Chapter 19: Desert Cartographers

Chapter 19: Desert Cartographers

Vir rummaged through the bedroom for supplies.

Riyans not even giving us ink, so well have to do this the old-fashioned way, said Maiya, casting a grim gaze at the small clay fireplace built into the far wall of the room.

The abode was well insulated owing to being underground, but they both appreciated the coziness of a fire, especially when staying up late into the night, chatting. A rarity these days, given how exhausted they usually were after a hard day of training.

Probably because he expects us to mess it up and waste it, Vir replied. He rolled up his sleeves and rummaged around the coals, making his fingertips black with ash. He selected a few suitable pieces of charcoal and dropped them into his rucksack. "At least he gave us parchment to write on."

Lets see Maiya said, looking around the room. Water. Well want plenty of water if were venturing out into the desert. Ill fill up our waterskins in the kitchen. Dyou think we need blankets?

Were taking Bumpy, right? Vir asked. Bumpy was the name Maiya had bestowed upon one of Riyans two Ashvas, for its terrible ride. Despite that, Bumpy was the one she always picked if she had a choice. Shed dubbed the other one Grumpy. Grumpy didnt like her very much.

As far as either of them knew, Riyan had never bothered to name the poor beasts.

I dont think its a bad idea, in case we get lost. But uh, lets tell Riyan exactly where were going? I really dont want a repeat of last time, Vir said with a shiver, recalling how much pain hed caused them both when hed snuck away.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only

Maiya nodded vigorously.

With their bags packed and loaded onto Bumpy, they signed out on Riyans roster, leaving Neel behind to guard the abode.

If you are looking for the oasis, you will want to head due south, their instructor said as they left.

Do we at least get a compass? Maiya asked.

Riyans shrug said it all: youre on your own.

Its like he wants us to get lost, Maiya whispered.

Vir thanked Janak that the man failed to hear her.

Maiya yielded the reins to Virwho was more familiar with Ashva riding than she wasand sat behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist for stability.

Vir already had a general lay of the land, so he at least knew which direction led west to the coast. From there, he calculated approximately where south was by cross-referencing the position of the sun in the sky.

Bearing set, they headed out.

Minutes after they left, they came across their first landmarka series of caves embedded into the hills. Vir brought the Ashva closer for a better look. Some caves were tiny, only a few paces deep. Others looked as if they stretched on forever.

Wanna go explore some? Maiya asked with excitement.

Wed better not, Vir said, Riyan warned us about them, remember? Said it was easy to get lost in there.

Mmm but still! I wanna find that secret supply stash he keeps in there, Maiya said, staring into the darkness of the cave. Not like theres much else to do around here Would it have killed him to live a bit closer to a big city?

Vir nodded. Its off the beaten path, thats for sure. Im guessing thats why he picked it in the first place. Wonder how long hes lived here?

Maiya tapped her chin. Hmm. Maybe a few years? Everything feels new-ish, but not brand new, if you know what I mean?

Right. Like it feels lived in, but not old. Really wonder who he is, to have access to so much wealth. And that training dome? No normal person has something like that in their house.

I know, right? I bet hes someone super famous, Maiya said. Definitely a Sawai noble of some sort.

Vir urged the Ashva onward, leaving the caves behind them and continuing south. A half hours ride had the sand dunes giving way to the endless plains that hed visited on his solo outing weeks ago.

Lets stop here, he said, dismounting and retrieving a piece of charcoal from the pannier on Bumpys rump.

So, lets put Riyans home at the very center of the map, he said, placing the map on the ground and drawing a small dome to represent the house. Its surrounded by a desert on all sides, so we can add that. And then we have the caves and the transition to the plains to the south.

Maiya watched as he worked. Youre actually pretty good at this, she said, sounding both irked and impressed at the same time. Ah! Lets add the coast to the west. Riyan said the coastline runs north-south, and that youd run into the port city of Saran if you kept going north.

Only question is when hes gonna ask us for those favors. Seems like itll be awhile, though. I cant imagine wed be of any use to him as we are now.

Right, Vir replied. I think our infiltration skills will be important for whatever he has planned, and he hasnt even started teaching that to us.

Maiya went silent for a moment. I just... I wanna visit home, Vir. My parents must be worried sick about me. And I miss them. A lot.

I do too, Maiya. The faster we progress, the faster he'll let us visit Brij.

Just hope he gets around to teaching me magic soon, Maiya said, twiddling her toes in the sand. Id be a lot more useful if I could cast fireballs.

Vir smirked but remained silent. He could picture her horror when she discovered shed be an ice mage. Fate had such a cruel sense of irony.

He broke out the map after hed finished eating and added the oasis, putting it due south of Riyans home. Now, all that remained was to chart out the east and the north, and theyd have a pretty clear picture of the area.

Lets head back, he said once hed finished. Wouldnt want to miss our second round of torture now, would we?

Oh no. Anything but that! Maiya said, placing the back of her hand on her forehead.

The truth was that Vir actually couldnt wait to return to his training. Every moment spent in that sandy dome felt like it inched him closer to understanding some fundamental secret about his own body. He couldnt shake the feeling that the prana inside him was powerful. He yearned for the day he could see it in action.

Vir touched the eight pronged tattoo on his chest.

If only I could unlock it somehow

Just then, something caught his attention. It took him a moment to realize what it was, but when he did, he looked up at the coconut tree that shaded them from the heat of the desert sun. Its powerful shadow seemed darker than usual, and Vir was thankful for it But there was something else there, too.

In its shadow?

Vir suddenly stood up, startling Maiya.

Whats up, Vir?

Im going for a jog.

Uh, what? Maiya asked, but Vir was already gone, leaving his friend staring after him like hed gone crazy.

Maybe he had gone crazy, but he had to be sure.

With the temperature being what it was, a single lap around the small pond was enough to get his blood pumpingand in so doing, his prana vision intensified. He was now immensely thankful for the very heat hed complained about moments earlier.

Vir returned to Maiya, drenched in sweat. He peered at the shadow of the coconut tree.

He hadnt imagined it! There really was something there. Something gray, moving ever-so-slightly. Unlike the other prana affinities that coursed through their respective elements, this affinity barely budged at all, which was why hed never noticed. That, and it was the same color as the shadow itself.

Shadow affinity prana!?

Vir instinctively looked at the prana in his arm. But no, this was not the same. This was clearly different. Another new affinity.

Hed now discovered three affinities that werent supposed to exist. Rather than exciting him, he started to doubt the validity of his thesis.

Were these truly new, undiscovered affinities?

Or was something else going on? Vir only wished he had the answers.

Sooo, uhh Feel like telling me why you randomly took a jog around the pond? In a desert? Under the sun? Maiya asked.

Happy to, but I feel like you're just gonna be as confused as I am once I do, came his deflated response.

Next time: 20 - Maiya vs Vi