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Vir sat alone, sipping on some mead at a table along the balcony on the second floor of the Champion’s Roost—the go-to hangout for the tournament fighters. Cirayus was off somewhere with Raja Thaman, and Shan had disappeared as he always did, leaving Vir in the awkward position of not knowing what to do.
After the day’s matches, he’d wandered aimlessly around town until his feet had brought him here. The establishment, while cozy with its vaulted timber roof and alive with its din of activity, somehow only served to highlight Vir’s loneliness. Sometimes, being alone was better than being alone in a sea of people.
Though luckily, he wasn’t quite alone on this night. Nestled under the table was his communication orb, and the balcony gave him an unobstructed view of the whole tavern and its patrons.
“She’s definitely pissed,” Vir muttered. He wouldn’t have dared use it, even concealed as it was, if an Iksana had been present. But his face paint kept strangers from recognizing him, and Iksana and crowds were like oil and water, so there was little danger of anyone seeing through his disguise. If one of their unsociable clan did enter, it would cause such a stir it’d be impossible to miss. Vir would have ample time to slip out.
“Well, you did beat her. And she sounds really competitive,” Maiya replied.
“What, you mean like you?”
“Very funny,” Maiya said, poking her tongue out. “Give it some time. She’ll come around.”
“If it was a clean match, sure. The way I beat her… Well, it must’ve been somewhat embarrassing for her.”
“As in…”
“As in ‘Carry her and dump her outside the arena’ embarrassing.”
“Oh. Oh,” Maiya said, her expression turning from shock to pity. “My condolences, Vir. Don’t die.”
“Very funny,” Vir replied bitterly, taking a sip of his sweet mead, hoping it would offset the sour taste in his mouth. It didn’t.
“You honestly ought to be happier. Two matches down. Only two to go!”
“You forget that one of them is Cirayus. And the other’s a Chitran who’s made it this far. The hardest fights are in front of me and I’m fighting with two hands tied behind my back.”
“You’ll find a way. You always do,” Maiya reassured. “Me, on the other hand… Well, this is Riyan we’re talking about.”
Vir winced at the name. “How is he these days?”
Memories of the man brought forth a medley of various emotions, and Vir wasn’t rightly sure how to feel about the man.
“Oh, you know. Leading rebellions. Fighting the good fight for Hiranya. Typical Riyan stuff,” Maiya said, then hesitated. “You still hate him, don’t you?”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far…” Vir said. “That was all a long time ago. And I’d be a liar if I said I haven’t relied on the skills he taught us. From Kalari to disguises, they’ve saved my life more times than I can count.”
“Same,” Maiya replied. “I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive him for blackmailing us and pushing us apart… But he did save our lives in the Godshollow. He sheltered us and trained us. Now that I’ve met him again, I can’t help but think what a spoiled little princess I was back then.”
Vir snorted. “You work with an actual princess, make dozens of serics a year, and live in a mansion in the royal quarter of the largest city in the Known World. Not to mention the army of bodyguards and staff you have waiting on you. You sure you’re not still a spoiled princess?”
“Yes,” Maiya said, unperturbed. “Quite sure. I earned all that. With an ocean of blood, sweat, and tears.”
Vir winced, thinking of all Maiya had gone through. Although different in nature, her ordeals had been in no way less than his own.
“I know,” Vir said. “Sorry. I should’ve—”
“Pfft!” Maiya giggled, and Vir understood his mistake.
“You got me, Mai,” he said, smiling and shaking his head.
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“Come on, Vir. Lighten up. You’re so serious all the time. You’ll get gray hairs before me!”
Vir tugged on his black hair. “You think I’d look good with a gray head? Maybe silver?”
“No,” Maiya replied immediately. “Don’t even think of dying it.”
Vir smiled impishly. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll show up in the human realm with stark white hair? The ladies will be all over me.”
“My poor Vir. You assume there will be any ladies at all who’d dare come within a hundred miles of you once I’m through with them.”
Vir feigned shock. “You wouldn’t…”
Maiya grinned evilly. “I absolutely would.”
Vir chuckled. “Well, consider your mission accomplished,” he said. “You made me laugh.”
Maiya’s expression softened. “You’ll do just fine in your next fight. Just give it your all.”
“No, it’s not that. I mean, I am worried about the fights, but… It’s Shan,” he admitted at last. “He was acting weird after that last fight with Tara. I thought it was her venom, but a Panav healer checked him out. They said nothing was wrong. He seemed to be fine after, but I dunno. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”
“He’s a smart wolfie,” Maiya said. “He’ll let you know if anything’s wrong.”
“Yeah, well... He's also chock-full of pride, and as stubborn as they come.”
“Why don’t you take some time to relax while you can?” Maiya asked. “Trust me, you really ought to treasure those moments.”
“You’re right,” Vir said with a sigh. “Especially with everything you have going on, a tournament hardly even seems on the same level.”
“Oh, you know. Plotting three separate rebellions, working on my Foundation Chakra, leading a band of cultists who hates my partner’s guts… All in a day’s work!”
“When you put it that way…”
Maiya laughed. “Still, it’s so much better than before. I have Yamal and Bheem, and Ira and her handmaidens. And you. It’s incredible how much having a few supporters helps.”
“Can’t deny that,” Vir said. “Without Cirayus, I’d be completely lost here. Lost and alone. I can only imagine how taxing your experience as the Blessed Prophet must’ve been.”
Maiya’s plight had increasingly weighed on Vir’s mind. While he was glad she’d found some friends, it was clear she was downplaying the danger. One misstep in this grand scheme of Ira’s was liable to get them all killed. Or worse. Andros was not kind to traitors.
Vir wanted to be there, by her side. Watching her back.
Soon, he promised himself. Once the tournament was done with—whatever the result—he’d return to Maiya. He’d rescue Ashani, and only then would his heart be at ease.
They chatted awhile longer until Maiya said she had to go. Vir cut the call and exited the tavern, sneaking a glance at Tara, who chatted amicably with her naga friends. She caught his eyes as he left, but with his paint on, she failed to recognize him.
She’s never gonna let this go, is she?
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Vir walked the streets of Camar Gadin, pondering how to patch over his friendship with Tara. He suspected that, more than losing, it was the disgrace he’d wrought that was where the brunt of her ire came from. Other than apologizing, he didn’t know what he could do about that. Rather, an apology might be taken poorly. As much as it gutted him, it was likely best to let her cool off, and broach the topic at a later time.
If there was one thing Vir hated, it was inaction.
He arrived home to find Cirayus still out. Aida was off somewhere, and Shan was nowhere to be seen.
Despite not needing the sleep, Vir decided to turn in early—if only to kill time. He thought about meditating on the Shield Chakra as he had been over the past days, but couldn’t muster the motivation.
Sleep, however, came in fits and bursts, leaving Vir sweaty and uneasy. It was only when Cirayus stumbled in, drunk, hours later, that he decided enough was enough.
Shan still hadn’t returned, and it was high time Vir looked for him. The wolf was likely fine—gorging on some rodent he’d killed—and that would be that. At least Vir would be able to get some sleep.
“Where’re ya goin?” Cirayus slurred.
“Can’t sleep. I’m going to look for Shan. Be back in a bit.”
“Suit yerself…” the giant mumbled. “Matches tomorrow. Sight to see. Good luck…”
He stumbled to his bed, where he fell heavily, causing the whole house to shudder.
“At least someone’s enjoying themselves,” Vir muttered with a wry smile.
Vir closed the door gently and set out.
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The knot in the pit of Vir’s stomach, tiny at first, steadily grew. He was careful initially—limiting his Leaps and speed to levels that wouldn’t draw undue attention. As the minutes turned into hours, his pace hastened, and Vir scoured every inch of the city for any sign of Shan’s prana signature.
It shouldn’t have been hard. The wolf normally blazed like a beacon. That Vir hadn’t found him meant he’d either left the city, or… Or his prana had diminished to the point where Vir could no longer spot it.
As much as he hated to even consider the second option, Vir knew that Shan wouldn’t leave Camar Gadin on his own. Or, if he did, he’d return promptly. Shan knew Vir was relying on him for these fights—he’d stayed close ever since the start of the tournament.
So Vir continued his search, hoping to find even the faintest glimmer of Ash Prana.
At his wits end, Vir doubled back, returning to a lower-class residential neighborhood he’d searched hours earlier. Except, this time, he looked for Shan’s body, not just his prana signature.
The streets of Camar Gadin were wide, which made searching easier. It also meant more ground to search, so Vir bounded faster across the rooftops, activating Haste in short bursts at the top of his jumps to scan as much of the area below before he fell to the ground.
It was when he’d searched half the neighborhood that his eyes caught something. A black form on the side of one of the roads, It wouldn’t be the first time—be it a sleeping demon or a bandy or some other animal, there had been more duds than Vir could count. He’d very nearly ignored it.
Nevertheless, he dropped back to the ground and navigated to the spot where he’d spotted the object, and neared.
There was no prana signature at all, and so Vir was about to write it off… When he spotted pitch-black fur that seemed to almost devour the light of the magic tablet lanterns that illuminated it.
Vir’s stomach dropped. He Blinked to the fallen beast, heart pounding.
No. No no no no!
“Shan!” he cried, touching the collapsed wolf’s icy fur.
The world spun around Vir.
This can’t be happening. How!?
When Vir shook his friend, there was no response.
The Ash Wolf who had fought at his side, emerging victorious against thousands of Ash Beasts, who had been one of Ashani’s protectors, was now utterly still.