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“I just feel like I’m abandoning them, Maiya,” Vir said, speaking into the communications orb. He sat on top of the orphanage, gazing fondly at the children playing in the yard below. It was one of his favorite spots in the whole city, and he’d spent hours up there before, either meditating or talking with Maiya.
“What game are they playing now?” Maiya asked.
“Some sort of tag. Except the person doing the chasing is wearing a Vaak mask,” Vir said exasperatedly.
There was silence for a moment as restraint fought a losing battle, then the dam broke, and Maiya burst out in giggles. “Ah yes! Vaak, the vaunted Warrior of Ash. The enigmatic demon who ushered forth an era of peace and prosperity!”
“Shut up.” Vir’s retort was, however, lost over Maiya’s deluge of laughter.
“Except it’s all true, isn’t it?” she said after finally coming back to her senses. “You said it yourself. Janani’s getting paid again. The kids have shoes, and they’re eating better than ever before. The slums are getting cleaned up and everyone’s happier. I… really wish I was there to see it.”
Vir grunted begrudgingly. “Still, I ought to be here to oversee the change. There’s bound to be abuse, and if Vaak isn’t present…”
“Except that’s the beauty of the symbol you’ve crafted, isn’t it?” Maiya asked. “Everyone is Vaak. Sure, maybe the rebels don’t have your strength, but they do have magic. They will fight back if anything goes awry. The looming threat of you returning will keep Asuman in check. That, and the other clans who support you. And Shan’s presence. Don’t worry. Besides, it’s not like you’re going back to the Ash or something. You can always hop over if anything comes up.”
“I know,” Vir said. He’d repeated the same line of reasoning several times in his own mind, trying to convince himself he was doing the right thing. “I just wish I could finally settle down in one place someday. I’m sick of saying goodbye.”
When Cirayus had given him a week, he’d thought it would be all the time he’d ever need. Now, just hours before he had to leave, he was fraught with second thoughts.
“That’d be nice,” Maiya said wistfully. “I’d like that too. Maybe once you’ve restored your clan. Until then, trust Cirayus. Has he ever led you astray?”
“No,” Vir admitted. “But what about you? At least I have Cirayus and the Gargans. You don’t have anyone you can trust. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you.”
“Well, I do have Ira. And Yamal and the Silent One, though they’ve been more distant of late,” Maiya said, her expression falling. “Ira gave me a new mission. This feels bold, even for her.”
“What, is she planning on having you kill Imperator Andros or something?” Vir asked, his brow knotting in worry.
“What? No!” Maiya said. “I’m not an assassin, Vir! I don’t kill people like… that.”
Vir had been sure she was about to say like you, though could he blame her?
“Right. Sorry,” Vir hastily replied, shuddering at how quickly his mind had gone to assassination. When did I start thinking killing people like that was okay?
He’d have to be careful of such thoughts from now on.
“But honestly?” Maiya continued. “What she’s having me do may not be any easier. For Ira to stage her coup, she needs to destabilize Andros’ power base. Which means ridding him of his allies, both inside Kin’jal and out.”
“Sounds like a tall order,” Vir said. “Isn’t Andros one of the strongest Kin’jal Imperators in recent history?”
“He is,” Maiya agreed, her head drooping. “Which is why this is so hard. He’s also a notorious warmonger.”
“But Ira’s trying to prevent the war, isn’t she? Inciting one seems like it only serves Andros’ plans.”
“Right. She wants to avoid a war at all costs. Which is why she’s sending me to Sai, who’s historically been Kin’jal’s ally. If I can… stage a conflict in Sai and ensure they know it was Kin’jal who precipitated the assault…”
“Then their faith in Kin’jal, and in turn, Andros, will be destabilized. Won’t that paint a target on Ira’s back, though?”
“Not if I’m disguised as Princess Kira, Ira’s younger sister.”
“Really?” Vir asked. “A princess personally raiding another country? A bit farfetched, don’t you think?”
“Actually, it’s perfect. Kira’s a battle junkie, through and through. Even better, she’s pulled stunts like this in the past with Matali. The Matali incident went largely unpunished, but when she went and slaughtered a company of Ranian soldiers, Andros was furious.”
“She sounds unhinged,” Vir replied, thinking immediately of a certain mad Thaumaturge.
“She absolutely is. Which is why she’s been under house arrest ever since. But Ira’s going to arrange for the princess to conveniently give her guards the slip one night. “
“And that’s the night you’ll raid Sai,” Vir said.
“Look at us! You, off to incite a rebellion at the Ash Boundary, and me, sowing the downfall of the most powerful ruler in the Known World. We’ve come so far, haven’t we?”
Maiya wiped a nonexistent tear of pride from her eye, but there was an element of truth there as well.
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“You’re right about one thing,” Vir said. “I never imagined we’d end up here. Makes me wonder where we’ll be in another year.”
“Hmm, let’s see. You’ll be Demon God Vaak, supreme ruler of the demons, and I’ll… hmm. I think I’ll be a saint! The most powerful mejai ever to live, revered and loved by all of humanity. Wouldn’t that be poetic?”
Vir snorted. “More likely that we’ll both be dead. Or imprisoned. But we can dream, I suppose.”
His wistful expression darkened into something more sinister.
“Are you gonna kill anyone on this mission for Ira?”
“Nah,” Maiya replied. “I’m just gonna burn a few warehouses in the Sawai district and give them a few good fights. The Sawai there might find themselves without fine wine for a few weeks, but they’ll live. Maybe it’ll even do them some good.”
“I don’t like this, Mai,” Vir said. “Ira already has you infiltrating a crazy cult. Now she’s making you go on raids. It’s too dangerous.”
“Just like it’s too dangerous to cross the Ash?” Maiya shot back. “Or to rebel against an entire realm?”
“That’s different,” Vir said. “I had help. I had Cirayus.”
“Yeah, well… I have the Silent One… and uh, Yamal,” Maiya said, hanging her shoulders. “Yeah, I know. Not the most reliable help in the world, but hey! Better than nothing! Though, they’ve been more distant with me, ever since they found out about my connections with Ira. They think I’m her personal attendant now. Or at least, Yamal does. I can never tell what the big guy’s thinking.”
“Well, it’s not far from the truth,” Vir said. “She really ought to be giving you more support, seeing everything you’ve done for her.”
“Tell me about it. I did get a sweet estate, though.”
“I just worry for your safety, Maiya. I wish you didn’t have to do this.”
“I know,” Maiya said, sighing. “With luck, my time in the Children will be over soon. And, y’know? I worried too. I went everywhere with that infernal orb, on the off chance you reached out. I couldn’t sleep the first several weeks you were gone.”
“I’m sorry,” Vir said. “I… didn’t know.”
“Yes, well, I made sure you didn’t,” Maiya said with a small smile. “Can I say something selfish?”
“Anything.”
“Keep worrying? For me. It, um… it feels good. Knowing there’s someone out there who really cares for my safety. Not just as a means to an end.”
“I will, Maiya. I do. Just wish there was more I could do. I wish we could be together.”
“So hurry up and unite the demon realm and make me your queen,” Maiya replied, sticking her tongue out.
Vir chuckled. “Right. How careless of me. Let me just get right on that.”
Maiya giggled… and then froze, as the implication of what she’d just said dawned on her.
Vir came to the same realization at the same time.
“I, er…”
“Oh, um, I just…”
A great shadow appeared beside Vir, providing a god-sent distraction.
“Cirayus?” Maiya asked, seizing on the chance to shift the topic.
“Hello, lass,” Cirayus replied, shoving Vir aside, and beaming like a doting father. “Glad to see you’re well! Taking care of yourself?”
“You bet I am. Just wait, when you guys come back here, we’ll have to fight. I need to make up for that trouncing you gave us before you left.”
Cirayus roared in laughter. “Aye, lass,” he said. “I’d like that. Now, I know you two were catching up, but I’m afraid your marriage plans will have to wait. We’ve a long journey ahead of us.”
Both Vir and Maiya went promptly red.
“R-right. Keep him safe, yeah?” Maiya said softly.
“You have my word, lass.”
“Vir? I know you’re going on undercover, and we won’t have a chance to talk for some weeks. So… please give them my regards?”
Vir nodded, all levity gone. “I will, Maiya. Love you.”
“I know,” Maiya said with a coy smile.
With that, Cirayus ended the call.
“Are you ready, lad?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Vir replied, and donned his mask.
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Meanwhile, in a decrepit old building in Samar Patag’s slums—a building that was becoming steadily less decrepit thanks to recent funding that had allowed restoration work to begin, Hiya knew that today would be the worst day of her life.
Ekta, Hiya, and Svar stood in complete silence, shaking in their shoes, while Janani regarded them with an expression so stern that to Hiya, she looked like someone else entirely. Someone harsh. And cold. And scary.
Janani was joined by Greesha, which showed the girls just how severe this talk would be. Greesha had only lectured them like this once before when they’d been thrown off the wall for trespassing.
“Do you know why you girls are here?”
Ekta stared at her feet. Hiya felt an overwhelming urge to speak up. To take responsibility. But she couldn’t. It was as if Adinat himself had sewn her lips shut. They simply wouldn’t budge.
“You are here because your actions put the lives of other children in mortal peril, as well as the lives of all those who risked themselves searching for you. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
At that moment, Janani’s words could freeze the room. Hiya had never heard her speak like this before.
“I have nothing to apologize for,” Svar said, breaking the silence. “I shouldn’t even be here, with these dregs—!?”
The sound of Janani’s slap echoed off the walls, leaving Hiya stunned. She wasn’t the only one. Svar froze in shock, seemingly unable to even turn his head.
“Your idiocy has left one of my children in a coma from which he may never awake! Do you know what you’ve done?” Janani’s words came increasingly frenzied, and she looked about ready to choke Svar to death. ”He saved you, and this is how you speak to me?”
“Janani, enough,” Greesha said in a soothing voice.
“Yes, put some sense into this woma—”
“Say one more word, and I will have your tongue cut and delivered to your father,” Greesha said in a cold tone that was, somehow, even more terrifying than Janani’s deranged shrieks.
Neither Ekta nor Hiya dared move a muscle.
“Be grateful that I have not fed you to our guardian wolf. It certainly wanted to feast upon your flesh, and I would be well within my rights to.”
“G-guardian wolf?”
“Shan?” Greesha called.
All necks turned as a presence made itself known. Hiya felt its power before she saw it. The terrifying black beast oozed black prana off its hide like fire, and it was all Hiya could do to stare at it. Forget speaking, her entire body had gone rigid.
Are we to be eaten…!?
Hiya’s head spun at Ekta, who looked absolutely stricken.
No!
Before she knew it, Hiya had fallen to her knees, clasped her hands, and was pouring out a torrent of words.
“Please spare Ekta she had nothing to do with this it was my fault please take me instead don’t let her be eaten please I beg you!”
Tears flowed from her eyes in rivers, puddling on the ground. She had been the one to plant the idea in Bolin’s mind. It was only because of her insistence that any of this had happened.
Vaguely, she registered Ekta crying beside her, but it was hard to tell through her watery eyes.
Janani knelt and regarded Hiya with a sweet, motherly expression—but her hard eyes remained the same.
“Nobody is feeding you to the beast, dear. However, do you understand what you have done?”
Hiya sniffled. “Yes. Bolin is... Because of me. It’s all my fault.”
Had Hiya been looking at Janani, and not down at her slippers, she might’ve noticed the stern expression on Janani’s face crack, held together only with sheer force.
Yet as Hiya continued to sob her heart out, Janani’s mask finally crumbled, and she swept both girls up in a deep hug. She, too, was shedding tears.
“Never do this to me again.”
“I won’t, Janani. I won’t I swear.”
And she never would. Hiya made an oath to herself, right then and there. That everything she did from now on would help people. Not for her own selfish pleasure. But because it was good.
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Svar looked at the three with disgust, his eyes alternating between the sobbing children and the black beast that bared its saliva-dripping fangs at him.
“So, what? You want me to get on my knees and beg for my life? W-well, you’ll get no such pleasure from me.”
“Oh, no,” Greesha said, a sinister smile spreading across her already daunting face. “For you, we have something extra special planned. Shan?”
The Ash Beast loped toward Svar, growling and seething.
Svar backpedaled. He spun. And he ran. He ran for his life.