Ashborn Primordial 3: A Progression Fantasy Epic, page 42
Vir nodded. “I still don’t know what I’ll do when I get to the Demon Realm, but I at least want to see how Gargans live. I want to see what they’re like. Then I’ll make my decision.”
Cirayus clapped his back. “’Tis all I could ask for. And remember. You are not alone. I’ll be with you every step along the way.”
“I’ll be counting on you,” Vir said. “Still, feels wrong to keep using my old name. I like my name. Rudvik gave it to me. But I also want to honor the name Maion and Shari bestowed.”
The One Who Makes Whole. It was an oddly fitting name. Had his parents given it to him in the hopes that he’d reunite demonkind? Or was there some other meaning behind the name?
“Well? Why not use both?” Cirayus asked.
“Meaning?”
“In the Human Realm, the realm of your foster father, be Ekavir. In the Demon Realm, be Sarvaak Garga, Prince of Garga.”
“And in the Ash?” Vir asked with a smirk.
“In here, you are the Akh Nara. The Primordial. With Ash prana running through your veins, I’d wager you’re more at home here than anywhere else.”
There’s some truth to that.
Vir could genuinely call himself strong now, even if that strength was amplified by the Ashen Realm. It was uniquely beneficial to him, and him alone. The realm of nightmares was his realm.
“But that still leaves us with a problem,” the giant said, stroking his beard. “You can’t use your full name. Not while the Chitran reign. You’d have assassins chasing you to the ends of the realm.”
“Is it an especially unique name?” Vir asked.
“Not unique, but rare. That you are a gray demon makes it worse—many saw you as a baby before we fled. I fear your name and your complexion together would be too risky.”
“Hmm. How about Vaak, then?”
“Vaak, eh?” Cirayus said. “Somewhat similar, but that is in fact quite a common name in the Demon Realm. It could certainly work.”
“Vaak of Garga?”
“No. It would be foolish to claim a relation to your clan. Especially defeated as they are. Not until you are ready to reveal yourself as the Akh Nara.”
“Should I say I’m clanless, then? Or maybe of the Panav, after my mother?”
Cirayus shook his head. “Would be safer to not claim a clan at all. There is a title we give to our best warriors. Those who have fought the beasts of the Ashen Realm and survived. When anyone asks you about your clan, say that you are of Ash.”
Vaak—of Ash.
Vir liked the sound of that.
“Of course, even if we hide your identity, it will be difficult to hide you from anyone with the Iksana Sight Bloodline tattoo,” Cirayus said.
“Right. Them.” With all the recent events, Vir had nearly forgotten about the ghael demons of the Iksana. “What are we gonna do about that?”
“I have some friends among the Iksana. I shall inquire when we arrive. Luckily, the Iksana stick to their tunnels and caverns. They rarely ever venture above ground.”
Cirayus stood and stretched all four of his arms. “We have accomplished everything I’d hoped for here. We’d best move on. Deeper into the Ash. To the Demon Realm.”
Vir bounded behind Cirayus as they returned to the valley—and then the home the giant had carved into the volcanic rock.
It was strange to think of the back of a city-ending ancient beast as cozy, but the home Cirayus made for them felt like the only safe harbor he had in a land of constant danger.
That was less of a problem now, with Vir’s recent gains. He felt more comfortable in the Ash. While there were still beasts that could end him without blinking an eye, he no longer felt like the bottom of the food chain anymore. Among the more common beasts, he was actually closer to the top.
Staring out at the valley, Vir saw that new Domain Lords had already moved in, claiming the spots of the ones he’d dispatched only hours earlier. As always, the Ash continued to fall, coating the turtle’s back. Now that it had stopped moving, the soot had begun to accumulate in force.
“Lad, you mind helping me in here?” Cirayus called.
Vir turned—and came face-to-face with a pair of glowing blue eyes.
Instinctually, Vir threw himself into a reverse somersault, then activated Micro Leap, bringing his katar to bear.
Before him sat an Ash Wolf, regarding him with intelligent eyes.
Prana Blade flared… and Vir held his attack. Something about the beast struck him as familiar.
“You’re… one of Ashani’s wolves, aren’t you? You’re the runt!”
The Ash Wolf growled.
“Sorry, sorry!” Vir said, raising his palms. “I meant the leader. But how did you… You followed me through her gate, didn’t you?”
The wolf simply stared at him.
“So that’s the bugger who was tailing us,” Cirayus said, appearing from the home with an enormous rucksack he hefted with no sign of exertion.
The wolf Blinked away, positioning itself where it could keep an eye on Cirayus.
“Cautious thing, isn’t it?”
“He’s harmless,” Vir replied. “Well, not harmless. But friendly.”
Vir turned to address the wolf. “Why though? Why come back with me? You know you won’t be able to return to her, right?”
The wolf snorted, circling Vir before lying down several paces away and looking up at him.
“That’s quite the intelligent wolf,” Cirayus said. “Surprised its mind is so coherent.”
“It’s one of Ashani’s wolves,” Vir said. “She rescued them when they were pups and gave them pranites—the miniature machines I told you about. That’s what allowed them to acclimatize to the Mahādi Realm and keep their minds. I can’t fathom why this one followed me back through her Ash Gate.”
“Curious. It seems to want something of you.”
“I don’t know what I could give it. I’d wager this guy is nearly as strong as I am. He’s not just an ordinary Ash Wolf.”
“Ordinary, is it?” Cirayus said with a smirk.
“I mean, no Ash Wolf is ordinary,” Vir admitted. “But hers are pretty special. Most of his siblings were far larger, and they’re all much stronger than the wolves I’ve seen in this realm. Just one look at them left me shivering. I think having all that prana growing up forged them stronger, so I call them Ashfire Wolves.”
“Hmm. Is that so?” Cirayus asked. “This one is intelligent, yes, but is it truly any stronger than the other wolves? It does not appear different to my eyes. ’Tis about the same size as well.”
Vir frowned. It was true. The visible flames of black prana that burned off its hide were nowhere to be seen.
Looking within the beast, Vir understood why.
Its prana density was a mere echo of what it had been in the Mahādi Realm.
“There’s less prana here. You feel weakened, don’t you?”
The wolf continued staring at him intently.
“You… want me to do something about it?” Vir asked. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to help you.”
The wolf growled. Vir was sure it couldn’t understand him, but as he’d seen during his vault raid, it had an uncanny sense of intuition.
He must be reading my gestures and the tone of my voice, Vir thought, wondering if he could use that to his advantage.
“Look, this is going to be hard since we can’t communicate…”
“I doubt it’ll let you go until you give it something, lad.”
“True,” Vir said, taking a seat across the wolf. “He’s helped me out so many times. I suppose this is the least I can do.”
The Ashfire Wolf remained stoic, but its tail began wagging.
He’s just like Neel… Vir thought, smiling.
The wolf noticed the change in his expression, and its tail stilled.
Vir sighed. But he’s too smart for his own good…
“Alright, I can’t explain this to you, but I’m gonna show you what I do. You’ll have to see into my body. You’ll have to see my prana, okay?”
“It can see prana?” Cirayus asked. “Are you certain?”
“Pretty sure. Back at Mahādi, these guys led me through pitch-black tunnels without breaking stride. I can’t think of anything else they might use to let them see in the dark like that.”
“Curious. I wonder if this applies to other Ash Beasts as well. Do they all possess Iksana’s Sight, I wonder?” Cirayus trailed off. “Alas, do not let me distract you, lad. Carry on.”
Vir could think of two solutions for the wolf to regain its normal prana density. Prana Barrier—Parai’s intricate technique for actively repelling prana, or Prana Dam, the more basic version.
Dam functioned by forming a supersaturated layer of blood right next to the skin. Vir no longer used the ability because Prana Current superseded both, but it was far simpler than Current. Vir didn’t even consider attempting to teach that to the wolf. He doubted it was able to decouple prana from its blood.
He settled on Dam. It was easier to learn, and it’d be effective enough for the wolf’s purposes.
Vir deactivated Current and allowed the blood near his skin to saturate.
The wolf looked on blankly as Vir released the layer and repeated the process a handful of times.
“That’s the first step. We’ll get to the second part once you learn that. I don’t know if you can, and even if you’re capable, it’ll take some time—oh.”
The wolf perfectly mimicked him, creating its own saturated Ash prana layer.
“That… is unfair,” Vir whispered. “That took me so much effort to learn.”
Cirayus laughed. “A fast learner, is it? Can’t say I’m surprised. Beasts have always been more attuned to the workings of nature than humans or demons. I suspect that is even more true for Ash Beasts.”
Though the wolf’s expression looked the same as before, Vir could’ve sworn he now saw a trace of smugness.
“Well, okay then, hot stuff. How about this?”
Vir moved prana away from his feet, creating an area of low prana density. At the same time, he opened a hole in the Dam, allowing the ambient prana to rush in, filling it.
“Your body will naturally generate prana over time,” he said, “but if you want to speed things up, you can try something like this.”
Vir was happy to see the wolf struggle with this complex process.
“It’s understandable,” Vir said, and now it was his turn to be smug. “You won’t believe how long it took me to learn that.”
He was just about to repeat what he’d done when the beast moved prana away from its paws, sucking prana into its body.
It repeated the process rapidly, filling its body until the flames once again manifested.
Vir’s expression darkened. His ego had just taken a serious blow.
“Now that is impressive,” Cirayus said, stroking his beard.
The wolf Blinked around them a few times, reveling in its newfound vitality. It wasn’t slow before, but its speed improved tremendously, outpacing even Vir’s own Blink. Its lithe body was simply better designed for the stresses of extreme movement.
The wolf stopped right in front of Vir, and he knew it was gloating.
“Uh, huh? You think that’s impressive?” Vir said. “Watch this.”
Prana Current flared, and a vortex of prana swarmed around Vir. He cycled the loops faster and faster, spinning them to blinding speed.
The vortex coalesced, compacting into a tornado of blackness that surrounded him.
The Ashfire Wolf whimpered, backing off. Cirayus laughed in glee.
Vir canceled the current, allowing the prana around him to dissipate, an expression of supreme smugness plastered across his face.
“Look at you, lad,” Cirayus roared. “Showing off to an animal!”
Vir narrowed his eyes. “I know you don’t actually mean that.”
The giant hadn’t been laughing at him. He’d been laughing at the prana he’d summoned. In awe.
Vir looked back at the wolf.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye, then. I don’t know why you came here, but you’ll be fine now. Just don’t fight any Wyrms on your own again, okay?”
Vir hoisted his own rucksack and followed Cirayus, Leaping his way to the edge of the Mahakurma’s back.
The Ashfire Wolf followed every step of the way.
“I think it means to accompany you, lad!” Cirayus said.
Vir faced the wolf.
“Is this what you want? You want to come with me?”
The wolf barked.
“It’s not going to be an easy road, you know?”
It barked again.
“It might be years before I see Ashani again.”
This time, the wolf howled, wagging its tail.
“Handy to have such a powerful ally at your side, lad,” Cirayus said. “I can think of no other demon who’s ever befriended an Ash Beast. Let alone one from the Mahādi Realm.”
“Alright.” Vir smiled, extending a hand to pet the wolf. “I’d be honored to have you—ow!”
The wolf had bitten his hand, drawing blood, and was now growling at him.
Vir scowled in confusion while Cirayus doubled over in laughter.
“I don’t understand,” Vir said.
“Lad, that is a wolf. Not a bandy! An Ash Wolf. And a mighty proud one at that, by the looks of things. You can’t treat him the same as your old friend.”
“That much is obvious,” Vir said, sending pranites to his hand.
Challenge accepted, he thought, staring at the beast. I’ll get you to let me pet you soon enough.
“Well, then. He’ll be needing a name, yes?” Cirayus said.
Vir thought for a moment. “How about Ash? After the Ashen Realm?”
The wolf snarled.
“Don’t think he likes that, lad. Quite unimaginative too, I must say. Can’t you do any better?”
Vir furrowed his brows as he thought. He’d found the wolf in the Mahādi Realm, but nothing felt suitable. Maha? Adi? They didn’t fit.
He thought again about its role. It was a protector… of Ashani.
It clicked. Ashani’s protector!
“Shan,” he declared. “After Ashani. As evidence of my oath that I will one day return for her.”
The wolf locked its glowing blue eyes on him, then sauntered away.
“Shan it is.”
54
THE TRIAL OF FAITH (PART ONE) (MAIYA)
Maiya shivered at the chill of dawn in Jatan Forest. While not nearly as ancient as the Godshollow—the trees were shorter and less girthy—it had its own mystique. Moss covered the trunks and ferns decorated the forest floor. The variety of flora surpassed the Godshollow tenfold, and sounds of birds and rodents filled the air as the forest awoke.
Were it not so close to the Ash Boundary, it might’ve become a tourist destination. As it was, Jatan Forest went largely unvisited by humans.
Sane humans, at least.
A crowd gathered at the spot the cultist priest informed them about a month before, and Maiya saw several familiar faces. Yamal, unfortunately, being one of them. The man searched the crowd, likely looking for her, but Maiya ensured she stayed far away.
For this Initiation ritual, Maiya wore only light gambeson, concealed under her faded brown cloak. The hood concealed her red hair, which was tied back into a ponytail. She’d even smeared a bit of dirt on her face to better blend in with the type of people she’d seen at the Children’s briefing she’d attended a month prior.
Her unassuming appearance was a carefully crafted guise, of course.
Maiya hadn’t spent the past month idling. Quite the opposite, in fact. After securing permission from Princess Ira to reduce her duties in preparation of her infiltration, she’d trained almost nonstop. If there was one thing she’d learned about power, it was that one could never have too much of it.
The days she’d spent fighting Ash Beasts hadn’t been in vain. She’d even meditated near Ash Tears, despite the danger, soaking in the prana. All to expand her blood’s capacity, as Vir taught her. It’d been painful. It’d been brutal. But she’d grown strong.
Strong enough, she felt, that she wouldn’t lose to Vir’s own gains in the time he’d been gone. The thought had consumed more of Maiya’s attention lately. She feared, not only for Vir’s safety, but of being left behind. She feared Vir would grow so powerful that she’d no longer see him as an equal.
Vir would grow powerful; that much she knew. He’d been unsure of his future, but Maiya knew. When he reached the Demon Realm, he’d see his people’s suffering, and would help. Because that was who Vir was. And by helping them, he’d become something great. A king. A monarch.
And if Maiya wasn’t at least his equal in both strength and authority, how could she stand by his side in good faith?
As a direct result of her effort, Maiya was now a Greater Mejai of Ash, and with that came a sense of relief. Of tangible progress. It also brought with it a small, crucial perk—she could now slowly charge B Grade orbs, though not quite fast enough to use in battle. If she could, she’d have been a Mejai of Realms.
Moreover, she could now activate precharged A Grade orbs of Wind Affinity.
As such, under her robes, Maiya had brought along an entire arsenal.
She carried with her two C grade Wind Blade orbs, two B Grade Gale Blasts, one B Grade Water Spear, one each of the B grade Mend Flesh and Set Bone orbs, and finally, one A Grade Tempest. All of which were precharged.
Tempest was the most powerful weapon she’d ever wielded, and the mere ability to set off a precharged one had sent her Balar Rank soaring to two hundred. With this single spell alone, she could easily annihilate the fifty hopefuls who’d appeared should she choose to.
Not that she’d ever do such a thing, of course. A Grade spells toed the line between the tactical and strategic levels for a reason. They tended to affect an immense area and did catastrophic damage to all those caught within, whether they were friend or foe. Every usage had to be reported to the Kin’jal military, and they were a tightly governed resource.
