Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 50: Shardul The Vicious

Whore you? Hiranyan knights? Vir asked. If he wanted to survive this, he needed to come up with a plan, fast. And right now, he had nothing. He had to stall them.

Knights, eh? What would you do if I said I was? The poleax wielder said, scratching an itch under his armor. Both soldiers wore full brigandines that covered their chest, arms, and thighs. Their heads were protected by a full helm, though it didnt cover their faces.

Id say you were lying, Vir replied. Ive seen knights. They dress different.

He willed his mind to think, though his mind seemed to work sluggishly after all hed been through. He was disarmed, exhausted, and needed medical attention. The last part bothered him the most; if he didnt disinfect his wounds, there was a very real chance he might die before he ever made it back to Riyan for healing. The soldiers must have been waiting for this moment. If he lost against the spider, theyd win. If he defeated it, they knew hed be exhausted.

And they were right. Though hed won in the end, he could barely even stand, let alone fight.

Vir glanced at the spider queens carcass. The katar was still well within reach, and the spiders body acted like a giant shield, preventing the soldiers from attacking.

Realizing this, they moved slowly around as they spoke, seeking to approach Vir from the other side. This way, they could trap Vir against the carcass instead.

Oh? Have you? the man said, feigning shock. Well then, excuse me. My apologies for being a mere pauper!

So not knights then. Regular soldiers?

Contrary to his coy mannerisms, the soldiers eyes continuously monitored Virs movements.

Whoever these two were, they knew their stuff. If Vir was unlucky, they might even have Talents.

He turned Prana Vision upon them, but their armor interfered with his ability, degrading its resolution so that all he saw was a muddy mush of colors. But the orbs they carried on them shone brightlyeach carried one C grade Life orb.

In addition, the talwar-and-shield warrior had a golden orb and his friend with the poleax had a wind orb. All were precharged, which was at least a hint that they werent mejaiTanya always walked around with a half dozen orbs on her at all times. He figured most mejai would. So unless he was wrong, that meantat mostone spell from each orb.

The only silver lining was that the orbs prana concentration showed that they werent A rank, at least. If they were, he might as well give up and accept his death right then and there. As it stood, he had a chance. A small one.

The treetops were his only hope. If he could climb up a Godhollow, his pursuers might not be able to follow. Few people climbed as well as he couldhed bank on that. It was his only hope. Only question was whether theyd let him. If theyd seen his earlier fight, then they must be expecting him to flee to the boughs.

No matter what, he couldnt allow Reaper Ekanai to resurface. If he did, he might very well kill these two soldiers, which may trigger a Hiranyan investigation. Or worse, he could get killed in the processit wasnt like Vir suddenly became invincible when Ekanai possessed him. Vir had to escape and report back to Riyan.

Is there any way we could work something out? he said, his arms raised to look as harmless as possible, waiting for the best moment to make his move. Uh, maybe we could negotiate?

Negotiate? Did you hear what I said, boy? We want youHey!

Vir lunged for his katar and yanked it free of the corpse. The fall must have dislodged the weapon, because it came away easily. Without wasting a moment, Vir Leaped away, extricating himself from the impending ambush. He turned tail and ran for the nearest Godhollow as fast as his legs could carry himwhich wasnt quick at all, given his injuries and fatigue.

He didnt get far. The talwar wielder blurred past him, blocking his way.

Looks like Im not the only one who can use Leap

And unlike Vir, the enemy used Earth affinity prana, meaning he could activate the ability far more rapidly than Vir could. His chances of escaping had just plummeted.

Vir faced off against the talwar wielder, dodging his attack, but the man moved with a grace and speed that far outstripped Vir. It reminded him of Riyan, though not quite at that mans level.

Seeking to make use of the opening left by the talwars missed strike, Vir lunged forward, only to abort his attack and throw himself to the sidebarely dodging a poleax to his back.

Vir circled around to put both enemies in front of him. He simply couldnt afford to let either of them out of his sight, not even for a single second.

This time, he Leaped at the poleax wielder, hoping to get inside the range of the mans long weapon. It worked, but again, the talwar wielder was there with his round dhal shield. The man collided with him after having Leaped himself, bashing Vir with his shield, sending him tumbling onto the ground.

Vir spit out dirt and blood and shakily rose to his feet, gritting through the pain that throbbed all over his body. If he took any more hits like that, he doubted hed have the strength to even get back up.

Maybe hed have a chance one-on-one. But these two worked with perfect coordination, covering for each others weaknesses, shutting Vir down and putting him on the defensive without giving him a single opportunity.

He had no chance. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide, with no one to help him, out here in the middle of the Godshollow.

Vir whispered a prayer. Not to the gods, but to Rudvik. He dove back in, Leaping right up to the talwar wielder, his katar a flurry of slices and thrusts.

For the first time since the beginning of the duel, he pushed the man back, forcing him to block the attacks with his shield.

As small as it was, the shield could only do so much. The man took a hit to his cuirass, though no damage was done. Vir grimaced. Hitting the man had taken so much effort, and even when hed landed a blow, he couldnt even deal damage.

Hed have to aim for their faces.

To his surprise, the talwar wielder only attacked him once, instead of pressuring him. Vir deflected the blade with the hilt of his katar and struck back, aiming for the mans eyes.

His opponent immediately adapted to the change in his tactics, stepping back whenever Vir approached, using both his shield and the greater range of his talwar to keep himself safe from Virs flurry.

Though he wasnt dealing damage this way, Vir was at least no longer on the defensive. That gave him options.

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He used the brief lull after a strike to risk a glance at the poleaxe wielderand blanched.

In the mans hand was a glowing green orb, slotted into a mejai aiming bracer, pointed directly at him.

Vir looked back at the talwar wielder just in time to see a flash of his blade. His chest burned and blood went flying.

He took a knee as the wound opened up, sending pain ripping through his body. It was shallownothing deep or life threatening, but it was enough to distract him for a split second.

Instinctively, Vir lashed out with his katar, expecting a followup strike. To his horror, the talwar wielder had jumped away which could only mean one thing.

Magic! The poleax wielder!

Panicking, Vir snapped his head to the other soldier just in time to see the wind orb fire.

Time seemed to slow. For a long moment, his entire world comprised just him and the blazing blade of wind prana that cut through the air, promising sure death.

A single glance told him all that he needed to know. This was not the kind of attack that could be blocked. If he tried, hed lose his arms.

Neither could he dodge. Caught flat-footed on one knee, he simply lacked the energy to hurl himself out of the way in time.

This This is the end, isnt it?

Hed exhausted every option. Hed fought to his last If only there was something. Anything.

Virs last thoughts werent of Maiya, or Rudvik, or Neel No, all he thought about was how he wanted Ekanai to possess his body.

Take over! Its what you want, isnt it!?

But his mental plea was returned only with silence.

The wind blade edged closer, and Vir prepared himself for the worst.

I hear and recognize your resolve, said a voice inside Virs head. But only this once.

In that moment that felt like an eternity, something changed. Vir was no longer Vir. Somethingsomeoneelse had taken control. But it wasnt Ekanai.

The being who controlled his body now was not the Reaper. It was another entity.

The world faded away, and memories flooded into his head. Recollections of times long past. He was no longer in the Godshollow. He was somewhere else, long ago.

Unlike Reaper Ekanai, this persons arms were normallike Virs, but thicker and more powerful. In each, he held a beautiful seric steel chakram, carved with intricate designs.

In this memory, the man wore jet black plate armor inscribed with the white symbol of the Akh Nara. A matching cape billowed behind him as he stood atop a mountain of corpses.

He was Shardul The Vicious. The Akh Nara. Chosen Hero of the Garga tribe.

The one to lead them to a new age of prosperity and instead, he had led them straight to ruin. Now he was on one last, desperate mission to save what remained of his clan.

The weight of a century of sorrow and regret assaulted Vir, drowning his very soul.

To wield Shadow Prana to its fullest, one must be partners with tragedy, Shardul said. This applies equally to those of us blessed enough to tap into the vast power of Ash prana. The primordial form of all prana.

Ash prana!? Vir immediately comprehended that voice referred to the black prana that lived within his body.

In the vision, a horde of demons charged at Shardul from dozens of paces away, their glowing red eyes full of bloodlust. They numbered over a hundred, all clad in bright green armor. The colors of the Chitran.

Shardul allowed his enemies to come. He waited. Right until they were on top of him. Then He sank.

Vir tried to understand what he was seeing. Shardul sank into the ground below him, disappearing into a world of darkness. A moment later, he reappeared. Behind his enemies.

A geometric tattoo on Sharduls legs blazed bright green, and he pounced upon their backs, cleaving into his foes with the brutal efficiency of an executioner.

Vir would never have believed that someone could use chakrams so effectively as melee weapons until Shardul showed him.

The vision slowly faded, and the world came back into focus. The wind blade was right on top of him.

Like Ekanai had done, Shardul took control over his body and sank into the ground.

Into his own shadow.

Down and down, he went, falling into a world where light dared not penetrate. He could not see, but Prana Vision showed him all the exits. A myriad of potential destinations, all accessible to him. All he had to do was will himself toward one, and hed pop right out.

Shardul chose a distant one, and left the world of darkness, reappearing under the shadow of a Godshollow, some twenty paces away.

What was that!? Vir asked the entity in his head. Hed never seen anything like it. And, unlike Prana Vision and Ekanais Chakram Arts, Vir had no idea how Shardul had pulled it off. It had all happened so quickly, he didnt know what to make of it. And if he couldnt analyze it, how could he possibly replicate it in the future?

Dance of the Shadow Demon is a powerful ability, but you will not be able to learn from me as you have from the Reaper. If you wish to have my ability, then heed my words. You have a mission to fulfill, Ekavir. Seek the Ashen Realm. Within it, great strength awaits.

If I go to the Ashen Realm, youll show me? Vir asked Shardul. This demon took a different approach from Ekanai. Rather than threatening him, he was offering something in return.

I swear it. This is the last time, Ekavir. We shall aid you no more. Shardul said, fading away. Not until you accept your destiny

And then Vir was alone in his head once again. He had so many questions he lost count, but he forced his thoughts under control. Even now, he heard his enemies shouting in the distance, looking for him.

Vir stared up at the magnificent tree that soared above him. Hed finally made it to a Godhollow. And yet, he simply could not muster the energy to climb it.

He attempted to activate Dance of the Shadow Demon, but failed. Without Sharduls will to guide him, he couldnt recall the exact process. It was like hed watched someone assemble a puzzle, but now that he had to put it together himself, he found himself unable to.

Enemy footsteps grew closer, their voices louder. It would only be a matter of time before they found him.

Vir fought through the haze that threatened to send his mind into unconsciousness. He stumbled to his feet, but fell shortly after.

So instead, he crawled on all fours. Anything to move from here.

Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision as he crawled through the forest, blindly veering left and right, hoping against all hope he was moving away from the two soldiers and not towards them.

Fate was never so kind.

Ah, there you are, boy. Gave us quite the shock with your disappearing act! Shadow Blends a rare Talent. Very rare. I can see why she wants you dead.

She? Vir said, searching the forest for the source of their voices. His tunnel vision made it incredibly difficult to see much of anything, and it took him several seconds to spot them.

They both stood just ten paces away.

Thats for us to know, and for you to never find out, the poleax wielder said, walking forward with his executioners blade.

Vir struggled to gain ground, but couldnt. He stumbled and fell.

Any last words? The weapons speartip now hovered in front of Virs throat. A simple thrust would end his life.

Ash damn you, Vir said.

Ha ha truly admirable wordsWho goes there!? the man shouted, spinning around.

Something incredibly bright flashed in Virs Prana Vision, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them again, both men had frozen.

Vir stared at their encased forms for several seconds. Ice Prison!?

The block of ice in front of him cracked, then shattered into a hundred pieces.

And behind it stood a woman clad in black leather, twirling a spear.

Tanya furrowed her brows at Vir. Nice fight.

T-thanks he replied. Right before he blacked out.

Next time: 51 - The Aftermath