245: Blessed Prophet (Part Two) (Maiya) (Patreon)

Who split my head open with an ax? Maiya thought groggily as she blearily opened her eyes. And what’s with the smell?

She looked around, unable to make any sense of her surroundings. People surrounded her. Lots of them. All jeering.

What did I ever do to you?

Her wrists and ankles ached.

I don’t remember getting hurt… Wait, injuries?

Her vision cleared, and she realized the smell was awfully familiar. It was the smell of burning wood. And the heat signaled that said wood was close. Very close.

What in the realms is going on?

Her wrists and ankles had been bound to a branch, and she’d been propped up vertically.

She saw the smoke first. Then the flames erupted—which meant the logs had been doused in oil.

Nothing made sense. Who would do this to her? Why? And how long had she been out?

Maiya felt like she’d awoken from a thousand-year-long dream. She was groggy and spent, and merely keeping her eyes open took all of her effort. If it weren’t for the rising sense of panic at the back of her head, she would’ve dozed off again.

“You’re insane! All of you!” someone roared, and that was when Maiya realized she wasn’t alone. Two other men stood within the ring of fire. The smaller one was in front of her, as if shielding her from the crowd. The other was working furiously to undo her bindings.

Yamal? The Silent One? What are they…

Maiya’s mind finally began to work. This is a pyre. They’re… burning me? Us? Grakking ash!

“Somebody mind telling me what’s going on here?” she said.

The Silent One’s only reaction was to redouble his efforts. With one final motion, he finished undoing the knots that held Maiya’s hands to the post and began working on her ankle bindings. Yamal froze, then turned slowly, as if disbelieving that Maiya had spoken.

“What?”

Yamal’s mouth flapped like a fish. “Y-y-you’re back—ow!”

He recoiled as flames licked his boots, threatening to set his clothes alight. He backed away hastily.

“Answers later,” he said, thrusting an orb into Maiya’s hands. “Here! You’re a mejai, right? Get us out of this!”

Maiya smirked, despite the gravity of their predicament. “Aren’t you the rescuers? You’re not usually supposed to ask the victim to bail you out, y’know?”

“Come on!” Yamal shrieked, panic staining his words.

“Alright, fine. You can back off now,” Maiya said, addressing the Silent One.

In seconds, she’d charged and fired the C Grade Wind Blast spell Yamal had handed her, slicing through her ankle restraints.

It was times like these that Maiya truly appreciated the value of magic. Who knew how much longer it’d have taken to undo or cut her ankle bindings without it?

“Alright, let’s bail,” she said, moving away from the post, when she abruptly halted.

The crowd’s jeers and jibes had vanished, replaced by awed silence.

With her mind working better now, Maiya understood that her imprisonment had been the result of her harebrained idea to touch that bizarre tree.

It’d clearly been a sacred item to the Children, and she’d violated that sanctity. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what must’ve happened. She’d been incapacitated, and Yamal and the Silent One were captured alongside her.

Never thought they’d sentence us to death for it, though…

“Yamal. My orbs. Did you bring them all?”

Yama nodded. Yes, they’re in my rucksack, but is now the time to—”

“Leave your bag and go.”

Yamal’s eyes bulged. “Have you gone mad? We didn’t risk our lives to—”

“Go!” Maiya shouted, then continued in a softer voice. “It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay, Yamal. I’ll be okay.”

Yamal pursed his lips, nodded, then turned and jumped off the pyre. Maiya was surprised to see such decisiveness in the man—jumping through flames was no simple feat. Something had changed within the man. He now had a fire in his eyes that was missing before.

The Silent One regarded Maiya with obvious worry. She nodded back. “I got this. Trust me.”

He nodded, then followed Yamal.

The onlookers made no move to stop them. In fact, they backed away, either out of fear… or something else.

Maiya dropped to her knees and rummaged frantically through the dozen orbs she’d brought along.

Come on… Come on… Where is it?

Though she’d put up a calm demeanor in front of her friends, it’d all been an act. The window for jumping out like they had was rapidly closing, and without the right orbs, she’d burn just as easily as anyone else.

That was true for most mejai. While physical defense orbs required only only three to protect someone from all forms of physical damage—Slashing Protection, Blunt Force Protection, and Piercing Protection—elemental defense orbs corresponded to each pranic element.

Which meant there were six, and very few mejai could afford to keep a full complement on hand.

Maiya just happened to be one of them.

Found you!”

Maiya grabbed the ruby red orb, charged it, and slotted it into her robe.

Some might call her actions reckless. Even deranged, perhaps. Yamal would say that she should be satisfied with escaping with her life and limbs intact.

But if there was one thing Maiya had learned from Vir, it was to be relentless in the pursuit of power.

Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to turn the tables? She had the eyes of everyone in the plaza. The fire had hidden her movements as she’d rummaged through her bag. Nobody would’ve seen her.

If she could come across as larger-than-life, then maybe, maybe, they’d be more willing to pardon her. Maybe Maiya wouldn’t have to go running back to Princess Ira with her tail between her legs.

The more Maiya thought about it, the dumber it seemed. But in her mind, she was committed.

The orb’s power flared, and Maiya immediately felt the heat dissipate, allowing her to calm down.

Thankfully, the nature of magically enchanted clothing and armor was that the defensive effects applied to her whole body, from tip to toe, despite her hands and head not actually being within the robe. There were limits, of course—one couldn’t enchant underwear and expect it to cover the whole body—but her robe was no issue.

Maiya waited as the flames licked her boots, then worked their way up all around her.

The C Grade orb drained faster and faster, but Maiya discreetly continued to refill it.

All the while, she analyzed the crowd for any trace of change in their expressions.

What am I even doing? She thought. She still hadn’t properly recovered from whatever it was she’d been in. A coma? Deep slumber? There were so many questions.

And yet, here she was. Standing in the middle of her own pyre. Distinctly not burning.

The flames grew hotter and hotter, and soon, the flames raged under and over her.

The orb now drained so quickly, Maiya had to reach into her robe to recharge it while it was slotted and active.

Alright. That ought to be enough. Let’s hope this is enough to wow them into forgiving me.

Maiya took a deep breath, then stepped out.

— —

Yamal paced frantically back and forth, watching the fire grow. And grow. And grow. Maiya looked fine—uncaring, even as the flames touched her. Though specifics of mejai arts were foreign to him, it was obvious she had some means for defending herself.

But invulnerability to fire? Yamal had never heard of anything like that. Either she was an incredibly high-ranking mejai, or…

The flames grew around Maiya, making her disappear.

Yamal exchanged grim looks with the Silent One.

Or she just did something inexplicably foolish.

Even if Maiya screamed for help, there was no saving her now. To enter that bonfire would be suicidal. Whatever happened now, she was on her own.

At least the Children aren’t giving us any trouble, Yamal thought. We should be able to slip away.

And then what?

The question loomed over Yamal’s head like a dark cloud. He’d become so wrapped up with Maiya’s escapades, he hadn’t even considered what he’d do after. What if Maiya did perish? Would he go back to being a freeloading bum? Just a month ago, he was happily living that life, but now, the very idea felt revolting.

It was Maiya. After seeing how dazzlingly she lived, after seeing her many varied talents and her indomitable spirit, he felt like some of it had rubbed off.

Grak it, Maiya. Don’t you dare die on me!

The flames roared higher and hotter, and soon the whole pyre was lit.

With every minute that passed, Yamal’s hope waned. Nobody could survive that.

Maiya was dead. She’d allowed herself to die.

A maelstrom of emotions erupted within his chest. She hadn’t even screamed in pain.

Why should someone as bright as her have to perish while he lived? Why hadn’t she come with them?

You asked us to trust you…

The flames parted, and a figure stepped out. Not a burned or disfigured form. Just Maiya. The same as ever.

She stepped off the pyre as casually as if she’d just been taking a light stroll, then cast her gaze over the audience.

“Was that support to hurt?” she asked.

The crowd stared at her. One of the Rectors approached her unsteadily. Hesitatingly.

What’s he going to do?

Yamal didn’t think the man could do anything against Maiya, now that she had her magic orbs back, but still… a part of him worried.

And then the Rector did something unthinkable. Yamal gaped, and even the Silent One before him jerked in surprise.

The Rector didn’t admonish Maiya. Nor did he even talk to her.

No, he prostrated.

“Praise to the Blessed Prophet! Praise to the divine emissary!”

The plaza was deathly silent for a moment. Then each and every Child of Ash followed suit, prostrating in front of Maiya. They began chanting. They chanted Maiya’s name. There revered her.

Not as a member. But as a god.

Ohhh, I bet she’s gonna love this!