Chapter 10: (Arc 2) 10: New Beginnings

Vir awoke to dark and earthen surroundings. The only light in the room filtered in through small openings high above, with the Godshollow nowhere in sight.

He shifted and realized he was on a small bed inside what looked like a dome of clay. He sat up, but immediately regretted it.

“Ugh…” Pain shot through his body, and the slightest movement aggravated it.

But pain he could deal with. What was worse were the bizarre colors that polluted his vision. Significantly dimmer than before, but still very much present. The dark surroundings only highlighted his distorted eyesight.

No, not distorted… he couldn’t quite make out what it was. He saw everything he usually saw, but now he saw more layered on top. Glowing motes of various colors swam through the air, through the bed under him, and even through his very body. It was in almost everything. Vague and dim, entirely unlike before.

The sight had shown him the bandies’ weak points, so he was sure there was more to this than met the eye. I’ll have to experiment with it.

Then Neel jumped onto the bed and began licking his face.

“Good to see you too, Neel,” Vir laughed. The poor bandy was covered in bandages, but he didn’t seem to limp at least.

A weight lifted off his shoulders now that he knew his faithful companion was alive and well. He didn’t even want to think about losing Neel. “You fought so hard, didn’t you, boy?”

“Vir?” Maiya asked, bolting upright. He’d completely missed her sleeping form on the floor next to the bed.

“Vir!!” She tackled him with a hug. “I was so worried, Vir. I thought… I thought you’d…” she stammered, sobbing against his chest.

He patted her awkwardly, gritting through the pain. She hadn’t exactly completed her thought, but he understood her feelings. “Thanks, Maiya. Seems like I owe you my life.”

Maiya shook her head. “I did nothing. It was all Riyan.”

“Riyan?” Vir echoed.

The girl broke her embrace and looked him in the eyes.

“He’s the one who killed the knight. He’s, uh… he’s the Ghost of Godshollow,” she said, scratching her nose in embarrassment. “Can’t believe I actually believed he was a spirit. Turned out he was just a normal old man all along. Said he’s been to the Godshollow several times, and that he wasn’t surprised ‘backwater villagers concocted such droll nonsense.’”

The memories came rushing back to Vir. The knight. His ax, about to strike Maiya. And the figure in white who’d shown up at the end.

“So I didn’t just imagine that. How long have I been out?”

“A couple of days. Riyan said you’d have died if he hadn’t treated your burns immediately. Luckily, he seems to know his way around Life Affinity magic. He used hot water, some medicinal herbs I’d never seen before, and his orbs on you. Said you’d make a full recovery. He brought us both back here on his Ash’va.”

“Huh. Didn’t think we’d be rescued by the Ghost of Godshollow, of all people.”

They’d all thought the knights would never find them in the forest. He’d chided Maiya for believing in ghost stories. He’d been wrong on both accounts. Fate seemed to have its own sense of irony.

“He lives here?” Vir asked. “Where is he?”

“Yeah, this is his place. He’s out doing something right now. Didn’t say what. It’s kind of an unusual home, but it’s way nicer than any house in the village,” she said with eyes glinting. “Can’t wait to show you around when you’re well enough to walk.”

“Maiya, I almost got us killed!” He said, his voice hoarse and broken. He found himself unable to meet her gaze.

“Huh? What in Vera’s name are you talking about, Vir? You fought and ran so far, even though running’s hard for you. I could hardly believe my eyes. That, and…”

“And what?” he asked.

“Vir, how’d you move like that? You slit those two bandies’ throats like it was nothing. Like you’d killed a hundred bandies before. But I’ve never even seen you train with knives before, Vir. And I’m pretty sure you haven’t killed a single thing in your whole life. Have you been secretly training or something?” She said with a searching gaze.

“I…”

What had happened back then? His memories were still hazy. The young man looked at his hands. Had these hands really felled two bandies? They certainly hadn’t felt like his hands when he’d done the deed.

“I don’t know, Maiya. Honestly don’t have a clue. One minute, I was me, and the next… I wasn’t. And now my eyes are all messed up.”

“Messed up? What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain, but I see things now that I hadn’t before. And it’s driving me crazy, if I’m honest. Makes no grakkin’ sense.”

Words like Primordial, Garga, Iksana, and Clarity filled his head, but he couldn’t figure out what these words all meant. The one thing he remembered clearly was Ekanai.

The voice that wanted me to kill Maiya…

He averted his gaze.

“What’s wrong, Vir? Are you in pain?”

How could I have even thought that?

Vir shook his head. It wasn’t him. It was Ekanai. Ekavir didn’t want to hurt Maiya. He wanted to protect her. His best, only, and dearest friend in the entire realm.

Vir just had to ensure such a thing never happened again. If Ekanai ever possessed him in the future, he’d have to make sure it was he who won, and not the Reaper.

A small voice at the back of his head told him that next time, he wouldn’t win. That he was going up against powers he couldn’t possibly fathom.

Vir squelched that voice with the weight of an anvil.

Grasping for anything to distract himself, he turned his mind to Ekanai’s memory. When he’d fought, Ekanai’s presence had felt so vivid. Almost as if he’d transformed into that gangly gray warrior himself. But now, he could hardly remember anything. The memories felt so distant. Like something he’d once known, but had long ago forgotten.

Was that why the knights were hunting him? Because he was possessed? For all he knew, he very well might be. Ekanai was strong. Did the knights know something he didn’t? Did Riyan know something?

Vir shook away those thoughts. He needed to figure out his immediate situation first.

“What happened to the knights? Are they still looking for me?” He asked.

“No, Riyan says they’ll be heading back to the capital soon. Especially after losing one of their own.”

Vir’s eyes narrowed. “How do you figure? They’ll know we killed him when they find his body, won’t they? That’ll just give them more reason to come after me.”

“No. Riyan, he, uh… he mangled the knight’s corpse, Vir. I couldn’t bear to watch. Said that this way, it’ll look like the knight lost control of his bandies and succumbed to them.”

“Does that actually happen?” Vir asked.

Maiya shrugged. “He says the other knights’ll believe it. And he said that you’re not worth risking losing any more of their number…” she paused. “We, er… we brought Rudvik back as well. But we’ve been waiting to perform his last rites. I… I insisted that you’d want to be present.”

Rudvik… Tears welled up in his eyes. Father’s really gone.

The man he’d always looked up to, who’d never once fallen sick or been injured. Dead. Just like that.

Vir clammed up. The walls closed in on him and the earthen dome felt like it was collapsing on his head. He began to hyperventilate.

Panicking, he jumped to his feet, nearly losing consciousness from the pain.

He needed out. Right now. He pushed through the discomfort.

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“Vir, no! You’re not well. You need to rest!”

Neel barked, as if agreeing with her.

Vir ignored them and hobbled to the door. Every inch of his body throbbed with pain, but his back was the worst. Even now, it felt like it was still burning, smoldering under the bandages, even though he knew that couldn’t possibly be true. He didn’t even want to know how horrible his back must look.

He finally made it to the door and reached for the knob. Locked.

“We’re prisoners, then?” I should’ve expected this, he thought, his panic rising. He needed another way out. There had to be another way out.

Maiya sighed and made her way to the door. She rested her hand on the knob, which clicked and turned effortlessly. “Magic Lock, Vir.”

Oh… right.

“We’re not prisoners. Riyan said we’re free to leave if we want.”

Vir walked into a common area with a much taller roof than the bedroom. This room also had a dome of clay, just larger. Silk rugs with intricate patterns decorated the hard earthen floor, while leather sofas, wooden tables, carved bookshelves, and various knickknacks furnished the large space. The rich scents of spices, incense, and sandalwood all mingled together and tickled his nose, reminding him of Apramor’s temple.

Whoever Riyan was, he had refined—and expensive—tastes. And he was organized. Not a single thing was out of place.

Vir wandered the home in awe, his panic overridden by curiosity. Each room connected to each other through large open archways, giving the space an airy feel, despite its lack of windows.

Maiya followed him silently, staying close in case he collapsed or needed help.

“We’re underground?” he asked. All the skylights and windows were high above, and the entire home gave off a subterranean feel. Though it somehow felt cozy and warm at the same time. Maybe because of the Magic Lamps embedded in alcoves on the wall and which hung from the ceiling, filling the room with their soft amber glow.

“Yep. The entire home’s built into a hill. It’s practically invisible unless you know it’s there. I didn’t even realize we’d arrived until we were less than ten paces away.”

“This is incredible,” Vir commented. Most of the rooms and halls had hard clay floors, while some had sand, making them feel wild and exotic at the same time. In these rooms, sunlight from the skylights reflected off the sand, casting a warm glow on the earthen walls.

“I know, right?” Maiya said excitedly. “I wouldn’t mind living here…”

“Are we in a desert?” Vir asked, itching his bandages.

His friend nodded. “A few hours Ash’va ride from Brij. I’m pretty sure we’re somewhere north of Brij, but Riyan took a lot of turns to get here so it’s hard to know for sure. Said it was a precaution against any pursuers.”

Most of the rooms of the home were open and connected by broad, tall archways. Despite the open floor plan, Vir couldn’t find the exit. He’d gotten lost within minutes.

“You’ve got no clue where you’re going, do you?” Maiya said with a giggle. “Here, lemme show you the way out.”

“How can I help it? I feel like half the village could fit in here!”

She took his hand and led him through another couple of rooms before activating the orb lock on a door, leading them through.

Vir belatedly realized he actually was trapped in this home, since he couldn’t open any of the locks. If Maiya wasn’t here to help, he’d be in big trouble.

Vir stepped out onto hot sand, with the golden hues of a sun setting against a sea of dunes for as far as he could see.

“Where are we?” he asked. Vir hadn’t known of any deserts very close to Brij. But that wasn’t saying much. Maiya would be the first person to tell him he sucked at geography.

“Somewhere between Brij and Saran, in the central desert. No idea where exactly, though.”

Vir looked at her expectantly.

“It’s a Hiranyan port town,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Merchants bound for Saran sometimes passed through our village. You really oughta know this, Vir.”

“Y-yeah. So, we’re still in Hiranya, huh?” That didn’t bode well for Vir, knights and all.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” Maiya said. “No one’s gonna find us here.”

“Yeah? What makes you so sure?”

Maiya pointed a thumb back at the house. Vir turned… and gaped in shock.

“This… this is pure seric!” Vir exclaimed.

He could hardly believe there was a home behind him. Apart from a couple of windows here and there, the house was completely invisible. From a hundred paces away, it’d be undetectable. A sense of security settled over him like a warm blanket.

“So we’re really not prisoners, huh?”

“At least, it doesn’t seem like it? Riyan’s not the friendliest guy around, but he’s interested in us. Well, no. I think he’s interested in you.”

Why me, though?

“What’s your read on Riyan?” Vir said. “You’ve met him. Think we can trust him?”

“I… I dunno,” Maiya replied. “We oughta be careful. I can’t just accept that he’d take us in out of his own goodwill. There’s gotta be something more to it.”

Vir nodded. “Right. He’s after something. I mean, who exactly is he? I mean, what kind of person has a secret hideout like this?” He simply couldn’t imagine what a pair of village teens could offer a man with the wealth Riyan possessed.

“He didn’t say. Just that he’s experienced in combat. I mean, that’s obvious. He took down that knight as easily as…” Maiya stopped suddenly, but Vir knew what she’d meant to say.

“As easily as the knight killed my father,” he completed. “He’s gone. Isn’t he, Maiya? Rudvik’s really gone…”

Maiya didn’t respond.

“He told me he wasn’t a good father. But y’know? Rudvik was always nice to me. He never hurt me or shouted at me. And he treated me like I was normal. Like an equal.”

Vir turned to look Maiya in the eyes, tears now flowing freely down his face. “Why did he have to die, Maiya?”

Maiya frowned. “We couldn’t have done anything about it, Vir. You can’t blame yourself.”

“No, Maiya. That’s not right. We couldn’t do anything because we were weak. Too weak to resist. I hate this, Maiya. I hate being powerless.”

Vir thought back to Riyan’s words right before he lost consciousness.

Do you desire strength?

He realized he did. He craved it so badly that he’d do anything to have it. Because with strength…

No one will ever have to sacrifice themselves for me again.

The two sat upon the sandy hill, watching the sun set in silence. As the last rays of light fell, a lone figure suddenly appeared beside them. Neither had heard his approach.

Vir gulped. The Ghost of Godshollow had arrived.