“And after that, I ended up helping her wash her laundry. You won’t believe the conditions people live in here—”

“Vir, you’re breaking up,” Maiya’s image distorted, then cut out entirely. “I think you need… recharge… orb.”

“Grak it!” Vir cursed, unwilling for their conversation to be cut short. “Talk tomorrow? Same time?”

“You got it!”

The orb’s glow dissipated, and Vir heaved a sigh. He stared emptily at the perpetual sunset, his sense of time warped by the lighting. Though it felt like they’d chatted for only a few minutes, it’d been closer to three hours. An eternity, and yet not nearly enough time to discuss all that had happened.

Each side had raced to give an abridged description of all they’d done in the time they’d been apart. Of the troubles they’d endured, and the triumphs they’d enjoyed.

For Vir, it felt like just yesterday that he’d had similar conversations with Maiya, in that cavern with the floating islands. Many of the words they’d exchanged had felt like repetition.

For Maiya, it’d been nearly a year. She remembered nothing of her time in that cavern.

In the end, Vir hadn’t told her. He hadn’t been able to. The words caught in his mouth, and even now, he didn’t know what to think of her involvement in the whole Ekanai episode. If, after all, it all really was just a figment of Vir’s imagination, then telling her everything wouldn’t hurt. She might even get a few laughs out of it.

But if it was real, and if Maiya truly had somehow lost those memories, he didn’t want to burden her with the weight of that revelation. With the precious moments they’d shared, only for her to have lost. Moments she’d now forgotten.

I’ll have to tell her, eventually, Vir mused. She deserved to know. She was the main reason he’d made it out of that whole debacle alive, after all. To withhold information from her would be an injustice.

Next time. I’ll tell her everything.

Assuming there was time—they had so much to talk about.

“Blessed Prophet, huh?” Vir muttered. “Fate has some strange tastes.”

Turning the orb over in his hands, he muttered a quick thank you to the Gods. That they functioned across realms was something he’d scarcely dared to hope for. It was such a long shot, especially when they didn’t work in the Ash. He’d nearly given up hope.

And now, I can talk to Maiya whenever I like.

The very thought made his heart flutter and his chest filled with warmth. It wasn’t just her voice, either! The orb Maiya had given him was an experiment—something Kin’jal had been working on. Besides her voice, it showed him her face, complete with her facial expressions. It was the next best thing to having her around.

As for why Vir had had three hours on his hands, it was because Cirayus was nowhere to be found. He’d left Sani’s yurt to appraise the giant of the situation—namely, the bad news that supplies would be hard to find in this village—but instead, Maiya had suddenly called him and he’d lost track of time.

“Finish talking to your mistress?” a deep voice asked from behind him.

Vir whirled to find Cirayus with a knowing grin. Chills broke out on Vir’s back.

“How long have you been there?”

“Hmm, I’d say since you two began flirting.”

“W-we were not flirting!” Vir said, reddening. “Wait. So you’ve been here for hours, then!? Why didn’t you say anything?”

And how did I not even notice?

Vir knew why. He’d been so engrossed in talking to Maiya, he’d completely forgotten to check his surroundings. It wasn’t just that, though. The Demon Realm was not the Ash. This was a place where he could sleep without fear of being mauled by an Ash Beast. A land where he could live again, rather than simply survive.

All of these things combined to lower his guard, though it was not a mistake he’d ever make again. Any realm was dangerous if one got careless.

“If you discount what happened in that world of illusions, you haven’t talked to her in almost two years,” Cirayus said. “Might’ve felt like less to her, but for us, it’s been a while. I know how much you care about the lass. Our plans can wait a few hours.”

“T-thanks,” Vir said, thinking how sensitive Cirayus could be at times like these. Though, he half-suspected the giant remained silent to show Vir just how vulnerable he’d allowed himself to become. “I’ll… be more aware of my surroundings from now on.”

“Good! Now, tell me, did you get a taste of life here?” the giant asked, sweeping his two left arms across the horizon.

Vir gazed into the distance, taking a moment before replying. “Is this normal? This… poverty?”

“All too normal, I’m afraid. The big cities are the exception, though as you’ll soon see, they come with their own problems. Most of the Demon Realm is barren of prana, lad. It's manageable next to the Boundary, but the prana falls off quickly. Far more quickly than the Human Realm. Its inhabitants all lead difficult lives. The humans have it easy, if you ask me.”

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“Maybe,” Vir replied. “Or maybe it’s why demons are so strong.”

“Liked what you saw, did you?” Cirayus asked.

“They’re honest, hardworking folk,” Vir said with a nod.

“Aye. That they certainly are. Now come, let us discuss our next steps.”

----------------------------------------

Vir informed Cirayus of the situation in the village, as well as their proximity to Samar Patag. Cirayus, who’d been out scouting, corroborated Sani’s statements.

“We’re closer than I’d thought. Which is good. But this means we have a decision to make.”

“Such as?”

“I cannot enter the Chitran stronghold without being discovered. Hard for me to blend in like you do. Wouldn’t be a good use of my time, either.”

Vir’s brows furrowed. “What exactly are you suggesting, then? You want us to go somewhere else?”

“Not us. Just me. You should head to Samar Patag. You said this Sani woman’s sending her children there? That’ll be a perfect opportunity to slip in. See if you can obtain a Chitran Warrior Calling badge once you’re inside. I trust you’ll have no issues slipping into the city.” Cirayus gestured to their hilly surroundings. “Plenty of shadows in this realm, after all.”

“And what about you? Where will you go?” Vir asked. Cirayus was Vir’s one anchor in the Demon Realm, which felt even more alien to him than the Ash ever did.

“I must inform various trusted parties that I’m back. And, with luck, I may be able to organize a protection detail for you. Get the wheels spinning for you, so to speak. 'Tis an exciting time for demonkind, though this leaves me with a dilemma. I am loath to leave you alone while I am gone.”

Vir blinked. “You're not joking, are you? Really, Cirayus? I can give you a run for your money. What threat do you think I'm in danger of here?”

As he said the words, Vir felt his own resolve build.

“The unseen one, lad. Aye, you are not the boy you were upon entering the Ash. I proudly recognize you as the warrior you truly are. Yet even a dagger across the neck can be lethal whilst you are asleep. Poison can be consumed without any warning, and hours later, you collapse, dead.”

“I understand,” Vir said, thinking back to his own assassination missions. “Except, I'm in disguise, and you know how good I am at that. Nobody knows I'm here. They don't know what I look like, or even the name I'm using. I'll be fine. You said you recognize my skills. So trust me.”

Cirayus let out a great breath. “Aye, lad. I will. I do. While I am at Camar Gadin, do all you can to learn of the Chits and their ways. Enter Samar Patag and get to know your people. Live among them. See how they’re treated. Experience everything you can, but let no one except Greesha know who you are.”

Vir's eyes lit up with excitement. He genuinely did want to meet his clansmen.

“I will. But, Camar Gadin? Isn't that a Bairan city?” Vir asked, recalling a vague memory from Narak's vision, long ago.

“Indeed. The Bairan capital stronghold. I have friends there. Least, I should, if no ill has befallen them. Friends who can apprise me of the goings-on in my absence. I know nothing of what has transpired in this realm after I fled with you in my arms, sixteen—now seventeen—years ago. Without that information, we are at a severe disadvantage.”

Cirayus placed an arm on Vir's shoulder. “Find Greesha in Samar Patag. She’ll be expecting you. She is the seer who prophesied your birth.”

Vir’s expression darkened. Her. The one who’d indirectly caused the deaths of his parents and the fall of his entire clan.

“You want me to meet her?”

“Lad, I won’t ask you not to judge her. But I will ask that you refrain from doing so until you’ve at least met the woman.”

“Fine,” Vir said, barely restraining his anger. That was not a meeting he was looking forward to. “Wait. You said she’s expecting me? How’s that possible?”

“When we were trapped in that illusion, do you remember? I mentioned meeting a friend.”

“And you think it was real. You think that this friend of yours really was there?”

Cirayus shrugged. “I suppose there is only one way to find out for certain, isn’t there?”

He’s got me, Vir thought, once again appreciating just how well Cirayus understood him. The demon knew Vir struggled with the events in that illusion world. Specifically, about Maiya. Whether or not she was really there. If Greesha truly was expecting him, then it’d go a long way to proving that Maiya, too, was really there. If not her body, then her soul.

“Say,” Vir said. “The currency in this realm. It’s the same as the Human Realm. I… wasn’t expecting that.”

“Aye, it is. Was a surprise for me too, when I first entered the Human Realm.”

“I suppose it makes sense, now that I think about it,” Vir said. “If there was only one realm before the fall of the Imperium, and if the Imperium spanned the world, then their currency would be everywhere.”

“True,” Cirayus said, stroking his beard. “The history books say that in the beginning, nations tried minting their own coin, but quickly discovered it was easier to operate the pre-existing mints. The Rajas—the Clanlords—all agree on issuance policy during inter-clan meetings. Convenient, yes?”

Vir nodded. It certainly was. He just wished he had serics on hand instead of a handful of silvers.

“Now, before we leave, I wish to leave you with some advice.”

“Is this what I think it is?” Vir asked, feeling his pulse quicken.

The giant grinned. “Now that you’ve mastered your Foundation Chakra, it is time you start opening your Life Chakra. You will soon be in the ideal environment to practice it, after all.”

“What do you mean?” Vir asked.

“The Life Chakra allows one to sense—and sometimes manipulate—the thoughts of their target. Best practiced when around others. Attempt to feel the presence of others around you—without your Prana Vision.”

“That’s a bit vague,” Vir said. “Can you guide me like you did for the Foundation Chakra? It really helped when you injected some of your chakra into my body.”

“Unfortunately, Life Chakra cannot be transferred in the same manner. Not without assaulting your mind, which isn’t helpful. I hardly need to explain how it feels, yes? You have already experienced its effects. ”

Vir nodded. “During our duel in the Ash, when you attacked me with Life Chakra, it just felt like I’d lived another version of reality. One where you’d cut open my neck.”

The pain had been real. None of it had felt like an illusion—not up until it’d ended.

“Aye. The best way to train it is through meditation around others. Practice until you can feel their presence. Once mastered, you will find it a useful tool, especially against Ash Beasts who haven’t mastered the Foundation Chakra. Its effects are dramatic and obvious. Nothing like Chitran’s Coercion Bloodline Art, which is far more insidious.”

“Right, the one the Chits used when we first arrived,” Vir said, fully suspecting the art would be used against him again, given where he was headed.

“Aye. One finds themselves more agreeable to the wielder while its effects are active. ‘Tis subtle and subconscious. By the time you realize you are under its influence—if you ever do—it is far too late. For most, it is an ability with no good counter. But for you, I suspect it will not be an issue at all…”

“Prana Vision,” Vir replied. “I’ll be able to see their tattoo light up when they activate it.”

“Indeed. Even so, be vigilant.”

“I will,” Vir said with a nod.

The demon moved to embrace Vir in a great hug. “Stay safe, you hear? Keep your wits about you. Listen to Greesha and her people.”

“I will,” Vir repeated. Cirayus was acting every bit like a doting parent, but Vir didn’t mind that at all. “When will I see you again?” he asked.

Cirayus grinned. “Soon enough, lad. Soon enough.”