Chapter Ashborn 411: jai of the Altani (Maiya)
“We are here to stop you, Kin’jal handmaiden.”
“I must admit you have at a loss,” Maiya said, addressing the two Altani jai. Each wore robes in the brilliant white and sky-blue of the Altani, and each wielded blazing white two-handed staves. “With Sai being allied to Kin’jal, shouldn’t you be aiding us?”
The two jai regarded Maiya with amused smirks. Maiya could just feel the ego oozing off them.
Ego that was admittedly earned, if the rumors were true.
“Not all among the council are content with watching innocents die,” the tall, lithe man on the right responded. “Even if it does an a change for the wider good.”
Maiya frowned at that. Princess Ira had been in contact with elents in the Altani. High-up elents who had even provided arms to Riyan’s rebellion. Sai’s downfall was a net good from Sai’s perspective. With both Hiranya and Sai’s new regi allied with them, the power balance in the northern hemisphere swung decisively in the Altani’s favor.
It seed the situation was more complex than what either Ira or Maiya had anticipated, however.
“That almost sounds like the Altani have a rift in their governance.”
Both jai frowned. “Nothing like that. Just that so people have a conscience.”
Maiya’s expression darkened. “You’re both accomplished jai. I’ve little doubt you’re aware that sotis, we must do distasteful tasks for the greater good.”
“The greater good, is it?” the jai said. “Tell , Handmaiden, what is your definition of the greater good?”
Maiya’s frown deepened. She had expected the jai to stop—to tell her that the ti for words had passed. Yet their postures indicated they were only too happy to continue chatting.
It didn’t take much thought after that to understand their plan.
“You aim to stall ,” Maiya said. “To prevent from linking up with Riyan’s forces.”
“Was it really so obvious?” the stockier man on the left said, examining his fingernails. “I might just need to improve my acting skills.”
The two jai chuckled. Maiya didn’t bother to reply.
“All hands, high alert!” Maiya shouted to her squad of handmaidens. “These two are jai of the Altani! Do not underestimate them. I want everyone standing off. Long-range magical bombardnt only. Engage!”
Maiya flew into action almost before the words were out of her mouth. She had to admit , she was a little nervous. Nervous… and excited.
She hadn’t ever fought an Altani jai before. Nor had anyone she’d ever spoken with. The last major conflict between Kin’jal and the Altani was ages ago, and in the ti since, their jai had earned sothing of a godly reputation. Stories speaking of their divinity were more common than one might imagine. Or of their super speed, or magic so powerful that even the lowliest among them could level entire cities.
Maiya didn’t believe half of it. Still, if they were even a tenth of their reputation. Maiya was sure she’d have a grueling fight on her hands.
Her hunch was proven correct when she fired off a B-Grade Razor Gale. A devastating attack from the Wind Affinity, Razor Gale sent a half-dozen blades of pure wind prana hurtling at her enemy. Enough to slice limbs and cut through even the hardest plate armor… Her attack withered and died in front of the two jai.
Their smirks grew wider. “What? Is that all?”
“Not even close,” Maiya said, replying with a grin of her own.
A dozen spells from every affinity erupted all at once, signaling the start of Maiya’s handmaidens’ attack.
From Fireballs to Water Spears to Lightning Bursts, the jai were bombarded with one precharged spell after another. Maiya didn’t stand idle, either.
She brought out her largest orb—Tempest—and activated it.
This was one of the reasons she’d asked her handmaidens to back away. Like most spells, those belonging to the A-Grade failed to differentiate between friend or foe. Just that their area of influence tended to be vast, exacerbating the problem.
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As the orb activated and the winds picked up all around Maiya, fluttering her armored skirt, Maiya hoped the jai had at least A-Grade defensive orbs to match. If they didn’t… Well, there wouldn’t be much left when she was done with them.
The winds grew louder and stronger, deafening Maiya to her surroundings. Everything that wasn’t bolted down on the street rattled and shook, and gashes suddenly appeared on the cobblestone road.
This was Tempest—a killing field of deadly razors of wind. Anything and everything caught in its path was shredded to pieces. That wasn’t to say that each individual blade of wind was weak, however.
On the contrary, B-Grade Razor Gales couldn’t even compare. Such was the vast chasm between a B and A-Grade spell.
Anyone lower than a jai of Realms would be devastated by such an assault. While Maiya fully expected the Altani jai to survive, they’d be hurting after this.
And Maiya hadn’t co with just one A-Grade spell precharged. She’d hold nothing back against this foe. She’d wield every weapon in her vast arsenal… And she would crush them.
Which was why, when the winds finally died down, revealing a ravaged battlefield that was only barely recognizable as the street it had once been, Maiya was confused by the sound of slow clapping.
“Well done!” one of the jai said. “Well done indeed! Where was Kin’jal hiding such talent? Have you considered coming over to our side instead? With our training, we could make you ten tis the jai you’ll ever be!”
Maiya stared in disbelief. When the dust cleared… the jai were standing in the sa spot, looking just as nonchalant as they had been monts prior. Not even the edges of their robes were torn.
“That’s impossible,” Maiya muttered, refusing to believe what her eyes were telling her. The only way for them to be this strong ant they had A-Grade elental protection orbs. Not just that—it ant they were capable of charging them in combat. Sothing Maiya couldn’t do, even to this day.
A cold sweat ran down Maiya’s back.
These weren’t jai Sorcar, or even jai of Ash.
They were jai of Realms. And while Maiya herself had just barely attained that rank, these jai were very clearly veterans.
And thus far, they’d been content to take her attacks. When they themselves started attacking?
Maiya’s heart pumped like mad. They’d be annihilated.
They had one chance, and one chance only.
“Fire with your strongest spells and do not stop!” Maiya roared, producing two more A-Grade orbs. This was everything she had.
She couldn’t let them attack. Couldn’t let up on the pressure.
For, while she didn’t have a fool’s hope of defeating them, perhaps she didn’t have to. If she could rely on the ambient prana… If she could starve the local area, then it mattered not if they were lowly Praniks or the Pri jai himself. All magic would cease to function.
Yet these Altani weren’t revered as the ultimate jai for nothing. Intuiting her plan, they each produced an orb of their own, and by their size, Maiya knew them to be A-Grade.
Panicking, Maiya activated her Blizzard and Tempest orbs at the sa mont they did, mirroring her spells.
This was about to be a disaster. Four opposing A-Grade orbs would an utter catastrophe.
“Retreat!” she hollered, her voice barely audible above the cacophony of brewing destruction. She could only pray that her handmaidens had heard her.
The Altani jai launched their own Blizzard orb, as if to prove their superiority.
But then… Then they did sothing Maiya didn’t think anyone was crazy enough to dare.
They launched a Firestorm orb. The devastating A-Grade spell of the Fire affinity.
Fire was among the most destructive affinities, limited only by its range. Here, though, that was wasn’t a concern. On its own, the spell was fearso enough.
Except, it had just been launched into two Tempest spells, whose winds were being whipped around by Maiya’s Tempest.
Maiya’s eyes flew wide. She had no ti to watch the spell arc through the sky, no ti to contemplate her impending doom… She was far too busy fleeing for dear life.
Desperately, she canceled all of her physical defense orbs, focusing purely on Elental Fire defense.
She prayed it would be enough.
By the ti Maiya regained consciousness, there was nothing left. Not even a hint of the city street that had existed prior. For a hundred yards in each direction, only managed dirt and blackened stone remained.
Every structure had been leveled. Every trace of Maiya’s spells was gone. Her elental defense orb was completely wiped of
Ears ringing, Maiya got up to her feet, coughing. There was so much smoke in the air that Maiya could barely see her own fingers, and her eyes stung.
“Anyone? Is anyone out there?” Maiya shouted, regretting it imdiately. The thick, humid smoke choked her lungs, sending her into a fit of coughs.
Maiya forced the panic down and took calming, deep breaths before thinking the situation through.
Never in her life did she think anyone would be insane enough to have attempted a steam combustion explosion with A Rank magic, of all things.
“Milady!” a voice called out from sowhere nearby.
“Here!” Maiya shouted, ripping the fabric off a sleeve and tying it around her neck to cover her nose and mouth.
One of Maiya’s handmaidens appeared through the smoke, wearing a similar piece of cloth.
“Did everyone make it? How many casualties?” Maiya asked, dreading the reply.
The woman shook her head. “None, milady. We were just outside the blast radius, thankfully. How did you fare?”
Maiya heaved a sigh of relief, finally pausing to take stock of her situation.
“All of my defensive orbs are drained. They seed to have absorbed most of the damage, though.”
Maiya’s armor was certainly worse for the wear, but it had done its job. Armor was easily replaced.
Rather, there was a much more pressing concern to deal with.
“Where are the Altani jai?” Maiya asked, suddenly panicking. They could be anywhere in this smoke, planning their next attacks. Maiya went to recharge her Fire Affinity Protection Orb , and froze. She couldn’t.
Trying again, she t with the sa result.
“Unknown, milady. We’re searching the area for them, but they seem to have disappeared.”
Maiya laughed hoarsely. “And I know exactly why.”
At their core, Altani were jai. Trained in the physical arts, yes, but they couldn’t hope to compare to Kin’jal elites in physical combat. Let alone an entire squad of them.
“I’d bet seric they fled the mont the prana in this area ran dry.”
Fate, it seed, was with them tonight.
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