Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 85: Chala's Knees

Vir made haste escaping the Warrens with Neel. If anyone had heard Ravins daughter screaming, no one seemed to show it, but Vir wasnt taking any chances. Something primal propelled him to run away as far and as fast as he could. He sped across rooftops and darted through empty alleys with Neel.

Riyan had taught him long ago that the most suspicious people acted suspiciously, so despite every instinct telling Vir to sprint, he forced himself to lope across the enormous drawbridge that led to the eastern gate. It was only after hed crossed the Grand Moat and was safely within Dahas walls did he dare to relax a hair.

Virs mind was blank the entire way back, studiously observing his surroundings as if hidden foes would jump from the shadows at every moment. It was a welcome distraction from the panic and unease that ravaged his mind.

He stopped only oncetaking a break atop a rooftop to alter his appearance back to the face the Brotherhood was familiar with. The face of a rugged young warrior.

After that, he proceeded straight to the Executors booth. The shops may have been closed, but the Brotherhood never shut down.

It is done, Vir said, ushering Neel inside the booth and closing the door behind him. He didnt bother to introduce himself. While hed never met this female Executor, he knew she knew who he was.

We know, the Executor said.

You know? I thought the Brotherhood didnt spy on anyone during missions?

We certainly do not. However, you must have heard of the Brotherhood intelligence network? Operatives are everywhere, at all times. Even in Ravins very household.

If you had someone in his compound, why didnt you hire them to take him out?

Servants seldom make good assassins, the veiled Executor calmly said, ignoring Virs shocked expression. As for how we knew before youd arrived, well, we have our ways.

Vir knew the Executor wouldnt reveal any secrets, no matter how much he prodded. Well, maybe they would, if I paid them enough karma points, he thought. But he didnt have points to spare on idle curiosity.

The contractor will be very pleased at this news, the Executor lady continued.

Guessing youre not going to say who the contractor was, Vir said.

We cannot. We can, however, congratulate you on your promotion to Acolyte. Well earned, friend, she said, passing Vir his two silver reward. This contract awards 1000 Brotherhood karma, and with this, your total karma now stands at 1760. Impressive. Most impressive.

T-thanks, Vir replied, taken aback at the genuine praise.

You now have access to 10% discounts at Brotherhood Sanctum armorers, and a 5% discount at Brotherhood dorm rooms. Acolyte-grade rooms are now available for rent.

Vir nodded. The perks were nice, but that wasnt what he really cared about.

And for what it is worth, you will feel better tomorrow.

Vir looked down, balling his fists. From the moment hed entered, his legs hadnt stopped shaking.

I hope youre right

So, about that dossier Id asked for.

The Executor paused, as if recalling an old conversation. Ah, yes. In recognition of your exemplary service, we have arranged a more suitable reward for you. Instead of a dossier, what of a meeting, instead?

A meeting? Vir echoed. With whom? He also wondered how they acted so fast. It had only been a few hours since Ravins death, and it was currently past the middle of the night.

Fear not. We are merely giving you the option. If it's a dossier you want, we will furnish it. However... I would recommend you take the meeting instead.

Why? Who is this person? Vir asked.

Someone who knows Princess Mina better than anyone else. Someone who can be trusted. Of that, you have our word.

Vir thought it over. A dossier was incredibly useful, but chatting with someone who knew her could help him even more.

What if this meeting ends up being useless? Can I still have the dossier?

The Executor chuckled. As you wish. Though we doubt you will feel that way.

When?

Tomorrow evening, at this location and time, the Executor said, handing Vir a small folded piece of parchment. You will learn their identity when you meet.

Frowning, Vir unfolded the parchment. One hour after dusk, Chalas Knees Tavern, Upper West Side Commons. Corner table, halfway back.

This still sounds dangerous. You want me to meet someone, but you wont tell me who they are. What if this is some elaborate setup to take me out?

Again, the Executor paused, and through that veil, Vir felt hed somehow offended the Executor.

Acolyte, you are still new to the Brotherhood. You may not know of our ways. You may not know that such a service is a privilege, and one that is not often bestowed. The Brotherhood rarely arranges such meetings. In doing so, we place our reputation on the line. Our global reputation. Do you understand my meaning?

Youre saying betraying me here would have ripples across the Brotherhood worldwide? Vir asked.

Faith in our organization would be shaken. As trust is our most precious commodity, this would be a death blow. Fear not, Acolyte. Your safety is guaranteed. Trust us. This is not a meeting you will want to miss. It is not one that can be arranged again.

Vir mulled it over. The tavern the note mentioned was famous. At that hour, it would be jam-packed with activity, making it an incredibly risky place for someone to commit a crime. Not only would there be a hundred witnesses, the criminal would have a tough time fleeing the scene safely.

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Youre sure this person will have the information I need?

And more. They possess more information about Mina Hiranya than all the dossiers in existence.

Alright, Vir said at last. Fine. This conversation was the last thing he wanted, given his current mental state. Vir left the booth with Neel and dragged himself up to his room. The travel and the tension from the assassination had left him spent.

But try as he might, peaceful rest eluded him. Vir tossed and turned in bed, wracked with nightmares of Rudvik dying in the forest. Of Apramor being hanged alongside his wife. Of Maiya burning to death.

Every terror Vir had ever had manifested that night, tormenting him.

Vir awoke before dawn, drenched in sweat.

Why? Why do I feel like this? Over the course of a single night, life and death had gained far more weight in Virs life.

Ravin had been a villain by all accounts, and Vir had had the Brotherhoods blessing. Hed done the world a favor, and strangely enough, he didnt even feel guilty like he thought he wouldve. In fact, he hardly felt much of anything regarding Ravin himself. What resonated in his mind was his daughters screams. Screams that made his hands shake even now. Screams that caused his heart to race. That made him sick with nausea.

Riyan was right Killing a man was no easy feat. Vir wondered how soldiers managed it in the chaos of the battlefield. Maybe it did get easier. Or maybe the part of him that cared just died after a while.

That scared him even more.

Sitting in the darkness, Vir listened to Neels rhythmic breathing as he tried to sort out his muddled mess of emotions.

Wonder who this character is, he thought, thinking of the meeting hed have tonight to distract himself.

Vir wasnt about to leave anything to chance. He trusted the Brotherhood, yes, but after his Saran trip with Maiya, Vir had learned to plan for contingencies. Even when the situation hardly called for it.

Thankfully, he had the perfect tools for that job. Dance of the Shadow Demon would allow him to spy on the table from the safety of the Shadow Realm. Prana Vision would tell him all he needed to know about this confidantes magical abilities.

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Hed scout the target first, and only then decide whether or not to meet this person.

Dawn took its time coming. When it finally did, Vir left the room bleary eyed and tired with Neel and headed downstairs to the armorers shop to pick up his tailored bracer and greaves.

Mmm, yes, the fit is good, the bald hooded man said, feeling Virs arms and shins once hed donned the armor. Vir agreed; the fit was near-perfect. He still felt the armors weight, but it hindered him far less than it had yesterday, before the alterations.

Your sharpened chakrams and chakris will be ready for pickup in a few hours. And visit me when you want that armor painted black. Cant guarantee paint will last very long if you take many hits, but its easy enough to touch back up after a scrape.

Will do, Vir said with a nod, leaving the shop. Cmon boy. Lets go get some fresh air.

Neel replied with an excited Arooo, shaking his tail with vigor.

A potted planter with fresh soil caught Virs eye as he walked through the Brotherhood courtyard. While he was thankful that the armor was slim enough to be concealed under his robes, as an added precaution, he stopped to smear mud on it. Now, it looked like an ordinary piece of clothing. Hed of course have to keep reapplying it, but it would do for now.

Well, Im pretty tired, but how about we go explore the Upper West Side area next? Vir said as they exited the Brotherhood Sanctum. We can take some rooftops to get there. That oughta give you some exercise.

Woof woof!

Oh? a voice said, stopping Vir in his tracks. Why the Upper West Side? Anything interesting there?

That voice

Vir slowly turned and saw Amin leaning against the Sanctum building, his arms crossed.

Chills went down Virs back. A thousand thoughts broke out in his head. Mina Hiranya!?

Whats wrong with you? Mina said. You look like youve seen a ghost!

I, uh, had a rough night. Brotherhood business, Vir said, remembering his acting training. Didnt get much sleep.

Yeah! I can tell. You look like a ghost. Cmon! Walk with me, Amin said, sticking his hands in his pockets as he turned onto an alley.

Vir followed with Neel. Hed given much thought to how hed interact with Amin, and had ultimately decided it was best to stay away from the boyfrom the princess. Knowing what he knew, hed be hard pressed to keep up his act for long. Against someone like princess Mina, who was quite obviously a master of subterfuge herself, Vir had little confidence.

So anyway, why the Upper West Side district? Something to do with Riyans mission? You never told me what he wants you to do, by the way.

Vir pondered his words carefully. MinaAminknew Vir was Riyans agent, so outright denying that his mission had anything to do with princess Mina would be a bad idea. The princesss feud with Riyan ran deep. Very deep. If hed sent an agent, it could only be for her. Then again, admitting that he was here to kill the princess also felt like a horrible plan.

In fact, he couldnt understand why Mina hadnt taken action against him yet. She must know that he was a danger to her. So why take the risk? Why not send her royal guard to kill him in his sleep?

Does she want something from me? Or maybe shes not as evil as Im making her out to be

The easy topic was to ask her what she knew about Princess Mina, but hed already brought up that topic the last time they spoke.

What, erm, what do you know of Head Priest Harak? Vir said, carefully eyeing her reaction.

The topic was related to Mina, but wasnt about her. It was good to sow doubt in her mind. Plus, he could hint that he was uncertain about going through with Riyans plan. Perhaps then, she might open up to him.

Amin came to a stop in a deserted alley and crouched down to pet Neel, who thoroughly enjoyed her ministrations.

That chal. Hate him. Cant stand the man.

Vir was taken aback. Why? Whats he done?

Nothing! Hes perfect. Too perfect. Anyone that saintly and generous has a side theyre trying to hide, lemme tell you.

Whys she saying these things? Vir simply couldnt decipher Minas plan. Vir doubted she knew that hed caught on to her true identity. Shouldnt she sing praises about Harakthe man she herself put into power?

Y-you think so? Vir replied. To be honest, Im not fully onboard with Riyans plan. I was hoping for a chance to talk to Harak. I think we might be able to help each other out, he said.

Yeah, good luck with that, Amin said with a snort.

You cant help arrange a meeting? Vir asked. If he could meet the head priest, itd be trivial to take him out.

No way no how. Forget it. My connections dont run that deep. Maybe I could arrange something if it was a low ranking risto, but the Head Priest? You gotta be crazy.

Right, figures, Vir replied. Itd have been too easy getting my potential target to set me up like that.

He looked over at the frail boy beside him. No matter how much he tried, he simply couldnt see her as the princess. Her disguise was absolutely perfect. Vir doubted her own mother would recognize her.

Say, Amin?

Whats up?

What if... What if you had to make life hard for someone, but werent sure whether that person deserved it? What if you were forced into an unreasonable situation? Blackmailed to do it. But you want to find out whether theyre a good person or not. And if they were, maybe you joined forces with them instead? What would you do?

By mentioning Harak earlier, shed naturally suspect he was talking about the priest, and not her.

Hmm. I guess Id just find out whether they were evil or not? Whats so hard about that?

What if it was really difficult to find the answer?

Meh. Id just kill them.

Vir blinked. Sorry, what?he hadnt uttered a word about assassination, or even hinted at it.

If you make life hard for them, theyre just gonna come after you. And if you dont, you get blackmailed. Just kill them and be done with it.

You would take a life so easily?

Amin reached down and picked up some dirt from the alleys floor, then stared Vir in the eyes.

You see this? she said, opening her hand. This is what life is worth in this city. People think its so precious. That its sacred. Something that oughta be fought for. Then you see a guy kick a starving beggar, ending his life, just like that. You see kids die of diseases that couldve easily been cured, if only they had enough money. Life isnt worth anything, Neel.

Thats... rather harsh, dont you think? There are good people in this world, striving to make it a better place. Dont you think those people are valuable?

Valuable to whom? To those beggars they might one day save? Sure, but theyll get no thanks from them. Only scorn. To the kingdom? Sure, but Hiranya is dead. No point dying for something already in the grave, yeah?

Thats a sad way to live, Vir said softly.

Maybe. I... gave up on being noble long ago. Whats even the point? Whats the point of anything anymore? Yknow? Sometimes, to fix something, you just gotta destroy it first...

She wants to save this nation... By ending it.

Vir stared at the princess. Even if it means killing innocents?

Amin brought up his dirt-filled hand once again. Does a farmer mind the dirt he scoops up as fertilizer for his plants?

Vir was beyond shocked at her callousness. She was talking about killing Hiranyans, possibly entire masses of them.

And to her, theyre merely dirt.

Hah! Look at me, getting all sappy on you. Dont really have anyone I get to talk to like this, yknow? Its... kinda nice.

I enjoyed myself as well, Vir lied. He felt like hed just spied the true Mina. The person who Riyan warned would decimate the Kingdom if ever allowed to rule.

If she werent wearing that armor, I couldve taken her out right now. Not only was Mina currently wearing armor under her rags, it was magically enhanced. By a powerful mejai, at that. Which meant they were being monitored from the shadows. Likely by a team of mejai and warriors.

To act now would be to commit suicide.

It was nice chatting, Amin, Vir said, making to leave. Ill let you know if anything comes up. For now, I just need to keep doing Brotherhood contracts to pay the bills. Itll be awhile before I decide on what to do with Riyans plan. Hoping to wiggle out of it, if possible.

Gotcha. Welp, just lemme know. Happy to help ya. Cya around! Mina said, waving.

Awooo! Neel howled once theyd left the alley and returned to the Commons plaza.

Tell me about it, Vir muttered, rubbing Neels back. Feels like I just took a few years off my lifespan.

The two set out to the tavern. The day was still young, but Vir hardly had anything else to do. After mapping out the streets and alleys near the building, the two found a nice flat third story rooftop near the Chalas Knees tavern. The position gave him a perfect nest from which to monitor the establishment.

The hours passed uneventfully, and after retrieving his newly sharpened throwing disks from the Brotherhood armorer and grabbing a hearty lunch of stir-fried veggies with brown rice from a nearby food stall, Vir settled back onto his rooftop. The midday heat soon had him drifting off to sleep.

Vir allowed ithed need to be at full strength tonight in case the meeting went south.

As the sky turned yellow, and then red, Vir watched from above. He noted everyone who entered and left, especially strong mejai. From his vantage, he could see everyone, but the distance made granular detection difficult. Only strong mejai presences registered. Then again, only strong mejai posed any danger.

Vir then shifted positions. He descended to the alley bordering the tavern. Having already scouted its interior earlier, he walked to the wall that butted against the table where the meeting would happen.

He remained there until a half hour after dusk, staring through the walls with Prana Vision.

Then, finally, ten minutes before the appointed time, someone took a seat. The walls contained a slight amount of Earth prana, but nothing that interfered with Virs senses.

Weak, Vir concluded. This guys weak!

The man possessed a very slight affinity for Earth prana, but Vir doubted it was enough to use Talents. Perhaps Leap, but nothing more advanced. His blood was a cocktail of various affinities. Diluted and utterly useless.

But that didnt mean he wasnt a threat. The glowing orbs of prana at his waist did not escape Virs eyes. Four B grade orbs of Wind, Water, Fire, and Lightning affinities, along with another four C grades.

Every one of them precharged and ready to go.

Whoever this man was, he was loaded. He carried on him a fortune.

A risto, then. That reduced the danger level. Sawai aristocrats had a reputation to honor. Pulling a stunt here would hurt the man more than Vir.

Besides, knowing everything the man had on him gave Vir an immense edge.

He exited the alley and strode into the tavern. The stone-and-wood construction was common for the area, with the tall, vaulted A frame log construction creating a cozy environment.

The din of chatter filled every corner of the room. Private conversations would be nearly impossible to overhear.

Vir noted the exitsone at the front, and another that led into a hallway at the back. Dance of the Shadow Demon gave him an exit at any time, but revealing the ability was his last resort.

Taking his time, Vir approached the table that butted up against the stone wall, halfway back. There, a brown-hooded, clean shaven man with black hair and black eyes sat.

Hes young, Vir thought. Younger than hed expected. A Sawai noblemans son, then?

Vir closed the last few steps quickly and sat opposite the man. He didnt give the hooded figure time to speak.

Lets set some things straight. I know your Balar Ranks under 20. I know youve got four precharged B grade orbs, and another four C grades at your waist. If I see your hands move for any of them, Im gone before you can blink your eyes. Understood?

Vir had hoped to intimidate the pretty boy, but the young mans response surprised him.

Oho? I think I like you already, Neel, he said, holding his palms up.

You know my name? Vir responded. So the Brotherhood didnt give away my registered name

Yes, but that is all. Why dont we order some drinks? he asked with a grin.

Who are you?

Down to business, I see. Youre one of those types. I dont mind that, myself. Very well then. I, he said, pausing to look Vir in the eye, am your best source of information.

You know what I want?

Oh yes. Now come, let us have a nice long chat about my little sister.