Chapter Ashborn 372: Favors for Favors

“I wish for you to assist Vir to the best of his ability, to take no hostile actions against him, and to listen to his every command.”

“Consider it done,” Saunak said. “Akh Nara, my services are at your disposal.”

Vir opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. He’d braced for a long, drawn out battle of wits and guile. Of word games and politicking, all to sway the wily Saunak to his side.

It couldn’t be this easy. It simply couldn’t. Could it?

“What ploy is this, Saunak?” Vir asked. “What’s your aim here? You do nothing for free.”

“What do I want?” Saunak said, snapping his head up. “What do I want? I want to spend as much time as I can near a living example of the Age of Gods! That’s what I want. Perhaps the only example! Do you have any idea how special she is?”

“I… do,” Vir said, somewhat taken aback at Saunak’s zeal. He’d suspected—hoped—the mad Thaumaturge would view her in a positive light, but this?

“Come in, please!” Saunak said, rising to his feet. “My home is your home. Please, see fit to use it as you wish.”

Ashani exchanged glances at Vir, who shrugged. “This is… Highly odd of him,” he said. “Trust nothing he says.”

“Perhaps he is genuine?” Ashani asked. “I hear no lies from his lips.”

“I would like nothing more, believe me. Against him, though? You can never know. Logic crumbles around him. He bows to no one.”

Except, perhaps, goddesses from another age, Vir mused, though he refused to feel any hope when it came to Saunak.

Vir had wondered how they’d fit the wolves in the lift, thinking perhaps that they might have to take an endless flight of stairs up the tall tower, but that issue was resolved when Saunak led them to a large freight lift, easily large enough to accommodate the three of them and their wolf entourage.

Vir had also wondered if Saunak would protest the presence of the wolves in his abode, but there wasn’t a single complaint to be had, and soon, Vir and Ashani were being wined and dined in Saunak’s lavishly opulent observatory room, which commanded a sweeping view of the surrounding wastes.

Ashani delighted in Saunak’s culinary talent, despite not requiring food at all. Vir ate sparingly, testing for poison. It was only a while later, when he’d convinced himself that the food was safe, did he partake and allow the wolves their fill.

Through it all, Saunak was a consummate host, refilling their glasses and regaling them with tales of his research—all in the very best behavior.

“To think I’d never thought of it that way,” Saunak said, clutching his hair. “This changes everything! All those experiments need to be re-run!”

“I am pleased to have been of service,” Ashani said. “But my own understanding of my people’s magic is basic, at best.”

“Madam goddess,” Saunak said, using the moniker they’d agreed to after endless back and forth. It was the most the Thaumaturge was willing to compromise, initially insisting on ‘Your Divine Eminence’, and ‘Hallowed Deity of the Prime Imperium’. “Your knowledge of your arts is absolutely indispensable. You cannot know how much has been lost. How much of your glory has been squandered and forgotten. To call it a tragedy would be a disservice. It is a failing of cataclysmic proportions. With your permission, I would like to learn as much as I can. To regain as much of what was lost as possible.”

Truthfully, Vir was happy to hear the Thaumaturge show interest in this topic. There were few demons alive who could understand even a tenth of what Ashani said when she talked about Imperium magic. Vir suspected that among that handful, none were more capable of understanding it than Saunak.

“I am more than happy to divulge all that I know,” Ashani said with an angelic smile. “Though I’m afraid it must come after we’ve accomplished what we journeyed here to do.”

Both Ashani and Saunak turned to Vir, who cleared his throat.

“I have come into possession of Balancer of Scales,” Vir said.

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“So?” Saunak said flatly. “I have every Regular and Ultimate Art in my archive. You could have had them all long ago. If only you’d wished.”

“And become a Pariah? Most of the realm already hates me,” Vir said grimly. He shuddered to wonder of his chances at winning over the clans if he’d stolen their arts without the clan’s permission. “Had I not had Cirayus with me, you might have tricked me into that trap. But I am not the gullible boy I once was, Saunak. You would do well to remember it.”

“So it seems,” Saunak said with drooped shoulders. “A pity. So, you have earned Balancer of Scales in the Bairan Tournament, then? Gained the blessing of the clan, have you? Well, congratulations.”

Saunak’s utter lack of emotion made it clear there wasn’t even a morsel of sincerity behind that statement.

“I am not seeking your praise, Saunak,” Vir replied dryly. “I would, however, like you to inscribe the art.”

“You. Want Me. To inscribe a tattoo. On your body…”

“Yes, I understand this comes as a surprise,” Vir said, bracing himself for the Thaumaturge’s reply.

He needn’t have, for Saunak didn’t bother with anything as dignified as a verbal response. Instead, he slammed his palms on the table, stood up… And started laughing uncontrollably.

“Oh, I do apologize,” Saunak said after laughing for far too long. Long enough for the laughter to turn strange and awkward. “It’s just… Fate truly has a sense of irony, does it not?”

“Will you—”

“Yes, I will inscribe your tattoo. And any number of others, as I said I would. I see you have attempted an amateurish job on your wolf,” Saunak said, kneeling near Shan, who growled back in protest. “I can fix that blunder as well. Honestly! Untrained laymen should never even attempt to inscribe tattoos.”

“That wasn’t the work of an amateur,” Vir bristled as Saunak sat back into his seat and took a bite. “It was performed by Cirayus’ granddaughter, a fully fledged Thaumaturge, and someone well respected in Bairan society.”

This time, Saunak spit out his half-chewed food. “Well respected? You must be out of your mind! Look at this! Look at how poorly the inscriptions have been carved! Look at the varying depth, the inconsistency in width! To say nothing of the quality of the prana conductors… It’s hideous! It’s pathetic! It’s an outrage, is what it is. Has the Demon Realm truly fallen so low? No wonder your wolf struggles. Has he even managed to get it to work?”

“Once or twice,” Vir admitted.

“A miracle, if you ask me,” Saunak snorted.

Vir was somewhat taken aback by his observation. It was true that Shan struggled with his abilities. For the wolf, whose aptitude for learning was almost terrifying, to barely make it work for the Bairan Tournament, spoke volumes.

As much as Vir didn’t want to knock Aida’s hard work, he had to admit Saunak had a point.

“Yes, I will fix all of your problems. In return, I ask but a trifle.”

“Let me guess,” Vir said, all enthusiasm gone. “You want me to be the subject of one of your little experiments.”

Saunak’s expression changed in an instant, from a deferential vassal to a hungry predator, as his eyes shifted to Vir.

“Why, yes,” he said in a voice that deeply disturbed his victim. “Why, yes, in fact I do.”

“So, where exactly are we headed?” Vir asked as Vir, Ashani, Saunak, and the wolves rode the freight lift up. Up, and even higher up. Higher than Vir had ever been. Lacking any windows, Vir could only guess how high it went.

“To the roof,” Saunak replied, answering that question. “I require some aid with my newest experiment.”

Vir was immediately on alert. “What sort of experiment? If you recall, the last time I was here, you tried to imprison me, and when that didn’t work, you tried to have us killed.”

“But everything is different now!” Saunak said, waving away Vir’s concern. “Now I know better. That was a foolhardy, ill-thought out plan. Were I to imprison you, I’d do a much better job.”

Forget an apology—that Saunak’s learning from that debacle had been to improve his crime craft did nothing to ease Vir’s concerns, despite the Thaumaturge’s assurances he would take no action against Vir.

No, Vir had to believe the Thaumaturge was out to get them. Or him, at least. Ashani might well prove to be the collar that kept this crazy demon on his leash. Should he do anything untoward during the inscription process, they’d both agreed that Ashani would fry him. Quite literally.

True to his word, the freight lift stopped at the roof, and the moment they got off, fierce winds assaulted them from every direction, shifting every moment, seemingly at random, and blowing ash around continuously. It was a good representation of the chaos that bled into every corner of this blighted realm.

And though it had been quite some time since natural phenomena could pose any threat to him—even if he was somehow blown off, Vir could land easily with Light Step—its presence, when combined with the visceral view, made for a truly alien environment.

“Incredible, isn’t it?” Saunak said. “I sometimes come up here to relax.”

Vir wasn’t quite sure how twisted one had to be to call the craggy, lightning-scarred peaks on one side, and the endless ash-filled valley beyond relaxing. It was the same scenery as most of the rooms in Saunak’s tower boasted, but there was a difference between viewing it through a pane of thick glass, and seeing it with one’s own eyes. Subjected to all the wrathful forces the realm brought to bear. Nestled in the luxury of Saunak’s tower, it was sometimes easy to forget just how broken a place this was.

By the way Ashani stared at the landscape, transfixed, Vir felt she might feel the same.

Vir’s eyes eventually made their way back to Saunak’s tower. The roof was not some small space, but rather an enormous circular platform, around which sat the Lightning Ring, as Saunak called it. The device that controlled the weather in the area.

As such, the space was easily two hundred paces in diameter. Enough to house several additional structures, including one wide, tall one, which they followed Saunak to.

When they neared, Saunak manipulated the tablet strapped to his forearm, causing a door at least fifteen paces in height to slide open. It did so silently, or if there was any sound, it was drowned out by the wind.

It shut behind them the moment they entered, plunging them into darkness… Until Saunak flipped a lever on a nearby wall, and the entire space was bathed in artificial light.

“My esteemed guests, I humbly welcome you,” Saunak said, bowing theatrically, “to my airship hangar.”