Chapter 139: Today’s Enemies

Chapter 139: Today’s Enemies

Youre not just saving these demons, Princess Tiyana seethed. You're allowing humans to die because that's exactly what'll happen if you free them. I'm sorry, Apra. I'll not stand aside and watch this tragedy unfold. I was powerless to prevent the deaths of my parents. Never again.

Vir looked shocked. Maiya could practically read his mind because she felt the same.

After hearing all thatafter listening to his storythats what you say!?

What had happened to the princess was cruel, yes, and the demon radicals in Matali were practically savages. Ones that Kinjal had helped groom and foster to ensure permanent infighting within Matalis walls. All to hasten their already-inevitable demise.

It was a despicable strategy, and when Maiya had learned of it, shed nearly retched. Then shed learned the other countries in the Known World were no better, and then shed been depressed for a good while. But not all demons were that way. Wasn't Vir living proof?

Tia, please. Just stay out of my way. Didnt you promise you would? Are you gonna go back on that now?

I'd like to blame you for keeping secrets, but then I'd be a hypocrite, Tia said, ignoring him. Apra, my name is Princess Tiyana Matali. Second to the throne of Matali, and though it tears me, I shall not let you pass.

Virs eyes widened in surprise.

Oh, great. So he didnt know she was a princess, either. Just how dysfunctional is this party?

Princess, huh? I'd figured you for a high-ranking Sawai, but I admit, I didn't think a princess would ever run around risking her life as a mercenary.

Tiyana leveled her spear in response and rushed forth.

Vir cursed, narrowly deflecting her blow.

The princess didnt stop, attacking him with thrusts faster than what she ought to be capable of.

She moves like that because of her Talent, Haste. But why is Vir being pressured so hard?

Tias attacks were incredibly fast, yes, but Maiya felt even she could deflect them. If so, there was no way Vir would be struggling.

Unless Ive grown stronger than him? No way. That cant be right can it?

True, shed learned the Kinjal Balarian arts, and with her magic, she might actually be stronger, though shed always doubted it. It was Vir whod shown her the secrets of prana manipulation. He was the one experimenting, pushing the boundaries with magic. She was merely a student, following her instructors advice.

For her to have grown stronger

No! Its not that at all! Maiya realized suddenly. His heart isnt in this. He doesnt want to fight her. Ach, Vir!

Vir hadnt returned a single strike. Not because he was pressured, but because he didnt want to harm Tia.

On the one hand, it was adorable. On the other, Maiya wished hed poke a few holes in her, just to deflate that enormous ego.

Its what I would do. Come on, Vir! You just delivered those seric lines! Dont ruin it now!

Youre really going to fight me, Vir said, clearly in denial. Youre willing to kill me?

Tia didn't reply, instead backing several paces to retrieve a red orb.

Tiyana, dont you dare use Fire magic in here, Maiya shouted. Do you mean to destroy Kinjal property?

Ill compensate Kinjal for damages incurred.

A part of Maiyas mind recognized this as advantageous. Perhaps Princess Ira wouldve allowed ithaving Tia in her debt would be more valuable than any property damage incurred.

But Maiya wasnt Ira, and this wasnt acceptable.

We will consider this an act of aggression against Kinjal. Fight if you must, but you will do no damage to this garrison. Is that understood?

Tia didnt reply, and Maiya only relaxed when the princess pocketed her orb.

Vason, Haymi. Back me up. Haymi, support magic. Now. Vason, pressure him.

Maiya stole a glance at Vir, who stared back, looking like hed been abandoned.

Why aren't you helping? his expression seemed to say.

Maiya bit her lip and averted her eyes, maintaining her Head Handmaiden chalface.

Fine, Vir spat. If this is how itll be, then Ill do what it takes. Im not leaving without these demons.

Virs words ripped like an arrow through Maiyas heart. For, while hed directed his gaze at Tia, Maiya knew.

Those words were meant for me, too. I gotta say something. I have tothats it!

Vir was embroiled in his fight against Tia, but Maiya spoke loud enough to make herself heard.

The fighters of Saran stick together!

Both Tia and Vir turned. Tia, looking like Maiya had just gone crazy, and Vir, who frowned in confusion.

He didnt get it, did he?

Virs actions were no longer lethargic. Hed made his resolve, and now he put pressure on Tia, Vason, and Haymi at the same time, though he kept stealing expectant glances her way. A detail the princess didnt fail to miss.

Whats wrong? Cant keep your eyes off the redhead? Why dont you keep your eyes on me, instead!

Maiya couldnt keep her lips from turning up.

He certainly has good taste.

Tia launched a flurry of attacks, hoping to capitalize on Virs distraction, but to no avail.

Vir was a black blur, moving from enemy to enemy, striking and leaping away before they could engage. Vir had instantly shifted the tide of the battle, but what now? Maiya didnt truly believe hed kill Tia. Nor would she ever allow it.

Winning isnt his goal, though. Hes only trying to get those demons out. The moment they are, hell disengage. I can help with that!

Based on how the battle was going, she doubted itd be resolved anytime soononly Tia was actively trying to harm Vir. Haymi hung back, powering Tias armor and weapon, but launched no offensive magic of her own. Vason stepped in halfheartedly to block strikes, but Maiya could tell the warrior wasnt fighting anywhere near his full potential.

When Maiya slipped out of the room, only Haymi noticed, giving her a slight nod.

Maiya ran the moment she was out, traversing the hallway adjacent to the jail room. This particular room sat at the corner of two hallways, which meant its walls, while thick, werent impenetrable.

And Maiya had the perfect tool for cutting things. She rounded the bend, only to come face-to-face with Order raiders who stormed down the hall.

Maiya raised her hands. I mean you no harm. We have a bit of a problem. Demons are trapped in the chamber on the other side of this wall and a battle rages there. Do not interfereyoull only make things worse.

What would you suggest? a demon asked.

Thank the gods theyre reasonable. Maiya didnt fail to note the irony of how she was able to negotiate with an enemy more easily than a princess on her own side.

Ill cut open this wall with my magic. Free the prisoners and bring them to safety. Ill ensure no one interferes.

Acceptable, but please move quickly. We are short on time.

Wow, hes even polite

Maiya produced three precharged C-Grade Wind Blade orbs and unleashed her magic upon the stone wall.

A half dozen Wind Blades would ordinarily be sufficient to destroy most stone walls, but of course, Kinjal wallseven internal oneswere far from normal.

Maiya quickly recharged her orbs, taking only a handful of seconds. The sounds of battle could be heard even out here, the sounds of strained shouts accompanying the clang of seric and steel.

Come on! Faster!

It took twenty attacks to break the wall open, nearly saturating Maiyas blood.

Go! Hurry!

The order demons snuck through the rectangular hole shed gouged with professional efficiency, surprising her with how effortlessly they maneuvered their bodies through the small space.

Hard to even tell they live in a prana-starved land. Just goes to show that training can overcome even the worst impediments.

Maiya didnt linger, rushing back to the fight to find itd devolved into a shouting match between Vir and Tia.

They slaughtered my parents! Why dont you understand? You cant negotiate with demons! Look at the way that one stares at me! Hed kill me now if he could.

Youre ash-damned right I would! a four-armed demon said from behind Vir.

Youre not helping! Vir snapped.

If she wasnt drowning in a million thoughts, Maiya mightve realized her chalface voice had dropped, and that her face showed her emotions like an open book.

Go where? Vason asked. Make things right with whom?

The warrior never got an answer. Maiya was gone.

Vir stumbled through the mists as if in a waking dream, half-conscious, and with only the vaguest idea of where he was.

Brother, you have returned, the gray demon said with open arms, but then he saw Virs limp. Youre wounded! Quickly, let me see to you!

Vir lay on the grass and allowed the demon to apply antiseptics and bandages, keeping the wound compressed. Luckily, itd been clean, and the damage looked worse than it was. Hed sucked the blood away from the wound, leaving just enough to clot it, but that did nothing for the agonizing pain. The demons are safe?

All fifty. Theyll need nourishment, but weve already given them enough water for the journey home. Ive patched you up the best I can. Well want to replace your bandages and get you to a healer when we land for our first break.

Then lets go.

Badal placed a hand on his shoulder. What you did must have been hard. Of that, Ive no doubt. Take pride, at least, in knowing that you personally saved the lives of those souls this night.

I will, Vir whispered, accepting the demons help to climb onto the Acira, his mind a maelstrom of anger, guilt, and sadness in equal parts.

This is a nightmare, Vir thought. His focus ebbed in and out due to the wound, and his mind ran rampant. Delirious.

Hed lost everything. Why couldnt he just wake up? But there was no waking from this nightmare. No euphoric release. He was trapped, crushed under a mountain from which there was no escape.

He needed someone. Someone to talk to. Someone to listen while he poured out the chaos in his heart. Even Neel wouldve sufficed. In the past, Maiya played that role. Perhaps Tia. Now, Vir was alone. Lost in his mind for hours as the wind deafened his ears and chilled his cheeks.

A fitting mirror for how he felt inside.

Virs thoughts shifted nonsensically from one to another, spurred by the pain of his wound. Replaying events over and over again, despite his best efforts to avoid exactly that. He tried coming up with scenarios where things could have played out differently. Tia was one thing. Her words had burned him, though at least he knew where she came from. Hed gone through something analogous, hadnt he? How could he blame her for her hatred of demons when Vir harbored the very same hatred toward knights?

But Maiya

Why was she there? How? She was with Kin'jal, so she'd have known what the Order was doing that night. Why hadn't she helped? Was it because she didn't know the true nature of the Order? Did she disapprove of his actions? But that didn't make sense either. She knew he wouldn't help demon haters.

No, she must've had some larger agenda. Something I don't know about.

When she appeared, Vir had been so euphoric, he nearly jumped with joy. Which was, of course, what made him blurt out Tia's name when Maiya had shaken her head. The embarrassment of that moment was still fresh in his chest.

When Maiya pretended not to know him... Even knowing she must've had a good reason for it did nothing to alleviate the pain in his chest. It was stupid to feel that way, Vir knew, and yet the emotions refused to abate.

Vir shoved those thoughts aside, but his other thoughts were hardly more pleasant.

Really thought I could show Tia

Vir was living proof that not all demons were evil, wasnt he? Theyd shared mead, fought together, and even saved each others lives. Wasn't there a bond there? Something that couldnt be broken by revealing he was a demon. What difference did it make? He was the same person underneath.

How wrong hed been. Vir was now surenothing he said or did would have changed Tias mind. It was like arguing with a brick wall.

Perhaps if Id approached it differently

Maybe in some pub after a few drinks. Or after hed saved Haymis life? Maybe then? Tia might have been more reasonable. But after all theyd said to each othershed stabbed himcould there ever be peace between them again? Did she even deserve it, after what she'd done?

As bad as that was, hed stabbed Maiya.

No, that wasnt right. Maiya had forced her way into his attack. What was he supposed to do?

How could she have taken Tias side? Where was she when Tia speared me? She defended the princess, why didnt she defend me?

He was her best friend. Hed grown up with her. He left bread crumbs for her to follow.

This isn't like me, Vir felt, feeling his consciousness dip in and out.

He felt ridiculous for harboring such thoughts. Maiya was undercover and clearly had good reasons for it. There was a simple reason for his anguish. He'd hurt his best friend, and no rational logic cut through that guilt.

I don't deserve her.

He'd hurt the girl whod remembered his birthdays, whod defended him when everyone else had abandoned him. Shed been with him through thick and thin. And he hadnt even ensured shed be okay after. Yes, Haymi wouldve healed her wound, but Vir couldnt say for certain. What if Tia turned on Maiya? What if she was bleeding out on the floor at this very moment?

Gods, I need to go back for her!

It was impossible, of course. Badal would never turn their Acira around, and Vir wouldnt be able to fight in the condition he was in. Hed simply have to live with the consequences of his actions, even if he could never accept what it meant.

Like the consequences of attacking Tiyana Matali.

And then it all made sense. Maiya's actions. Her intervening on Tia's behalf.

Vir knew exactly what happened when one harmed a princess. He already had one country out for his blood. The last thing he needed was another. Impoverished as they were, Vir somehow doubted the Crown Prince of Matali would allow his transgression to go unpunished. Not to mention Haymi and Vason. If they didnt hate him before, they certainly would after hed harmed their charge.

That was why she stopped my attack. She was trying to protect me. The realization only served to make his guilt cut deeper. Why did it take me so long to notice?

Even with Maiya's intervention, Vir half expected a new bounty out for him. Unlike Princess Mina, Tia knew Virs Mercenary nameshe could make life quite difficult for him if she chose to. Maybe shed even pursue them back?

The lingering worry had Vir glancing over his shoulder, in case any Acira pursued.

What a fine mess this is.

Vir would never have guessed Tia was royalty. Shed never once acted like it, after all. Hed always assumed she was the tomboy daughter of a high ranking Sawai family, whod run away from home in search of adventure. What princess would be insane enough to fight a Brood Matron?

It took some time for Vir to come to terms with the nights events, but the night was long and the demons stopped often to regroup and allow their Acira to rest.

At their first break spot, Vir allowed an Order healer to treat him. To his surprise, the healer was actually a Life mejai whod brought along a dozen orbs. Far from the Voidlands as they were, the healers C Grade Mend Flesh made short work of the damage. Without it, Vir would have been looking at weeks of recovery.

The relief from the pain helped clear his mind, restoring his mental state to something resembling normalcy.

The group took to the skies again, and Vir returned to his thoughts. Once the shock wore off, there was only one emotion that remained in his heart. Loneliness. Like a gaping hole in his chest.

Hed been so desperate to make friends, hed ignored the warning signs Tia had given off. The red flags, the obvious danger of signing on with demon haters. But at least hed always had Maiya. She was his anchor in the ocean. His safe harbor from the storm.

After the night's events, he couldn't say when they'd meet again, and that fact was not one he could simply accept. Itd linger like an anvil, weighing down his every action. Like losing Neel, only worse.

And while hed found the Pagan Order, they couldnt truly take her place. Nobody could. There was something different about his relationship with them. He hadnt ever been to a pub with Badal. Hadnt shared in the revelry like hed done with Spears Edge. He hadnt chatted for hours under starlight like hed done so many times with Maiya. It felt stiffer. More transactional.

Hed just have to give it time. He knew that. He knew, and yet he yearned. For Maiya.

But Fate was never so kind, was it?

By the time the Acira set down in Balindam, Vir was barely conscious. The nights toil, his injury, and the long flights had all taken their toll, and all he wanted now was to sleep.

Then his boots touched grass, and when he beheld the crimson-haired girl that waited for him, the raging emotions that had just quieted came rushing back.

Hey, you.

Maiya!

You took it too far, Tia, Vason chided, casting a worried glance over the princess. Hours had passed after their battle, and Tiyana hadnt budged from the jail. Balarian Guards had blocked the hole in the wall, and Vason stood guard at the entrance. She was trapped.

You did, Haymi piled on. I cant believe you said all that.

Tia ground her teeth. I just I guess I got a little angry.

A little!? Vason exclaimed. You stabbed Apramor, Tia! That was low, even for you.

Hes a demon. You cant... You can't trust their kind. And you two shouldn't have kept secrets from me. If there's blame to be had, you share it equally.

He wasnt just some demon, Vason snapped. This is the guy who saved Haymis life! Who, need I remind you, also saved our butts fighting the grakking Brood Matron? You know, the monster you recklessly pitted us against?

How could you treat him that way? Hes done so much for us. What of his feelings? What of my feelings? Haymi shrieked in anguish. Now he hates me too. I'll never get to

I get it, Haymi. I know you had a thing for him. I'm sorry.

Its not me you ought to be apologizing to, Tia, Haymi said with a sigh.

You think well ever see him again? Vason asked softly.

Haymi looked crushed. Would you want to see us again? After something like that?

No. No, I dont suppose I would, Vason said, casting his eyes over the princess.

Tia bit her lip, face scrunched up in anguish. She couldn't meet his gaze.