Chapter 182: Ash Damned
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Chapter 182: Ash Damned
She regarded the abomination knowing her end was near. Were it only a few centuries ago, such an Ash Beast would have posed her little threat. But now? When the energy it would cost her burned away the little time she had left? Months, not years.
Where was the fabled encounter it had promised? Where was the one she was to trust with her life? The one to lead her to a new future, so bright and dazzling?
Where was her release from this prison of the dead?
She shook off the thoughts as she faced the monster with her friends. Her dear companions. There were still those who needed her protection. For them, she would fight. She would persist.
Wishing for the day when her people returned.
Vir was blind. He couldnt see his arms. Or his legs, or any other part of his body.
It wasnt that he saw nothing; there was something out there. A whole lot of it.
But before he could unravel the mystery, pain crashed into him with the weight of Balancer of Scales on max. He writhed on the cold, hard ground, screaming in agony.
As he started to suffocate, the Ash Gate behind him slammed shut.
No!
Vir acted reflexively, rather than consciously. A good thing, too, because if hed strengthened Prana Dam any later, he would have turned into a cloud of bloody pulp.
While his reflexes mightve kept him alive, theyd bought him only a few seconds. The weight of a mountain crashed down on Virlike the Foundation Chakra, but magnified a thousandfold.
It wasnt even metaphysical energy that attacked himit was just prana. A disgustingly obscene amount of it. And it was waging a war on his body.
Vir funneled as much prana as he could into the saturated layer he maintained next to his skin, pushing his blood to its limit.
It wasnt enough, so he went beyond, stretching his bloods capacity as much as he dared. This was it. His last hope. If this didnt work, he was dead.
It didnt work. In fact, it seemed to do little of anything.
The blood near his skin burst, pain consumed him, and Vir lost all faculties for conscious thought.
Why? Vir thought as his mind faded. How?
The world went slowly black as he suffocated to death.
Vir awoke dazed and confused. He could see again, which ought to have alleviated his confusion, but it didnt.
He knew this placeit was the grassy plain where hed met Parai the Ancient.
He wasnt alone.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
Whats going on? Vir asked, approaching Shardul.
You were dragged into a part of the Ash you should not have entered. I am trying to keep you alive. We all are. Shardul gestured behind him, and only then did Vir notice the four figures who stood in a circle some paces away, staring holes in each others heads. One was significantly larger than the others. One was gangly. One sage, and the other wise.
Narak, Ekanai, Parai, and Jalendra? Vir asked.
The white-haired old man with a beard that came to his knees regarded Vir inquisitively but said nothing.
He cannot speak, Ekavir, Shardul said, clasping Virs shoulder. Time is short, so I must be brief. You are in a very precarious situation right now. You should never have come to this place. You werent ready.
You dont say? Tell that to the wolf who brought me here.
An unfortunate turn of events. For you and for us.
Vir frowned. What do you mean?
Shardul sighed. You have somehow been pulled into the deepest part of the Ashen Realm. A place you were destined to eventually reach, but not yet. Not until you were far stronger.
Good wolfie. Good wolfie, Vir thought, inching away.
The Ash Wolf did not like what it saw. The next thing Vir knew, hed fallen and was being pulled by some great force.
It ate my leg! Vir thought, writhing on the ground in a daze as the scenery blurred by.
Except there was no pain. At least, not from his leg.
Again?
The Ash Wolf had once again bit into his boot and was dragging him with its mouth. It was a clumsy way to drag someone, and it shouldve been slow, allowing Vir more than enough time to stand up.
Instead, it yanked him nearly as quickly as his own running gait.
Wheres it taking me? Vir thought frantically, trying to make sense of this situation as he bounced and jolted. The beast hadnt killed him. That was good. But it was dragging him somewhere, rather violently, which was bad.
Escape was Virs first instinct, but how? And to where?
Whatever his ancestors had done hadnt disabled his prana manipulation. He could invoke Dance of the Shadow Demon if he wanted tothe many buildings cast dark shadowsbut should he?
If part of him sank into the shadows with the wolf still holding his leg, he wouldnt be able to sink all the way. Worse, with the wolfs strength, being torn limb from limb might be a very real possibility. Cirayus had warned him of the many pitfalls of Dance of the Shadow Demon, and this was one.
Nor did he think he could penetrate the wolfs solid prana armor to free himself. Trying might very well anger the beast enough to end him.
Vir decided to wait it out. The wolf would let go eventually, and he could use that opportunity to flee to the Shadow Realm.
Just calm down. Think. Observe, he told himself. Forcing his breaths to even, even as he was dragged along.
Vir took care to protect his head, then regarded his surroundings as best he could from his poor vantage.
The first thing he noticed was the buildings. Dark and impossibly tall, soaring into the clouds.
They looked pristine, but Vir could somehow tell they hadnt been occupied in centuries. Like a perfectly preserved dead animalthe parts were all there, but the soul was not.
The architecture reminded him of only one other place hed seenValaka Amara. The Imperium outpost where hed met Janak.
The buildings here were markedly different. Darker and more foreboding, with lightning continuously raking their tops from the dark, low clouds. Some were so close they made Virs ears ring. But the arches, pillars, and spires were all the same.
So this is the lost Imperium City...
It was all Vir could see before the wolf rounded a bend and his situation went from bad to worse.
Over a dozen Ash Wolves surrounded a person.
Vir scrambled to his feet the moment the wolf came to a halt some twenty paces away.
A Goddess? he breathed.
She was a being of pure white. A slim woman with stark white hair, wearing long white earrings, a gorgeous white dress, heeled sandalsalso whiteand wielding a white rod in her left hand, she struck him as an incarnation of Yuma, the goddess of health and fertility.
Or she would be, if she wasnt sitting crumpled on the floor with her right arm missing, oozing silvery blue blood that marred her pristine dress. Vir grimaced, expecting to see bone and muscle from her torn shoulder but instead found a multitude of black ropes, tightly packed and sparking, arcing small flashes of lightning every few seconds. Despite her bizarre anatomy and her contorted, anguished expression, she managed to look otherworldly, in a divine sort of way.
Which was why Virs eyes found her first, despite the hideous beast that stood from only paces away.
Vir tore his eyes away from the impossibly beautiful woman to regard the monstrosity she and the wolves fought.
The beast stood fifteen paces in height and resembled a feathered, oversized bat with the legs of an ox and the claws of a bear, extending from its batwing arms. Like the Ash Wolves before itseveral of which lay dead and dyingit oozed Ash Prana so thick it was visible to the naked eye.
Vir despaired.
I dont stand a chance against that thing.
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Chapter 182: Ash Damned
She regarded the abomination knowing her end was near. Were it only a few centuries ago, such an Ash Beast would have posed her little threat. But now? When the energy it would cost her burned away the little time she had left? Months, not years.
Where was the fabled encounter it had promised? Where was the one she was to trust with her life? The one to lead her to a new future, so bright and dazzling?
Where was her release from this prison of the dead?
She shook off the thoughts as she faced the monster with her friends. Her dear companions. There were still those who needed her protection. For them, she would fight. She would persist.
Wishing for the day when her people returned.
Vir was blind. He couldnt see his arms. Or his legs, or any other part of his body.
It wasnt that he saw nothing; there was something out there. A whole lot of it.
But before he could unravel the mystery, pain crashed into him with the weight of Balancer of Scales on max. He writhed on the cold, hard ground, screaming in agony.
As he started to suffocate, the Ash Gate behind him slammed shut.
No!
Vir acted reflexively, rather than consciously. A good thing, too, because if hed strengthened Prana Dam any later, he would have turned into a cloud of bloody pulp.
While his reflexes mightve kept him alive, theyd bought him only a few seconds. The weight of a mountain crashed down on Virlike the Foundation Chakra, but magnified a thousandfold.
It wasnt even metaphysical energy that attacked himit was just prana. A disgustingly obscene amount of it. And it was waging a war on his body.
Vir funneled as much prana as he could into the saturated layer he maintained next to his skin, pushing his blood to its limit.
It wasnt enough, so he went beyond, stretching his bloods capacity as much as he dared. This was it. His last hope. If this didnt work, he was dead.
It didnt work. In fact, it seemed to do little of anything.
The blood near his skin burst, pain consumed him, and Vir lost all faculties for conscious thought.
Why? Vir thought as his mind faded. How?
The world went slowly black as he suffocated to death.
Vir awoke dazed and confused. He could see again, which ought to have alleviated his confusion, but it didnt.
He knew this placeit was the grassy plain where hed met Parai the Ancient.
He wasnt alone.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
Whats going on? Vir asked, approaching Shardul.
You were dragged into a part of the Ash you should not have entered. I am trying to keep you alive. We all are. Shardul gestured behind him, and only then did Vir notice the four figures who stood in a circle some paces away, staring holes in each others heads. One was significantly larger than the others. One was gangly. One sage, and the other wise.
Narak, Ekanai, Parai, and Jalendra? Vir asked.
The white-haired old man with a beard that came to his knees regarded Vir inquisitively but said nothing.
He cannot speak, Ekavir, Shardul said, clasping Virs shoulder. Time is short, so I must be brief. You are in a very precarious situation right now. You should never have come to this place. You werent ready.
You dont say? Tell that to the wolf who brought me here.
An unfortunate turn of events. For you and for us.
Vir frowned. What do you mean?
Shardul sighed. You have somehow been pulled into the deepest part of the Ashen Realm. A place you were destined to eventually reach, but not yet. Not until you were far stronger.
Good wolfie. Good wolfie, Vir thought, inching away.
The Ash Wolf did not like what it saw. The next thing Vir knew, hed fallen and was being pulled by some great force.
It ate my leg! Vir thought, writhing on the ground in a daze as the scenery blurred by.
Except there was no pain. At least, not from his leg.
Again?
The Ash Wolf had once again bit into his boot and was dragging him with its mouth. It was a clumsy way to drag someone, and it shouldve been slow, allowing Vir more than enough time to stand up.
Instead, it yanked him nearly as quickly as his own running gait.
Wheres it taking me? Vir thought frantically, trying to make sense of this situation as he bounced and jolted. The beast hadnt killed him. That was good. But it was dragging him somewhere, rather violently, which was bad.
Escape was Virs first instinct, but how? And to where?
Whatever his ancestors had done hadnt disabled his prana manipulation. He could invoke Dance of the Shadow Demon if he wanted tothe many buildings cast dark shadowsbut should he?
If part of him sank into the shadows with the wolf still holding his leg, he wouldnt be able to sink all the way. Worse, with the wolfs strength, being torn limb from limb might be a very real possibility. Cirayus had warned him of the many pitfalls of Dance of the Shadow Demon, and this was one.
Nor did he think he could penetrate the wolfs solid prana armor to free himself. Trying might very well anger the beast enough to end him.
Vir decided to wait it out. The wolf would let go eventually, and he could use that opportunity to flee to the Shadow Realm.
Just calm down. Think. Observe, he told himself. Forcing his breaths to even, even as he was dragged along.
Vir took care to protect his head, then regarded his surroundings as best he could from his poor vantage.
The first thing he noticed was the buildings. Dark and impossibly tall, soaring into the clouds.
They looked pristine, but Vir could somehow tell they hadnt been occupied in centuries. Like a perfectly preserved dead animalthe parts were all there, but the soul was not.
The architecture reminded him of only one other place hed seenValaka Amara. The Imperium outpost where hed met Janak.
The buildings here were markedly different. Darker and more foreboding, with lightning continuously raking their tops from the dark, low clouds. Some were so close they made Virs ears ring. But the arches, pillars, and spires were all the same.
So this is the lost Imperium City...
It was all Vir could see before the wolf rounded a bend and his situation went from bad to worse.
Over a dozen Ash Wolves surrounded a person.
Vir scrambled to his feet the moment the wolf came to a halt some twenty paces away.
A Goddess? he breathed.
She was a being of pure white. A slim woman with stark white hair, wearing long white earrings, a gorgeous white dress, heeled sandalsalso whiteand wielding a white rod in her left hand, she struck him as an incarnation of Yuma, the goddess of health and fertility.
Or she would be, if she wasnt sitting crumpled on the floor with her right arm missing, oozing silvery blue blood that marred her pristine dress. Vir grimaced, expecting to see bone and muscle from her torn shoulder but instead found a multitude of black ropes, tightly packed and sparking, arcing small flashes of lightning every few seconds. Despite her bizarre anatomy and her contorted, anguished expression, she managed to look otherworldly, in a divine sort of way.
Which was why Virs eyes found her first, despite the hideous beast that stood from only paces away.
Vir tore his eyes away from the impossibly beautiful woman to regard the monstrosity she and the wolves fought.
The beast stood fifteen paces in height and resembled a feathered, oversized bat with the legs of an ox and the claws of a bear, extending from its batwing arms. Like the Ash Wolves before itseveral of which lay dead and dyingit oozed Ash Prana so thick it was visible to the naked eye.
Vir despaired.
I dont stand a chance against that thing.
Chapter 182: Ash DamnedShe regarded the abomination knowing her end was near. Were it only a few centuries ago, such an Ash Beast would have posed her little threat. But now? When the energy it would cost her burned away the little time she had left? Months, not years.Where was the fabled encounter it had promised? Where was the one she was to trust with her life? The one to lead her to a new future, so bright and dazzling?Where was her release from this prison of the dead?She shook off the thoughts as she faced the monster with her friends. Her dear companions. There were still those who needed her protection. For them, she would fight. She would persist.Wishing for the day when her people returned.Vir was blind. He couldnt see his arms. Or his legs, or any other part of his body.It wasnt that he saw nothing; there was something out there. A whole lot of it.But before he could unravel the mystery, pain crashed into him with the weight of Balancer of Scales on max. He writhed on the cold, hard ground, screaming in agony.As he started to suffocate, the Ash Gate behind him slammed shut.No!Vir acted reflexively, rather than consciously. A good thing, too, because if hed strengthened Prana Dam any later, he would have turned into a cloud of bloody pulp.While his reflexes mightve kept him alive, theyd bought him only a few seconds. The weight of a mountain crashed down on Virlike the Foundation Chakra, but magnified a thousandfold.It wasnt even metaphysical energy that attacked himit was just prana. A disgustingly obscene amount of it. And it was waging a war on his body.Vir funneled as much prana as he could into the saturated layer he maintained next to his skin, pushing his blood to its limit.It wasnt enough, so he went beyond, stretching his bloods capacity as much as he dared. This was it. His last hope. If this didnt work, he was dead.It didnt work. In fact, it seemed to do little of anything.The blood near his skin burst, pain consumed him, and Vir lost all faculties for conscious thought.Why? Vir thought as his mind faded. How?The world went slowly black as he suffocated to death.Vir awoke dazed and confused. He could see again, which ought to have alleviated his confusion, but it didnt.He knew this placeit was the grassy plain where hed met Parai the Ancient.He wasnt alone.Updated from novelbin.comWhats going on? Vir asked, approaching Shardul.You were dragged into a part of the Ash you should not have entered. I am trying to keep you alive. We all are. Shardul gestured behind him, and only then did Vir notice the four figures who stood in a circle some paces away, staring holes in each others heads. One was significantly larger than the others. One was gangly. One sage, and the other wise.Narak, Ekanai, Parai, and Jalendra? Vir asked.The white-haired old man with a beard that came to his knees regarded Vir inquisitively but said nothing.He cannot speak, Ekavir, Shardul said, clasping Virs shoulder. Time is short, so I must be brief. You are in a very precarious situation right now. You should never have come to this place. You werent ready.You dont say? Tell that to the wolf who brought me here.An unfortunate turn of events. For you and for us.Vir frowned. What do you mean?Shardul sighed. You have somehow been pulled into the deepest part of the Ashen Realm. A place you were destined to eventually reach, but not yet. Not until you were far stronger.Good wolfie. Good wolfie, Vir thought, inching away.The Ash Wolf did not like what it saw. The next thing Vir knew, hed fallen and was being pulled by some great force.It ate my leg! Vir thought, writhing on the ground in a daze as the scenery blurred by.Except there was no pain. At least, not from his leg.Again?The Ash Wolf had once again bit into his boot and was dragging him with its mouth. It was a clumsy way to drag someone, and it shouldve been slow, allowing Vir more than enough time to stand up.Instead, it yanked him nearly as quickly as his own running gait.Wheres it taking me? Vir thought frantically, trying to make sense of this situation as he bounced and jolted. The beast hadnt killed him. That was good. But it was dragging him somewhere, rather violently, which was bad.Escape was Virs first instinct, but how? And to where?Whatever his ancestors had done hadnt disabled his prana manipulation. He could invoke Dance of the Shadow Demon if he wanted tothe many buildings cast dark shadowsbut should he?If part of him sank into the shadows with the wolf still holding his leg, he wouldnt be able to sink all the way. Worse, with the wolfs strength, being torn limb from limb might be a very real possibility. Cirayus had warned him of the many pitfalls of Dance of the Shadow Demon, and this was one.Nor did he think he could penetrate the wolfs solid prana armor to free himself. Trying might very well anger the beast enough to end him.Vir decided to wait it out. The wolf would let go eventually, and he could use that opportunity to flee to the Shadow Realm.Just calm down. Think. Observe, he told himself. Forcing his breaths to even, even as he was dragged along.Vir took care to protect his head, then regarded his surroundings as best he could from his poor vantage.The first thing he noticed was the buildings. Dark and impossibly tall, soaring into the clouds.They looked pristine, but Vir could somehow tell they hadnt been occupied in centuries. Like a perfectly preserved dead animalthe parts were all there, but the soul was not.The architecture reminded him of only one other place hed seenValaka Amara. The Imperium outpost where hed met Janak.The buildings here were markedly different. Darker and more foreboding, with lightning continuously raking their tops from the dark, low clouds. Some were so close they made Virs ears ring. But the arches, pillars, and spires were all the same.So this is the lost Imperium City...It was all Vir could see before the wolf rounded a bend and his situation went from bad to worse.Over a dozen Ash Wolves surrounded a person.Vir scrambled to his feet the moment the wolf came to a halt some twenty paces away.A Goddess? he breathed.She was a being of pure white. A slim woman with stark white hair, wearing long white earrings, a gorgeous white dress, heeled sandalsalso whiteand wielding a white rod in her left hand, she struck him as an incarnation of Yuma, the goddess of health and fertility.Or she would be, if she wasnt sitting crumpled on the floor with her right arm missing, oozing silvery blue blood that marred her pristine dress. Vir grimaced, expecting to see bone and muscle from her torn shoulder but instead found a multitude of black ropes, tightly packed and sparking, arcing small flashes of lightning every few seconds. Despite her bizarre anatomy and her contorted, anguished expression, she managed to look otherworldly, in a divine sort of way.Which was why Virs eyes found her first, despite the hideous beast that stood from only paces away.Vir tore his eyes away from the impossibly beautiful woman to regard the monstrosity she and the wolves fought.The beast stood fifteen paces in height and resembled a feathered, oversized bat with the legs of an ox and the claws of a bear, extending from its batwing arms. Like the Ash Wolves before itseveral of which lay dead and dyingit oozed Ash Prana so thick it was visible to the naked eye.Vir despaired.I dont stand a chance against that thing.
