Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 210: Brothers In Arms

Barren plains gave way to ash-filled swamp marshes, then blackened forests that ran for hundreds of miles. From arduous mountain passes to jagged cliffs, the trio made short work of it all, stopping only to rest, eat, and gather food and water.

The skies grew darker, the lightning storms more fierce.

Theyd traveled for nearly two weeks when Cirayus guidance Artifact finally began to show signs of life. The entire time, Vir consoled himself in the knowledge that the deeper they penetrated, the more time would slow.

Since then, theyd followed its direction, the orbs light growing brighter and brighter. It was guiding them to something. Only, neither of them knew what, precisely. As Cirayus had informed Vir during their journey, the Artifact was sometimes attracted to ancient pieces of Imperium creation. For what purpose, none could say.

The entire time, theyd avoided Ash Beasts whenever possible. Not entirely out of fear, but practicality as well. Fighting spent energy and slowed them down. While Vir could always use the experience, Cirayus kept telling him that the opponents deeper into the Ash would be more worthy of his time.

Unfortunately, the Realm had other plans. Vir noticed the beasts had not only become strongerwith more and more wielding offensive chakras that forced Vir to fleebut they were also mentally unstable. Shredders would follow them for hours on end, struggling to keep up with Vir and Cirayus bounding pace. Some even fell over from exhaustion.

It was as if their self-preservation instincts had been burned away, leaving addled monsters driven by primitive instinct.

Ironically, Vir suspected more Ash Beasts didn't use chakras not because they were physically incapable, but because their broken minds prevented it.

Still, their tremendous strength and their madness made for a dangerous combination. Vir and Cirayus had been forced to fight off the horde theyd accumulated whenever they wished to stop and rest.

He now understood that the Ashen Realms dangers didnt end with prana poisoning and the occasional beast encounter. The infernal things followed relentlessly, and unless one had the ability to beat back hordes of them, their time in the Ash would be very short-lived.

The fights had been brutal and exhilarating. Vir had thought his newfound strength would allow him to best the beasts with easeand it would have, had chakra not been involved. Cirayus targeted them exclusively, leaving the rest for Vir.

Unfortunately, he also insisted Vir challenge himself by taking on handicaps.

There is no value in an easy win, the giant had said.

And so, Vir fought. Barehanded. One-handed. Limited to only his prana claws. Limited to prana darts. Hed even fought blindfolded, alternating between weapons that Cirayus threw to him during battle. One moment, hed be using his fists, and the next, a polearm. Then a talwar, followed by prana darts.

Virs understanding of combat tactics and strategy had been tempered by dozens of battles and honed by Cirayus teachings.

While Vir still couldnt compare to the giants military wisdomdeveloped over a lifetimehe now fought with an efficient brutality hed never had. Calm. Calculated. Surgical. It was still his old style, just elevated.

And in all that time, through all those battles, Vir had barely glimpsed Shan. The aloof wolf would generally only return to their side to rest. At all other times, hed ranged off on his own. Vir had initially worried the beast had gotten lost, but the wolf would inevitably show up hours later. After three or four times of this, Vir learned not to worry.

Even so, he felt like a barrier existed between them. They werent truly partners. Not yet.

Worrying about your new friend again? Cirayus asked.

I just dont know what he wants. He wasnt like this at Mahdi, Vir said. Over the past week, hed spoken at length about his experiences there, answering Cirayuss hundreds of questions about every detail. Vir didnt minditd helped to pass the hours of monotony.

A fight, I think, Cirayus replied, cooly swinging Sikandar and bisecting a half-dozen Raptors that had gotten too close.

Even after seeing it in action so many times, Vir was still awed every time the giant wielded the enormous weapon. Sikandar was the perfect synergy of the giants abilities. His mighty strength, Balancer of Scales, and tall stature allowed Cirayus to swing the heavy, unwieldy weapon as if it were a feather. By multiplying its weight right before the moment of impact, its lethality was truly an awesome sight to behold.

Why would Shan want to fight me? Vir asked, continuing the conversation.

Not fight you. Fight with you, Cirayus said. He continued upon seeing Virs confusion. Lad, Ive trained my fair share of beasts in my life. Even trained with the Aindri for several years. They have a saying up northyour beast isnt your companion until youve braved death together.

The Aindri? Vir asked.

A clan of demons specializing in beast taming. Their whole society is centered around communing with animals. Even their bloodline arts revolve around them.

That sounds smart, Vir thought. It was always an advantage to go into battle with capable allies. Cirayus was living proof of it. But sapient organisms had lives to live. Obligations to fulfill. They couldnt always be relied on to be there.

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Unlike beasts. Neel had fought by his side ever since leaving Brij. The only times Vir had left him behind were out of fear for his safety. Vir felt like he might share more than a little in common with this clan.

Im assuming their beasts are quite capable in combat? Vir asked.

Aye. Youll never see an Aindri go into battle alone. Their connection to the natural world is far beyond that of other demons. They can command their creatures on a level Ive never seen. When it comes to beasts, I trust them more than anyone else.

The thing is, Vir said, frowning, we have fought together. Nearly died to that Yaksha Automaton in Mahdi, in fact. Weve both saved each other more than once.

Aye, which I imagine is why it followed you back in the first place. But you see, the wolf wasnt yours back then, was it? Its loyalty still lay with the Goddess Ashani.

Weve been in so many fights recently, though. Shans never once participated.

Proud, that one. As he should be, considering his strength. Jump coming up, Cirayus warned abruptly.

Theyd bounded through a forest to a bare cliff that overlooked more forest, a thousand paces below. The trees ended some hundred paces from the edge, affording a sweeping vista of the barren, dark landscape. Ash had built upon the trees dense canopy, making the forest look like a smooth, black blanket.

Vir Leaped off the precipice without breaking stride.

Guess Ill have a chat next time I see him, Vir said while he plummeted to the ground. I think we made a really nice team back at Mahdi.

If you can fight as a team with that wolf, youll be a force to be reckoned with, lad, Cirayus saidalso falling.

The giant touched softly against the ground while Vir slammed into it with some force, though the impact barely registered. With his body bursting with prana, he doubted hed hurt himself, even without Light Step to break his fall.

Half the beasts whod been tailing them halted before they plummeted off the cliff. The other half was not so prudent.

Vir and Cirayus darted away just in time to avoid the rain of bodies that smashed the ground with sickening thuds.

Lad? Cirayus said, turning to Vir in worry.

Uh, right.Shan might have an issue with that jump, Vir said, blasting off the forest floor, leaving an explosion of dirt in his wake.

He sailed up the cliff, driving his katar into the wall before Leaping again back to the surface hed just left.

Sure enough, the Ashfire wolf was there, fighting in an all-out war of frenzied Ash Beasts. From Ash Biters to Shredders to other wolves to even Shrikes, the beasts raged, madly attacking one another.

Blade Launch hurtled across the clearing, ripping apart a handful of unwitting beasts while Vir Blinked to his friends side.

The wolf looked up at him expectantly.

Vir crouched to allow the wolf onto his shoulder but stopped halfway down. Wasnt this the perfect opportunity to fight together? They were cornered. Shan had nowhere to run.

Were fighting, Shan, Vir said. Together. What do you say?

Shan stared at him, even as an Ash Biter moved in from behind. Shans claws blurred, and the Biters face ripped apart.

The beast howled in painuntil Virs Artifact chakram to its skull ended it.

Alright, then, Vir said with a grin. Whoever gets the most kills wins. And I wont use my chakram.

With Cirayus having already dispatched the mob's chakra-wielding beasts, there wasn't any reason to hesitate.

Vir flew into action. Prana Current activated, wreathing Vir in a vortex of black armor. A succession of Blade Launches ripped forth, one after another. With how packed the beasts were, he hardly had to aim. The abilitys nature ensured that anything in the path of its destruction died.

Unlike just a month ago, he could actually keep up this barrage, hurling blades and disks of pure prana to annihilate his enemies with impunity.

Except, his goal wasnt merely to win. It was to fight alongside Shan, and he doubted decimating beasts from safety would gain him much favor with the stoic animal.

Vir Blinked into the fray, prana claws extended. It was time for a more personal approach.

They fought individually, at first. On opposite sides of the battlefield, surrounded by their own pockets of enemies. But as the beasts fell before them, those pockets began to merge.

Then they were fighting side by side, trying to one-up each other. Trying to kill the same enemy before the other could.

Shan was blindingly fast. So much so that Vir could hardly keep track of his motions as he bounded about. With his full reserve of Mahdi Realm prana, the Ashfire wolfs attacks were no less deadly than Virs own prana claws.

Except Shan had twice as many, and a lifetime of using them. Vir lost ground as Shan steadily racked up kill after kill.

But where Shan was like the incarnation of death against softer, faster foes, Vir dominated against the more heavily armored opponents.

The Phantomblades that had given Vir so much trouble in the past stood no chance against Chakram Barrage. Dozens of the disks flew one after another, annihilating its prana armor before chipping away the scales that protected it.

Seeing an opening, Vir Blinked in, grabbing the Phantomblades head in his hand. Prana Current activated, and he sucked the energy out of the beast with furious speed. He absorbed it into his body before bleeding it off into the air via another Current loop.

The life ebbed from the Phantomblade, allowing Shan to dance around it, ripping the beast to shreds.

It wasnt a battle. It was a massacre.

Until the two Shrikes arrived.

Even with Haste active, Vir barely avoided the avian beasts dive bombing. Shan barely rolled out of harms way in time, the Shrikes talons chopping off a tuft of his fur.

Vir sprang forth, grabbing hold of a wing before the avian beast took to the air again.

It was about all he managed before his stomach lurched, and he found himself hundreds of paces in the sky.

How do these things move so fast? he wondered as he was dragged through the air.

Vir used his handhold to suck prana out of the creature, decimating its prana armor in that spot. Blade Projection then speared through its soft hide, ending it.

Leaping off the beast before it fell, Vir targeted its friend. His hand found purchase on its wingbarely.

The Shrike shrieked, careening wildly, plummeting to the ground.

Vir didnt have time to repeat his tactic. He was forced to jump off to avoid being thrashed against trees.

But as he did, Shan jumped onto his back. Then the wolf jumped again, landing atop the Shrike.

Nice, Shan! Vir thought as he slammed into the ground, keeping a keen eye on the Shrike. It had thrown him off, only to gain another unwanted rider, but Shan was up against a beast with a Balar rank in the hundreds. They couldnt be too careful.

Though Shan clawed into the Shrikes armor, it was thick, and not so easily destroyed.

It didnt need to be. Vir was there for that.

Chakram Barrage surged into the air in an unending volley. Distracted as it was, the Shrike couldnt evade. While some prana disks missed, several hit, weakening its armor.

Once it had been depleted, Shan did the rest.

The beast plummeted, but this time, it was Vir who jumped to rescue his friend. He caught the beast midair and brought them both to the ground albeit not without some pain. Shan was far heavier than Neel, and even with Virs enhanced muscles and Light Step to dampen the fall, the impact shook his bones.

Well? Vir said, surveying the field of corpses. I think we make a pretty good team. Dont you?

Shan howled in victory.

Their moment, however, was short-lived.

Cirayus bounded up beside them.

Whats wrong? Vir asked.

The forest. Its gone silent.

Vir listened and found that his guardian was right. There wasnt a single sound coming from the trees nearby.

A city ender? Vir asked, using the term hed come up with for Wyrms and Prana Swarms.

Possibly, Cirayus replied, hefting Sikandar. Whatever it is, wed best not be around when it arrives.

Might be a bit late for that, Vir said, pointing to the sky.

Run!