhance Speed orb and how much stronger it’d made him in combat.

“You can do support magic now?”

“You bet I can!”

It’d mean getting to fight alongside Maiya… a small voice in his head whispered, but he ignored it. Keeping Maiya out of danger trumped any selfish desires he had.

But knowing her, she ‘really would follow me on her own.

If he couldn’t keep her away, at least he could keep her close, where he could protect her if needed. In the worst case, he could always force her to flee on her own.

“Alright,” he said at length.

“I’ll follow you into the Ash if I have to!”

“Alright! By Adinat! I swear I won’t leave before you return!”

“Good,” Maiya said, rising from the table. “Now, show me the way out. We’ve got so much to do, and so little time!”

— —

Like a monsoon, Maiya left as soon as she’d arrived, racing into the skies atop her Acira, leaving Vir alone and somewhat shocked at the sudden turn of events.

Forming his resolution, he marched to the Tribunal’s audience chamber, where he’d called a meeting. Like Maiya, he had his own preparations to make. Supplies for the journey had to be gathered, his weapons sharpened.

Most importantly, he had to inform the Order.

Vir stepped into the audience chamber, empty, except for the three rulers of the Pagan Order.

“You have made your decision, then?” Disanna, the female red demon, asked. “Will you stay with us?”

“I’m afraid I can’t.”

“I see,” Lord Reth said. “Can you explain why? Rather, how will you survive this threat on your own?”

Vir smirked. “By escaping to a place no one would dare follow. I intend to flee to the Ashen Realm.”

Silence fell across the hall.

“Friend, we admire your consideration. Lives will be lost if you stay, but you need not sacrifice your own life. You’ve proven yourself a trusted brother of our people. We will protect you. And we are far better suited to the task than you would be, alone. If needed, we can deceive your pursuers. We could trick them into following a false trail.”

“I thank you for your generosity. I truly do. But I have other reasons I cannot stay. I… never mentioned this, but I believe I was brought to this realm as a child. Across the Ashen Realm, from the Demon Realm.”

A hushed silence followed his words.

“Truly? For any demon to cross the entire Ash, let alone with a child in tow… I find this difficult to believe,” Zora said in her grating voice.

“I… have this on good authority,” Vir replied. “At any rate, I believe I can survive. I possess the same affinity Ash Beasts do. I’ll be stronger in the Ashen Realm. And… I also wish to seek our ancestors. The other demons in the demon realm.”

The Tribunal had shown expressions of concern until now, but with those words, their attitude shifted.

“You seek the Demon Realm. Why?”

“I have my reasons. Please forgive me if I keep them close to my heart.”

“We understand,” Disanna replied. “We, too, have sought to reunite with our kin. We’re but a small gathering of demons in hostile land, after all. To establish a line of communication with the Demon Realm would give us an enormous advantage. Even if travel to and from is impossible, we could exchange ideas, technologies, perhaps even weapons that might further our cause.”

Vir understood what Disanna was getting at.

“If I make it over there, I’ll see what I can do. If there’s a way of communicating between the two realms, I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen.”

“Thank you, friend. Can we at least send demons to aid you?”

Vir shook his head. “No. Chances are they’ll come to harm, and I don’t want to risk any more lives than I need to. This is my mess. I intend to clean it.”

“Admirable, if reckless. We fear what you are undertaking is a suicide mission, but your mind is clearly made. Go with our blessing and prayers. Whatever supplies you need, whatever armor or weapons may help you, our arsenal is open to you. Take what you need, though I fear your current equipment may be superior to anything we could offer.”

“I appreciate the gesture,” Vir replied. “And everything else you have done for me.”

Lord Reth cleared his throat. “While this may be useless to you where you’re headed, you might be pleased to know that your promotion to Brotherhood Shadow has been processed. Consider it a parting gift for the aid you’ve given us.”

“I—thank you,” Vir said. When did they submit that request? While they were right—Brotherhood ranks meant nothing in the Ash—the gesture still touched him.

With a deep breath, he turned and left. It was official now. He was leaving.

— —

“Do you think it’s true?” Disanna asked the Tribunal after Vir left. “That he was brought over as a child?”

“He has no reason to lie to us,” Lord Reth replied.

“Why would the demon tribes brave the Ashen Realm? Sure they know how dangerous the Ash is? To deliver a child here… can anyone remember the last time such a thing happened?”

“Never,” Lord Reth replied. “Not once in recorded history.”

“It seems events have unfolded within the Demon Clans that are beyond our knowledge,” Zora rasped.

“I’m afraid they’ll remain that way unless Vir returns to us. None of our agents have ever successfully entered the Demon Realm. Or if they have, they’ve never returned.”

“He must have had guardians. Protectors who saw him across the Ash as a child,” Disanna said. “What of them? Have they all perished?”

“Many mysteries surround this child,” Zora rasped. “He is one worth watching. But was it wise to leave the girl alive?”

“The Matali princess?” Reth asked.

“I said it when we killed her parents—it was a mistake to leave her and her brother alive.”

“Killing her now would serve no purpose,” Disanna whispered. “They might’ve had a falling out, but I sense Vir harbors some lingering attachment to princess Tiyana. I can’t help but sense the Garga within him. He might fashion himself an assassin, but there is a pure heartedness to him that reminds me of the heroics of clan Garga.”

“He may very well be a special existence to the denizens of the Demon Realm, for them to have gone to such lengths,” Reth commented.

“But the dangers of the Ash…”

“As elders, we ought not to keep our young birds in their cage longer than necessary,” Disanna said. “Yet it is also our duty to ensure they do not die meaninglessly. We cannot follow him into the Ash, but we can at least protect him until he reaches it.”

“If he survives. If he returns,” Zora whispered.

“Then we will give him anything he asks, if it means linking up with our demon brethren,” Disanna replied. “Call it misguided hope, or call it intuition. I sense the dawn of a new era is upon us. The Era of Demons.”