148: The Hardest Farewell (Patreon)

“You ready?” Maiya asked, standing proudly in Vir’s doorway. It wasn’t quite the look he’d expected. In fact, it was just about the opposite. While training, Vir had thought of several ways of cheering up his best friend, though none of that seemed like it’d be necessary.

“I dunno if I’ll ever be ready for this.”

While he’d worked as fast as he could, he’d only inscribed Parai’s simplified cycling technique onto the muscle groups on both legs. The arms he’d have to do on the flight over.

“But my bag’s packed. Picked up my new armor and I’ve got all my supplies, so I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Say, why are you so happy?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Maiya replied, failing to wipe the grin off her face. “But not yet. When the time is right.”

Vir shrugged. “C’mon, Neel. Let’s go.”

Maiya lost her smile in an instant. “Vir, um… Maybe it’s best if you didn’t?”

“You agreed to take care of him, right? He can ride with us to the wall.”

“That’s the thing. I’ve been to the wall. Fought along it for weeks. We man the walls diligently in Kin’jal, but even then, Ash Beasts slip through. Some just… appear on the other side without warning. It’s not a safe place, Vir. Not for a bandy like Neel. Especially not if you get into a fight.”

“That’s… true.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll return here for him right after I drop you off. Same with Bumpy. I’ll bring them both back to Sonam. They’ll get the royal treatment, so don’t worry about them.”

“Y’know, you were a lot sadder about me leaving before. What changed? You’re not planning on following me into the Ash, are you?”

“If I could, I’d be jumping up and down with joy. No, it’s not that. You’ll see,” Maiya repeated, again with a sly smile. “But for now, it’s probably for the best if you say your goodbyes to Neel.”

Vir’s mind went blank. It hadn’t really sunk in that he was about to leave his four-legged friend behind. Until now.

Dropping his bulging, oversized rucksack, he knelt and stroked Neel behind his ears.

“You like that, boy, don’t you?”

Awooo! Neel said, rolling over onto his belly.

“Y’know, I normally wouldn’t spoil you like this,” he said, rubbing the beast’s stomach. “But I’m afraid this might be the last chance I get. At least for a while. I’m leaving, Neel.”

The bandy couldn’t understand his words, but Neel picked up on Vir’s tone. Righting himself, Neel began whimpering, as if asking what was wrong.

“Look, I want you to be a good boy, alright? Maiya’s… Maiya’s gonna take care of you. You like Maiya, don’t you?”

“Awooo!” Neel replied, hearing a familiar name.

“That’s right. So don’t cause any trouble for her. I’m gonna be gone a while, but I promise I’ll return. So you better protect her, okay?”

“Arooo?”

Having freshly reapplied his makeup, Vir had done everything he could to hold back the tears, but as he hugged his best friend of many years, they rolled down his cheeks, anyway.

“I’m sorry, boy. I can’t take you. I wish I could take you.”

Neel whimpered again. His tail was flat on the ground, unmoving.

Wiping his tears and steeling his face, Vir picked up his rucksack and left. When Neel followed him, he nearly cried again, but Maiya squeezed his arm.

“Don’t worry. He’ll be happy with me,” she said softly. “I promise.”

With a nod, Vir locked the door behind him, meeting Neel’s pleading eyes one last time.

Vir led the way with heavy steps, all excitement about his recent advancement gone without a trace.

If saying goodbye to Neel was this hard, then… he stole a glance at his crimson-haired friend, but immediately purged the thought. Dwelling on separating with Maiya might very well break him.

The hole in his heart Maiya had plugged may very well come undone. Her timing had been impeccable, appearing right when he’d lost Tia—when he was at his lowest. Her mere presence had fixed everything. Their short time together had been so full of contentment. Of inner peace.

With each step, Vir second-guessed his decision. More than the Pagan Order, more than the dangers of the Ashen Realm, it was leaving Maiya that tore at him the most.

Will I ever see her again? How long will it be?

To survive years without her, when even a few months made his heart ache…

“Don’t get so down, yeah?” Maiya said, squeezing his hand. “You’ll see Neel again. Promise.”

Vir forced a smile. “R-Right.”

Lord Reth, Disanna, and Zora waited for Vir at the Acira stables, discussing amongst themselves.

“This is quite the sendoff,” Vir said as he approached. “Wasn’t expecting the whole tribunal to show up.”

“Not every day one of our own ventures into the Ash. Let alone someone as valuable as you,” Lord Reth said with a tight smile.

“You’re committed, then?” Disanna said.

“I am. You’ve been incredibly gracious. I don’t know how to repay you for all you’ve done.”

“None needed, Vir. You’ve done just as much for us.”

“I… I need to know who I really am. I have to understand why I was brought to this realm as a child.”

And I want to know more about this destiny Lord Janak spoke of, he thought. Not to mention dealing with the murderous voices in his head.

This is what you want, isn’t it, Shardul, Ekanai? You better help me out in the Ash…

The tribunal glanced at each other uncomfortably.

“You may not like the answers you find,” Zora rasped. “To brave the Ash is to face death itself. The denizens of the Demon Realm would not have done so lightly.”

“Chances are high that you won’t be welcomed there,” Disanna said. “Knowing this, you still wish to go? Knowing we will protect you?”

“I… have to. Believe me, I understand how crazy this looks, but I have no desire to place your people in harm’s way for the consequences of my actions. The people hunting me have good reasons for doing so.”

“Very well. If you’ve made up your mind, we shall not dissuade you any further. You face what is likely the greatest challenge of your life. Yet no matter how deeply the skies darken, remember—you will always have a home here. Friends who care about you. You are not alone.”

“I… thank you. Truly.”

“Take this,” Lord Reth said, giving Vir a small steel medallion. “For when you return. Show this anywhere in Pagan Order lands and you’ll be treated as a guest of honor.”

Vir took the medallion with a gracious nod.

“And consider this a congratulatory gift for attaining the rank of Shadow within the Brotherhood,” Reth continued, handing Vir a small bag of coin. “While it may be dead weight in the Ash, it would be good to have some coin when you return.”

“Er, thanks, again,” Vir replied, growing shy at the amount of support the Order had given him. “You really didn’t have to do any of this.”

“And you didn’t have to save fifteen demons just days after you arrived here. We value our citizens. Especially those who’ve contributed to the cause.”

“We’d best get going,” Maiya said gently. “Want to get a full day of flying if we can. The journey’s gonna take two days at a minimum. I’d rather it not stretch to three.”

Vir thought of a fitting farewell, but in the end, only managed a “Till we meet again.”

“May all the gods be with you,” Reth replied.

It took an activation of Empower to hoist Vir’s rucksack onto Maiya’s Kin’jal royal Acira, though with his recent efficiency gain, he needed far less prana than before. The effect was similar to Haymi’s speed enhancement—from running to jumping, every action came more easily. To the point where he felt superhuman.

The rucksack itself was an oversized one that stuck up past his head when worn. In it was a compass rose, a vast array of healing ointments, herbs, and salves, and as much dried food as he could fit, though the bulk of the weight was the water. He’d combed through all the tomes in the Order’s library pertaining to the Ashen Realm, and he’d grilled both Maiya and the librarian for information, but none of them knew of any water sources inside the Ash.

There had to be water—even Ash Beasts had to eat and drink—but until he could locate one, he’d be on his own. The large jugs he carried were his only lifeline until he did.

The number of hazards boggled him. Those who lived through the prana poisoning had to contend with the beasts. Even if you emerged victorious, without magic to heal you, your chances of survival were low. On top of all that, you’d have to find food, water, and shelter to survive.

Parai’s cycling techniques may very well be what saved Vir in there. That, and knowledge. He’d studied all the cataloged beasts mentioned in the Order’s tomes, and had tentative countermeasures for them all, though most times, his strategy was just to run away with his superior mobility and Dance of the Shadow Demon.

“Hold on tight!” Maiya yelled, ordering her Acira to lift off. Higher and higher they soared under the morning light, and Vir gazed down nostalgically at Balindam, knowing fully well it was the last he’d see of it for a long time.

Wind made conversation tedious, so while Vir would’ve loved to spend what time he had left chatting with Maiya, he instead focused on copying Parai’s technique to his arms. Benefiting from the experience of having done the tedious—and painful—exercise on his legs, he found his arms to be less challenging. Not only were the blood pathways smaller, allowing him to more aggressively expand them without fearing injuries, but they weren’t too different from his legs. The hardest part was understanding which muscles were used and in what proportions.

That took experimentation, but if Maiya minded him throwing punches into the air, she didn’t show it.

By the time the sun’s rays grew long in the sky and they flew over the beautiful waterways of Avi and crossed Daiya lake, he’d done most of one arm. When they crossed the barren Bulwark mountains and put down on eastern Ranian lands, he’d finished his right arm and had made good progress toward the other.

“How long do we have to wait?” Vir asked, stretching his legs and soaking in the fresh scent of the forest. It had been too long since he’d stepped foot in one. At Brij, it was a rare week when he wasn’t exploring in the Godshollow.

Wonder if there’ll be forests in the Ashen Realm…

“We’ve been flying all day. We’ll want to stay here overnight,” Maiya said. “That’s why I picked this forest. Easy access to firewood, and it keeps us hidden.”

“Good thinking.”

Vir got to work fetching firewood while Maiya cleared the camp. Observing her, Vir couldn’t help but be amazed at how far she’d come from their foray with Rudvik nearly a year ago. Back then, she’d been clueless, and somewhat spoiled, finding camp rough and icky.

Now? She looked like a veteran, calmly clearing vegetation with her bare hands, identifying the camp perimeter and shoring up entrances where potential attackers might gain entry. In the middle, she assembled a fire ring and built a spit from which they could hang pots.

“That’s some nice gear you’ve got there,” Vir said, eyeing Maiya’s fancy tent. It had metal poles that slid attached to each other and slid into stitched canvas inserts, forming a sturdy, lightweight frame that went up in minutes.

“Right? A far cry from that stupid tarp we used in the desert on our way to Saran, isn’t it?” Maiya said with a grin. Her hands were black with dirt, but she didn’t seem to mind one bit.

“You’ve really come a long way,” Vir whispered.

“T-thanks,” Maiya said, blushing.

Vir hadn’t intended for her to hear, so his face ended up flushing as well, saved only by his face paint.

“Kin’jal trains its handmaidens in wilderness survival. Trust me, wasn’t my first choice, but we weren’t exactly given one. Hah!”

Vir opted to go without a fire in the end. The risk of detection was too great on the off-chance they were followed. Luckily, with Rani’s temperate climate, it was hardly necessary.

Instead, Maiya lit up a Magic Candle orb, which they sat in front of, huddled up next to each other. The orb softly illuminated the immediate area, making for a cozy, comfortable setting.

“This is the last time we’ll get to chat like this, isn’t it?” Maiya whispered into Vir’s ear, leaning against him.

“I’m planning on coming back, Maiya.”

“I…”

“You think I’m gonna die in there, don’t you?”

“No! I just… well, it’s dangerous, Vir. Incredibly dangerous. You know that. I’m honestly sick to my stomach. I won’t know if you’re alive and well, or if you’re in dire need of help. Or…”

“Or if I’m in the belly of some Ash Beast. I know. If it’s of any help, It’s not easy for me, either. But I have reasons to think I’ll survive.”

“Because Lord Janak said so?”

Vir nodded. “Him and Shardul and Ekanai. They wouldn’t all be urging me to step right into my death. Plus, I have Ash prana, so whatever benefits Ash Beasts get, I’ll get too. It’s not as hopeless as it looks.”

“I hope you’re right, Vir,” Maiya said, staring into his eyes. “Because if I lost you…”

Vir found himself gazing back at Maiya, unable to break away from her hazel eyes. Something about them captivated him. Mesmerized him, and slowly, their faces drew closer, as if drawn by an irresistible force.

Panic surged in his body, and he thought to break away… but he couldn’t. Before he’d realized it, he found his lips touching hers, and a hot sensation ripped through his body, blowing away the night’s chill.

So this is what those feelings were about.

Despite every instinct telling him to jerk away, he didn’t. His arms wrapped around Maiya, and he held the kiss, feeling his anxiety wash away and the knots untwist.

And, holding each other in their arms, they fell blissfully into the land of slumber, where calm seas and white shores awaited.