Hours later, the rain still hadnt abated. Maiya lay in Virs arms the whole ti, face pale and eyes unfocused. Theyd both shed every tear they had long ago, leaving them dried up and empty on the inside.
I think Maiya said, breaking the long silence. She spoke with a cold, hard voice that shocked Vir. I think I finally get what you said before. About not being strong. I thought I understood when Rudvik passed. That strength was important. But I didnt. Not truly. Now Now, I do. To be weak is to be trampled over. This is a cruel world, Vir.
She turned to stare Vir in the eye. Magic Lamp cast heavy shadows upon her face, and together with her sared makeup, made her look like a Child of Ash.
I hate this, Vir. This feeling of being helpless. I keep thinking, if Id only warned dad. If I hadnt co with you But thats all a lie, and I know it. There was nothing I couldve done. Nothing. I was inconsequential. My parents wouldve sacrificed themselves for us, no matter what But with power? If I had magic? I couldve fought off the knights. Or at least escaped with my parents, I dunno. I couldve done sothing, Vir!
Vir couldnt find the words to reply, and silence settled upon them again.
What will you do now, Maiya? Vir asked at last. He genuinely wanted to know Whatever path she chose, hed support her. If she asked him to co with her to Daha so she could take revenge against those knights, hed do it.
I cant let it end like this, Maiya said, looking around. I wont let them get away with this. Ill obtain power. The likes of which this realm has never seen. Ill beco the strongest jai in this whole grakking world. And then? Then Im gonna make the people who did this to my parents pay. Every. Single. One. I dont know how and I dont know when. But I will, Vir. I swear this to you on my parents nas. Soone will pay for this.
Her words sent shivers down Virs spine. He understood at that mont that these were not empty threats. Maiya rarely ever spoke like this, and when she did, Yuma help whoever stood in her way.
Truthfully, hed felt similarly when Rudvik had died. If only they hadnt ratted him out. If theyd treated him like one of their own. But now? Things had changed. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldnt find it in him to be angry at the villagers.
Theyre just villagers, Maiya. Its easy to bla them, but what will getting back at Akros really accomplish? Theyre byproducts of their tis, and we were the sa not even a year ago. Yes, theyre at fault, but they arent our true enemy. Our real enemy is bigger. Much bigger.
Hiranya, Maiya whispered.
Vir nodded. The country who sent those knights after us. The Royal Priest out to hunt Ashborn. These are the people who must be stopped.
Easier said than done. Vir had spent long hours thinking about what he could do to strike back at those whod wronged them. But what could he do? He was one boy, against an entire kingdom. Forget coming up with a plan, rely considering striking against Hiranya was stupidity. They were hunting himtheyd be overjoyed if he exposed himself and served himself up on a platter.
I will destroy them, Maiya said, seething.
Vir had no doubt shed try. But at what cost? Her life? And even if she survived, would she still be herself at the end of that path?
I know you will, Maiya. But youre talking about taking on an entire country. We were just not strong enough. Not yet. For now, I think we should stay at Riyans and soak up all the knowledge he can give us. The stronger we are, the harder well be able to strike back.
His friend nodded. Im going to wring every last grain of knowledge out of that woman. Im not leaving until I do. Whatever it takes, Vir. Ill do whatever it takes.
There was sothing in Maiyas eyes that scared him, but he couldnt place what. L-lets head back for now. Akros is gonna be worried sick that his risto guests just up and vanished on him.
Let that chal sweat, Maiya seethed. Not like hes done right by either of us. He doesnt deserve our courtesy.
Im the last person in the world to defend that chal, but we dont want to attract any more attention than absolutely necessary.
Right, Maiya said, gazing off into the distance. Yeah. Lets go.
Lets, uh lets fix our makeup first?
Luckily, Vir had packed their makeup kits in the rucksacks theyd brought along. Their makeup had been sared badly, and the single orbs light didnt help matters; fixing it took an entire hour.
The pattering sounds of rain had died off by the ti theyd finished, and they made good ti back to Akros house.
I dont want to stay here, Maiya said. I cant stand being here. I feel like like I want to burn this whole village to the ground.
Vir tried to ignore the scary things coming out of his friends mouth. Its dangerous to travel at night, Maiya. How about sleeping at my old place instead?
If he was honest, his house was the last place Vir wanted to visit, but there was sothing there he needed to retrieve. Sothing important.
As Vir had expected, Akros was beside himself with worry. The man had been getting ready to put a search party together, so it seed like they had arrived just in ti.
Please, stay with us! I hope we have not inconvenienced you? If we have, please tell us how we can compensate you!
As much as Vir wanted to spit on the man, he refrained out of a desire not to make a scene. Their actions were already suspicious as it was. If soone traced them back to Apramors ho and then inford Hiranyan knights, it could pose a risk to them and Riyan. As much as he wanted to give into his feelings, he had to be responsible here.
We appreciate your generosity, Vir said through gritted teeth. But we have just learned of complications that require us to return ho at once. I hope you understand.
How did youah! Akros said, coming to the conclusion Vir had hoped. The only way to send ssages in a village like Brij was via letter, and a runner entering the village late at night would have visited the village leaders ho firstAkros place.
The Sawai had other options. Communications orbs existed, though as Maiya had learned from Tanya, they were so exorbitantly expensive that only the wealthiest families had one.
Akros must have concluded that Vir belonged to such a family, because his eyes went as wide as saucers.
Thank you for your hospitality, Vir said, throwing him a small handful of Imperium coppers. The mans entire family eyed the coin like a pack of starving bandies, and Vir could almost imagine the saliva oozing out of their mouths.
Disgusting, Maiya said once theyd mounted Bumpy and rode out of earshot.
It is, isnt it? Vir replied. To think I once looked up to these people. To think I wanted to be like them. No matter how much I try to empathize, it all just seems so hollow now. So aningless.
Rising at dawn to tend the fields of work in the woodsday after day, year after yearwith only marriage and having kids to look forward to. What was the point of a life like that?
Maiya had once said it was a depressing way to live. Vir had disagreed back then, but now? It was hard not to see things that way. The world was such a vast place. To spend life cloistered in so corner of the world felt like a tragic waste.
Vir asked Maiya to extinguish her Magic Lamp orb, and they rode out of the village, navigating only by the light of the stars and Prana Vision. It was imperative no one noticed them reach their destination, and while the streets were empty, Vir wasnt taking any chances.
Bumpy initially startled at penetrating the inky darkness, but he trusted Virs excellent navigation. Before long, the dirt road widened, and they arrived at Virs old ho.
Instead of tying Bumpy up at the stables, Vir led the Ashva around back. This way, any villagers traveling the road would see only an abandoned housesa as always.
Unlike Maiyas ho, Virs residence hadnt been barred. His greatest fear was that soone might have moved into it, but it was unwarrantedafter all, no one had claid Maiyas ho, and Virs was far smaller and out of the way. More of a shack, really.
The flimsy latch on the door had already been broken, making entering the house a simple matter of pushing open the door.
Owing to Prana Vision, Vir saw far more than Maiya, so he held her hand and guided her into the tiny house.
Inside, they found a similar scene, with cookware and odds and ends strewn across the floor like discarded trash.
They left your furniture, at least, Maiya said, prompting a chuckle from Vir.
Only because our stuff wasnt even worth stealing. Guess thats one benefit of being as poor as a pauper.
He did note that the coolers Magic Cold orb was missing.
Vir peered into the bedroom. The villagers had appropriated the single bed he shared with his father, leaving the room bare.
Find what youre looking for? Maiya asked, unable to make heads or tails of the darkness.
Nah. It can wait until morning. I dont want to risk using Magic Lamp here.
Hmm. Why dont we leave now, instead? I feel like Im suffocating, Vir. Every minute, I feel like Im drowning. Bumpy made it here alright, yeah? We can travel at night.
Reaching the outskirts of the village was one thing. Braving the plains and the sands all the way back to Riyans place? Theres a reason no one travels at night, Maiya, Vir said, squeezing her hand. Trust , I dont enjoy being here any more than you do. Can I ask you to bear with it for just a few more hours?
Maiya relented and sat on the floor in a corner of the bedroom.
They both knew that no rest would be forthcoming on this night, no matter how tired they were.
Vir didnt even try to sleep. He retrieved a blanket from Bumpy and just huddled together with Maiya, pressing his back against her for warmth.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The hours passed in agonizing silence, with both of them lost in their thoughts.
Vir had always suspected that Apramor would land in hot water if the knights learned of his actions, but never in his wildest nightmares did he think theyd kill the kind-hearted priest, let alone Lady Aliscia.
His heart ached at the thought. It was cruel. It was beyond cruel. Was this what Hiranya was really like? Ruled by tyrants and despots? How many other tragedies befell people in other towns and cities every day? How many atrocities went unnoticedunpunished? Knights were supposed to protect people, not execute them!
Maiya was right. Things couldnt stand as they were. Vir felt the blood boil within his chest and his head grew hot.
But even if he took out a knight, what of it? The blight ca from the very top. Only by cutting off the head would change co. Vir shook off those thoughts. They were dangerous thoughts, liable to get him killed. He could almost hear Riyan scolding him for his folly.
Vir and Maiya had been quick to brand their instructor a criminal, fleeing from the governnt. But now, he wondered whether his judgnt had been unfair. It felt like with every new thing he learned, the line between good and evil grew ever blurrier.
Unable to deal with these thoughts, he snuck out of the blanket and sat cross-legged several paces away in the pitch darkness. Maiya snored softly, unaware. There was sothing about his old ho that brought with it a asure of peace and familiarity. He hadnt expected that.
Ruminating on the injustice of the world made him feel weak and small. The only thing he could do to counter that was to get stronger. And that ant training.
Vir thought back to Sharduls mory, now faint and half forgotten. As hed done dozens of tis over the past days, he focused on the mont Shardul activated the ability. The man had sucked prana up into his legs, and then
And then what?
He hit the sa wall hed struggled with. Shardul had sohow slipped into the shadows, but Vir didnt know how.
To wield Shadow Prana to its fullest, one must be partners with tragedy. Sharduls words echoed in his head. Hed certainly seen his fair share of tragedy, but what did that have to do with Shadow Prana?
The wooden floorboards shone brightly to Prana Vision, filled with Earth and Life affinity prana, and Virs thoughts wandered to old mories. The rickety boards always creaked and sank under his weight. Rudvik was much worsethe man had to avoid so floorboards entirely, lest he risk falling through.
Wait Loose floorboards that give The ground gives way!?
It finally clicked. He understood what hed been doing wrong. The difference was slight, but profound.
Vir always tried to push himself into the ground when activating Dance of the Shadow Demon. Shardul did the exact opposite. He allowed the ground to pull on him. To suck him inside.
Functionally, they were the sa, but ntally? They were complete opposites.
He got to his feet and mimicked Shardul. Vir sucked the prana out of his legs as usual, but this ti, he resisted the prana that wanted to rush into his body, stopping it from entering. He concentrated instead on allowing himself to sink, to et the prana where it lay, instead of asking it to co to him.
It felt a little like death. Like the souls of those who had passed were grabbing him, pulling him into the world of shadow. Into their world.
Vir suddenly found himself surrounded by pitch black darkness. Not the darkness of his ho, but in a world defined by its lack of light. Trapped.
What have I done!? Vir scread, but his voice had ceased to function. He flailed his arms in panic, but found his body bound and immobile. He couldnt even breathe.
Because in this place, he had no body.
Out! I want out! He thought, frantically trying to escape this nightmare. Yet no matter what he did, he t with failure.
Panic turned into dread as a horrifying possibility dawned on him. Was he trapped here? Forever? Where no one could find him? Hed always known that delving into the secrets of prana was dangerous. That it could very well kill him.
Finally, his luck had run out. Hed reached beyond his ans and landed himself in a place from which there was no escape. This ti, nobody would save him. Nobody could possibly find
And just like that, Vir found himself right back where he was, standing in his ho, silent apart from Maiyas snores. Sweat and chills broke out belatedly, as if his body had forgotten it needed to match his panicked state.
What in all the Realms was that!?
Hed known what to expectafter all, it was the sa as the mory fragnt. Shardul had sunk into a realm of shadows. Vir just hadnt realized doing it alone would be so terrifying.
He took a few monts to stabilize his breathing before returning to the mory fragnt again. He wasnt quite ready to attempt the ability not until he had a firr grasp of how it worked.
This ti, rather than focusing on the technical aspects of the ability, he watched Shardul sink into the world of darknessof Shadow. Once inside, it took the man only a few monts to pick out an exit from one of the many blurry motes of prana that surrounded him. Vir realized hed completely missed them in his panic.
Once Shardul had selected a glob of Shadow prana, hed popped out into the world again.
Okay So thats how it works.
Vir took a deep breath and went for it again. He sunk into the world of shadows, and this ti, he didnt panic. The clusters of shadow prana shone brightly to his Prana Vision, but since shadow prana was gray and this world of darkness black, hed failed to pick them out earlier.
Now that he knew what to look for, he saw them everywhere. Dozens of possible exits. He reached out to a closer one with his mind and erged several paces from where hed begun.
This This is kinda fun?
So he did it again. This ti, he focused on exiting at the farthest prana cluster he could find. He erged outside his ho, about twenty paces away.
Then he did it again. And again, invoking the ability over and over until the Ash prana in the area dried up, which didnt take long.
He learned a great deal from all of those repetitions. For one, he was tapping into the powers of Shadow pranarather, the entire world of darkness was the domain of the Shadow affinity.
And yet, every invocation consud Ash prana instead. A lot of itthe ability hungered for prana far more than his other Talents. It made him wonder Ash prana always looked different from the other elents. More dense, More profound.
What if its not an affinity after all? He thought. What if its more like a ta affinity?
Sothing that could leverage the traits of the other affinities, though so far, hed only been able to use Ash prana to power Earth and Shadow abilities. Perhaps it was restricted to affinities that lived within the ground? That would explain why he couldnt use orbs. It would not explain why, in Sharduls mory, Ash prana populated both the air and the ground.
Regardless, hed uncovered a few other details regarding the ability as well. The maximum range was limited. The most distant clusters of Shadow prana he could see while in that shadow world were just about twenty paces. Beyond that, there was nothing. This didnt feel like a barrier he could overco with more practiceit felt more like a natural limitation of the ability itself.
Shardul had gone much farther, but then Shardul had a tattoo. Maybe those tattoos helped amplify the abilitys properties?
Another discovery was that the prana clusters gave Vir a glimpse into the world if he focused on looking through them. While inside the world of shadow, it was as if he suddenly gained a thousand eyes in a thousand places.
Unfortunately, there was a ti limit he could stay in there before it kicked him out, like it had done when he panicked. About ten seconds was the limit. Either he had to choose an exit, or it would boot him out back where he enterednaly, his own shadow.
Hed realized that darkness counted as a shadow, which would an that at night, hed have almost free rein to disappear and appear wherever he wished. During the day, he could still use the ability, but after venturing near the villages lights to experint with it so more, he needed hard shadows for it to functionthe stronger, the better.
Which ant the ability was nearly useless on gray, overcast days.
Despite this, Vir felt giddy. The potency of this Talent far outstripped High Jump and Leap. He wasnt even sure it was a Talentwhile it operated on the sa pranic principals as Talents, this had so much more depth than the other two that it felt fundantally different. It even gave him access to a realm he never even knew existed! The realm of shadows.
Hang on a mont Vir thought back to what Riyan had said about Shadow Blendthe Talent that let its wielder sink into the shadows. Wasnt Dance of the Shadow Demon similar?
While he could choose to move, he didnt have to, at least for ten seconds. Vir wasnt sure how long Shadow Blend allowed wielders to stay hidden inside shadows, but the abilities were similar enough that Vir could lie and say he possessed Shadow Blend. He sohow doubted Dance was a Talent many people knew about. If it even was a Talent.
It wasnt just the ability to move around near-instantly that made Dance powerful. The fact that he could disappear into the shadow realm ant he could dodge otherwise fatal attacks, as hed done in the forest. He could then afford to take his ti and gather his thoughts, looking out at the world from a place where no enemy could touch him.
On a whim, he tested an idea. He returned ho and retrieved a small hourglass Maiya had brought along. They never knew what might co in handy, so Maiya liked to hoard as much stuff as she could on their travels.
Flipping the hourglass, he brought it into the world of shadows. Though his body was frozen inside there, it seed he could bring anything he touched along with him, so long as it was small enough and light enough to carry. That was another limitation of the abilitywhatever he brought through had to fit inside the shadow he wanted to exit from. He couldnt exit out of a pebbles shadow; he simply wouldnt fit.
Vir used up the entire ten seconds in the shadow realm before it shot him back out.
I knew it he breathed, staring at the hourglass. Not a single grain of sand had fallen through. He repeated the test to be sure, but again, ti seed to freeze when he was inside the shadow realm.
Which ant that to an opponent, hed disappear and instantly reappear at his destination, even if hed spent several seconds in that world. Of course, since no ti had passed, his body wouldnt get a break, but his mind continued to function just fine. It was an advantage hed exploit the heck out of in his upcoming battles.
The only downside he could find was that Dance of the Shadow Demon consud prana like there was no tomorrow. He could easily perform Leap a half dozen tis with the amount of prana it took to activate Dance just once. It also took longer to charge.
Despite all of this, Vir was happy. Shardul said there was no way he could learn the ability without the mans guidance. Vir had just proven him wrong. Through his own efforts, through his own understanding of prana, hed reverse engineered the ability.
Riyan had once told Vir to be like a shadow. He no longer had to pretend. Now, he was the shadow.
Dawn finally broke hours later. To Maiya, it sure felt like itd taken its own sweet ti, as if it couldnt be bothered about their plight. To Vir, itd felt like only a few monts, having only recently drifted back to sleep after his nightti escapades.
As soon as there was enough light, Vir snuck out from under the blanket and pried open a floorboard in a corner of the bedroom.
Your stash? Maiya asked, her eyes puffed and red.
Vir wanted nothing more than to tell Maiya about his newfound power, but refrained. She was grieving, and now was not the ti. Hed tell her when shed recovered.
Whats left of it, anyway. Rudvik took almost everything when wed fled to the Godshollow. But he forgot this
Vir held up a loop of thread that captured a wooden square an inch wide. On it was a charcoal sketch of Rudvik and Vir, standing side by side and grinning happily.
Did youwas it that traveling artist who ca by a few years ago? Maiya asked, taking the necklace from Vir.
Yeah. Its the only nto I have to rember Rudvik by.
Its really well done. He perfectly captured Rudviklook at how big and happy he looks in this!
Vir smiled. He rembered that day with fondness. Rudvik had dipped into his savings to splurge on the artwork, despite Vir begging him not to. Vir was glad his father didnt listen to him back then.
Treasure this, Vir, Maiya said, returning the necklace to his hand and closing his fingers around it.
Vir gazed at the locket. Objectively, this trip had been one of tragedy and tears, and that went for them both. But it did give them sothing they never knew theyd needed: Closure.
For the first ti since Rudviks passing, Vir felt like he could turn back and see events as they wereas theyd happened. As history. Not sothing to agonize over, nor anything to change.
It was simply a cold acceptance of facts. And, with that, ca a sense of freedom hed not known for a long ti. As if invisible shackles had finally co off, chains that had been brokenallowing him to proceed with his life. Onwards, beyond the bounds of this little village of petty souls. And outwards, bound for the broader world.
I will, Maiya, he said, gazing at her with newfound resolve. And in her eyes, burning with the heat and power of eternal fla, he saw the sa. I will.
Next ti: 58 - Riyan's Do Of Powers
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