Chapter Ashborn 347: Reunion (One)

Chapter Ashborn 347: Reunion (One)

A chill ran down Vir’s spine. One so cold it froze his body in place.

That voice. Strangely melodic, containing tones no natural being could ever achieve. That slight inflection of her tone.

No. It couldn’t be. He’d imagined it.

Vir finally mustered the will to turn his body. Where just moments ago, it’d bristled with energy, now it felt like stone, and moving it was like wading through a thick, soupy ocean.

When he finally beheld the figure that stood not a dozen paces away, Vir’s mind went blank.

Ashani smiled gently at Vir, as she so often had, all those years ago. She wore her white dress, and wielded her white rod, looking every bit the goddess Vir remembered her to be.

“How?” Vir breathed, too softly for anyone other than a deity to hear.

“‘Tis not so surprising, is it?” Ashani asked with a wry smile. “I believe I used a similar method to find you when we first met?”

Vir blinked. Only then did he notice the shimmering oval through which Ashani spoke. An Ash Gate—one created by her. Ashani hadn’t escaped Mahādi. She’d simply used her power, the same as always. And yet...

“I don’t understand,” Vir said. “How are you awake? How did you know I would be here? The chances of stumbling upon me are...”

“Infinitesimal,” Ashani chuckled. “Thankfully, Janak’s home has several useful features. One of which being an alarm system of sorts. It notifies me when events of interest occur. Be it Ash Beasts who wander too near the home, or if the wolves need attending, or if my only living friend happened to wander by.”

“Wait,” Vir said. “Does that mean you were snooping on Cirayus and me after we left you?”

Ashani shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. I’ve been in hibernation to recover my energy after your daring escape. Even if I weren’t, Janak’s monitoring system can only see so far, and I can only establish gates to locations I’ve previously opened. With you moving through the Ash, I’m afraid communication would have been impossible.”

“Which means you’ve opened a Gate to this spot before. And it means I’m close to the Mahādi Realm. Whatever that means.”

How spatial proximity worked with a realm that didn’t exist in the same plane as the rest of the world, Vir could scarcely understand.

“Indeed,” Ashani replied. “Our furry friend must have recognized the area. I sometimes let them out of Mahādi to play. A change of scenery, if you will. Though,” she added, “I must admit I did not expect you to happen upon me here.”

That explains why Shan became so energetic all of a sudden, Vir thought. It wasn’t just the influx of prana.

Still, it did strike Vir as awfully convenient that he should stumble upon an Ash Tear that happened to lead here. The chances were, to use Ashani’s own word, infinitesimal.

Vir shelved the thought.

“I can’t believe it,” Vir said, shaking his head. “I was going to scour the realm to find you. To think you found me instead...”

Ashani’s smile grew, and there was something there that Vir couldn’t place. “Fate works in mysterious ways, after all.”

“Seems so,” Vir said. “I’m coming through.”

“I admit I would love your company, though I do not wish to impose. Please do not alter your plans for my sake.”

Vir gave her a wry smile. “Seriously, Ashani? I shouldn’t alter my plans for a literal living goddess? The only living being from the Age of Gods? Right. Sorry, Ashani, I have to go walk Shan. Would you mind waiting?”

“Of course!” Ashani said, and Vir couldn’t be sure whether she was being sincere or pulling his leg. The smirk that crept onto her face, however, proved it was the latter.

“You’re pretty good for a goddess who’s been cooped up for millennia.”

“It’s not so bad, really. ‘Tis a quiet life, most times. Punctuated by spots of excitement. I find it quite pleasant, actually.”

Vir stopped walking. “No, you don’t,” he said softly.

Ashani halted as well. “No, I suppose I don’t,” she admitted. “But we make the best of what we have, don’t we?” she said with a small smile. That it contained no hint of sadness or regret only made Vir want to tell her more.

That he had the power to save her. That she could come back with him.

Except, he couldn’t. Because while Vir had stabilized Ash Tears, he had no idea if his power allowed Ashani to walk through her gates. Vir didn’t understand Imperium long-forgotten magic, which was as ancient as it was advanced.

He didn’t dare plant the idea in her head until he’d confirmed the ability for himself. To get her hopes up, only to betray them... He couldn’t do that. Not to a cherished friend.

“He must have missed them,” Vir said, watching Shan bolt away with his brothers and sisters, who’d swarmed him the moment they’d neared Janak’s home.

“He had you,” Ashani replied. “And he knew he’d be reunited. If not now, eventually.”

“He couldn’t have known that when he followed after me,” Vir said. “For all he knew, he’d never see you again. If you’d told me this morning that I’d be in Mahādi in the afternoon, I’d have called you a liar.” ”

“And yet, here you are.”

“Here we are,” Vir admitted, still reeling from the sequence of events that had led him here.

“Sometimes, all that matters is a person’s character. Good people shift reality. Of that, I am certain,” Ashani said. It sounded to Vir as though she was talking about someone specific, but he couldn’t be sure.

“I’m afraid little has changed since you last saw the place,” Ashani said, leading him inside.

Vir chuckled. “I’d be more surprised if it had, with you being in hibernation. In fact, isn’t this place exactly the same as it was millennia ago?”

The abode was exactly as Vir remembered it, with a small living space, Ashani’s bedchambers, and stairs that led down to Janak’s basement lab. Vir definitely wanted to inspect that more thoroughly later.

“Other than a few small things—amenities for the wolves when we need to shelter in here—yes,” Ashani replied.

“It’s so strange,” Vir said. “It’s like walking back through time to the Age of Gods, while simultaneously jumping forward in advancement.”

Once more, Vir was reminded of the unfathomable heights the Prime Imperium had reached, and once more, he wished for the world to regain it, however far off that dream might be.

“I imagine it must be quite the novel experience for you. For me, it’s all I’ve ever known. Will... Will you be here long?” Ashani asked, glancing at him briefly before looking down at the ground.

“As long as you’d like, Ashani,” Vir replied. “I have to return to the Demon Realm in a few hours, but with how much slower time flows here, I imagine I have a couple of weeks, at the very least.”

“Excellent news!” Ashani said, clapping her hands together. “Then let us change locations. We have so much to catch up on. Where have you been? What friends have you made along the way? Tell me everything.”

Vir couldn’t help but chuckle. “You know? I feel like we’ve had this conversation before. Back when I first arrived.”

“We did. And what I learned has amazed me ever since.”

“Don’t worry,” Vir said with a soft smile. “I’ll tell you as much as you want to know. Just bring me some warm water, first? Quite a bit of it, if you don’t mind.”

He prepared himself for a monologue... And braced for a very sore throat.